My first ever 3D print was in high school around 2013 or so. My tech teacher just got a Makerbot Replicator, and I had just had a CT scan of my head for an injury. I was able to convert my scan into an STL and got my teacher to print it in some glow in the dark filament. I was hooked ever since, and my skull haunted the classroom for years after I graduated 😁
That's wild! I remember looking at the conversion process for CT scan data and it didn't look easy. Glow in the dark filament was the perfect choice haha
First used 3D printing (stereo lithography) to prototype product components way back in 1990. Machines were $1M powdered resin things. $5k per part! Now, I crank test pieces out on the bench beside my work station for cents. Its amazing how far things have come. 👍
I love that you are doign this and I do hope a lot of creators do this. I am not going to make a video but my answers to these questions 1 In high school I went to a tech day where my dad worked and they had a large SLS that they were using to prototype and make parts back in the early 2000s 2. The first thing I 3D printed was a set of hooks to hold a filter to a box fan to remove dust from the room. So Cal is really dusty. 3.3D printing for me has always been a tool. It's why the first printer I bought myself was esin and preferred it to FDM until the bambulabs printer came out. Resin generally is way less fidly to me than FDM. As long as the bed is level, the resin warm it just normally works. 4. The best 3d printer like the best Camera is the one you have access to. I like any printer that is plug and play or as close to plug and play as possible. I do not want to fiddle with the printer I just want to print my stuff. But any printer is better than no printer 5.RTFM. too many people just start using stuff without reading how to use it and then complain why it doesn't work properly. I'm astonished how many times it's user error from not reading the manual
I first heard about 3d printing in 2016. First print was the cat with its paw up.I view it as a hobby because it is fun. My best 3d printer is the Bambu Lab Mini that I just recieved for my birthday last Friday. Tip for beginners- don't give up! You will make mistakes along the way,but they are part of the learning process and you will be a better 3d printing hobbyist as a result and it is all worth it!
Thank you so much for including the "hobby versus tool" question! That still doesn't get asked often enough, I feel, and there's still lots of arguments and gatekeeping that boil down to people not understanding that this fundemental difference in use case and goals exists. I feel like it's a thing that really needs to be highlighted much more than it currently is.
Really pleased to hear that your favourite 3D printer is the Bambu Lam A1 Mini! It's mine too, I actually have two of them now. After enduring almost 4 years of various problems with Creality printers (Ender 3, V2, and 2 Pro), the A1 Mini was a revelation! Not only does it just work, but it works very well and very quickly. I would NEVER go back to Creality, or anyone else now.
Fellow industrial designer here, and long-time subscriber : 1. First time I saw a 3d printer was in early 2000 in design school it was an SLA/SLS printer in a polymer tub with lasers I believe. 2. The first thing I printed was a logo for an espresso machine I was building 3. Definitely a tool. I owned a Creality, a Monoprice mini am Anycubic Chiron (still got it) and now BAMBU P1S find it is a game changer. No need to fiddle with it just pring and go. Really wanted a Prusa forever but it is so expensive (XL nowadays) 4.I think Bambu P1S is my current choice. 5. My No.1 tip is don't give up and keep learning as you go. Find ways to make it work for you and ask for help if needed, there are a lot of good people in the 3D community. Thank you for the video, I always watch YT on lunch time :) -Y
Fun set of questions... 1 - First heard of 3D printing back in 1990s. Always had popular science and popular mechanics magazines growing up and one of them mentioned it and I loved the idea... wasn't for a few decades before I could afford a machine though. 2 - A stretchy bracelet (and I still have it). It was a vase-mode print included on the printer, so I went with it. 3 - Both. It's true, you can't pick one or the other. Many people get a 3D printer, find some model, and press print. Another model, press print. Another, and press print. And then you ask them if it's a hobby and they say "yes, because I don't sell them". And yet that description of "model, press print" is how someone who uses it and is asked if it's a tool would say. You used the kit car example... a kit car person is still building a car to drive. All the "car people" I know have the car they work on, then the car they drive when the other car is being worked on. It's not an "or", it's an "and". It's just what you're doing with it. 4 - I'm segway-ing off number 3 to say "it doesn't exist". The printer that is the best one to have is cheap (relative to the person's expectations/desires), can do nearly everything within it's domain of functionality (and within what people want/expect/hear of), and can be repaired by someone who doesn't have time to repair it. Sorry to say, that knocks out Prusa and Bambu. Both have easy to get parts, repaid guides, can be fixed/modified in minutes... and yet that is still enough for some people to just say "I'll buy another" which is almost always followed by "when I have the money". If you pick a printer now, you better say "for now" but that's not in the question (unless the whole video portion is the question). Otherwise you get a "when I look at what I used a decade ago, ick" response. If it's not a trap question, and time is not of the essence, then it doesn't exist. 5 - Go to a model site, ideally multiple, and just see what exists and look for items that have pictures of printed models (not renders), and print what looks cool. If it fails, find out why and try again. Keep doing that until you are comfortable with knowing how the printer you own works, with the filament you own, and the slicer you use for it. Either you're gonna keep finding models, or you graduate to modeling.
I can't make videos but: 1. I first learned of 3D printing about 11 years ago back when it was mainly industrial. 2. I can't remember my first print, I think it was something tool-related. 3. Both! Hobby wise it assisted with my writing. After I got hurt I needed a visual aid to physically see so I could write about it, so I learned 3D design to make "dungeon tiles"... Then I learned dungeon tiles existed. Now, I hope to make it a job since I am unable to work a "normal" job. 4. The best one is the one that works for the task. Cliche I know, but it is true. I prefer ones that are semi-assembled or come complete due to limitations. All the new features these past couple of years have only opened the door for more people to join without the need to be an engineer. 5. My number one tip is you will fail a print eventually. Learn why a print did not make it and adapt. You can do "everything right" but things outside of your control, such as temperature or power flickers, can still happen.
I got my first 3D printer about six years ago, the infamous Anet A8 Firestarter. Saying that it was the best thing I did as I got into something fantastic on the cheap.
@@MakersMuse I learnt so much from it and you. Got into designing and using SolidWorks and that was from a free licence that was given away on your channel a few years ago. 👍👍
ANET A8 was my first 3D printer, I got it for $160 many years ago. I think it was a great first printer to learn on and modify it. Very easy to fix. 2 main problems with this printer was: 1. No protection to thermal runaway, fixed with Marlin firmware, 2. heat bed loose wires problem, fixed by changing the connector.
@@dvuemedia They had problems but if you treated them with the care, they needed it was a cheap introduction into the 3D printing world. I love 3D printing and designing in CAD functional parts for projects, repairs and modifications.
The Anet A8 was my first printer too. Did most of the upgrades that made it safer, but within a couple of years pretty much gave up on 3D printing because getting a good first layer down was such a hassle. In the last few months I bought myself a Prusa Mk4 because it looked like technology had evolved to the point I could just print stuff without too much tinkering, and I love it. The Mk4 has really got me back into 3D printing, and I've printed all kinds of things for myself with it.
#1. I first heard about 3D printing many years ago via an engineer who I was using as a mentor when I first started my business, mainly for prototyping). I then tripped across a printer years later at a Uni open day we took our son too (that really got me interested! Yes, I'm "THAT" Old!!) #2. The first thing I printed was a nut & bolt. The only print that was practical#3. This is a tough one. I guess it's always been a hobby, an extension of what I fabricate! (I'm a welder/ mechanic/ fabricator/ old school practical hands on bloke who modifies & makes stuff) While I don't make dust collectors, I make practical, useful things to fulfil a purpose. #4. When I started to get really interested in 3D printing I mentioned it to my son (who was at Uni at the time) & he had already bought the printer I wanted which was a Prusa. Years later, he moved overseas & gave me that printer which I couldn't really afford, so I guess I had fallen in love with Prusa, the continual free support, back up & designs through Printables (but honestly I usually design my own stuff, fit for purpose) #5. My #1 tip for beginners is definitely to learn CAD. I'm not very good at it (Fusion 360 & really struggle importing & modifying existing STL's) but I generally get by even though it tends to take way longer than it should, but I'm still learning. Maybe the other tip would be to buy a slightly better quality printer than you can afford because it'll give you less hassles. I've seen people basically walk away from 3D printing because they couldn't get their machine to work as expected.
1 - Probably 2017-18, my first printer was the Tronxy X1 after seeing your review on it. 2 - It was a case for a digital watch that I build. Sort of the excuse for buying a printer. 3 - Definitely a tool. My work goes into designing the things I'm printing and then I just want the print to work rather than having to spend time fiddling with the printer. 4 - I think it currently is the Bambu Lab A1. Such a powerful printer for the price. Really amazing how the printers evolved. 5 - Find a good reason to buy a 3D printer. It's a tool, similar to thinks like a table saw or a sewing machine or a kitchen mixer. Some people have uses for them and others don't. And then learn to understand what's going on and what it's limitations are.
Great idea to start that survey! I understand that I'm not the "typical consumer" of 3D printers, since I use them mostly for parts and prototypes for Chemical/Semiconductor related applications. But here are some inputs from my 3D journey: 1) I heard of 3D printing in 2003 2) 2007 Testpart for testing my selfbuild printer to check my Marlin changes for my printer 3) 80% tool -> bussines and 20% hobby -> I like to design and build CNC machines 4) Ratrig Vcore 3.1 500X500X500, I need the size and flexibility for my bussines. I have 2, with more than 4000 print hours each and my first Vcore 4 500 Idex is on the way 5) Learn to use a 3D CAD, it opens a new world of possibilities
1. I heard about 3d printing in 2011 at the university. Back then I thought of it as a novelty that wouldn't catch on. Boy I was wrong! 2. The first thing I printed and designed myself was a pair of gears to see if this technology is good enough for practical applications. They ran wonderfully. 3. I see it definitely as a tool, but in reality it's almost as much of a self-serving hobby too. 4. Ideal printer would be a silent and compact closed cabinet design without any proprietary or expensive/hard to get parts for long-term repairability and tinkering flexibility. 5. Try out EVERYTHING you can lay your hands on! Best for the most may or may not be the best for you.
1. At a friends place 2. A replacement part for my cats carrying care 3. As a tool, most of my parts are useful (replacements/repairs) 4. The only one I have ever tried: Prusa mini (cheap and solid for starters) 5. Start small and grow
1. I went to a medical/science museum open day where some companies were showing off printing medical noses and what-not, ever since I was fascinated with the technology. 2. I printed an impractical bolt for a camera stand which had been broken for years, its threads quickly wore away but it was a great start to CAD design 3. Tool, yet I am very willing to build and tune a printer to become a reliable tool that I can start with 100% confidence that it will finish 4. Only had a ender 3 v2, served me very will so far not been too worried about what I'm missing out on 5. If your using it as a tool, use CAD to fix problems in your life, use a parametric CAD software and use constraints everywhere
1. In 2007 when a friend pointed me at the RepRap project. 2. A rectangular single wall open box in HDPE to test my RepStrap HydraRaptor. 3. It was a hobby while I was experimenting but is now more of a tool. 4. The one I am designing now. 5. Dry your filament.
I was in the process of buildibg model rc 3d helis and flying them, I was always wearibg out compobents especialy with the IC motored helis and then i saw a youtube that came up with my usual search of 3d heli and it was a fellow aussie callwd Makers muse so i watched a couple of episodes and i think it was about three hours later i thought HEY! I Need one of these. 3D printer things then i could make all my lo stress parts and eventualy i made complete archives of parts that i could make and made a friend of mine a T Rex 450 clone only using the metal components and printing the rest it was cool to see somthing id drawn up modified and built Fly! Just like a real one😊 So many thanks to Angus as that was 6 years ago matey..cheers Jcinauz
1. First heard about home 3d printing around 2013. 2. First thing ever printed was a print in place robot that came on the 3d printer's SD card on a Monoprice printer at work. First print I created myself was an enclosure for a work device, simple box that fit around a DVR recorder. 3. I see 3d printing as a tool to bring ideas to the physical world, this can also be a hobby. 4. Currently really enjoy printing on a bambu p1s. It is much different than my first personal printer that was 100% build out of the box of parts. 5. If you can think of it, you can probably design a print that will work or find someone else on the internet that already has. Many times I didn't think something would be printable and then search for it and find lots of models to choose from.
Challenge accepted Angus! 😁 I would love to make a video answering these questions and join in on the fun! I might even have to change up the questions a bit! 😉 Stay tuned folks!
1. 3D printing has been on my radar for a long time. But I only got into it a couple of years ago when my nephew ‘loaned’ me a CR-10s Pro V2 he had in storage. 2. My first print was a benchy, when my nephew set up the CR-10. 3. I view 3D printing as both a tool, and an hobby. I’m a bit of a design nerd; started training as a draftsman in high school about 1975, and am thrilled I can just make something from a drawing by pushing a button - almost. CAD has been on my radar since high school, and I’ve goofed with a few pieces of software, but the impetus for that ramped up with the possession of a printer. I went through Tinkercad, and Onshape to Fusion 360 in a couple of weeks (maker’s free license). 4. I think I might agree with you about the A1 being the best printer, but I also see a tremendous advantage to switching filaments. Perhaps the Voron IDEX printer is a close second. 5. My number one tip for beginners is a modern classic: UA-cam/Google is your friend. If you like it to start with, learn something.
1. I read about Norwegian Linux User Group on their IRC channel making their first 3d printer some 12 years ago. I had no idea what a 3d printer was, but it spiked my interest 2. I visited Bitraf in Oslo just before the holidays and printed out three small angels in translucent white, mounted on a small plastic container covered with glittery felt and mounted RGB LEDs underneath and controlled them with an arduino, looping through the colours, rainbow style and gave it to my mom for christmas (she has a thing with angels during that time) 3. When I got my first 3d printer (cr10s), it was just hobby, but after that, it's become a mixture of work and hobby. Mostly hobby, though. 4. The best printer I've owned, is my trustworthy Bambu X1 Carbon. 5. Get a printer that won't require you to be an engineer, just get something that works out of the box. Learn how different filament behave and where to use them and especially where not to. When you understand it all, learn 3d modelling.
