They’ve also made it so stupidly simple for people to get into printing & selling which is why I think we’ve seen a massive Costco guys BOOM in Etsy/tokshop sellers. It’s pretty friggin cool
About 3 months ago I found your channel and today the final piece of a mark 39 suit is mid print. I have never been a crafty guy but with modern printers and your videos I have everything printed, welded together and wearable. If I can do it, anyone can.
This video is why I tell people that a Creality isn’t a bad printer, just requires learning. Get a Creality if you want to learn, grab a Bambu if you just want to print stuff
I got the ender 3 pro in the way back, learned a ton from working on it. I used it until bambu hit the mainstream, it's truly amazing the advances that have been made between the 2 printers.
2:20 and that's great! I won't miss those times when you literally spend several weeks just to make your printer print at poorly acceptable quality and after several prints you do it again, because something in that sheit went wrong again. Or broke. Or clogged. Or something else idk. Not saying that with new generation of printers on CoreXY basis printing became really FAST AF and more reliable, so you don't need to feel stressed all night and check remote interface every hour to be sure everything prints solid and nothing went wrong. God bless Bambu Lab for making revolution it 3D printing!
Your One Piece Devil Fruit videos is what got me to finally pull the trigger; that was about a year ago and now I put my K1C to work regularly without a single issue. It worked so well, that confidence I got turned to hubris and I immediately jumped to my Halot Mage S 14K which is now sitting in my garage slightly disassembled while I wait for a replacement LCD screen because the tiniest amount of resin managed to make its way in. It's crazy how much deeper the rabbit hole goes with 3D printing but I still feel like it isn't scary at all anymore, even constantly under threat of the dangers of resin and fumes. Thanks Frank!!
great video! i got a creality k1 max during black friday 2024 and i definitely had issues at first with the bed plate. but just a few hours of time and research i was to get it pretty darn level with printed shims from the community. too many people today freak out and cant handle when things when they go south or have to have this instant gratification and validation. Put the time in and you'll be rewarded. thanks for the videos Frank! you're a funny dude and your content is not like anyone else in this space!
I can say I am in loads of printing groups and have never asked a question because I watched about 300 vids from guys like you and makers muse before I bought my first printer then when i had issues I watched more vids on what I did wrong now I have 4 filament printers and 7 resin printers and a small business
It's awesome seeing the direction of printers going towards consumer appliances that don't need tinkering. Truly opening up a world of possibility for artists and designers that may not necessarily want to learn the technical information on how to build/fix printers. Really looking forward to 2025 and the future printers that are released and hope that printer manufacturers keep pushing each other to make better products for us all to benefit from!
Getting an X1C was probably one of the best dumb purchases I've made in recent years. Last year I picked one up after being frustrated with my old printer. I still had a pretty stock ender 3 pro that had been sitting around for a while. I've been watching videos of people making props for years and years but only recently decided I wanted to learn modeling to make my own. The ender lasted about 4 prints before it gave out. I was already annoyed with having to level the bed after every print, then buying parts to upgrade based on research of people having similar issues to what I was seeing. Nothing was fixing it and I was realizing why I hadn't used the printer in a while. Too much messing around and fixing issues, when I just want to print stuff. I came across a few videos of the X1C and it solved literally every problem I had with the ender. Took some time to think it over and decided to buy one. Got it out the box and calibrated it, now it just works and I can focus on the parts of the hobby that I'm actually interested in.
I have a BambuLab A1, X1C, Elegoo Neptune 4 Max as well as a Prusa XL. By far my favorite printer is my Prusa XL. I think the mindset of “it just works” or “I don’t need to tinker with the printer” sets more in to the ongoing issue of the lack of problem solving. Just by setting up the Prusa XL up alone made me learn more about this printer than any other one I’ve touched. Although I do appreciate technology moving forward and being able to advance in areas people may not have considered 10 years ago, I do want to encourage a consumer base society to keep problem solving and learning in a balance. To me, sometimes user friendly items cause different problems than items that force you to think.
Been working with foam for about 3 years now and just recently got a printer for Christmas. Now I can work on cosplays with a foam hybrid, and with your help I can execute that properly :D
Got a printer a couple of weeks ago and your videos have been a huge help with getting started. Still lots to learn, but so far loving the hobby and my mind is blown every time I create something out of seemingly nothing!
1. I saw Uncle Jesse’s video yesterday, and he really nailed it regarding Bambu Labs current dominance. 2. The one advantage that the Creality HI has is the CFS system with the built in dryer. That said, I’m still looking forward to your review. Due to certain health reasons, I won’t be able to get started in this hobby until May or June. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to afford a P1S Combo. If not. The A1 combo will have to do.
Great video Frank, agree 100%, we have come a long way. Still amazes me how i don’t have to go through all the setup as before and the slicers had a huge upgrade as well. Kudos! 👏🏼👏🏼💯
Thank you this is one of the reasons why I keep in touch with your channel when to see the new videos pop up I didn't even know where that Best buy was selling 3D filament for bamboo and I am like adamant about that I've been trying to get that stuff locally for years😅
Have watched you for a long while now and have always enjoyed your content! I currently have a K1 max and been busted for awhile and finally got it fixed yesterday by learning how to change the hot end and now works beautifully again! Keep up the great work and thank you again for the warm welcome!
I love my K1 Max and K2 Plus. They are excellent printers. But when anyone asks what printer they should get, I recommend bambu just because i know it'll be easy for them and i won't be inundated with questions on how to work it because it does everything. Not that the K2 plus isn't that. It's just that most people don't want to spend $1500 on a printer that weighs almost as much as they do when they're just starting.
