3D printers, need guidance

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#3385633 19-Jun-2025 22:59

@geoffwnz,

If you're printing miniatures, have you thought about a resin printer?.the ones that use UV light through a grid on to a UV curable polymer?

Far better for high detailed objects like miniatures.

geoffwnz

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#3385638 20-Jun-2025 07:28

SepticSceptic:

@geoffwnz,

If you're printing miniatures, have you thought about a resin printer?.the ones that use UV light through a grid on to a UV curable polymer?

Far better for high detailed objects like miniatures.

Resin printers weren't a thing when I first started printing. And I don't print them enough to justify it now. But yep, they'd definitely do a nicer job on them. Happy enough with the one solution to do an ok job. At least if I upgraded or got a second filament printer, the consumables carry over.

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Silvrav

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#3385851 21-Jun-2025 10:40

geoffwnz:

SepticSceptic:

@geoffwnz,

If you're printing miniatures, have you thought about a resin printer?.the ones that use UV light through a grid on to a UV curable polymer?

Far better for high detailed objects like miniatures.

Resin printers weren't a thing when I first started printing. And I don't print them enough to justify it now. But yep, they'd definitely do a nicer job on them. Happy enough with the one solution to do an ok job. At least if I upgraded or got a second filament printer, the consumables carry over.

would also love a resin printer, but the cost and all additional stuff you need does not justify what I do with my 3d printer.lol

richms

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#3385857 21-Jun-2025 12:02

It needs a detached shed or something to do it in. The cleanup where you are rinsing and brushing off uncured resin, and getting it out of the hollow parts of the item are the worst for making the smell of resin+IPA come out. And that smell gets into things and lingers. Not sure if at that point its just smell or still bad for you but I have to vacate the shed without PPE for a day or so after cleanup which is why I want to get a fume hood for it.

Richard rich.ms

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#3386093 21-Jun-2025 23:31

I purchased a runout resin printer from Jaycar. I think I was around 200$, and 70$ for a bottle of water based resin.

No IPA, just hot water .

Borrowed wife's UV nail polish curer to cure the prints. Bit of sunlight for extra cure if needed.

Certainly not the highest resolution, I think 2000dpi? Newer are 4000 plus?

But more than adequate for my purposes. HO scale figures, couple of donkey cranes, drums, pallets etc for model railway.

richms

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#3386180 22-Jun-2025 12:08

The water used to clean up is hazardous while it has resin in it, and takes forever to evaporate and leave a cured pile of resin that is safe to dispose of when compared to how quickly IPA evaporates.

Also the people that I know who have tried it found it to not filter out as well as IPA to clean it up that way. Not that you really care about reuse of water since its effectively free.

Richard rich.ms

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Paul1977

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#3387122 26-Jun-2025 08:00

geoffwnz:

Yep, the comments in this thread about how enshrined in their own ecosystem Bambu is suggested that wouldn't be the best option for me. The Ender 3 will keep working so long as parts are maintained. Even OctoPrint will work without updates if they stop supporting it.

Design in whatever CAD you like (FreeCAD), slice in whatever slicer you like (Cura), send to OctoPrint, collect print (or spaghetti) some time later.

@geoffwnz I have my Bambu P1S in LAN + Developer Mode. No Internet access and can accept commands and jobs from non-Bambu software and slicers. Bambu could shutdown their servers today and I'd still be printing.

The only thing I'm not sure about is joining the printer to a wifi network, since you need to use the Bambu Handy app to setup the initial connection. You don't need to be logged in with a Bambu account, but I haven't tested to see if the network join can be done with the phone app offline as well. It uses bluetooth to initially talk to the printer to setup the wifi connection, so may work without Internet as long as the app is installed - will test when I get the chance.

So while I don't like their push to a closed ecosystem, if you think the Bambu printer itself is the best hardware for your needs, it can be bypassed if you're willing to jump through the necessary hoops.

Paul1977

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#3387124 26-Jun-2025 08:09

A few recent prints below. I've had a few failures and have I've done various functional parts as well, but those are a bit boring so won't bother posting those.

Print-in-place articulated dragon:

Alien Xenomorph skull:

Minimalist Freddie Mercury:

Artwork with built-in frame, plus display stand:

Pickle Rick! The photo really doesn't do this justice, the different heights of the colours really look good in person:

floydbloke

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#3387126 26-Jun-2025 08:19

Paul1977:

Minimalist Freddie Mercury:

They all look great but Freddie is exceptionally good.

Sometimes I use big words I don't always fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

geoffwnz

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#3387131 26-Jun-2025 08:33

Paul1977:

@geoffwnz I have my Bambu P1S in LAN + Developer Mode. No Internet access and can accept commands and jobs from non-Bambu software and slicers. Bambu could shutdown their servers today and I'd still be printing.

The only thing I'm not sure about is joining the printer to a wifi network, since you need to use the Bambu Handy app to setup the initial connection. You don't need to be logged in with a Bambu account, but I haven't tested to see if the network join can be done with the phone app offline as well. It uses bluetooth to initially talk to the printer to setup the wifi connection, so may work without Internet as long as the app is installed - will test when I get the chance.

So while I don't like their push to a closed ecosystem, if you think the Bambu printer itself is the best hardware for your needs, it can be bypassed if you're willing to jump through the necessary hoops.

Good to know. :-)

At this stage, the Ender3 is printing everything I need it to. Just a bit slower than some of the newer printers.

Still impressed with the ASA prints for fog light mounting brackets that have been installed in the Ranger winch bar for several years now without any failure. Plus the ones for the rally spot lights that survived a couple of night stages at Daybreaker without any sign of cracking.

Looking at trying some PCTG soon. But will first print the previously linked filament drying cabinet once that kickstarter drops.

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Silvrav

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#3387135 26-Jun-2025 08:46

@paul1977 What brand and PLA are you using? those are some clean looking prints.

I am going to switch to PLA as PETG is cool and all for functional prints, but for to shiny for anything decorative.

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elpenguino

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#3387139 26-Jun-2025 09:48

I need to print something but my roll of filament has been sitting opened, for a year or so. Do I need to do anything to this filament to get it ready for use (Ender 3) ?

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

Silvrav

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#3387140 26-Jun-2025 09:50

elpenguino:

I need to print something but my roll of filament has been sitting opened, for a year or so. Do I need to do anything to this filament to get it ready for use (Ender 3) ?

Only thing I can think of is it might be wet - might need to dry it before use.

geoffwnz

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#3387152 26-Jun-2025 10:38

Silvrav:

elpenguino:

I need to print something but my roll of filament has been sitting opened, for a year or so. Do I need to do anything to this filament to get it ready for use (Ender 3) ?

Only thing I can think of is it might be wet - might need to dry it before use.

Very likely to be wet. But try a small test print and see. It might be ok, it might hiss and spit at you, you might get unpredictable results.

Then look up drying methods. They range from filament specific drying boxes to sticking the reel in the oven for several hours.

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elpenguino

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#3387159 26-Jun-2025 11:28

geoffwnz:

Very likely to be wet. But try a small test print and see. It might be ok, it might hiss and spit at you, you might get unpredictable results.

Then look up drying methods. They range from filament specific drying boxes to sticking the reel in the oven for several hours.

I tried a print and it failed . I wasnt watching, cos life's too short , and came back to black spaghetti in mid air.

First couple of layers stuck to the bed ok.

Ender 3 so the issues could be many 😃 but it worked last time I used it.

I will try bake the snot out of the reel and try again.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

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