Entry level questions ok? (Hobby machines?)

I know we usually lock threads about cheapo machines. Is that true in this thread as well, or are we ok with hobby machines since the industry is so new?

I have a question about slip fitting a PLA printed part into a punched sheet metal hole. Is that ok here since it's a hobby machine in basic plastic?

I say go for it!

But I have as much say as the next guy lol

Others can probably phrase this better, but this is supposed to be a commercially oriented forum. It's OK to ask about any process or method, but it's not OK to mention or bring up various "hobby" machines. I don't know where that leaves 3D printers. Some are capable of commercial work, though even the best have serious limitations. I'd think things like Formlabs are OK to discuss. A whole bunch of others are DIY or very cheap machines that probably shouldn't be mentioned.

Conrad Hoffman said:

Others can probably phrase this better, but this is supposed to be a commercially oriented forum. It's OK to ask about any process or method, but it's not OK to mention or bring up various "hobby" machines. I don't know where that leaves 3D printers. Some are capable of commercial work, though even the best have serious limitations. I'd think things like Formlabs are OK to discuss. A whole bunch of others are DIY or very cheap machines that probably shouldn't be mentioned.

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I've been on PM a long time, so I know the rules, which is why I asked. I guess my point is exactly what you said: so few of these machines are real professional tools that the discussion seems like it's going to be pretty limited if restricted to those. What's the site for hobby 3d printers, like we refer people to home shop machinist for their harbor freight drill press questions?

YouTube has a lot of information for you on 3d printing.

As a process, the more expensive printers might be more reliable than the cheap models, that is to say, the firmware might be better debugged on a good quality printer. Some of the hardware will be better (like a flatter table, overheat detection) on a more expensive printer. But so far as actually running one, there is no real difference between the expensive one, and the cheap one. The smarts reside mostly in the slicing software, most of which is chock full of options that makes cnc milling look like operating an easy bake oven.

I have a little experience with 3d printers, what I've seen is that the bottom of the line machines (Enders and such) are pretty well garbage and can be very wildly in terms of quality. When you get up above the $400-600 threshold (Prusa, the better Makerbots and other $1000 and up 'hobby' grade machines) you get into the realm of consistent usable parts. We had a homebrew machine that one of the engineers built to make tooling, custom bending jigs, and custom vise jaws. I believe 'hobby' printers defiantly have a place in industry, if the technology was available when I was doing mil-sim equipment we would have likely had a bunch of them. I don't think there really is a defined split between what is considered a hobby machine and what is a commercial machine at that point, they are all used by both.

Just one man's opinion, but if you keep the discussions about the process and the parts without mentioning the (hobby) machines it will probably fly.

We've had beginners ask questions about lathe work and without knowing if it's a pro machine, an old South Bend or even a "bench top" they seem to get answered as long as the questions aren't too basic.

I prototype new design parts with a 3D printer first to check assembly and fit to existing parts before machining. It saves a lot of time and material when looking to see if parts can be assembled and clearances where 3D models of other parts are not available. Tolerances of printed parts depends upon the slicing program and printer, in particular the accuracy of the steppers and nozzle size. If you are going to fit printed parts to a machined hole you have to first print an O.D. part and I.D. part to see what corrections are needed in the printed model to make it accurate.