First off, newly subscribed, so hi from Kansas! 1. I first heard about 3D printing in the late 2010’s. I didn’t know much about it, and wondered how it worked. Ok. Skip to fall of 2022. I needed to make a very small 7-tooth gear. My dad and I talked to a friend out-of-state about it and he said his son could 3D print it. When he got it, he didn’t even send the part on to his son; he just dismissed it, saying, “That’s way smaller than I thought it’d be! We can’t do it.” Sent it back, and I got the idea that I could get into 3D printing to make this gear. Another friend of dad’s, who’s into tech, said he wouldn’t recommend getting into it, as “it’s too complex for [him] and [he’s] too old to get into it”. (He’s in like his late 60’s.) Well, he says he’s too old, but I’m young and also into tech, so I’m the perfect candidate for this. Plus, I love machines, making, (and the LOVELY mechanical whirring I hear 3D printers making)! So, I did a little research about 3D printers and found the Creality Ender 3 on Amazon for just under $200, plus $20 for a big roll of black PLA. The Ender 3 had only great reviews and everything the reviews said about being a good beginner’s 3D printer was true. I particularly remember 1 review that said, “If you’re looking for a good beginner 3D printer, look no further.” I got it within like a week since needing the gear, and I love everything about it! 2. The first thing I ever 3D printed was just a random thing I found on Thingiverse. It basically looks like a little pulley. I was just starting out and didn’t really know exactly what I was doing, so it was like 10mmX10mmX5mm in the Z. Took like 4 minutes to print. But the first more substantial thing was a little cat, also from Thingiverse. (you’ve all probably seen it-the little cat sitting up with one paw up by its head). I also still have every single thing I ever printed. 3. I view 3D printing as both a hobby and a tool. Again, I’m very much a hands-on person, so I can definitely get into it. I love to print random-but still useful-items. 3D printing has also been very helpful as a tool. An example of this: I love fixing things, especially things lots of people would just throw away. So we’ve got these electronic Halloween decorations that have had plastic parts break-mainly gears (here we go with gears again)-so I just get the size and number of teeth, find it on Thingiverse, and boom! It’s fixed in 30 minutes! 4. The best 3D printer in my opinion would have to be the Ender 3. As I said in #1, it was a great 3D printer to get started in it, and everything good I heard about it was true! I’ve gotten some good use out of it and it’s still going strong! 5. My number 1 tip for beginners. I’m gonna share something that I learned when I first got mine going, and that is this: when you get your 1st 3D printer, don’t worry about modding or anything. Just put it together right outta the box and just start. When you get to grips with it, THEN you can mod it. That paraphrased tip came from Chep. That was the best advice I could’ve gotten! Before I got mine, I watched UA-camrs who basically said to mod it all over the place. Over time, or whenever. It can be easy to get overwhelmed by that when you’re not even familiar with the stock 3D printer to begin with. Me? I wasn’t overwhelmed. But getting that advice was the best, and I’m glad it was said. Plus, I like to keep things stock anyway. Final thoughts: I love my Ender 3 so much, and I’m glad I got into it, and I’m excited to grow!
1. Mid 90s. I was designing propellers and we would send off the model to be 3D printer in wax which was then used to make a cast. 2. A spool holder I designed to replace the one that came with the printer because it wouldn't support the spools I was using. 3. A little of both but mostly a tool. If I want to solve a problem, I don't want to waste time solving another problem when the printer needs tweaking. 4. My most recent purchase, the Bambu Lab X1-Carbon. Basically fire and forget. 5. Assume your first print of your fancy new design won't be quite right and you need to fix, adjust or improve it. This means you can use those left over bits of filament and not be too fussed when you realise you'll have to print it again.
On point 1, a few years ago I tried designing & printing a basic 3" propeller for a racing drone, and printed it out of TPU... I still can't believe it worked first time and very well. Footage of it flying is on my channel called "Five33 TinyTrainer with 3D printed TPU props"
I forget when I first heard of 3D printing, but I first saw it in action and used it for my product design class in high school. I think my first print was a LEGO compatible housing for 9G servos I designed so I could use Arduino (first used in that same class) with the building tool I'd been using all my life. Quickly found you, Joel, and James Bruton (and later many others) and eventually bought myself a LulzBot Mini 2 which I use to this day! I currently view 3D printers as kind of both a tool AND hobby... I definitely use it as a tool and don't like when it's in a state that I can't rely on it, but I do enjoy learning how it works and modding and improving it! Also side note, your first print being a repair for your printer and holding it in place as it prints is the most maker-core thing I've ever heard of 😂 I don't really have enough diverse experience yet to give an opinion on best printer, but my number one piece of advice is two in one: patience is key, and calibrate calibrate calibrate! I'm in a few forums now and it's remarkable how many people simply haven't bothered to spend time properly setting up their printer and doing specific test prints and then wonder why it has problems.
1. 8th grade / 2013 I saw an article that 3DP is the next thing so learn how to use CAD. I started tinkercad then. 2. A lens cap for a drone 3. I transitioned from hobby to tool. 4. Tenlog TL-D3 Pro IDEX. If I'm batch printing something having multiple heads print at the same time is 🤯 5. Watch all the videos between 2013 and 2017, learn how to crawl forums and Facebook groups (and avoid the spammers in the FB groups)
Hi Angus. 1. Where did i hear about 3D printing? UA-cam. From people like you and Naomi Wu. 2. First print? The "Marvin" keychain that came with the ANet A8 I bought. 3. Hobby. I used it to help build props for my son. I built an Iron man mask, Arc Reactor. 4. Best printer? I cannot answer that. I still have the A8! 5. Advice? Don't be afraid to play around with things. Go online. Buy fillaments. Download STL's and print. Then. Have a play with some 3D modeling siftware if you want. If not. Plenty of STL's out there.
1 elementary school had a printer and club 2 working pair of shoes, while I had designed things, I someone else’s did the final steps, learned about slicers the hard way after designing my own ‘infill’ 😂 3 Tool and hobby, Hobby making my own things not fixing the printer 4 LNL ten log ~$500, reliable large IDEX machine, the size and IDEX make it better than bamboo for my needs 5 understand your slicer, use your slicer with all settings visible and descriptions, it helps to reduce failures, add strength, save time, feeds into design process
To me, #1 tip for beginners would be "don't cheap out on the machine, buy something good to begin with". Machines like the original Ender 3 are dirt cheap, but they have a lot of quality control issues that almost made me quit when I started back in the days. Now you can have fast and reliable printers such as the A1 Mini for about 300 € / $, so I feel like there's no reason to really skip on these, unless you're really short and cash and very motivated to start the learning process the hard way. By the way, I made my debuts with your channel a few years ago, so thank you for this :)
I agree. However, as an engineer I have to say, troubleshooting, upgrading, tweaking is a thing for sure. Ender has grown and they are putting out some incredible machines at this point. The community built around them is phenomenal as well. As I move forward and begin learning CAD I can see where the beauty is in design, your designs vs simply printing out others…
It's true that Creality seems to have made great progress with QA and the general reliability of their machines, which make them great entry points for beginners. But they are also a little bit more expensive than the original Ender 3, wich is still sold at a very low price. It's tempting to a beginner to simply take that one instead of cashing out the extra buck and get the better but slightly more expensive one. That's why I say that for beginners, it's probably a good idea to pay a little extra in order to get a more reliably printer. Still, I agree that creating your own design is the very essence of 3D printing and it's also extremely rewarding. But if you're discouraged from the start because you can't get a simple part to print right, there's no point in learning 3D CAD in the first place.
Hi, am just thankful to you for teaching 3d modelling and also Michael from teaching tech, I have just joined uni and am in my second year now but I fix all the 3d printers ther and even can fully configure Marlin. The other youtubers too, thanks 🙏 Btw I started back in 2019, while in secondary, btw the meshmixer videos, that is one great playlist 🎉
I have always been fascinated by 3-D printing as a way to popularize and decentralize manufacturing, easy cheap prototyping, and to enable ENTIRELY NEW things that were not practical before. Muse and several other channels are great educational resources, and ultimately I was inspired to buy a Prusa back during the Covid lockdowns, first as a hobby, then to make increasingly useful items around the house. My home is full of these little shelves and cubbies, plastic connectors, replacement battery doors, stands, etc. etc. Now a friend has asked me to replicate a window pulley that they can't source commercially. We're currently testing whether my prototype works. I'm not in this for the money, but if it turns into a business, I won't complain! I agree with Mr. Muse that the key is learning how to do modeling. I'm still in the TinkerCad phase (plus occasionally making weird shapes in Gimp then exporting as SVG) but hoping to move up to Fusion360 eventually.
My first, and favorite 3d printer is the Anet A8. It's my favorite because there's so many options, and makes for the perfect learning experience. Mind you, I took heed of content creators like you when I did my research. I upgraded the PSU, and added the MOSFET out of the box. My first print, was a mount adapter for the new PSU, and there wasn't room for the brim on the bed, and my Buildtak didn't cover the bed fully.
1 - Maybe somewhere in 2009? But I first saw it back in 2011 on art academy. One year later I built my own 3D printer! (Prusa Air 2 XL) 2 - A Dodecahedron that I designed in Rhino. 3 - Both, I used to design my own machines since 2012, mainly as a tool, but building was a lot of fun so I kept building new ones. It got out of hand so I bought an X1C and never looked back. Now I just design and print things. 4 - Bambu P1S (in the hobby market), 'BEST' is relative, but eventually I would still say that SLS is the superior technology and I hope that SLS beats FFF/FDM. 5 - Learn to model a.s.a.p. and buy additional tools to support the modeling like digital calipers and other measuring tools, if you just keep downloading files from Printables, you might become bored fast.
Because my channel is more about mining, I answered the questions in the latest short description. I have a few designs available and my most successful was the Aztec cube. In addition I would also like to say that you are my choice channel for 3D printing and I learned a lot.
1 - I first heard about 3D printing from rumblings around the local makerspace around 2014-2015. I was (unjustly) intimidated by all of the cool tools and techniques and waited on actually plunging in on 3D printing until 2016. 2 - I no longer have the first object I 3D Printed, but my wife does! One of the first projects I printed was a collected of twisted rings that I used to propose to my then-girlfriend and now wife. I didn't know what ring size she was and didn't want to blow my cover, so I performed some tolerance testing and printed a bunch of simple rings. We found the right fit! 3 - I view it both as a tool and as a hobby, and now have printers that fit both niche. That's a huge privilege to have, and I would recommend that new people to the field look into a printer that "just works." But I've also enjoyed upgrading my old Ender 3 and building a VORON 2.4. The fact that we can categorize 3D printing into both something for a hobbyist and to be used as a tool is incredibly powerful. 4 - The printer I use most is the Prusa Mk4, and I haven't felt the need to upgrade it to a Mk4S. We have Bambu printers in our office and they've been excellent workhorses, and I think you can't go wrong with either choice. At this stage, your design and slicing workflow is becoming more important, and I've been happiest using PrusaSlicer 2.8.0 at home with my printers directly behind me, just using a USB stick to transfer files. 5 - Be prepared to fail. 3D printing is a bit of an art, a bit of a craft, a bit of a science, and both more than and less than the sum of its parts. I'd suggest giving yourself time and space to fail, and be sure to celebrate the early successes.
1. In 2014, when I was doing language practice in my integrational school in a country I moved in. It was a small local machine in a library, I started to read more about these machines and learned about RepRap, that's how I decided to build my own 3D printer: Prusa 2. Parts for that Prusa, in the same library. 3. I use my printer as a tool to help me to maintain my house. 4. Prusa of course! 5. Don't just stop on printing toy models from the Internet, design your own: would it be practical things or not.
1. I had access to a maker's workshop in college back in 2011 which had a large laser cutter which had been used to laser cut the pieces for one of those early ultimaker DIY builds. I never got around to playing with it, but was at least aware of how far we'd come. 2. A trumpet mouthpiece on a Taz 3 my brother bought me for christmas 3. Both. I don't get paid for it, but I tend to make functional things often and it's a tool to make things I cannot purchase 4. The one you have 5. It's not about the printer (at least not after you get it working). If you don't learn to design things in CAD, things that you actually want and can't just purchase for the cost of the plastic plus a markup, your printer will probably sit and gather dust. You can only print so many tchotchke's off thingiverse before you get bored. It takes up space and costs money. Make sure you want to dive into CAD.
I first heard about 3D printers 10 to 12 years ago, but they were very expensive. In 2015 I bought a bunch of parts on Amazon and found plans and software on Github, so my students and I built a RepRap clone of a Prusa clone. I retired from teaching the next year, and upgraded to a Prusa MK3S, and now MK4S and use it as a tool to make things to use in my woodshop for jigs and storage, etc. I had never used a CAD program so at the age of 62 started learning Fusion 360, and while not an expert, I can make almost everything I need.
I bought my first 3D printer avec watching RCLifeOn review the Tevo Tarantula, it was in May 2017. I was just looking into nichrome wire and one of his videos led to the next. It's a hobby in itself, with some practical use as a tool too as they are overall very reliable. The first print was a green PLA XYZ cube, followed by a yellow ABS 3DBenchy
1. I don't know when I heard of 3d printing, its been a while ago (would say ~10 years, maybe a bit before the Anet A8) 2. The pre sliced Box that was included on the SD Card from the printer 3. Tool, it allows me to fabricate my ideas with less work compared to traditional manufacturing (especially for complex parts) 4. The one that is working and available (I don't need super tight tolerances so most current printers are fine for my needs) 5. If you make your own models, cut out smaller sections to do test prints, often it is not needed to print the whole part to check if some dimensions/clearances are right
This is so awesome! Inspiring me to make my own video to put out there. :D I've been a huge promoter of getting more people into making, and demystifying 3D printing to friends and family over the years, so this would be a fun little video to make!
I had a similar experience with my first 3d printer, my original Ender 3 (non pro) came with a broken extruder arm, it would print but under extruded by probably 40%, I modeled a new arm and replaced it that night, putting pressure on the idler with my hand for the ~45 minute print. That Ender 3 is still going, I got an aluminum extruder and it went like that for about a year until I enclosed it and put on an all metal hotend to print ABS and nylon. I added TL smoothers to extruder and X and Y axis and just put dampers on the X and Y and it's actually a pretty quiet printer now and probably one of the most reliable printers I own, just don't print much faster than 80mm/s if you want parts to look nice. I did compile a custom firmware with some more reasonable acceleration limits (from the default 500 up to 2500) and that made it a little more snappy without really introducing any artifacts provided you use slower accels on outer walls. I also raised the hotend limit to 300c and the bed to 120c and it seems to have no issues getting to temp. I was going to give it away when I got my newer printers but it's just been the most reliable one out of the bunch and only seems to fail due to user error.
I first heard of 3d printing with some scanning laser based resin system on tv in the 90s. First thing I printed was a clip I designed to attach a power strip to the table. Mostly a tool, even if most of the stuff I print is hobby related, there are a handful of unobtanium parts that paid for my first printer(prusa mini) a dozen times over. Best printer is the one you design and build yourself, for your own requirements. Mine is similar to a ratrig or voron. I used my first printer as a reward to motivate myself to learn FreeCAD. It must have worked because nearly everything I print is something I designed or at least modeled myself.
Grrat video idea! Love for the fact that it connects us! I'll do a video for sure! I want to practice speaking publicly! I got into CAD and love that it enhances 3d printing so much!👊😝
1 - a long time ago (maybe in the 90s), but only lately (maybe 2 months ago) I actually started to use a 3D printer (not my own, but I'll buy one later this year). 2 - a simple round plate with 7 screw holes to fix an ugly hole in the ceiling of our bath (which was left by the craftsman and never fixed). 3 - a tool; tinkering is only a means to the end of a working tool; I hope the 3D printer I'll buy wouldn't need tinkering (other than some adjustments). 4 - since I don't have one, I don't know; I'll look at some current reviews when it is time to decide. 5 - start with 3D modelling - exactly what I did (now using FreeCAD or rather Ondsel); a necessity for me, as I have very specific things in mind, and I have to do the construction myself to get them.
I think the first 3d printer is saw was at a local tech shop (that doesn't exist anymore). But they were super expensive back then and I was fascinated about what they can do as a tool. But I thought that I never could afford one, so I forgot about it. Round about a decade passed and my girlfriend asked me some day about 3d printers for her cosplay stuff. I we did some research and bought an anycubic cobra max. I constructed and printed some parts for her and we were both pretty happy with the results. A few weeks into 3d printing, a friend of my girlfriend came to visit us, saw the 3d printer and heard that im the one that makes the parts via fusion360. The friend (who is a product desingner) told me, I could make a job out of "just my little hobby" and now im a product design trainee. 🎉 At my workplace we have a Bambulab x1 carbon and holy smokes that was a difference in speed and precision 😅 Long story short.. My girlfriend, her friend and 3d printing opened up a whole new life for me.
