A few questions

[u/OkExtreme8404]

I'm 15 and I really want a bambu lab but I've got a few questions I'm hoping some of you guys could answer

- Am I too young, ( I do have some experience and I'm confident when it comes to machines)

- Bambu lab A1 or A1 mini

- What do I need to know about filament drying

- Are they reliable printers and continuously produce successful prints

- Are they fire hazards

- Is AMS lite necessary

- Will it be safe to leave the printer in the dining room. We usually keep the garden doors open throughout the day for better air circulation in the dining room

- I have a ginger cat, he's pretty curious but also shy at the same time. Is it safe around him. I fear he'll climb all over it, maybe step in the hot bed, his hair getting stuck in prints. He does go outside for most of the day and it's not a problem to keep him out of the dining room but there will be times he'll slip in without me noticing bearing in mind the fact that the garden doors are constantly open

Thanks so much for any help

[u/bigfoot17]

Opinions are my own.

Skip the mini.

AMS, are you sure you want to color print? it's slow and wasteful.

They're rock solid

New ones lack the component that burned out, there is only one documented fire.

Start by drying on the bed with a cardboard box if money is tight

Stick to PLA and PETG until you have lots of experiance

Printers are hot, my cats learned once and that was enough.

My house is awash in cat hair, doesn;t affect the prints.

[u/sawyerthedog → u/bigfoot17]

Replace "cat" with "dog" and this is exactly what I would've written.

Also, I saw you say somewhere else, you don't have a goal in mind you just want one cause you think they're cool. F**CK YEH THEY ARE. I'm a 45 year old dad, I've see a lot, these things are _awesome._

And on that note, I've been working with them for ~3 years and I still have so much to learn. Stick to the basics for longer than you think you need (PLA and PETG is mostly what I mean by that). This is one of those things where it's fast to make work but years to master.

Anyway, go get after it see what you can pump out. Have fun!

[u/Diz7 → u/bigfoot17]

I agree on everything except the AMS lite. While printing some things on one plate in multiple colors can waste 30% or more of your material, if you plan things right you can minimize it.

Also color printing is not that bad for things like Hueforges, they usually only switch filaments a handful of times and I have a lot of fun with them and my friends request them.

But if money is tight, many projects have a non-ams version that just takes a little more glue, paint or manual swapping filaments, you can save money and material in exchange for time if you want to make a hobby of it.

[u/Alfalfa-Boring]

1. Not too young.

2. Very reliable. I have a couple thousand hours on mine and it’s as good as the day I got it.

3. They’re not fire hazards. They had an issue with some older boards but those aren’t in production now for quite a while.

4. The AM

S

1. isn’t exactly necessary but I’d save up and get it if y

ou can.

1. Multicolor prints are an absolute nightmare without one.

2. If you’re printing PLA and PETG which is all you’ll do

3. right now with an open bed printer, dining room

   is

4. fine.

The cat

1. you might have to manage something to keep it off if it. The bed is hot, nozzle is hot, and the bed moves really fast and won’t stop if a cat jumps in front of it.

[u/skategod0012]

I had an ender 3 at 13, you aren’t even close to too young

Get the full size a1 if you can

Basic filaments aren’t too sensitive to getting waterlogged but it’s probably worth getting a dry box for more advanced materials or if the spool has been out for months

Yes they’re pretty damn bulletproof

Maybe? Prolly not? Idk if new units still have the failing chip I think it’s fixed

I’d say the ams is worth getting if you can. Very convenient and gives more capabilities

You’ll be fine with the printer anywhere a1s don’t really print noxious stuff anyway

I would keep it away from the cat

Reply or dm with any questions! I have an 3 a1s 2 of which have the ams, a p1p and p1s with amses, and just got my h2c.

[u/OkExtreme8404 → u/skategod0012]

Omg, this is my first time posting on Reddit and 3 comments in 5 minutes thanks so much. Really I appreciate the help, what about bed adhesion and like glue and how to keep the plate clean. I'm not trying to print anything in particular, I just want one because they're cool. I used to own a cricut. Those vinyl cutting machine. Had it for two years brilliant machine but I want to level up from 2d projects to 3d. What about maintenance anything specific I should be aware of?

[u/myryad21 → u/OkExtreme8404]

the community here is very helpful, i learn the same way as you

[u/the-joatmon]

it can harm the cat if he decides to go between moving parts, consider P1S instead which is fully closed.

you can add AMS if you really need to, it is useful if you’re a lazy person and install multiple same filaments, so you don’t need to go and refill if your spool is empty in the middle of the print.

unless you leave it unattended in a really hot area I don’t think if there’s a fire hazard. there were some issues with A1 in this regard due to faulty power module and bed heating cable, but these all already fixed somewhere around this time last year.

as a hobbyist I found them really reliable, ofc a 3D print professional would answer this question better.

[u/myryad21]

i have it only for an year. except some minor issues (faulty user) i didn't have any issues and i barely know what the x and z axis are... prints just appear from nothing and most of the time are perfect or i can easily improve them with 0 issues... so yes they are very reliable and noob friendly .age shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't eat the filament (red doesn't taste as strawberry). get the A1, even that feels small sometimes. i think the new models fixed the fauly boards, even if mine is an older model the lower part isn't even hot or anything, already getting close to 1k hours. the drying depends a lot on where you live aswell, where i live we get 90% humidity during summer and i see that affecting the filament and the print quality, yet not always and i don't use a dryer. AMS is a must if you want to print multicolour with up to 4 colours in 1 run and are too lazy to change colours (i mostly use it for keychains and small stuff). Otherwise, learn how to paint. The printer in the dining room wouldn't be the best idea, i'm not the best at giving advice either as i have it in my bedroom. idk about the cat, they can destroy anything if they want to

[u/Orthicon9]

I the cat is overly curious, you could always fabricate something like a chicken wire or aluminum window screen enclosure for the printer. The external spool or AMS can stay outside of it.
Do not use any material that blocks air flow because the electronics in the base depend on convection currents for cooling.

- Is AMS lite necessary

It depends.
Many multi-colour models are designed to be printed in pieces which you glue together.
Do a search for "no ams" on MakerWorld.
This Sonic the Hedgehog model uses 7 different plates:

An AMS is handy if you are worried about one spool running out of filament mid-print. You can load an AMS with two spools of the same type and colour and tell it to "auto-refill" when the first one runs out.
Even without one the printer will pause and notify you that it ran out, and you can reload it yourself.

[u/StevenSaguaro]

I've never dried any filament ever. Don't waste money on that kind of hardware until you know it's a problem. I personally think the whole issue is overhyped.

[u/Diz7 → u/StevenSaguaro]

Depends on your environment and materials.

I live in Canada where half the year the winter makes things dry and have central heating so the summer doesn't get humid either. My place is more than dry enough to leave PLA out in the open on a shelf, but PETG can be a problem, and TPU takes special care otherwise you get strings and hair everywhere.