Recommend me a 3D printer

[zag]

A large sum of money seems to have appeared out of nowhere to buy a 3D printer for our Art Department.

 

I've got a budget of 5k which has to include everything (Hardware, Materials and Software).

 

So which companies and products should I be looking at. I saw a few at BET this year but cant even remember the names.

Edited November 13, 2012 by zag

[plexer]

I'm assuming you want to purchase a ready built one rather than a kit to build one?

 

The UP Printer is one you could look at.

 

Ben

[chazzy2501]

The Makerbot Replicator 2

 

It’s only £1500 + £44 for a 1KG of plastic

 

RoboSavvy UK Store - MakerBot Replicator™ 2 Desktop 3D Printer

RoboSavvy UK Store

[plexer]

https://isupply3d.com/UP-Printer-Section/UP-Printers/up-mini-3d-printer

 

Ben

[plexer]

For material in all sorts of colours if you get a filament printer take a look at Faberdashery Ltd. - 3D Printing Things

 

Ben

[zag]

The Makerbot Replicator 2

 

It’s only £1500 + £44 for a 1KG of plastic

 

RoboSavvy UK Store - MakerBot Replicator™ 2 Desktop 3D Printer

RoboSavvy UK Store

 

Thanks, that looks perfect!

 

What about software?

[plexer]

Software

•Software Bundle: MakerWare™ Bundle 1.0

•File Types: .stl, .obj, .thing

•Supported OSs:

Windows (XP/7),

Ubuntu Linux (10.04+),

Mac OS X (10.7/10.8)

 

Ben

[zag]

Thanks we're going to order that one. Maybe even 2!

[plexer]

I'm buildng 2 of these:

 

Reprap Prusa Mendel 3D Printer Kits In Stock Only £499 Delivered | How Tos | Build Manual & Instructicons and then hoefully going to laser cut and print the parts for at least one of these Tantillus - The Portable Open Source 3D Printer

 

Ben

[pete]

@plexer how did you get on with this? I'm torn between the Mendel and a Printrbot of some description at the moment.

 

(this is for me, not the school).

[plexer]

@pete absolutely fine mate one was finished last january and I used it almost daily for the last year until I left the job last month.

 

Have a partially built frame to one in the office at home at the moment as well.

 

Printed a couple of km of pla filament through it in a year

 

Ben

[pete]

After watching the Printrbot build videos, I'm not convinced I want to spend time with sandpaper pulleys, fishing line and zip-ties as vital components for a printer. So I'm leaning towards a Prusa i2 or i3.

@plexer. Did you buy from NextDayReprap in the end? I'm pondering Kits : eMAKERshop as a source.

[plexer]

@pete nope we bought direct from RepRapPro and bought the mono mendel which is the generation before their current one they are currently selling these through emakershop.

 

They also have a new printer the Ormerod that can be bought from RS Components.

 

Nextdayreprap showed out of stock when we tried to buy and their phone number is disconnected so I would avoid them.

 

Ben