Built my own core XY 300x300x300 stands 3 ft high with the legs and is just soo reliable. Switch it on and print!! Create with Fusion and use it as a tool, no models, just functional parts. Still great fun and I still get a kick out of producing functional parts.
My first 3dprint was around 2 months ago when I finally had the money and the way to buy a 3dprinter. I went with the safest bet that was a Bambulab Ai mini for $200 plus tax. I'm incredibly happy with it. I'm yet to try TPU but I need a dryer box or something. My first ever print was a 12min benchy OOTB with the sample filament. I've made a shell for my charger that I uploaded to printables. The only problem I have is that my ideas are spontaneous and on the spot. I can't make myself think stuff if it isn't by the need to solve a problem. lol I'm 20y/o and I love to keep learning. I love technical details. I love making stuff faster, cheaper and efficient. I have a really really awesome Idea for something. It involves resin. I'd need to build a HEPA filter and dry enclosures. It's a really really cool idea, tho resin printing is deadly and expensive. haha Yes I've thinked about casting but college(and money) get in the way for now :)
Just started just this year. I started following your channel in about 2017. I was close on purchasing one but didn't. This year I got myself a bambulab p1s combo. It literally kick started my designing of speakers and headphones. First things I started printing for myself rather than testing is probably mechanical keyboards. Later on speakers. I see 3d printers as tools. It is super fast. Doesn't need transportation. Doesn't require negotiation with supplier. I just want it to work. And I don't want to have to fix it. p1s is not perfect but after changing the hot end myself once I can accept this level of maintenance. So far the best goes to X1E, after I adopted P1S I convinced my boss to get two X1E's. FDM is better than resin based because it doesn't require post processing other than getting the support off. PLA is plenty strong and the look is actually really nice(bambulab pla matte). For some reason X1E just prints a little bit better than my P1S. More consistency and better overhangs. Tip is probably also to learn modeling. Imho it's crucial for 3d printing to be a tool. If not it's just a waste of space.
I think AMS is the best thing ever. Not for the multi color functionality but the fact it can automatically switch to a new spool of filament. This minimize the waste and really frees the mind of looking after that. The next need is a bigger printing volume with bambulab's consistency and quality. I got a elegloo 450*450 one it's literal crap. Can't auto leveling on flat surface has to lift to tilt it a little bit. Also two heads. Again not necessarily for multicolor (although it's very useful) but for different support material to easier pulling off the support and better surface quality for the supported surface.
also the company I work in got a a1 mini with 0.2 nozzle for more details for smaller things like buttons. I'm also looking to get a A1 or A1 mini so I can print two parts at the same time.
So many older "Gurus" these days around to help out the new people that are just getting into the hobby thanks to a good deal or a bored family member and they need to figure it out! You were one of the first channels to print basic but functioning mechanical devices. Need to bring that back with all the new mechanical channels these days, heh heh. Cheers.
First heard about "3D printing" at a maker faire c.2015. Thought it was the coolest thing ever and they had a few prints to show off. Looking at the current generation of affordable and fast 3D printers, it's amazing to see how far the technology has come
FIRST OFF CONGRATULATIONS ON 1MILLION SUBS 🎉🎉 1. I first heard about 3d printing on the news but I first got to see one in action during yr7 highschool 2. The first thing I printed was a Mario it was rough as guts 0.35 mm later height on a cacoon create . The first design I did was years later and that was a custom macro pad that I made for my partner. 3. I view it as both. my job is repairing 3d printers so I see it on both sides after fixing hundreds of machines I personally would rather see mine as a tool and so it just works. 4. The bambulab P1S is a fabulous machine that caters to 90% of what people need with a bit of extra work you can get it to like 95% of a X1C capabilities. 5. DONT TOUCH YOUR BUILD PLATE 😆 clean with hot soapy water, and if need be use some adhesive.
1. Heard about them. Never thought I would get one. In 16, I found a wooden replicator at the local junk shop. $50, including 2 rolls of filament, so it followed me home. 2. I think the first thing I printed was a case for my $10 lab power supply that I got from eBay. I still use the power supply, but I made it a new case 'cause it needed strain reliefs to keep the input wires from breaking off again. An early print was a smokebox door for a friend's garden train engine as the original had fallen off and got lost. 3. On your recommendation, I got a sidewinder X1 in 19. It is a tool, but I am glad it is easy to repair. I am not a 3D printer hobbiest, but about any thing I do has something I printed in it. 4. I think it would be hard to go wrong with bamboo labs these days. Of course, my old sidewinder still works great. 5. Keep the build plate clean and level your bed often. Usually when I have a failed print it is because the build plate is suddenly 3mm below. "What? It just printed the other part nicely?"
Good video! My responses: 1. A friend had purchased a Prusa (Mk3 I think) and was showing things he could do with it including printing a fuselage and wings for a RC plane. It immediately got the gears turning in my head. 2. The first thing I printed was a calibration cube followed by Bull Terrier coaster on an Anet ET5x. It was loud and slow and not very reliable. It very nearly took me out of 3d printing because I was so frustrated with it. I still have it, and it does print better because I learned a lot when I got motivated again with an Ender 3 S1 Pro. I have spent many hours tuning and tinkering with the old ET5x. It’s still loud and slow but it does print fairly consistently now. 3. I view it as a tool. I am constantly creating jigs for my laser engravers or on the spot solutions around the house or for friends. Why go to a store when I can make that part? 4. Tough one, I would say, money no object, it would be the Prusa XL with multiple tool heads. That said, it is far above my budget for a 3d printer. For the average person though I would say the Bambu P1S AMS Combo. A lot of bang for the buck there. I am currently saving up for one. 5. I would tell a person to take the time to learn how to set up their printer properly and try not to get discouraged with failures. I also agree with you in saying learn how to 3d model. It opens a whole world of what you can do with the 3d printer.
1. I think I randomly stumbled across 3d printing on youtube heard about prosthetics made using 3d printing 2. Can't remember I think it was a pirate ship wheel style tap head for the bathroom. One of the taps snapped off so just a place holder so we didn't have to use a wrench to turn the water on/off 3. Tool I like seeing my own designs and experimenting not fixing the printer every month. 4. I want to buy a P1P from bambu so hopefully that 5. Don't be scared of 3d modeling I avoided it for 6 months then when I tried it for me there was no big learning curve unless you want more complex shapes it's easier than some think. My favorite 3d print was my father had bought an old lawnmower from the dump and the blade spacers didn't exist anymore except in England from one company wanting $100 shipping. My father sent me the broken lawnmower spacers and I had to recreate it in 3d software based on what I had/pictures online. Took me a couple prototypes but the blade spacers are still being used on 20+ year old lawnmowers from the dump that just needed a plastic part. Cost me maybe 30 cents per spacer
Welcome back…. First printer : PrintRBot (wooden from kickstarter) First practical print : modelled and printed a toilet button sleeve in 2014 and it’s still working/in use today. What I think : great tool for rapid prototyping and revision.
First became aware of 3D printing back in the late 2000s, and was tempted by early metal frame printers like the MakerBot Replicator 2, but the price was too high to justify. Finally got my first printer in 2018, a Monoprice Mini Delta v2, for the princely sum of $160 US. Weird to have a delta as my first printer, yes, but I loved that little machine. Modded the heck out of it, and just gave it away this past year. Went through several Ender 3s (also heavily modded) until I finally decided to spend the bucks on a Prusa MK4. Couldn’t be happier with the choice. To your point, Angus, now I spend more time printing and coming up with designs to print, rather than spending time tuning, fixing, and upgrading my printers. For new folks, I’d say get a printer that you can afford, and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty tweaking and upgrading…there’s tons to be learned that way. But be clear on the why, and be prepared to spend more eventually for a printer that is more tool than hobby. Prusa, Bambu, whatever. Lots of good choices out there.
1) I first heard about 3D printing way back in the late 80's when my dad worked in aerospace. I kept an eye on the reprap magazine & Make Magazine vids back in the day & just bided my time waiting for other folks to figure things out in the hobbyist/desktop space. 2) The first thing I ever printed was a Benchy & a calibration cube on a my first printer, an Anet A8 I got after Bill Doran did a video on that particularly cheap Chinese clone of the MK2. Years later I had upgraded it about as much as one could and learned everything there is to know about Marlin based bed slingers. The first resin print I ever did was a Tiny Rosinante from The Expanse on the Mars 2 Pro my wife got me for my birthday a few years ago. I still have each of those prints. 3) I still view 3D printing as both a hobby and a tool because I use it for both. The whole reason I got into 3D printing was so I could finally print my Zbrush sculpts but I actually have used it around the house too. Things I've done around the house this year include a bathroom sink strainer to catch wild wife hair, a new handle for our kitchen sink's plug, some custom owls I made for a dowel based towel rack replacement, and a couple of other small things. 4) Right now my BEST 3D printer is the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra that I recently got. Not having to level a resin printer is AMAZING!!! Also it's just fun to watch it work because the tilting vat is kind of mesmerizing and the build plate only moving on each new layer makes it feel like magic. I've had minimal failures (almost all of which were my own fault for traying to manually cheese build angles. 5) Literally the same answer you gave. Learn to model in CAD software or 3D sculpting software. Some folks like TinkerCAD or Nomad, I used Fusion360 and Zbrush myself. My buddy bought Anycubic's little resin printer & I now on my recommendation he's using TinkerCAD like a champ to make all sorts of things for around the house & for little dioramas he makes.
I first heard about 3D printers almost 40 years ago. At that time, they were still paper plotters that used knives to cut out paper, which then had to be glued together. But soon after that, the first printers came out. My first print was a filament holder for my Ender3. :D I use the printers as tools and as a hobby. The best printer is the one that works, no matter what model. It has to be precise and produce little waste. My A1 Mini is certainly good, but it produces unnecessary waste with every print. Before you buy a printer, think about what you want to print and how much space you have.
My first ever 3d print is when I was in my grad school around 2015. Our lab had a 3d printer that is pretty crappy by today's standard, but I was able to used it to create our first ever 3d printed interactive project with my teammate for that semester. I didn't really know what is the difference between PETG and PLA and ABS at the time but just decide to order a roll of PETG for the project base on the sales person's pitch. We study in Digital Media Design back in the day so we didn't really use parametiric modeling software but use 3dmax and maya instead. Now I exclusively use parametric modeling for everything I make. Nowadays I work in the same university as my grad school in charge of the makerspace in here(with bambu x1c), but kids these days just weren't that interested in making things anymore. especially for my major which mostly prefer making things on monitor (animations, graphic design, digital art). I really don't have a tip for beginners other than create a project and just try it out. I understand a lot of people still have skeptic that 3d printer being pretty shit and hard to work with. But modern machine has improved so much. It is easier than anytime in history to create something that is 3d printable with the abundance of knowledege we have.
1. 2019/2020 I picked up a 3d printer in August of one of those years after I moved to a new house, I had bought it because I saw your vids it was an ender 3 V2 because it was cheap and I wanted to tinker a bit. 2. Test part: calibration cube b/c why not, Functional: a shelf bracket for my neighbor's mudroom, Fun: little pip dragons for the neighbor's kids. 3. Honestly split down the center for me, I use it for functional and fun about 50/50, whether for fidget items or for brackets and tool handles. 4. Honestly I love my K1 but the P series from bambu is amazing as well, the K1 is my current workhorse, the only problem I've ever had with it was installing the damn camera. 5. Don't use IPA to clean your print bed, in my experience even 99% IPA leaves a film on the bed causing loss of stickage, just clean with soapy water and then add glue stick of needed for PLA.
What started as a hobby, quickly became an indispensable tool. It allows me to create things, a lot faster and more accurately than I could do by hand.
1) As far as I remember it was during my engineering scholl what was about in the early 80's 2) replacement soap holder for my bathroom (I never have printed any benchy!) 3) just as tool - you can see a few of mine on printables (Peter Jordan) 4) that one you DONT own ! (atm Prusa XL) 5) same as yours: learn 3D modeling! I started to first learn to create my tools I liked to have and THEN I bought my first printer - that saved a lot of money, because otherwise the printer would have been outdated already. Sorry no video except you like to watch my "Nozzle Cam" while printing :-))
1) I saw something about 3D printing online probably in the early 2010's. I don't remember exactly the web site but at the time it might have been Make Magazine or something similar. 2) I printed the Owl that came as a test file on my first printer that was an AnyCubic I3 Mega S. 3) I first saw 3D printing as a hobby. My first printers were the Anycubic and an Ender 3. I think I printed more add-ons and accessories for those printers than anything else. Troubleshooting took up the bulk of time with these printers. I moved on to the Prusa Mini+ and all that changed. I started to learn Fusion and designing my own prints. I didn't have to worry about the actual printer anymore. 4) I love the Bambu p1s with the AMS, but the best printer I have owned is the Prusa MK4 with MMU3. 5) Don't buy a cheap printer. It can be very discouraging. If you are handy I would purchased a Prusa kit and put that together. If you just want to print I would get a bambu with the AMS combo. It is more expensive to purchase them separately.
I still have my old CR10S (from 2018), i heard for printing 2016 i think. I change a lot of parts and mother board and thankfully, it can work as a tool so i can make parts. My first print was that basic luck Cat thingy, i don't remember what was next ... probably some bracket or enclosure. I view 3D as both, hobby and a tool ... mostly a tool. Best current printer is Bambu Lab X1. I wish i had space for Bambu Lab printer (for X1) but my old CR10S has bigger plate. It is true that i don't use full bed all the time but when you need it, it is really useful.
1 - When did you first hear about 3D printing? I was watching something in late middle school, early high school. Before I fully understood, or even began to understand how manufacturing worked. On TV, they showed someone pulling an adjustable crescent wrench out of sand. This was about 15ish years ago. I thought it was interesting, but didn't think much of it at the time. 2 - What was the first thing you 3D printed? My first printer was a Wanhao Duplicator i3 original. It was known for not being rigid, so my first print was printing brackets for steel rods to keep it sturdy. 3 - Do you view 3D printing as a hobby or tool and why? I use it as a tool. I like to create and fix things. For example, I'm thinking of 3D modeling a "trophy" of all the different towers of hobbies I like to do, then have all the youtubers I watch at Open Sauce sign it since I've been inspired by all of them. Also, I used it to organize my chemical closet to put things like brooms and rollers on the walls. I found out I can't view the 3D printer itself as a hobby, because I won't use it. I barely used my Wanhao because it was a pain every time I tried to use it. Maybe 10% of the prints even stuck at best. No matter how much I leveled the bed, glue stick, or blue tape. Nothing helped. 4 - What is the BEST 3D printer? (according to you) Depends. If you prioritize time over money, Bamboo Labs x1 carbon. If you prioritize money over time, Creality i3 v2 or whatever they have now. Both have massive communities so if you have an issue, google it and it's probably been resolved on reddit or facebook. If you're looking at resin, they keep getting better every year. 5 - What is your number 1 tip for beginners? Just have fun. Yes, they're dangerous, but so is a hammer if used wrong. Learn what you should never touch, like the nozzle when it's on, or the power bank. Maybe avoid used ones at first, because who knows what may be wrong. Don't worry about 0 stringing, surface details, small things for a while. Also, use the fancy pla's. Don't just have them sit in the closet for years waiting for "the perfect project" and "I just need to tune my machine a little more."
