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2016/02/18

<issue_start>username_0: I am considering buying a 3D printer for work (scientific research). On paper, the Makerbot 5th generation seems to be the best option, because the price is right for my budget, and also because I'm generally pretty busy, so I want something that's as close to "plug and play" as reasonably possible. This will be my first 3D printer and I have no prior experience with the technology. However, any search for "Makerbot" brings up a raft of negative reviews from around the time of the 5th generation's first release, which mostly focus on issues with the smart extruder constantly failing and needing to be replaced under warranty. Many of these reviews point out that this may be an initial "teething" issue which might be fixed in later versions of the model, but now, one year later, I'm unable to find any information about whether this was indeed the case. So: are the initial issues with the Makerbot 5th generation's smart extruder generally considered resolved, or is it an underlying flaw of the model that won't be fixed until the next generation? I imagine that people might want to suggest alternative models in the same price range. That would be welcome, but I have an extra constraint, which is that I can only buy models that are available in Japan without a long delivery time - this probably limits my options quite a bit.<issue_comment>username_1: I got (with no prior experience) a 5th generation model soon after its release and indeed had painful troubles with the extruder and had it replaced under warranty. Firmware from late 2014 on has produced much better results. It still needs far more work than -- say -- a laser printer, but that might be simply part of the technology. Overall thus my answer is "yes". I also just noted this week that Makerbot is about to rebase an improved Extruder+ that claims to further reduce clogging problems. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Makerbot claims the problems are fixed. I have heard from a number of resellers that the problems are fixed. Unfortunately, both of those are somewhat biased sources. It's surprisingly hard to get good info on the subject -- very few credible people are talking about recent experiences with the product line. **Issue #1:** The main surviving user forum (<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/makerbot-users>) has had the torrent of people reporting 5th gen issues more or less dry up. There ARE still people posting issues, but at a fairly low level that is not far outside what you would expect for an average hobbyist printer. What we DON'T know is whether the flood of complaints has slowed because they're working better, or because very few people are actually buying them any more. **Issue #2:** The power-users and community leaders that typically evaluate and review 3d printers are all avoiding the 5th gen line like the plague. Makerbot burned up a lot of community good-will by going closed source with the Replicator 2, and lost more good-will through a series of misunderstandings over patent applications and the Thingiverse terms of service (Takerbot scandals), and put the nail in the coffin by **knowingly** releasing a non-functional 5th gen product line. Very few credible people are willing to give them a chance at this point, so there is a severe shortage of unbiased reviews. **Issue #3:** Makerbot has a proven history of buying off journalists and reviewers to get positive 5th gen press. Some verifiable examples: * Hundreds of fake 5-star Amazon reviews from paid review accounts. A relevant analysis: <http://www.amazon.com/review/R2JI8LRRXZYNX1/> (Not verified, but related: a widely-believed rumor states that the German Amazon site actually wiped all of Makerbot's 5th Gen reviews because of blatant tampering: <http://www.amazon.de/MakerBot-MP05825-Replicator-5th-H%C3%B6he/dp/B0183TP806/>) * The CES awards initially given to the 5th Gen line were given before Makerbot had functional firmware. None of the 5th Gens at the CES launch were functional. All demo prints shown were made on Replicator 2s. How could a non-functional product win awards? Not hard to figure that one out. * Historical positive press in the 3DP journalism media (3ders, Make Magazine, etc) has been directly proportional to the volume of ad-buys from Makerbot or the parent company Stratasys. I could keep going, but you get the idea. So it's hard to evaluate the reality of the situation. **But even IF the Smart Extruder issues are truly all fixed** (jams, leveling issues, thermocouple connection, filament encoder failures, etc), **there are still meaningful problems with the product line.** * The print quality is not impressive. The motion mechanics, which have not been appreciably changed to my knowledge, are not great. The Smart Extruder is basically a giant pendulum wobbling off the side of a non-optimal gantry selection of an H-bot architecture. Makerbot has addressed the floppy construction via firmware tweaks to significantly slow down the machine to give marginally-acceptable print quality. According to most reports I have seen, a Replicator 5th Gen will print significantly slower than a Replicator 2, for example. Expect in the neighborhood of perhaps 30-40% longer print times than comparable printers. * The price tag is roughly double or even triple the current market price for the size and print quality output of the machine. There are so many great printers on the market now for significantly less money that it's kind of nuts to drop the cash on a Makerbot. * It is marketed as a PLA-only machine. That's fine if you're printing art and trinkets, but it's not a great option for mechanical parts. While you CAN print other materials, this is not technically supported. * The support plan structure has quite frankly become abusive. Makerbot used to have really helpful phone tech support, but the crushingly massive volume of 5th gen troubleshooting requests forced them into a paid tech support model. Around the same time, Makerbot shut down their user community forum and deleted links to external technical resources off their website. So unless you know the right places to go, support is scarce. For official tech support you must buy "Makercare" or pay for each help ticket. This is completely out of line with industry norms for a hobbyist/consumer 3d printer. They essentially took their biggest liability -- unreliable printers -- and tried to twist it into a profit center. I personally think this is a significant reason to avoid the company entirely. Is it possible to get good results from a Replicator 5th Gen? Sure. But it's a poor value for the cost, from a company that has spent the last few years systematically driving away its former loyal user base. I would recommend staying away until there's some significant change in the product line at minimum. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I do not think the 5th generation is a reliable product. I think you are best going with the older Rep 2 - that printer is by far the best. Makerbot jumped the ship and released the 5th generation before it was ready due to pressure from the board. Love the Rep 2 - by far the best printer out there. This is because if the extruder gets clogged you can easily fix it. With the 5th generation you will either have to send in the extruder for repairs or buy a new one completely. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: **TL;DR** - Save your money and look elsewhere. --- We purchased two Replicator 5th generation for use on two different campuses. They were purchased at the same time. One of the units was defective out of the box and was sent back and replaced. Then the extruders became clogged again and again - on both campuses - through lighter than average use, I would say. We bought two new extruders, after we got as much use as possible out of the originals. Then of course they became useless. Tech support recommended purchasing the Smart Extruder+ at a premium price, with a promise that this would solve all of our problems. They did for a short while. I must point out that these printers were not under heavy use situations. Now, we have suffered a catastrophic failure with one of the printers. Possibly a power supply issue, or main board. Time will tell... Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: Realizing this question is somewhat old, I'd like to add an update from the perspective of an owner. I've used/tested the Smart Extruder+ on my Replicator+ for about a year now and have had great success! I jumped from a Replicator Dual (balsa wood version) to the Replicator+, so I don't know first hand what the issues were with the original Smart Extruder. Regardless, here are some of my impressions on the machine's Smart Extruder+: * Swapping material is a breeze * Calibrating the z-offset is much easier with the automatic adjustment (over older machines) * Filament detection has saved me a few times when the filament got kinked or wrapped around the spindle. As well as I'm able to actually fully use a spool of filament now (over older machines) * Temperature control seems to be much more consistent than older machines, but that typically stemmed from [motherboard issues in the past](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/339/makerbot-replicator-1-voltage-regulator-fix) * While others may complain about separating extruders based on material type (ie one for PLA, one for Tough PLA, etc.), I find it a great way of ensuring quality. This ensures that there is no "cross-contamination" of materials and the wear on the hardware is a more standard rate. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: I own a 5th gen printer and after teaching myself how to dismantle and clear the smart extruder of jammed filament I can attest to the machine working better than any other 3D printer I have used. I run the 3D printing section at Tampa Hakerspace and the MakerBot is much more reliable than the prusa or wanhao which we use at the space. I had problems with the machine initially but now it works like a champ Upvotes: -1

