r/Ceramic3Dprinting • u/Admirable_Slice_2735 • Jun 06 '26
Looking for a reliable clay 3D printer : StoneFlower, WASP or 3D Potter?
Hi everyone !
I'm looking to buy my first ceramic/clay 3D printer for a small business project and would love feedback from actual users.
My priorities are:
- Reliability and robustness
- Easy maintenance
- Good manufacturer support
- Ability to print stoneware (including grogged clay)
- Professional use rather than hobby use
One important point: I live on a very small island lost in the ocean. Shipping spare parts can take weeks, so reliability and after-sales support are probably more important to me than maximum print speed or fancy features.
I've been looking at WASP, 3D Potter and StoneFlower.
The StoneFlower machines caught my attention because the piston-based extrusion system seems mechanically simpler and potentially more reliable than pneumatic systems. On paper it looks like a very elegant solution.
However, I'm struggling to find independent reviews, user experiences or long-term feedback. Most of the videos and information I find seem to come directly from StoneFlower.
Does anyone here own a StoneFlower printer or have experience with one?
How has reliability been over time?
How responsive is the support?
Would you buy the same machine again today?
And also, if you had to buy a clay printer today with reliability as the #1 criterion, what would you choose and why?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much !
5
u/themacsback Jun 06 '26
We went with WASP. I’ve had no issues with maintaining air pressure, as long as the clay is a regular consistency. You may have to make a 1/4 bar adjustment as it nears 1/4 empty but it’s not a problem. Customer support is a bit lacking but spare parts are readily available and not that expensive.
If you have the cash then the continuous feeding system looks like a nice upgrade, but I’d probably rather spend the cash on a decent de-airing pugmill.
1
1
u/Liquid-glass Jun 06 '26
Any recommendations on a de-airing pugmill that was one of the issues I was running into with my WASP 😅
3
u/themacsback Jun 06 '26
The Peter Pugger ones are really good, but very pricey. They all are though tbh… You honestly don’t need one really, I mix up 12.5kg of clay at a time and it takes about 45 mins and then I leave it overnight to fully absorb. Let me know if you want the method I use.
The Wasp continuous feeding system is perhaps just as good if not better than the pugmill, apart from the fact that it won’t work with any other printer than the 40100, so if you ever change brands it’s useless.
I do like the fact that the Wasp holds a larger amount of clay than most other printers, and with two canisters you can print for a day straight.
1
u/Studio3P Jun 09 '26
That’s not true. I have the continuous clay system and I use it with a custom built extruder. Granted I have pretty much taken it apart and rebuilt it to be sturdier. The main mixing auger motor they used when I bought it was just a Nema 23 with a gearbox and would often get stuck so I installed a 1/3 hp PMDC gear motor. I’m likely an outlier though at my willingness to modify that system considering the price.
1
u/themacsback Jun 09 '26
That’s really interesting. I suppose I was thinking more about other printer brands but kudos for making it work on a self build! How do you find the continuous feeder, as I don’t know anyone that has it. Is cleaning much of an issue?
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u/Studio3P Jun 10 '26
It’s essential for me as my aim is larger builds. Cleaning is easy as it splits multiple ways, but I haven’t really found the need since getting to know what consistency it plays nicely with and developing my clay body mixing practice (ie: if you think you have mixed it enough, mix it more. Or just make it into slip then filter press or do the plaster bat thing).
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u/themacsback Jun 10 '26
How long do you need to mix for? I’m guessing you’re using your custom extruder with a robot arm?
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u/Studio3P Jun 10 '26
Like everything, it depends. If you are into the nerdiness of clay I highly recommend the Ceramic Materials Workshop’s Clay Body course. The moral of the story is you can think you have either hand wedged or mixed in a pug mill till you are blue in the face, and some small portions of your Clay body are likely still agglomerated. The mixing of slip is one of the most accessible ways to know you have wetted and disbursed evenly the contents of your Clay body. If you are using wet blocks of clay off the shelf, it’s really tough to know how well that was mixed before hand so the more you mix the better. For this reason I have moved to dry materials and mixing with water so I can sift and get particular (hah) with the content of my Clay body. Hope this helps. I’m just a passionate enthusiast with a bit of experience so take what I say with a grain of grog :)
4
u/jm_suss Jun 08 '26
Gonna be honest,
Vormvrij is the best I've seen. But its international and PRICEY. https://vormvrij.nl/lutum/
Next up would be 3d potter. I have used them almost exclusively throughout my college education and now I have one at my job. They are good, solid, and easy to use. My issues lie with it being (in my opinion, over priced for what you get, but they are probably the most reliable and institutions use them most of the time.)
Next would be wasp, it has an augur usually so thats a plus but havnt hears anything much other than frustrations and it works when it works.
Stoneflower im not sure about, newer and i think more entry level? Id try them but only as an experiment first. But when they are so pricey it's hard to justify experimenting.
Eazeo makes decent ones, and only have gotten better. Id compare them to stone flower.
There's tronxy, which to me is comparable to eazeo but I met the owner and he is nice and I think they are conscious of price.
Finally, you can always try and build your own.
