I’m still relatively new to 3D printing, and I’ve exclusively printed in resin thus far. Mostly because I have aresin printer, but also because FDM prints come with all sorts of issues for the things I want to print.
I mostlyprint miniatures. I’ve recently bought the official STL files forTrench Crusade’sIron Sultanate faction. I’m going to be printing them in 32mm scale, so they’ll stand about three centimetres tall. When printed in resin, this isn’t a problem. But with FDM prints I’ve seen, layer lines are often visible. When your layers are a millimetre or two high, your 32mm miniature may be printed in 16 sections. This would look fine on a large-scale bust and can be rectified with post-processing, but on a tiny miniature? It’s obvious and unaesthetic.
Sanding, filling, and priming are all ways to counteract layer lines post-printing.
For me, 3D printing was a resin game. However, when my daughter was born I put my resin printer away. I didn’t want toxic chemicals around her in our small house, and it has stayed in its box since. While FDM printing isn’t without its hazards, there are fewer noxious fumes, and with proper ventilation, I was much more comfortable printing with her in the house. The one problem was that I’d have to relearn everything I thought I knew about 3D printing.
Elegoo Centauri Carbon Is The Perfect 3D Printer For Beginners
Luckily, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon is the perfect pickup for an FDM noob like myself. It’s easy to assemble, the instructions are clear, and the LCD touchscreen makes setting up the printer a breeze. The recommended settings and pre-installed STL files meant that I could start printing immediately. So I did.
I did no tweaking or tinkering, didn’t even look into the settings. I didn’t make any changes in Elegoo’s slicing software. I dropped the Benchy file onto the printer and pressed go.
It’s worth noting that you can physically transfer files to your printer via USB, but also can do so wirelessly via an online portal. This portal also allows you to check on your print from afar via the built-in webcam, change settings, temperatures, and even stop the print if something goes wrong. It’s perfect for assuaging those fears on a big job.
The Benchy printed perfectly. There are a few minor layer lines, but I was mostly impressed that I printed something the first time around. It took me a few weeks at least to get a decent resin print, and this worked right off the bat. After that, I got into the nitty gritty, started tinkering with layer heights and printing speeds, and smoothed that Benchy right out.
I quickly moved on to proper miniatures (sorry, Benchy), and the prints came out really well. When tinkering was necessary, it was straightforward and effective. The learning curve for the Centauri Carbon is more gentle than any 3D printer I’ve ever used, making it the perfect entry point into the hobby.
Printing Problems
My time with the Centauri Carbon wasn’t perfect. I came up against nozzle jams, I managed to mess up changing my filament, and the timelapse video function didn’t work. This is the nature of 3D printing.
However, every problem I came up against had a simple fix. Maybe it was following a YouTube tutorial, maybe it was using common sense or Elegoo’s support. In one instance, I needed a replacement part, which Elegoo’s support happily provided. Now I understand that I’m a journalist reviewing this product, so the support may be incentivised to go above and beyond more than for an average user, but my experiences were wholly positive.
In fact, the only downside of my experience with this printer is that the webcam doesn’t record video like it’s supposed to. It works to watch the print in progress, just doesn’t save the timelapse. I’m not too bothered by that overall, but it would have been nice to embed a video of the printing process in this article. Going forwards, however, it’s not a feature I’ll miss.
Elegoo has burst onto the 3D printing scene with a wide range of budget printers, but the Centauri Carbon might be the very best. This printer is feature-packed, easy to use, and perfect for anyone looking at dipping their toes into the hobby. For significantly less than the price of aNintendo Switch 2, you can print your own (legally distinct) Mario Kart World without any prior experience. If you have £300 to spend on a 3D printer, look no further.
