What model is your $1000 printer? Actually, tell me everything. How much is the plastics, how long did it take to build/print, how difficult was it to set up, etc. I kinda want a 3D printer to build terrain and such, I want my games to head more 3 dimensional. But I don't know if it is worth the price.
Sindoh 3DWOX DP200 3D Printer
On sale at Amazon for $839.00.
Positives
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I am not looking for a new hobby. I want a printer that is reliable and easy. This printer is both. I was printing very quickly after taking it out of the box. I have printed for several dozen hours on it with no issues. I have a friend who has this printer and has used it for seven months with no printing errors at all. My wife bought it on his recommendation.
The machine is not silent, but is very quiet compared to other filament printers I have heard.
Negatives
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It is expensive. You pay a premium for an idiot-proof printer. It is worth it to me - as I said I was not looking to get into the "hobby" of 3D printing. I want a machine that I press a button and a piece of terrain comes out a few hours later.
The plastic is expensive and it is proprietary. You have to use their stuff: Sindoh 3DWOX Refill Filament PLA. It runs $30 per kilogram - roughly 40% more than other filaments available. However, the filament canister has a built in chip that signals when it is near the end. Switching in new reels is a breeze and can even done in the middle of print. The PLA is very solid quality. Again, you pay a premium for an idiot proof system.
I will get around 15 complete trees out of kilogram of PLA.
Like all filament printers it is not a great choice for smaller miniatures, I am very satisfied with my prints and the prints my friend has made using his Sindoh for terrain.
It takes a while to print things. The trunk for that tree took about 4 hours to print. It does have a large print bed that you can set-up to print multiple items. For example my printer is currently printing several tree canopies right now - it is a 23-hour print. Due to the reliability of the printer I have been able to set up big print jobs and basically ignore the printer until they are finished.
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When people see me running games, particularly at conventions and they see all of my terrain - stuff from Dwarven Forge, created from Hirst Arts, Miniature Building Authority, Sculpted foam and card, etc. - they often ask for advice on how to get started and how much. First thing I say is I have been doing this for 35 years and I have no idea how much money I have spent. Second, if I were starting today I would go with a 3d printer - and that was before I owned one.
FINAL THOUGHTS: If you are willing to invest more time and embark on a learning curve you can get into 3D printing far cheaper than I have. A lot of public libraries have 3D printers you can try, Having a friend who was deeply into 3D printing has been an invaluable resource for me.