10:17 ik u can’t say if u have it or if u know ur gonna get soon but i cant wait to see a review on Bambu Lab H2D or even a video on what we know about the H2D and the patents that Bambu has recently released
I started 3D printing about 5 years ago your channel and Uncle Jesse channels were some of the first channels I discovered about the subject of 3D printing. I specifically got into 3D printing to make cosplay armor. And watching the technologies change the way that they have has been astonishing. I've been so dependent on creality just because it was what I knew I missed out on some really amazing 3D printers and now that I've started buying other printers I probably will never go back to creality. About my first elegoo resin printer last year. An tried a bamboo printer for the first time. There is no comparison in the upgrade and quality and ease of use. The amount of time I've wasted fumbling with variations of ender 3 even though it's something I'm experienced with is insane when compared to the ease of access of just hooking up a bamboo printer and just printing.
I respect the newbies being asked to do a simple google/facebook/etc search. This faces two stumbling blocks. Newbies don’t always have the language to describe what’s happened. And, more annoyingly, the first 357842 search results are “do your research”. It’s really hard to find an answer when the research says “do your research”.
So I’m actually still new to the hobby. I was given an Anycubic Kobra Neo as my first time printer over a month ago and it became officially mine over the holidays. When you mentioned using post-its to calibrate the z offset, I really felt that one! When I talk about the Neo vs something like a Bambu, I often say that the Bambu is like an automatic while the Neo is like driving a stick. I’m still enjoying it, though!
As someone who helped out troubleshooting printers on the Frankly Built discord server, and who started on a CR-10 S5 in October 2022, this video is something that I thoroughly agree with. Please research before asking questions because it makes my job of helping you easier. I also agree that having a plug-n-play printer like my Bambu Lab P1S and AMS is a relief after working with Ender 3's and CR-10's for so long lol
I am glad we have more printers that do everything automatically. But Bambu needs good competition, so I don't think we shouldn't ignore others "catching up." It's a good thing they are becoming automatic too. I'd also like to keep open source and the spirit of sharing alive, rather than making 3D printing strictly the proprietary domain of Bambu.
I wanted to try 3d printing for a long time but what finally sold it was self leveling, The thing with us that are new to printing is we don't know how to ask the right questions or word it right as we don't know the right terms for stuff so the question doesn't always come out right, or we leave out information because we didn't know it was relevant. Luckily the groups I have been in have been pretty patient with me and helped me get things running loads better.
Lots of valid points sir. Been doing this since 2019 when the Ender 3 was the printer of choice(because of cost) and Prusa was the Cadillac of all printers!(Now more like Rolls Royce with the price of the XL!) Thankfully the days of leveling & calibrating are long gone(still have to do it occasionally with 2 of my 6 machines, my still operable Ender 3 & Anycubic Chiron)but youre absolutely right in encouraging those new to printing to take the time ro learn their machine(s) becuase they WILL require maintenance to some degree and WILL occasionally have issues. Ive become well versed on Bambu's extruder because of $**t filament that I wanted to try & it bit me in the @**! & clogged the extruder. But it was a good learning lesson and I implore everyone to learn the hobby and their specific machines, its worth the time watching/reading tutorials for your printer and all the groups and online communities that support 3D printing. That time spent will pay off in dividends having gained the knowledge to not only know how to print anything you want but knowing the limits of your particular machine and how to maintain it and keep it printing for many years to come.
I've been printing now for a year. I was always fascinated by it but, didn't know it was affordable. So I took my time getting one. When I saw the Max, that was it for me. I've added a K1C, and working towards a K2 plus. I think printing is about to have a Cricut rush. People wanting to make a business. If you're not doing for fun, sorry you've wasted your money. I stumbled across your videos looking for insight into what I had purchased and how do I work it (lol). I have yet to tackle a helmet but, I sometimes ask my coworkers for projects to help me improve. As long as I keep it fun, it never gets boring.
Been here since May 2024, ty for all you do Frank! Saved me a lot of cash, time and have helped me profit as a result. Look forward to all your future videos! Much love from south Texas!
I started with a ender 3 v2 I got on a trade and had to learn all this. I got so frustrated after hours and hours of trying to get it right. I gave up and got a a1 with ams. Absolutely love it. Millions of times better!
I plugged my 3d printer back in after some failures and currently in the process of making an iron man helmet. Mine is an Anycubic Mega X. Which does not have any saved parameters on any modeling software, and is actually discontinued. It makes me frustrated sometimes, but when I see it working properly, it is so satisfying
I got a P1S while they were on black friday sale and it blows every other printer I've owned out of the damn water. Plug it in, it self-calibrates, no bullshit with levelling screws, no fretting over microstepping the z-height adjustment to get a clean line, NOTHING. It does all that shit itself. And to make it better, it's totally wireless on my network, doesn't keep its fans on forever while idle so I can keep it on, which makes it WAY more convenient when I want to print something, I can just do it and not go through having to go upstairs and turn it on and wait for it to cycle etc etc. Probably gonna sell my old ones now. There's no point to them anymore.
I gave up on BL coming out with a large bed X1 (had to spend the money last year - technically my business bought it) and bought a K2 MAX. Wow, what a nice printer! They took the BL X1C, cloned it, improved the shortcomings (gave us a hard wired network port!, better naussle wiper, better camera, better air filtering, etc.,....). It is also slightly faster than the X1C. It prints just as good (or almost as good) and has that HUGE bed that I needed. Did I, do I, trust Creality? Not as far as I can throw that 100 pound printer. The jury is still out on my trust of Creality, but so far, this printer is amazing! I will be happy to see what the BL X1-C MAX looks like and maybe, if I decide to stay in business past this year, my company can buy one of those too.
3D printing is such an addictive and fun hobby that lets your mind become so creative turning your thoughts into reality. It's the most fun hobby I've had since I've started printing in the beginning of 2022.
I've been following you since I bought my first printer in October '23, it was used and didn't work. I got it working, bought another printer and have since printed 2 full suits of Mandalorian armor, one has a voice modulator in the helmet and a full Mark 85, with lights and a motorized helmet. Also, a small army of articulating dragons, a ton of fidget toys and even some playable ocarinas. I tried to mostly figure everything out on my own, but you were the best source of info if I couldn't. Thanks for all the help!
