3D Printing

just send it to shapeways

>>565192

>>what are some tips,tricks, and things to know from people with actual experience in 3D printing

It's an over-saturated market which is dominated by China and the far east already.

>>565192

1. Expensive. 3d printers are the new laser printer scam. Parts and maintenance will cost you more then what you paid for the printer.

2. Slow and Disappointing. Printing can take up to a day and will need a bath for several days to get rid of residual particles

3. Annoying people. The market caters to the maker crowd which is choked full of genuine autistics and beta-males. 9 times out 10 what ever advice you get it will come from somebody who takes anxiety meds and has a "condition"

>>565283
>laser printer scam
ink printers(consumer grade) are ten times more expensive to fucking use

>>565283
I can agree with you, 3d printing seems like shit for everything. I myself am an engineer and can not see 3d printing as a suitable concept tool. I'd much rather buy some hobby/medium sized mill or lathe/mill combo and churn out aluminium parts, rather than wait days upon days.

>>565192
Stupid. Best to just buy 3D prints. Going to return my Monoprice Mini V2.
You can't just pick models to print, you have to convert them to gcode files that are specific for your printer.
I was able to print the default test model gcode file on the SD card included with printer, but every attempt to make my own has failed.

>>565192
[OP] my school has a 3D printer that we can use.
More interested in stuff that may fuck up a print if I'm not aware of it.

The only thing I can see 3D printing as being good for is quickly making detailed mould positives. I bought the cheapest Chinese DIY printer I could find, and I plan to make the money I spent on it back and then some by printing out trinkets, letters, furnishings, and other arts and crafts junk, which I will make in to sand moulds and cast in aluminium. Consider how much a pack of "Real Metal Steampunk Gears Wow" would sell to tartlettes on a service like Etsy.

What I learned so far:

If the print bed, printhead axis beam, the printer as a whole, the desk it is on, and the floor the desk is on isn't 100% level, your models will suffer, especially when using higher temperature filaments.

One side of the printbed being even 0.05mm too low can prevent the filament from sticking to it or to existing layers.

Keep the whole machine in at least 30ºC / 85ºF air while printing

You don't need to buy a new printhead if it jams; boil it in a pot of water and blow it out with computer duster before it cools. The CO2 comes out cold enough to flash cool the stuck filament, with the printhead walls still being hot enough for it to slide out.

https://www.3dhubs.com/what-is-3d-printing

There is a general at /diy/

>>565362
Thanks

>>565283
>laser printer scam
Lmao what, inkjets are the scam

>>565267
>>565269
>>565283
>Hurp a durp just be a consumer like us!

>>565283
Sorry, but you have no idea what you're talking about (except #3 kek).

>>565192
3D printing is perfect for organic models, especially resin printers like the Form 2.

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Has anyone actually found a decent way to make money with 3D prints? Not even manufacturing them yourself with a printer necessarily, just providing the shape and colors and profiting?

The big thing that people look towards are figurines of characters and things they like but these are protected by copyright (unless you are china). I could make an original character but even if it's goddamn incredible I don't think it's going to sell well unless it's from an established universe of some kind. I could be wrong though.

Besides obviously copyrighted stuff what is the secret to actually having some kind of revenue stream?

>>565619
>Besides obviously copyrighted stuff what is the secret to actually having some kind of revenue stream?

make a facebook page, add a shitton of people. shamelessly shill your page.
also have at least 10 good works that display good prints.

>>565618
The only thing hobby level 3D printer are good for is draining the owner's wallet.
Professional 3D printers can be good but there is no way they can be privately owned.
Use services and don't waste your time and money on "Maker" grade stuff.

>>565641
No, I mean like, what specifically would a person even produce if the end goal is selling a product and making a profit off of it? Why are people buying these things, what are they buying, and are people even buying these things at all or is this just an overblown fad?

>>565668
>Why are people buying these things
well you have certain people that like action figures for example so it make sense that they will buy the Disney infinity action figures (or marvel ones).
you have couples that marry and you kinda do them in 3D or 3D scan them and give them a model to put on a wedding cake or something
you have people that need spare parts, usually for plastic like refrigerator parts and door stops, pen holders and shit like that.
>are people even buying these things at all or is this just an overblown fad?
a little bit of both. it depends on the quality of your machine,material and what kind of artists you have.

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I bought an almost-new dual extrusion 3D printer at an 80% discount. I hope to use it exactly for what >>565341 mentioned, printing out parts to assemble into larger prop items like helmets and make casts of them to sell. At the price I bought it for if I can make even one successful helmet and sell a few copies of it I'll have made my money back.

Not totally sure what to make first though. I really want to make a Stormtrooper helmet but now that there's a Black Series helmet it doesn't seem worth it to take the time to print one that isn't as good.

The fad of 3d printers has propagated the same way Apple products propagate. Suckers spontaneously turns into shills and encourage other people to make the same mistake they've made in order to feel less stupid.

>>565641
what is "i haz toys" for $300