ANET A8 3D PRINTER FROM GEAR BEST - REVIEW
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If I was to say my experience with 3D printing was limited that would be an understatement! I’m a complete novice with absolutely no experience with 3D printers and the fact that I was able to take this Anet A8 3D printer which comes disassembled and successfully build the printer says a lot for not only the design but also the instructions that go along with the printer.
The printer arrived from GearBest.com and it came well packed, however… when it arrived in Australia the customs department decided to inspect the package and let’s just say it didn’t get repackaged properly. Fortunately it still arrived undamaged and I immediately opened the box and placed all the parts on the dining room table.
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ANET A8 3D PRINTER
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Be sure to check out the video of the Anet A8 in action making a HO Scale water tank.
Many of the models that I will be making using this 3D printer will be primarily for adding details to my HO scale model train layout as well as adding detail to my scenic dioramas. If you want more information about the Anet A8 and pricing information you can see these links for the latest and best price:
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The instructions for building the printer are all available on the supplied micro SD card however they are also easily accessed on line through their YouTube channel, an adapter for connecting the Micro SD card to your computer is also supplied. I should also mention that all the tools required to make this printer are supplied (Spanners, Screwdrivers and Alan keys), all you need is a computer.
Micro SD card with USB adapter
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Tools supplied with Anet A8
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In total it took two evenings to build the printer but if you started building in the morning you could have a fully functional printer by the afternoon! The instructions are well put together, the videos are easy to follow and should you have any problems the customer service is fantastic, they answer their YouTube comments promptly.
Carefully building the printer
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Once the printer has been built you’ll need to follow the ‘Set Up & Debugging’ video to configure the printer ready for your first print.
The Micro SD card has the necessary programs installed that will enable you to prepare the models you download from the internet and make them ready to print with your 3D printer.
The program they include is called ‘CURA’ however after watching a couple of different reviews about programs for preparing 3D files I decided to use a program called ‘Slic3r’. Both programs perform the same function so you can use either one. |
With that installed all I needed now was a model to download and print. For that I headed over to ‘Thingyverse’, you really need to check it out to see what it’s all about. Basically people make 3D models and post them there for people to download and build.
However if you want to build your own models you’ll need a design program, I have found ‘TinkerCad’ to be quite useful and I highly recommend it as a starting point to experiment with building 3D models.
However if you want to build your own models you’ll need a design program, I have found ‘TinkerCad’ to be quite useful and I highly recommend it as a starting point to experiment with building 3D models.
In either case, whether you download a model or build one yourself using a 3D design program you’ll need to save it as an .stl file. Then load the .stl file into the 3D slicing program I mentioned earlier (CURA or Slic3r, both free), then export the file as g-code to the Micro SD card. This card will be inserted into the 3D printer.
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To have successful prints the first time I found the build plate needs to be almost perfectly level, this isn’t overly difficult but does require some patience. I did notice when I used the printer for the first time the build plate had a very slight dip in the center. It’s made of aluminium and as I would expect, it is not perfectly flat. I managed to fix this problem by using a 6mm thick piece of glass and used bull dog clips to fix the glass to the build plate…. Problem solved!
I had the glass cut exactly to size at a local glazier and I got them to trim the corners of the glass so I would still have access to the leveling screws. That’s the only modification I made to the printer.
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Glass Panel - 20 x 20 cm
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Leveling screws still accessible with glass panel in place
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Glass panel held in position with clips
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Nozzel only 0.2mm from build plate measured with a piece of paper
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Now I’m ready to print, I used ‘TinkerCad’ to make my water tank, I loaded it into ‘Slic3r’ and exported it as a g-code and saved that to the Micro SD card. Next the Micro SD card gets pressed into the printer, the printer is turned on and the model is loaded and starts printing.
Just a quick side note, there is no on and off switch. Basically the printer is turned on once it’s plugged into the wall and the wall switch turned on.
Also for Australian users, there is no option when ordering for an Australian plug. Only EU, China and US so you’ll need an adapter to be able to plug it in. Additionally the power pack is 220 volts and as you know Australian mains run at 230 volts, this is no issue and the printer runs perfectly fine plugged straight into the wall with no transformer necessary.
Also for Australian users, there is no option when ordering for an Australian plug. Only EU, China and US so you’ll need an adapter to be able to plug it in. Additionally the power pack is 220 volts and as you know Australian mains run at 230 volts, this is no issue and the printer runs perfectly fine plugged straight into the wall with no transformer necessary.