2016/02/20

<issue_start>username_0: I have a Printrbot Simple Metal. The extruder is getting clogged all the time. I went through the process demonstrated [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_qP5AsnQNQ) multiple times already. Heatting the extruder and pushing different tools all the way through to make sure it is completely clear. Every time I get a clear flow of PLA, and after a few minutes the extruder motor starts clicking again. At that point, it is even hard to push in the filament by hand. I replaced the tip already, but this didn't make any difference. I also tried few different filaments, all of them worked perfectly before. It feels like stopping the flow even for about 30 seconds would cause it to jam.<issue_comment>username_1: I'm not sure if this is particularly the issue for you right now, but I have encountered the tension on my drive gear being too high. Before I upgraded my extruder to the spring loaded mechanism, my extruder used a Delrin plunger to provide tension against the filament towards the drive gear. This plunger used copper washers to help adjust the tension required. Many people ended up upgrading their assemblies to the spring loaded mechanism as the plunger would either put too much or too little tension against the drive gear. Too little and the filament will not be driven into the hotend. Too much and the filament will grind against the drive gear and the drive gear may begin to "eat" away at the filament (especially when the filament becomes hotter). Obviously, if the drive gear is no longer able to catch on the filament, the nozzle will get clogged. However, even with a spring mechanism, your tension can become too high. Most of these mechanisms allow you to adjust the tension by tightening/loosening the screw holding down the spring. The "sweet spot" for me is just past when the filament can be successfully driven into the hotend. You can test this if you have control over your extrusion motor by removing the extrusion motor from its mount, leaving the spring mechanism installed on the face of the motor. Then, turn your motor on and try feeding the filament through the mechanism. Starting with no tension on the spring, begin slowly increasing tension by tightening the screw on your mechanism until the drive gear is successfully able to guide the filament through. I might even complete another half turn on the screw to account for varying diameters and plasticity states of the filament as it becomes hot. Hopefully this helps and please keep us updated on anything else you find. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This used to happen to me and my Simple Metal often. The jam was always caused by one of the following: * Feed rate too high (especially on solid layers or long lines) * Temperature too low * Nozzle pushing into previous layer, causing back pressure * Variance in filament diameter Personally, I have never printed at 195c. I'm always about 225 or 230. That may seem high for PLA, but then I have stopped having the issues after slowing the print and raising the temperature from 200. You want to strike the right balance between speed and temp. The slower the feed rate, the lower you can afford to lower the temperature. I think you should start by raising the temperature to 215 and slightly lowering the feedrate. Also, I have directed a fan at my extruder motor and filament as it enters the nozzle. Keeps the motor very cool and stops the filament softening too early. Is there a foreign object blocking the nozzle, or does it seem like the filament isn't heating up enough? Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I had a similar issue on my Printrbot Simple Metal. I believe my problem was initially caused by clogged nozzle which I replaced, however the jamming persisted. I can't say for sure that it was acting exactly as you describe but I think it may have been similar. I noticed that the little red insulating sleeve was pushed up higher than it was when I got it from Printrbot. When I lowered this my problem seemed to go away. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I found a solution to my problem, which is very similar to your! Ok, so first, this clog has nothing to do with the flow rate! speed, retraction, or acceleration! why? because if it under extrusion or over extrusion, the nozzle would spill more or less filament, but it would not make the extruder clog. To make it clog, there must be something that block the path which make the step driver couldn't push the filament through right? even using your hand. This problem is call "heat creep", especially if you print small detail things. This is because small details make the filament stay inside the nozzle longer, which the heat eventually make the filament swole up and block the path. To find out if your problem is cause by "heat creep" or not, try to print something small but tall and print something large overall. If it is heat creep, then the small but tall print would immediately clog your nozzle and make the step driver create click sound. If both print ( small and big ) take the same amount of time to clog your nozzle, then it may not cause by "heat creep". SO HERE the solution for "heat creep." First and the most important, replace your thermal barrier tube. Second, lower the temperature. Third, check the filament guide components such as the drive gear, bearing, and spring. For example, check the drive gear if it securely screw into the stepper motor. Lastly, check the fan, if it possible, install another fan to cool down the thermal barrier tube. In conclusion, replace your thermal barrier before doing anything else. I hope this help for you and for many other people! Alopicaso! Upvotes: 2

