3D Printers For Clay Cutters
I've been 3D printing for over 4 years now, and let me tell you!!! Finding the right 3D printer for printing clay cutters can feel SO daunting. So here are the 4 different printers I've tried, what I've loved, what I didn't love, and what I recommend you get.
Alright. Let's start with the best, ya know, just in case you don't have time to read through everything lol.
1. Bambu A1 Mini – The Very Best for Beginners!
I've had seven (YES. SEVEN, lol) Bambu A1 minis. I LOVE it. SO much. I can't sing it's praises ENOUGH. And no, unfortunately I am NOT an affiliate lol. But if anyone wants to let Bambu know I should be I certainly won't argue.
It's what most of my students use and love. My least favorite part of it (kind of) is the size. And I only had a problem with size once I wanted to make bigger things than clay cutters. But it can print a plate full of cutters in less than 6 hours depending on complexity and settings. It was SO fast in comparison to the 2 printer types I had before.
It also has a quick swap nozzle/hot end, which if you don't know what that it is, trust me, it's the best thing ever. If you plan on making super teeny cutters or super detailed cutters you're going to want a .2 nozzle and the A1 mini makes it so easy to swap back and forth between the .2 and .4 nozzle, because most cutters you won't need the .2 nozzle.
Setting it up is easy (pretty much just plug and play) and it calibrates itself so you can be printing within 30 minutes of getting it (no joke, I actually timed myself unboxing and setting one up in less than 30 minutes). And FRIEND HEAR ME WHEN I SAY...IT'S SMALL. Which means you can get more than one!!!! Honestly that sold me on more once I got my first one. It was like...half the size of my 2 other types of printers I had before it, faster, and even though it was smaller I wasn't sacrificing on production time (I used to sell clay cutters if you didn't know).
and lastly (and bestly) it's SOOO budget friendly in comparison to other beginner friendly 3D printers in the clay cutter world. Especially if you get it on sale. (I got my first one for $199!!!) So if you're looking for a sign to grab something, trust me, if you're a beginner and even if you plan on selling clay cutters, you will NOT regret grabbing this one. (and the re-sale value stays pretty high if you do regret it lol)
2. Bambu's A1 – For Those Who Want Cutters AND MORE
I only have one Bambu A1, and I don't plan on getting anymore. I do love it, it's great for big prints, BUT it's got more vibration issues and just doesn't create as nice cutters as the A1 mini. The difference is so slight but as someone who has printed hundreds and hundreds of clay cutters, there's definitely a difference. The bigger footprint is sad too lol. I made a comparison video if you want to check it out here :)
3. Prusa Mini+ – For The Tinkerer & Amazing Quality
The Prusa Mini was the second printer type/brand I had. And I went from a VERY difficult to work with printer to the Prusa Mini and I thought to myself "Why have I been struggling all these months!?". I did end up buying 3 of these and I loved them so much too, before I got my first A1 mini. They really are great machines!
I would say that if you love to tinker, want to know all there is to know about 3D printing, and love to pull your hair out in frustration (I kid, I kid! Kind of. lol) then this might be the way you want to go! The biggest draw back in my opinion is the price. BUT Prusa is well known for providing amazing customer service (bambu lacks here but like...their machines are so good I've almost never needed them in 2 years of using them) and they use high quality materials. They also make their machines so you can upgrade, add on, and customize to fit your needs/wants.
There is this really weird tension in the 3D printing community over Prusa Vs Bambu. I say you get what works best for you and your business. Most people reading this blog post will be most interested in saving time, money, and being able to make the unique designs they want to make. So while the Prusa mini+ is fantastic, the price and complexity is what keeps me from recommending this to artists in the polymer clay community. :)
You can grab it here though if you're interested!
4. Ender 3 – Best for The Tinkerer who hates themselves and is on a budget :)
I got three of these, and while I have a certain sentimental love for them because it was my first printer, I never EVER recommend it to anyone lol. Those printers (yes all three of them) had me pulling my hair out, crying, and rethinking my entire business & life lol.
However, I learned a LOT because of this printer. It's how I'm able to provide such great printer support/troubleshooting, not just design help. I learned the ins and outs of a 3D printer and put each one together myself. I hated them, but also I'm grateful for them.
I don't want to speak on any positives of this printer because I think you'd email me with a single line "I hate you and you stupid printer blog" after you got it.
Seriously. Just don't.
BUT JUST IN CASE YOU DO WANT TO LOL
Why You Should Skip Resin Printers
I'm sure you've heard that resin printers give you some really awesome and sharp cutters, but resin is SO toxic. You need quite the set up to do resin printing and preferably away from your living space. And with advances in 3D printing, you can now get SUPER sharp cutters with FDM printers too. If you're a beginner looking for an easy 3D printing set up you can have right next to your clay table, resin printing is NOT for you.
Save yourself the headache (literally.) and stick with the amazing FDM printers out there!
Are you ready to get started 3D printing clay cutters and wish you could get a fast track, easy way to get there? Check out my most popular resource! ---> The Cutter Maker Bundle!
