Anyone use the XYZ da Vinci Junior 1.0 3D Printer

[customsrus]

Has anyone here use the XYZ  da Vinci Junior 1.0 3D Printer. Is it a decent entry level printer. here is a picture of the printer.

 

Edited February 23, 2016 by customsrus

[Theo]

I got the daVinci duo for Christmas.  So far I am finding it to be a good consumer level home 3D printer.  If you are looking at 3D printers I am sure you are already aware of some of these things but to make sure here are a couple things to keep in mind:

1. There is quite a learning curve unless you already have an extensive background in 3D CAD design.  Working with the files is not always intuitive and getting everything set to print out correctly is not always straight forward. There are many things to consider that I was not aware of before getting the printer.  Things like providing appropriate supports for the model, correct amount of internal structure, filament thickness, etc.

2.  You should consider the output from the printer as "component" rather than a finished piece.  Out of the machine (even with the highest quality settings) the models have very apparent layers and have a flat (non glossy) finish.  If you want a smooth glossy finish you have to do some finishing work.  Sometimes you can manipulate the orientation of the model to have the layer pattern appear as intentional.  There are some pretty cool tricks to making the models smooth and glossy in addition to the usual sanding and painting, but however you do it there is some finishing work required.  

3. As far as the daVinci machines specifically, I am quite happy with mine so far.  The price/value is excellent and I have found machine pretty easy to use.  Most of my issues have been related to operator errors rather than the machine itself.  There are a couple of things about the daVinci to be aware.  The filament comes in a proprietary casing and is a bit more pricey than generic filament.  For me this has not been an issue and their filament seems to be of good quality.  There are work arounds if you want to use generic filament but I have not felt the need to do this.  Also the software that preps the model for printing (slicing program) is also proprietary and not the best around but gets the job done.  It can be slow and does choke on large complex models.  If this is a problem there are 3rd party software packages that can interface with the printer, but they run about $150.

4. What have I made so far?  Honestly mostly little statues/action figures for my daughter (Pokemon etc).  I have made a "busts" of things like Darth Vadar, a few hood ornaments and car badges for display, and a few scale parts for cars (disc brake sets with calipers, custom rear view mirrors, battery).  I have a couple plans I am working on for body components to modify kits as well, but have not tried to print these out yet.

 

Hope this helps

Theo

[customsrus]

Thanks for the info Theo. A lot to learn thats for sure.

[Greg Wann]

http://www.3dsystems.com/shop/scanners

 

Here is some info to a handheld 3D scanner that might interest some people

[IceMan Collections]

I got the daVinci duo for Christmas.  So far I am finding it to be a good consumer level home 3D printer.  If you are looking at 3D printers I am sure you are already aware of some of these things but to make sure here are a couple things to keep in mind:

1. There is quite a learning curve unless you already have an extensive background in 3D CAD design.  Working with the files is not always intuitive and getting everything set to print out correctly is not always straight forward. There are many things to consider that I was not aware of before getting the printer.  Things like providing appropriate supports for the model, correct amount of internal structure, filament thickness, etc.

2.  You should consider the output from the printer as "component" rather than a finished piece.  Out of the machine (even with the highest quality settings) the models have very apparent layers and have a flat (non glossy) finish.  If you want a smooth glossy finish you have to do some finishing work.  Sometimes you can manipulate the orientation of the model to have the layer pattern appear as intentional.  There are some pretty cool tricks to making the models smooth and glossy in addition to the usual sanding and painting, but however you do it there is some finishing work required.  

3. As far as the daVinci machines specifically, I am quite happy with mine so far.  The price/value is excellent and I have found machine pretty easy to use.  Most of my issues have been related to operator errors rather than the machine itself.  There are a couple of things about the daVinci to be aware.  The filament comes in a proprietary casing and is a bit more pricey than generic filament.  For me this has not been an issue and their filament seems to be of good quality.  There are work arounds if you want to use generic filament but I have not felt the need to do this.  Also the software that preps the model for printing (slicing program) is also proprietary and not the best around but gets the job done.  It can be slow and does choke on large complex models.  If this is a problem there are 3rd party software packages that can interface with the printer, but they run about $150.

4. What have I made so far?  Honestly mostly little statues/action figures for my daughter (Pokemon etc).  I have made a "busts" of things like Darth Vadar, a few hood ornaments and car badges for display, and a few scale parts for cars (disc brake sets with calipers, custom rear view mirrors, battery).  I have a couple plans I am working on for body components to modify kits as well, but have not tried to print these out yet.

 

Hope this helps

Theo

Hey Theo, I'd be interested in seeing some of those car parts you've done. 

[Theo]

Hi iceman

Please excuse my less than great photographic skills.  This is a set of disc calipers fresh out of the printer. The disc is also from a prior print.  These were specifically make for the Pegasus wheel shown.  The pattern on the disc was my attempt at making it look like a vented disc.  The calipers need a bit of clean up but not bad for such tiny pieces.  Not up to par for high end resin pieces, but I can print as many as I want whenever needed, and can modify if desired.  Probably not an issue for brake calipers, but for other things such as rims and such, I am hoping to eventually have some basic templates that can be easily adjusted, modified, resized, etc to allow for easy customized accessories.