2016/02/23

<issue_start>username_0: One way to give PLA prints a smooth finish is treatment with chloroform vapours (or other solvents, as mentioned in [this](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/36/674) answer). This method is even featured on [Ultimaker website](https://ultimaker.com/en/tips-tricks/17897-vapor-treating). I would like to try it on some of my prints. What are the practical concerns I should be aware of using chloroform vapours? I am looking for advice concerning vaporisation temperature, time of exposition that makes for a nice finish, and any other experiences. **Caution!** [Chloroform](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloroform) is a moderately toxic chemical! I only approach this method as I have an access to a well-equipped chemical laboratory with a [fume hood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fume_hood). **Disclamer:** The question is not about the safety issues using chloroform vapours. It is about how obtain the best post-processing results with least trial-and-error.<issue_comment>username_1: [This Reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/25ej7d/does_anyone_have_experience_with_pla_thf_vapor/) seems to have some good trial and error dialog. [This Thingiverse post](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:73120), along with many other references online, suggest that the results are very similar to that of an Acetone treatment with ABS. I'm not familiar with the inner workings of how it works, but the general advice is to be conscious of what you're working with. A heat-induced vapor treatment seems to yield the best surface finish, but can be tricky to track down proper exposure times. It seems that the time required to achieve a desirable surface finish depends on the size and openness of the features on the object. By openness, I mean how evenly the vapor is able attach itself to the surface of the object as compared to other features. Some this variability may be reduced by streamlining the process. Perhaps if you found a way to rotate either the part or the vapor container during the process. This could ensure contact is made in small corners/features. Other variables to consider may be: * If a gradual reduction of exposure is necessary (as is with most heat treatment operations); * How much temperature effects time. Most pages I've read mention 100C as the temp to vaporize the chemical; * Size of the "vaporization chamber" in accordance with how much of the chemical is available. I've used a gallon paint can lined with lightly dabbed paper towel with Acetone for part between 1"^3 to about 4"^3. That's all I can think of, currently, that could potentially have the most impact on the process. Just as with 3D printing, there's not an easy way to definitively know how your parts will turn out. The sheer difference in the shape of your parts could throw out any "proven process" you come up with. Hopefully this gives you an idea of what things to look out for in starting out. *Here's information about safety, before OP added disclaimer* ~~As with any chemical, **always** refer to the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)! Whichever supplier you acquire the chloroform from, should ship an MSDS with the product. If one is not shipped, you should be able to request one. If they don't have one, don't use the product and don't purchase from them.~~ In most cases, you can get away with finding any MSDS online, but I'd recommend trying to get one directly from your supplier as they might theoretically have a different "strand" of the chemical. Therefore, reactions and safety precautions may be different than what you will find online. A quick search yields [this MSDS](http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927133) which states that chloroform does have "carcinogenic effects" along with some other long-term, undesirable effects. As with any other MSDS it continues to go over best-practices and extremity limits. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Beside vaporizing with heat, you can use an atomizer and do cold vapor. The time is around 1-5 minutes at 45ºC for a 10x10x20 mm piece like a Marvin or a bot. I have done only gangster tests with it, so I have no larger piece info. Passive vapor polish does not work with chloroform since it tends to crack. It needs a fast flash on the outside only. Upvotes: 2

