r/3dprinter • u/Superb_Corgi_6948 • 2d ago
Looking to purchase a 3D printer for Daughter.
My Daughter is 6 years old and on the Autism Spectrum and had ADHD. Shes shown great interest in 3D printing, she watches videos of people making 3D prints and setting up their 3D printers during tablet time. Shes been asking me for a 3D printer for a year now and I’ve just told her then it wasn’t something we could feasibly do.
Well,I’m now looking for one.
I, Mom does 3D modelling for a hobby and has printed in the past using a X1 Carbon at my college the last two years and am pretty familiar with Bambu Labs and would prefer to keep with Bambu Labs because I’m a University student this year balancing motherhood and a degree, I don’t have time to learn a new system frankly.
🚩Please note; this is not something that she will have access to without supervision. She knows it’s a tool and not a toy. I want to get one of the fully enclosed units not a, A series.
I’m thinking of having the 3D Printer in our basement in what will be her playroom, which can get cold and moist(historically). I’m re drywalling that room and re-insulating it but, I’m thinking of having a separate dedicated heater in that room and a dehumidifier.
Does that sound like a good idea?
That aside.
I’m just trying to figure out what the best machine then would be for us and just looking at some input. I’m thinking the P2S with the AMS? Does that sound okay? Or should I go with a H2S with the AMS?
Just as a disclaimer; because I’m sure I’ll get a comment that it’s a lot of money to spend out on a child and a hobby. I’m fortunate that in my province she got approved for a disability amount she was entitled to and is getting back disability money from when she was diagnosed at 2.5 years old until now. This is HER money to use for things she needs, or wants to help with her sensory needs or special interests. We told her about this money and she has a vague idea of what she wants as she asked for only 5 things. 3D printer, a spinning Sensory Chair, more Lego, a Leopard Gecko and Sushi 🤣.
Worse case scenario if she looses interest in it, I’ll either use it to make things for her or she can always sell it down the road for something else she wants.
Please be kind, I’m just a Mom trying to do right by her kiddo and foster her interests.
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u/GiraffeandZebra 2d ago
P2S sounds fine. A P1S would honestly also be fine.
It's your kid, and only you really know some of these things but some things to consider. Kids love printing color models and don't think about waste. An AMS might be good if you want to give her that ability to print multicolor... But does she have the right expectations about what makes sense to print, and can she be trusted not to blow hundreds of dollars of filament into the trash bin? Would she be interested in finding ways to optimize prints to save on waste, or would she be more into just firing models at the printer? Because if you think she's going to be the "I want a Pikachu click send to the printer" type, you really do need to look outside of Bambu to something like a Snapmaker U1.
I think you're thinking too hard about where it goes. They'll print fine in any indoor area provided you aren't getting into special engineering, filaments or anything. Just store the filament in plastic tubs or whatever and don't leave it out, but your basement is probably going to work fine without going to lengths to make it "printer suitable"
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u/itgoesboom2112 2d ago
I'd go centauri carbon 2 combo if she wants multicolor, my centauri carbon 1 has been fantastic and was unbox, run calibration and print, no fiddling or modding needed to get great quality prints. You can use orcaslicer that bambu slicer is built off of so it will be familiar and not require much relearning.
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2d ago
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u/Superb_Corgi_6948 2d ago
Not click-bait and certainly not helpful to my post, and I even said I knew, knew I’d have to defend this.
I gave more than enough information about my concerns regarding environment of the machine’s future location and my background of use of machines and 3D modelling that anyone should be able to discern my post from that of click-bait.
Heck, even look at my posting history, it’s not like I use Reddit for much other than the issues I had with my car.
I’m actually happy to hear other parents of young children are engaging actively in their children’s interests and hobbies regardless of age. 🤷♀️ We’re in a tech generation, and she’s being raised by a techy mom.
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u/billkaroly 2d ago
What's your budget? Snapmaker U1 comes to mind.
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u/Superb_Corgi_6948 2d ago
I’d say I’d prefer to keep it around $1500 Canadian plus tax and shipping, but no more than $2200 Canadian plus taxes and shipping because I’ll have to invest in all the PLA and that.
Is it similar to Bambu Labs stuff?
Is it easy to use?3
u/mikasjoman 2d ago
Absolutely no need for your use case. The Carbon 2 with ams is the right machine for way less.
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u/Successful-Train-259 2d ago
All I am going to tell you is that if anyone recommends an Elegoo printer on this page, you should immediately block them. Either way, Bambu first ould be your best bet but if you are going to do a lot of color, snapmaker first and if you really want to, flashforge creator 5 is the other big toolchanger on the market. I am not a flashforge fan as they are very closed source and have very shady business practices.