Love the idea of getting people to answer the questions on youtube, lol, but... No current way I can do that. I use my A1 mini, to make.... miniatures, for tabletop gaming. The A1 mini is perfect for that, and being able to hack apart sts's and hack them together differently is amazing.
My first 3D print was an airflow nozzle for the ANET-A8, which is a Prusia clone I bought from China for $70. I thought I'd breath new life into the old girl by buying a GT-Mega 2560 motherboard upgrade but all the connectors were different and I just abandoned that project. Today I use an Anycubic MONO. It's build surface is tiny, but never lets me down.
Really wish more models people posted were designed for 3D printing, so many of them really don't take the process into consideration.. I do tend to get a lot of inspiration from them for my own designs though, definitely beneficial to know how to model in that respect
I don't do videos, so here's my answers: 1. I first heard of 3D printing back in the 1990s. Someone I knew from church made small guitars, and at some point our scout group went to his office to see what he worked on. One of the items he had in the office was a resin 3d printed chess rook, and he talked about using a 3d printer to prototype small parts. 2. The first thing I modeled and printed on my own 3D printer was a Pinewood Derby car, on a Monoprice Mini back around 2017. Had to split it in half to fit in the tiny 120x120x120 build volume, outgrew that one quickly. 3. Over the past couple of years as far more reliable 3D printers have become available they have become more of a tool than a hobby. I used to spend far more time tinkering with the machines and trying to get them to work than actually using them, but now I can basically just send a print job to either of my machines (a Prusa Mini and a stock Ender 3 S1) and expect it to work. 4. I wouldn't say that either of my current printers is the best one you can get. If I had the money I'd love to get a Prusa XL, but for now I'm mostly using the cheap ones. 5. If you want to learn how to use your 3d printer and model, a good way to do it is to look for problems to solve around the house. You'd be surprised what you can come up with...
1 - I probably first heard of them before, but it was a gaming friend of 10 years (whom I still have never met in person, but was very close to at the time) who had been saying I should get one, but I felt I never really had the space. 2 - The first thing I printed was a cute bear thing that was on the SD card of the Ender 3 I bought. There wasn't enough of the sample white filament, and right off the bat I taught myself how to bodge swapping filament mid-print. I managed to print a half white, half blue cute bear thing (maybe it's a dog, not sure). I still have it and am proud of how it completed successfully. 3 - When I bought an Ender 3 I viewed it as a hobby, for various reasons it still is. If I had the space and money, it would be more a tool and I would get a decent Bambu or Prusa, but 5-6 years in, I'm still wanting to justify the upgrades for my Ender 3 and my time consumed with implementing those upgrades, but it has been out of action for some 2 years now (life!). 4 - The best printer for me is the Ender 3 simply because it got me into 3D printing and opened a whole new world of learning and discovery. I did cover a lot of ground in short time, but such is life, I have had many obstacles the last couple of years, and the attention it has needed I have not been able to give time to. Where I to get into 3D printing today, likely the equivalent £200 Ender, or the Bambu A1 mini. I do like open source and a bustling community of tinkering support, and not too sure either of those printers have that like the Ender 3 did back in the day. 5 - Number 1 tip for beginner, without doubt, get a good first layer, and I think you Angus have been hammering that for years. Incidentally, once I bought my Ender 3 some 5-6 years ago, I asked my friend who influenced me to get it, who I should follow on UA-cam, and he said yourself and Thomas Sandladerer (I can't believe I spelt his surname right first try!). I found most of the other channels myself, he just picked out the heavyweights, and considering how long ago it was, he was bang on. Smart dude my friend is.
fyi I was around 38-39 years old when I bought the Ender 3. I am hopeful to be back in the game very soon, but I have been thinking that for weeks. I still keep up with the content creators though. Maybe if I stopped watching UA-cam..... 🤔
The first time I eared about 3D printing was in 2012, when I came to USA, then I bought my first printer in 2014 (Printrbot 1405), at the time it was expensive. Unfortunately I do not have a video of this time. I kept the printrbot for years, upgrading to Printrbot simple metal, then in 2019 I got the Prusa MK3S, which now is MK4S+ MMU3.
Kim.S Hello! I actually think it was you who appeared in my UA-cam feed about 5 years ago. I retired that summer it was only a month or so and I started to think that I have to learn something new (I've been a bit worried by all the reports about how important it is to exercise the brain as you get older) I found a creality ender 3 v2 at a sale that was affordable. I had built a show computer water-cooled, it hangs on the wall and glows red red water etc. The problem was that because it is an open construction, the water cooler got clogged quite quickly, so I had already started experimenting with how to solve the filter problem without success, but it gave me the idea that 3d printing must work. It resulted in training for my head a lot because I have never drawn in a cad program before but Freecad seemed quite humane to learn (no star yet but it is starting to come off now) Coming up with various improvements in our home as well as my minimal hobby room and spare parts for me and friends. Among the most fun things I've been involved in and I also like to tinker with my printers. I thank all of you who share your knowledge with us newbies
1 - I heard about 3D printing around 1999 but those were very expensive and specialized machines. 6 or 7 years ago I heard about the reprap movement and that gave me de idea of buying an affordable printer and finally I got an Ender 3. 2 - The sample dog that came in the SD card supplied with the printer but just half of it because I run out of filament and was a Sunday and all the possible suppliers were closed. Then I printed a calibration cube 3 - . Both things I print as a hobby (toys, parts to repair toys, scale spaceships) and as a tool to build cabinets and parts for my electronics projects. 4 - In the range of semiprofessional printers, probably a Bambulab Carbon X1, but for me a Creality K1 Max would be more than OK. 5 - Do not rush the assembly of your new printer, most of the problems come from misaligned parts or incorrect mounting. And of course, learn a design toll that made a big difference for me, I still use the common repositories for thing that I can´t design but try to do my own designs for everything else.
1. I don't remember. 2. A benchy. 3. Hobby of sorts? Both? Educational toy, this is how i'd put it. I have learned a lot and even contributed to Marlin firmware. It helped me get a little better at embedded dev. I don't care about prints so much as about working on the printer. 4. Mhmm. I don't have an answer. Original Ender 3 is well known for its modding community, but its stock board is best thrown into a ditch at first sight - no bootloader, too few pins, too little flash memory. I haven't actually kept up what the situation is. Maybe now some Sovol? 5. No.
I'll answer #3. When I started with 3D printing it was a hobby, downloading and printing sculptures or toys, then I started modeling parts for around the house, fun things like giant Lego sets, helping kids with school projects, and now I mainly print to help the High School FIRST robotics team and parts for car audio projects. It has evolved into a tool to make things I can't by other means.
1: Embarrassingly I don't remember. 2: A bracket I designed to stop small damage to a product during assembly at a place I used to work. I made it on my 1st printer a Creatbot F160 PEEK. 3: I would say both. Most things in the world are this way, usually the defining factor is cost. Injection Molding would be a hobby many makers would have if even the small machines weren't so expensive. 4: It depends on the use case scenario and budget. I'd say the Bambu Labs X1C for hobby and for a more functional tool I'd say the Qidi X-Max 3 for the more advanced materials capabilities and print volume. 5: Learning to 3D model is probably the best tip, but I would say additionally beforehand know what your use case will be; Hobby or Useful Tool, Small Detail (Resin) or Larger more Functional Items.
My first experience of a 3D printer was in 1989, the engineering company I worked for had a couple of machines, SL resin and FDM in the workshops, mainly for prototype tools, however, they also made protective covers for the tooling that they made for customers, I was friendly with some of the guys down in the workshops, I used to nip down in my lunch hour and make parts for my motorcycle, I would first make a manual technical drawing using a drawing table that I had at home and a rotoring pen, one of the guys that did the CAD would then transfer my drawing to CAD and a prototype of my bike part would be printed out and checked on my bike before being lathed and milled and then checked on my bike before being chromed. The first thing I printed in 3D was a monitor stand with drawers for my Amiga 1000 so I could have it on top of the computer case and the stand bring the monitor up to eye level, I also printed some for the computers at work. I consider my 3D printers as tools, although I have printed things from the file libraries, like puzzles and plant pots and kitchen tools. My early printers were cheap kits and I enjoyed upgrading them, however since I got my X1C and AMS I haven't done a single upgrade, I am going to upgrade my two Ender 5 Plus machines to core XY though. The best 3D printer is the one you can afford!
My first 3D printer was a Prusa Mini that I got as a kit. I was genuinely surprised when I assembled the thing and it worked flawlessly with the only tuning I did being setting the z-offset.
1. In 1997. But I didn't believe such a thing existed until I saw one ten-ish later. 2. Custom made parts for various vintage toys. 3. As hobby and tool. I make my own toys from old concept arts, mainly 80's toys, and design my own unique ones as well. As tool when I need items that don't exist or are hard to get. 4. So far I've only used two printers. Anyqubic Photon S and Creality Ender 3 Max. The resin printing was to much of a hassle to me so I'll stick to filament printing. 5. Be patient. Do some research before buying printers and collect hints and tips from other users. And...have fun :)
my first machine was the printbot simple, I made a D&D floor tile with it first, but used it for a prop for work later that week. I'm a magician, I had a gig as a magical tailor and a freind sugested I print scaled up thimbles to use as a set of "cup and Balls"
1 - When did you first hear about 3D printing? The first time I heard about 3D printing was seeing an industrial printer at an industrial manufacturing show while I was on a college trip in the early 1990's. We saw CNC routers, CNC plasma cutters, injection molding, but we had never heard of 3D printing before. Most of the students were absolutely fascinated by the seemingly magical process because I think it was a ZCorp? I remember seeing a multi-colour, multi-material running shoe. 2 - What was the first thing you 3D printed? The first thing I 3D printed was actually parts for my own design of 3D printer based on the Prusa Mendel i3, using a 3D-printing module/head used on my own design of CNC router. I even had to modify some of the parts because my CNC only had about 45mm of clearance on the Z-axis. And the frame of the 3D printer was CNC-cut on my CNC, using thick foam PVC boards off-cuts which I had received for free from a sign shop, which I later learned produced nasty fumes when cutting. No wonder it smelled bad when I cut all the parts. 3 - Do you view 3D printing as a hobby or tool and why? I see 3D printing as a tool because I use it to make parts for my other hobbies. 4 - What is the BEST 3D printer? (according to you) The best 3D printer is one that is affordable, reliable and does as much as it can on its own. This goes with my answer with #5, I would suggest either a Bambu Lab A1 mini or a Prusa mini. Keep in mind I'm only suggesting these two based on what I've heard about them from UA-camrs, I have never used any printers from either companies. 5 - What is your number 1 tip for beginners? Get a reliable 3D printer with auto-leveling and direct drive. Unlike a CNC router, the bed size of a 3D printer is much less important than you might think because the bigger the part, the more problems you'll have with parts warping and you want to avoid that particular problem when you're a beginner.
My first exposure to 3d printing was seeing a printed part in about 1985. A guy showed up at our shop looking for investors($10,000) at that time. It only had an 8"x8"x8" envelope. Not useful our shop so the owner said no. Turns out that was probably a mistake. I currently have 3 printers, afinibot a3, and 2 flashforge adventurer 3. I use them to make foundry patterns and models for demonstration.
in the process of updating my Aquilla with big tree tech mini ski v3 01 gonna power it on later after im sure everything is right :) number 1 Watched a video on youtube back when the tevo trantula was popular .. Im gonna hopefully use 3d printing to mock up stuff in cad so when I build my 87 suburban, to make it electric Ill have 3d printed parted to go off of
I'll bite. Here's some, probably, useless answers from someone who is still very much a beginner and a novice, despite having a 3D printer on my coffee table for a handful of years now. 1. I'm not sure. I might have read some article way back when it was more industrial and R&D, but I remember reading about the RepRap, looking at it and thinking that it looked cool, a bit unrefined, and out of my budget range as a skint student. 2. I think my first print was a calibration cube to check if the printer was working and get a rough idea about slicing and print accuracy/shirnkage. 3. Yes! For me it's a hobby tool. I use it rarely, but mostly as a tool to print something useful. I got an Ender 3 Pro around when they dipped to around the 200 €$ (whichever it was), with the understanding that it would probably need some tinkering, but also that it was an upgradable platform if I got really into it. 4. Haven't a clue, but it probably depends a bit on what you want it for. If you want plug-and-play to just get prints going, something more expensive and fancy is probably what you're looking for. If you're more interested in tinkering/experimenting and/or extensibility/upgradeability, you'll probably look for a popular platform with a wide userbase and clones. 5. Before buying your first printer, think about why you want it. Is it going to be a fun hobby with experimenting, tweaking, tinkering, and upgrading your machine, or do you just want a machine that can quickly and reliably print parts for you? Do you need the top of the line? Do you positively need it as a tool or is it a fun, but practical, and expensive toy? For me it was more of an expensive toy I could indulge in, but that could still have practical value even if the results were far from perfect. Well, I warned you at the start that my answers might not be the most insightful, so you've only got yourself to blame for reading this far. ;-) Cheers!
1 - When did you first hear about 3D printing? When I was introduced to the school's 3D printer as part of our design and technology class. Would have been 12 or so years ago. 2 - What was the first thing you 3D printed? An assignment we had was to design a computer mouse and model it using modelling foam. After that I asked if I could 3D model my design (I knew how to use Blender) and then 3D print it. It was a mouse shaped like the windows logo with all sorts of compound curves and it came out great on the printer. I think it was a BitsFromBytes printer but can't remember the model. 3 - Do you view 3D printing as a hobby or tool and why? I've always seen it as a tool, but not until getting a Bambu Lab X1-Carbon recently have I been able to treat it like one. My Printrbot Simple Metal required a lot of babysitting to get good results. Nothing like the set and forget of the X1-Carbon. 3D printing has always been a tool to pursue my hobby robotics and drone building, never a hobby in its own right. 4 - What is the BEST 3D printer? (according to you) I've only ever use 4 different printers, the 3 already mentioned and a kit build FLSun cube printer which was very fiddly. Of those the X1-Carbon is by far the best for what I want out of it, but the Printrbot Simple Metal did serve me well enough for many years. 5 - What is your number 1 tip for beginners? Don't worry about getting the part perfect on the first print. Often having the part in hand will tell you so much more about what needs to be changed than staring at a CAD package for a few hours. Take advantage of just how rapid 3D printers are at prototyping.
My first ever 3D print was in high school around 2013 or so. My tech teacher just got a Makerbot Replicator, and I had just had a CT scan of my head for an injury. I was able to convert my scan into an STL and got my teacher to print it in some glow in the dark filament. I was hooked ever since, and my skull haunted the classroom for years after I graduated 😁
That's wild! I remember looking at the conversion process for CT scan data and it didn't look easy. Glow in the dark filament was the perfect choice haha
Glow filament?? I'm going to have to get some now. And I hope you're all healed now.
@@ChickensAndGardening Polymaker sells some
Now THAT is a cool teacher right there!
@@ChickensAndGardening make sure you use a hardened nozzle. The material added to make it glow in the dark will ruin a non-hardened nozzle
Thanks for the mention ❤ Let's bring this tag to the Italian community!
First used 3D printing (stereo lithography) to prototype product components way back in 1990. Machines were $1M powdered resin things. $5k per part!
Now, I crank test pieces out on the bench beside my work station for cents.
Its amazing how far things have come. 👍
You are awesome.