2016/02/23

<issue_start>username_0: On a Cartesian printer movements are really simple. If we assume the printer has 100 steps/mm on each axis, then a move of 10mm on a axis is just 1000 Steps on that axis. Movements that are not aligned with one axis are also simple. Moving from x,y = 0,0 to 10,10 would be 1000 steps on x and y. On deltas even for simple moves more than one motor has to move. And just calculating the amount of steps on each axis needed to reach the destination probably gives a curved move. So what is the algorithm to calculate the steps for a given move for a delta printer?<issue_comment>username_1: I am describing how this is done in the Marlin firmware. The first step is to split a linear movement from (x, y, z) to (x', y', z') into many discrete segments. To this end, the amount of time the move would take at a given speed is calculated, and the value *delta\_segments\_per\_second* is used to calculate the number of segments used. This is done in the function *prepare\_move\_delta* in the file Marlin\_main.cpp. The endpoints of each of these segments is then passed to the function *calculate\_delta*: ``` void calculate_delta(float cartesian[3]) { //reverse kinematics. // Perform reversed kinematics, and place results in delta[3] // The maths and first version has been done by QHARLEY . Integrated into masterbranch 06/2014 and slightly restructured by <NAME> in June 2014 float SCARA_pos[2]; static float SCARA_C2, SCARA_S2, SCARA_K1, SCARA_K2, SCARA_theta, SCARA_psi; SCARA_pos[X_AXIS] = cartesian[X_AXIS] * axis_scaling[X_AXIS] - SCARA_offset_x; //Translate SCARA to standard X Y SCARA_pos[Y_AXIS] = cartesian[Y_AXIS] * axis_scaling[Y_AXIS] - SCARA_offset_y; // With scaling factor. #if (Linkage_1 == Linkage_2) SCARA_C2 = ((sq(SCARA_pos[X_AXIS]) + sq(SCARA_pos[Y_AXIS])) / (2 * (float)L1_2)) - 1; #else SCARA_C2 = (sq(SCARA_pos[X_AXIS]) + sq(SCARA_pos[Y_AXIS]) - (float)L1_2 - (float)L2_2) / 45000; #endif SCARA_S2 = sqrt(1 - sq(SCARA_C2)); SCARA_K1 = Linkage_1 + Linkage_2 * SCARA_C2; SCARA_K2 = Linkage_2 * SCARA_S2; SCARA_theta = (atan2(SCARA_pos[X_AXIS], SCARA_pos[Y_AXIS]) - atan2(SCARA_K1, SCARA_K2)) * -1; SCARA_psi = atan2(SCARA_S2, SCARA_C2); delta[X_AXIS] = SCARA_theta * SCARA_RAD2DEG; // Multiply by 180/Pi - theta is support arm angle delta[Y_AXIS] = (SCARA_theta + SCARA_psi) * SCARA_RAD2DEG; // - equal to sub arm angle (inverted motor) delta[Z_AXIS] = cartesian[Z_AXIS]; } ``` This function takes care of the delta geometry and calculations needed to convert the (x,y,z) coordinates of the segment endpoints to corresponding positions for the carriages. The translated coordinates are then passed to *plan\_buffer\_line*, which calculates the steps needed for each stepper motor and actually makes these steps happen. The exact kinematics used in this function are explained in much more detail at the [Marlin github](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/wiki/Delta-kinematics). What is important to note is that plan\_buffer\_line moves the carriages linearly, and the printhead thus describes an arc and not a straight line. A straight line move is thus approximated by many small arcs. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: There are two main special steps to the technique used by most open-source 3d printer controllers: 1. Divide each linear gcode segment into lots of very small subsegments ("Segmentation") 2. Use some basic trigonometry or the pythagorean theorem to tie extruder position to carriage height for each of the three towers ("Inverse Kinematics") to find the target position for each small segment The inverse kinematics are surprisingly simple. A virtual 90 degree triangle is constructed from two known lengths to solve for the unknown third length: * The fixed delta arm length is the hypotenuse of the triangle * The horizontal distance between the column joints and end-effector joints is calculated from the XY coordinates of the nozzle and the fixed position of the column, to determine the length of the lower side of the triangle * The length of the upper side of the triangle is calculated from the previous two via the pythagorean theorem * The length of the upper side is added to the nozzle Z height to get the necessary carriage height I think the best open-source reference here is <NAME>'s Rostock Kinematics document, rev3 available for download here: <https://groups.google.com/d/msg/deltabot/V6ATBdT43eU/jEORG_l3dTEJ> Some relevant pictures: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MxCMc.jpg) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/geOQI.jpg) These inverse kinematics calculations are performed for each carriage to get a "carriage space" target position, and this is performed for every path sub-segment. The results from these steps can then be reinserted back into the standard linear path interpolation techniques for the printer, in which it fires steps in the necessary ratios and at the necessary rates to produce the desired straight-line motion and acceleration/velocity profile. (How THAT is done is a different question.) The net effect is that the printer will move through a series of small "linear" carriage movements (linear meaning constant\* speed with respect to time) that collectively approximate the necessary curved (quadratic position with respect to time) carriage motions required to produce a straight-line end-effector move. \*(*Constant speed before acceleration slowdowns are applied in order to obey dynamics constraints, anyway. Again, that's the subject of a different question.)* Segmentation is very similar to the process of using a polygon to approximate a circle. If the facets are small enough, the polygon is a good approximation. Higher Segmentation rates produce less path-following error. The primary conceptual difference between drawing circle arcs and Delta motion paths is that the so-called "faceted arc" with Delta Segmentation is constructed in height-vs-time coordinates instead of the X-vs-Y coordinates you'd use to draw a circle on a computer screen. This system is used in large part because support for Delta style printers was originally bolted onto GRBL-based motion planners which were written exclusively for straight-line motion paths in Cartesian printers. It was a relatively minimal modification to the existing codebase compared to implementing full quadratic path interpolation. Techniques have evolved over the years. And alternate approaches are often used: for example, the dc42 fork of RepRapFirmware performs exact path-following without segmentation, by recalculating the proper time for the next step *after every step*. This is functionally equivalent to approximating a circle with a polygon facet count *so high that every pixel on the screen gets its own facet*. So it is exactly as accurate as the positioning resolution of the motors allows. The downside is that this segmentation-free technique is fairly processor-intensive, so it only works on relatively fast controllers, not the older 8bit Atmega AVR that powers most existing consumer/hobbyist printers today. Other techniques are possible. The academic parallel robotics control literature is a whole other world of mathematical techniques and complexity in order to produce generalized control algorithms that work for a wide range of robot mechanisms. The version we use in open-source 3d printers is quite simple and application-specific in comparison. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]

