Any of the Bambu labs printers if you want a tool that just works. X1 carbon for the most flexibility with filaments. Anything else right now makes the printer the hobby.
What have you 3D printed for your TJ?
- Thread starter chimmike
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Start with a Prusa MK4. It will print most basic materials you want to and is easily modifiable. Also very easy to learn and experiment with.
https://www.prusa3d.com/en/product/original-prusa-mk4-kit/
It is also designed for people who know nothing about 3D printing and is really easy to learn. Buy the kit, not the pre-assembled printer. The kit instructions are really good. Assembling the kit helps you learn about all of the parts and what they do so you can easily troubleshoot and modify in the future. It's really no more difficult than assembling IKEA furniture.
For something more advanced, check out the Rat Rig V-Core 4. However, this probably isn't the best starter printer, as it is a bit more complex. But it will out-perform pretty much any other hobbyist-grade printer, including the Voron series of printers (which are similarly built).
https://v-core4.ratrig.com/
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Man I am sorry, I have to disagree. If you want a printer that works out of the box in that price range (or even less $) get the Bambu Labs p1p.
https://us.store.bambulab.com/products/p1p?skr=yes
It is less money, faster and is just an appliance. Design —> slice —> print!
Prusa has fallen behind the current level of 3D printing technology, and does not match the speed and ease of the BL printer lineup.
You also need to plan regarding what type of materials you want to print in, which depends on what you want to print.
In short, here are a few popular materials:
PLA - Probably the most common material printed, since it prints super easily and is very low temperature. Rather weak and definitely not weather resistant, but good for printing parts that require high detail but not a lot of strength.
PETG - Similar to PLA in terms of printing, but can stand somewhat higher temperatures and is a bit stronger. A lot of inexpensive 3D printers are printed out of PETG.
ASA - A strong and exceptionally weather resistant plastic. Also has good temperature resistance. This material is ideal for a lot of automotive applications except for under the hood. Requires higher temperatures to print, but smaller parts can be printed without an enclosure. Similar strength to ABS, but more weather resistant.
PC Blend - A strong and versatile material that is also quite heat resistant. Good for parts requiring a lot of strength and good heat resistance. Generally good for under-hood applications away from heat sources. Easier to print than pure PC, but not as heat resistant. Anything larger than small parts will require an enclosure. Nylon is a similar material you might see.
PC (Pure) - Probably the strongest material you can get for a 3D printer, and very heat resistant. Requires an enclosure to print, ideally a heated enclosure. PC has 1/3 the strength (by volume) of common aluminum alloys and is very impact resistant. You can even print fittings that will handle engine coolant.
PEEK/Ultem - A very high temperature material. This is usually the hottest plastic a hobbyist would ever try printing. Great for parts constantly exposed to high heat. Extem is an even higher temperature material, but beyond the reach of pretty much any printer less than $50,000.
Some materials like PC and PC blends can be bought with carbon fiber impregnation, which increases the strength and stiffness even more, at the cost of making the part a bit more brittle.
Since I print mostly functional parts, I almost exclusively use pure PC and PC blends, though occasionally I will also use ASA or Ultem.
In short, here are a few popular materials:
PLA - Probably the most common material printed, since it prints super easily and is very low temperature. Rather weak and definitely not weather resistant, but good for printing parts that require high detail but not a lot of strength.
PETG - Similar to PLA in terms of printing, but can stand somewhat higher temperatures and is a bit stronger. A lot of inexpensive 3D printers are printed out of PETG.
ASA - A strong and exceptionally weather resistant plastic. Also has good temperature resistance. This material is ideal for a lot of automotive applications except for under the hood. Requires higher temperatures to print, but smaller parts can be printed without an enclosure. Similar strength to ABS, but more weather resistant.
PC Blend - A strong and versatile material that is also quite heat resistant. Good for parts requiring a lot of strength and good heat resistance. Generally good for under-hood applications away from heat sources. Easier to print than pure PC, but not as heat resistant. Anything larger than small parts will require an enclosure. Nylon is a similar material you might see.
PC (Pure) - Probably the strongest material you can get for a 3D printer, and very heat resistant. Requires an enclosure to print, ideally a heated enclosure. PC has 1/3 the strength (by volume) of common aluminum alloys and is very impact resistant. You can even print fittings that will handle engine coolant.
PEEK/Ultem - A very high temperature material. This is usually the hottest plastic a hobbyist would ever try printing. Great for parts constantly exposed to high heat. Extem is an even higher temperature material, but beyond the reach of pretty much any printer less than $50,000.