We need people with your experience to make videos or writtings about those experiences :)
I love that you are doign this and I do hope a lot of creators do this. I am not going to make a video but my answers to these questions
1 In high school I went to a tech day where my dad worked and they had a large SLS that they were using to prototype and make parts back in the early 2000s
2. The first thing I 3D printed was a set of hooks to hold a filter to a box fan to remove dust from the room. So Cal is really dusty.
3.3D printing for me has always been a tool. It's why the first printer I bought myself was esin and preferred it to FDM until the bambulabs printer came out. Resin generally is way less fidly to me than FDM. As long as the bed is level, the resin warm it just normally works.
4. The best 3d printer like the best Camera is the one you have access to. I like any printer that is plug and play or as close to plug and play as possible. I do not want to fiddle with the printer I just want to print my stuff. But any printer is better than no printer
5.RTFM. too many people just start using stuff without reading how to use it and then complain why it doesn't work properly. I'm astonished how many times it's user error from not reading the manual
I've been tagged! You got it, my friend. I'll get one of these going and tag two others :)
Super keen dude! :D
I first heard about 3d printing in 2016. First print was the cat with its paw up.I view it as a hobby because it is fun. My best 3d printer is the Bambu Lab Mini that I just recieved for my birthday last Friday. Tip for beginners- don't give up! You will make mistakes along the way,but they are part of the learning process and you will be a better 3d printing hobbyist as a result and it is all worth it!
Thank you so much for including the "hobby versus tool" question! That still doesn't get asked often enough, I feel, and there's still lots of arguments and gatekeeping that boil down to people not understanding that this fundemental difference in use case and goals exists. I feel like it's a thing that really needs to be highlighted much more than it currently is.
Really pleased to hear that your favourite 3D printer is the Bambu Lam A1 Mini! It's mine too, I actually have two of them now. After enduring almost 4 years of various problems with Creality printers (Ender 3, V2, and 2 Pro), the A1 Mini was a revelation! Not only does it just work, but it works very well and very quickly. I would NEVER go back to Creality, or anyone else now.
Fellow industrial designer here, and long-time subscriber :
1. First time I saw a 3d printer was in early 2000 in design school it was an SLA/SLS printer in a polymer tub with lasers I believe.
2. The first thing I printed was a logo for an espresso machine I was building
3. Definitely a tool. I owned a Creality, a Monoprice mini am Anycubic Chiron (still got it) and now BAMBU P1S find it is a game changer.
No need to fiddle with it just pring and go. Really wanted a Prusa forever but it is so expensive (XL nowadays)
4.I think Bambu P1S is my current choice.
5. My No.1 tip is don't give up and keep learning as you go. Find ways to make it work for you and ask for help if needed, there are a lot of good people in the
3D community.
Thank you for the video, I always watch YT on lunch time :) -Y
Fun set of questions...
1 - First heard of 3D printing back in 1990s. Always had popular science and popular mechanics magazines growing up and one of them mentioned it and I loved the idea... wasn't for a few decades before I could afford a machine though.
2 - A stretchy bracelet (and I still have it). It was a vase-mode print included on the printer, so I went with it.
3 - Both. It's true, you can't pick one or the other. Many people get a 3D printer, find some model, and press print. Another model, press print. Another, and press print. And then you ask them if it's a hobby and they say "yes, because I don't sell them". And yet that description of "model, press print" is how someone who uses it and is asked if it's a tool would say. You used the kit car example... a kit car person is still building a car to drive. All the "car people" I know have the car they work on, then the car they drive when the other car is being worked on. It's not an "or", it's an "and". It's just what you're doing with it.
4 - I'm segway-ing off number 3 to say "it doesn't exist". The printer that is the best one to have is cheap (relative to the person's expectations/desires), can do nearly everything within it's domain of functionality (and within what people want/expect/hear of), and can be repaired by someone who doesn't have time to repair it. Sorry to say, that knocks out Prusa and Bambu. Both have easy to get parts, repaid guides, can be fixed/modified in minutes... and yet that is still enough for some people to just say "I'll buy another" which is almost always followed by "when I have the money". If you pick a printer now, you better say "for now" but that's not in the question (unless the whole video portion is the question). Otherwise you get a "when I look at what I used a decade ago, ick" response. If it's not a trap question, and time is not of the essence, then it doesn't exist.
5 - Go to a model site, ideally multiple, and just see what exists and look for items that have pictures of printed models (not renders), and print what looks cool. If it fails, find out why and try again. Keep doing that until you are comfortable with knowing how the printer you own works, with the filament you own, and the slicer you use for it. Either you're gonna keep finding models, or you graduate to modeling.
I can't make videos but:
1. I first learned of 3D printing about 11 years ago back when it was mainly industrial.
2. I can't remember my first print, I think it was something tool-related.
3. Both! Hobby wise it assisted with my writing. After I got hurt I needed a visual aid to physically see so I could write about it, so I learned 3D design to make "dungeon tiles"... Then I learned dungeon tiles existed. Now, I hope to make it a job since I am unable to work a "normal" job.
4. The best one is the one that works for the task. Cliche I know, but it is true. I prefer ones that are semi-assembled or come complete due to limitations. All the new features these past couple of years have only opened the door for more people to join without the need to be an engineer.
5. My number one tip is you will fail a print eventually. Learn why a print did not make it and adapt. You can do "everything right" but things outside of your control, such as temperature or power flickers, can still happen.
I got my first 3D printer about six years ago, the infamous Anet A8 Firestarter. Saying that it was the best thing I did as I got into something fantastic on the cheap.
I'm glad it didn't burst into flames! For a long time that really was the only affordable kit.
@@MakersMuse I learnt so much from it and you. Got into designing and using SolidWorks and that was from a free licence that was given away on your channel a few years ago. 👍👍
ANET A8 was my first 3D printer, I got it for $160 many years ago. I think it was a great first printer to learn on and modify it. Very easy to fix.
2 main problems with this printer was: 1. No protection to thermal runaway, fixed with Marlin firmware, 2. heat bed loose wires problem, fixed by changing the connector.
@@dvuemedia They had problems but if you treated them with the care, they needed it was a cheap introduction into the 3D printing world. I love 3D printing and designing in CAD functional parts for projects, repairs and modifications.
The Anet A8 was my first printer too. Did most of the upgrades that made it safer, but within a couple of years pretty much gave up on 3D printing because getting a good first layer down was such a hassle. In the last few months I bought myself a Prusa Mk4 because it looked like technology had evolved to the point I could just print stuff without too much tinkering, and I love it. The Mk4 has really got me back into 3D printing, and I've printed all kinds of things for myself with it.
Printed my first 3D print in 1989. I still have the print.
#1. I first heard about 3D printing many years ago via an engineer who I was using as a mentor when I first started my business, mainly for prototyping). I then tripped across a printer years later at a Uni open day we took our son too (that really got me interested! Yes, I'm "THAT" Old!!) #2. The first thing I printed was a nut & bolt. The only print that was practical#3. This is a tough one. I guess it's always been a hobby, an extension of what I fabricate! (I'm a welder/ mechanic/ fabricator/ old school practical hands on bloke who modifies & makes stuff) While I don't make dust collectors, I make practical, useful things to fulfil a purpose. #4. When I started to get really interested in 3D printing I mentioned it to my son (who was at Uni at the time) & he had already bought the printer I wanted which was a Prusa. Years later, he moved overseas & gave me that printer which I couldn't really afford, so I guess I had fallen in love with Prusa, the continual free support, back up & designs through Printables (but honestly I usually design my own stuff, fit for purpose) #5. My #1 tip for beginners is definitely to learn CAD. I'm not very good at it (Fusion 360 & really struggle importing & modifying existing STL's) but I generally get by even though it tends to take way longer than it should, but I'm still learning. Maybe the other tip would be to buy a slightly better quality printer than you can afford because it'll give you less hassles. I've seen people basically walk away from 3D printing because they couldn't get their machine to work as expected.
1 - Probably 2017-18, my first printer was the Tronxy X1 after seeing your review on it.
2 - It was a case for a digital watch that I build. Sort of the excuse for buying a printer.
3 - Definitely a tool. My work goes into designing the things I'm printing and then I just want the print to work rather than having to spend time fiddling with the printer.
4 - I think it currently is the Bambu Lab A1. Such a powerful printer for the price. Really amazing how the printers evolved.
5 - Find a good reason to buy a 3D printer. It's a tool, similar to thinks like a table saw or a sewing machine or a kitchen mixer. Some people have uses for them and others don't. And then learn to understand what's going on and what it's limitations are.
Great idea to start that survey! I understand that I'm not the "typical consumer" of 3D printers, since I use them mostly for parts and prototypes for Chemical/Semiconductor related applications. But here are some inputs from my 3D journey:
1) I heard of 3D printing in 2003
2) 2007 Testpart for testing my selfbuild printer to check my Marlin changes for my printer
3) 80% tool -> bussines and 20% hobby -> I like to design and build CNC machines
4) Ratrig Vcore 3.1 500X500X500, I need the size and flexibility for my bussines. I have 2, with more than 4000 print hours each and my first Vcore 4 500 Idex is on the way
5) Learn to use a 3D CAD, it opens a new world of possibilities
1. I heard about 3d printing in 2011 at the university. Back then I thought of it as a novelty that wouldn't catch on. Boy I was wrong!
2. The first thing I printed and designed myself was a pair of gears to see if this technology is good enough for practical applications. They ran wonderfully.
3. I see it definitely as a tool, but in reality it's almost as much of a self-serving hobby too.
4. Ideal printer would be a silent and compact closed cabinet design without any proprietary or expensive/hard to get parts for long-term repairability and tinkering flexibility.
5. Try out EVERYTHING you can lay your hands on! Best for the most may or may not be the best for you.
1. At a friends place
2. A replacement part for my cats carrying care
3. As a tool, most of my parts are useful (replacements/repairs)
4. The only one I have ever tried: Prusa mini (cheap and solid for starters)
5. Start small and grow
1. I went to a medical/science museum open day where some companies were showing off printing medical noses and what-not, ever since I was fascinated with the technology.
2. I printed an impractical bolt for a camera stand which had been broken for years, its threads quickly wore away but it was a great start to CAD design
3. Tool, yet I am very willing to build and tune a printer to become a reliable tool that I can start with 100% confidence that it will finish
4. Only had a ender 3 v2, served me very will so far not been too worried about what I'm missing out on
5. If your using it as a tool, use CAD to fix problems in your life, use a parametric CAD software and use constraints everywhere
1. In 2007 when a friend pointed me at the RepRap project.
2. A rectangular single wall open box in HDPE to test my RepStrap HydraRaptor.
3. It was a hobby while I was experimenting but is now more of a tool.
4. The one I am designing now.
5. Dry your filament.
I was in the process of buildibg model rc 3d helis and flying them,
I was always wearibg out compobents especialy with the IC motored helis and then i saw a youtube that came up with my usual search of 3d heli and it was a fellow aussie callwd Makers muse so i watched a couple of episodes and i think it was about three hours later i thought HEY!
I Need one of these. 3D printer things then i could make all my lo stress parts and eventualy i made complete archives of parts that i could make and made a friend of mine a T Rex 450 clone only using the metal components and printing the rest it was cool to see somthing id drawn up modified and built Fly! Just like a real one😊
So many thanks to Angus as that was 6 years ago matey..cheers
Jcinauz
1. First heard about home 3d printing around 2013.
2. First thing ever printed was a print in place robot that came on the 3d printer's SD card on a Monoprice printer at work. First print I created myself was an enclosure for a work device, simple box that fit around a DVR recorder.
3. I see 3d printing as a tool to bring ideas to the physical world, this can also be a hobby.
4. Currently really enjoy printing on a bambu p1s. It is much different than my first personal printer that was 100% build out of the box of parts.
5. If you can think of it, you can probably design a print that will work or find someone else on the internet that already has. Many times I didn't think something would be printable and then search for it and find lots of models to choose from.
Challenge accepted Angus! 😁 I would love to make a video answering these questions and join in on the fun! I might even have to change up the questions a bit! 😉 Stay tuned folks!
Definitely mix it up! I'm keen :D
1. 3D printing has been on my radar for a long time. But I only got into it a couple of years ago when my nephew ‘loaned’ me a CR-10s Pro V2 he had in storage.
2. My first print was a benchy, when my nephew set up the CR-10.
3. I view 3D printing as both a tool, and an hobby. I’m a bit of a design nerd; started training as a draftsman in high school about 1975, and am thrilled I can just make something from a drawing by pushing a button - almost. CAD has been on my radar since high school, and I’ve goofed with a few pieces of software, but the impetus for that ramped up with the possession of a printer. I went through Tinkercad, and Onshape to Fusion 360 in a couple of weeks (maker’s free license).
4. I think I might agree with you about the A1 being the best printer, but I also see a tremendous advantage to switching filaments. Perhaps the Voron IDEX printer is a close second.
5. My number one tip for beginners is a modern classic: UA-cam/Google is your friend. If you like it to start with, learn something.
1. I read about Norwegian Linux User Group on their IRC channel making their first 3d printer some 12 years ago. I had no idea what a 3d printer was, but it spiked my interest
2. I visited Bitraf in Oslo just before the holidays and printed out three small angels in translucent white, mounted on a small plastic container covered with glittery felt and mounted RGB LEDs underneath and controlled them with an arduino, looping through the colours, rainbow style and gave it to my mom for christmas (she has a thing with angels during that time)
3. When I got my first 3d printer (cr10s), it was just hobby, but after that, it's become a mixture of work and hobby. Mostly hobby, though.
4. The best printer I've owned, is my trustworthy Bambu X1 Carbon.
5. Get a printer that won't require you to be an engineer, just get something that works out of the box. Learn how different filament behave and where to use them and especially where not to. When you understand it all, learn 3d modelling.
First off, newly subscribed, so hi from Kansas!
1. I first heard about 3D printing in the late 2010’s. I didn’t know much about it, and wondered how it worked. Ok. Skip to fall of 2022. I needed to make a very small 7-tooth gear. My dad and I talked to a friend out-of-state about it and he said his son could 3D print it. When he got it, he didn’t even send the part on to his son; he just dismissed it, saying, “That’s way smaller than I thought it’d be! We can’t do it.” Sent it back, and I got the idea that I could get into 3D printing to make this gear. Another friend of dad’s, who’s into tech, said he wouldn’t recommend getting into it, as “it’s too complex for [him] and [he’s] too old to get into it”. (He’s in like his late 60’s.) Well, he says he’s too old, but I’m young and also into tech, so I’m the perfect candidate for this. Plus, I love machines, making, (and the LOVELY mechanical whirring I hear 3D printers making)! So, I did a little research about 3D printers and found the Creality Ender 3 on Amazon for just under $200, plus $20 for a big roll of black PLA. The Ender 3 had only great reviews and everything the reviews said about being a good beginner’s 3D printer was true. I particularly remember 1 review that said, “If you’re looking for a good beginner 3D printer, look no further.” I got it within like a week since needing the gear, and I love everything about it!
2. The first thing I ever 3D printed was just a random thing I found on Thingiverse. It basically looks like a little pulley. I was just starting out and didn’t really know exactly what I was doing, so it was like 10mmX10mmX5mm in the Z. Took like 4 minutes to print. But the first more substantial thing was a little cat, also from Thingiverse. (you’ve all probably seen it-the little cat sitting up with one paw up by its head). I also still have every single thing I ever printed.