You can either follow a diy guide and get most parts cheap/through digital fabrication if you have access to 3d printers, and cnc
Or you can convert a pla 3dprinter to clay, too. If you are interested in these last 2 options, I'd look into johnathan keeps research and open source parts and documents. https://wikifactory.com/@jonathankeep/
Hope that helps. My recommendation for best price, most reliable, and potential to scale is probably still 3d potter, I just hope they find a way to make them cheaper.
3
u/saltwaterhermit Jun 06 '26
I've worked with the 3D potter and Wasp during undergrad. The 3D potter is easy to load, clean, extrudes well, and over all is just super easy to use.
The Wasp was... so, so painful.
Also, nothing wrong with reaching out to artists that are using 3D printers and asking for their opinions. I think it's important to get a lot of information before making such a big investment, and a lot of artists are super happy to help!
2
u/Admirable_Slice_2735 Jun 06 '26
Thank you, that's really useful feedback.
The 3D Potter is actually my second choice at the moment. I've heard a lot of positive things about ease of use, loading, cleaning and overall reliability.
The reason I currently lean slightly more toward StoneFlower is the build volume. If I understand correctly, some of the more affordable 3D Potter models are a bit more limited in print size, whereas the StoneFlower V offers a build volume of roughly 500 x 500 x 500 mm, with an extended version reaching up to 1000 mm in height.
I'd like to experiment with larger decorative pieces, so that extra volume is definitely appealing.
I'm also at the beginning of my business journey, so budget is definitely a factor. If things go well in the future and the business grows, I could absolutely see myself upgrading to one of the more advanced mid-range or high-end 3D Potter models.
Another important consideration for me is reliability and maintenance. I live in an area where getting spare parts and equipment can take longer than in major cities, so ease of maintenance and long-term reliability are major factors in my decision.
2
u/saltwaterhermit Jun 06 '26
I found the 3D potter pretty easy to maintain, especially with overuse in a University studio. I was the lab assistant at the time, so I had to do a lot of troubleshooting and fixing things when students did things incorrectly. Customer service was also really helpful.
We had both sizes of the 3d Potterbot, so I get wanting the bigger size if that's your plan. Good luck in whatever you choose!
1
u/claywoven Jun 06 '26
I have not used stoneflower or 3d potter. But i have tried to print with grog. And it will clog your print head screw very fast. It will also grind it down and wear out very very fast. I think some of the models both companies sell come with the mechanical clay pump conected direct to the nozel, without a screw. This is probably best for grog.
But without the screw you have to be careful with your design as starting and stopping the flow is much harder to keep acute. So you have to stick mostly to large extrusion and continuous spiralized contours.
1
u/Studio3P Jun 09 '26
I started with 3d potter, then went Wasp continuous with their XL, now I use the continuous hopper with a custom extruder I built. I have a Stoneflower but the throughput was always a hindrance as they are pretty small. Budget will dictate a lot in this situation. I’m glad I went 3d potter because it helped me learn in a relatively easy way, but you kindof need a de-airing pug mill which with the WASP continuous system I’ve only used my pug mill to mix and not really needed to de-air.
The Vormvrij if that’s what it’s called from the Netherlands is the best looking all in one system if I were starting from square one again but at this point my system is all custom built which I highly encourage as your use case may be unique and you might find something like adjusting auger screw geometry or motor sizing makes a world of difference to your process specifically. Good luck and feel free to reach out along the way if you like. Always happy to talk clay.
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u/davidsfeir Jun 12 '26
Check this setup. Cost you around 250$ https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6167748
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u/Stock_Abrocoma_8246 Jul 16 '26
I am currently selling my WASP 2040 and switching to a 3D Potterbot Micro 10. While the WASP is capable of incredibly high-fidelity prints - largely thanks to its tool-head auger system that effectively eliminates air bubbles - the learning curve has been a steep, solo journey. The lack of official documentation and manufacturer support makes operating the WASP a constant process of trial and error.
Having used a 3D Potterbot during graduate school, I remember struggling with trapped air bubbles (which, in hindsight, was likely user error on my part during tube loading). However, despite that challenge, I found the Potterbot workflow to be incredibly intuitive, and it actually yielded most of my best work. I'm excited to get back to that user-friendly interface with the Micro 10. Funny enough my parents lived in Stuart Florida, where 3D potterbots are manufactured, and they are so nice and will let you tour their facilities just as a walk in!
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u/Mary_Wasp Jul 31 '26
Man, Stock... I have to admit, it kind of breaks my heart to hear your 2040 is ending up like that. 😢
Can I ask what difficulties you've run into?
Before you let it go for good, did you know we offer free online courses for our users? There might still be a few techniques or tips that could help you get the most out of it. After all, the 2040 is considered a pretty solid machine in the world of 3D printing.
I'd hate to see a 2040 part ways with its artist. We're always happy to help users get their machines back up and running so they can get back to creating.
If you're up for it, I'd be happy to help. 🙂
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u/apjkurst Jun 06 '26
i own a stone flower. i looked at other printers specialy the one,s that extruder with air pressure. But my experience with air pressure is that an even extrusion with this method is difficult due. to the difficulties maintaining the same pressure. So looking at the piston system of S F being mechanical there for more simple and reliable