3d printing for an absolute novice

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benji

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I've been watching tutorials on 3d printing in resin and similar, and I'm thinking of buying a printer seeing the wonders that can be done, but my question is, is it really as easy as loading a file and cros
s your arms watching how it prints? in these tutorials I found where to download or buy very interesting things, among others this one.
www.cgtrader.com

1 48 Castle Class Corvette RC Model Ship | 3D Print Model

Model available for download in Stereolithography format. Visit CGTrader and browse more than 1 million 3D models, including 3D print and real-time assets
www.cgtrader.com
Of course I am more than interested in being able to make a model like this, but the question would be, which printer would be the most appropriate, what would be the cost in resin, would it be better to buy the file and find someone who understands and order the printing?
 
is it really as easy as loading a file and cross your arms watching how it prints?

yes it is that easy BUT the really hard part is the CAD work and 3D modeling to create that file. There are sites that offer free STL file for printing but you may not find anything you want.

What is your backround and experence in 3D modeling and CAD drawing that is the first issue to think about.
what software do you use Blender , Fusion360, Rino, Solidworks etc.

years ago i watched all the videos on a CNC carving machine and they made it look so easy just load in the file and press START and there you go. What they did not tell you was how to create the cutting files the company just offered a library of their files, which was of no interest to me. The software offered with the machine was way to simple and did not have any advanced tools to create complex files. The company that made the carving machine did not say anything about the fact YOU had to be able to create 3D files and years ago that software was and still is very expensive.

bottom line the catch here is you have to be really good at using 3D software the machine is at the end of the process.
 
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Dave Stevens (Lumberyard) said:
is it really as easy as loading a file and cross your arms watching how it prints?

yes it is that easy BUT the really hard part is the CAD work and 3D modeling to create that file. There are sites that offer free STL file for printing but you may not find anything you want.

What is your backround and experence in 3D modeling and CAD drawing that is the first issue to think about.
what software do you use Blender , Fusion360, Rino, Solidworks etc.

years ago i watched all the videos on a CNC carving machine and they made it look so easy just load in the file and press START and there you go. What they did not tell you was how to create the cutting files the company just offered a library of their files, which was of no interest to me. The software offered with the machine was way to simple and did not have any advanced tools to create complex files. The company that made the carving machine did not say anything about the fact YOU had to be able to create 3D files and years ago that software was and still is very expensive.

bottom line the catch here is you have to be really good at using 3D software the machine is at the end of the process.
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my experience in design programs because none, the truth is that I had not raised so far anything like this, in principle I wanted advice on which printer is the most appropriate, as I am interested in some models that appear on that page, both ships and science fiction. I am already seeing that depends on both the price and the maximum size of printing, but I'm getting an idea
 
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3D Printers are like CNC machines, you feed them the code of the item you want to make and they do the work. However the code is the main obstacle for many because to make the code you have to be able to use a CAD/CAM software and these software have a very steep learning curve. There are web based places where they can make the code for you but that can be expensive and not convenient at all to my opinion.

If your question is which 3D printer to get is like asking which car we suggest for you.

3D printers look and are easy to use but behind that there are many other technical/operational parameters you should know before you operate one for your safety.

Did you consider learning CAD? Its not that difficult and there are free online CAD lessons where you can start with basic shapes and gradually progress to more advanced objects
 
3D printing is easy, but as stated above you first need to model in 3D, you need the need to support the model to print, slice it for your printer. I have add some links of projects that may help

The Ship Model Forum • View topic - Diorama Shipwreck tanker Olympic Bravery, 1976, France 1:700

www.shipmodels.info

The Ship Model Forum • View topic - SS Nomadic, Titanic's Little Sister - 1/200 - 3D (Assembly)

www.shipmodels.info

for adding supports I have found "Lychee" works well and is easy to you, the free version should be all you need
mango3d.io

Download the latest version of Lychee Slicer for SLA/Resin 3D Printers

Download the latest version of Lychee Slicer, for your favorite SLA 3D printer. Avaialble for Windows, Mac and Linux
mango3d.io mango3d.io

I have a "Anycubic Mono" printer which I have printed an anchour winch 2mm x1.5mm x1.5mm and still see detail. But get the "wash and cure" it makes cleaning a breeze.

one thing I have found is if you remove most of the supports before curing there is less damager to you prints.
 
Hello Benji

There is a learning curve, but it's not too bad.

First you need the STL file(s) of what you wish to print. That's the 3d file that represents the item you wish to print. There are MANY free ones you can download from various sites. These site I've used most often is Thingiverse.

Once you have the STL you use a Slicer to "slice" it. The printer prints a layer at a time, the Slicer is what does this producing the G-Code file that you then load into the printer and print. I use a Slicer called Cura from Ultimaker, which is free. It's easy to use, you tell it the printer you have, the filament or resin you are using and tell it to slice. It does have many settings you can adjust but the settings it comes with will get you good prints.

You load the G-Code into the printer, make sure the bed is level, and print.

I have an Ender3 and really like it, but I doubt I'll use it to print things for shipmaking as the layers are too visible for small, finely detailed items.

PRODUCING the STL files is where things get more difficult....

Glenn
 
GAStan said:
Hello Benji

There is a learning curve, but it's not too bad.

First you need the STL file(s) of what you wish to print. That's the 3d file that represents the item you wish to print. There are MANY free ones you can download from various sites. These site I've used most often is Thingiverse.

