"60 Models pays for a printer" Topic

For curiosity I worked out the Modellers break even point. That is how many models, in myccase 1/144 scale tanks do you have to print to pay for a cheap but effective printer, say a Wanhao I3 mini or the Momoprice Select mini, I have the latter.

The answere is about 60 tanks. This assumes about 4 hrs per tank printer run, perhaps being a bit generous.

So assuming the printer costs 30p/hr to run inc a few spares and electricity and Filamanent, its about £1.20 GBP per model to pay for the hardware. Tanks come in from Cando or the metal guys at about £4.50 GBP so you "make" £3.20 GBP a model. Assume the printer is £200.00 GBP (you can get them cheaper) that gives 62.5 models with a bit of margin.

So IF you have fun making 3D models and like any hobby, you don't count time, most of the printing time you are doing something else, then 3D printing is actually cheaper than buying your own. Now doing 28mm models and printing your own will need a bigger printer but the saving per building would be higher. So 3D printing is a hobby that now is possibly less expensive (and from my point of view infinitely better) than buying metal. How times change!

Thank you for the analysis of the cost v benefit. I suppose at some point I may move into 3D printing, but I am just not there as of yet. Currently I am looking at various 6 and 25mm figs on the used market in order to supplement my collections. At this point I could not justify the space or the investment in a 3D machine.

I have some questions about 3D printers in general. I hope this is the right place to ask them. I'm a complete novice to the technology, so please forgive me if my questions sound too basic (or stupid). How do you tell the printer what to print? Is there a scanner you run over something and the machine copies it? Do you design it from scratch on a screen, like a CAD project? Do you take pictures of something and transfer the digital images to the printer? How easy is it to tweak or modify the design while it's in the machine before you print? Is there someplace to go online to get an introductory, basic level explanation or demonstration? Thanks, appreciate any answers. Tom

youtu.be/xykLoC3Ab7s

watch this 4 part series.

Tom,
1) Not sure about scanners. There are rights issues with copying and cheap ones will diassapoint, if there are sharp edges on the model as the reslolution is not great. There may be great ones buyt they will not be cheap.

2) the printer takes a special file type. its .gcode file. It tells the printer what to print, when to feed when to stop and the speeds and feeds for the vertical (Z and X and Y (horizontal laeft and gight and forward and back.

3a) Typicaly you draw or buy a CAD file. There others but the most common (I have seen) is the .stl file. This just defines the shape of the object. I draw my own objects or buy them.
3B) you then load the .stl file onto a "slicer" this generates the .gcode file for your printer. Cheap printers come often with CURA which is OK. With my printers the manufacturer gave ya lot of the set up parameter so you have little more to do than put it in and set it going. The only issue really is that printers canot print in mid air for long. So an "L" shape can be printed easily, an inverted L shape not so easy as one bit is in mid air. The slicer can often, with degeees of effectiveness, provide a support that allows the top of the invered L to be printed. In efect creating an Inverted U shape, Hopefully with the extras printed bits for support they are easy to remove.

As far as I can see you will only use PLA plastic for models unless you are a very experienced.

Where to print. You really needed to print in a stable temperature environment (ours are in my mancave and the Sons office). An unheated garage may not be ideal.

RESIN PRINTERS DON'T. they are for experienced folk as the material is harmfull so needs masks and gloves and many more safety issue. If you get good and spend a good deal of time printing they have there advantages but not really for the man in the steet beginner and DEFINATELY not sutable for the house.

NOTE PLA is a simple filament that you can print in the house with no real extra safty precautions than anything else. ABS which is tougher (never needed it personally) stinks to high hell so not sutable for the hose.

To be honest a good introduction would be to look up the set up vidios for the Monoprice Select mini V2. Why, because that is all I Looked up to set mine up.