Blue PLA used for printing. 1.75mm diameter
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My first print went surprisingly well, I left all the settings in default and used PLA filament to print with. The printer accepts 1.75mm filament, ABS or PLA.
Print settings are adjusted in the slicing program, ‘Slic3r’ in my case or ‘CURA’ and they are saved to the specific model when you click export g-code. Print settings make a big difference in final quality and I was fortunate that the default settings in Slic3r worked very well with the PLA filament I used. If you find your prints aren't coming out well you may have to change some settings in your slicer program like extruder temperature or layer height to get the best print.
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Printing of the water tank took approximately 1 hour with a layer height of 0.1mm
I was totally amazed at the quality of my first print, I had initially set my expectations quite low as I had seen some pretty bad 3D printed models previously and didn’t want to get too excited however once I saw how the very first model came out… I was sold.
It’s by no means perfect but the models have a bucket load of potential and it doesn’t take much preparation to turn a pretty good looking 3D printed model into a fantastic model that I’d be happy with putting on my model layout simply by sanding away the imperfections.
It’s by no means perfect but the models have a bucket load of potential and it doesn’t take much preparation to turn a pretty good looking 3D printed model into a fantastic model that I’d be happy with putting on my model layout simply by sanding away the imperfections.
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As you can see, the water tank came out looking quite good. The only issue I noticed was not in the printer but in the designing program. TinkerCad doesn’t create perfect circles rather it creates hexagonal shapes to make rounded objects, this shows very slightly in the 3D print however with a better 3D design program, you’ll be able to print flawless circles with the Anet A8. ‘Blender’ is one such program, it’s free to use however there is a steep learning curve which is why I’m yet to really get involved in building complex models.
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0.1mm layer height. Very fine detail
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In terms of using this printer for model railroading… I’d say yes, there are many areas of use that I could see this being useful for model railroading. Not only for scenic details but also for control panel design, making card holders for operations, tortoise switch mounting designs, lift out guide rails just to name a few and also one I’m working on now is a gearing system for animating a fence on my layout.
I also used the printer to make some non railroad related things like a chip clip which has already become very useful and an ornament of a ship wheel which is actually printed using a wood filament (Wood Filliment from GearBest.com).
I also used the printer to make some non railroad related things like a chip clip which has already become very useful and an ornament of a ship wheel which is actually printed using a wood filament (Wood Filliment from GearBest.com).
Water tank finished with light sanding, steel wool and a light coat of paint using an airbrush
CONCLUSION:
This printer is great for anyone who has a remote interest in 3D printing, the kit build design of this printer not only helps keep the cost down but it also gives the builder a very good understanding of all the separate components which in turn will help you truly understand you 3D printer much better!
The assembly instructions are simple and very easy to follow and the customer service is fast and reliable. I asked a question by posting on their YouTube video and I had a response within 2 hours.
The assembly instructions are simple and very easy to follow and the customer service is fast and reliable. I asked a question by posting on their YouTube video and I had a response within 2 hours.
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The information about how to use your printer once it has been built was a little hard to find but there is plenty of information online helping with this area and once you get the few basic steps figured out you will have no problems using the printer.
The build plate had a slight dip towards the middle that resulted in a couple of prints not adhering properly to the build plate, although this was initially frustrating I found the fix was very easy. The glass panel was quick and easy to order from the local glazer, it cost $10 and now I have a perfectly flat surface across the entire build plate. |
Anet A8 circuit board
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Water tank before painting
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The quality is amazing! It certainly exceeded my expectations. It’s by no means perfect and sometimes I might have to restart a print due to an incorrect setting (Usually the fault of the user) but even the bad prints look good. And for model railroading, it certainly has its uses. It’s great for items that don’t have to be absolutely perfect like water tanks for example and some buildings and sheds however for models that require a flawless finish then you might need to look for another option on those details.
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Calibration Cube
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Chip Clip.... wow this was amazingly useful :)
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Ship Wheel made with wood filament PLA
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I definitely recommend this to other model railroaders and modelers alike, it’s definitely worth the money and you’ll find many other uses for the printer not just for model railroading.
If you’re interested, my printer came from GearBest.com here is a link to the printer below, and there is also a link to the wood filament however the link directs to the 3mm width filament, you’ll want the 1.75mm filament should you choose to purchase this printer.
Cheers
Luke
Cheers
Luke
BUYING INFORMATION:
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http://goo.gl/HEi9pI - Anet A8 3D Printer
http://goo.gl/dsE6Yd - Wood Filiment 3mm Diameter (be sure to get 1.75mm if ordering the Anet A8). http://goo.gl/1xE85z - Gear Best Main Website |