The 3D Printer Thread

[Caddyshack]

bobthemonkey said:

From experience, can you get away with using something like the Bambu in an unheated garage in the UK?

I’ve seen various comments from the states saying the cold ruins prints, but don’t really want it taking up a load of space in the house.

I suspect you could use an enclosure to keep it warm

[mph999]

In the summer, yes, in the winter probably not - the printer may not have enough power to heat up if the ambient temperature is too low.
Drafts are a big issue, but an enclosure solves that.

[Lucas Ayde]

bobthemonkey said:

From experience, can you get away with using something like the Bambu in an unheated garage in the UK?

I’ve seen various comments from the states saying the cold ruins prints, but don’t really want it taking up a load of space in the house.

I'd imagine that damp in colder weather would be a bigger issue.

[hidetheelephants]

Buy some slabs of PU foam and build a box for it, then a greenhouse heater of ~100W would keep it at whatever temp desired. 50mm should be enough.

[M1K3]

durbster said:

The Bambu Labs Anniversary sale is on right now if anyone was holding out for a good offer. My P1S+AMS is due to arrive sometime this week...

Currently in the buyer's remorse phase given I ended up spending almost three times my original plan, so I'm frantically looking round the house to things I can print to justify the purchase

When buying my X1C, I convinced SWMBO I would be printing useful household objects. So far these useful objects have amounted to:

A hook to hang trainers in the cupboard.
3 x sunflower hue forge drink coasters

I'm surprised I had time to print the hooks as I have been busy printing lots of useless st:

BBS rim and tyre (in some state of assembly)
4 Porsche 911 turbo of various sizes/ colours (in some state of assembly)
Landrover Defender (in some state of assembly)
Helmet holder (in some state of assembly)
Lego mounts
Wall clock (in some state of assembly)
Steampunk phone stand
gyroid spinners
MASSIVE lego man x 2
F1 almost full size front wing (in some state of assembly)
F1 FULL SIZE wheel and tyre (currently in print)

I have also now joined a couple Patreon groups to print even more useless st.

Please don't kid yourself that your machine is going to be the saviour in your household for useful items. We are men, our inner child is inescapable

[poppopbangbang]

Bambu A1 arrived today to play with as the none AMS version is awfully cheap in the current sale. I only print functional car parts in a pretty niche filament so multiple colours etc, despite very impressive, would be wasted on me.

I ordered it with a few hardened nozzles etc. got it out the box earlier, ten minute putting together, swapped the standard nozzle for a hardened one and set it printing a mounting bracket with some settings that looked about right. It produced a mega quality print first time out, maybe 10% or so quicker than the others printers I have but super impressive to just work out the box with tricky carbon fibre filament on a pretty much solid print.

The A1 seems very well made, nice linear rail for the X axis, some sort of bespoke rail system for the Y but with steel wheels and lubrication etc. very impressive for how much it costs. Software seems fairly nice, I understand there is a bit of a flap around it phoning china etc. but in LAN mode I haven't seen it going out for anything and frankly I reckon it's unlikely anyone wants to rob a PAS tank bracket design badly enough to launch a line of 3D printers

As someone who has worked with 3D printers since it was refered to as Rapid Prototyping it's hugely impressive just how far things have come and how properly useful kit which can make functional parts is now available at sub £300. For less than a grand you could have three A1's up and running smashing out bits, which was about the cost of a spare build plate for a Stratasys 3D Modeller back in the day

[Clockwork Cupcake]

I need to have a good read through this thread.

I want to 3D print a fan shroud for a graphics card (I have the plans from thingyverse) and which has total length of 294 mm which I understand is bigger than a lot of printers can do.

I can pay a company to print it or I could buy a 3D printer. Thing is that 3D printers still feel like a hobby thing to me. Needing constant tweaks, repairs, upgrades, maintenance, and upkeep. Just doesn't feel mature yet and I just don't feel like I can invest the time and effort into "3D printing as a hobby". You know?

Anyway, I will have a read through the thread.

edit: Definitely getting the idea that 3D printing is a hobby!

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Tuesday 11th June 01:35

[Jermy Claxon]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

I need to have a good read through this thread.

I want to 3D print a fan shroud for a graphics card (I have the plans from thingyverse) and which has total length of 294 mm which I understand is bigger than a lot of printers can do.

