Looking for my first 3d printer (Page 2 of 3)

no those are easy prints really

For me it was kind of a case of having some I idea of what I wanted.
not necessarily  in order of priority.
something factory assembled preferably USA
heated bed
decent size work area.
open source
things it would be nice to have  second print head on bard LCD and control. 
after I got my printer I learned of the value of an all metal extrude and the importance of a near nozzle fan for PLA.

And it seems for most of us the gap between what we feel comfortable sending and the price tag of the printer that matches the dream sheet is a large gap indeed.

so the choices 1) wait until the technology improves and the price drops  to where what you want and what you can afford comes together.

2) be patient save money until you can afford what you want.

3) jump in and try to find the best deal and best specs for the money yu want to spend. 

I went went for choice 3

Like any other tool or consumer product there is no one best choice for everyone although Marketing departments will tell you otherwise.  In the future it may be possible to test drive a printer like one tests drives a car. But in the mean time for us folks bold enough to risk a few hundred dollars on a printer and learn to set up adjust and experiment we have the reward of being at the leading edge/bleeding edge of the learning curve. We can have and hold the objects that other hear about on the evening news. And there are so many facets to this technology so many dreams so many motivations.  I am fortunate to have several friends that are experienced with 3d printing  1)  An engineer / educator that has operated a statysis for about 5 years. 2) An engineer by day that has a side business doing 3d design 3d printing and selling filament and a fellow hobbyist that also does some for hire 3d printing and investment casting using lost PLA  molds.

Bottom line is you really can not know what a 3d printer will do or will not do until you use one. You have to let the printer and material tell you what it needs and lean to learn from it.

PLA likes cooling air, ABS likes a warm bed, limit negative draft to 30 degrees off vertical etc....  we find the limites then work through or around them.

Your models IMHO look pretty good. horizontal hols may need a little cleanup with a reamer. and thos dowels ay nedd some support.

Tin

Why would those be hard to print? Seem kinda simple to me

same as plastic models made of ABS too. also can fill holes with extruder if needed

Maybe one I have been at this a year I may actually know What I need but in the mean time make a few prints read talk to those who know more than I do or at least a different perspective . Learn/ relearn some modeling wash and repeat!!!
I am pondering buying a bigger power supply ED3 etc then I need to decide if I wan to scratch build Upgrade the SD4 or get a tinkering machine to use as a base. I have Pondered more than once about welding a 16" cube frame and starting a build.
tin

The printer arrived today - Plastic Scribbler 2100.  I have never printed anything or even seen another 3d printer in person so I can't give a real review and I'll just write about how it has been going so far.

I took some time last week to download and setup the software from the plastic scribbler website and didn't have any problems with drivers or having the printer be recognized by Windows 7.  They sent along a CD and printed instructions as well.  The installed software comes with some preset suggestions for their printer (ABS print head 255c and bed 100c)

The printer arrived well packed and nothing was loose.  From order to receiving was about 2 weeks. For construction, the cables are nicely dressed and the unit seems sturdy.  It's just an aluminum frame riveted together with plywood supports.  You aren’t going to confuse this for a $2,000+ printer, but for a printer close to $500, I think it is great

The included software is  Pronterface.  I followed the manufacturer’s instructions about homing x, y and z and loading filament.   They included instructions to level the bed as well, but I skipped it for the time being.  I didn’t want to mess with anything if it already works out of the box.   Did it work out of the box?

Yes!  I sprayed some aquanet on the glass bed, waited forever to the bed to heat up and printed my first part successfully.  Hurray!  I bought a Xbox kinect unit at gamestop last week for $25 and made a 3d image of myself with  ReconstructMe.  That worked well too, but there’s not much use for a ‘me’ doll.

I am pleased on my first day with the printer.   Perhaps things will change as time goes on and I start printing mechanical parts, but so far, so good.

@Steve, thanks for posting.  This may be what I need to look at to replace my aging Solidoodle 2.

From my research and talking to people with more experience than I ABS needs to stay warm while printing and cool slowly. So an open frame and drafts can contribute to warping with ABS . I think if I was in your shoes I would add some plexigass or poycarbonate  side shields and possibly a front shield or door.  Cover the unit and the inside temp will rise some and the part temperature should be more consistent throughout the part.
Tin

Kind of like yogi Bera 95%  is getting the software settings right the other 95% is is getting the hardware and electronics adjusted.

I see several issues.
Warping (enclosure?)
Poor adhesion (bed temp and surface of bed?)
Over extrusion... Calibrate steps per mm and extrusion multiplier
Moire... Adjust VREF
Backlash... Tighten belts
Hope that helps

Print a cube 20x20mm's and change the slice profile to one perimeter and zero infill and no top layer.  Then print it and you will get a single wall that can be measured.  If you have a . 40 nozzle the wall thickness should measure .48.  Adjust extrusion multiplier until it does.
Filament diameter should be tweaked with every new roll of filament.
As far as first layer height goes I like to run that the same as all other layers but use the z-stop adjustment to squish it a bit. 
What diameter nozzle do you have?