3d printing is no longer a hobby itself, 3d printers are now tools you can use for other things. this is what we wanted. I dont care about printers I just wanna make cool shit.
yes I'm loving them, I have a Wanhao i3 and CR10v2, I heavily modified them....I design terrain for tabletop gaming....my workflow just leaped forward when I got the X1C and now also have an A1. I focus 99% of my time designing and printing and my soldering iron is getting cold and have been cold for 6 months. The next time I fire up my soldering iron will be for LED lights for my terrain.
I love your enthusiastic approach to all of this, I am so glad I did my research before purchasing my Bambu X1 carbon, the machine is phenomenal and the print quality is outstanding.
Whatcha don’t see a lot of in this community is people upping their skill level. And I understand why. You connect more with people when you’re using “household” items like spray paint. I’d like to see people using a little bit more advanced things like paint, sprayers and airbrushes. They’re quite affordable and I believe in the long run will save you a lot more money buying two stage paint than buying rattle cans that just go bad. Just my opinion.
I remember researching the Ender 3 pro for about 5 months before I pulled the plug. I don’t regret it because if I never researched filament types and different parts of the printer I would’ve been so lost! Listen to frank when he says research before pulling the plug on a printer! It’ll save you headaches and people on Reddit ridiculing you for lack of knowledge.
What's happening right now is very similar to what happened 6 years ago when the Ender 3 came out. While creality didn't create that design of printer and took it from the Prusa i3, it heavily popularized it and made it accessible, and for years, there weren't a lot of major hurdles in innovation. Everyone was just trying to copy the Ender 3 and make their own cheaper version of it, with very few improvements if any.
I completely understand your comment. On my first day, we were all told "you aren't stupid, you're military grade stupid! There's a difference." I have a fairly decent bed slinger and I am so ready to upgrade to something bigger and better. I just wish my wallet was ready too. lol
Hi Frank! I am one of the noobs here! Got my X1C just after thanksgiving. I held off for a long time because as you said, I expected a use learning curve. My brother has had one for years (electrical engineer), and finally told me to get one and try it out. I probably would have been fine with the P1S but I figured if I am going to bite the bullet, might as well and get all the bells and whistles just in case I need it. Well now I am learning fusion 360 and just finished printing my first Deadpool helmet! Your videos have been perfect for a noob like me to learn from and pay attention to the things that are important (sizing, cutting, etc). Thank you for your content!
I love my K1 Max. I was surprised, Frank, about the Bambu comments... I thought you loved the Creality... I pine for a Bambu Labs. And when they have a min 300x300 bed, I may jump.. But the expense... I love that you don't fret the filament stuff. That helps relieve some anxiety. I don't get perfect prints; over/under extrusion, support ugliness, etc.. but I sand and paint anyway. Thank you for these videos! Happy New Year! I'm off to @UncleJessy to watch his rant!
I can’t argue that the K1 is just a clone, but the price point, familiarity and the option of a bigger build plate is what has kept me with Creality. Bambu seems to have really taken the industry by storm, and with option like the A1 mini, are opening up to a wider audience thanks to the price being more accessible. I’m pretty sure I’ll be staying with Creality for the foreseeable future, but mainly because I like the idea of watching over and controlling all my printers from one app 😂
With creality's shortcomings considered they do tend to have more options when upgrading in the future and third party replacement parts availability. Bambu is so proprietary. And things like that "night of the living printers" a couple summers ago where peoples machines started running jobs on their own.
I just got my first X1C and I love the screen so much and the bed checks are amazing... Exactly as you say it's stupid easy these days lol .. my first printers never worked well lol my how the times change quickly. Love your stuff Frank keep up the great stuff.
I was telling my group of friends the same thing about accessibility when I purchased my first K1 Max. I said 3D printers are going to be like microwave ovens in a few years. Everyone will have one and wonder how we ever lived without them.
ive been printing for 5 years maybe..? if i cant figure something i literally google my question and 99% of the time if you just google it, it'll pop up.
That's the frustrating part is no one besides you that tells people to do so research to know things before just going on facebook or whatever platform the post on and post a pic and say it failed what do I do? When asked what have you tried and they come back with "That's why I'm asking" 😡 All the newbies that get into the hobby must make some effort on at least some terminology, I've followed from your beginning and I've learned so much but I didn't flood your inbox with all the questions I had i researched them but if I didn't find an answer or if something didn't quite sound right then I'd ask. Seeing where you first started to where you are now I can't wait to see what the future brings. Keep up the GREAT work
Been 3d printing for about 3ish years now and finding your TH-cam channel has helped me so much with many of my cosplay projects ive learned so much just from my own trial and error and watching your videos its been a great ride and hell even the shortish amount of time ive been doing the hobby the tech has gotten so much better im using the elegoo neptune 3 max currently it does the job but i definitely wanna try and get a k1 max sometime in the near future or something similar wish you the best frankly
Known that 3D printing is easier, it would be nice to see some more easy CAD programs. I don’t mean dumb down to really basic stuff, but a program with a modular building style. Example: I want to build an RC car; the car needs to be X size with wheels and other parts that have parameters that change the size or shape of that object along with a wide list of off-the-shelf parts. And at the end, the process gives a bill of materials list along with possible trusted suppliers. And yes, I know learning CAD is not that hard; I’ve been doing it for almost 3 years now. It’s just sometimes a perimeter-made part somewhat faster if the part I need isn’t super custom and not available online. It can be Similar fusion 360 thread tools
Firstly, that sticky note wasn’t level. Second, I started getting into 3d printing with the ender 3 pro. I still have it and even though I don’t print much with it, I love tinkering with it every now and then
0:45 if by "don't need to do all these little self-checks" you mean the calibration and vibration compensation that the printer *should* run, your bed plates probably look like Swiss cheese?
