3D printers for Amiga parts - any suggestions?

[Matt_H]

I'm looking into getting a 3D printer to fabricate my own Amiga spare parts. Curious to know if anyone else here is doing the same and what your experience has been. (I've calculated the cost of buying prints of the parts I need and it's pretty much the same as a printer itself, so I figured I might as well go for the printer.)

Being completely new to the 3D printing scene and given my intended use of the machine, what criteria are important to look for when comparing models? Do you have any manufacturer/model recommendations for an entry level unit?

TIA

[aeberbach]

Buy a Prusa MK3S+ - there are many second hand ones available now people are trading up to MK4. Or if you can stretch to it the MK4. People like Bambu also but I have no experience with them.

I have made A1200 expander covers, DB23 housing, A1200 internal PSU, floppy drive cover, floppy drive button, A1200 keyboard mount, external power supply, A1200 light pipe assembly, joystick, and probably a few things I have forgotten

[Ernst Blofeld]

I've printed quite a few Amiga (and other retro computer) parts. You'll want to consider what you want out of your parts and whether that means FDM or SLA.

I have several FDM machines (one bought, a FlashForge Creator Pro, since heavily modified, two home built). If going the FDM route you need to consider the materials you want to print with, just PLA, or proper plastics like ASA, etc., flexibles, etc. Some machines handle these better than others.

Once you have a printer you'll start to notice all the other things around you that need a part printed to fix, and may even find that the printer itself becomes a hobby.

My biggest recommendation is to avoid any printer that doesn't run standard G Code (like FlashForge printers were when I got into printing). You'll be limited by the slicer software you can run and in how you can tweak your prints.

If you're a beginner, it might be a good idea to look at the slicers that are available, and limit yourself to a printer that's supported out of the box by the software you prefer. I use PrusaSlicer even though I don't have a Prusa printer. It includes profiles for quite a few non-Prusa printers.

And for SLA printing, I just upload my parts to JLCPCB. They can print things that you just can't on a personal level printer.

Just don't buy a FlashForge.

[Matt_H]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. A Prusa machine is probably more than I'm looking to spend at the moment, unfortunately. I think I'm going to go with FDM - SLA looks like it offers higher "resolution", e.g., less visible layer lines, but I don't have the space/tolerance for dealing with all the resin goo.

A retailer near me is really pushing Creality and Anycubic models. Any thoughts on them? They're very affordable, but I can't help but worry that they're suspiciously *too* affordable, and will fall apart/break very quickly.

[zzbylu]

I faced a similar problem a few years ago and chose the Artillery Genius 3D printer. The advantage of the printer is its simplicity in construction (assembling the printer is a twist of two parts) and operation. Now there are new generations of my printer - if you need a decent printer see the Genius Pro.

[Ernst Blofeld]

Originally Posted by Matt_H

Creality and Anycubic

I have no personal experience of those brands, but they are well known names. If you narrow it down to a couple of models then we can look at the specs and tell you how they look from that perspective.

Also, Youtube has tons of printer reviews, definitely worth checking them out before committing.

[stairmand]

I'm certainly no 3D printer expert, but I have a Creality Ender 2 and have been very pleased with the prints. As standard it never came with the self levelling probe but I believe it does now. I'd certainly consider it very good value for money as it wasn't very expensive.

[nogginthenog]

I've had a Creality Ender 3 for about 5 years but I've upgraded it quite heavily.
Some of the newer models probably come with these upgrades.

It's one of the most popular 3D printers so there is lots of help from the community.

They are not bad printers. It's definitely not going to fall apart but there is a big learning curve to 3D printing.

[PDrill]

For a I beginner I'd suggest something plug & play. In the beginning there will be this and that to learn and things will probably not go that perfect and at that point at least I want to know it's not the more or less self build hardware that's causing surprises.


My printer is a Flashforge Finder, the cheapest I could easily find and it's been almost everything I have needed. I believe it has around 1500 hours on it now so it has really been used, and I still don't have a reason to buy something else. Sure it only prints PLA and ABS would be handy in some cases (building computer parts definitely isn't one of those cases) but those cases are so rare that I'll keep going with this one.

The prints do need some manual finishing if visually perfect finish is needed, but I'm pretty sure even the most expensive printer can't get even close to a factory made molded component.

Here we have some of my 'retroprints', tapuino mount for the datassette, HDMI/USB panel for the A1200, WiModem232 case and a headphones connector with a stereo/mono switch.

[Matt_H]

Thanks, everyone, for your additional input. One of the things I want to print is feet for Amiga towers, so I need a 275mm+ print bed and the top candidate at the moment is the Ender 3 Max Neo. It seems to be pretty well supported and looks to be sufficiently idiot-proof for someone of my general technical skill level. Thoughts on this model?

