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Ask HN: Have you used a 3D printer?

3 points by grepLeigh ↗ HN
Do you own a 3D printer personally, or is one available at your work/school?

What was the experience like for you?

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the experience?

13 comments

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mattl
I own one, I've used a few.

It's not very easy to get started but I imagine once you have it set up it's easier

grepLeigh
What kinds of things have you 3D printed?
mattl
I bought it to print the miniatures for wargaming. I’m subscribed to a few Patreons and have amassed a huge library of models to print. I’ve only printed a few.
grepLeigh
Oh that's interesting, I also have an aspirational collection of models that I probably won't print.

When I do really need to print something, I'll usually search for a model (or tweak/make my own), then immediately print it.

mattl
I’ve not done much printing at all with it. Lack of space and the need for better weather relegated the printer to a closet.

I’ve used Blender a lot in the past, but mostly for video editing. What are you using for model editing/creation?

grepLeigh
Shapr3D for the iPad. I found it much easier to pick up compared to industrial-grade (and priced) CAD software. The touchscreen and pen tool felt more intuitive to me, compared to keyboard+mouse.
mattl
I’ll check it out.

What printer do you have?

grepLeigh
I have a Prusa MK3S and Mini+. The MK3S is especially reliable, and it looks like the next gen MK4 is even better in terms of speed/print quality.

I really want a printer with multi-material capabilities, but haven't found the right yet. BambuLabs looks interesting, but I don't like how closed the ecosystem is.

meristohm
No, haven't used one yet. Concept is cool, but at this point it feels more like havinga 3D printer would create demand for me that doesn't exist; I would feel compelled to find things to make. In that category, I'd rather make things out of wood.
grepLeigh
What kind of things do you make out of wood?

It's funny, I've been in the opposite position! I want to learn wood-working, but the end result is so much more time-consuming compared to firing up my 3D printer.

Symbiote
Yes, a Prusa Mk3S. Chosen based on recommendations that it was a printer for people who wanted to make things, rather than fiddle with a printer.

It was straightforward to build from the kit. It's been very reliable, and the extra cost vs the cheap junk was worth it.

Designing models takes longer than I expected, but mostly as I'm a bit perfectionist.

9.

grepLeigh
I have a Prusa MK3S too! The assembly documentation was excellent, some of the best technical writing I've encountered.

What sort of objects are you printing/designing?