Printer upgrade - Bambu P2S AMS2

It's hard to believe it's been over 10 years since owning my first 3D printer.

It all started with a Vertex K8400. Like most printers at the time, it wasn't exactly plug and play, but it hooked me immediately. Before long I was building RepRap machines with welded steel frames that I fabricated myself, experimenting with Anet A8s, moving through CR-10s, spending years with the Artillery Sidewinder X1, and eventually adding SLA printing to the workshop.

If you've been in the hobby for a while, you'll know every printer had its own temperament.

Some fighting you every step of the way, others needing another upgrade before you even really get it out of the box.

Those machines taught me far more than how to print plastic. They pushed me into CAD and design, electronics, mechanics, firmware, and manufacturing. Before I knew it, what started as a hobby had become another tool that helped shape my career.

The Artillery X1 deserves a lot of credit. It has been an incredibly reliable machine for me and has produced a lot of great parts over the years, but after spending so much time in a continual tinker stage - I was wanting something more.

That's what brought me to the Bambu P2S with the AMS 2.

I'm still getting to know it, but so far it has felt less like setting up another machine and more like adding another tool to the workshop. The printer, AMS, Bambu Studio and MakerLab all fit together in a way that lets you spend less time figuring things out and more time making something. It basically configured itself.

MakerLab has also been useful tool I've overlooked. AI-assisted tools that can turn an image into a relief, generate printable models, or help someone bring an idea to life don't replace learning CAD—they simply make creating more accessible. This is something I am looking forward in seeing my family gain further involvement.

So far, pretty impressive machine!