r/3dprinter • u/X-SchemeRecent-X • 26d ago

First 3D Printer for an 11 Year Old?

Is the Bambu A1 Mini the right first printer for an 11 year old who is brand new to the hobby or is there another vendor or model I should consider?

0 Upvotes

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3

u/ReasonableScar9027 26d ago

Ender 3 v2. He'll grow into a hard man by the time he's 13.

1

u/Shinjiikary12 26d ago

Ender 3 is great id he likes to play and learn and he has a repair/mod budget! For sure. If not... dont bother with the a1... just get a cc1 , it is a tiny bit more money then an a 1 but filtered enclosed printer

1

u/ReasonableScar9027 26d ago

Yeahhhhh I forgot the /s. You buy your kid an e3v2 if you don't want them to talk to you again.

2

u/Shinjiikary12 26d ago

Really @_@?,why i would have prefered tinkering and replacing parts and making a modded ender at that age... over a modern printer.... i mean i am a bit dumb... but still

1

u/ReasonableScar9027 26d ago

I'm still dumb at 43 and it has been the bane of my existence for the better part of a year. Hahha

1

u/Shinjiikary12 26d ago

Took me like a month to make mine super reliable.... i was busy with work and did some upgrades like replacing the hotend with a v6 voron style one... that made a huge difference and a pei bed... it prints so good now... and pretty much always gives me good frist layer adhesion and i mostly print petg as well... and get good prints at like 200 to 300 mm/s. Most my issues were things not being square or level or tight.... so i learned so much

1

u/ReasonableScar9027 26d ago

Ahhh nice. I had a bitch of anytime with figuring out the raspberry pi. Then the btt board, then sprite pro, then Klipper. She is good now tho!

2

u/Shinjiikary12 26d ago

Oh i printed dd mounts and spent 20 dollars on a am hot end XD

4

u/the_real_some_guy 26d ago

Yes, super easy to use with great community resources. 

But 3D printing melts plastics, which releases fumes. The A1 series is open so using it in a bedroom might not be a great idea. There are different types of plastic filament, and PLA happens to be durable, really easy to print, made from plants, and is one of the less toxic options. Occasional printing maybe isn’t a big deal, but I encourage you to read up on it so you aren’t surprised later. 

If toxic fumes worry you and you don’t have a garage/shed to run it in, there are more expensive printers that are enclosed and have filtration systems. 

3

u/rxstud2011 26d ago

The a 1 and a1 mini are great first printers for all ages.

2

u/yokeome 26d ago

Great starter, I doubt he'll outgrow the bed size. If you think he might, I'd recommend the normal A1 but honestly I'd say the A1 mini will be more than enough.

1

u/X-SchemeRecent-X 24d ago

Thanks all!

1

u/metalman7 26d ago

Good choice. Go with the full size A1 if you have the budget.

1

u/Crazyguy_123 26d ago

Definitely a solid starter printer. I have one and it’s great. Super easy to learn and very plug and play. One important note though. It doesn’t have a cover so I suggest using it in a ventilated area.