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Hello

I would like to know what purpose 3D printing can be used for.

Especially the desktop printers.

Are there any limitations you encounter when you have to print a model.

Thanks in advance.

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Well… Desktop printers do indeed have their limitations as far as size and resolution are concerned. It is hard to get a precision better than 0,25 mm, and you will, at least on a “raw” print almost always see the print layers on the vertical axis.

The choice of materials is also quite limited (although this is slowly improving): ABS, PLA, Nylon and Filaflex are the most common materials as of now for FDM (Filament-based) printers, and every material has its pros and its cons. PLA, for istance is mormally easier to print than ABS (for starters, it does not require a heated print bed) but is much less heat-resistant and not really weatherproof, since it´s a bio-degradeable plastic.

Do not hesitate coming back here with any questions.

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Thanks for replying.

If I want to buy a 3D printer, what do I have to look for?

Is there al long learning period?

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Hi,

I bought and built a kit for around 600 US$, It took me around 12 hours to fully assemble and adjust so it would be ready for the first print. I am very happy with it, it is a Prusa I3 derivate sold by spanish company BQ. It is really good bang for the buck.

If you have no experience in electronics and mechanics at all, do by all means get a fully assembled and calibrated ready-to-run 3D printer. This will save you time and hassle, but set you back around 1000 US$.

Be prepared to learn. You will have to, since ANY 3D-Printer will need regular adjustment and maintenance. They do go out of aligement a lot and you need to recalibrate and adjust them to get consistent results.

Some places offer workshops with the parts for building your own 3D Printer. After a weekend, or so, you walk out od the workshop with a complete and adjusted printer you have built yourself, and you will have acquired the basic skills to use it sucessfully.

The hardest part is not the printing itself, it is designing the 3D Models you want to print if you don´t want to be stuck to printing stuff off thingiverse. There are some applications making 3D design quite easy, like Tinkercad, which runs in your browser and comes with some nice tutorials, so you can start with simple designs and slowly advance to more complex ones.

3D-Scanning is only in its beginning. Do not expect to get a precise scan of an object you can print right away. It still requires a lot of fix-up before you can print it.

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It looks you are quite a while in this technology.

What do you use it most for?

I like the idea of making something from a 3D model, but I can’t think what is usefull to print.

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Hi Anneleen, there are many uses to 3D printing - maybe a good start for your 3D printing endeveour would be further research on the matter. When I first started being interested in this, everybody recommended Fabricated: The New World Of 3D Printing, which is a fantastic book for people who have heard of 3D printing, but don’t know exactly what it can do.

You may also want to check:

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Hi,

I am currently using it mostly for building model buildings and fixtures for my model railway, but there are soooo many uses…

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Hi Anneleen,

For advice on what printer to buy please refer to: Best 3D Printer Guide 2023 | Hubs

Cheers,

Filemon

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One great place to start is in your own home. Take a look around and see just how many bits of plastic are either broken, missing or worn out. There may be things that you simply don’t use any more just because a knob has fallen off and got lost. It’s a good way to get into design too. For instance, if a knob has gone missing from a light dimmer or your cooker. You can get started on design without any cost and I’m sure that, before long, you’ll have plenty of things to print! :slight_smile: