Ok so is picrel good for a beginner 3d printing toys? I've seen videos of it printing pretty good quality WH minis with its 0.2 nozzle and I thought that looks pretty good, not that I'm into WH at all but if it can print minis then it definitely handle what I have in mind. What I'm planning to do is mostly print 1/12 figure joints and parts, custom gunpla parts, replacements, etc at the same I want a solid beginner printer. Picrel good or nah? It's at about the max upper limit of my budget, as I don't have plans to get too deep into 3D printing. I don't mind print times at all. Feel free to recommend other brands as well.Also 3D print general I guess? I don't see one
>>11699091bambulab A1 mini btw
>>11699091I'm kinda a beginner 3D printer. Got H2D like a month ago. Done some printing already and from what I know, stuff like joints should be printed in ABS, and it requires enclosed printer as it needs higher temps to print properly. So with cheaper printers you may be forced to use PETG instead. I used it myself and so far it works as intended and I don't see any wear. However, people who make 3D printed action figures, like Dummy 13, say ABS is kinda a must if you want strong and long lasting joints.Bambu is popular for a reason, it's just good. You don't have to twiddle and tweak much to use it. It's pretty beginner friendly. So yeah, it's a good printer for a start.But before you buy, if you know someone who has a 3D printer or a service who do print, design some joints and parts and send them to print, so you can see yourself if it's the stuff you are looking for. Resin printers will always give more detail, even 0.2mm nozzle wont give you same results.
>>11699091No you need a resin printer for small volume items like joints/action figures, this won't work. Bambu fdm printers are good generally though. I have the full size A1 that I use to make dioramas and props for my figures
>>11699091Get a resin printer for making joints durable (look at resins like Tough 74 from Resione for instance that are developed for this very purpose) and for smooth looking parts. A FDM printer will never be adequate for anything you want to paint if you want it to look good and not have the little layer liens visible.
>>11699152>Tough 74 from ResioneHave you used it yourself? Youtuber called Azrach Toys does action-figures in resin. Joints seem really really brittle, and with time, they just get stuck.
>>11699157Ive never heard of resin like that getting stuck. If he designed the joints differently, they'd prob function better too. Like if he kept the joint itself pure Tough 74 but had the limb parts around it that it plug into be slightly softer or more flexible.
>>11699187This is the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWON9vhiTqE&t=575sI'm gonna get a resin printer this year, so will test it out myself. Don't know which brand to pick yet, I like the resin 3D prints but I just hate post-processing and all the mess that comes with it.
>>11699091>It's at about the max upper limit of my budget>bambulab A1 mini Not sure why the usual retards are recommending you $50 bottles of resin when you can barely swing a $220 printer. You want a Rolls Royce on a bicycle budget dude. If you want to work with Engineering Quality you have to pay Engineering prices. You can work with BasicBitch filament or resins, but if you want to get in to ABS filament or fancy resins you need a much bigger budget. Why waste time telling you about the Big Dog stuff that's way outside your range?>Azrach Toys breaking resin figuresyeah, and if you actually pay attention to his videos he SPECIFICALLY says he suspects his own engineering on his joints is highly suspect. You can break literally every injection-molded plastic piece if the engineering is bad and stresses weak points. And again, it looks like the higher end resins he works with is outside your budget.> I don't have plans to get too deep into 3D printing. Why the fuck not??? Once you're in it, you grasp just how unbelievably liberating it is. If the Bambu A1 Mini is the height of your budget, get it. Learn what you're doing. Stick with the $12 rolls of PLA filiment on Amazon. Buy some older Marvel Legends and 3d print some new heads while keeping the production quality joints until you can upgrade your gear. Among all of my printers I have the non-mini standard A1 and I use it the most just because its a great machine, and my Elegoo Saturn 4 16k ultra because I need the heated resin vat but its a beast that needs fed and I need a minimum of 2L of resin because it takes about 1L of resin to fill to the "minimum" line and I need a 2nd liter to top it off after prints.TL;DR quit trying to Run before you even know how to crawl.
>>11699219>the usual retards >you actually pay attention >Why the fuck not??? >quit trying to Run before you even know how to crawlWhy all this hostility? You wouldn't dare to talk like that face to face, so quit it and be civilized.You didn't show any of your prints, are you all talk? Show us some of your 3D printed action figures, so we can see how it's done.