2016/02/24

<issue_start>username_0: Is there a definitive scalable 3D printer? I've seen examples of Chinese companies printing entire houses, and I'm curious as to printers / filaments that are intended (or at least able) be scaled up for (very) large print jobs. Since most hobby printers can take hundreds of hours for something that can still be held in our hands, so I'm curious if there are any designs for printers that are meant to extrude material efficiently with a easily scalable printing area. Open sourced / free is preferable; though I'm interested in **any** designs that exist, commercial included.<issue_comment>username_1: If I understand your question correctly, it sounds like you're looking somewhere within the [RepRap](http://reprap.org/) realm. The RepRap community is mostly responsible for the boom in consumer 3D printing in the past 10 years, and that's most likely because it's **open source**. RepRap designs are mostly dynamic (and most parts can be 3D printed), so you could theoretically build a larger frame for your machine and use a slicing engine that allows you to set the build volume. I believe [Slic3r](http://slic3r.org/) allows you to customize the build space, I'm not sure though. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: One big challenge with scaling anything up (or down), is that not all properties or characteristics scale linearly. Consider a trivial case: a small cube. If you double the size, you've quadrupled the surface area and octupled the weight. If you take a desktop-sized 3d printer design, and just double the size, it will weigh 8 times as much. But all the bolts holding it together are only 4 times as strong. So weight-bearing bolts are effectively under twice the strain (per unit of cross-sectional area); the exact factor depends of lots of things (orientation, leverage, etc). If you scale up by 10x, they'll potentially be under 10 times greater stress, and probably snap. Many, many parts will have similar issues: Drive belts that are twice as wide and twice as thick will still have 1/2 the (relative) strength -- and stiffness for the motors to overcome. The stepper motors have to move 8 times the weight, *and* you'll want them to move far, far faster. But steppers lose torque when you spin them faster. My main printer is pretty much a MendelMax 2, but the Y axis is about 6 times bigger (X and Z are normal). On MM2 the whole build platform moves along Y -- on my printer it weighs far more than on a regular-size MM2 -- it's 6 times the mass just because of size, besides that it has to be much stiffer to avoid sagging over that distance. I went to a larger motor, but it could still barely move the axis. I eventually got it to move at pretty normal speed, but to print long objects it really should be 6 times faster or so. That would require an amazing motor -- and really big electronics to drive it. Another challenge is the printing material -- 20mm diameter PLA fiber would be really impressive, but a little hard to find, and a spool would be hard to lift. The power needed to melt it fast enough would be impressive, too. Bridge and house printers I've seen in reports, use pumped concrete through about a 100mm wide nozzle (I have no idea what the nozzle is made of, to stand up to the abrasion). See [Watch this giant 3D printer build a house](http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-09/21/giant-3d-printer-builds-houses) for some cool pictures and video. Scaling up is a fascinating project -- but it's harder than it looks. Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: As far as I know, right now, all the "3D printers" that can print houses, bridges, etc. are experimental models (and sometimes, vey elaborate art projects) - they just don't exist except as one-off creations designed as a proof-of-concept showing this can be done. Maybe some of those project published their plans and code but they are not designed for mass production or general use, even if you manage to build another copy of one of them it will probably be able to print just the same project the original printed. You specifically asked about speed, material and build area: **Speed:** the speed really depends on the size of the printer's nozzle, the typical desktop printer has a 0.4mm nozzle, if you replace it with a 1mm nozzle the printer will be approximately twice as fast (1.25 nozzle area vs 3.14 nozzle area, assuming you have an hotend designed for larger nozzles that can melt the plastic fast enough). Now, the "house printer" does not use a standard desktop hotend (see material below) and buildings don't have fine details so you can make the head much larger. However, as far as I know the early prototypes are still much slower then conventional construction methods. **Material:** houses are typically not made of plastic, the printers I know of have welding equipment instead of an hotend and extrude steel There are probably other methods but I bet all of them use typical construction materials such as steel and not thermoplastic. **Size:** and last but not least, it's obviously not practical to build a printer with as house sized platform, the house printers are actually relatively small robots that travel across the construction project, leaving material behind them and then climb over the previous layer to print the next part. Upvotes: 2