I can pay a company to print it or I could buy a 3D printer. Thing is that 3D printers still feel like a hobby thing to me. Needing constant tweaks, repairs, upgrades, maintenance, and upkeep. Just doesn't feel mature yet and I just don't feel like I can invest the time and effort into "3D printing as a hobby". You know?

Anyway, I will have a read through the thread.

edit: Definitely getting the idea that 3D printing is a hobby!

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Tuesday 11th June 01:35

Oh it's 100% a hobby, don't even think otherwise for a moment. These machines are nowhere near plug and play. Even the "out of the box" ready ones eventually need something fixed/tweaked/replaced, and you have to work out what/how/why. Do not buy a 3D printer for one project, that's akin to buying a welder because your Corsa's exhaust is blowing a bit, when you could take it to Kwik-fit, pay £79 and you drive away with a new exhaust. Madness.

Also, if you don't know what else you'd do with it, 3D printers get boring real quick if all you ever do is print other people's ideas that you downloaded from the internet. They take up space (more than you'd think from their physical dimensions on paper), power, they make noise, they consume consumables, and they require tuning if you haven't used them for a while. While a lot of these problems are getting better, even the manufacturers are on a journey of improvement and learning. There's no perfect 3D printer on the market yet.

However, you're a techy at heart, so there's a good chance you'd enjoy it as a hobby. Learning CAD is a challenge, learning to spot real problems/repairs around you which can be solved with your printer is a skill you need to develop. There's no brain download that takes a few seconds where you can say, "I know additive manufacturing!" and Morpheus says "Show me!". It takes time. I'm a proper 3D printing geek, I've been at it for 5 years or so, and I learn something new on every project, and still have many failures.

But, like anything that takes effort it can be incredibly rewarding. Designing your own "things", and turning them into reality is amazing. If that thing solves a real-world problem (rather than just being a cool ornament) then multiply your satisfaction by 1000. I started my career in software, where nothing is ever finished, there's always a phase 2,3,4, more requirements, more feedback, a growing bug list, and you can't hold and touch the thing you worked on for months. For me 3D printing is almost therapy. It's incredibly "real", physical, tangible. When you press Print, that's it, you've gone live with your project, and that thing will be in your hands in actual physical form in a matter of minutes or hours. It's cathartic when you live in a world of 1s and 0s, but yearn for lathes and welders.

So, by all means get a 3D printer if you want a brilliant technical hobby that's actually useful, but accept those occasions are rare. Accept it will consime time and money, and think if you really have that time and money. If you do, it's fascinating and has a great community, has unlimited upgrade potential in parts and skills, isn't crazy expensive compared to, say, a car addiction, fits in a modest spare room at home etc etc.

But don't buy one for a single use, that will suck. If you really wanted a 3D printer, you wouldn't wait for a need for it. There isn't really one. It's fun fun fun, but 99% of the time it's about the learning/skills/tech/satisfaction, not the actual practicality.

Edited by Jermy Claxon on Tuesday 11th June 09:04

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Jermy Claxon said:

Oh it's 100% a hobby, don't even think otherwise for a moment. These machines are nowhere near plug and play. Even the "out of the box" ready ones eventually need something fixed/tweaked/replaced, and you have to work out what/how/why. Do not buy a 3D printer for one project, that's akin to buying a welder because your Corsa's exhaust is blowing a bit, when you could take it to Kwik-fit, pay £79 and you drive away with a new exhaust. Madness.

Also, if you don't know what else you'd do with it, 3D printers get boring real quick if all you ever do is print other people's ideas that you downloaded from the internet. They take up space (more than you'd think from their physical dimensions on paper), power, they make noise, they consume consumables, and they require tuning if you haven't used them for a while. While a lot of these problems are getting better, even the manufacturers are on a journey of improvement and learning. There's no perfect 3D printer on the market yet.

However, you're a techy at heart, so there's a good chance you'd enjoy it as a hobby. Learning CAD is a challenge, learning to spot real problems/repairs around you which can be solved with your printer is a skill you need to develop. There's no brain download that takes a few seconds where you can say, "I know additive manufacturing!" and Morpheus says "Show me!". It takes time. I'm a proper 3D printing geek, I've been at it for 5 years or so, and I learn something new on every project, and still have many failures.