3. I view 3D printing as both a hobby and a tool. Again, I’m very much a hands-on person, so I can definitely get into it. I love to print random-but still useful-items. 3D printing has also been very helpful as a tool. An example of this: I love fixing things, especially things lots of people would just throw away. So we’ve got these electronic Halloween decorations that have had plastic parts break-mainly gears (here we go with gears again)-so I just get the size and number of teeth, find it on Thingiverse, and boom! It’s fixed in 30 minutes!
4. The best 3D printer in my opinion would have to be the Ender 3. As I said in #1, it was a great 3D printer to get started in it, and everything good I heard about it was true! I’ve gotten some good use out of it and it’s still going strong!
5. My number 1 tip for beginners. I’m gonna share something that I learned when I first got mine going, and that is this: when you get your 1st 3D printer, don’t worry about modding or anything. Just put it together right outta the box and just start. When you get to grips with it, THEN you can mod it. That paraphrased tip came from Chep. That was the best advice I could’ve gotten! Before I got mine, I watched UA-camrs who basically said to mod it all over the place. Over time, or whenever. It can be easy to get overwhelmed by that when you’re not even familiar with the stock 3D printer to begin with. Me? I wasn’t overwhelmed. But getting that advice was the best, and I’m glad it was said. Plus, I like to keep things stock anyway.
Final thoughts: I love my Ender 3 so much, and I’m glad I got into it, and I’m excited to grow!
1. Mid 90s. I was designing propellers and we would send off the model to be 3D printer in wax which was then used to make a cast.
2. A spool holder I designed to replace the one that came with the printer because it wouldn't support the spools I was using.
3. A little of both but mostly a tool. If I want to solve a problem, I don't want to waste time solving another problem when the printer needs tweaking.
4. My most recent purchase, the Bambu Lab X1-Carbon. Basically fire and forget.
5. Assume your first print of your fancy new design won't be quite right and you need to fix, adjust or improve it. This means you can use those left over bits of filament and not be too fussed when you realise you'll have to print it again.
On point 1, a few years ago I tried designing & printing a basic 3" propeller for a racing drone, and printed it out of TPU... I still can't believe it worked first time and very well. Footage of it flying is on my channel called "Five33 TinyTrainer with 3D printed TPU props"
I forget when I first heard of 3D printing, but I first saw it in action and used it for my product design class in high school. I think my first print was a LEGO compatible housing for 9G servos I designed so I could use Arduino (first used in that same class) with the building tool I'd been using all my life. Quickly found you, Joel, and James Bruton (and later many others) and eventually bought myself a LulzBot Mini 2 which I use to this day!
I currently view 3D printers as kind of both a tool AND hobby... I definitely use it as a tool and don't like when it's in a state that I can't rely on it, but I do enjoy learning how it works and modding and improving it! Also side note, your first print being a repair for your printer and holding it in place as it prints is the most maker-core thing I've ever heard of 😂
I don't really have enough diverse experience yet to give an opinion on best printer, but my number one piece of advice is two in one: patience is key, and calibrate calibrate calibrate! I'm in a few forums now and it's remarkable how many people simply haven't bothered to spend time properly setting up their printer and doing specific test prints and then wonder why it has problems.
1. 8th grade / 2013 I saw an article that 3DP is the next thing so learn how to use CAD. I started tinkercad then.
2. A lens cap for a drone
3. I transitioned from hobby to tool.
4. Tenlog TL-D3 Pro IDEX. If I'm batch printing something having multiple heads print at the same time is 🤯
5. Watch all the videos between 2013 and 2017, learn how to crawl forums and Facebook groups (and avoid the spammers in the FB groups)
Hi Angus.
1. Where did i hear about 3D printing?
UA-cam. From people like you and Naomi Wu.
2. First print?
The "Marvin" keychain that came with the ANet A8 I bought.
3. Hobby. I used it to help build props for my son. I built an Iron man mask, Arc Reactor.
4. Best printer? I cannot answer that.
I still have the A8!
5. Advice?
Don't be afraid to play around with things.
Go online. Buy fillaments.
Download STL's and print.
Then. Have a play with some 3D modeling siftware if you want.
If not. Plenty of STL's out there.
1 elementary school had a printer and club
2 working pair of shoes, while I had designed things, I someone else’s did the final steps, learned about slicers the hard way after designing my own ‘infill’ 😂
3 Tool and hobby, Hobby making my own things not fixing the printer
4 LNL ten log ~$500, reliable large IDEX machine, the size and IDEX make it better than bamboo for my needs
5 understand your slicer, use your slicer with all settings visible and descriptions, it helps to reduce failures, add strength, save time, feeds into design process
To me, #1 tip for beginners would be "don't cheap out on the machine, buy something good to begin with". Machines like the original Ender 3 are dirt cheap, but they have a lot of quality control issues that almost made me quit when I started back in the days. Now you can have fast and reliable printers such as the A1 Mini for about 300 € / $, so I feel like there's no reason to really skip on these, unless you're really short and cash and very motivated to start the learning process the hard way. By the way, I made my debuts with your channel a few years ago, so thank you for this :)
I agree. However, as an engineer I have to say, troubleshooting, upgrading, tweaking is a thing for sure. Ender has grown and they are putting out some incredible machines at this point. The community built around them is phenomenal as well. As I move forward and begin learning CAD I can see where the beauty is in design, your designs vs simply printing out others…
It's true that Creality seems to have made great progress with QA and the general reliability of their machines, which make them great entry points for beginners. But they are also a little bit more expensive than the original Ender 3, wich is still sold at a very low price. It's tempting to a beginner to simply take that one instead of cashing out the extra buck and get the better but slightly more expensive one. That's why I say that for beginners, it's probably a good idea to pay a little extra in order to get a more reliably printer. Still, I agree that creating your own design is the very essence of 3D printing and it's also extremely rewarding. But if you're discouraged from the start because you can't get a simple part to print right, there's no point in learning 3D CAD in the first place.
Hi, am just thankful to you for teaching 3d modelling and also Michael from teaching tech, I have just joined uni and am in my second year now but I fix all the 3d printers ther and even can fully configure Marlin. The other youtubers too, thanks 🙏
Btw I started back in 2019, while in secondary, btw the meshmixer videos, that is one great playlist 🎉
I have always been fascinated by 3-D printing as a way to popularize and decentralize manufacturing, easy cheap prototyping, and to enable ENTIRELY NEW things that were not practical before.
Muse and several other channels are great educational resources, and ultimately I was inspired to buy a Prusa back during the Covid lockdowns, first as a hobby, then to make increasingly useful items around the house. My home is full of these little shelves and cubbies, plastic connectors, replacement battery doors, stands, etc. etc. Now a friend has asked me to replicate a window pulley that they can't source commercially. We're currently testing whether my prototype works. I'm not in this for the money, but if it turns into a business, I won't complain!
I agree with Mr. Muse that the key is learning how to do modeling. I'm still in the TinkerCad phase (plus occasionally making weird shapes in Gimp then exporting as SVG) but hoping to move up to Fusion360 eventually.
My first, and favorite 3d printer is the Anet A8. It's my favorite because there's so many options, and makes for the perfect learning experience. Mind you, I took heed of content creators like you when I did my research. I upgraded the PSU, and added the MOSFET out of the box. My first print, was a mount adapter for the new PSU, and there wasn't room for the brim on the bed, and my Buildtak didn't cover the bed fully.
Oh, and I'll always remember the i3 clone Facebook group, before Geeetech took over, very fondly for being extremely creative and helpful.
1 - Maybe somewhere in 2009? But I first saw it back in 2011 on art academy. One year later I built my own 3D printer! (Prusa Air 2 XL)
2 - A Dodecahedron that I designed in Rhino.
3 - Both, I used to design my own machines since 2012, mainly as a tool, but building was a lot of fun so I kept building new ones. It got out of hand so I bought an X1C and never looked back. Now I just design and print things.
4 - Bambu P1S (in the hobby market), 'BEST' is relative, but eventually I would still say that SLS is the superior technology and I hope that SLS beats FFF/FDM.
5 - Learn to model a.s.a.p. and buy additional tools to support the modeling like digital calipers and other measuring tools, if you just keep downloading files from Printables, you might become bored fast.
Because my channel is more about mining, I answered the questions in the latest short description.
I have a few designs available and my most successful was the Aztec cube.
In addition I would also like to say that you are my choice channel for 3D printing and I learned a lot.
1 - I first heard about 3D printing from rumblings around the local makerspace around 2014-2015. I was (unjustly) intimidated by all of the cool tools and techniques and waited on actually plunging in on 3D printing until 2016.
2 - I no longer have the first object I 3D Printed, but my wife does! One of the first projects I printed was a collected of twisted rings that I used to propose to my then-girlfriend and now wife. I didn't know what ring size she was and didn't want to blow my cover, so I performed some tolerance testing and printed a bunch of simple rings. We found the right fit!
3 - I view it both as a tool and as a hobby, and now have printers that fit both niche. That's a huge privilege to have, and I would recommend that new people to the field look into a printer that "just works." But I've also enjoyed upgrading my old Ender 3 and building a VORON 2.4. The fact that we can categorize 3D printing into both something for a hobbyist and to be used as a tool is incredibly powerful.
4 - The printer I use most is the Prusa Mk4, and I haven't felt the need to upgrade it to a Mk4S. We have Bambu printers in our office and they've been excellent workhorses, and I think you can't go wrong with either choice. At this stage, your design and slicing workflow is becoming more important, and I've been happiest using PrusaSlicer 2.8.0 at home with my printers directly behind me, just using a USB stick to transfer files.
5 - Be prepared to fail. 3D printing is a bit of an art, a bit of a craft, a bit of a science, and both more than and less than the sum of its parts. I'd suggest giving yourself time and space to fail, and be sure to celebrate the early successes.
1. In 2014, when I was doing language practice in my integrational school in a country I moved in. It was a small local machine in a library, I started to read more about these machines and learned about RepRap, that's how I decided to build my own 3D printer: Prusa
2. Parts for that Prusa, in the same library.
3. I use my printer as a tool to help me to maintain my house.
4. Prusa of course!
5. Don't just stop on printing toy models from the Internet, design your own: would it be practical things or not.
1. I had access to a maker's workshop in college back in 2011 which had a large laser cutter which had been used to laser cut the pieces for one of those early ultimaker DIY builds. I never got around to playing with it, but was at least aware of how far we'd come.
2. A trumpet mouthpiece on a Taz 3 my brother bought me for christmas
3. Both. I don't get paid for it, but I tend to make functional things often and it's a tool to make things I cannot purchase
4. The one you have
5. It's not about the printer (at least not after you get it working). If you don't learn to design things in CAD, things that you actually want and can't just purchase for the cost of the plastic plus a markup, your printer will probably sit and gather dust. You can only print so many tchotchke's off thingiverse before you get bored. It takes up space and costs money. Make sure you want to dive into CAD.
I first heard about 3D printers 10 to 12 years ago, but they were very expensive. In 2015 I bought a bunch of parts on Amazon and found plans and software on Github, so my students and I built a RepRap clone of a Prusa clone. I retired from teaching the next year, and upgraded to a Prusa MK3S, and now MK4S and use it as a tool to make things to use in my woodshop for jigs and storage, etc. I had never used a CAD program so at the age of 62 started learning Fusion 360, and while not an expert, I can make almost everything I need.
I bought my first 3D printer avec watching RCLifeOn review the Tevo Tarantula, it was in May 2017. I was just looking into nichrome wire and one of his videos led to the next.
It's a hobby in itself, with some practical use as a tool too as they are overall very reliable.
The first print was a green PLA XYZ cube, followed by a yellow ABS 3DBenchy
1. I don't know when I heard of 3d printing, its been a while ago (would say ~10 years, maybe a bit before the Anet A8)
2. The pre sliced Box that was included on the SD Card from the printer
3. Tool, it allows me to fabricate my ideas with less work compared to traditional manufacturing (especially for complex parts)
4. The one that is working and available (I don't need super tight tolerances so most current printers are fine for my needs)
5. If you make your own models, cut out smaller sections to do test prints, often it is not needed to print the whole part to check if some dimensions/clearances are right
This is so awesome! Inspiring me to make my own video to put out there. :D I've been a huge promoter of getting more people into making, and demystifying 3D printing to friends and family over the years, so this would be a fun little video to make!
I had a similar experience with my first 3d printer, my original Ender 3 (non pro) came with a broken extruder arm, it would print but under extruded by probably 40%, I modeled a new arm and replaced it that night, putting pressure on the idler with my hand for the ~45 minute print.
That Ender 3 is still going, I got an aluminum extruder and it went like that for about a year until I enclosed it and put on an all metal hotend to print ABS and nylon. I added TL smoothers to extruder and X and Y axis and just put dampers on the X and Y and it's actually a pretty quiet printer now and probably one of the most reliable printers I own, just don't print much faster than 80mm/s if you want parts to look nice. I did compile a custom firmware with some more reasonable acceleration limits (from the default 500 up to 2500) and that made it a little more snappy without really introducing any artifacts provided you use slower accels on outer walls. I also raised the hotend limit to 300c and the bed to 120c and it seems to have no issues getting to temp. I was going to give it away when I got my newer printers but it's just been the most reliable one out of the bunch and only seems to fail due to user error.
I first heard of 3d printing with some scanning laser based resin system on tv in the 90s.
First thing I printed was a clip I designed to attach a power strip to the table.
Mostly a tool, even if most of the stuff I print is hobby related, there are a handful of unobtanium parts that paid for my first printer(prusa mini) a dozen times over.
Best printer is the one you design and build yourself, for your own requirements. Mine is similar to a ratrig or voron.
I used my first printer as a reward to motivate myself to learn FreeCAD. It must have worked because nearly everything I print is something I designed or at least modeled myself.
Grrat video idea! Love for the fact that it connects us! I'll do a video for sure! I want to practice speaking publicly! I got into CAD and love that it enhances 3d printing so much!👊😝
1 - a long time ago (maybe in the 90s), but only lately (maybe 2 months ago) I actually started to use a 3D printer (not my own, but I'll buy one later this year).
2 - a simple round plate with 7 screw holes to fix an ugly hole in the ceiling of our bath (which was left by the craftsman and never fixed).
3 - a tool; tinkering is only a means to the end of a working tool; I hope the 3D printer I'll buy wouldn't need tinkering (other than some adjustments).
4 - since I don't have one, I don't know; I'll look at some current reviews when it is time to decide.
5 - start with 3D modelling - exactly what I did (now using FreeCAD or rather Ondsel); a necessity for me, as I have very specific things in mind, and I have to do the construction myself to get them.
My first exposure was SLA at Rockwell somewhere maybe between 1980-1985. It was amazing magic to see a part rising out of liquid.
I think the first 3d printer is saw was at a local tech shop (that doesn't exist anymore). But they were super expensive back then and I was fascinated about what they can do as a tool. But I thought that I never could afford one, so I forgot about it.
Round about a decade passed and my girlfriend asked me some day about 3d printers for her cosplay stuff. I we did some research and bought an anycubic cobra max.
I constructed and printed some parts for her and we were both pretty happy with the results.
A few weeks into 3d printing, a friend of my girlfriend came to visit us, saw the 3d printer and heard that im the one that makes the parts via fusion360.
The friend (who is a product desingner) told me, I could make a job out of "just my little hobby" and now im a product design trainee. 🎉
At my workplace we have a Bambulab x1 carbon and holy smokes that was a difference in speed and precision 😅
Long story short.. My girlfriend, her friend and 3d printing opened up a whole new life for me.
Built my own core XY 300x300x300 stands 3 ft high with the legs and is just soo reliable. Switch it on and print!! Create with Fusion and use it as a tool, no models, just functional parts. Still great fun and I still get a kick out of producing functional parts.
My first 3dprint was around 2 months ago when I finally had the money and the way to buy a 3dprinter.
I went with the safest bet that was a Bambulab Ai mini for $200 plus tax.
I'm incredibly happy with it.
I'm yet to try TPU but I need a dryer box or something.
My first ever print was a 12min benchy OOTB with the sample filament.
I've made a shell for my charger that I uploaded to printables.
The only problem I have is that my ideas are spontaneous and on the spot.
I can't make myself think stuff if it isn't by the need to solve a problem. lol
I'm 20y/o and I love to keep learning.
I love technical details.
I love making stuff faster, cheaper and efficient.
I have a really really awesome Idea for something.
It involves resin. I'd need to build a HEPA filter and dry enclosures.
It's a really really cool idea, tho resin printing is deadly and expensive. haha
Yes I've thinked about casting but college(and money) get in the way for now :)
Just started just this year. I started following your channel in about 2017. I was close on purchasing one but didn't. This year I got myself a bambulab p1s combo. It literally kick started my designing of speakers and headphones.
First things I started printing for myself rather than testing is probably mechanical keyboards. Later on speakers.
I see 3d printers as tools. It is super fast. Doesn't need transportation. Doesn't require negotiation with supplier. I just want it to work. And I don't want to have to fix it. p1s is not perfect but after changing the hot end myself once I can accept this level of maintenance.
So far the best goes to X1E, after I adopted P1S I convinced my boss to get two X1E's. FDM is better than resin based because it doesn't require post processing other than getting the support off. PLA is plenty strong and the look is actually really nice(bambulab pla matte). For some reason X1E just prints a little bit better than my P1S. More consistency and better overhangs.
Tip is probably also to learn modeling. Imho it's crucial for 3d printing to be a tool. If not it's just a waste of space.
I think AMS is the best thing ever. Not for the multi color functionality but the fact it can automatically switch to a new spool of filament. This minimize the waste and really frees the mind of looking after that.
The next need is a bigger printing volume with bambulab's consistency and quality. I got a elegloo 450*450 one it's literal crap. Can't auto leveling on flat surface has to lift to tilt it a little bit.
Also two heads. Again not necessarily for multicolor (although it's very useful) but for different support material to easier pulling off the support and better surface quality for the supported surface.
also the company I work in got a a1 mini with 0.2 nozzle for more details for smaller things like buttons. I'm also looking to get a A1 or A1 mini so I can print two parts at the same time.
So many older "Gurus" these days around to help out the new people that are just getting into the hobby thanks to a good deal or a bored family member and they need to figure it out!
You were one of the first channels to print basic but functioning mechanical devices. Need to bring that back with all the new mechanical channels these days, heh heh. Cheers.
First heard about "3D printing" at a maker faire c.2015. Thought it was the coolest thing ever and they had a few prints to show off.
Looking at the current generation of affordable and fast 3D printers, it's amazing to see how far the technology has come
FIRST OFF CONGRATULATIONS ON 1MILLION SUBS 🎉🎉
1. I first heard about 3d printing on the news but I first got to see one in action during yr7 highschool
2. The first thing I printed was a Mario it was rough as guts 0.35 mm later height on a cacoon create .
The first design I did was years later and that was a custom macro pad that I made for my partner.
3. I view it as both. my job is repairing 3d printers so I see it on both sides after fixing hundreds of machines I personally would rather see mine as a tool and so it just works.
4. The bambulab P1S is a fabulous machine that caters to 90% of what people need with a bit of extra work you can get it to like 95% of a X1C capabilities.
5. DONT TOUCH YOUR BUILD PLATE 😆 clean with hot soapy water, and if need be use some adhesive.
1. Heard about them. Never thought I would get one. In 16, I found a wooden replicator at the local junk shop. $50, including 2 rolls of filament, so it followed me home.
2. I think the first thing I printed was a case for my $10 lab power supply that I got from eBay. I still use the power supply, but I made it a new case 'cause it needed strain reliefs to keep the input wires from breaking off again. An early print was a smokebox door for a friend's garden train engine as the original had fallen off and got lost.
3. On your recommendation, I got a sidewinder X1 in 19. It is a tool, but I am glad it is easy to repair. I am not a 3D printer hobbiest, but about any thing I do has something I printed in it.
4. I think it would be hard to go wrong with bamboo labs these days. Of course, my old sidewinder still works great.
5. Keep the build plate clean and level your bed often. Usually when I have a failed print it is because the build plate is suddenly 3mm below. "What? It just printed the other part nicely?"
Good video! My responses:
1. A friend had purchased a Prusa (Mk3 I think) and was showing things he could do with it including printing a fuselage and wings for a RC plane. It immediately got the gears turning in my head.
2. The first thing I printed was a calibration cube followed by Bull Terrier coaster on an Anet ET5x. It was loud and slow and not very reliable. It very nearly took me out of 3d printing because I was so frustrated with it. I still have it, and it does print better because I learned a lot when I got motivated again with an Ender 3 S1 Pro. I have spent many hours tuning and tinkering with the old ET5x. It’s still loud and slow but it does print fairly consistently now.
3. I view it as a tool. I am constantly creating jigs for my laser engravers or on the spot solutions around the house or for friends. Why go to a store when I can make that part?
4. Tough one, I would say, money no object, it would be the Prusa XL with multiple tool heads. That said, it is far above my budget for a 3d printer. For the average person though I would say the Bambu P1S AMS Combo. A lot of bang for the buck there. I am currently saving up for one.
5. I would tell a person to take the time to learn how to set up their printer properly and try not to get discouraged with failures. I also agree with you in saying learn how to 3d model. It opens a whole world of what you can do with the 3d printer.
Very good content, Bamboo is one of the best printers I've had😍😍😍😍😍😍
1. I think I randomly stumbled across 3d printing on youtube heard about prosthetics made using 3d printing
2. Can't remember I think it was a pirate ship wheel style tap head for the bathroom. One of the taps snapped off so just a place holder so we didn't have to use a wrench to turn the water on/off
3. Tool I like seeing my own designs and experimenting not fixing the printer every month.
4. I want to buy a P1P from bambu so hopefully that
5. Don't be scared of 3d modeling I avoided it for 6 months then when I tried it for me there was no big learning curve unless you want more complex shapes it's easier than some think.
My favorite 3d print was my father had bought an old lawnmower from the dump and the blade spacers didn't exist anymore except in England from one company wanting $100 shipping. My father sent me the broken lawnmower spacers and I had to recreate it in 3d software based on what I had/pictures online. Took me a couple prototypes but the blade spacers are still being used on 20+ year old lawnmowers from the dump that just needed a plastic part. Cost me maybe 30 cents per spacer
Welcome back….
First printer : PrintRBot (wooden from kickstarter)
First practical print : modelled and printed a toilet button sleeve in 2014 and it’s still working/in use today.
What I think : great tool for rapid prototyping and revision.
First became aware of 3D printing back in the late 2000s, and was tempted by early metal frame printers like the MakerBot Replicator 2, but the price was too high to justify.
Finally got my first printer in 2018, a Monoprice Mini Delta v2, for the princely sum of $160 US. Weird to have a delta as my first printer, yes, but I loved that little machine. Modded the heck out of it, and just gave it away this past year.
Went through several Ender 3s (also heavily modded) until I finally decided to spend the bucks on a Prusa MK4. Couldn’t be happier with the choice.
To your point, Angus, now I spend more time printing and coming up with designs to print, rather than spending time tuning, fixing, and upgrading my printers.
For new folks, I’d say get a printer that you can afford, and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty tweaking and upgrading…there’s tons to be learned that way. But be clear on the why, and be prepared to spend more eventually for a printer that is more tool than hobby. Prusa, Bambu, whatever. Lots of good choices out there.
Fixing the machine using the same machine... incredible. I've yet to jump into 3d printing, im still deep in the laser cutting world.
1) I first heard about 3D printing way back in the late 80's when my dad worked in aerospace. I kept an eye on the reprap magazine & Make Magazine vids back in the day & just bided my time waiting for other folks to figure things out in the hobbyist/desktop space.
2) The first thing I ever printed was a Benchy & a calibration cube on a my first printer, an Anet A8 I got after Bill Doran did a video on that particularly cheap Chinese clone of the MK2. Years later I had upgraded it about as much as one could and learned everything there is to know about Marlin based bed slingers. The first resin print I ever did was a Tiny Rosinante from The Expanse on the Mars 2 Pro my wife got me for my birthday a few years ago. I still have each of those prints.
3) I still view 3D printing as both a hobby and a tool because I use it for both. The whole reason I got into 3D printing was so I could finally print my Zbrush sculpts but I actually have used it around the house too. Things I've done around the house this year include a bathroom sink strainer to catch wild wife hair, a new handle for our kitchen sink's plug, some custom owls I made for a dowel based towel rack replacement, and a couple of other small things.
4) Right now my BEST 3D printer is the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra that I recently got. Not having to level a resin printer is AMAZING!!! Also it's just fun to watch it work because the tilting vat is kind of mesmerizing and the build plate only moving on each new layer makes it feel like magic. I've had minimal failures (almost all of which were my own fault for traying to manually cheese build angles.
5) Literally the same answer you gave. Learn to model in CAD software or 3D sculpting software. Some folks like TinkerCAD or Nomad, I used Fusion360 and Zbrush myself. My buddy bought Anycubic's little resin printer & I now on my recommendation he's using TinkerCAD like a champ to make all sorts of things for around the house & for little dioramas he makes.
I first heard about 3D printers almost 40 years ago. At that time, they were still paper plotters that used knives to cut out paper, which then had to be glued together. But soon after that, the first printers came out.
My first print was a filament holder for my Ender3. :D
I use the printers as tools and as a hobby.
The best printer is the one that works, no matter what model. It has to be precise and produce little waste. My A1 Mini is certainly good, but it produces unnecessary waste with every print.
Before you buy a printer, think about what you want to print and how much space you have.
I will make a video on the weekend. I love this project!
I'm game for this. The only issue will be I'm getting my first printer Friday. I'm really excited to finally get stared. I have a ton if ideas 🎉🎉
I am upgrading a lot right now :D
My first ever 3d print is when I was in my grad school around 2015. Our lab had a 3d printer that is pretty crappy by today's standard, but I was able to used it to create our first ever 3d printed interactive project with my teammate for that semester. I didn't really know what is the difference between PETG and PLA and ABS at the time but just decide to order a roll of PETG for the project base on the sales person's pitch. We study in Digital Media Design back in the day so we didn't really use parametiric modeling software but use 3dmax and maya instead. Now I exclusively use parametric modeling for everything I make.
Nowadays I work in the same university as my grad school in charge of the makerspace in here(with bambu x1c), but kids these days just weren't that interested in making things anymore. especially for my major which mostly prefer making things on monitor (animations, graphic design, digital art).
I really don't have a tip for beginners other than create a project and just try it out. I understand a lot of people still have skeptic that 3d printer being pretty shit and hard to work with. But modern machine has improved so much. It is easier than anytime in history to create something that is 3d printable with the abundance of knowledege we have.
1. 2019/2020 I picked up a 3d printer in August of one of those years after I moved to a new house, I had bought it because I saw your vids it was an ender 3 V2 because it was cheap and I wanted to tinker a bit.
2. Test part: calibration cube b/c why not, Functional: a shelf bracket for my neighbor's mudroom, Fun: little pip dragons for the neighbor's kids.
3. Honestly split down the center for me, I use it for functional and fun about 50/50, whether for fidget items or for brackets and tool handles.
4. Honestly I love my K1 but the P series from bambu is amazing as well, the K1 is my current workhorse, the only problem I've ever had with it was installing the damn camera.
5. Don't use IPA to clean your print bed, in my experience even 99% IPA leaves a film on the bed causing loss of stickage, just clean with soapy water and then add glue stick of needed for PLA.
What started as a hobby, quickly became an indispensable tool. It allows me to create things, a lot faster and more accurately than I could do by hand.
1) As far as I remember it was during my engineering scholl what was about in the early 80's
2) replacement soap holder for my bathroom (I never have printed any benchy!)
3) just as tool - you can see a few of mine on printables (Peter Jordan)
4) that one you DONT own ! (atm Prusa XL)
5) same as yours: learn 3D modeling! I started to first learn to create my tools I liked to have and THEN I bought my first printer - that saved a lot of money, because otherwise the printer would have been outdated already.
Sorry no video except you like to watch my "Nozzle Cam" while printing :-))
1) I saw something about 3D printing online probably in the early 2010's. I don't remember exactly the web site but at the time it might have been Make Magazine or something similar.
2) I printed the Owl that came as a test file on my first printer that was an AnyCubic I3 Mega S.
3) I first saw 3D printing as a hobby. My first printers were the Anycubic and an Ender 3. I think I printed more add-ons and accessories for those printers than anything else. Troubleshooting took up the bulk of time with these printers. I moved on to the Prusa Mini+ and all that changed. I started to learn Fusion and designing my own prints. I didn't have to worry about the actual printer anymore.
4) I love the Bambu p1s with the AMS, but the best printer I have owned is the Prusa MK4 with MMU3.
5) Don't buy a cheap printer. It can be very discouraging. If you are handy I would purchased a Prusa kit and put that together. If you just want to print I would get a bambu with the AMS combo. It is more expensive to purchase them separately.
I still have my old CR10S (from 2018), i heard for printing 2016 i think. I change a lot of parts and mother board and thankfully, it can work as a tool so i can make parts. My first print was that basic luck Cat thingy, i don't remember what was next ... probably some bracket or enclosure. I view 3D as both, hobby and a tool ... mostly a tool. Best current printer is Bambu Lab X1. I wish i had space for Bambu Lab printer (for X1) but my old CR10S has bigger plate. It is true that i don't use full bed all the time but when you need it, it is really useful.
1 - When did you first hear about 3D printing? I was watching something in late middle school, early high school. Before I fully understood, or even began to understand how manufacturing worked. On TV, they showed someone pulling an adjustable crescent wrench out of sand. This was about 15ish years ago. I thought it was interesting, but didn't think much of it at the time.
2 - What was the first thing you 3D printed? My first printer was a Wanhao Duplicator i3 original. It was known for not being rigid, so my first print was printing brackets for steel rods to keep it sturdy.
3 - Do you view 3D printing as a hobby or tool and why? I use it as a tool. I like to create and fix things. For example, I'm thinking of 3D modeling a "trophy" of all the different towers of hobbies I like to do, then have all the youtubers I watch at Open Sauce sign it since I've been inspired by all of them. Also, I used it to organize my chemical closet to put things like brooms and rollers on the walls. I found out I can't view the 3D printer itself as a hobby, because I won't use it. I barely used my Wanhao because it was a pain every time I tried to use it. Maybe 10% of the prints even stuck at best. No matter how much I leveled the bed, glue stick, or blue tape. Nothing helped.
4 - What is the BEST 3D printer? (according to you) Depends. If you prioritize time over money, Bamboo Labs x1 carbon. If you prioritize money over time, Creality i3 v2 or whatever they have now. Both have massive communities so if you have an issue, google it and it's probably been resolved on reddit or facebook. If you're looking at resin, they keep getting better every year.
