Getting started in 3D printing

So you’re looking for a 3D printer under $500?

Creality Ender printers are pretty popular in that price point. I have an Ender 3 S1 Pro and buddy at work just got an Ender 5.

I believe they even sell an engraving head. I’m not sure if you were asking for a printer also capable of engraving, but I believe it’s an option.

Depends on how good you are at tinkering with things and what kind of quality you want out of it. Creality Enders are decent and cheap (<$300), but take a lot of tinkering to get running well in my experience. Lots of people love them and there are plenty of mods/files available for them online. They CAN be great printers.

I started with one, ended up putting about $300-400 of upgrades to get it how I wanted, but I would still have to constantly adjust things and tinker with it to keep it running right

I eventually just got a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon ($1500 so a little over your budget) but man it’s amazing not having to ever mess with it. Literally a click and print printer that I never have to touch otherwise.

quote:

---

Also looking into a cnc machine and think I could use the printer to make sure tools to use

---

Why not just 3D print parts to make a CNC

That’s what I did. Made this 2’x4’ CNC using 3D printed parts and buying the rest. Actually have a 3D model file of the entire CNC when I was designing it. (Ignore all the junk, in the middle of cleaning out my garage )


Probably have about $1400 in the CNC but I already had some of the electronics and stepper motors from other projects.

Yes. I have a couple different laser engravers/cutters. Looking for 3d printer to help make some jigs for these machines to hold pieces while engraving.

I have 4 3d printers, if I was starting over I would trade them all for a single printer with self leveling.. not auto leveling, but the printer has sensors and makes its own calibration adjustments.

My first couple of printers were cheapo's, I don't really use them. I did get a larger corexy printer and a pretty good printer set up for high temp filaments out of the box instead of upgrading a cheap one but I would trade them all for one that had the true self leveling.

If you're in ebr the library has them in a few locations. You pay something like $0.05/gram for the fillament. Might be a good way to play around and figure out what youre doing and what you might want before you drop a lot of coin on a machine and have buyers remorse. You sound like you'll end up printing a lot so will eventually want to buy one but if you only needed a few things printed here or there it could be an option to save you from buying one at all. Just a thought