Fire up the 3D printer and even print your own face masks and other pandemic accessories.
COVID-19 has brought into focus a sharper need for 3D printing know-how. Individuals and bigger companies like HP and Formlabs have started using 3D printers to design and print PPE equipment such as plastic face shields, clips for homemade or surgical masks, and even hands-free door handle add-ons to help in the fight against the coronavirus.
Deals
After several weeks of working-from-home without 3D printer access, I finally got my hands on an XYXPrinting da Vinci Jr. 1.0 A Pro. So far, I’ve made a couple of fasteners for home-made cloth masks and some face shield headbands. The former are already in use, the latter will have to wait until my clear plastic face shield material arrives in a few days.
Best 3D printer for beginners and budget creators
After several weeks of working-from-home without 3D printer access, I finally got my hands on an XYXPrinting da Vinci Jr. 1.0 A Pro. So far
I’ve made a couple of fasteners for home-made cloth masks and some face shield headbands. The former are already in use.
Once you find the best 3D printer and you end up getting completely addicted to 3D printing, don’t blame me. (But if you do, here’s a handy 3D printing FAQ that should answer some of your questions).
From the top you’ll be able to access general camera settings like WiFi connectivity and voice control. And from the left you can access the playback pages to review photos and videos you’ve taken. I cover all this in-detail in this video below:
Best for multifunction printing
XYXPrinting da Vinci Jr. 1.0 A Pro
The ambitious da Vinci Jr. 1.0 A Pro is a step-up printer with a big 6.9-inch square build surface and optional add-ons for both laser engraving and using specialized material like carbon-fiber filament. It’s $449 with just the standard equipment, or $579 with the extras. That said, the lack of built-in Wi-Fi on this printer is a major hassle, and for this price a nonheated bed is a serious omission. Some of the company’s printers are locked to proprietary filament, but fortunately, this model is not (which is good, because the sample roll of PLA included in the box wasn’t great).
Despite some extra troubleshooting required during setup, I liked the modular nature of the printer, its big, easy to use buttons, and frankly, the cheerful bright orange color.
XYXPrinting da Vinci Jr. 1.0 A Pro 3D Printer
Best 3D printer for the price
Monoprice Select Mini V2
Despite the low price, this is a pretty damn full-featured 3D printer, and a favorite affordable first step for testing the 3D printing waters. Print quality and speed are excellent. Just be sure to purchase extra filament for the printer since you’ll use up the sample filament very quickly.
Monoprice Select Mini 3D Printer V2
Best resin 3D printer:
Anycubic Photon:
If you’re set on a resin printer, this is the best 3D printer for you. Resin printers are the next step up in rapid protoyping design technology when you want your printing to look as high quality as anything assembled in a factory. Just be warned: The resin is harder to work with, and resin requires good ventilation.
ANYCUBIC Photon UV LCD 3D Printer Smart Touch
Best 3D printer for ease of use
Flashforge Adventurer 3
This is my go-to best 3D printer for balancing price, easy use and print quality. Setup is easy, and I had it assembled and was ready to start printing in less than 30 minutes after opening the box and gathering materials.
Best 3D printer for easy replicas
SOL Desktop Laser 3D Scanner
Recreate pretty much anything by putting it on this 3D scanner, where a rotating base and built-in camera create a 360-degree copy, which is then editable in any 3D program and printable on your 3D printer. Simply scan the object, import the scan into your slicing software for cleanup, and print. The included software alerts you of next steps in the printing process with either sound or texts. Scan quality and resolution are great, and setup is easy.
Best 3D printer for big spenders
Glowforge 3D Laser Printer
From a top-line standpoint, here’s the Best 3D printer for beginners and budget creators for 2020:
- – XYXPrinting da Vinci Jr. 1.0 A Pro
- – Monoprice Select Mini V2
- – Anycubic Photon
- – Flashforge Adventurer 3
- – SOL Desktop Laser 3D Scanner
- – Glowforge 3D Laser Printer
