Thinking about a 3D printer

I've been researching 3D printers to make some of the parts my crazy head comes up with in the middle of the night.  3D printing is a huge topic so I'll attempt to ask as many specifics as I can.  I'm hoping those of you with a printer and/or experience will chime in.

1. Do I need a 3D printer?  Seems I can download design software and send my designs to a print service, or even to one of you guys (as I've seen in other posts)
2. FDA or SLA printer?  Appears that an FDA is the way to go. 
   2a. Side question: SLA = resin?
3. Are the various materials strong enough for most uses on a kayak?  PLA, PETG, TPU, PVA vs RESIN?
4. Any recommendations on a printer?  I'm looking at one of the Bambu lines: https://us.store.bambulab.com/collections/3d-printer

I'm willing to spend up to $400 if necessary.

I've found numerous creators that have posted designs for various kayak parts for free.  As stated in other posts, sometimes it appears it's just easier and less expensive to pay for a part, so I'm not really thinking about re-inventing the wheel.  The printer would be more for filling in engineering gaps for my zany ideas, and some fun stuff too.

I have lots more questions but figure this is a good starting point.  Maybe we could start a page that has links to the various creators we know of online, or maybe just a page for our own designs.

I know nothing about 3D printers, but if you do get one, it would be great to hear about your experience as a newbie. I can think of many kayak parts that I'd like to 3D print, and have thought about getting printer, but I'm too lazy to do the research...

As for materials, I'd like to be able to print some things using nylon. I've heard that it can be 3D printed, with some special precautions (moisture is being big issue).

I've also been thinking about a 3D printer... Would be pretty handy for random small parts. 

I think you should do it!

Doing night time routine with an unruly 5 year old right now so I gotta keep this particular post short but here's the TL;DR

I would go FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling aka squirting out melted plastic) over SLA (Stereolithography/resin) for anything other than fine detail figures. SLA has the edge on detail but requires more post processing and the prints will be more brittle.

Bambu Labs printers make it unbelievably easy to print stuff, totally changed how accessible the hobby is.

PLA and PETG will have you covered for most anything within the hobbyist range of printing.

The libraries of printable models online is HUGE - printables.com makerworld.com thingiverse.com to get you started.

I have printed lures, mounts, seat risers, cart risers etc. that can share later. It's been great!

Here are some examples of things I have printed on my Bambu A1 Mini

Lures:




Mounts:




A bunch of this dude's stuff before he took all the models down and started selling prints on etsy!

https://www.facebook.com/YakinTime/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/YakinTime?fbclid=IwY2xjawEnqA1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHU2NaAKkQG6he1jV7-5pUOECqDF0Rj9VB-kAIDpNvScdM_9IkHRcsxQ87A_aem_gag4DgtRLtk5NlxKssyIng

https://www.printables.com/model/314399-wilderness-systems-kayak-cart-spacer

How durable is the plastic used by these printers?  For kayaking - I'm thinking about stuff like gear handling/storage solutions. Tackle trays, net holder, etc.

I've also been thinking about lures...

It depends, but generally I think printed parts will be strong enough as long as they were designed with 3D printing in mind. Time will tell how long these prints really last but so far what I have printed has stayed in good working order (only going back as far as march of this year though).

https://www.youtube.com/@CNCKitchen this channel is a great resource, Stefan being willing to do all the granular testing that I don't have the patience for.

here's one of his strength test videos

https://youtu.be/ycGDR752fT0?si=BqVApoxLFU4wRgDE

Sweet, cool video and really good information there.  With a little planning, should be plenty durable for all the little projects I have in mind.  Thanks for sharing this!

How is the software for the Bambu? 

Bambu Slicer is easy and straight forward to use with plenty of options to get really advanced with the control should you decide you want to.

The print profiles all work right out of the box and I haven't found the need to tune anything to get acceptable prints, though I'm sure if I wanted to I could do a deep dive and get slightly improved results.

If you're looking at designing your own custom prints you'll have to figure out what CAD or 3D modeling software you'd like to use, Blender being a decent open source free option. There's also I believe a free version of Fusion360 if you want something a little more focused on industrial design. Really any 3D software should be able to kick out .STL models that can be fed into the slicer for a 3D printer, it just depends on what works for you. I primarily use Cinema4D since that's what I'm already familiar with.

One thing I would suggest budgeting for is a filament dryer. The most common filaments used in FDM printing are all hygroscopic (absorb water from the air) and that can negatively effect print quality, sometimes to the point of failure. I use https://www.amazon.com/Official%E3%80%913D-Filament-Adjustable-Temperature-Compatible/dp/B0BKFMZQHB?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=APCUBABSTSRDE since it was one of the few dryers that seemed like it cycled air, though there are lots of options out there.

Sweet, cool video and really good information there.  With a little planning, should be plenty durable for all the little projects I have in mind.  Thanks for sharing this!

+1!

The Prusa orange looks a lot like my Old Town too =)

Bambu Slicer is easy and straight forward to use with plenty of options to get really advanced with the control should you decide you want to.

The print profiles all work right out of the box and I haven't found the need to tune anything to get acceptable prints, though I'm sure if I wanted to I could do a deep dive and get slightly improved results.

If you're looking at designing your own custom prints you'll have to figure out what CAD or 3D modeling software you'd like to use, Blender being a decent open source free option. There's also I believe a free version of Fusion360 if you want something a little more focused on industrial design. Really any 3D software should be able to kick out .STL models that can be fed into the slicer for a 3D printer, it just depends on what works for you. I primarily use Cinema4D since that's what I'm already familiar with.

One thing I would suggest budgeting for is a filament dryer. The most common filaments used in FDM printing are all hygroscopic (absorb water from the air) and that can negatively effect print quality, sometimes to the point of failure. I use https://www.amazon.com/Official%E3%80%913D-Filament-Adjustable-Temperature-Compatible/dp/B0BKFMZQHB?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=APCUBABSTSRDE since it was one of the few dryers that seemed like it cycled air, though there are lots of options out there.

Do you use an enclosure?

Just a heads up for those who are interested in 3D printing, your local library may have a 3D printer and allow access to it for free. Support local libraries!

Just a heads up for those who are interested in 3D printing, your local library may have a 3D printer and allow access to it for free. Support local libraries!

Good heads up - looks like my library system (Contra Costa County) does not.  Would totally take advantage of that if they did!

Do you use an enclosure?

I don't, haven't really found the need since I'm just printing PLA, PETG and TPU. If I were printing with ABS or a similarly temperature sensitive material I'd likely need to build one or get a printer with an enclosure. Or if I had cats.

The other reason most folks might get a printer with an enclosure is for gnarly fumes and being able to filter them, but that's not an overt issue with PLA/PETG etc. I would still suggest having the printer in an open area with decent ventilation of course.

I've had multiple 3-D printers. I just got the Bambu labs one. Hands-down, the best printer.