3D printer for absolute beginner

Cromulent · 22 Jun 2024 at 14:19

I'm interested in 3D printing because I'm doing some electronics and would like to print parts to build a robot. It must be usable with a Mac and all the software needs to be for macOS as well.

I'd like to be able to make custom parts but I have absolutely no experience and have no idea what is required. My budget is flexible if it can do everything that I need.

Chaos666 · 22 Jun 2024 at 14:25

i'm sure most popular slicers have macos versions
building robots would require something a bit more robust than PLA .. all harder plastic need enclouser to print.
i think depending how big your parts will be i would recoment bambu p1s

Cromulent · 22 Jun 2024 at 14:59

Chaos666 said:
i'm sure most popular slicers have macos versions
building robots would require something a bit more robust than PLA .. all harder plastic need enclouser to print.
i think depending how big your parts will be i would recoment bambu p1s

Thank you very much. Is there some software out there I can practice with to see if I can do what I want to do before I shell out the money on one?

Oh Ed not again. · 22 Jun 2024 at 15:03

Cura, Slic3r for slicing/and getting a feel for turning STLs into GCode and what the various settings are.

For design, Fusion 360 is my go-to. They have a hobbyist license, and it's fairly straightforward to get started with. Watch a couple of YT tutorials to familiarise yourself with the UI and the terminology.

Holding your own design in your hands is a satisfying moment.

Cromulent · 22 Jun 2024 at 15:23

Oh Ed not again. said:
Cura, Slic3r for slicing/and getting a feel for turning STLs into GCode and what the various settings are.

For design, Fusion 360 is my go-to. They have a hobbyist license, and it's fairly straightforward to get started with. Watch a couple of YT tutorials to familiarise yourself with the UI and the terminology.

Holding your own design in your hands is a satisfying moment.

Cool. I downloaded Cura and that seems to work but I couldn't find the hobbyist license for Fusion 360. I'm probably missing something stupid.

Edit: Found it. My bad.

Chaos666 · 22 Jun 2024 at 19:56

I recommend avoiding cura. I started with it and don't recommend.
Orca or Prusa is the way to go

Oh Ed not again. · 22 Jun 2024 at 22:49

Chaos666 said:
I recommend avoiding cura. I started with it and don't recommend.
Orca or Prusa is the way to go

Cura has in my opinion got steadily worse, I started with it but since getting a MK3S its Slic3r all the way. Not tried Orca. Will check it out.

smallstool · 22 Jun 2024 at 23:21

This is a great printer for a first-timer:

K1 Speedy 3D Printer

It comes with Mac software, prints ABS, has it has its own very good enclosure, £379.00 (bargain), there's always something better somewhere, sometime, cheaper, more expensive, and much better (and even more expensive).

I've had a few 3D printers and this is the best I've had for ease of use, quality, and price. I'm building one of the best printers available as a kit - and it's 4 times the price.

Dip your toe in and have a go - it's amazing and great fun

roman59 · 23 Jun 2024 at 08:29

Personally I would go for a Bambu 3d printer, the machine is virtually plug and play with very little assembly once the machine is removed from its packaging.

Bambu Studio (slicing software) works perfectly with Mac Os.

I have had my X1C Carbon for 18 months now and not had a single problem with it at all, its fast and the prints are perfect every time, prior to getting the Bambu I had 2 Creality 3d printers which have not been used since the Bambu arrived.

Bambu have a sale on at the moment which could be an added bonus for you.

Hope this helps.

Cromulent · 23 Jun 2024 at 08:43

Thank you all. I guess I need to watch some YouTube videos but the K1 Speedy seems to be a reasonable price although I do like the sound of the P1S from what I have seen.

roman59 · 23 Jun 2024 at 13:49

Cromulent said:
Thank you all. I guess I need to watch some YouTube videos but the K1 Speedy seems to be a reasonable price although I do like the sound of the P1S from what I have seen.

You won't go wrong with a P1S either

Chaos666 · 25 Jun 2024 at 19:22

Both are good printers. Bambu is more user friendly

GR63 · Monday at 14:51

Interesting thread - but the prices still put me off. Have to print a LOT of stuff to make it worthwhile compared to ordering it online. I'm surprised people with 3D printers dont do "side jobs" to recoup some cost

Chaos666 · 2024-07-21T16:49:16+0100

Well it's cheaper than it used to be.
I started with a £120 ender 3. Ended up upgrading loads of things.. I learned a lot but I could've just bought more expensive printer

Your choice