2016/02/24

<issue_start>username_0: Our library system just put a 3D printer in one of the branches. I have used SketchUp on the library computers for a number of years just to do artsy things. Suddenly, I have the opportunity to actually print something. (I'm really not sure why the libraries have SketchUp installed. But, I have enjoyed using it.) There is a plug-in available for SketchUp so that it can export STL files. But, the security on the library computers will not allow me to put a file into the SketchUp plug-ins folder. And, the tech guy at the library doesn't think that the IT guys at the library will update all the copies of SketchUp at all the branches just so someone could do 3D printing. After doing some searching on this website, I found out that I could export a COLLADA / dae file from SketchUp. I would then import that dae file into Blender (The portable version on my flash drive). I could then export it as an STL file. The process appeared to work. I could see my test object in Blender. I gave the STL file to the branch manager who tried to open it in the Makerbot software so that it could be sent to the printer. But, it gave him a message about the file not being recognized. I am not familiar with all the details in the importing and exporting processes that are going on. Is there someone out there that can give me some help? One problem is that, I am using the library computers. I cannot alter them. I can use what portable versions of software are out there, like Blender.<issue_comment>username_1: Here is what I suggest you try. If you have a file that you can view/edit in blender I would export it as both STL and OBJ formats. Then take those files and upload them to Netfabb (<https://netfabb.azurewebsites.net/>) and get a "repaired" file. Have the library try again with the repaired STL and OBJ files. If this doesn't work try to get the exact error message/dialog that the makerbot software is giving them as well as the version of the software that they are using. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Makerbot will accept obj files also. Is there an error while importing the obj file? Also you can see errors of your imported file in your makerbot It will be marked in black. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pggIz.png) Please make sure your object is a watertight mesh. As I have seen its easy to make a surface model in sketchup. A 3D Printer cannot print something in surface. You can also try importing to netfabb to check if the part has errors in it. If you want a better modeling software, I suggest you to check out OnShape. Its a cloud based cad software. Its free as well. (10 private files, beyond that everything is public. 100$ per month i think) www.onshape.com Upvotes: 2

2016/02/24

<issue_start>username_0: When you cut or break a PLA model (for example to remove support) it often leaves an ugly while mark where the removed piece was connected. Sanding also tend to leave dull white scratches on the sanded surface. What can I do to restore the white areas to the original filament color?<issue_comment>username_1: A quick blast from a heat gun will very slightly reflow the surface texture and eliminate white marks. However, it's important to avoid over-heating the perimeter layers or you'll see them soften and sag into the infill. So wait for the heat gun to get fully hot and then use a short duration of high heat. Let the part cool between attempts if you don't get it all the first time, or need to clean up a large area. Incidentally, the heat gun will also help clean up strings from travel moves. Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: As suggested by username_1 you will need to use heat to reflow the plastic. However I recommend against using a heat gun as generally you want a very concentrated small area to be heated. I have had great success in using a soldering iron with the tip placed close to (but obviously not touching) the problem area. Keeping within about 3-5mm has very good results, is easier to control and position. This limits the impact to the surrounding areas and can let you get into small crevices etc. Just be careful not to touch the part. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I have had success in 2 ways. After sanding, a little polishing with oil (vegetable oil is fine) will help to bring the colour back. If the oil gets cleaned off however you get back to the whitening again. I'm also a a big fan of the reheating. It works on ABS too. I haven't used a heat gun though, only an open flame. I have had success with a lighter, and with a cook's blowtorch, this way you can be very localised in where you heat, but you need to be VERY brief. With a lighter just flicker the flame over the area concerned; with a blowtorch, start from far away and move the flame in and out of target until you see the whitening start to go. A little practice on a part that is not too important would be prudent, and please be careful. I take no responsibility for you burning yourself :). Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: For PLA, white marks disappear at just over 60°C. A warm water bath works great, as does holding it over boiling water (use tongs!) My favorite technique is to hold the part with tongs and wave it in front of the steam from a boiling tea kettle. It takes no more than a second, so you can do this on a dozen parts in rapid succession. If you do this quickly, the plastic won't even soften noticeably; the white marks should disappear instantly. If you don't want to get it wet, a heat lamp should also suffice. Holding it over a toaster for a second should work too. PLA gets soft at such a low temperature there's no need to use a heat gun, open flame, or soldering iron. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: I've had amazing results just rubbing in a very small amount of vaseline. It makes the white marking virtually disappear. I found this trick after [printing a recorder](https://www.thingiverse.com/make:599656) for my son. I sanded the connecting tubes to help them fit better, and used vaseline there also for fit, but mainly to help seal the connections to prevent air loss. I was amazed to see the white marks disappear completely. I don't have before pictures of the recorder to demo the effect, so here it is again using our old friend Benchy. First, the original print, where you can just see some less-than-perfect results on the overhang at the base of the bow (sorry, my cell phone camera isn't that great) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/T6BGK.jpg) Next we have the same part, after some sanding to smooth the section: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DfZi3.jpg) Note I have already wiped away as much white powder as I could. If this was something I cared about, I'd sand it more evenly across the entire hull, rather than just this section. Finally, the same part again, after I've rubbed in some vaseline. In this case, what I actually had to hand was a small container of Carmex, but it worked just as well. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/c8KPO.jpg) Again, my camera sucks... but you can see the important stuff: there's no white marks. It only takes a very small amount of vaseline to clean a fairly large area. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: Note that on lighter colours these light scratches can be hard to see. On white PLA they're almost invisible unless you hold it against the light at an angle and look at the specular reflection. I've had some luck on a flat surface (the face of a game tile I printed) by going through various grades of sand paper. 240, 600, 1000, 2000. Finally, finishing with a regular metal polisher like Brasso brings up a shine that doesn't seem to wash off, unlike vaseline/vegetable oil. It's quite a lot of work though, and even more work on curved surfaces. If heat treatment works for you, it may be preferable. Upvotes: 0