I purchased my first non ender3 in 2025. I started with a E3v2 for Christmas around 5 years ago when it was new, then bought a $99 ender3, and got to know my way around them modding them . Then for the next 4 years i would stalk FB marketplace looking for people who got an ender for Christmas and can’t make it work so they sell them cheap and ended up with 4 ender3s and 3 E3V2s and still love them but…. They are tiny except the one I put the ender extender on. I want an Ironman suit after watching all your videos and the Starboost just can’t be sliced right to fit and not mess up the hexagons so I bought an artillery x3plus. All 8 of my printers have cost me less money total than 1 X1C and I can print 8 parts at once…
I absolutely love my Bambu P1S easily the best printer I’ve ever owned and I’ve had 7 different printers. Looking at the build I think a lot of other manufacturers use the same parts.
I got so tired of working for my printer. My first one was the infamous Anet A8 nearly a decade ago. Don't get me wrong, I learned basically everything about troubleshooting and modification from that thing, and now it's a 5W laser engraver. My X1C and Flashforge 5M Pro have done more prints in the last 3 months than my other printers combined did in 7 years. I can actually spend time designing things instead of wasting time messing with printers. I can finally use my printers as the tools they are instead of engineering projects that others had supposedly completed.
Slaps Sticky Note, "Is it level?" 🤣... Lots of great points in here! I learned a lot from you myself when I was first getting into the hobby, but made it more difficult on myself getting an Ender first. You learn though
Just out of curiosity, are you ever going to do any resin printer videos? I watch your videos because they’re informative and entertaining, but I do zero FDM printing. It’s all resin. 😎
Thank you for the video, I have done 3D printing 10+ years, it is exactly the same as IT in terms of new people asking questions. People ask the exact same question endlessly without researching, as you said I will happily help those who put in the work to use search, too many people expect no effort instant answers, Google has trained many people to expect this in all aspects of life imo. I also get the feeling some 3d printing TH-camrs already have a new Bambu model and/or specifics about it but have an NDA. Also like IT! :) Looking forward to seeing what is out there in 2025, I am expecting my 7th printer and first Bambu, the A1 combo, Tuesday. I would definitely like to see a lot more innovation, hopefully the new Bambu model has some.
Nowadays you can just put a question into google and most of the time it’ll be answered instantly with an answer like to Reddit or wherever. I think the innovation in itself has grown the hobby where you have a personal Frank to help you 24-7
As someone who had to build a ender 3 and the amount of curse words and energy drinks I went through with it I’m glad the printers are getting smarter. I wish they had built in Filiment welders to save me time and money but honestly from the days of getting a index card out I’m glad it’s at least a step forward
You mentioned all the clones. FLSun is at least continuing to innovate with the delta printers. I have a T1 pro that has been impressive in its speed and accuracy. It’s not the be-all for everyone, but at least it shows some variety.
My first printer was the ender 3 and now I have a k1, im on my way to get more..I first saw your videos on tic Tok that how I get into this! It’s the best hobbies I have done
I absolutely love your channel. it helped me grow so much in my 3d printing journey. Now i just need you to make terras keyblade so i can see how its supposed to be done😄
Back in my day we cut our own extruder hobb gears by hand. JK, that was the barrier to entry I never got past in the early days. The Ender 3 is what it is because it lowered the barrier of entry significantly and the Bambus have done it again.
3d printing was something I had been looking into for a few years and finally pulled the trigger and brought a k1max now had it a week I was doing research for a few days before I even brought it and even still now I am looking at everything always room to improve what I'm learning even if it's something small that may get overlooked. I am now considering on purchasing another printer to the 1 I have and looking at a bambu labs printer just to expand what I'm learning with another brand
I do agree it has become stupid easy.. Issue is people that do not have a clue on how dangerous this "hobby" is should not be doing it. yes I will say it.. people have yet to figure out how to search for information in issues... they simply think that asking the same question 1000 other people have does get tiring fast. I have been printing for 4 years but I have experience with its toxicity. SLA and FDM.... I am actually trained in air quality monitoring. I also recommend people start looking at resources first such as reddit, discord.... then start asking questions on how it works, why it works, and then try the hobby.. Printing is not for same room printing. avoid this if possible... if you can not use air scrubbers and lots of fresh air.
Dang I was wanting to make a somewhat kinda rant video on asking questions with new people too. No need to now but it’s certainly frustrating at times with the same questions over and over with no research. I try to be nice about it but man people need to research more
They’ve also made it so stupidly simple for people to get into printing & selling which is why I think we’ve seen a massive Costco guys BOOM in Etsy/tokshop sellers. It’s pretty friggin cool
About 3 months ago I found your channel and today the final piece of a mark 39 suit is mid print. I have never been a crafty guy but with modern printers and your videos I have everything printed, welded together and wearable. If I can do it, anyone can.
What slicer did you use and how did you position the face plate?
@Gl1tch_2024 Orca slicer. Tilted slightly forward like in franks videos
This video is why I tell people that a Creality isn’t a bad printer, just requires learning.
Get a Creality if you want to learn, grab a Bambu if you just want to print stuff
I got the ender 3 pro in the way back, learned a ton from working on it. I used it until bambu hit the mainstream, it's truly amazing the advances that have been made between the 2 printers.
2:20 and that's great! I won't miss those times when you literally spend several weeks just to make your printer print at poorly acceptable quality and after several prints you do it again, because something in that sheit went wrong again. Or broke. Or clogged. Or something else idk. Not saying that with new generation of printers on CoreXY basis printing became really FAST AF and more reliable, so you don't need to feel stressed all night and check remote interface every hour to be sure everything prints solid and nothing went wrong. God bless Bambu Lab for making revolution it 3D printing!
Every person in the 3d printing world needs to watch this video every newbie and veterans. Excellent video
The gatekeeping is really awful. I remind them that for most, printing is the hobby not the printers.
What gatekeeping? Are you talking about the tinkers?
Your One Piece Devil Fruit videos is what got me to finally pull the trigger; that was about a year ago and now I put my K1C to work regularly without a single issue. It worked so well, that confidence I got turned to hubris and I immediately jumped to my Halot Mage S 14K which is now sitting in my garage slightly disassembled while I wait for a replacement LCD screen because the tiniest amount of resin managed to make its way in.