But, like anything that takes effort it can be incredibly rewarding. Designing your own "things", and turning them into reality is amazing. If that thing solves a real-world problem (rather than just being a cool ornament) then multiply your satisfaction by 1000. I started my career in software, where nothing is ever finished, there's always a phase 2,3,4, more requirements, more feedback, a growing bug list, and you can't hold and touch the thing you worked on for months. For me 3D printing is almost therapy. It's incredibly "real", physical, tangible. When you press Print, that's it, you've gone live with your project, and that thing will be in your hands in actual physical form in a matter of minutes or hours. It's cathartic when you live in a world of 1s and 0s, but yearn for lathes and welders.

So, by all means get a 3D printer if you want a brilliant technical hobby that's actually useful, but accept those occasions are rare. Accept it will consime time and money, and think if you really have that time and money. If you do, it's fascinating and has a great community, has unlimited upgrade potential in parts and skills, isn't crazy expensive compared to, say, a car addiction, fits in a modest spare room at home etc etc.

But don't buy one for a single use, that will suck. If you really wanted a 3D printer, you wouldn't wait for a need for it. There isn't really one. It's fun fun fun, but 99% of the time it's about the learning/skills/tech/satisfaction, not the actual practicality.

Thanks for the very comprehensive reply!

You make some really great points and do make it sound quite appealing, but also you have kind of confirmed what I was thinking too.

This is the first time I've thought "if only I had a 3D printer" and I can't think of any other instances right now, and that does kind of hint that I don't need one.

[jeremyc]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

I need to have a good read through this thread.

I want to 3D print a fan shroud for a graphics card (I have the plans from thingyverse) and which has total length of 294 mm which I understand is bigger than a lot of printers can do.

I can pay a company to print it or I could buy a 3D printer. Thing is that 3D printers still feel like a hobby thing to me. Needing constant tweaks, repairs, upgrades, maintenance, and upkeep. Just doesn't feel mature yet and I just don't feel like I can invest the time and effort into "3D printing as a hobby". You know?

Here's my experience in the same situation.

TL;DR: I designed the piece in CAD myself, got a third party service to print it. It's still in service.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

jeremyc said:

Here's my experience in the same situation.

TL;DR: I designed the piece in CAD myself, got a third party service to print it. It's still in service.

Thanks!

I've just put my part in for printing with Surface Scan (who look like a reseller of digifabster.com). No idea if they are any good or not but they have a UK adderess, and I paid with a credit card.

Only now that I have read your thread and done some research, I'm worried about the fact that PLA has a heat resistance of only 50°C and this part is going to be attached to the heatsink of a graphics card.

I'll see if I can cancel or change the order.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Tuesday 11th June 12:00

[geeks]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Jermy Claxon said:

Oh it's 100% a hobby, don't even think otherwise for a moment. These machines are nowhere near plug and play. Even the "out of the box" ready ones eventually need something fixed/tweaked/replaced, and you have to work out what/how/why. Do not buy a 3D printer for one project, that's akin to buying a welder because your Corsa's exhaust is blowing a bit, when you could take it to Kwik-fit, pay £79 and you drive away with a new exhaust. Madness.

Also, if you don't know what else you'd do with it, 3D printers get boring real quick if all you ever do is print other people's ideas that you downloaded from the internet. They take up space (more than you'd think from their physical dimensions on paper), power, they make noise, they consume consumables, and they require tuning if you haven't used them for a while. While a lot of these problems are getting better, even the manufacturers are on a journey of improvement and learning. There's no perfect 3D printer on the market yet.

However, you're a techy at heart, so there's a good chance you'd enjoy it as a hobby. Learning CAD is a challenge, learning to spot real problems/repairs around you which can be solved with your printer is a skill you need to develop. There's no brain download that takes a few seconds where you can say, "I know additive manufacturing!" and Morpheus says "Show me!". It takes time. I'm a proper 3D printing geek, I've been at it for 5 years or so, and I learn something new on every project, and still have many failures.

But, like anything that takes effort it can be incredibly rewarding. Designing your own "things", and turning them into reality is amazing. If that thing solves a real-world problem (rather than just being a cool ornament) then multiply your satisfaction by 1000. I started my career in software, where nothing is ever finished, there's always a phase 2,3,4, more requirements, more feedback, a growing bug list, and you can't hold and touch the thing you worked on for months. For me 3D printing is almost therapy. It's incredibly "real", physical, tangible. When you press Print, that's it, you've gone live with your project, and that thing will be in your hands in actual physical form in a matter of minutes or hours. It's cathartic when you live in a world of 1s and 0s, but yearn for lathes and welders.