I've also seen recommendations for the Artillery Sidewinder X2. The BQ B1 SE Plus also seems to have decent specs, but it does not seem to be very popular and the price is very, *very* suspiciously low.

But I'm especially curious to know if anyone else has printed 3000T/4000T feet on smaller-/regular-sized printers. Specifically, have you been able to easily cut the 3D model file in half, print both halves, and then reassemble in a way that can both support the weight of the tower and look decent? For space purposes, it would be nice to have a smaller printer...

[Ernst Blofeld]

The Ender 3 Max Neo looks decent. From what I can see it's running Marlin 2, which is good as all the main slicers support it and it takes standard gcode so you'll be able to tweak what the slicers do fairly easily. The nozzle will go up to 260 C and the bed to 100 C, so it's probably not going to print ASA well (without upgrades), but it should do PLA, ABS and PETG. It has a bowden extruder, which means that flexibles aren't going to be possible (without upgrades). By default it has a glass build plate, which is not my favourite, you might want to see if a flexible PEI build plate upgrade is available.

The Artillery Sidewinder X2 doesn't go as hot as the Ender, it only just gets to ABS temperatures. But it has a direct drive extruder so can do flexibles. You can probably upgrade the hot end to go to higher temperatures though. It also runs Marlin.

The Biqu B1 SE Plus sounds similar in specs to the Artillery Sidewinder X2, but, I see that there's an Idex upgrade available for it. That would have been very interesting to me if I didn't already have something similar. I don't see the source code for their Marlin firmware though, only bin files. I may be looking in the wrong place.

If you're looking to print large parts you may want to set your expectations accordingly. Printing large parts in ABS without warping is very difficult, and PLA might not be as strong as you want, plus it never looks or feels like real plastic.

Printing large parts by splitting them into smaller one is definitely possible, but acetone welding is only possible with ABS (it's supposed to be possible with ASA, but I've not had success). Other ways of glueing stuff together, well, I wouldn't. You may be able to modify the parts to allow the sections to be bolted together, threaded inserts and nut traps work well here, and you can key the parts to ensure the alignment is right.

[Matt_H]

Originally Posted by Ernst Blofeld

The Ender 3 Max Neo looks decent. From what I can see it's running Marlin 2, which is good as all the main slicers support it and it takes standard gcode so you'll be able to tweak what the slicers do fairly easily. The nozzle will go up to 260 C and the bed to 100 C, so it's probably not going to print ASA well (without upgrades), but it should do PLA, ABS and PETG.

I know PLA is sort of the "default" for 3D printing and I was expecting to stick with that... do you think other materials would be better for replacement Amiga case parts?

It has a bowden extruder, which means that flexibles aren't going to be possible (without upgrades). By default it has a glass build plate, which is not my favourite, you might want to see if a flexible PEI build plate upgrade is available.

I don't forsee a need to print flexible stuff, so no problem there. I haven't yet found a good, concise explanation of the pros and cons of the different build plate types... can I ask for your thoughts on that?

If you're looking to print large parts you may want to set your expectations accordingly. Printing large parts in ABS without warping is very difficult, and PLA might not be as strong as you want, plus it never looks or feels like real plastic.

Good to know. If I do end up using ABS for Amiga tower feet, do you think I'd run into warping issues? They're wide, but not tall or generally large...

Printing large parts by splitting them into smaller one is definitely possible, but acetone welding is only possible with ABS (it's supposed to be possible with ASA, but I've not had success). Other ways of glueing stuff together, well, I wouldn't. You may be able to modify the parts to allow the sections to be bolted together, threaded inserts and nut traps work well here, and you can key the parts to ensure the alignment is right.

I think I'd definitely be looking at a mechanical connection, probably something like jigsaw puzzle pieces. Good thing tower feet are stationary, so I don't need anything too sophisticated.

I really appreciate your insight on this. Thanks!

[PDrill]

If the Amiga 3000 feet are something like this, I'm 100% sure you'll be fine with PLA.

The only time I've had problem with PLA not being enough was when I printed a lightweight tablet mount for the car. It melted the first hot day

[Ernst Blofeld]

I'm prejudiced against PLA, I really don't like the way it looks and feels, and it isn't as tough as real plastic. But, it is easy to print with and doesn't give off nasty fumes when you're printing. There's no reason not to start with it, and if it meets your needs then cool. If it doesn't, or you want a challenge, then maybe move onto ABS or maybe ASA. I print mostly with ASA, but I have a printer than can do that.

If you don't want to print flexibles then cool, bowden means a lighter print head (with the penalties that the bowden tube gives, of course). You can always upgrade later, the printer you buy is only a starting point, if it turns into a hobby for you then you'll be buying and printing upgrades.

