How useful is a 3D printer?

[Agathon]

I'm toying with the idea of buying a 3D printer. I have a particular job - motor fan cowl - which a printer should handle well, but while I can see it might come in handy from time to time, I'm struggling to think of other jobs. Looking at Youtube it seems that the major use is for producing useless ugly sh*t for the sake of it. What do the serious people on this forum use their printers for?

[cropwell]

Funnily enough, when I told a friend I had bought a 3D printer, his first reaction was "What the hell are you going to use that for". Before I left his shop he had asked me if I could print a cup to fit in the drinks holder of his Jag, to keep coins in and a bracket for his powered wheelchair.

I have used the printer for all sorts, from cases for equipment to an alien plaque for a sculpture. I have printed a lithophane of my son and his new-born daughter.

What you can do with a 3D printer is limited by the build envelope of your machine and your imagination.

[Agathon]

Mmm... I think my imagination may be the problem.

I get the impression from Youtube that there are very severe limitations to how useful a 3DP might be. Fine if you want to be "creative", but it's not my kind of creativity. Most people's imaginations, including my own, should be kept in check - I produce enough valueless junk as it is!!!

Despite searching extensively, the nearest I can find to something really useful was a printed gear for an Atlas lathe. That was intersting, but if I need a gear I'd just make it out of steel. I can see it might be useful for the ocassional item - bracket for this or that, but I'm really intersted in useful items for other machine builds and engineering projects, tools etc.

3DPs look great for designers and prototypers, but I'm struggling to justify one for an engineering workshop.

BTW I think I posted this in the wrong place - sorry about that.

[JAZZCNC]

I build all sorts of things for all sorts of things.!!
I use them to make covers, limit switch brackets, terminal boxes, Motor covers, etc and even Motor mounts on some machines I've built. They are great for proto typing parts for checking fit and looks etc.

I build jigs using them and all sorts of things little things that you wouldn't other wise bother making because not simple. Provided your handy with Cad then it's simple with 3D printer, just hit the go button and walk away, several hours later you have ready made parts.

[Agathon]

Thanks Jazz, you're warming me to the idea!

[cropwell]

I am currently refitting my workspace, but when the 3D printer is back up and working, I have control enclosures to print and like Jazz, I have printed limit switch mounts covers etc...
A lot of my CNC hold-down clamps and jigs are 3D printed - It is just much easier than farting about with bits of wood and metal.

I have even printed a prototype dog clutch for threading on my mini lathe, including a drive gear. It all worked, but the project got shelved (basically 'cos I couldn't be arsed).

I find it a great tool and I usually use Sketchup for quick and narsty items, but when I have managed to fight Fusion360 (and sometimes won) the results are superb.

If you are going to get a printer, get a good quality one as the cheaper plastic ones are not worth the plastic they are printed with.

[Agathon]

I am currently refitting my workspace, but when the 3D printer is back up and working, I have control enclosures to print and like Jazz, I have printed limit switch mounts covers etc...
A lot of my CNC hold-down clamps and jigs are 3D printed - It is just much easier than farting about with bits of wood and metal.

I have even printed a prototype dog clutch for threading on my mini lathe, including a drive gear. It all worked, but the project got shelved (basically 'cos I couldn't be arsed).

I find it a great tool and I usually use Sketchup for quick and narsty items, but when I have managed to fight Fusion360 (and sometimes won) the results are superb.

If you are going to get a printer, get a good quality one as the cheaper plastic ones are not worth the plastic they are printed with.

Thanks for the reply. I was think of the Creality Ender-3 - https://ebay.us/tgCJ89 - as this seems to be quite highly regarded. I'd like a 300mm cube workspace, but I'm not willing to spend £500 until I've dipped my toe in the water.

[cropwell]

Thingiverse is useful if you want to avoid re-inventing the wheel.

[Agathon]

Thanks for the replies. I certainly think there are possibly more possible application than I had at first thought.