So, by all means get a 3D printer if you want a brilliant technical hobby that's actually useful, but accept those occasions are rare. Accept it will consime time and money, and think if you really have that time and money. If you do, it's fascinating and has a great community, has unlimited upgrade potential in parts and skills, isn't crazy expensive compared to, say, a car addiction, fits in a modest spare room at home etc etc.

But don't buy one for a single use, that will suck. If you really wanted a 3D printer, you wouldn't wait for a need for it. There isn't really one. It's fun fun fun, but 99% of the time it's about the learning/skills/tech/satisfaction, not the actual practicality.

Thanks for the very comprehensive reply!

You make some really great points and do make it sound quite appealing, but also you have kind of confirmed what I was thinking too.

This is the first time I've thought "if only I had a 3D printer" and I can't think of any other instances right now, and that does kind of hint that I don't need one.

Alot of what JC says has some truth to it. However, the more recent stuff from the likes of Bambu and Anker take away alot of the pain points. My Bambu P1S can be sat for weeks doing nothing and then I just fire it up and print. It does all the tuning and Z offset etc (i.e alot of the fiddly ballache stuff) itself, anytime I have had a failed print has been on me, either by being too optimistic with supports or whatever. I would say actually the A1 or A1 mini are perfect first timer hobby printers, they do pretty much just work. Maintenance will be an issue with anything with moving parts, some occasional lubbing some lead screws or rails though is simple enough and not a regular thing required just to print. I hate the term "iPhone of printing" but you get the idea they are as accessible as you can get and easier than your mum to use!

If you were talking about an Ender 3 or a Prusa whatever then yeah I would agree its a hobby unto itself.

[geeks]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

jeremyc said:

Here's my experience in the same situation.

TL;DR: I designed the piece in CAD myself, got a third party service to print it. It's still in service.

Thanks!

I've just put my part in for printing with Surface Scan (who look like a reseller of digifabster.com). No idea if they are any good or not but they have a UK adderess, and I paid with a credit card.

Only now that I have read your thread and done some research, I'm worried about the fact that PLA has a heat resistance of only 50°C and this part is going to be attached to the heatsink of a graphics card.

I'll see if I can cancel or change the order.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Tuesday 11th June 12:00

You might be ok with PLA but PETG is what you want for this really, it stands up to heat a bit better but also having things like holes drilled or self tappers etc better. PLA is actually stronger, PETG is tougher, important distinction. But there really is a filament for everything and to be honest its just as easy to get decision paralysis sometimes when you have a selection to chose from.

[Jermy Claxon]

geeks said:

Alot of what JC says has some truth to it. However, the more recent stuff from the likes of Bambu and Anker take away alot of the pain points. My Bambu P1S can be sat for weeks doing nothing and then I just fire it up and print. It does all the tuning and Z offset etc (i.e alot of the fiddly ballache stuff) itself, anytime I have had a failed print has been on me, either by being too optimistic with supports or whatever. I would say actually the A1 or A1 mini are perfect first timer hobby printers, they do pretty much just work. Maintenance will be an issue with anything with moving parts, some occasional lubbing some lead screws or rails though is simple enough and not a regular thing required just to print. I hate the term "iPhone of printing" but you get the idea they are as accessible as you can get and easier than your mum to use!

If you were talking about an Ender 3 or a Prusa whatever then yeah I would agree its a hobby unto itself.

But how much experience did you have before you bought the P1S?

I did acknowledge that the "out of the box ready" printers these days are much, much better than our old Prusas or Ender 3s, but they are not perfect. There are issues with them, and the more you use them the more issues you find with the hardware. And ALL prints, regardless of what you print them on, are subject to slicer/material/adhesion/cooling decisions, regardless of how easy the unboxing is, so all require a base level of knowledge.

Whether you want to buy a Tesla with lane-assist, or build your own Caterham from a kit, you still need to learn to drive, is I guess what I'm saying.

I'm not intending to put anyone off the hobby, or appear elitist, I very much encourage anyone with the time, money and inclination to give it a go. But no matter how accessible the Bambu experience is, it's still a hobby IMO.

[jeremyc]

Increasingly I'm of the opinion that 3D printing is much more about materials science than anything else.

If you are trying to create parts for a real application then materials selection is crucial.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

geeks said:

You might be ok with PLA but PETG is what you want for this really, it stands up to heat a bit better but also having things like holes drilled or self tappers etc better. PLA is actually stronger, PETG is tougher, important distinction. But there really is a filament for everything and to be honest its just as easy to get decision paralysis sometimes when you have a selection to chose from.

