I’m looking into 3D-printing some props for a cosplay and stumbled upon a pretty handy listing on Etsy (if I’m not allowed to post the link, I’ll edit it out).

Now, I’m a complete beginner to 3D printing and know barely anything, so I’ve got a couple of questions.

  1. How safe is it to buy files off Etsy? Apparently, STL files are a little too large to be uploaded to Etsy, so upon making the purchase I’d get sent a txt file that includes a download link to the required files. Is that trustworthy?

  2. Are there any file types that I should steer clear off for commercial 3D printing places? I’ve got a place to go in my city, I think, but I’m not sure if there are any limitations to which file types can be printed at all.

  3. How likely is it that the arm prop won’t fit? The listing does not specify if there are different sizes, and I’m not sure if they are even needed in the first place. In case it wouldn’t fit out of the box, how difficult is it to scale the file to fit my arm proper?

  4. How expensive would printing be? Probably hard to answer unless I know where I’m going and what they are charging, but I’d imagine the cost of material is probably not too high, right?

  5. I think the seller also has the same files over on Cults 3D. Would buying there be preferable to Etsy for any reason (apart from pricing)?

That should be it. I hope my post is an ok fit for here - I’ll post somewhere else if it isn’t.

Thank you guys in advance!

  • Darrell_Winfield@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    2 days ago

    I haven’t purchased files to print at all, so I can’t answer about Etsy or Cults3D. However, I can speak to other aspects and hopefully drive up engagement to get someone who can help more in here.

    1: Dunno

    2: You’re probably fine to print most things. Probably nothing like nudity or sex toys (don’t print sex toys in general, but that’s a different topic), and then a lot will shy away from guns. Cosplay guns might be tolerated.

    3: This is a complex question. You need to know your print volume. All prints can scale, but if it’s wearable you probably aren’t going to be wanting to scale. Most creators, including that in your link, will piece out larger prints to accommodate this. I would reach out to the creator telling them your print bed size and intended use, and they might be able to adjust the sizes/pieces for you.

    4: filament is usually $20-30/kg. I can get a LOT of prints out of 1kg. And usually the creator or slicer will tell you the estimated grams.

    5: Can’t speak to this one. I think I recall some negative opinions towards Cults3D back in the reddit days, but I forget why.