I tried this massive 3d printer so you don't have to

This 3d printer is massive! This is my first try with the Elegoo Orange Storm Giga, a 3d printer capable of printing 800x800x1000mm.

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[MyllerSWE]

Make large molds and cast concrete furnitures!

[AncientEgyptArchitecture]

Bless you.
I was a wood furniture designer/builder for 45 years. After being forced into early retirement I decided to try tackling printed furniture.
There is about as much to learn about printing as there is to learn about wood furniture building, and not much crossover between the two.
The first thing you must do is 'think out of the box' when it comes to designs, avoiding overhangs/ supports, 'joinery', and try to come up with one-piece solutions to furniture applications. It's not easy to switch over from woodwork thinking but you'll get the hang of it.
I realized early on that I couldn't really make anything from gluing together parts, so I purchased a Modix big60 for about what you paid for the elegoo. It's been a very reliable and flexible machine. I print mostly with a 1.0mm nozzle, sometimes a 1.5mm and sometimes a .8mm. I avoid infill when I can and rely instead on hollow parts with multiple perimeters and internal bracing/webs, it saves time and money and is pretty strong. I only use PLA for prototyping ideas and PETG when it's time to get serious. (The thing about PLA is that it sags and weakens over time, some of the large prints I did 5 years ago are starting to fall apart.) PETG is a little too flexible sometimes though.
I've experimented with CF/Nylon, ABS, PC, etc., and they are not cost-effective, plus they all require heated enclosures.
Drying your filament is essential, always take your spools down to 12-15% before you use them, and keep them in the dryrs when printing. I have several of the sunlu dryers, they work pretty well.
Calibration is crucial. Whatever printer you're using, flow rate, e-steps, clearances, temperature towers, experimenting with nozzles, temps and speeds is essential before you can get consistent results, and on a big machine, these factors are even more important to get properly sorted.
I abhor postwork. After 4 decades of woodworking I don't ever want to see another piece of sandpaper or finishing product. And this is one place where printing can be a boon, a properly designed project can come off the bed ready for use, which is just the way I like it.
The time factor is a drag, yes, but I just turned out a pair of very nice loudspeaker enclosures with double walls that I filled with fine sand, and not only are they stylish but the sound in amazing, and REW software measurements show that they are as accurate as any production examples under $6000 a pair. Yes, They took 400 hours to print, but a pair in plywood or MDF made to the same standard of function would take a comparable amount of days because I can print 24/7 but only work 12/7.
I prefer matte filaments to gloss, they hide the layer lines/imperfections better. And even though printers x, y or z can supposedly print at 300mm/second, the basic rule remains, slower means better quality.
As other posters here have commented, making casting molds is another excellent technique and has the advantage of multiple copies being produced from a single print run ( sometimes! ) I considered casting my speaker enclosures from hydrostone, but in the end I just printed them because it was faster. ( I am not always a very patient man )
I also weigh in at 300 pounds, so designs that will keep my butt off the floor will pretty much work for anyone.
So keep working on it, if you want to discuss anything just contact me through my channel.

[iseverynametakenwtf]

2:55 pro tip, you can unpack the box and carry the pieces in one or a few at a time, you don't have to keep it in the box.

[pfabiszewski]

Actually, increasing number of walls might help more than addng the infill :)

[DThird]

As someone who has a company for 3D printing, we actually are planning to get a large-size printer but the main use of such machines is not making or competing with regular furniture. We make custom-made products for our clients and when we make a design, it is unique and personal for a specific customer which makes it worth much more than a regular product that can be found on the shelf. And, using wood filament to make an actual chair is not ideal since most additives to filament will weaken it. A common good material for these applications is ABS-GF or PP-GF. These materials are fantastic, strong and rigid and will be suitable for furniture making.

We have our eyes on Mingda industrial printers (the 1m ones) which are enclosed and are suitable for engineering materials. The Elegoo orange is fine for basic materials it seems but lacks the potential for better materials ESPECIALLY at this scale things go wrong quickly and you need a stable environment to print your parts in. The Elegoo orange is cheaper though :)

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[georgeedmonds]

Part of the benefits here would be printing geometry that would otherwise be too complex or time consuming to create in any other way. For example rather than using to print a chair that could be created using wood and "traditional" joinery, creating a chair that is designed from the ground up to get the full benefit from 3d printing - the design of the chair could be truly unexpected and interesting as it's not informed by tradition or the limitations of traditional woodworking. Great video 😊

[brucen]

Love your humor, especially the look of true anguish as you sat on the chair for the first time. And how you did the wrap up of a video on 3D printing stools and chairs by sitting on the floor. And yeah - I am also glad to see that woodworkers still have a place in the world. :-)

[paulforester]

What I would print with something that big,
Custom car parts,
Speaker boxes.
Guitar pieces (Neck and Body),
Custom bicycle rims,
Tabletop arcade cabinet,
Giant bender the robot, and giant human skull.
Just a few ideas off the top of my head.

[MichaelTavel]

Seeing the model of that chair rail in the slicer on the Elegoo bed and then the Bamboo bed was amazing! That Elegoo is MASSIVE!

[wyblackwolf]

I can see cosplayers having a field day with this printer. They already use 3d printing quite a bit, but with this they could make stuff as one whole piece instead of a bunch of smaller pieces glued together for the most part.

[bisk]

INLAYS IN CABINETS/DRAWERS WOUD BE SICK like 80x60cm drawer inserts in one piece would be so clean

[AlexRojas-dbyd]

Wow. It can print entire Swedes. That's truly remarkable.

[ElementsWoodworking]

One space tip, open the box outside, and carry the pieces in? Then you only need the assembly space inside. You know, when it's NOT snowing. // The value add is when the price point is high, not low. Say, 3d printing yourself a coffin. Those things are stupid expensive. Or, body kits for cars, where customization is worth the money, and they are essentially non-structural. Great video!

[davers]

Id be interested in printing the stool hollow then filling it with something. Resin or even a thin concrete might be interesting. I realise it would require design of the internal structure but would be a very interesting build method. Also in only creating an outside layer it should use less pla.

[jeffwalker]

As a Doctor Who fan, I would use this to print a full sized Dalek. Even at the size of the printer, the Dalek would have to be broken down into sections to be assembled after the print is finished.

[theo]

I like your video, thanks for doing this.

You could use the print parameters used by VORON for your designs. Those are really stiff and it should be the right amount of walls, infill etc.

[vellcet]

You could print jigs and templates to use with your router for wood projects.

[garageavenger]

Great video Pierre, I was very skeptical about 3d printed furniture. now I'm even more skeptical LOL

[naromsky]

Finally, I can 3d-print a 3d printer.

[andrewsimpson]

Would love to see you make a few fun garden items like statues and bird baths. Possibly even a post box or sundial