I know what you mean about decision paralysis.

I sent an email to Surface Scan and got an automated email update not long after saying my order status had been changed from 'Free for manufacturing' to 'Manufacturing' so I think we can take it as read that any reply I will receive will be along the lines of "too late!"

Oh well, we'll see how the PLA print holds up.

[geeks]

Jermy Claxon said:

geeks said:

Alot of what JC says has some truth to it. However, the more recent stuff from the likes of Bambu and Anker take away alot of the pain points. My Bambu P1S can be sat for weeks doing nothing and then I just fire it up and print. It does all the tuning and Z offset etc (i.e alot of the fiddly ballache stuff) itself, anytime I have had a failed print has been on me, either by being too optimistic with supports or whatever. I would say actually the A1 or A1 mini are perfect first timer hobby printers, they do pretty much just work. Maintenance will be an issue with anything with moving parts, some occasional lubbing some lead screws or rails though is simple enough and not a regular thing required just to print. I hate the term "iPhone of printing" but you get the idea they are as accessible as you can get and easier than your mum to use!

If you were talking about an Ender 3 or a Prusa whatever then yeah I would agree its a hobby unto itself.

But how much experience did you have before you bought the P1S?

I did acknowledge that the "out of the box ready" printers these days are much, much better than our old Prusas or Ender 3s, but they are not perfect. There are issues with them, and the more you use them the more issues you find with the hardware. And ALL prints, regardless of what you print them on, are subject to slicer/material/adhesion/cooling decisions, regardless of how easy the unboxing is, so all require a base level of knowledge.

Whether you want to buy a Tesla with lane-assist, or build your own Caterham from a kit, you still need to learn to drive, is I guess what I'm saying.

I'm not intending to put anyone off the hobby, or appear elitist, I very much encourage anyone with the time, money and inclination to give it a go. But no matter how accessible the Bambu experience is, it's still a hobby IMO.

Ender 3 Neo for about 12 months or so, did a raft of upgrades such as the kevinakasam mod, new extuder etc. I started from a point with more confidence though having already had some education with stepper motors and the other bits of associated hardware from other hobbies.

With the bambu stuff yeah you do need to learn to work your way around the sliver but thats not really much of a challenge and if all you are really doing is firing of hooks and miniatures and the like in PLA actually you dont really need to learn much. Its when you get to ASA or CF-Nylon you need to start learning the materials science bit and then what and how a slicer does what it does.

If you have a technical acumen like CC then really this stuff is pretty straightforward to pickup and there really is a Youtube video for almost every problem you will face.

BUT I do agree its a hobby, there are plenty of functional prints and stuff but you have to want to learn it not expect it all just to appear on the build plate!

[poppopbangbang]

jeremyc said:

Increasingly I'm of the opinion that 3D printing is much more about materials science than anything else.

If you are trying to create parts for a real application then materials selection is crucial.

It always has been really, assuming you wanted to create functional parts. The range of engineering materials now is incredible and many are highly task optimised.

Things like carbon reinforced high tempeature PETG are pretty incredible as they have nearly the temperature resistance of ABS with incredible stiffness and toughness but print easily on an open frame printer. Likewise carbon nylons offer even higher temp resistance with a little more effort required in printing and looking after and then you have all the carbon or kevlar reinforced ASA's etc.

I use a lot of FormFutura filaments which whilst expensive are very high quality and very consistent, totally possible to produce on engine components with these filaments on a sub £300 printer.

[ARHarh]

geeks said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Jermy Claxon said:

Oh it's 100% a hobby, don't even think otherwise for a moment. These machines are nowhere near plug and play. Even the "out of the box" ready ones eventually need something fixed/tweaked/replaced, and you have to work out what/how/why. Do not buy a 3D printer for one project, that's akin to buying a welder because your Corsa's exhaust is blowing a bit, when you could take it to Kwik-fit, pay £79 and you drive away with a new exhaust. Madness.

Also, if you don't know what else you'd do with it, 3D printers get boring real quick if all you ever do is print other people's ideas that you downloaded from the internet. They take up space (more than you'd think from their physical dimensions on paper), power, they make noise, they consume consumables, and they require tuning if you haven't used them for a while. While a lot of these problems are getting better, even the manufacturers are on a journey of improvement and learning. There's no perfect 3D printer on the market yet.

