Things like: How many printers do you have and how much do you use them? Do you use them for pleasure or profit? How did you get started? What type of things do you print and which filaments do you use?
I have all sorts of nosy questions.
I bought my Ender 3 pro from Bangood in May of 2019 and it took a month or so to get here to my door for $274 can. I didn’t dare tell anyone that I did that because it is quite a crazy thing for a 73 yo man to do and everyone thinks I’m crazy enough already.
For me it is just a challenge to kick start my brain. My printer sat for a long time because I was too lazy to fix it but we got it going again because my geeky friend got a wild hair up his ass and wanted to start designing and printing turbines etc. I want to perfect plating PLA with metal.
As you know, I have 2 printers: Ender 5 Pro and JG Maker Artist D Pro. The Artist D is not working ATM. I print practical things. For example, my wife’s arthritis has made it difficult for her to turn the on/off knob on our 2 living room tri-lights, because the knobs are too small. She asked if I could print larger knobs for them, which I did yesterday. I’m not saying I never print decorative, but hardly ever. That’s 1 reason I print almost exclusively PETG – PLA just doesn’t stand up, especially outdoors, like PETG. I would probably print at least some ABS if I had a proper enclosure for my Ender 5. I hope to work on that in the future.
I have just one printer, an Ender 3 v2, and have had it for about 10 months now. I use it almost daily.
Although I was a programmer for a living I studied art in college. I took a year of lithography from a funny, crazy, brilliant German professor who had brought his own blocks of limestone and 100 year old wooden presses with him from Germany. He was a perfectionist and taught that anything in the print you didn’t intend to put there was a problem that had to be solved.
As I work on prints, I still feel his guidance. It makes it a pleasant experience, even when things are going all wrong.
As I try desperately to tune up my printer to get good results, I think about him telling about spending three years reassembling and tuning his presses.
At the end of one semester, we had a couple of weeks to do experimental techniques. People were mixing weird stuff in their ink, using wax and salt, etc.
I spent the week on a print with a white square centered in a gray square, centered in a black square.
One day Dr. Frank came by and watched for a while, and mentioned that other people were being a little more creative with the assignment.
I answered “Yeah, but if I can’t pull a black, white and gray print that works, I’m really just settling for whatever I get, aren’t I?”
He looked at me like the son he had never had.
I’m still at the black, white and gray squares stage of 3D printing, trying to get exactly what I intend to get. Once I can do that, I’ll get more creative. It sure would help to have equipment like we had in that classroom.
@vankichline Not being disrespectful but that perfectionist was a contributing factor in Germany’s WWII loss. It was a good thing for all the allies but cut back on production, but there were other factors. Enough said! @roon4660 I got interested when I put up a small greenhouse and I watched videos of people doing the same and plenty of suggestions. One mentioned buying addons that make them more secure and keep the panels attached. The thing is, less than a week and before I had a chance to anchor or order the panel brackets he was talking about a big afternoon storm registering on my weather station, 40mph gust of wind and it blue the panels out and flattened the frame like an accordion. That spurred my attention and the rest is history. I have not tried to sell anything, just give away…
PS
Not all the panels blew out, I had gone ahead and screwed short self-tapping screws into the panels and frame, not completely waiting on parts ordered to arrive. Those panels were saved. Maybe I should have anchored instead of securing the panels. Then I would have a frame instead of frame and some panels. Frame needs some tender loving care though.
I wish I had enough energy to rebuild my balcony greenhouse. It was a boon in the winter time. I can remember sitting outside with friends in our Tee shirts when it was -10 C outside and 32 c inside the greenhouse. All I needed was a little sun and the temperature would shoot up and I could open up the door and heat my house. Better close the door fast when the sun goes down.