>>11699232>You didn't show any of your prints, are you all talk? Show us some of your 3D printed action figures, so we can see how it's done.I'm not the hostile anon, but if you are OP, what are you even doing? OP asked a few questions and sought answers. Why should anyone have to prove they can print stuff in order for their info to be taken seriously? I also agrees with hostile anon. If OP can't afford much more than a $200 filament printer, resin printers for joints is not for them either. The special resins with specific properties such as wear resistance are at least $40-50 per liter so that along with the usual supplies for resin printing (curing station, lots of IPA for washing, paper towels, gloves, etc) will certainly put it out of OP's budget
Beginner printer anons, op is looking for advice on beginner printers and if they can fulfill his purpose of action figure parts, joints and accessories.That being said, anything is good enough to get started. They are tools, and 95% of getting good use out of a tool is the knowledge on how to use it. OP, i used the shittiest basic resin, on a $150 resin anycubic printer and could EASILY knock stuff out like this.Now if you want precision stuff like what you see in this >>11699197 video, yeah you'll want to buy the expensive specific type of resin and then tune your printer for that profile.i cant speak for FDM printers as i only print in resin, but the A1mini looks absolutely fine for your first printer. The only advice i can really give for any 3d printing, is get the largest build plate you can afford, nothing else matters.
>>11699232>Why all this hostility?Because you have unrealistic expectations and you should be grateful for my actual advice. I'm closing this thread now, I'm done here because you're fucking retarded and can't even cope with being told to learn how to crawl before you can run. You're an idiot.and not worth my time. And yes, many of those giving advice here are also retarded and cannot even unto basic reading comprehension. Its like watching retards trying to take turns fucking a doorknob.
>>11699127I've tried designing and printing petg joints on a figure that had a joint turn to dust and petg isn't worth a fuck for figure joints. Its stronger than pla but not strong enough to do anything but stand
>>11699438> but not strong enough to do anything but standThis is all PLA printers mostly. Filament crap is cheaper for a reason. Resin looks so much better and you can actually make functional parts with it that look like real figures.
>>11699091>What I'm planning to do is mostly print 1/12 figure joints and parts, custom gunpla parts, replacements, etc at theInjection molded joints require +/- 0.005mm precision to work
I got an elegoo resin printer about a month ago and the results are fantastic. The details are super crisp and removing supports and cleanup is so easy, it's like peeling velcro. I've been printing off armies and artillery for minis games and just painted this colonial marine I put a shrunk down Chip Hazard head on.The main drawback with resin is how brittle it is and how easily it can snap. It won't really hold up for joints, buuuuut it's also so easy to reprint I guess you could just cycle through pieces as they break. Do not under any circumstances cheap out and go with a PLA printer. Even the smallest nozzle leaves hideous layer lines that completely botch any detail a sculpt has and will leave weird spaghetti lines under overhangs. I honestly have no idea what PLA printers even exist for, maybe making cheap replacement parts for things in third world countries or something? You can waste your time and sanity away trying to fill and sand things but life is way to fucking short for that, unless you love spending hours making clouds of micro plastics because you bought a bullshit printer that only makes bullshit.Resin is the best path but you can't be doing any clumsy ham hands shit.
>>11699219reddit is that way nigga>>11699127im not really planning on making sellable figures so I might look into this PETG stuff youre talking about. I was thinking of printing some cheap replacement parts and mecha parts (armored core and gunpla)>>11699258i dont want to deal with resin but maybe i should consider it. its really all the safety investment thats putting me off>>11699438do you mind sharing what you have done so far in printing joints and what the best results you got?
>>11699258I'm also interested in resin (not OP) but I live in an apartment, aren't the fumes/vapors toxic?
>>11699735They are toxic, imagine a strong smell of spray paint, after a while they can cause headache. Some resins smell less than others, but resin printer needs a dedicated room for it, at least when it prints.
>>11699335Yeah you sound like a pompous nigger
OP, I can’t give you any advice because I outsource my shit to either companies or private small time guys. Best of luck to you in getting started.That being said, gonna post some recent stuff I’ve had done: large MJF ratcheting ball-hinge joints from Sculpteo. These are hollow with wall thickness about 1.5mm to allow some give and flex at this size. Planning to get a few more made since this test print was a success, then I’m going to use them to add articulation to the legs of the most recent Super Colossal T-Rex from Jurassic World Rebirth.
The a1 mini with a .2mm nozzle is completely serviceable as a middle of the road solution, which is the entire appeal of owning your printer to begin with isn’t it? I use mine frequently. PETG is a budget alternative to expensive resins in pursuit of an actually playable figure that doesn’t wear out in a week. I’ll post some of my projects later but for the record I’ve basically completely pivoted from my resin printer.
why is everyone saying resin is expensive? both printers and bottles can be found for about the same price as fdm printers and filaments
>>11699955I got 0.2 nozzles ready and waiting, haven't tested them yet, once I finish the prototype of that tank, I'll do AA gun using 0.2. I heard this ain't easy as it likes to clog.In general my idea is to use FDM to do hulls and general mechanical parts, then use resin to print all the small details like head lamps, hatches, engines and stuff like that.
