Since there are many members here with experience and expertise, I'm looking for recommendations for a good setup for me to get started in 3D printing.
I'll chime in, Jeff, but I'm only in the "I've done a lot of research" phase, so take my input with a
pound of salt...
I'm looking for something which would be easy for a newbie, but I am not looking for an entry level setup. From what little I know, I'm thinking multi-Color, heated enclosure, heated bed, decent capacity, capable of using advanced (meaning durable) filaments, and easy access to filaments. Cost is a consideration, but nowhere near the top of the list.
You and I seem to be sympatico in our way of doing things. In this realm, I suspect more of the same. From my research, there are two camps in the 3D printing world: 1) guys that like the technical ins-and-outs of the 3D printing process, and 2) guys that want to design, push a button, and get a print. I'm in the second camp, and I suspect you are, too. The process of 3D printing doesn't matter to me. I just want a quick way to make useful things that I could otherwise make.
If you are in the same camp, there's currently one choice that stands out: Bambu Lab. They've revolutionized 3D printing, making it very easy. In the Bambu Lab universe, the
H2D does all of what you've noted above the best, but it is their top-of-the line printer, currently (there is an H2D Pro, but I can't find any information on what the "Pro" gets you). It also does laser cutting, blade cutting, and pen drawings, but my research says that it's a bad idea to combine those tasks with 3D printing. The dust from those activities means a lot of cleanup when switching from cutting to printing to avoid contaminated prints. That's not what I'm personally looking for.
There is also an
H2S, but that only has one print head (S=Single, D=Dual print head). I was going to buy the H2D this year on the Black Friday deal (currently running), but now I'm holding out for the
H2C, which is supposedly going to be available by the end of the year. The H2C has a new hot-swappable nozzle (called a "hotend" in the 3D printing world) setup called the "Vortek" system, which will make swapping materials much more efficient. It sounds promising, but it might be a little risky going with new technology. For now, I'm willing to wait and take the risk of getting a dud, or waiting too long to take advantage of the Black Friday deal on the H2D...
I'm also looking for thoughts on modeling software to get into and learn. I currently use Sketchup-Pro for woodworking and furniture making, and am fairly proficient, but I know I will need to get into something like Fusion for this purpose. I'd also like some insight from those who use these platforms as to whether or not they would work as well for furniture making. I currently pay for Sketchup, but I'd like to consolidate and remain on one platform if possible. In the back of my mind, I'm always thinking about adding a plasma table to the shop, so acquiring and learning a modeling platform will help there as well.
You know I'm a happy Fusion user, and I've paid for the full version as a trial for a year. I got it 50% off, and it's definitely worth that. I'm not sure I'll renew at full price, though. In Fusion, if you intend to build assemblies (like, a table being four legs and a top that you design individually and then "assemble" them in software), you may need the full version, based on
this post I just found - lot's of good info in that post. It's not inexpensive - comparable to the Sketchup Studio Annual in cost. In the last year, AutoDesk has had two "50% off an annual subscription" offers on Fusion, and they seem to have 20% off and 30% off deals quite often.
Edit: I will not be printing jack stands...
Huh? Why not? What could possibly go wrong?
When I saw that video, I immediately thought of the failure of my first 3D printed part - a hanger for a Milwaukee grease gun I purchase off eBay. I had it attached to a girt in my shop, about 7 feet up. One day, I backed the car out of the shop, and after about 6" of movement, it stopped. I got out to see what was impeding my progress. It was the grease gun, with half of the mount attached to it and the other half still attached to the girt. Looking at it from the perspective of a design engineer, I immediately saw the cause of the failure - stress concentration cause by no understanding of engineering principles. An easy fix, but since the seller was a maker, rather than an engineer, a mistake was made that fortunately didn't dent my compressor's air dryer or wife's car, or break the grease gun, other than a few scrapes. So, when I saw that video of the jacks, I thought, "great, now somebody's going to go to YouTube University, copy that, and kill himself in the process!"
