Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?  

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

Posted by: @druckerei

ratrig vcore 3 pro, they are awesome core xy machines running 9mm belts and the 3rd iteration switched to 3030 extrusions, I got a 500x500x500 of the v core pro with 3 axes before the new one came out .... I will buy the bed conversion kit at least.

Thanks!  That does sound quite good, though the website says I have to wait for vcore 3 pro to be released before I can order a 500x500x500mm:  https://www.ratrig.com/3d-printing-cnc/3d-printer-kits/all-3d-printer-kits/rat-rig-v-core-pro-linear-rail-702.html

Is there another source?  Or, if not, when will vcore 3 pro be available?

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

I have been looking in this direction as well.

Whilst I do have some not very critical parts in mind most of my prints are fairly technical and I assume warping must be a big problem at these sizes so uniform bed heating is important.

Or am I inventing problems?

Do any of you with larger format printers experience warping issues?

Cheerio,

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

Posted by: @dimprov

Posted by: @druckerei

ratrig vcore 3 pro, they are awesome core xy machines running 9mm belts and the 3rd iteration switched to 3030 extrusions, I got a 500x500x500 of the v core pro with 3 axes before the new one came out .... I will buy the bed conversion kit at least.

Thanks!  That does sound quite good, though the website says I have to wait for vcore 3 pro to be released before I can order a 500x500x500mm:  https://www.ratrig.com/3d-printing-cnc/3d-printer-kits/all-3d-printer-kits/rat-rig-v-core-pro-linear-rail-702.html

Is there another source?  Or, if not, when will vcore 3 pro be available?

I wish they had a warehouse in the US.  

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

I have looked at:

https://www.filastruder.com/collections/railcore/products/railcore-ii-300zlt

or something based on:

http://www.zyltech.com/hypercube-evolution-frame-kit-400x400x500/

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

I found this image of an original replacement part for the CR-10 S5, which makes clear just how silly the bed heating is:

source:  https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32904171739.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000014.32.649368c0pDtbtf&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreOtherSeller&scm=1007.13338.192131.0&scm_id=1007.13338.192131.0&scm-url=1007.13338.192131.0&pvid=eb493c71-8aeb-48b7-aa8c-c1c95e517a24&_t=gps-id:pcDetailBottomMoreOtherSeller,scm-url:1007.13338.192131.0,pvid:eb493c71-8aeb-48b7-aa8c-c1c95e517a24,tpp_buckets:668%230%23131923%2385_668%23888%233325%2315_3338%230%23192131%230_3338%233142%239890%239_668%232846%238116%232002_668%232717%237559%2386_668%231000022185%231000066059%230_668%233422%2315392%23797

As noted by the source:

"Pay attention: the size of 510*510 heatbed, the heating part is 310*310 size, the heat conduction steel plate is 510*510MM, so the weight is about 4.7kg.  hope your understanding!  "

Railcore only goes to 300x300mm, so it's off my list.

I did find an interesting "crossed xy" design which claims some advantages over a corexy design, but it looks to be in relatively early stages: https://github.com/wesc23/CroXY

I'd probably buy a 500x500500mm ratrig if only it were available.  I sent them an inquiry asking when it would be available.

Fallback options: For 400x400mm, the least expensive options are either "extending" a Ender 3 Pro with an Ender Extender (maybe a month's wait), but which makes no promises as to how flat the bed will be,  or just getting an anycubic Chiron, which is readily available at around $400-$450 but is a bit funky.  Also, there's the CR-10 S4, which looks like it may have more bed heating than the S5.

There's also the SK-GO as a possible contender, but it's reinventing itself and not currently shipping anything, so who knows what it will turn out to be.

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

Reporting back:  I got a quick response from Ratrig regarding availability:

"We expect towards the end of the month our first stock should arrive. No
definite dates yet. The best is to get on our waiting list, or better,
save a unit from the first batch by pre-ordering."

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

Posted by: @cwbullet

@jsw

Premium may not do that price justice.  I could buy nearly 17 minis for that price.  

But could your 17 minis print the sides of an O scale Pullman car in one piece?  😉

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

@jsw

No.  But my Predator might be able to do so.  

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

Posted by: @jsw

But could your 17 minis print the sides of an O scale Pullman car in one piece?  😉

Is 500x500 sufficient for that? And... would you want to?

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

@bobstro

Great question.  I need a very tall delta.  300mm - 500mm in diameter.  That I will have to build myself.  