Some materials like PC and PC blends can be bought with carbon fiber impregnation, which increases the strength and stiffness even more, at the cost of making the part a bit more brittle.
Since I print mostly functional parts, I almost exclusively use pure PC and PC blends, though occasionally I will also use ASA or Ultem.
I've never used a Bambu printer myself, but I have heard both good and bad about them. They're not quite as user-serviceable as the RepRap printers, and they aren't open-source. However, they are cheap and relatively easy to print on.
With most RepRap printers, you can buy pretty much all of the non-plastic parts off the shelf and print the rest yourself. This makes them really easy to build, service and modify. And since many of the parts are printed, you can easily print yourself a set of spare parts (which is recommended). The software is also open-source meaning you can download it, modify it, and flash your own custom firmware, much like you can tune a PCM.
The way I see it is it's like owning a jeep or a Tesla. The Jeep is relatively easy to service and modify, but the Tesla is something that works immediately but much harder to repair or modify. For someone who likes to tinker and fix things themselves, a RepRap printer is a very good base for that. However, someone who wants it to be just like a paper printer is probably better off buying a closed-ecosystem printer like a Bambu.
That said, I would totally agree that CoreXY printers are generally more versatile than bedslingers like the Prusa, but are also a lot more complex. At the hobbyist level, Rat Rig is probably the current king of CoreXY printers (and possibly hobbyist printers altogether) especially given that the Voron series hasn't been updated in quite a while. CoreXY is also used in a number of professional grade printers. (Check out the Modix series for some entry-level professional CoreXY printers...)
We are on the same print bed (page).....
For me the printer is a tool, and I don't want to have to mess with it to get it to work. I would not want an open source impact driver or microwave, so the X1C is a great fit for me. For someone who wants more out of the printer or the ability to tinker with it (just like my Jeep which is not my DD) the Prusas are awesome with amazing community support.
Also, your post on materials is really good for new people to think about, and can drive the printer you need to buy. I end up doing a lot of ASA, ABS and PC prints for functional things, so an enclosed printer is a must.
I've got a P1S and it's been nothing but solid, has done everything I've asked of it thus far. Money well spent.
I don't have a 3D printer but was able to get a Fusion360 subscription for free as a student and began modeling an iPhone holder with an Apple MagSafe charger to mount on the bottom trim of the dash next to the change holder/air-bag tray.
The cupholders in my 97 are two different sizes which only allows my phone to fit into one of them. It's pretty annoying if I, or someone in my Jeep, has a bottle too large to fit in the small cupholder and my phone is left without a decent spot. Also a bottle that is too tall in the front cupholder gets in the way of shifting into second and ends up being moved to the larger rear cupholder.
I was wondering if anyone with some modeling experience had any advice for measuring the angle of that trim piece. If I had my own printer I'd have no problem doing some test prints and adjusting the angles but I plan on having it printed (either through a website or at a local library) and don't want to waste too much time/money with having it printed multiple times.
The cupholders in my 97 are two different sizes which only allows my phone to fit into one of them. It's pretty annoying if I, or someone in my Jeep, has a bottle too large to fit in the small cupholder and my phone is left without a decent spot. Also a bottle that is too tall in the front cupholder gets in the way of shifting into second and ends up being moved to the larger rear cupholder.
I was wondering if anyone with some modeling experience had any advice for measuring the angle of that trim piece. If I had my own printer I'd have no problem doing some test prints and adjusting the angles but I plan on having it printed (either through a website or at a local library) and don't want to waste too much time/money with having it printed multiple times.
I almost bought the model below the X1 carbon them moved on to other projects. I will probably look into it again once it's 1000 degrees outside for the summer.
The P1S is almost everything the X1C is - and in the case it ends up not being enough you can add/swap the parts to close the gap.
I believe the main advantage to the X1 was that it can use different/high end media?
The P1S uses the same filaments as the X1, though you may have to pick up a hardened steel nozzle and extruder gear for printing with some filaments like carbon and glass fiber (about $35 in parts). The X1C does have a slightly higher max bed temperature, uses LIDAR for bed leveling and has a larger display. The print speeds and build volume are the same and both printers share many of the same parts. If you plan on printing a lot of carbon and glass fiber parts the X1 may be a better choice in the long run, though it is almost twice the price. The AMS system (4 filament rolls) works on both and can be purchased with either printer as a combo or added later.
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One other thing worth mentioning is the extruder gears are upgraded on the X1C and may hold up better over time.
FWIW I have the X1C and love it, the P1S wasn't out at the time - but I likely would have still done the X1C just knowing my needs right away would have required doing all the P1S upgrades anyway.