Once you have the STL you use a Slicer to "slice" it. The printer prints a layer at a time, the Slicer is what does this producing the G-Code file that you then load into the printer and print. I use a Slicer called Cura from Ultimaker, which is free. It's easy to use, you tell it the printer you have, the filament or resin you are using and tell it to slice. It does have many settings you can adjust but the settings it comes with will get you good prints.

You load the G-Code into the printer, make sure the bed is level, and print.

I have an Ender3 and really like it, but I doubt I'll use it to print things for shipmaking as the layers are too visible for small, finely detailed items.

PRODUCING the STL files is where things get more difficult....

Glenn
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I have been watching tutorials all this time and I have even subscribed to an online academy on design and 3d printing, it is not easy, no, but something I will do with time. At the moment I am satisfied with what is available in cgtrader, tinghiverse and others, It is not a small thing, and not only about boats. As a science fiction fan there are some things that I am already looking forward to starting with, that I will hardly find in normal trade, except for a resin garage kit, which do not always have good quality apart from high prices.
I already have the artillery sidewinder x2 selected, and later a resin printer for detailed accessories
 
I use Fusion360 for design. It's free for hobby use and there are many tutorials for it on YouTube.

If you haven't yet. I suggest getting a free Slicer and slicing some of the designs you are interested in just to see what it's like. It will only cost your time. With Cura you can preview the print layer by layer.

I have been considering a resin printer. Will most likely get one in the future.
 
Aupa Benji.
yo también del norte de españa.
hacemos barcos en plan empresa, para astilleros, y otras maquetas, algunas para Inglaterra india incluso USA.
como pones al principio del post, usamos impresión 3D y cortadora cnc (2D).
solemos crear los cascos ya que tienen un volumen no lineal, en impresión 3D, y generalmente el resto de las piezas en plancha de pvc espumado, que cortamos con CNC.
la cuestión para imprimir en 3D, es tener como indican por arriba, el fichero en formato para imprimir (stl generalmente).
a nosotros los mismos astilleros junto con los planos CAD del barco nos suelen dar un fichero 3D del casco, generalmente estos ficheros no son compatibles con impresoras y necesitan adaptarse, fácil fácil, no es.
pero si no tienes esos archivos se tienen que crear con un programa de modelado 3D, yo uso rhino y 3D max.
rhino es bueno para crear cascos de barcos desde planos de curvas en 2D, pero fácil tampoco es.
los programas de modelado 3D son programas de cierta complejidad, y si no sabes nada, te llevara tiempo, y tardaras en conseguir resultados.
te pongo algunos ejemplos:
 

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mise anterior eran 4 cascos que como ves sobrepasaban el espacio de impresión, por eso se imprimen en 4 pedazos que luego se juntan para formar el casco.
el acabado como se ve no es fino ni pulido, yo lo emplastezco con resina lijar y pintar:
 

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The only advice I can give you is you get what you pay for. I had an original Scorpian printer kit( prussa copy) that I had to put together myself . You learn a lot but its tinkerers toy with a lot of "improvements" to add and you keep havinf to fiddle with it to get it to work. Like buying a chinese k40 laser and then spending ages getting it to work safely. I ended up using the parts for other things and bought a PLA Flashforge creator pro. No print issues, no failures. Slicer comes with it. Printed heaps from thingverse, fusion etc.

Its great for larger prints but as with all PLA not fine details. For that you use resin based unit. One day I may look at an Anycubic photon mono x but printing is more expensive that PLA and toxic.

I've had the Flash forge for 5 years and it has not missed a beat.

Go with a PLA to start with and then if you need add an Resin unit. You will use both.
 
si, las impresoras de hilo caliente, tienes que finalizar el acabado de superficies, hay algún truco con filamentos de ABS y acetona pero a mi modo de ver insatisfactorio.
las de resina el acabado es espectacular, incluso piezas y detalles tan micusculos, imposibles con filamento, pero el precio es mucho mas caro
 
Grengraf Bilbao said:
aqui, cosas que hacemos:
si quieres mas info de procedimientos, programs o algo, me dices y te echo una mano
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I had not seen your message, it has been a while since I entered the forum, thank you very much for your attention, mine is more amateur, yours is ... uau,:oops: I do not think it will reach that level, but if I have a problem, I know who to askThumbs-Up
 
Six months ago I also set out to print a Buyan-M-class corvette and purchased a 3D model specifically for this purpose. In my case, the printing was done on a Flashforge Creator Pro. The final model had to be finalized, of course, but on the whole I was quite satisfied with the quality.
 
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abroadneed said:
Six months ago I also set out to print a Buyan-M-class corvette and purchased a 3D model specifically for this purpose. In my case, the printing was done on a Flashforge Creator Pro. The final model had to be finalized, of course, but on the whole I was quite satisfied with the quality.
Click to expand...
Maybe you can show us some results? Would be interesting to see....
 
3D printers, CNC machines, laser cutters et al do a wonderful job of promoting their products. Just turn on the unit and press the button. That’s all well and good if what they supply as files are something you might be interested in making however, generally not what the user had in mind to make.

What’s up to the user is designing the part. This is where the CAD part comes into play. If you have CAD experience then you are ahead in the game. If not, depending on what you want to make the design process can have a steep learning curve to obtain the desired results. My suggestion for someone starting out is to download a couple trial versions of less complex CAD programs such as TinkerCad or SketchUp and give them a try before you invest $$$$ in something that might end up on the top shelf collecting dust.

We all tend to want instant gratification these days however, just like shipbuilding it’s the journey.

Do your research before investing your dollars and you will be happier in the end.
 
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