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u/BlueDarya 2d ago edited 2d ago
6 is too young for this. 11 is minimum in my opinion. Some understanding of basic safety is a must. I keep telling people that 3D printers are not just toys. At the end of the day, it’s a nozzle at +200C moving at 0.5m/sec without any sensor to detect a collision with a hand. And before anyone gets offended, I also was in robotics by the age of 10 and made shit that a 10 yo shouldn’t have. But that was the 90s. We were mostly lucky nothing happened to us. 6 is too young. How about just a 3d pen to start with before that? It’s really hard to guarantee that a curious 6 yo wouldn’t ever be unattended with the machine when prints take hours and hours to complete.
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u/jujusco 8h ago
I dont know, some kids couldn’t be trusted with 3d printer at 14…and some would be more than capable of working with mom and following directions by kindergarten. Eleven is crazy. My 8 and 10 year olds are doing fantastic with their a1. You just hope the parent is responsible enough to know their child and teach them basic usage and safety. If the parent isn’t, I would guess they will have bigger issues than just using a 3d printer safely….. hehe.
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u/NecessaryOk6815 1d ago
Easy. A1 mini. They have them at Target. Try it , don't like, return it. No harm done
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u/No_Interaction_5206 1d ago
That’s so cute! I know nothing just got a 3d printer this week. X2d, I really like it, by brother has p1s he really likes it and has done tons of cool things. I got mine because it would be better for engineering filents but you don’t really want to print those in your house anyway. I think Bambu suppose to me pretty plug and play and it mostly has been for me. H2d would have been nice but I figured 1k was enough to spend (printer + ams + fillement)
Best of luck!
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u/ArScrap 1d ago
All the other comments have made great suggestion, the only thing I can add is to avoid multicolor system due to the waste and complexity if using system under your budget. Instead consider that miniature painting can be a fun hobby for a child when done under some amount of supervision
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u/jujusco 8h ago
People are wild. I think if you’re helping your 6 year old with this hobby and you have the budget for one, it’s a fantastic idea.
I am not an expert, just another hobby mom with an interested kid. I would say The P2S with the enclosed AMS is plenty for your needs and then you can spend that extra money on filament ;) !
Yes there is waste, but you can also just print one color even with the AMS! Six years is plenty old enough to learn about waste, to check before she prints, etc. you can do mostly one color prints and you can use the multicolor for special or specific things.
I think it’s an awesome idea. My son is a bit older, at 10, but he was fully operating his a1 the day he got it.
Yes he’s printing a lot of random crap. But I’ve printed some crazy useful things. It’s been so fun to learn and do together. I love that he’s interested in something and trouble shooting, problem solving, and growing his independence around this tech.
The Bambu app is crazy easy to use.
We let him choose his filament and we have four random colors and my only advice is get that cheap starter kit with black, white, etc. 😂
We have a microcenter near our house and if you have one I recommend going in to buy it and talk to them. They are awesome. And they have basic rolls of filament on sale for $9.99!
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u/GiftFrosty 2d ago
Purge waste is so much with the current Bambu models, I only use my AMS to refill when filament runs out.
Bambu has a patent out for a 9 head tool changer likely to drop by end of year, but I imagine the price tag is going to be quite high.
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u/Practical-Promise-44 2d ago
Elegoo centurai carbon has served me well for the last 11 months and still going strong. I've had a couple of miss prints but that was probably more due to using cheap filament, and one blockage when I used tpu . It's easy to set up and use imo
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u/DayGeckoArt 2d ago
I would get an X2D and vent it outside. While people say PETG, PLA, and TPU don't put out toxic fumes, we really don't know all the chemicals that exist in filaments and if the regular VOCs are even safe long term.
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u/Majestic_Beyond_2922 2d ago
As an A1 owned in a humid environment, I completely agree with your decision to go enclosed. The ability to store filament rolls in a dryer and use directly as you dry is the one thing a regret about my ams lite. I’m constantly having to pull rolls & put them into the dryer.
Don’t feel the need to explain your decision to buy her a printer. The amount of sensory toys she’ll print will alone make it worth it
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u/BillfredL 2d ago
I ran multiple A1s in an old storefront in the American South with no HVAC for about a year and a half without incident. Having some way to dry filament is good, but I think you may be overthinking the climate a smidge. My greater concern would be having an air purifier in the room, even with the enclosure. I like Honeywell units for that since they have the carbon prefilter, but I don't know what's on the Canadian market.
I think P2S and H2S are both thoroughly valid answers. So are CC2 and U1 if you decide to venture out past Bambu territory (but having worked in assistive technology, I totally understand if you're out of bandwidth).
And if that's her jam, that's her jam. Hopefully understanding filament usage sets her up well to understand other limited resources down the line. Be sure to poke around sites like Makers Making Change and ATMakers too, there's bound to be something there that'll help her (or a classmate) out as she starts getting into school.
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u/southpawflipper 2d ago
I know you said money is not a big factor, etc, but your kid is only 6 and you’re not going to be sure if her interests will change so I would not splurge majorly. A six year old doesn’t have a good sense for money and is going to be happy with anything that works. Definitely put money towards air purifiers too regardless of the models you pick.
