New RC guy - Need Help Choosing 3D Printer

[JohnnyBoy]

Hi everyone!
I just joined the forum and I am just starting out with RC (Whoot!!)

I wanted to get setup with a 3D printer so I can make various parts (or whole planes!) and I wanted to ask this community which printers YOU have found to work for this hobby and why.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

J

 

[dap35]

You might check your local library. Many of them have STEM labs with 3D Printers that you can use for a minimal cost to cover the materials.

 

[whackflyer]

Ender 3 all the way! Cheap, works good, and has a massive knowledge base so you can find an answer online to about any question you would have.

 

[JohnnyBoy]

I want to have one at home. Lineups to use printers at libraries and Maker Spaces can be really long and with Covid-19 things get even more complicated and access constrained.
J

 

[dap35]

I want to have one at home. Lineups to use printers at libraries and Maker Spaces can be really long and with Covid-19 things get even more complicated and access constrained.
J

I guess it depends on where you live. The couple of times I have needed to get something printed, there was zero wait.

 

[JasonK]

I have an Ender3 and it works well for the price point.

One thing to note, while some people have printed full planes, they tend to be on the heavy side for RC stuff. At the scale of RC planes, the plastic used to print planes is 'heavy' (IE rather dense) for the strength.

 

[JohnnyBoy]

I have an Ender3 and it works well for the price point.

One thing to note, while some people have printed full planes, they tend to be on the heavy side for RC stuff. At the scale of RC planes, the plastic used to print planes is 'heavy' (IE rather dense) for the strength.

What materials are you/others using with your Ender?
Also, have you (or others) tried Resin printing ?

J

 

[LitterBug]

I have a Monoprice MP10 300x300x400. That size lets me print all the Eclipson models, but it is not what I would consider a beginner's printer. On paper it is good, but has had some issues with the wiring harness for the print head. I really need to build an enclosure for it to prevent warping on single layer parts such as 3d printed planes.

For most parts. A Monoprice Maker select mini V2 is perfect (120x120x120). It is a good, solid, inexpensive first 3D printer as well.

PLA is the go-to material for most parts.

 

[JohnnyBoy]

I'm not new to using FDM 3D printers (Prusa MK2 & 3) but I will be new to owning one ;-)
Size was not a feature I was focused on so thank you for pointing that out !!

What other printer features have been important for RC?
Yo mentioned an enclosure. Probably need to make one. Are you having problems with large PLA parts?

J

 

[Merv]

+1 on the Ender.

 

[kevbospr]

Definitely Ender 3; very capable out of the box (be patient with bed leveling) and infinitely upgradeable. Upgrading my Ender 3 has become a hobby unto itself! If you don't want to spend the extra $$$ for the Ender 3 V2, you can still find the base model or the Ender 3 Pro (better power supply, slightly beefier frame, magnetic bed with removable build surface).

 

[JohnnyBoy]

I'll start looking into the Ender 3 !
I was also looking into Resin printers. The quality is INSANE !!!
Is anyone here using a Resin?

For those that are not, what made you avoid going Resin?
For those that are, what do you like or not like?

j

 

[LitterBug]

I'm not new to using FDM 3D printers (Prusa MK2 & 3) but I will be new to owning one ;-)
Size was not a feature I was focused on so thank you for pointing that out !!

What other printer features have been important for RC?
Yo mentioned an enclosure. Probably need to make one. Are you having problems with large PLA parts?

J

If you are looking to 3D print planes from Eclipson or 3DLabPrint, a 200x200 bed is the recommended size. One of the Eclipson models required a 210x210 which is one of the reasons I went with the MP10 300x300. Another reason is I want to scale my OctoUFO up to 3" props from 1.9".

The problem with warpage I am having is related to asymmetric single wall prints. Most 3D printed planes are thin wall single outline parts with reinforcements printed inside. Depending on the internal layout of those reinforcements, printing in open air can put some thermal related forces on the parts that can cause warpage and lifting as the thickness changes the cooling rate and shrinkage assymetrically. I also have a 200x200x200 enclosed printer which helps a lot with those parts. Fortunately none of the parts that needs a larger bed have had major warpage issues. Some materials Like ABS are also more susceptible to warpage. In general, having the ability to throw an enclosure on can make a printer more capable for a wider selection of materials. I have upgraded the extruders on both my Monoprice printers to be dual gear, the hotends to be all metal, and the boden tubing to Capricorn which has a tighter internal size tolerance. Also better fittings which hold the boden tube tighter to get rid of slop. These may sound like minor changes, and can be done simply and fairly cheap, but they bring consistency to prints and make tuning the temperature and speeds easier. They also open up the ability to print with higher temperature materials like Nylon or ABS, and flexible materials like TPU. Having good fans on the hotend with an independently cotrolled fan for layer cooling is a good thing to have too.

Cheers!
LitterBug.

 

[Matagami Designs]

I'll start looking into the Ender 3 !
I was also looking into Resin printers. The quality is INSANE !!!
Is anyone here using a Resin?

For those that are not, what made you avoid going Resin?
For those that are, what do you like or not like?

j

I think most resin printers are smaller scale prints and are probably more expensive than your typical FDM printer. +1 for ender 3