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When I purchased my P1S I was coming from a much cheaper and less capable printer (though with a massive build volume in comparison) and wasn't ready to fully commit financially to the level of the X1C. At the time I wasn't sure how much I'd actually use the thing and hadn't even considered printing with carbon or glass fiber filaments. My main concern was printing with materials like ABS and my first printer only handled PLA with any level of efficiency (and no speed whatsoever). The P1S has been a rock star so far and will print with these materials with a small investment in the hardened parts. I don't regret getting the P1S at all but if I was to purchase again today, knowing how much I've used the thing and now intend to print with tougher materials, I might go for the X1C.
Tungsten carbide nozzle if you can budget for it. Just not one of the cheap Chinese ones (they're usually tungsten alloy, not tungsten carbide). Good ones are usually around $60-100.
Extremely durable material and has very good thermal properties, as good as brass.
Extremely durable material and has very good thermal properties, as good as brass.
I have the obxidian one installed on my X1C
When I purchased my P1S I was coming from a much cheaper and less capable printer (though with a massive build volume in comparison) and wasn't ready to fully commit financially to the level of the X1C. At the time I wasn't sure how much I'd actually use the thing and hadn't even considered printing with carbon or glass fiber filaments. My main concern was printing with materials like ABS and my first printer only handled PLA with any level of efficiency (and no speed whatsoever). The P1S has been a rock star so far and will print with these materials with a small investment in the hardened parts. I don't regret getting the P1S at all but if I was to purchase again today, knowing how much I've used the thing and now intend to print with tougher materials, I might go for the X1C.
I have been printing for so long that I know the X1C was worth it from the get go. That was before the P1 came out, so it's a bit less worth it now with the two. But I print PC for other hobbies so I still would have gone with the X1C
I have been thinking of trying one of the Obxidian hotends on my X1C. Do you like it?
It works exactly like what I replaced. So I yup! It's a little less sticky so it helps prevent early layer sticking issues
I still haven't printed anything for the Jeep yet, but eventually I probably will get back around to working on my Jeep in general. Unfortunately I've got too much I need to work on first.
In any case I have been getting back into 3D printing as well and after I've had issues with my Ender 3 v2 Neo, I realized I was simply trying to ask it to do too much. I just picked up a Bambu X1 Carbon with AMS and it's pretty nice and would recommend to anyone starting to probably just get a P1S and the AMS too if you want to go more advanced. I mainly wanted to step up the printer for ABS and a bit faster printing, not to mention just the random stuff I like to work on, especially trying to get my mobile tool setup organized in an efficient and compact manner. Of course I don't really have a good reason of going with the X1 over the P1S, but I really didn't do a crazy amount of research first and a buddy recommended the Bambu X1 series though he admittedly had never used them, but he actually built a very nice Voron printer and I do not need another project, but he felt the Bambu was often kind of a benchmark for what he was had built and what he will build.
I'm not ready to review or anything, but I have been scanning for ideas that I want to print, especially because this printer is so fast I just haven't been able to keep it loaded up. It's not perfect from what I can tell and I think it really prefers keeping everything automatic and I think it likes Bambu filaments more than the random cheap stuff I usually get, but I've also done nothing for it other than put it together in about 30 minutes, download their software and print stuff from my couch and occasionally check on prints from my phone while at work or another room.
In any case I have been getting back into 3D printing as well and after I've had issues with my Ender 3 v2 Neo, I realized I was simply trying to ask it to do too much. I just picked up a Bambu X1 Carbon with AMS and it's pretty nice and would recommend to anyone starting to probably just get a P1S and the AMS too if you want to go more advanced. I mainly wanted to step up the printer for ABS and a bit faster printing, not to mention just the random stuff I like to work on, especially trying to get my mobile tool setup organized in an efficient and compact manner. Of course I don't really have a good reason of going with the X1 over the P1S, but I really didn't do a crazy amount of research first and a buddy recommended the Bambu X1 series though he admittedly had never used them, but he actually built a very nice Voron printer and I do not need another project, but he felt the Bambu was often kind of a benchmark for what he was had built and what he will build.
I'm not ready to review or anything, but I have been scanning for ideas that I want to print, especially because this printer is so fast I just haven't been able to keep it loaded up. It's not perfect from what I can tell and I think it really prefers keeping everything automatic and I think it likes Bambu filaments more than the random cheap stuff I usually get, but I've also done nothing for it other than put it together in about 30 minutes, download their software and print stuff from my couch and occasionally check on prints from my phone while at work or another room.