Bambu Lab dropped a teaser this week that hit close to home. The R1, its first standalone laser engraver and cutter, is arriving in September under the tagline "A new Ray of making." No specs or price yet, just a single beam cutting clean through a wood board in the render, but as someone who runs a laser alongside the printers I am watching this one closely. Meanwhile the budget multicolor printer fight keeps heating up, with Elegoo and Anycubic both pushing enclosed CoreXY machines under 700 dollars that would have been unheard of a couple years ago.
Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo
Elegoo's new Centauri Carbon 2 Combo brings four color printing to an enclosed CoreXY machine for 449 dollars, using their Canvas system to handle color switching, filament loading, and backup spool swaps automatically. It also adds AI powered failure detection through the onboard camera and runs quieter than the original Centauri Carbon. For anyone who has been priced out of multicolor printing, this is the machine that finally makes it approachable. I would point a first time buyer or a parent setting up a family printer straight at this one.
Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo
Anycubic's answer is the Kobra S1 Combo, an enclosed CoreXY printer built around their ACE Pro system that can handle up to eight colors and prints as fast as 600 millimeters per second. It sits a step above the Centauri Carbon 2 in price depending on the color bundle you pick, but the speed and color count make it worth a look if you print a lot of multicolor props or cosplay pieces. My take: this is the machine for someone who has outgrown a single color printer and wants speed as much as color.
Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set
The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set is still one of the fastest ways to get a miniature from bare resin to tabletop ready. Ten already thinned colors with the shading built in, so you basecoat and it does most of the shadow work for you in one coat. It will not replace full layering on a display piece, but for batch painting army units or knocking out a commission queue faster, it earns its spot on the bench. I keep a few of these bottles next to my primary paints for exactly that reason.
Elegoo Wash and Cure Station 3.0
The Elegoo Wash and Cure Station 3.0 is not flashy, but it solves the part of resin printing that actually causes problems, handling uncured prints safely. Sealed washing keeps isopropyl alcohol from evaporating into your workspace, and the UV blocking lid stops over 99 percent of ultraviolet light from leaking out during cure. Less wet resin on your gloves and fewer alcohol fumes in the air is the whole point. If you are still hand washing prints in a jar, this is the upgrade that pays for itself the first time you drop a hollow print. Mine is running nonstop right now curing a batch of head sculpts for the commission queue.
That's Maker Monday
That's the maker world for this week. If any of this got you thinking about a custom print, paint, or engraving, come see what we make on the commission page. See you next Monday.
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