Well my friend is still happy to do the print for me - but is not able to do it for a while for some reason - SO today I have bit the bullet and ordered an Anet A2 printer and a couple of rolls of ABS. So hopefully should be able to print them within a few days.
Hadn't planned to get into 3D printers just yet - but this seemed a pretty good excuse to get a move on.
I looked at a LOT of reviews and from what I understand the A2 seems a reasonably capable machine which can be upgraded a fair bit too - and I liked the fact it was made with an aluminium frame rather than a plastic one.
That’s brilliant news @guymark, great to have you on board, I hope you really love your new printer, because you can make what ever you can think up, but I’d have gotten PLA, not ABS to start with...
I agree with The Hat, PLA is the better choice for beginning your 3D printing apprenticeship. PLA is a lot easier to print and ABS is more toxic to your health . ABS is also difficult to print well unless you have an enclosure or some means of keeping the temperature around the print constant.
Start off with PLA and get to know your printer and what the settings can do. Just getting the first prints to stick and the bed level are challenging enough to keep you busy for quite a while.
For good quality PLA in UK I buy from 3DQF - no affiliation, just happy with their service and product. PLA is priced form £12.99 delivered
Thanks for the feedback, I will order a drum of PLA. The only reason I went with ABS was it seemed to be stronger, cheaper and less prone to humidity. That said "easy to begin with" makes a lot of sense so will get some PLA
And a slightly further away shot for the 3D printer fans, (Anet A2), the litre bottles o ink in the background are for the Epson 9600 above it. I think was the other adapter as I moved one on the layout while "playing".
And here are two we prepared earlier (later actually but there you go).......
(scuse the wallpaper).
Massive thanks to The PrinterKnowledge forum and to The Hat in particular for the design time, effort and the file required to print this.
"Does what is says on the tin" - or would if it came in a tin that described what it did upon it.