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!

  • jogaklaa@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    3 days ago

    1. & 5. I’ve never bought them off Etsy before, but it should be perfectly safe, especially with the reviews the store you’re looking at has. The main concern is how long the link will be available for. If you can I would get them off cults, they host the files and 3D files is their entire business. I’ve used them before and have had good luck with the files. Doing a quick Google I’m not seeing this user on cults though so you’re probably stuck with Etsy, but that should be fine.

    2. The easiest file type for printing is .STL and pretty much any print file will already be in that format. You should be good considering this was made to be 3D printed on an Ender 3.

    3. Only the arm piece I’d be worried about not fitting on a print bed, it seems a bit long. Bit the listing does say it fits an ender and specifies the volume of that printer which is a pretty standard volume. You’ll want/need multiple print batches to get everything done but you’d want to do that anyways.

    4. I think most professional places charge based on time and material used. I honestly couldn’t say how much that would be. I think a decent amount of the online print shops have a quote estimate to give you an idea. You also might live in an area with a library/community maker space with printer you could rent, they tend to only charge for material (kilo is $15~20) but it might be a little harder for a good quality print of the bigger pieces. They’d also have people there you could talk to about the whole process which is always nice.

    One other thing you haven’t mentioned is post processing a 3D print. It’ll be a good amount of priming and sanding for that so be ready for hours of that.