The advantage that the flexible plates have is that they flex, making it easier to get your prints off, and they're held on with magnets, so there aren't any clips to get in the way or into your eye. They produce a matte kind of finish on the bottom of your prints (or textured, if you've got one of those), whereas the glass plates produce a gloss finish.

All plastic parts warp, even injection molded ones, hot things shrink when they cool, and if they shrink unevenly they will warp. Different materials warp less, that's all.

There's a lot of science about glass transition temperatures etc., but you really just need to think about it, as higher layers cool they shrink, pulling the lower layers inwards, which means the part will always want to lift up at the edges. Long parts can warp more then short ones, because the shrinkage will be greater in one direction. Sharp corners will tend to pull up more than round corners.

Also, even if a part hasn't warped on the build plate, the stresses inside it will still be there, and it can warp after it's removed from the plate.

I think a lot of this stuff is probably learnt from experience. You can do a lot with the print settings to reduce warping, and you can design parts to take it into account too.

My opinion? Get a printer, start printing small parts. Learn how everything works on prints that only take an hour. This year, everyone's Christmas presents will be 3D printed. Do big overnight prints only once you're comfortable with it. Don't bother with the slicer the printer comes with, use one of the big name slicers instead (I'd suggest PrusaSlicer).

[T_hairy_bootson]

PLA is plenty strong and prints really well, but it is not as UV or heat tolerant as ABS or PETG. If you are planning to paint the parts its not as much of a concern with the UV. To print ABS well you would want some kind of enclosure in my opinion as it tends to warp as it cools unevenly. I have never tried ASA as its just not really as widely available or cheap as the others at least locally.

You can get away with a plastic storage bin over the printer if you want to print ABS occasionally, but you want to do it in a well ventilated area. PLA isn't as toxic as the others so you can print that anywhere.

Ender 3 is the model T of printers with plenty of community support for every thing you would need to know. Its probably a bit behind the times in terms of tech or convenience but you can choose your own upgrade path depending on what is important to you, instead of paying for features you dont really need. Just spend the time putting it together well, taking care to make sure everything is square and true etc.. will save you time later scratching your head why your prints fail or dont look amazing.

I have an ender 3 with various upgrades, raspberry pi with klipper, all metal hotend, metal extruder, Capricorn bowden tube, flexible magnetic bed, bed leveling probe etc.. upgrades are cheap and easily available on places like aliexpress.

[nogginthenog]

My Ender has plenty of upgrades too. Raspberry PI & Klipper, SKR Mini mainboard, dual Z, direct drive, bed leveller, BMG Extruder, all metal hotend, PEI bed.

Most came from AliExpress.

I print PLA & PETG but have been playing around with TPU (flexible) since I went direct drive.

[amiman99]

I just purchased Sovol 3d SV01 Pro for about $190 plus tax from Amazon. It's $169 on their website right now: https://www.sovol3d.com/products/sv0...ive-3d-printer
It's my second printer. My first one was ANET A8.
Assembly was very easy, just few screws. First print was perfect, so no complaints.
280mmx240mmx300mm build plate.
Watch some youtube reviews before purchasing.

[aeberbach]

You need to try PETG, since I did I have only rarely used PLA and then only because I had a color I wanted. Downsides - it's shinier, and can be prone to stringing, and it can not be glued easily. Upsides - everything else. It does not require an enclosure like ASA or Nylon etc. It is mechanically stronger than PLA and will flex a bit unlike the sudden snap when PLA gives way. It prints on a textured steel sheet that basically lasts for ever, as teh sheet cools it almost detaches itself.

[Matt_H]

Giving this thread a little bump - thanks, everyone, for your comments.

@ amiman99

How are you finding the Sovol SV01 Pro? That one is looking very compelling since it has the print bed dimensions I need without the unit being overly large, lots of filament compatibility, and a great price.

[amiman99]

Originally Posted by Matt_H

Giving this thread a little bump - thanks, everyone, for your comments.

@ amiman99

How are you finding the Sovol SV01 Pro? That one is looking very compelling since it has the print bed dimensions I need without the unit being overly large, lots of filament compatibility, and a great price.

So far so good, I only printed few items, all of them no fails. The first test print came out perfect. Mostly small items
I'm used to level my bed by hand in my Anet A8, this one is different, automatic, but in the good way.
As with any 3D printer the trick is to get the right distance between the nozzle and the bed, and clean the print surface between the prints.

The one thing that I found out about the printer is that the magnetic bed is easy scratched. You can replace it and buy another brand, I guess.
So far I like it. For the price, it's worth it.