It's crazy how much deeper the rabbit hole goes with 3D printing but I still feel like it isn't scary at all anymore, even constantly under threat of the dangers of resin and fumes. Thanks Frank!!
great video! i got a creality k1 max during black friday 2024 and i definitely had issues at first with the bed plate. but just a few hours of time and research i was to get it pretty darn level with printed shims from the community. too many people today freak out and cant handle when things when they go south or have to have this instant gratification and validation. Put the time in and you'll be rewarded. thanks for the videos Frank! you're a funny dude and your content is not like anyone else in this space!
Totally agree. I just had to try my own design 5 different times and I had to keep telling myself that it was okay to not succeed immediately
I can say I am in loads of printing groups and have never asked a question because I watched about 300 vids from guys like you and makers muse before I bought my first printer then when i had issues I watched more vids on what I did wrong now I have 4 filament printers and 7 resin printers and a small business
It's awesome seeing the direction of printers going towards consumer appliances that don't need tinkering. Truly opening up a world of possibility for artists and designers that may not necessarily want to learn the technical information on how to build/fix printers. Really looking forward to 2025 and the future printers that are released and hope that printer manufacturers keep pushing each other to make better products for us all to benefit from!
Bambu made 3D printing about making things vs. making a 3D printer, and I love that. Also love the rant style video, keep doing you.
Getting an X1C was probably one of the best dumb purchases I've made in recent years. Last year I picked one up after being frustrated with my old printer. I still had a pretty stock ender 3 pro that had been sitting around for a while. I've been watching videos of people making props for years and years but only recently decided I wanted to learn modeling to make my own. The ender lasted about 4 prints before it gave out.
I was already annoyed with having to level the bed after every print, then buying parts to upgrade based on research of people having similar issues to what I was seeing. Nothing was fixing it and I was realizing why I hadn't used the printer in a while. Too much messing around and fixing issues, when I just want to print stuff. I came across a few videos of the X1C and it solved literally every problem I had with the ender. Took some time to think it over and decided to buy one. Got it out the box and calibrated it, now it just works and I can focus on the parts of the hobby that I'm actually interested in.
I have a BambuLab A1, X1C, Elegoo Neptune 4 Max as well as a Prusa XL. By far my favorite printer is my Prusa XL. I think the mindset of “it just works” or “I don’t need to tinker with the printer” sets more in to the ongoing issue of the lack of problem solving.
Just by setting up the Prusa XL up alone made me learn more about this printer than any other one I’ve touched.
Although I do appreciate technology moving forward and being able to advance in areas people may not have considered 10 years ago, I do want to encourage a consumer base society to keep problem solving and learning in a balance.
To me, sometimes user friendly items cause different problems than items that force you to think.
Been working with foam for about 3 years now and just recently got a printer for Christmas. Now I can work on cosplays with a foam hybrid, and with your help I can execute that properly :D
Got a printer a couple of weeks ago and your videos have been a huge help with getting started. Still lots to learn, but so far loving the hobby and my mind is blown every time I create something out of seemingly nothing!
1. I saw Uncle Jesse’s video yesterday, and he really nailed it regarding Bambu Labs current dominance.
2. The one advantage that the Creality HI has is the CFS system with the built in dryer. That said, I’m still looking forward to your review. Due to certain health reasons, I won’t be able to get started in this hobby until May or June. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to afford a P1S Combo. If not. The A1 combo will have to do.
Great video Frank, agree 100%, we have come a long way. Still amazes me how i don’t have to go through all the setup as before and the slicers had a huge upgrade as well. Kudos! 👏🏼👏🏼💯
Thank you this is one of the reasons why I keep in touch with your channel when to see the new videos pop up I didn't even know where that Best buy was selling 3D filament for bamboo and I am like adamant about that I've been trying to get that stuff locally for years😅
Have watched you for a long while now and have always enjoyed your content! I currently have a K1 max and been busted for awhile and finally got it fixed yesterday by learning how to change the hot end and now works beautifully again! Keep up the great work and thank you again for the warm welcome!
I love my K1 Max and K2 Plus. They are excellent printers.
But when anyone asks what printer they should get, I recommend bambu just because i know it'll be easy for them and i won't be inundated with questions on how to work it because it does everything.
Not that the K2 plus isn't that. It's just that most people don't want to spend $1500 on a printer that weighs almost as much as they do when they're just starting.
10:17 ik u can’t say if u have it or if u know ur gonna get soon but i cant wait to see a review on Bambu Lab H2D or even a video on what we know about the H2D and the patents that Bambu has recently released
I started 3D printing about 5 years ago your channel and Uncle Jesse channels were some of the first channels I discovered about the subject of 3D printing. I specifically got into 3D printing to make cosplay armor. And watching the technologies change the way that they have has been astonishing. I've been so dependent on creality just because it was what I knew I missed out on some really amazing 3D printers and now that I've started buying other printers I probably will never go back to creality. About my first elegoo resin printer last year. An tried a bamboo printer for the first time. There is no comparison in the upgrade and quality and ease of use. The amount of time I've wasted fumbling with variations of ender 3 even though it's something I'm experienced with is insane when compared to the ease of access of just hooking up a bamboo printer and just printing.
I respect the newbies being asked to do a simple google/facebook/etc search. This faces two stumbling blocks. Newbies don’t always have the language to describe what’s happened. And, more annoyingly, the first 357842 search results are “do your research”. It’s really hard to find an answer when the research says “do your research”.
So I’m actually still new to the hobby. I was given an Anycubic Kobra Neo as my first time printer over a month ago and it became officially mine over the holidays. When you mentioned using post-its to calibrate the z offset, I really felt that one! When I talk about the Neo vs something like a Bambu, I often say that the Bambu is like an automatic while the Neo is like driving a stick. I’m still enjoying it, though!
