I finally bought a 3D printer. It only took me two years to decide.

I’m a very patient guy, very mindful of my purchases. I do my research, and only buy if I know what I’m doing. Buying a 3D printer meant taking that to the next level. Two years later I pulled the trigger and bought one. I hope my experience can help you in your decision.

There’s a huge market with what seems like endless options for printers. It seems like every week there’s a new kickstarter campaign screaming “Check out our new cheaper, smaller, smarter, DIYer, anything-er…”

My whole process boiled down to a single question.

What do I want to print?

Really that’s it. It took me two years to realize that. Seems silly now that I write it. I must’ve read 500 different news articles, printer features. Content marketing has a way of clouding real information and making tiny and often dumb features seem much more important than they are.

3D printers are tools. They are purpose driven machines and that’s the thing that’s easiest to forget. After you’ve answered that main question of “What for?” and you’ve decided that you still need a printer, then you need to prioritize.

Partial 3D Scan using Kinect + Skanect on OSX

I’ll be doing sculptural work with the printer. I will be creating 3D scans of scenes, modifying them with 3D modeling software (ZBrush) to create medium/large prints. I’ll be using electronics to make them interactive.

So fine details are my first priority. My sculptures will not be small, but I don’t mind printing them in pieces or doing some work to finish the prints myself. I don’t have the skills of an engineer nor the desire to build my own printer, so I need a simple machine that doesn’t require complex maintenance. And finally, the printer must fit a limited budget and my small NYC studio space (A.K.A. living room).

I eventually chose to go with Stereolithography (SLA) over the more common Extrusion process (Makerbot, Ultimaker, etc…). SLA is not the fastest or cheapest method, but it can consistently produce prints with really complex details. I looked at many printers, seriously considered two: the FormLabs Form 1+ and the Kudo Titan. I wasn’t 100% happy with either, but figured it’d take years before 3D printing at home was as easy as promised. Besides, there was no other real option in the market.

I made my decision and as I was placing my order for the Titan I got a very well timed email from the FormLabs representative that read:

“You might want to hold off on buying our Form 1+ for a few days, we have a big announcement coming up.”

It was intriguing and I held off from buying anything till I found out what this was about. Turns out, that FormLabs was announcing the Form 2.

What timing!

The Form 2 solved the main issue that I had with the Form 1+, and the reason I was about to buy the Kudo Titan. The new build size in the Form 2 was much larger. On top of that, there were now real advantages over other printers: the simplified the way to handle resin (cartridges), less failed prints (new peeling mechanism), and more consistent results with incredible detail. It was a real step forward and made it dead simple to get started. It seemed too good to be true, so I went back to do research.

16 weeks later (4 weeks of research + 12 weeks lead time for shipping), and thanks to the help of friends and family who supported me, the Form 2 arrived at my doorstep and within 20 minutes I started my first print.

Yes, 20 minutes from opening the box to hitting the button to “Start Print”. FormLabs nailed it.

1. Plug it in to the power
2. Setup the Wi-Fi
3. Insert Resin Cartridge.
4. Install Preform on your laptop (OSX)
5. Automatic firmware update (over Wi-Fi)
6. Import .STL file to Preform
7. Click the magic button. Layout and supports are created automagically.
8. Press the button on your printer to start.
9. Tell your friends you are now living in the future.

Form 2 printing. (Not real-time)

That was it. The second time you print, you only do steps 6 to 8… and 9.

Finishing prints

My biggest concern while buying the Form 2 was the curing of the printed piece. I had no idea how difficult it would be. No matter how many youtube videos explained it, I still had my doubts.

Now I know. It is extremely simple to finish your prints. You dip them in alcohol (91% or more, you can get this in any pharmacy for cheap) for 20 minutes, then do it again. I then let them sit in indirect sunlight for a few hours before cutting off the supports and sanding if it needs it.

It’s simple. Slow… but simple. The detail is beautiful, even in the lowest setting.

Print result in the lowest resolution (100nm), Clear Resin, FormLabs Form 2

That’s the story of how I got started with 3D printing.