FlashForge 3D Printer + Filament Bundle

This is a very well reviewed 3d printer. Very detailed and not all that difficult to use. For the price…a good deal for the amount of features you get for under $1,000.

Does it work with an iMac?

Can I print Lego bricks from this? Not sure if the print resolution will accommodate that fine detail.

I doubt it. Below is a Wired article on precision manufacturing of Lego bricks.

My birthday is coming up and this would be a perfect gift to myself! Now, if it was only a bit cheaper…

Oh man, that was almost EXACTLY my thought!

resolution isn’t great though. you get what you pay for…

just spent 30 seconds trying to get the ##%$^&&* bug off my monitor…

I’ve had this printer for almost 2 years now, still works fine. Would recommend.

I can’t wait for the refurbished 3D printers to start showing up in a BOC.

By your next birthday, 3d printers will be 50 cents and some Trix cereal box tops.

For most users, 3D printers are a novelty. You’ll spend a couple grand, print a few things, and then it’ll never get any more use once you realize that your garishly-colored objects look like they were created on a computer running a resolution too low for its monitor.

For the ones that actually need a 3D printer, you probably won’t get the precision you need from a $730 3D printer. I’m not sure why this is even being sold here.

Why is this being sold? Because they have to start somewhere…

I think they’re a solid tool for prototyping and experimentation, before settling on a final design for a product. A $750-$1000 printer is far less expensive than constantly getting plastic molds made and remade, especially if you’re interested in prototyping a lot of different things. Prototypes don’t necessarily have to be pretty, just functional.

Not exactly. If the product is complicated, it’s better to go with a professional prototyper. These machines are way fun for messing around. But for business they are just not precise enough.

Doubt you’d get very good consistency, LEGOS are made to super strict tolerances. I bet you could make faux legos that would work…but not well.

I’m just guessing, based on what I know about legos and 3d printers. many objects printed get refinished after being made.

For example, the screen-used physical models of the T800 in Terminator Genisys were made with 3d printing, and had to be sanded and sculpted to bring out fine details before paint application.

I can’t speak specifically to this printer since I own a similar, but different one. That said, making Lego pieces is relatively easy and a common use for the lower end printers like this. They obviously aren’t as perfect as regular Lego pieces, but they work and you can make pieces that don’t exist in the official sets. This link shows you some of the Lego designs you can download: Search Thingiverse - Thingiverse. Note the ABS this printer comes with is the same polymer they make Legos with.

For those wondering what you can do with it, check out Thingiverse (http://www.thingiverse.com/. This site a huge number of designs. With this printer your only real limit is the build plate size 9 x 6 x 6 in. If what you want to make can fit in that size, you should be able to make it.

Some of the more popular uses are:
Cell phone cases
Phone Docks
Go pro mounts
Vases
Bracelets
Replacement Parts

And if you have time, you can make artificial hands for people http://enablingthefuture.org/.

If you want cheaper, check out the PrinterBot play http://printrbot.com/product-category/3d-printers/play-4x4x5/. You will loose the ability to use ABS since the build plate is not heated, the build volume is smaller, and you can’t dual extrude. The print quality should be similar if not better though.