2016/02/25

<issue_start>username_0: Cura does not seem let the full print area to be used. My printer is a [Lulzbot Mini](https://www.lulzbot.com/store/printers/lulzbot-mini). The design illustrated below can be found [here](https://www.tinkercad.com/things/hBE6Aj2EJMo-skyrail-marble-coster-banked-curve-beta). [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pf5AP.png) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iqvqo.png)<issue_comment>username_1: Cura is likely factoring in your skirt. Change the skirt lines to 0 and you might be able to print (`Expert` -> `Switch to full settings`, then click the options button next to "platform adhesion type."). Cura also seems to have an in-built build size offset of about 2 mm. I can't seem to get rid of it in any way other than to change the build size. Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: If you set skirt setting to 'none', it will get you up to full bed area -1 mm at the edges, so, for example, 198x198 instead of 200x200. You need to go to 'Travel' and set 'Travel avoid distance' to zero to get the full 200x200, or whatever, bed area. Upvotes: 2

2016/02/25

<issue_start>username_0: I'm having trouble getting my MendelMax 2's heatbed *not* to heat up when I want to print without it. I don't get how multiple sources of control relate to each other (same with extrusion temperatures, actually): * Slic3r (1.2.9) has settings under Filament Settings / Filament / Bed, for First layer and Other layers (and groups of settings can be saved). * The pronterface GUI (Printrun-Mac-10Mar2014) has an "Options" panel where you can set "Bed temperature" (actually, two settings, one for PLA and one for ABS -- though I doubt the software can test which filament is loaded!) * The pronterface GUI also has a menu/fill-in labelled "Bed", which works fine to adjust the bed when nothing is printing. The menu there lets you pick from a manually-entered value, "0 (off)", and (apparently) the settings for PLA and ABS from the options panel. * Marlin's Configuration.h has settings for bed minimum and maximum temps (the non-zero minimum seems to be to prevent running the bed when the thermistor isn't working, to avoid unlimited overheating). I recently tried to print some PLA with no bed heat (using blue tape on the glass build plate). I sliced the model with bed heat off in Slic3r; changed the PLA bed temps in the printerface options panel to 0; and picked the PLA setting in the GUI main screen (and also tried setting "0 (off)" manually. When I started to print the object, the bed turned on and stayed on, maintaining 60C. I thought of just unplugging the heatbed, but then I expect the print would never start, since it would try to heat up the bed and never succeed. So how does the decision about which temperature setting to use, *really* get made? I have the same question about extruder temps, speeds, accelerations, and other things, too -- whose settings are really in charge?<issue_comment>username_1: 3D printer get the temperature settings from g-code file. The firmware settings for min and max temperature are just safeguards. You should verify instructions within the g-code file. If you are not familiar with g-code, take a look to [wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-code). List of g-code instructions for marlin firmware is [here](http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code). Instruction responsible for setting bed temperature are [M190](http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M190:_Wait_for_bed_temperature_to_reach_target_temp) and [M140](http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M140:_Set_Bed_Temperature_.28Fast.29). Open your g-code file and search for lines containing them. If you delete these lines then the bed temperature will be not set during print. Additionally it means that it is set by your slicer. In *Slic3r* you should check *Printer settings* → *Custom G-code* → *Start G-code* if it contains one of mentioned instructions and possibly remove it. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Sli3er will control the bed temperature during a print. The options in Pronterface can be used to pre-heat the bed and hot end, or to adjust the temperature during a print. The slicer will put the temperatures you set in the filament tab settings into the gcode at the appropriate layers. As the printer reads these codes it will adjust the temperatures. If you manually change the temperature, it will stay at your adjustment until it encounters a line in the gcode file that tells it to change again. Usually this only happens at the start of a print, or at the transition from the first layer to the second layer. When you change the filament settings in Slic3r, they do not save automatically, so if you changed them, closed the program without saving your filament settings, and opened it later, the changes would be lost. The other place where temperature can be changed from is in the custom gcode settings, where you can specify operations to be performed at the start of the print, in between layers, or at the end of the print. Take a look there and make sure that there are no codes to change temperature in any of these fields. Upvotes: 2