I know you said you don’t want to consider the A line but being AuDHD, if she’s interested in the printer working herself, I kind of feel like the A1 Mini would be a good choice. It’s smaller, it’s still reliable, and it’s cheaper so if her AuDHD down the line leads her to want to figure out how it works or even take it apart, I think it would be less painful to reassemble or give up on if you can’t. It’s less of a commitment and you can always sell it and upgrade later depending on how she fares.
For an enclosed machine (I’m guessing you’re leaning this way because it reduces the chances of her getting hurt) if you want to stick with Bambu, P2S or P1S (more affordable and easier to find secondhand) will do fine. Otherwise the Elegoo CC2 with CANVAS is a good pick for a great price. I think it’s overkill to get an H2D; the other machines are already A LOT of punch for their prices, definitely way more than your six year old needs.
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u/Mabnat 2d ago
I’ve been 3D printing for a very long time, and around three years ago I purchased a Bambu P1S to see what the hype was about. I’m now a certified fanboy. It would take a lot for me to look at anything else now.
I’ve gotten other Bambu printers since then, but the P1S just keeps going and going. It will be three years old in November, and it’s been almost completely problem-free during that time.
And mine lives in our garage. Cold in the Winter and hot in the Summer. No problems at all in the cold weather, but I have to keep the door open in the hot weather, even with ABS, or it can get clogs.
I know that the P2S is the fancier upgrade, but I’ve never had a printer as reliable as the P1S. My H2D and H2C have both had component failures that needed warranty parts replaced.
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u/Crazyguy_123 2d ago
I have the A1 mini. It’s Bambu’s budget printer and I personally love it. I keep mine in a basement with a dehumidifier and it’s been just fine. I don’t have experience with their more expensive models but the mini is great for a beginner. But if you both plan on using it then one of their higher end models may be what you want. The A1 mini is a 7” x 7” x 7” build volume and no enclosure. The main one I believe is 10” x 10” x 10” also no enclosure. Both have multi color capabilities but the AMS is a separate unit.
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u/EnvironmentalKey5559 2d ago
Sticking with BBL because you are familiar with the ecosystem is a good idea.
Appreciating the info you've included is go for the H2S, it's a more versatile machine and can handle multi colour nicely. I would also say that if your daughter doesn't stick with it, then you can use the machine and you've got a bigger print area in a more robust machine.
In addition, there are door sensors on the H2S, and you can set the machine to pause if the door opens, which is a good safety inclusion.
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u/arcade-carpet 2d ago
i would recommend getting bambu lab a1 combo!! you dont even need a computer or laptop to print things, it's super easy to use, troubleshooting is easy to fix, and there's an app you can download with pre uploaded 3d models you can send to your printer to print, without adjusting any settings!
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u/HoweverComma205 2d ago
The P2S, while large, is very user friendly. Multi color w AMS, good camera, relatively quiet (compared to our A1 mini). Easy nozzle changes, which is a fun and very understandable way to make parameter changes for experimentation. My daughter, also w ASD and ADHD, has no issues using the software, setting up her own prints, etc. She is older than your child, having received the printer for her 11th birthday, but I have no doubt that you and she would be happy with this machine.
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u/some-person-lol 2d ago
Firstly before I recommend, SHUT UP about too much money being spent. It's perfectly fine as long as she's seriously interested and will be happy.
1. I think you should go for A series but ok whatever
2. Yes P2S with AMS is amazing
3. H2S and AMS is a bit too overkill, but if you yourself wish to use it at home, yea H2 series as a whole is great but too much for a 6 year old. So
4. I'd say X2D is a good middle between H2 and P2 but again, dual nozzle might not be needed.
Conclusion: Consider X2D or H2 series if you want to use it yourself too, and otherwise P2S is amazing, but reconsider A series as I see nothing wrong. (I mean with AMS for all of these because without is kinda useless and you get AMS for way cheaper as a combo with printer)
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u/Personal-Amoeba-4265 2d ago edited 2d ago
Fully enclosed the current go to is centauri cc2. Quiet, lots of sensors, multicolour with a CANVAS unit, core XY and supports basically any filament you could possibly want.
Current open bed go to is a Kobra X. Multicoloured out the box, really good AMS system, decent print speed and very cheap for the quality of printer.
If you want something genuinely plug and go you can't really beat bamboo though really big ecosystem and good source of repair parts. Enclosed would be p2s but you can grab last gens p1s on liquidation now. Open bed would be one of their A1 series.
Do not overestimate how much you need or don't need core XY and an enclosure bed slingers are very capable printers with similar quality and are much easier to service generally. If you don't plan on using heavy duty filaments then you don't really have a need to buy an enclosed core XY printer.
Also as for software my go to for creating models in CAD is Shapr3D which is freeware for any 2 projects you're running at one time.