As someone who helped out troubleshooting printers on the Frankly Built discord server, and who started on a CR-10 S5 in October 2022, this video is something that I thoroughly agree with. Please research before asking questions because it makes my job of helping you easier. I also agree that having a plug-n-play printer like my Bambu Lab P1S and AMS is a relief after working with Ender 3's and CR-10's for so long lol
I am glad we have more printers that do everything automatically. But Bambu needs good competition, so I don't think we shouldn't ignore others "catching up." It's a good thing they are becoming automatic too. I'd also like to keep open source and the spirit of sharing alive, rather than making 3D printing strictly the proprietary domain of Bambu.
I've been resin printing for a few years but finally decided to get an A1 during the holiday season. It's almost too much fun!
I wanted to try 3d printing for a long time but what finally sold it was self leveling, The thing with us that are new to printing is we don't know how to ask the right questions or word it right as we don't know the right terms for stuff so the question doesn't always come out right, or we leave out information because we didn't know it was relevant. Luckily the groups I have been in have been pretty patient with me and helped me get things running loads better.
Lots of valid points sir. Been doing this since 2019 when the Ender 3 was the printer of choice(because of cost) and Prusa was the Cadillac of all printers!(Now more like Rolls Royce with the price of the XL!) Thankfully the days of leveling & calibrating are long gone(still have to do it occasionally with 2 of my 6 machines, my still operable Ender 3 & Anycubic Chiron)but youre absolutely right in encouraging those new to printing to take the time ro learn their machine(s) becuase they WILL require maintenance to some degree and WILL occasionally have issues. Ive become well versed on Bambu's extruder because of $**t filament that I wanted to try & it bit me in the @**! & clogged the extruder. But it was a good learning lesson and I implore everyone to learn the hobby and their specific machines, its worth the time watching/reading tutorials for your printer and all the groups and online communities that support 3D printing. That time spent will pay off in dividends having gained the knowledge to not only know how to print anything you want but knowing the limits of your particular machine and how to maintain it and keep it printing for many years to come.
I've been printing now for a year. I was always fascinated by it but, didn't know it was affordable. So I took my time getting one. When I saw the Max, that was it for me. I've added a K1C, and working towards a K2 plus. I think printing is about to have a Cricut rush. People wanting to make a business. If you're not doing for fun, sorry you've wasted your money. I stumbled across your videos looking for insight into what I had purchased and how do I work it (lol). I have yet to tackle a helmet but, I sometimes ask my coworkers for projects to help me improve. As long as I keep it fun, it never gets boring.
Been here since May 2024, ty for all you do Frank! Saved me a lot of cash, time and have helped me profit as a result. Look forward to all your future videos! Much love from south Texas!
I started with a ender 3 v2 I got on a trade and had to learn all this. I got so frustrated after hours and hours of trying to get it right. I gave up and got a a1 with ams. Absolutely love it. Millions of times better!
I plugged my 3d printer back in after some failures and currently in the process of making an iron man helmet. Mine is an Anycubic Mega X. Which does not have any saved parameters on any modeling software, and is actually discontinued. It makes me frustrated sometimes, but when I see it working properly, it is so satisfying
I got a P1S while they were on black friday sale and it blows every other printer I've owned out of the damn water. Plug it in, it self-calibrates, no bullshit with levelling screws, no fretting over microstepping the z-height adjustment to get a clean line, NOTHING. It does all that shit itself. And to make it better, it's totally wireless on my network, doesn't keep its fans on forever while idle so I can keep it on, which makes it WAY more convenient when I want to print something, I can just do it and not go through having to go upstairs and turn it on and wait for it to cycle etc etc.
Probably gonna sell my old ones now. There's no point to them anymore.
I gave up on BL coming out with a large bed X1 (had to spend the money last year - technically my business bought it) and bought a K2 MAX. Wow, what a nice printer! They took the BL X1C, cloned it, improved the shortcomings (gave us a hard wired network port!, better naussle wiper, better camera, better air filtering, etc.,....). It is also slightly faster than the X1C. It prints just as good (or almost as good) and has that HUGE bed that I needed. Did I, do I, trust Creality? Not as far as I can throw that 100 pound printer. The jury is still out on my trust of Creality, but so far, this printer is amazing! I will be happy to see what the BL X1-C MAX looks like and maybe, if I decide to stay in business past this year, my company can buy one of those too.
3D printing is such an addictive and fun hobby that lets your mind become so creative turning your thoughts into reality. It's the most fun hobby I've had since I've started printing in the beginning of 2022.
I've been following you since I bought my first printer in October '23, it was used and didn't work. I got it working, bought another printer and have since printed 2 full suits of Mandalorian armor, one has a voice modulator in the helmet and a full Mark 85, with lights and a motorized helmet. Also, a small army of articulating dragons, a ton of fidget toys and even some playable ocarinas. I tried to mostly figure everything out on my own, but you were the best source of info if I couldn't. Thanks for all the help!
3d printing is no longer a hobby itself, 3d printers are now tools you can use for other things. this is what we wanted. I dont care about printers I just wanna make cool shit.
Where have you been, so glad to see you back!
yes I'm loving them, I have a Wanhao i3 and CR10v2, I heavily modified them....I design terrain for tabletop gaming....my workflow just leaped forward when I got the X1C and now also have an A1. I focus 99% of my time designing and printing and my soldering iron is getting cold and have been cold for 6 months. The next time I fire up my soldering iron will be for LED lights for my terrain.
I love your enthusiastic approach to all of this, I am so glad I did my research before purchasing my Bambu X1 carbon, the machine is phenomenal and the print quality is outstanding.
Whatcha don’t see a lot of in this community is people upping their skill level. And I understand why. You connect more with people when you’re using “household” items like spray paint. I’d like to see people using a little bit more advanced things like paint, sprayers and airbrushes. They’re quite affordable and I believe in the long run will save you a lot more money buying two stage paint than buying rattle cans that just go bad. Just my opinion.