Lilith WIP>>11699957I think it depends on what you need out of the resin. I typically use Tough74 mixed with TH72 so it comes out to $100ish, and even though that's for 2 bottles total I have to buy both every time. Not particularly a lot but if you print a ton it adds up fast
>>11699955im looking forward to seeing what you have made>>11699782how are the joints so far?>>11699957theres also all the safety stuff. if im buying resin printer, i'm also looking at buying a washing station, a curing station, gloves, masks, eyes protection etc. and I'm not willing to cheap out on those things and get poisoned or develop an allergy for something I invested a lot in.
>>11699957>why is everyone saying resin is expensive? both printers and bottles can be found for about the same price as fdmYou lack reading comprehension skills. We were saying the special resins that are made to withstand friction that a joint would require. The standard cheap resins are just that - cheap. But those are the brittle ones that people bitch about when they say "wahhhh 3D printing only produces fragile parts"
>>11700030That looks nice. What is the base body?
>>11700090Jet Studio/Tunshi. It's a little harder to find now, I've had it sitting around for a while.
>>11700057>>how are the joints so far?Relatively tight. Dunno if the ratcheting ability will be able to hold up the few pounds a super colossal JP Rex weighs or if the swiveling part of the make piece will stay tight enough to not swivel freely after wearing down from surface-to-surface contact over time, but acrylic pledge can at least remedy that I think. Gotta find where I packed my soldering knife to split the knees of the SC Rex first, then carve out the spacing to fasten (with epoxy putty) the joints. Will update the thread if I can get around to it before it auto sages.
>>11700003Seems perfectly sound. My .2mm nozzle has never clogged though, any failings I’ve experienced were parts coming off the base plate, which is almost always user error. >>11700057I’ll start posting stuff I’ve made on the A1 mini now. This is an old commission. They wanted the He Man posability, I prefer more complex engineering but I do think it’s charming
>>11700253Fucking sideways image BAKA. Whatever, here’s another one from the same guy
>>11700256Personal project based on a DnD character. Fully PETG joints
>>11700260
>>11700268Here’s my most recent WIP, Guyver adjacent thing. The shell parts are normal PLA, and I’ve fit them to a hobby base ball joint kit for enhanced longevity. Placeholder head BTW, my plan is for there to be lots of replaceable heads and chests to make a bunch of guys out of 1 design
>>11700274Fuck my ass to death with these sideways photos but whatever. Very proud of this guys articulation, gonna have a blast playing dress up with him making new heads and chests.
>>11700256>>11700260>>11700274These all look good but all I see are all the layer lines, chunky bits and little imperfections that wouldn't be there if they were resin. And whatever surfaces are facing upwards look messy as heck with filament all the time. Front of the blue guy's fist for instance. :(
>>11700409true, admittedly it requires TLC that I'm not bothering with on version 9 of a prototype like blue guy. but more intentional support settings and a slower print speed would fix a lot of it. still, whatever work remains and the subtly perceptible layer lines are worth it imo for the durability and accessibility of the final product.
Partial print in SLS nylon of Kenner Scorpion Alien with upgraded articulation.
Have you guys worried about fragile joints ever considered just buying those gundam ratchet joint kits and leaving peg holes to mount them?
>>11700516I did that with this dude >>11700282 basically. Swivel joints instead of ratchets but same principal. Super fun to experiment with, my most playable custom so far. Though worth noting, mold injection PLA, while better than any FDM material, is still on borrowed time. Similar feel to gunpla, it’ll hold for a while but not forever without maintenance.
>>11700260and this all printed on the A1 mini? Wow that's impressive>>11700268this is amazing anon
>>11700642Yeah, all of it but blues ball joints and the Tiefling’s skirt, that’s fabric. Thank you anon : )
>>11700651i started to have my doubts but after seeing your work, my interest in getting that 3d printer is revitalized. do you post updates on your works anywhere?
>>11700260Have you tried to reprint your fig with those more specialized resins, to see how it works in comparison to FDM?
3D printing toys is cool! I use a resin printer myself as ironically enough proper engineering resin (NOT cheap ABS-like resin, that stuff will grind itself to powder) is actually better for joints than FDM. Though I will say as FDM printers go BambuLab make awesome machines.I designed pic related myself (need to make some revisions though) and printed it using Resione Tough 74. It is absurdly strong when printed properly but be aware that once it's fully washed and cured to leave parts at least 24 hours before assembly; it takes a while for the resin to fully "settle" and get its full strength. If you assemble it too soon you risk loose joints as the resin will "settle" under tension- I made that mistake a few times before I learned my lesson. Also gentle application of hot (not boiling) water can help if things are hard to assemble.
>>11700651How did you do the joints?