[m_c]

3D printers can be useful things, but as with most machines, it all depends on what you do.

I've had a 3D printer since August, and the most useful item I've printed, are modular storage containers.

I have however printed plenty of interesting things, which have no practical value what so ever, and spent even more money on upgrading it. I'm sure I'll print something useful with it at some point.

[cropwell]

I have has a Wanhao 4DS for about 6 years now and it is still performing OK despite a lot of use. The most expensive replacement was the dual extruder head, but the old one was probably OK but needed cleaning and setting up, but I just lost patience with it and then found the carriage was distorted and that was the root cause of the problems. Now it is printing well with just a bit of shimming to correct the misalignment.

I bought a £70 Anet I8 kit before Christmas and it has become a project to beef up the plywood frame, make it electrically safe and put in better slide bearings. I haven't tested it yet, but it will be interesting to see how it performs against the 4DS, which was nearer £700.

The only other upgrade to the 4DS is a WIFI SD card, which is beautiful if the printer is less than 3 feet away from the WIFI dongle, but over 5 feet and it doesn't connect at all.

[paulus.v]

I had, for years, the same question as Agathon.

Having friend with 3d printers, I never had the need to ask them for anything 3d printed. Only recently I needed a coupling for a hand blender, found the 3d model online for free, had it printed in ABS and works perfectly.

Now there are a lot more interesting and stronger material filaments available and could be used in industrial machinery. Where the design is no longer limited to what can be milled/turned. And yo can have them quickly and a lot cheaper than CNCed for small runs.

But for those materials you need a high temperature heated chamber and there is a patent (still) for the heated chamber so the few printers on the market have prices above 40-50k €

I just started to design such a 3d printer and it is not easy to have everything except the hotend built around a 250 degC oven without leaking too much heat... :)

[cropwell]

Oh - by the way, if you have a heated bed you can use it to keep your coffee warm.
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Must print some more choccy bikkies.

[RobC]

Been using printers for over 7 years now, started them using them as a teenager and not knowing a lot so used to play about with things. Now using them as prototyping ideas, jigs for woodworking, making my own parts and also general use items for tools or on a machine. Others are using them for making molds so they can cast items, structural bits and bobs for their designs, printing parts for other people so a little income from that.

If you are looking for a good starter, don't buy one of the cheap ones as you will have head ache after head ache. Problems with adhesion and bed warp, the list can go on.

PLA is a much better plastic to start out with, or PETG. ABS can be hard work if you are new to the printing scene as it often warps and can suffer layer bonding issues if you do not set your temperatures correctly.

If you haven't already purchased one.
I'd recommend going for an Ender 3 or Ender 5, fairly well priced and a lot of support out there for modifications already done so all you need to do is print them.

[alanambrose]

I've only used an in-house 3d printer for one real job, although I send out stuff to Shapeways etc now and again. That job was to print some mounting plates with some captured nuts behind some stainless plate for some switches to screw into. If you're a bit picky, like me, you won't like the accuracy or the finish much of home 3D printing. For the job I described where you wouldn't be able to see the parts and they didn't need much strength, it worked fine.

The 3D print bureaus produce much better finish and have better materials (not that I like Shapeways much btw). Small parts are best for bureaus as they usually charge by the cm^3. So I use them for little parts that need a somewhat OK finish and don't have to be particularly strong. If you only have one part that you need right now, you might get some quotes from 3D print services.

[JaviPK7]

regarding printing useful things: as said before, jigs and fixtures are a great idea, as they sometimes don't have to be too mechanically demanding. Assembly tools, holders, covers

Mechanically functional parts or structural parts can be made but just have to design them with 3DP in mind to avoid its weaknesses

An use that may surprise you: sheet metal tooling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsxFXTKaXdI You'd be surprised how well it can work!

[Wal]

How useful..? This useful...

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[Neale]

The ideal tool for a cheap Chinese router!