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

Posted by: @bobstro

Posted by: @jsw

But could your 17 minis print the sides of an O scale Pullman car in one piece?  😉

Is 500x500 sufficient for that? And... would you want to?

 

Yes, and the reason I was attracted to the Ultimaker was that it could print the side of a 64 series boxcar without having to jigger it around sideways on the plate, among other things.

Now the main pieces for a model of the Hell Gate Bridge is another thing.  You would probably need a HangPrinter, LOL, if those really exist.  😉

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

It's too bad that the tronxy corexy's have received such uniformly bad reviews.  Maybe as a result of that, they're incredibly cheap!  I'm tempted to see whether they can be fixed rather than just hopeless.

Anyone here have any experience with them?

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

Posted by: @jsw

Yes, and the reason I was attracted to the Ultimaker was that it could print the side of a 64 series boxcar without having to jigger it around sideways on the plate, among other things.

Interesting. I've been doing large 28mm table scenery pieces. Although I can print them in one print, I'm opting to print them in chunks just because there's less lost if one part fails. Do you do the entire car in one go? I'm trying to visualize what a 406mm print looks like.

I had N gauge railway stuff as a kid, and my Z gauge set got stolen 40 years ago, so I'm out of touch on model railroad topics.

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

  Interesting. I've been doing large 28mm table scenery pieces. Although I can print them in one print, I'm opting to print them in chunks just because there's less lost if one part fails. Do you do the entire car in one go? I'm trying to visualize what a 406mm print looks like.

I had N gauge railway stuff as a kid, and my Z gauge set got stolen 40 years ago, so I'm out of touch on model railroad topics.

Boxcars are generally printed in pieces, as they are mostly hollow with angles that would not print without gobs of support material.  The flatcar below was done in one piece except for the railings.  As you see, it barely fits on the I3, even when rotated.  Break-away supports are used, and the surfaces which contact the supports are hidden as the 'greasy side down' of the car.  😉

O scale is quite a bit larger than N scale.  O scale is roughly 1/48 of real life.  It's one of the larger indoor scales.  IIRC, N scale is about 1/150.

The bridge I mentioned above is shown in the bottom photo.  The pieces for the center section would be in the ballpark of 400mm.

At some train shows you will see that bridge used in a demo where the tracks pass from one table to another and there is room for a child to pass underneath.

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

@jsw

I am really sure my dad is glad I did nothave a 3D printer when I had a trainset.  My set was complex enough with all the tunnels, trussels, and bridges.  I sold my table and step for nearly $500 in 1990.  I would have cover my garrage basement with train parts.  

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

Posted by: @cwbullet

@jsw

I am really sure my dad is glad I did nothave a 3D printer when I had a trainset.  My set was complex enough with all the tunnels, trussels, and bridges.  I sold my table and step for nearly $500 in 1990.  I would have cover my garrage basement with train parts.  

My setup was a Grafton(WV) to Pittsburgh(PA) and Baltimore(MD) setup.  It was HO scale, but huge.  It cover most of our 1000 SQ FT basement.  

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

Posted by: @cwbullet

@jsw

I am really sure my dad is glad I did nothave a 3D printer when I had a trainset.  My set was complex enough with all the tunnels, trussels, and bridges.  I sold my table and step for nearly $500 in 1990.  I would have cover my garrage basement with train parts.  

What I've mostly used it for is buildings and small accessories.  Things like the building facades ('flats') and stand-alone buildings tend to be obscenely priced, if what you want is available at all.

Many train shows will have at least one vendor with a live 3d printer and a selection of buildings and such.  Want something not shown, no problem, we'll print one for you.  Want one in a different scale?  Again, scale it and print.

The model I'm working on right now is a burning dumpster.  No, not a cheesy plastic flame, but a simulated flickering fire and real smoke.  😉

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

@jsw

I spent weeks building the Grafton Hotel and months building the train yard.  You are inspiring to another hobby.  

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

Posted by: @dimprov

It's too bad that the tronxy corexy's have received such uniformly bad reviews.  Maybe as a result of that, they're incredibly cheap!  I'm tempted to see whether they can be fixed rather than just hopeless.

Anyone here have any experience with them?

I just saw a post on reddit of a guy with 8 or so Tronxy CoreXY printers as a print farm. With how low price they are compared to others might be a good project printer at the least. 

Also love how this topic got derailed onto model trains. haha

RE: Recommendations for a 3D printer with build area of 400x400mm or greater?

@dragon1291

I have heard they are not bad printers.  Not great, but not bad.