>>11700726That’s very affirming anon, thank you. If you ever make something please post it here. I miss customs general. >>11700726I upkeep a website but I’ve always been terrible at shilling. I’d like to try selling blue when he’s done so maybe I’ll post about it then. >>11700784I’ve not, though I really should. I’m mostly putting off readjusting the joint tolerances for the new medium. >>11700811I didn’t, they’re a hobby base swivel joint kit. Mold injection PLA for more resilience to long term fiddling. >>11700803I remember you Midna anon! You were posting finished pics of her almost a year ago when my very first figure, the tiefling, was still WIP. She looks fantastic I’m glad you’re still at it. Your work and that weird guy with the ultra articulate female mannequin were a trigger for me working on my own stuff.
https://makerworld.com/en/models/2240509-thank-you-17k-zoey-fanart-39-cm#profileId-2443513Made these with my BBL A1. FDM has come a long way. This is a model though, no actual moving parts, but I did use a glow in the dark filament
>>11699152No, you absolutely need to use ABS or ABS-like for joints. However their tough and BJD series resin IS great for the other parts of the figure.>>11699258>i cant speak for FDM printers as i only print in resin, but the A1mini looks absolutely fine for your first printerA good precise FDM printer can do just fine, and you don't have to think about drain holes. It's just that it takes tuning your machine, and then everything still needs some processing afterwards to fill layer lines and sand them to get it ready for painting. I have seen FDM that print without layer lines but at that price why not just use resin.>>11700057Yeah resin allergy is real and debilitating to someone who prints and handles this shit a lot. Best to be safe than sorry. Invest in colored lunch trays for your uncured/cured things, it helps contain some sticky hell and saves your sanity. Like red for uncured, something else for cured. Double glove it in case of rips or quick glove swaps, you'll thank yourself.>>11699735Get a grow tent, vent tube and a fan, then vent it out your window. Put your resin and wash/cure stations in there. Run the fan and keep the flap closed when you're running your resin printer or ESPECIALLY your cure station. Curing is when the most VOCs are given off.Remember you have to cure your trash, used gloves, and supports before throwing them out. Don't bother with water washable resin, the water takes too long to evaporate. Alcohol is king.
>>11701017Wow, those look great. Is everything that’s not glowing painted?
>>11701474Everything is coloured filament except for a few finer details like the zips on Zoey's top, or Rumi's belt.
>>11701659That’s sick. How many colors can it cycle between?
>>11701671This thing here is called an AMS-Lite, its ~$300 as an add on for the A1. 4 colours simultaneously. These models were printed as separate parts and then glued together. But they let you make advanced multi-colour prints like Zoey's shoes or Rumi's jacket patch. Plus it makes 3D printing a whole lot less of a pain in the ass. You put the filament reels on, download a model, then press print. It changes to the appropriate filament when it needs to by itself. It cuts the filament, winds it back a bit, purges any leftover in the nozzle, loads the new filament, runs for a bit to make sure it's using the new colour, then goes back to printing. It's fairly close to being one of those star trek thing makers.
>>11701244>you absolutely need to use ABS or ABS-like for joints. However their tough and BJD series resin IS great for the other parts of the figureNo way. The opposite is true. Abs-like resin create dust and wears down with resin to resin contact. BJD and other tough resins are specifically designed to withstand that type of repeated friction. That's their entire purpose!
>>11700803>proper engineering resin (NOT cheap ABS-like resin, that stuff will grind itself to powder) is actually better for joints than FDM.Yes, this is correct. Please tell the other silly anon that he is wrong. Abs-like should only be used for parts that won't have contact with others. Engineering resins like BJD or Tough 74 of maybe some other Resione/Sirayatech Nylon-like one for joints and other things that have contact.
>>11701750not that it matters in comparison to the massive benefit of being able to print in full color but how much time does the filament switching add to prints? what does waste look lijke? its only 200 rn, damn tempting.
>>11699730Old vah nami hip joint turned to dust immediately out of the box. Went to tinkercad recreated the joint. Printed a bunch to get the right size. Joint works fine for standing but doesn't take stress well and can snap due to its size. Have a bambu a1 so I cant do abs or engineering level filaments. Although I got a friend who says you can just throw a cardboard box over it to trap the heat and he's done that so I may try it.
>>11701810i was looking through some online sites and saw an enclosure being sold. i wasn't sure if it was made for A1 specifically but just letting you know that it seems like some company out there is making enclosures for these enclosure-less printersalso, have you tried running a 1mm brass rod through your joints?
>>11701843Yeah, it's worth exploring some other ways of strengthening joints. Pins, screws, etc.
>>11699091I wonder what are the type of machines used for certain figures, even if they are prototypes. I found this Yamaguchi-style Ghost Rider and he's really good looking imo.
>>11711714that looks fantastic. what joints are those, revoltech?
>>11699492I printed several with my A1. Just file them down until they fit. No issues at all. You can easily design your own too.
>>11712419Yup, I think he used those revogeo joints. I think pic related is from a different user.
You guys ever think about using TPU for joints?