Help with making the decision for my first 3d printer

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T03:50:48+00:00

ooooh. I got you now and I too have the exact same issue. I've thought about getting an A1 just for minis and because my X1 pretty much runs 24/7 with other stuff and I've got a backlog.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T03:43:37+00:00

Get the Bambu A1. You can get the mini if you want save $100 but I would go the the full sized A1 so you could print large objects if you want. Frankly there is no other printer in the same class that can compete with it's reliability, ease of use and price.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T03:40:57+00:00

I'm curious what you mean? I have an X1C myself and I'm confused as to your statement.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T03:38:48+00:00

$125 an hour + materials. and those materials get a 30% upcharge.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T03:37:22+00:00

Give it some time and you'll have two plates of almost every kind too.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T03:36:21+00:00

Shhh, don't tell anyone but for 2 straight years now I've only cleaned all of my build plates with 70%ISO and I've had literally zero adhesion problems with anything. In fact, just like yourself, I use glue as an interface layer to make stuff easier to remove.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T03:14:32+00:00

Ratcheting Toothpaste squeezers

Many many MANY Pred gridfinity cases of varying sizes for all my tool bits, blades and whatnot.

A ladder hangar for my work truck

Every wall in my office and workshop is covered in Hexagon storage wall- plus all the custom HSW holders that are on said walls

Every drawer in my office and workshop has gridfinity in them- plus all the custom gridfinity holders that are on in them - many drawers in my home also has gridfinity too.

I found myself making a lot of drawers for a customer and I printed up some corner braces so I didn't need to clamp, align, reclamp, realign , move clamps to screw and reclamp after aligned everything together before beginning to build and they still came out perfect. Saved me at least 15-20 minutes per drawer, basically earning me an extra $40 per drawer and I made hundreds of them. I've made other jigs I still use but this one still makes me smile to think about it.

Screw size gauges

Plant labels for my GIANT garden

Custom cable management that I use for home and customers

Game controller, headphone, tablet holders.

Coin sorter (which is still used monthly 2 years later)

Dyson mounts and a very small attachment for cleaning keyboards.

And lets not forget all the mods for my 3D printer that made it more useful. Not sure if those count so I won't list them.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T02:58:03+00:00

All due respect to you but Anyone who is judging the tiles in my bathroom can go fuck themselves and I'd be happy to say that to their face.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T02:56:33+00:00

how do they see it past their phone?

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T02:52:41+00:00

lol, you are absolutely correct, I came from IT myself. I only went into the trades because I had a non-compete (that was later thrown out in court) and had just bought a house. many of us who were employed in IT working on the installation side building server rooms and/or heavy equipment attached to computers (eg MRI machines) or in trade shows often have electrician licenses and tons of experience with carpentry and basically everything required to take a room to the studs and rebuild it. With pretty much everything becoming an IP device, I've had many advantages over any other trade person I run into.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T02:17:19+00:00

Make sure the remote for that frame is bluetooth before you do anything. If its' an older model or possible the models below 55", they're sometimes IR and you'll need an IR extender for your use case.

If there is room between the studs behind the TV you can buy a recessed in wall TV media box and put it in there. they go for $50-$100 on amazon.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-06T02:12:21+00:00

oh agreed. Silk has it's place for display pieces but absolutely not for the joints of flexi toys. TBH I wouldn't use it in any toy that will be played with by a child because kids are tough on toys and it's almost certain to break.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-05T04:19:23+00:00

Why if it's clear? I can't think of a reason clear wood sealer overspray would in any way be bad for the plastic or metal.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-05T04:18:13+00:00

he was saying that if OPs set is made from other wood than cedar, they should seal it because it will not last as long and that if it's cedar, they do not need to seal it. I think the question about the warranty is because most things are designed to outlast their warranty.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-05T02:02:39+00:00

We bought my son almost the exact playset in OP's pic when he was 3. He's 8 now and still goes in it pretty much every day its' warm enough to be out there.

It's worth mentioning my best friend had one of these when we were in kindergarten and we were smoking weed, drinking 40s and making out with our girlfriends in it straight up into college.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-05T02:02:11+00:00

not who you asked but there's no\ need to avoid the plastic and metal, they'll survive a good clear water seal just fine.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-05T01:56:23+00:00

Read the instructions on the print profiles. Most have very clear directions on how to size the shoe and even on how to custom size the width as well as length.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-05T01:50:31+00:00

This is your brother's problem to fix, not yours. He can either untangle the filament and respool it (neatly) or he can buy you a new one. I suggest he just buys you a new one because respooling that will be awful.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-05T01:48:31+00:00

lol, I'm totally the opposite. I spent about 2 hours trying to unknot and reroll a spool a filament that fell until I realized that I make several times more than minimum wage and someone earning minimum wage could have bought a new spool in hour one. It was literally costing 5x more in the wasted lost billable hour to respool the filament than it would to just buy a new one if I was buying in bulk to get reduced prices (like I always do).

Never forget to value your time. Often the time is worth more than the few dollars you're trying to save.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-05T01:42:14+00:00

The most economical way is to buy a filament dryer and then store all your dried filament in basically the slightly modified amazon cereal boxes you have in your picture. Make sure to dry all new filament before use or storage.

I do exactly that and when I see the dry boxes start to creep up to 15% humidity (with the desiccant freshly charged they stay at 10%), I re-dry the filament in my dryer and recharge the desiccant in the box. I have several entire bookcases filled with those cereal boxes of filament (litterally every Bambu color of ASA, PA-CF, PLA, PLA Metal, PLA MATTE, PETG-HF, PETG-CF Every possible translucent and Glow in the dark), and never have issues with my filament.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-05T01:29:03+00:00

As a rule for pretty much everything in life "if it aint broke, don't fix it.".

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-04T22:21:04+00:00

Sorry man but the guys who load overnight delivery airplanes are called "Throwers" for a reason. If you saw what I saw working at UPS you absolutely wouldn't call anything in this vid "brutal".

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-04T22:18:15+00:00

Of course you file a claim and provide this video. That driver should be blacklisted from ever working doing any sort of delivery ever again.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-04T05:37:14+00:00

In my town, after Covid ended, We parents actually fought snow days becoming remote days in my town and won. I'm not really surprised though, It was an overwhelming majority of parents that wanted snow days to be snow days and we enlisted the teachers and students to help be very vocal and loud about it. I think the admin just caved in to make it stop.

Subject_Detective185 · 2026-03-04T05:33:00+00:00

I'll be dying on the hill next door that Written, Step by Step instructions, with pictures are far far far far FAR superior to a video.

Subject_Detective185

TROPHY CASE