I remember researching the Ender 3 pro for about 5 months before I pulled the plug. I don’t regret it because if I never researched filament types and different parts of the printer I would’ve been so lost!
Listen to frank when he says research before pulling the plug on a printer! It’ll save you headaches and people on Reddit ridiculing you for lack of knowledge.
What's happening right now is very similar to what happened 6 years ago when the Ender 3 came out. While creality didn't create that design of printer and took it from the Prusa i3, it heavily popularized it and made it accessible, and for years, there weren't a lot of major hurdles in innovation. Everyone was just trying to copy the Ender 3 and make their own cheaper version of it, with very few improvements if any.
Cant believe frank teased us about a new iron man helmet automation and then never released anything
You kids might not know this but back in my day you actually had to level the bed MANUALLY!
Get off my lawn!
I completely understand your comment. On my first day, we were all told "you aren't stupid, you're military grade stupid! There's a difference." I have a fairly decent bed slinger and I am so ready to upgrade to something bigger and better. I just wish my wallet was ready too. lol
Hi Frank! I am one of the noobs here! Got my X1C just after thanksgiving. I held off for a long time because as you said, I expected a use learning curve. My brother has had one for years (electrical engineer), and finally told me to get one and try it out. I probably would have been fine with the P1S but I figured if I am going to bite the bullet, might as well and get all the bells and whistles just in case I need it.
Well now I am learning fusion 360 and just finished printing my first Deadpool helmet! Your videos have been perfect for a noob like me to learn from and pay attention to the things that are important (sizing, cutting, etc). Thank you for your content!
The next step is hobbyist printers that can print at current quality levels with no supports
Andddd also a large build volume
I love my K1 Max. I was surprised, Frank, about the Bambu comments... I thought you loved the Creality... I pine for a Bambu Labs. And when they have a min 300x300 bed, I may jump.. But the expense...
I love that you don't fret the filament stuff. That helps relieve some anxiety. I don't get perfect prints; over/under extrusion, support ugliness, etc.. but I sand and paint anyway. Thank you for these videos! Happy New Year! I'm off to @UncleJessy to watch his rant!
Man I could not upvote this fast enough! 😂 my first printer was a Monoprice which was a Makerbot Replicator clone. Fun times
I can’t argue that the K1 is just a clone, but the price point, familiarity and the option of a bigger build plate is what has kept me with Creality. Bambu seems to have really taken the industry by storm, and with option like the A1 mini, are opening up to a wider audience thanks to the price being more accessible.
I’m pretty sure I’ll be staying with Creality for the foreseeable future, but mainly because I like the idea of watching over and controlling all my printers from one app 😂
With creality's shortcomings considered they do tend to have more options when upgrading in the future and third party replacement parts availability. Bambu is so proprietary. And things like that "night of the living printers" a couple summers ago where peoples machines started running jobs on their own.
I just got my first X1C and I love the screen so much and the bed checks are amazing... Exactly as you say it's stupid easy these days lol .. my first printers never worked well lol my how the times change quickly. Love your stuff Frank keep up the great stuff.
I’ve been interested in the hobby for a while, finally got my bambu a1 for Christmas thanks to your videos, loving it so far!
I was telling my group of friends the same thing about accessibility when I purchased my first K1 Max. I said 3D printers are going to be like microwave ovens in a few years. Everyone will have one and wonder how we ever lived without them.
Love that your example from boot camp included the "command/knife hand" 😂😂
ive been printing for 5 years maybe..? if i cant figure something i literally google my question and 99% of the time if you just google it, it'll pop up.
Being able to just print - SUCCESSFULLY - from your phone - game changing.
I like your channel frank because it's more about props than 3D printing, the only 3D printing channels I follow are makers muse and zach freedman.
this is so weird because i was literally just telling my buddy this exact thing last night.
3d printers today are stupid easy to get into
That's the frustrating part is no one besides you that tells people to do so research to know things before just going on facebook or whatever platform the post on and post a pic and say it failed what do I do? When asked what have you tried and they come back with "That's why I'm asking" 😡 All the newbies that get into the hobby must make some effort on at least some terminology, I've followed from your beginning and I've learned so much but I didn't flood your inbox with all the questions I had i researched them but if I didn't find an answer or if something didn't quite sound right then I'd ask. Seeing where you first started to where you are now I can't wait to see what the future brings. Keep up the GREAT work
Been 3d printing for about 3ish years now and finding your TH-cam channel has helped me so much with many of my cosplay projects ive learned so much just from my own trial and error and watching your videos its been a great ride and hell even the shortish amount of time ive been doing the hobby the tech has gotten so much better im using the elegoo neptune 3 max currently it does the job but i definitely wanna try and get a k1 max sometime in the near future or something similar wish you the best frankly
Looking at his chair. That is a guy who keeps cats out of the room. If he has cats.
No cats
Hi Frank, I've been 3D printing for fourteen years.
Known that 3D printing is easier, it would be nice to see some more easy CAD programs. I don’t mean dumb down to really basic stuff, but a program with a modular building style. Example: I want to build an RC car; the car needs to be X size with wheels and other parts that have parameters that change the size or shape of that object along with a wide list of off-the-shelf parts. And at the end, the process gives a bill of materials list along with possible trusted suppliers. And yes, I know learning CAD is not that hard; I’ve been doing it for almost 3 years now. It’s just sometimes a perimeter-made part somewhat faster if the part I need isn’t super custom and not available online. It can be Similar fusion 360 thread tools
Respect. I cannot agree more about doing a bit or research before asking "stupid" questions.
So you're saying I got a 3d printer like 2 years too early, max. That's rough
Firstly, that sticky note wasn’t level. Second, I started getting into 3d printing with the ender 3 pro. I still have it and even though I don’t print much with it, I love tinkering with it every now and then
Best Buy is good, but i suggest microcenter cause they have a huge filament section next to their 3d printers
0:45 if by "don't need to do all these little self-checks" you mean the calibration and vibration compensation that the printer *should* run, your bed plates probably look like Swiss cheese?
