Thinking about getting into 3D printing at home. Whats the #1 most important thing you’d wish you’d known before you started? #asknostr
Discussion
Get good at CAD
Printing is easy one you're familiar with all the best practices
CAD + Printing allow you to be free by making your own stuff. Don't rely on others' designs.
What CAD software do you recommend? Is there anything open source that runs on Linux?
Best is Fusion360, free version. Windows & Mac only. Can run in VM.
Few quality CAD programs are true FOSS, but theyre available like FreeCAD or OpenSCAD.
1. TinkerCAD https://tinkercad.com/
- free webapp, great to start & learn if zero skills, ages 4+
2. FreeCAD https://freecad.org/
- free, runs locally, FOSS, but its clunky. Does work though
3. OpenSCAD https://openscad.org/
- free, runs locally, much more programming-based, clunky but wow is it powerful!!!
4. Fusion360
- free version, cloud based, most used CAD program
5. Solidworks
- free version, cloud based, most commercially used CAD
6. Blender https://blender.org/
- free, FOSS, ginormous community, most powerful of them all, steepest learning curve, highest reward if you learn imo
There are others but these are the best & most used imo
Buy a printer. it's allot of fun. CAD skills will come if you have a project in mind. it will force you to learn what you need to know.
Thehardwareguy on YouTube helped me allot when it came to learning freecad. his videos were good to get me enough basics to start to try and make my own designs.
What model of printer should I get?
For your first machine don't spend anymore than $300. See if you like it first.
Best right now for a quality budget printer is this. Buy from site not amazon its much more affordable.
https://www.sovol3d.com/products/sovol-sv06-best-budget-3d-printer-for-beginner
Prusa clone for under $200? Hell yes!
Most of our members have this machine when just getting started.
If you buy this, try it and don't like it after awhile, I'll buy the machine from you.
I will not do that for any other machine you choose to buy.
There are a bunch of options, but it doesn’t say what any of them mean. 
They are spare parts / accessories if desired. You do not need them for just starting out.
Its always helpful to have extra nozzles on hand. Standard is 0.4mm.
Select 'Only SV06' is all that's needed.
But what about speed?
Quality>speed especially when getting started.
If you do want to go faster get the klipperscreen add-on. Your prints will be much cleaner too.
But...Now were starting to go down the upgrade path; which you can easily drop many many sats on. Your choice, trying to keep your first printing budget as low as possible.
I’m impatient tho 😅
Then get this for ~150$ more plus the nozzle kit (always good to have spare nozzles)
SV07
https://www.sovol3d.com/products/sovol-sv07-plus-large-klipper-3d-printer
My first printer was many years ago. It was a box of parts. I put it together. It didn't work nearly as well as the new crop of entry level printers. Get a decent printer. I just bought a Sovol SV07. Great first printer.
3D printing is a hobby. Its not easy. Its also not hard to do. It just takes patience and the willingness to learn. You can make useful things. You can make useless things.