Anyone have a 3D printer?

for sure the hardest part for me is trying to design somehting in a CAD program that will print the way I want it to. The actual 3d printing part is usually pretty easy (or has been for me so far).

I've been slowly learning to use Fusion360, but it's difficult. The best part is it is a very robust software program that is free for individual users so you can download it and play with it. I guess I should look for a book or something (I know there are lots of youtube tutorials but I like to have something in front of me) to help. You can also try TinkerCAD, pretty sure that's free as well. For basic stuff that might work fine.

As for the printers the biggest thing is to figure out the largest item you would want to print and go from there. For the basics you can purchase an Ender 3 pro from Microcenter for $200. If you follow a good video on YT to get it set up (there's a video from "tomb of 3d printer horror stories" or something like that is the best) and with just one or two mods mine has been running trouble free for 2 or 3 years now.

 

Man I think your dash mount looks pretty damn good… if you don’t like aluminum, have you considered popping a mould off it and laying up some carbon?

 

With a 3D printer you can always print a mold and make the carbon fiber part on it haha

 

I have an Ender3 V2 with a few mods - it works ok - I have made some parts that I have been pretty happy with. I use Inventor (I have a Autodesk license for work) but Fusion is really good as well.

 

If you sign up for texts from them, they’ll send you the coupon to get the Ender 3 Pro for $100. The only text i got from them in the last 12 months was for that coupon. I used my wife’s number to get my brother one and she also never got another text from them. If we did, we would just turn it off. $100 isn’t bad to get into the game and see if you like it or not.

 

For $100 that is a screaming deal on a pretty capable entry level printer. I know a few people with ender 3s and all have had great luck with them.

 

Creality Enders are readily upgradesble and a great value for home tinkering. World of difference between them and the high end units. I primarily have labs filled with Markforged, HP, and 3D Systems. While they’re heavily marketed, I’d avoid Makerbot and Dremel. The quality, reliability, precision, and material options of the high end units are just phenomenal.

 

I have a Creality Ender 3 V2, have had good luck with it. 3D printing parts is Ok, I've made quite a few. Two caveats, parts aren't as strong as a molded part and aren't fluid tight. I printed and sold several oil tanks for Bridgestone 350 GTOs and lined them with gas tank liner to make them hold fluid. There is a learning curve with most printers, but plenty of support groups.

 

Bumping this old thread.

Installing a new master cylinder on one of my bikes and the stock handguards clear it but just barely and I'm not thrilled with it. They're a plastic type of material from BMW, so I was wondering how hard it'd be to 3d print this piece in a 5.5"/6" version (current is 5").

My preference would be to just pay someone to make me one, but if it's easy enough and cheap enough that I can pretty quickly do it myself (have zero experience with designing or CAD or any of that shit) I'd consider going that route as the ability to print little pieces like this could prove useful.

 

When i asked a buddy, he said Creality is only way to go for a printer that you don't have to tinker with.

I started learning CAD in Onshape, which is web based, bc my school had a free subscription. I like it a lot. However, AFAIK they still don't have a CAM side. So I started using Fusion, which I like less for 3d stuff, but it's good enough for the mostly 2d shapes i cut on my plasma table.

 

I have six 3D printers at work, and If you want to do it right…
Bamboo labs x1 carbon is the way to go. Stupid fast, very easy to use and very accurate. Lots of users and great support/parts. They are expensive compared to some of the smaller ones, but not nearly as expensive as commercial grade units. Well worth the money if you want to start making your parts.

On the CAD side, while I’m a Solidworks guy, also certified in others like inventor and creo, but for hobby and general use, you really can’t beat autodesk Fusion especially since it pretty much free and intuitive to learn.

I use 3D prints mostly to mock-up custom parts before I machine them or have them machined. But I also use them for consumable parts like chain sliders, breakaway brackets, etc…

 

Agree. Bamboo is probably the current choice for most functional out of the box. Maybe the newest Creality offering is good out of the box, but their original line (E3, E5) needed some upgrade and tweaks to really make them functional.

 

I wouldn’t use a 3D printed part here. Would I use it to make a mold for fiberglass or carbon? Absolutely.

3D printers are phenomenal prototyping tools but they have their limitations. For an example, Matt from Robem Engineering has a picture on Instagram of him mocking up a prototype triple tree design for the RS660. He will ultimately have (had?) that piece milled out of aluminum.

I wouldn’t put a 3D printed part on almost anywhere on my motorcycle.

EDIT: My one caveat to this rule is printers that print metal. Inconel, titanium, etc but that’s not the topic of discussion in this thread.

 

?????

https://www.amazon.com/FLASHFORGE-A...-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

Are you asking if this is a good printer?

 

Yes

 

+1 Bambu Labs is easily the best home use or light commercial 3D printer out of the box. Hefty premium compared to a lot of the other entry level units, but worth it if you have the coin. For their $2-3k pricing, they have no competition until you start getting into the true commercial grade units.

 

Some of the more expensive materials, like the carbon/nylon mixes have tested to the equivalent strength of aluminum. Markforge is probably in the $12-30k range now, but they have produced a lot of motorcycle parts. Granted.. often cheaper to machine it.

 

For one off shit you're better off just buying whatever object you need from a 3d printing service. Buy the printer if you want to make printing your business or hobby.

 

I’ve been printing a few years. I have a friend he’s really good at fusion360. I just have a ender pro v3 S1 it has the best head on it and worth the extra $. One example is this bulkhead adapter for AN lines from a pedal box to the master cylinder. Another is this clamp arm for a vinyl cutter both are good quality pieces. I also make these race car door handles and sell them to a local company in bulk. 3D printing is part of my life hahah