I mean do them manually. The machines do it all now
@@FranklyBuilt ah, then yes, you don't have to adjust screw, shove paper, adjust screw, shove paper 500 times.
Yeah it’s nice lol
I purchased my first non ender3 in 2025. I started with a E3v2 for Christmas around 5 years ago when it was new, then bought a $99 ender3, and got to know my way around them modding them . Then for the next 4 years i would stalk FB marketplace looking for people who got an ender for Christmas and can’t make it work so they sell them cheap and ended up with 4 ender3s and 3 E3V2s and still love them but…. They are tiny except the one I put the ender extender on.
I want an Ironman suit after watching all your videos and the Starboost just can’t be sliced right to fit and not mess up the hexagons so I bought an artillery x3plus. All 8 of my printers have cost me less money total than 1 X1C and I can print 8 parts at once…
I absolutely love my Bambu P1S easily the best printer I’ve ever owned and I’ve had 7 different printers. Looking at the build I think a lot of other manufacturers use the same parts.
I got so tired of working for my printer. My first one was the infamous Anet A8 nearly a decade ago. Don't get me wrong, I learned basically everything about troubleshooting and modification from that thing, and now it's a 5W laser engraver. My X1C and Flashforge 5M Pro have done more prints in the last 3 months than my other printers combined did in 7 years. I can actually spend time designing things instead of wasting time messing with printers. I can finally use my printers as the tools they are instead of engineering projects that others had supposedly completed.
Slaps Sticky Note, "Is it level?" 🤣... Lots of great points in here! I learned a lot from you myself when I was first getting into the hobby, but made it more difficult on myself getting an Ender first. You learn though
Just out of curiosity, are you ever going to do any resin printer videos? I watch your videos because they’re informative and entertaining, but I do zero FDM printing. It’s all resin. 😎
Sometimes yeah
Bro the thumbnail caught me off guard
I do have a Prusa Mini but after seeing how stupid easy the Bamboo printers are, it is really making me want to upgrade to one of those.
I want to see a fully 3D printed Power Rangers armor suit.
Thank you for the video, I have done 3D printing 10+ years, it is exactly the same as IT in terms of new people asking questions. People ask the exact same question endlessly without researching, as you said I will happily help those who put in the work to use search, too many people expect no effort instant answers, Google has trained many people to expect this in all aspects of life imo.
I also get the feeling some 3d printing TH-camrs already have a new Bambu model and/or specifics about it but have an NDA. Also like IT! :) Looking forward to seeing what is out there in 2025, I am expecting my 7th printer and first Bambu, the A1 combo, Tuesday. I would definitely like to see a lot more innovation, hopefully the new Bambu model has some.
The only thing left for the printers to do it is be baby smooth and paint and weather things for us....
This is an outstanding video that needs to be shared with all the fb printing groups.
Don’t let me stop you haha thank you 🙏
Haha, now your a shill. How dare you!
Nowadays you can just put a question into google and most of the time it’ll be answered instantly with an answer like to Reddit or wherever. I think the innovation in itself has grown the hobby where you have a personal Frank to help you 24-7
i've been in the hobby for 7 months, tinkered for 5 months, now printing 1.2ft figures for friends/family (christmas) n such
I’ve had my X1C for about six weeks now. It’s so much better than my Snapmaker.
As someone who had to build a ender 3 and the amount of curse words and energy drinks I went through with it I’m glad the printers are getting smarter. I wish they had built in Filiment welders to save me time and money but honestly from the days of getting a index card out I’m glad it’s at least a step forward
2025, try to do a omnitrix from ben 10
or that superior ironman suit on Do3d
I see value in the learning struggle of the ender. Now when my bambu screws up, i already know how to fix it
I hate how easy it is now !! I started with the cr-10s and used to feel like a nerd 😂
You mentioned all the clones. FLSun is at least continuing to innovate with the delta printers. I have a T1 pro that has been impressive in its speed and accuracy. It’s not the be-all for everyone, but at least it shows some variety.
I got my Ender 3 V3 this Christmas, and I absolutely love it!!
My first printer was the ender 3 and now I have a k1, im on my way to get more..I first saw your videos on tic Tok that how I get into this! It’s the best hobbies I have done
I absolutely love your channel. it helped me grow so much in my 3d printing journey. Now i just need you to make terras keyblade so i can see how its supposed to be done😄
😂😂😂 bro, I love this content. 👏 👏 I'm aiming to get my first 3D printer, and I totally agree about the whole hey put in the effort.
I want to make mark 39 suit but repainted to match the color of a dragon from a book series
Back in my day we cut our own extruder hobb gears by hand.
JK, that was the barrier to entry I never got past in the early days. The Ender 3 is what it is because it lowered the barrier of entry significantly and the Bambus have done it again.
3d printing was something I had been looking into for a few years and finally pulled the trigger and brought a k1max now had it a week I was doing research for a few days before I even brought it and even still now I am looking at everything always room to improve what I'm learning even if it's something small that may get overlooked. I am now considering on purchasing another printer to the 1 I have and looking at a bambu labs printer just to expand what I'm learning with another brand
I do agree it has become stupid easy.. Issue is people that do not have a clue on how dangerous this "hobby" is should not be doing it. yes I will say it.. people have yet to figure out how to search for information in issues... they simply think that asking the same question 1000 other people have does get tiring fast. I have been printing for 4 years but I have experience with its toxicity. SLA and FDM.... I am actually trained in air quality monitoring. I also recommend people start looking at resources first such as reddit, discord.... then start asking questions on how it works, why it works, and then try the hobby.. Printing is not for same room printing. avoid this if possible... if you can not use air scrubbers and lots of fresh air.
Dang I was wanting to make a somewhat kinda rant video on asking questions with new people too. No need to now but it’s certainly frustrating at times with the same questions over and over with no research. I try to be nice about it but man people need to research more
Your the man who got me into 3d printing(thanks)
I just got resin printers for Christmas. I can't wait to use them and soooo many figures