TOPIC:

Hallo, I read some post how I can make parts for my Tamiya models with 3d printer. I am inexperienced about 3d printing, but I would like to start! Is 3d printing with plastic material enough strong for moving parts as wheels arms, bumpers or gears? Or Cnc is best? Is it a good choice starting with a 3d FDM/FFF/SLA printer or is better a small Cnc? Only for hobby....
Thanks

Hi Maucamo,
the answer is not simple and there is no one magic solution that would fit everyone, for you its really going to depend on what you want to make and achieve and your budget. CNC and 3D printing are certainly easier to access now, and you can make some very good parts with either technology. However depending on what you want to do, will govern which way to go, and you could be up for a steep learning curve. Not that I am trying to dissuade you though, it is fun and satisfying making your own parts, I do and I'm quite happy now that I'm starting to make my own replacement parts for my vintage runners.

As for CNC vs 3D printing, both have their places, and would really come down to what you want to do. I would say in general 3D printing is probably more immediately useful and you can make a broader range of parts, but you can make stronger parts with a CNC machine. I personally an at the point where I am making my own parts for a M01 Mini out of aluminium, hubs,, swing arms etc (and soon to try a gear box case!) but it has been a fairly long road for me, especially learning 3D modelling skills, but once I got to a certain point, things became easier.

So very general advice, I think the easiest way if you know nothing but want to try things, is buying a cheap Bambau Printer, maybe an A1 (there are many others though out there on the market, so this is by not means the only choice, but they have proven to be reliable, do your homework), and then download some 3D files and try printing them. You'd start by printing with PLA, easy to do, not always the best mechanical properties, but you have to start somewhere. Once you are ok with that, you can print better plastics,, like ABS or PA(nylon) etc, there is a lot available now.  You will though hit limitations with 3D printing at home. On the upside, if they break, you can print another one, and with careful design choices you can get something useful for most items.

with CNC, there are some parts you can make that you won't be able to with a 3D printer, chassis plates is one, in carbonfibre, pretty simple to do (you must take precautions though), and brackets etc are some other examples, I made an aluminium servo holder for a frog without having to 3D model it (I did have to draw it in a vector based graphics program though). You can also CNC without knowing any 3D modelling, but in both cases of 3D printing and CNC, knowing how to 3D model, even a basic knowledge, vastly increases what you can make.

Thank you, you were clear on my question.

Hi!
I've been exploring both over the last few years... Both are allowing to make parts. But the design of the parts and the experience needed is not the same.
3D printing works in additive more... You can pretty much do anything as long as you understand it is not possible to print in the air as this would require support and the ability to remove them.
CNC on the orther side is substractive and way more complex to deal with : it requires tight planification as you when you are working on a part, it generally have more than one side to work and it requires a good understanding of it as each face will be worked out separately...
Both technologies are complementary. You can do great thing with both. But I can't minimize the learning curves... It's probably way easier to start with a 3D printer, with donwloaded parts first, then learn to model in 3D (that is required for both 3D printer and CNC). Tools such as Tinkercad, Fusion360 or Onshape are generally good starting point for technical parts.
As my friiend yogi-bear mentions, a Bambu Lab A1 or A1 mini is a good starter printer. It won't be able to print high temperature material requiring an enclosure, but to start, PETG is a good goto material for RC...
Last suggestion : have a look at my threads here and it will give you an idea of the potential of both CNC and 3D printing...