However, you're a techy at heart, so there's a good chance you'd enjoy it as a hobby. Learning CAD is a challenge, learning to spot real problems/repairs around you which can be solved with your printer is a skill you need to develop. There's no brain download that takes a few seconds where you can say, "I know additive manufacturing!" and Morpheus says "Show me!". It takes time. I'm a proper 3D printing geek, I've been at it for 5 years or so, and I learn something new on every project, and still have many failures.

But, like anything that takes effort it can be incredibly rewarding. Designing your own "things", and turning them into reality is amazing. If that thing solves a real-world problem (rather than just being a cool ornament) then multiply your satisfaction by 1000. I started my career in software, where nothing is ever finished, there's always a phase 2,3,4, more requirements, more feedback, a growing bug list, and you can't hold and touch the thing you worked on for months. For me 3D printing is almost therapy. It's incredibly "real", physical, tangible. When you press Print, that's it, you've gone live with your project, and that thing will be in your hands in actual physical form in a matter of minutes or hours. It's cathartic when you live in a world of 1s and 0s, but yearn for lathes and welders.

So, by all means get a 3D printer if you want a brilliant technical hobby that's actually useful, but accept those occasions are rare. Accept it will consime time and money, and think if you really have that time and money. If you do, it's fascinating and has a great community, has unlimited upgrade potential in parts and skills, isn't crazy expensive compared to, say, a car addiction, fits in a modest spare room at home etc etc.

But don't buy one for a single use, that will suck. If you really wanted a 3D printer, you wouldn't wait for a need for it. There isn't really one. It's fun fun fun, but 99% of the time it's about the learning/skills/tech/satisfaction, not the actual practicality.

Thanks for the very comprehensive reply!

You make some really great points and do make it sound quite appealing, but also you have kind of confirmed what I was thinking too.

This is the first time I've thought "if only I had a 3D printer" and I can't think of any other instances right now, and that does kind of hint that I don't need one.

Alot of what JC says has some truth to it. However, the more recent stuff from the likes of Bambu and Anker take away alot of the pain points. My Bambu P1S can be sat for weeks doing nothing and then I just fire it up and print. It does all the tuning and Z offset etc (i.e alot of the fiddly ballache stuff) itself, anytime I have had a failed print has been on me, either by being too optimistic with supports or whatever. I would say actually the A1 or A1 mini are perfect first timer hobby printers, they do pretty much just work. Maintenance will be an issue with anything with moving parts, some occasional lubbing some lead screws or rails though is simple enough and not a regular thing required just to print. I hate the term "iPhone of printing" but you get the idea they are as accessible as you can get and easier than your mum to use!

If you were talking about an Ender 3 or a Prusa whatever then yeah I would agree its a hobby unto itself.

A few comments from a lot of experience with 3d printing.

I first started 3d printing around the year 2000, and stopped doing it for a living in 2012. I have spent a lot of hours meesing with 3d printer settings. I have no idea about the crop of the latest machines.

I have used 3d printing to make stuff for myself and solve all kinds of issues around my life for 25 years. I make a lot of smart home stuff and always need enclosures or such like.

When I gave up working with 3d printing I missed that ability to just CAD something and turn it into reality. Some years later I discovered the Anet a8, a cheap and rather horrid printer, good bones but poor execution. I bought one and tweaked it so it was running OK. It was still not stable enough though. I then set about making a frame from conduit, reassembling the whole thing, upgrading with octoprint etc. After setting it up to perform well repeatedly, it has been running for about 4 years in this state now.

It gets used a few hours every month sometimes more. But it has been 100% reliable. I can just send a file to it hit print and wait. It is by far the most reliable printer I have ever used, and considering the first one I used cost £250k 25 years ago, that is saying something.

Once the novelty wears off you will either be left with a machine that is a pain to run every time you want to make something, that it just does not get used. If you want one like mine that you can just press print and wait it will take a lot of work but will be a very useful tool. If you are a tinkerer this will be fine, but I guess for most they will end up in a corner doing nothing.

Put in the effort to set up a stable machine with sound electronics, properly assembled and you will enjoy the experience. But don't expect to be able to always make a suitable part for the job, as 3d printing does have plenty of limitations.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

geeks said:

You might be ok with PLA but PETG is what you want for this really, it stands up to heat a bit better but also having things like holes drilled or self tappers etc better. PLA is actually stronger, PETG is tougher, important distinction.

Update: Surface Scan just got back to me and said that I can change from PLA to PETG and that they can hold the same price. So I have said "yes please"

Thank you so much for the advice.