The 12k is a good size and trust me, you’ll be blown away by the quality of prints. Also good to have bought the wash’n’cure from the outset, hand washing is messy and a PITA. Can I give you a couple of tips. Get a spare build plate, a spare tank, a spare screen and a pack of FEP early on. The spare plate allows you to start the next print immediately. The other three are all about being able to carry on printing when you stuff up, without having to wait for replacements to arrive. And here’s a lesson learned that can help you not wreck the screen too early! You’ll probably have a few fails early on while learning to print. When you have a fail, use the tank clean routine rather than just trying to remove the fail remnants from the FEP. This avoids creating weak spots in the FEP, which if these become even a microscopic hole results in resin being cured directly onto the expensive screen. Obviously the tank clean routine wastes a bit of resin, but on balance I’d rather waste 10 pence worth of resin each time than have to shell out £80 to replace a screen that only has 30 hours on the clock. Let alone the hassle of replacing it.
Lasering: easier to learn than 3D printing but I hadn’t appreciated just how much space is needed, and the ‘hidden’ costs. I’ve needed to spend a good few £100’s on a work surface big enough, an enclosure and on air extraction. I wouldn’t have been able to tolerate the fumes from cutting plywood. Luckily I already had a spare laptop so have been able to create a dedicated laser station in my garage. However, I’m already realising that an even bigger machine would have been better. But pretty expensive.
I‘ll post an update on parts for purchase in January, I’m prepping a load as we speak.
. And you'd have to build the entire thing from scratch, which is both good and bad.