5 - What is your number 1 tip for beginners? Just have fun. Yes, they're dangerous, but so is a hammer if used wrong. Learn what you should never touch, like the nozzle when it's on, or the power bank. Maybe avoid used ones at first, because who knows what may be wrong. Don't worry about 0 stringing, surface details, small things for a while. Also, use the fancy pla's. Don't just have them sit in the closet for years waiting for "the perfect project" and "I just need to tune my machine a little more."
Love the idea of getting people to answer the questions on youtube, lol, but... No current way I can do that. I use my A1 mini, to make.... miniatures, for tabletop gaming. The A1 mini is perfect for that, and being able to hack apart sts's and hack them together differently is amazing.
My first 3D print was an airflow nozzle for the ANET-A8, which is a Prusia clone I bought from China for $70. I thought I'd breath new life into the old girl by buying a GT-Mega 2560 motherboard upgrade but all the connectors were different and I just abandoned that project. Today I use an Anycubic MONO. It's build surface is tiny, but never lets me down.
Really wish more models people posted were designed for 3D printing, so many of them really don't take the process into consideration.. I do tend to get a lot of inspiration from them for my own designs though, definitely beneficial to know how to model in that respect
I don't do videos, so here's my answers:
1. I first heard of 3D printing back in the 1990s. Someone I knew from church made small guitars, and at some point our scout group went to his office to see what he worked on. One of the items he had in the office was a resin 3d printed chess rook, and he talked about using a 3d printer to prototype small parts.
2. The first thing I modeled and printed on my own 3D printer was a Pinewood Derby car, on a Monoprice Mini back around 2017. Had to split it in half to fit in the tiny 120x120x120 build volume, outgrew that one quickly.
3. Over the past couple of years as far more reliable 3D printers have become available they have become more of a tool than a hobby. I used to spend far more time tinkering with the machines and trying to get them to work than actually using them, but now I can basically just send a print job to either of my machines (a Prusa Mini and a stock Ender 3 S1) and expect it to work.
4. I wouldn't say that either of my current printers is the best one you can get. If I had the money I'd love to get a Prusa XL, but for now I'm mostly using the cheap ones.
5. If you want to learn how to use your 3d printer and model, a good way to do it is to look for problems to solve around the house. You'd be surprised what you can come up with...
Definitely in for this one!
1 - I probably first heard of them before, but it was a gaming friend of 10 years (whom I still have never met in person, but was very close to at the time) who had been saying I should get one, but I felt I never really had the space.
2 - The first thing I printed was a cute bear thing that was on the SD card of the Ender 3 I bought. There wasn't enough of the sample white filament, and right off the bat I taught myself how to bodge swapping filament mid-print. I managed to print a half white, half blue cute bear thing (maybe it's a dog, not sure). I still have it and am proud of how it completed successfully.
3 - When I bought an Ender 3 I viewed it as a hobby, for various reasons it still is. If I had the space and money, it would be more a tool and I would get a decent Bambu or Prusa, but 5-6 years in, I'm still wanting to justify the upgrades for my Ender 3 and my time consumed with implementing those upgrades, but it has been out of action for some 2 years now (life!).
4 - The best printer for me is the Ender 3 simply because it got me into 3D printing and opened a whole new world of learning and discovery. I did cover a lot of ground in short time, but such is life, I have had many obstacles the last couple of years, and the attention it has needed I have not been able to give time to. Where I to get into 3D printing today, likely the equivalent £200 Ender, or the Bambu A1 mini. I do like open source and a bustling community of tinkering support, and not too sure either of those printers have that like the Ender 3 did back in the day.
5 - Number 1 tip for beginner, without doubt, get a good first layer, and I think you Angus have been hammering that for years. Incidentally, once I bought my Ender 3 some 5-6 years ago, I asked my friend who influenced me to get it, who I should follow on UA-cam, and he said yourself and Thomas Sandladerer (I can't believe I spelt his surname right first try!). I found most of the other channels myself, he just picked out the heavyweights, and considering how long ago it was, he was bang on. Smart dude my friend is.
fyi I was around 38-39 years old when I bought the Ender 3. I am hopeful to be back in the game very soon, but I have been thinking that for weeks. I still keep up with the content creators though. Maybe if I stopped watching UA-cam..... 🤔
The first time I eared about 3D printing was in 2012, when I came to USA, then I bought my first printer in 2014 (Printrbot 1405), at the time it was expensive.
Unfortunately I do not have a video of this time.
I kept the printrbot for years, upgrading to Printrbot simple metal, then in 2019 I got the Prusa MK3S, which now is MK4S+ MMU3.
Kim.S
Hello!
I actually think it was you who appeared in my UA-cam feed about 5 years ago. I retired that summer it was only a month or so and I started to think that I have to learn something new (I've been a bit worried by all the reports about how important it is to exercise the brain as you get older)
I found a creality ender 3 v2 at a sale that was affordable. I had built a show computer water-cooled, it hangs on the wall and glows red red water etc. The problem was that because it is an open construction, the water cooler got clogged quite quickly, so I had already started experimenting with how to solve the filter problem without success, but it gave me the idea that 3d printing must work.
It resulted in training for my head a lot because I have never drawn in a cad program before but Freecad seemed quite humane to learn (no star yet but it is starting to come off now)
Coming up with various improvements in our home as well as my minimal hobby room and spare parts for me and friends.
Among the most fun things I've been involved in and I also like to tinker with my printers.
I thank all of you who share your knowledge with us newbies
Hi I have been 3D printing for 7 years now on my creality cr10s I just bought a Bambu lab P1s earlier this week! I can’t wait for it to arrive.
1 - I heard about 3D printing around 1999 but those were very expensive and specialized machines. 6 or 7 years ago I heard about the reprap movement and that gave me de idea of buying an affordable printer and finally I got an Ender 3.
2 - The sample dog that came in the SD card supplied with the printer but just half of it because I run out of filament and was a Sunday and all the possible suppliers were closed. Then I printed a calibration cube
3 - . Both things I print as a hobby (toys, parts to repair toys, scale spaceships) and as a tool to build cabinets and parts for my electronics projects.
4 - In the range of semiprofessional printers, probably a Bambulab Carbon X1, but for me a Creality K1 Max would be more than OK.
5 - Do not rush the assembly of your new printer, most of the problems come from misaligned parts or incorrect mounting. And of course, learn a design toll that made a big difference for me, I still use the common repositories for thing that I can´t design but try to do my own designs for everything else.
1. I don't remember.
2. A benchy.
3. Hobby of sorts? Both? Educational toy, this is how i'd put it. I have learned a lot and even contributed to Marlin firmware. It helped me get a little better at embedded dev. I don't care about prints so much as about working on the printer.
4. Mhmm. I don't have an answer. Original Ender 3 is well known for its modding community, but its stock board is best thrown into a ditch at first sight - no bootloader, too few pins, too little flash memory. I haven't actually kept up what the situation is. Maybe now some Sovol?
5. No.
I'll answer #3.
When I started with 3D printing it was a hobby, downloading and printing sculptures or toys, then I started modeling parts for around the house, fun things like giant Lego sets, helping kids with school projects, and now I mainly print to help the High School FIRST robotics team and parts for car audio projects. It has evolved into a tool to make things I can't by other means.
X1 Carbon: "Lubricate the rods"
Angus: "You're not my supervisor!"
Upvote if you got the reference.
1: Embarrassingly I don't remember.
2: A bracket I designed to stop small damage to a product during assembly at a place I used to work. I made it on my 1st printer a Creatbot F160 PEEK.
3: I would say both. Most things in the world are this way, usually the defining factor is cost. Injection Molding would be a hobby many makers would have if even the small machines weren't so expensive.
4: It depends on the use case scenario and budget. I'd say the Bambu Labs X1C for hobby and for a more functional tool I'd say the Qidi X-Max 3 for the more advanced materials capabilities and print volume.
5: Learning to 3D model is probably the best tip, but I would say additionally beforehand know what your use case will be; Hobby or Useful Tool, Small Detail (Resin) or Larger more Functional Items.
My first experience of a 3D printer was in 1989, the engineering company I worked for had a couple of machines, SL resin and FDM in the workshops, mainly for prototype tools, however, they also made protective covers for the tooling that they made for customers, I was friendly with some of the guys down in the workshops, I used to nip down in my lunch hour and make parts for my motorcycle, I would first make a manual technical drawing using a drawing table that I had at home and a rotoring pen, one of the guys that did the CAD would then transfer my drawing to CAD and a prototype of my bike part would be printed out and checked on my bike before being lathed and milled and then checked on my bike before being chromed.
The first thing I printed in 3D was a monitor stand with drawers for my Amiga 1000 so I could have it on top of the computer case and the stand bring the monitor up to eye level, I also printed some for the computers at work.
I consider my 3D printers as tools, although I have printed things from the file libraries, like puzzles and plant pots and kitchen tools.
My early printers were cheap kits and I enjoyed upgrading them, however since I got my X1C and AMS I haven't done a single upgrade, I am going to upgrade my two Ender 5 Plus machines to core XY though.
The best 3D printer is the one you can afford!
My first 3D printer was a Prusa Mini that I got as a kit. I was genuinely surprised when I assembled the thing and it worked flawlessly with the only tuning I did being setting the z-offset.
Też zacząłem 8 lat temu od Anet.
Mam teraz 4 drukarki i zdecydowanie najlepsza jest Creality K1C.
Bardzo uniwersalna i niezawodna.
This is awesome! I hope to see lots of videos on this. 😎
1. In 1997. But I didn't believe such a thing existed until I saw one ten-ish later.
2. Custom made parts for various vintage toys.
3. As hobby and tool. I make my own toys from old concept arts, mainly 80's toys, and design my own unique ones as well. As tool when I need items that don't exist or are hard to get.
4. So far I've only used two printers. Anyqubic Photon S and Creality Ender 3 Max. The resin printing was to much of a hassle to me so I'll stick to filament printing.
5. Be patient. Do some research before buying printers and collect hints and tips from other users. And...have fun :)
Even the first 19 comments on this video had interesting stories, I can't wait for the hashtag to take off!
my first machine was the printbot simple, I made a D&D floor tile with it first, but used it for a prop for work later that week. I'm a magician, I had a gig as a magical tailor and a freind sugested I print scaled up thimbles to use as a set of "cup and Balls"
1 - When did you first hear about 3D printing?
The first time I heard about 3D printing was seeing an industrial printer at an industrial manufacturing show while I was on a college trip in the early 1990's. We saw CNC routers, CNC plasma cutters, injection molding, but we had never heard of 3D printing before. Most of the students were absolutely fascinated by the seemingly magical process because I think it was a ZCorp? I remember seeing a multi-colour, multi-material running shoe.
2 - What was the first thing you 3D printed?
The first thing I 3D printed was actually parts for my own design of 3D printer based on the Prusa Mendel i3, using a 3D-printing module/head used on my own design of CNC router. I even had to modify some of the parts because my CNC only had about 45mm of clearance on the Z-axis. And the frame of the 3D printer was CNC-cut on my CNC, using thick foam PVC boards off-cuts which I had received for free from a sign shop, which I later learned produced nasty fumes when cutting. No wonder it smelled bad when I cut all the parts.
3 - Do you view 3D printing as a hobby or tool and why?
I see 3D printing as a tool because I use it to make parts for my other hobbies.
4 - What is the BEST 3D printer? (according to you)
The best 3D printer is one that is affordable, reliable and does as much as it can on its own. This goes with my answer with #5, I would suggest either a Bambu Lab A1 mini or a Prusa mini. Keep in mind I'm only suggesting these two based on what I've heard about them from UA-camrs, I have never used any printers from either companies.
5 - What is your number 1 tip for beginners?
Get a reliable 3D printer with auto-leveling and direct drive. Unlike a CNC router, the bed size of a 3D printer is much less important than you might think because the bigger the part, the more problems you'll have with parts warping and you want to avoid that particular problem when you're a beginner.
My first exposure to 3d printing was seeing a printed part in about 1985. A guy showed up at our shop looking for investors($10,000) at that time. It only had an 8"x8"x8" envelope. Not useful our shop so the owner said no. Turns out that was probably a mistake. I currently have 3 printers, afinibot a3, and 2 flashforge adventurer 3. I use them to make foundry patterns and models for demonstration.
in the process of updating my Aquilla with big tree tech mini ski v3 01 gonna power it on later after im sure everything is right :) number 1 Watched a video on youtube back when the tevo trantula was popular .. Im gonna hopefully use 3d printing to mock up stuff in cad so when I build my 87 suburban, to make it electric Ill have 3d printed parted to go off of
I'll bite. Here's some, probably, useless answers from someone who is still very much a beginner and a novice, despite having a 3D printer on my coffee table for a handful of years now.
1. I'm not sure. I might have read some article way back when it was more industrial and R&D, but I remember reading about the RepRap, looking at it and thinking that it looked cool, a bit unrefined, and out of my budget range as a skint student.
2. I think my first print was a calibration cube to check if the printer was working and get a rough idea about slicing and print accuracy/shirnkage.
3. Yes! For me it's a hobby tool. I use it rarely, but mostly as a tool to print something useful. I got an Ender 3 Pro around when they dipped to around the 200 €$ (whichever it was), with the understanding that it would probably need some tinkering, but also that it was an upgradable platform if I got really into it.
4. Haven't a clue, but it probably depends a bit on what you want it for. If you want plug-and-play to just get prints going, something more expensive and fancy is probably what you're looking for. If you're more interested in tinkering/experimenting and/or extensibility/upgradeability, you'll probably look for a popular platform with a wide userbase and clones.
5. Before buying your first printer, think about why you want it. Is it going to be a fun hobby with experimenting, tweaking, tinkering, and upgrading your machine, or do you just want a machine that can quickly and reliably print parts for you? Do you need the top of the line? Do you positively need it as a tool or is it a fun, but practical, and expensive toy?
For me it was more of an expensive toy I could indulge in, but that could still have practical value even if the results were far from perfect.
Well, I warned you at the start that my answers might not be the most insightful, so you've only got yourself to blame for reading this far. ;-)
Cheers!
1 - When did you first hear about 3D printing?
When I was introduced to the school's 3D printer as part of our design and technology class. Would have been 12 or so years ago.
2 - What was the first thing you 3D printed?
An assignment we had was to design a computer mouse and model it using modelling foam. After that I asked if I could 3D model my design (I knew how to use Blender) and then 3D print it. It was a mouse shaped like the windows logo with all sorts of compound curves and it came out great on the printer. I think it was a BitsFromBytes printer but can't remember the model.
3 - Do you view 3D printing as a hobby or tool and why?
I've always seen it as a tool, but not until getting a Bambu Lab X1-Carbon recently have I been able to treat it like one. My Printrbot Simple Metal required a lot of babysitting to get good results. Nothing like the set and forget of the X1-Carbon. 3D printing has always been a tool to pursue my hobby robotics and drone building, never a hobby in its own right.
4 - What is the BEST 3D printer? (according to you)
I've only ever use 4 different printers, the 3 already mentioned and a kit build FLSun cube printer which was very fiddly. Of those the X1-Carbon is by far the best for what I want out of it, but the Printrbot Simple Metal did serve me well enough for many years.
5 - What is your number 1 tip for beginners?
Don't worry about getting the part perfect on the first print. Often having the part in hand will tell you so much more about what needs to be changed than staring at a CAD package for a few hours. Take advantage of just how rapid 3D printers are at prototyping.