Originally Posted By laxman09:
All the chatter about certain part of the NFA and the current $0 tax stamp situation have considering getting into the 3D Printing world, mostly for home brew suppressors, firearm related accessories, and Im sure tons of trinkets and whatnot for the wife/kids.  A little background about my (lack of) technical expertise:

Im not an engineer, I dont know CAD or anything like that, and I only have an old Chromebook at home. I do know how to reload ammo and did not blow anything up in the process.

I read the FAQ about the different types of filament needed and the different tips/tricks, so I have an idea about something. It just what to buy, the entire process, and if its realistically worth it for a guy who just wants things to work in the end.

Maybe this is better off in GD, but I was directed to come here by Blob in a GD post, so I figured Id give it a shot. I appreciate any advice and apologize in advance for any boneheaded follow up questions I might have.

Originally Posted By Blob:


You don't need to be able to use CAD to print suppressors and other gun parts. There are already tons of designs available freely online. That said, knowing how to run CAD really enhances the 3D printing experience because it frees you from relying on other people's designs. Probably only 10-20% of stuff I print at home is downloaded, with the rest being my own designs.  

I haven't used a slicer on Chromebook but from my limited Google searching it looks like it is possible but somewhat of a PITA. A basic windows laptop would probably be a better choice. You don't need a high end PC to run a slicer but a fast PC will obviously run much faster and smoother.

If you don't have an idea of what you want to use a 3D printer for already then there's a good chance it will end up sitting in the corner unused. Downloading crappy trinkets off makerworld gets old pretty quick, but like someone in the other thread said it's worth getting into for rimfire suppressors alone.

Originally Posted By crazyelece:
You might try asking in the HTF as well. I know there are many of you guys over in your area, I'm sure somebody up there can help show you the ropes if needed. Unfortunately, I'm on the other side of the state. I'd also suggest a trip to Microcenter. I haven't been to the Mayfield Hgts location, but I have been to the Columbus and Sharonville locations and imagine it's similar.

Personally, I'd suggest looking at the X2D for what you want to do. If you can swing a larger budget, I'd recommend the combo with AMS and an additional AMS HT. As far as a PC, a cheap one will be fine for running the slicer. But again, if the budget will allow, I'd recommend getting something decent so that CAD is an option in the future. It may seem complicated, but between Youtube and here, it's not too difficult to be able to teach yourself and it is a very valuable skill. A 3D printer is one of those things that you don't realize how useful it can be until you have it.

Originally Posted By crazyelece:
You might try asking in the HTF as well. I know there are many of you guys over in your area, I'm sure somebody up there can help show you the ropes if needed. Unfortunately, I'm on the other side of the state. I'd also suggest a trip to Microcenter. I haven't been to the Mayfield Hgts location, but I have been to the Columbus and Sharonville locations and imagine it's similar.

Personally, I'd suggest looking at the X2D for what you want to do. If you can swing a larger budget, I'd recommend the combo with AMS and an additional AMS HT. As far as a PC, a cheap one will be fine for running the slicer. But again, if the budget will allow, I'd recommend getting something decent so that CAD is an option in the future. It may seem complicated, but between Youtube and here, it's not too difficult to be able to teach yourself and it is a very valuable skill. A 3D printer is one of those things that you don't realize how useful it can be until you have it.

Originally Posted By -Obsessed-:


X2D with AMS + HT is easily the best bang for the buck for a capable machine out there right now and it isnt even close.

If needed, you can run OnShape on any PC as it runs in a browser so their servers do all the heavy lifting. Its laggy on huge multi-part assemblies, but on simple models it runs significantly faster than my local machine which while not a fire breather, is also not a slouch.

Also I feel we are near each other as my H2D came from Sharonville.

Originally Posted By laxman09:


Doing a little research it does seem like a step up in the right direction, for a nominal increase in cost.

Maybe I need to start watching FBMP for stuff to pop up or Ill just start putting a fund together for black friday sales later this year.