3D printing is more accessible than ever. Even a decade ago, the only commercially available printers would set you back four-figures, and their use was mostly for companies making prototypes or STEM faculties at universities. Nowadays, the price has come down significantly, but the products are still as complicated as they were when operated by scientists and professionals. Elegoo wants to bring 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:3D printing to ꦏthe masses, but are the masses ready to learn?
Elegoo’s Saturn 3 Ultra is the company’s fanciest printer, but it will only set you back $600, a little more than a PS5. That🍒 may seem like a lot of money, but for a printer with 12K resolution and 150mm/h printing speed, it’s an incredibly competitive deal. It’s also often on offer, meaning that you get a decent discount if you’re willing to be patient. If that seems like too much for you,♈ it’s probably time to stop reading, because over the past months I’ve come to realise that 3D printing isn’t just a means to an end, but a hobby in and of itself.
Setting up the Saturn 3 Ult🌳ra is surprising𒁃ly easy. The instructions are clear, the process is simple, there’s nothing to complain about. However, things get a whole lot more complicated when you actually start printing.
The first hurdle was software. The Saturn uses the Voxeldance Tango slicer, which you load your STL into in order to support it. This software isn’t particularly user-friendly, and was more difficult to learn than anything else in the printing process. However, it seems that the Saturn will work with different software, if you’ve got a preferred program to use. The software side of things is something that Elegoo co-founder Kevin Wong wanted to improve when we chatted with him 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:earlier this year. “In the future we’ll work more on the software side,” he told me. “Because the 🐲slicer and the overall system built in with the product can really [put off] customers.”
Once I figured out slicing, however, I printed numerous models on the Saturn. I imme𝓡diately felt the wrath of countless misprints as I learned how to use the slicing software and dial in my perfect settings. I don’t know ♚how much resin I wasted with countless rookie errors, none of which are particularly well explained, despite the hours of YouTube tutorials I watched. It’s worth bearing in mind that I’m a newcomer to this hobby, and a couple of months in I feel far more comfortable with the myriad settings that need checking before printing.
Once my bed was perfectly levelled and settings were sufficiently tweaked in order to see the best results, printing was a joy. The Saturn 3 Ul💦tra is surprisingly quick, and the detail is wildly impressive. The interface was easy to use, and being able to ping your supported files over via WiFi is so much easier than models that require wired connections or USBs.
Note: I printed a custom miniature of my D&D character made on HeroForge, and one of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Rogue Ho🤡bbies’ beautiful Ras🎐caltown goblins (STLs available on ).
After printing, comes w♒ashing. If you don’t do any post-processing to your miniature, it will be a gooey mess of toxic resin, and eventually the uncured model will explode. Luckily, Elegoo’s range of Mercury washing and curing stations make this stage a doddle. I had no problems at all with this stage of printing.
It’s worth noting that 3D resin printing creates dangerous fumes as a byproduct, so it’s of utmost importance to wear adequate PPE protection and print in a well-ventilated area. The Saturn 3 Ult🍷ra comes with an air purifier built-in, which helps to combat the pungent smells that emanate from the printer, but if anything this made me more paranoid that the fumes were still percolating the room, just de-smelled. Personally, I’m probably going to ste💛er clear of printing much more until I have a garage or shed to work from.
As one of Elegoo’s flagship printers, you can’t help but notice a couple of things missing. The most egregious absence is auto-plate level♓ling, something that competitors offer and would be a great qualit🐼y of life upgrade.
Overall, however, the Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra is a great printer꧟. The detail on the prints is nothing short of astounding, and if you’re willing to put the effort in to learn the intricacies of the hobby, it seems like the perfect jumping-on point. Elegoo has made the printing process as straightforward as seems🅰 possible, and if the software side of things can improve (something that can be updated after purchase) things will only get better.
Elegoo provided the Saturn 3 Ultra for review.
