3D printers are seemingly everywhere now a days. There are so many options for a 3D printer that searching for one seems daunting. These printers are being used by a wide variety of people and businesses. Everything from medical companies to toy manufacturers. Now that I have one of my own, I’d like to share a bit of my experience with it.
I received my 3D printer as a gift from my sister. We were talking about some items she wanted for her house (specifically some magnetic skeletons for a fridge) and I said I could not make those because I did not have a 3D printer. Two weeks later she bought one and her husband brought it to my house. To say that I was excited is an understatement. I have been watching and reading about 3D printers for a few months, wishing I had the money to buy one.
Skip ahead a week later and I had her skeletons made and so much more. To see it in action, click here. It is mesmerizing to watch the printer make things layer by layer.
To date, I have printed sixty different items. Things ranging from fun to functional. Articulated toys, jewelry stands, jewelry, and home décor are some of the things I have printed so far. Currently I am creating inventory for a vendor event in October. Most of what I am creating is Halloween themed for the market. Some items are just for fun such as fidget toys like this one here.
So, let’s get into the details of my printer.
My printer is a Flashforge Adventurer 5M. I know there are so many options out there for 3d printers, but I only have experience with this one. This printer came with a small sample of PLA filament. I also received two spools of filament from my sister, and I have bought two spools of filament. She purchased one spool of burnt titanium and one spool of purple color shift from Flashforge directly. I purchased the primer gray filament from Amazon because I wanted the option to paint the finished product.
Ok, a short review (will go into more detail in more posts) of this Flashforge printer.
Unboxing and setting up was breeze. Most of the printer comes preassembled, with only a few steps to get it up and running. I had to attach some screws for the spool holders, attach the guiding tape, and attach the LED touchscreen. Simple.
I then connected the printer to my router directly with a network cable and ran the calibration. I then ran a test print of a benchy (which is a small boat that tests the printer for straight lines, curved lines, arches and more). This print turned out great, and I’ve been printing things since.
Now there have been some issues with this printer, some kinks I’ve had to figure out.Some things like print bed adhesion, filament loading and changing, clogged nozzle, etc. Luckly, I was able to do some research, and these issues were pretty minor.
Overall, though, as a beginner to 3d printing, I am happy with the experience.
I will be adding more in-depth articles on my experience with this printer soon and will be covering the pros and cons.
Art has always been a passion of mine. I enjoy being creative with many different types of media. I have shown some here on Hive with my resin journey. I create art with acrylic paintings, resin, polymer clay, sketching, coloring books, and now 3d printing.
Let me know if you have a 3d printer, what kind, issues, etc.
As always, if you have any questions, let me know.
Image credits - these are my images I took with my phone.
I studied drafting and design when hobby printers were just getting started, and most machines were industrial-grade. As a librarian, I've worked with Dremel's machines. They've all been FDM with filament spools, and I have no experience with resin. My issues most recently have been with failures in the hot end assembly. I'm willing to answer questions if you have any. Are you just printing from Thingiverse, or starting to work on 3D design yourself?
Thingiverse and other sites have been my source so far. I do no know where to start with creating my own designs. I have never had a machine do this kind of art, previously I just created things myself with other media. I am interested in learning how to create my own designs. The hot end assembly seems to be an issue with many printers that I have seen.
Blender is a free and open-source modeling and animation program. It has a steep learning curve, but there is also a lot of community support and documentation.
I have heard that it is pretty awesome. I looked at TinkerCAD, but it seemed a little basic. But maybe I need to start with basic
TinkerCad is a good place to start. It has all the basic geometric shapes and ways to edit them. FreeCad might be better if you want to design something complex and precise, but again, it has a steep learning curve.
I will check out FreeCad too. Thank you for the information, I appreciate all the help
I am always curious about 3D printers. That tool is just awesome I think.
Well, you can share the creative process on DIY HUB Community, here.
They are awesome, sometimes quirky. Although I am a beginner, I can see getting more involved in the craft.
life is about learning new things every day :)
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