3D Printer Thread

[Caliga]

I already had a resin 3D printer (Elegoo Mars) but decided to be an even bigger nerd and got an FDM printer.  It's an Ender 3 S1 Pro and can achieve extruder head temps high enough to print plastic, carbon fiber, nylon, and wood. 

Anyone else have a 3D printer?  What are some good items to print?  I have some things in mind but wonder if others have one and if so, what you use it for.  Also, the FDM printers are more complex beasts so any first timer advice would be appreciated.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I got a new Photon M3 a few months ago. Was pretyt cool. But it is a resin printer.

I printed a dragon head. I struggle for practicle items though.

[Caliga]

I've printed a few things on the Ender so far.  The bed leveling is a pain in the ass.... my first print, I had the extruder set way too low and it gouged into the print bed.  Once I got that all sorted, printing has been better.

So far I've printed like 3-4 items beyond the first test print (a little toy bunny), the biggest being a draw/discard deck holder for collectible/LCG games (Arkham Horror LCG, Magic, etc.)

In the near future I'd like to print out some carbon fiber kitchen knives (just don't have CF filament yet, and I probably need a heavy-duty extruder too).  I'm also looking over various plans I've seen for printing out and painting the Chachapoyan idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I have to paint the giant dragon head. 

[Caliga]

I built an accelerometer mount for my printer and got a neodymium magnet to embed in it so it 'sticks' to the print bed and extruder head for measurements.

Holy shit, that's a strong magnet. It came in a 'roll' of 6 and it's almost impossible to pull them apart from each other, and at one point two of them came back together with such force that one of their nickel coatings shattered.

[Darth Wagtaros]

neodymium  can break bones.  I've had them shatter against each other too.

[Caliga]

I'm also looking over various plans I've seen for printing out and painting the Chachapoyan idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

I did this, and it's glorious.

I also put a hardened steel nozzle in my printer over the weekend, so I'm ready to print wood and other abrasives like carbon fiber now.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Noise.

[Caliga]

Noise.