3d printing for CosPlay

[Lukkassa]

I am now actively interested in 3D printing. But I'm interested in a more entertaining direction, namely Cosplay. I have read an up-to-date review on 3D printers for cosplayers. Are there such people on the forum? Maybe we'd better create a separate topic for discussion?

 

[we_are_borg]

there people out there that make props for cosplay just look on youtube 3d printing cosplay and you will find items. But you’ll need to be patient 3d printing is not you‘ll learn in a months time. Depending on what you want you have resin and filament , resin is best quality but 2 to 3 times more expensive. Also resin printers are limited in size 11x7x20cm (lengh, with, high) there are bigger printer but cost 2000 dollars. Look at the YT movie.


The print is awesome.

filament printers can do bigger prints creality has the Ender 5 pro with plate 35x35x45cm and you can tweak a lot like 32bit motherboard on firmware etc.

 

[feldon30]

I am now actively interested in 3D printing. But I'm interested in a more entertaining direction, namely Cosplay. I have read an up-to-date review on 3D printers for cosplayers. Are there such people on the forum? Maybe we'd better create a separate topic for discussion?

I cannot take any article seriously that recommends a $5,000 printer for cosplay that is functionally and specification-wise very similar to a $450 Creality printer (CR-10S) AND that calls 280mm x 280mm x 285mm (11 inches cube) a "large build volume". A Storm Trooper helmet is 300x300x300.

They recommend the Anycubic Photon S as a resin printer which is a decent choice, although I think the Elegoo Mars Pro is an equally good choice. Once the Elegoo Saturn becomes widely available that will be THE $500 resin printer to buy. Realize the print volume is only that of a medium sized iPad though.

FDM printers are all about slicer settings and printer calibration. I see so many people using their printer with stock settings, loose sloppy belts, and nothing calibrated and then spend 4 hours with sandpaper and epoxy filler. A few minutes getting your printer calibrated, belts tightened, and correct software settings will greatly reduce post-processing.

Resin printers are all about support placement. I will spend 15-20 minutes placing supports to ensure that the print sticks properly.

 

[rhody401]

I have some Ender 3 filament printers and a Photon S resin printer, and they are very tuned in. I use the Ender 3 the most, and the things cost $159-$200 or so, VERY affordable. I had one of them going pretty much 24/7 from March-August, printing PPE ear relief guards and some miniatures/scenery for a family member's ADHD hobby. They are workhorses, and easy to upgrade and repair. I suggest replacing the plastic filament extruder with an aluminum one from day 1, for near perfect print quality. Rolls of filament are about $20-$22, and last a LONG time. It has no odor and is safe anywhere.

The resin printer has a better quality output, but costs more to run. It also requires ventilation outside of the home, because the fumes are toxic. We rigged up a platform under it, and some duct work and a fan, to a piece of foam mounted in a window. It works very well to keep the toxic fumes OUT of the house. Bottles of resin are about $20, and will last for several prints. You have to strain the resin to get impurities out, and wear gloves.

 

[feldon30]

Yeah dealing with the resin and cleanup and curing is definitely a process. We put ours in an upstairs bathroom and use the fart fan to vent it. We also close the AC vent and let it get warmer in the bathroom. Resin prints best at 80-85°F [27-29°C].

 

[rhody401]

Ha I just realized the typo! His hobby is D&D not ADHD Maybe both combined!

We use the filament printer the most, unless we need something very small and detailed.

 

[we_are_borg]

a $450 Creality printer (CR-10S)

the ender 5 plus is a bit more but has a larger bed.

 

[DanielF]

I've had only bad luck with Photon S, Mars and Mars Pro, so switching to the Prusa SL1 was a game changer for me.
I have to admit that it's quite expensive ( probably overpriced) compared to a Mars and Photon, but I'm happy with the move because their service rocks! ( Happy Prusa user for years... with few MK3s and Minis)

 

[Lukkassa]

I cannot take any article seriously that recommends a $5,000 printer for cosplay that is functionally and specification-wise very similar to a $450 Creality printer (CR-10S) AND that calls 280mm x 280mm x 285mm (11 inches cube) a "large build volume". A Storm Trooper helmet is 300x300x300.

They recommend the Anycubic Photon S as a resin printer which is a decent choice, although I think the Elegoo Mars Pro is an equally good choice. Once the Elegoo Saturn becomes widely available that will be THE $500 resin printer to buy. Realize the print volume is only that of a medium sized iPad though.

FDM printers are all about slicer settings and printer calibration. I see so many people using their printer with stock settings, loose sloppy belts, and nothing calibrated and then spend 4 hours with sandpaper and epoxy filler. A few minutes getting your printer calibrated, belts tightened, and correct software settings will greatly reduce post-processing.

Resin printers are all about support placement. I will spend 15-20 minutes placing supports to ensure that the print sticks properly.

Your advice helped me a lot! I was able to buy a quality printer for $ 500+.