Entry level or mid range, I don’t want to break the bank as it probably won’t get used much but I don’t want to get straight trash either. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

  • Kengaro0@lemmy.worldOP
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    11 months ago

    I’m not sure. I’m starting from zero so either? I’m pretty technically inclined but I’m hoping it’s easy enough to keep my teenaged daughter interested, if that makes a difference.

    • empireOfLove@lemmy.one
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      11 months ago

      SLA is nice and you can make intricate figurines but it’s usefulness is limited. resin is also expensive, and a pain to manage and clean up.

      if it’s your first foray into printing definitely stick with a “normal” filament plastic machine (FDM). you can do a lot more large-form stuff and also make significant inroads into making mechanical/functional parts that could solve problems around your house even. SLA can’t do that. Plus when FDM fucks up bigly it can usually be fix with a screwdriver and 2 sizes of allen key…

    • IMALlama@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      It looks like you’re replying to the thread vs individual comments. I would have seen your reply faster the other way around :(

      FDM prints will be stronger and don’t require any chemical post-processing. They will require mechanical post processing (filling, sanding) if you want smooth features, but depending on what you intend to use the part for this might not be necessary. Some filaments, like ABS and ASA require some caution while printing (they release VOCs) and some filaments can absorb water while they’re out in the open, causing a decrease in print quality. If you stick to PLA and/or go through spools reasonably quickly it won’t be an issue. I print mainly PETG and while I don’t dry my spools and store them out in the open I don’t really have any issues with older spools.

      SLA prints can have much smaller features, but require post processing (rinse and cure). SLA printers also tend to have smaller build volumes. There’s also the whole having to deal with unused resin thing and the fact that you probably should collect waste products and dispose of them properly. But if you’re making minis or something like that you’re much better off with a SLA printer.

      On the FDM printer, a cheap stocker printer with a big following (eg Ender) is usually a fine option. There will be a lot of support in terms of community and parts. I’ve been running a rebranded Wanhao I3 clone, which is essentially an earlier ender, for 5+ years without much modifications. Most cheap FDM printers are going to require some amount of fiddling to keep them going. You’re also likely to eventually modify them to alleviate some of the design decisions that enabled their lower price points in the first place. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy a cheap FDM printer if you’re on a tight budget, just know what you’re getting into.

      • Kengaro0@lemmy.worldOP
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        11 months ago

        Thank you for the crash course. This is extremely helpful. I’m not sure if you saw the other post about not seeing comments but you nudged me into fixing it. I only had undetermined selected for the language and not English, but anyway thanks for pointing me in the right direction on the printers.