3D printing advice please

It will be a while before I take delivery of my 1F Journeyman, my order # is 22149. In the meantime I am absorbing all I can related to this machine. I see that quite a few folks use a 3D printer to make accessories for their routers. I’ve been doing 3D modeling for a few decades so I’m good with that part.

Where I don’t have experience is with 3D printing and printers. I have an opportunity to buy a second hand Creality 3 pro. Is this printer suitable to produce usable parts for this router? What is the preferred filament material for these accessory parts?

Any advice in getting started with 3D printing would be much appreciated. I ran a Shopbot 4x8 router for a long time and made accessory parts for it mostly out of Sintra (expanded PVC) and Starboard (HDPE). With so many parts files available to download I figure it’s time I look into this.

Thanks, Butch

I’ve been using PLA with no troubles for everything I have printed for the machine.

I’ve enjoyed using PETG. It sticks well to the bed and has good layer adhesion. Nylon is very tricky (moisture issues and bed adhesion), and ABS needs some practice.

I have a Prusa MK3S: simple to use out of the box. Sorry, but no experience with Creality.

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Using PLA+ on a V4 Artillery Sidewinder X1 for all my 1F parts/mods with success. Learning the importance and impact of changes to layers, infill, etc… in Cura has helped.

I would recommend PETG. You get a strength similar to ABS without many of its drawbacks. And it is stronger and has higher heat resistance than PLA.

I can’t speak to the Creality 3 Pro. I have Prusa MK3S. I had a different cheaper printer before that was missing many of the features that the Prusa has. It made 3D printing a lot less fun and more frustrating. With my Prusa I spend a lot less time, repairing and maintaining the machine. I have lot less failed prints and overall enjoy the process more. I enjoy tinkering with machine but when I want to print, I want it to work. I realize it may not be in everyone’s budge but if your bought the Onefinity your likely appreciate quality.

Also there is a lot of videos and the 3D printing forums, especially Prusa are awesome.

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I too have a Prusa but hear good things about Creality. PETG is my preference.

Just recently got a Artillery Genius. I don’t know a lot about this whole 3D printing thing yet. Except for plastic spaghetti, I have found I can make a pretty good mess of that. lol.
I have run a couple of tests before printing parts though. So far I have played with PLA and PETG. In my area, Mississippi, the heat in my shop over the course of a couple of days will cause PLA to warp. PETG however has been fine. Keep in mind my little shop does not have AC or insulation. Really need to get around to that. lol.

When you’re just getting started, you might want to start with PLA as it’s pretty forgiving. TBH, I still do mostly PLA after years of 3D printing doodads and thingamajigs for my mill and lathe. As the other folks mention, it doesn’t have the temperature resistance, flexibility, or durability of other materials, but the vast majority of the time, it Just Works and how often do you need to worry about the flexibility and temperature resistance of a bracket you printed to attach some thing to some other thing? In my experience, not often.

If you’re looking an printing a part that will take more abuse, as the others have said, PETG or Nylon are the way to go, but you’re looking at more fussing with temperatures, feeds, and speeds to make happy parts. Many times you can avoid the fuss by just increasing your infill percentage and sticking with PLA. A solid-infill PLA part is surprisingly durable.

If you like the 1F web interface, check out OctoPrint – it runs on a RaspberryPi (just like the 1F) and gives a very nice interface to most any 3D printer – I even use it to front end a smoothie-powered mill.

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Totally Agree with @cilynx. PLA is easy and generally just works. I still struggle to get ASA to print properly in complex prints.
Also the choice of a slicer program can make a huge difference in the print quality. Octoprint is an excellent print manager.

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Butch - PLA will be the easiest to print with if you have no experience. I like PETG too, but some fo the new PLA filaments are actually stronger then PETG without all the hassle of bed adhesion issues, high temperates, etc.

My CR10 is a pain in the *ss to level properly - the glass bed is a POS. I don’t have experience with the 3 Pro, but if it has manual bed leveling that will likely be your only source of frustration. That is why my Prusa gets all the action unless I need to print something large, then I fire up the CR10.

-Tom

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Okay I am going to be the odd man out here, I do not like working with PLA. I print in an enclosure and I get a lot of heat creep with PLA, causing jams. As long as you keep you bed clean and give it scrub with really hot water and dishsoap on occasion, you should be fine with PETG.

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Hi John - I’ve never had a jam with PLA. I guess it depends on the printer and your settings though. YMMV.

-Tom

Back when I first built my Kossel, I used to get jams due to heat creep with everything including PLA. Once I added an always-on fan to the heat break, I’ve not had another jam that I can’t blame directly on me doing something stupid.

It has to do with my enclosure. I have to leave the door open. Enclosure is great for PETG and ABS but not so much for PLA.