2016/02/25

<issue_start>username_0: In Cura, when you enable "Print support structure", is there a way to see what it will look like?<issue_comment>username_1: Select the View Modes Button in the upper right hand corner, and select Layers. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/grPQi.png) Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Cura generates support based on the outlines of the layers which will be printed, rather based on the triangles of the 3D model. It is therefore not possible to show the generated support in the solid view. You can view the support in the layer view however. In Cura 2 that's on the left bottom of the screen. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iVQ5s.png) Support is classified as a helper part in the legend of the layer view. Upvotes: 2

2016/03/01

<issue_start>username_0: We have a Makerbot Replicator 2X at our school. I have a class in the computer lab and one of our focuses is using the printer. Currently, it is not printing properly. We are using PLA at 210 degrees Celcius. The built plate is not heated (using Build Tak). This has worked very well in the past. The problem is that when the extruder goes to lay down plastic, the filament is too hot and curls up in a clump around the extruder. This is characteristic of when we first tried PLA at a higher temperature. I think that our heat sensor is not working properly. Does anyone know how we can fix this problem? Is there a way to calibrate the sensor is should we install a new one?<issue_comment>username_1: The temperature is fine. In my experience the filament curls up only when the extruder is extruding way up, far from the plate: are you experiencing this while actually printing? If yes: recalibrate the printer so that the extruder is closer to the build plate and this shouldn't happen. For the filament to curl up it means you are way higher than you should be. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Overall, it is unlikely that the problem is temp sensing accuracy. There are only a few things that will throw off the thermocouple's reading: * Poor thermal coupling between the tip and the hot block, such as if the tip has partially pulled free of the brass thermowell crimp (this will make the hot block hotter than the reported temp) * Loss of electrical insulation between the tip and the hot block, plus some ground loop noise or stray voltage on the hot block (this will typically add noise to the reported temp) You should be able to visually check for the first, and test for the second with a multimeter. The resistance between the board end of the thermocouple leads and the brass thermowell at the tip should be infinite / out of range. To actually check the thermocouple calibration, you have a few options: * **Easy:** Look at the behavior of the printed plastic. PLA that is too hot will smell of pancakes/waffles much stronger than normal, or even smell burnt. The printed material may be more shiny than usual. It will string and ooze more as you print. * **Moderate:** Secure another reference thermocouple (such as might come with a digital multimeter) tightly to the hot block with some Kapton tape, somewhere the aluminum block is exposed. The external TC should read within a few degrees of the printer's TC. (Assuming you get it attached well enough.) * **Hard:** Place the tip of the TC in boiling water to check if it reads 100C (or slightly lower if you live at a high altitude). Repeat with well-mixed ice water to check if it reads 0C. Both measurements should be within a couple degrees. You will probably need to dismantle much of the extruder to detach the thermocouple for this test. But, again, the problem probably isn't the TC. It's more likely either a bed tramming issue (eg too much gap between nozzle and surface) or the BuildTak is degraded and not adhering. This can happen if you do a large number of prints in the exact same place, or get the surface oily, such as with fingerprints. Try a fresh sheet of buildtak or cleaning it with rubbing alcohol and moving the print to a different location. In some rare cases, low-quality filament or filament stored in very high humidity may not stick well. This is pretty rare though. For the most part, if your nozzle gap is right, any extruded plastic will stick to Buildtak. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]

2016/03/01

<issue_start>username_0: I'm building my own 3D printer (custom design, made by me and cut using a water cutting machine) but I have always had problems with the hotend clogging. I have had four hotends: * a J-Head; * a full metal; * a full metal made by me and; * my current hotend which is just a block of aluminium with a plaster cold-end 100% homemade with no precision at all. Believe it or not, this hotend is the only one that has finished a whole print (about 40 minutes), all of the others, with or without fans, haven't managed to finish one! Well... this hotend has a 1.5mm hole so I guess that that's why it can print. The problem with all of the others was that the 1.75mm PLA that I'm using clogged the hotend after two minutes. Now I would like to buy a new, more precise, hotend. I'm using a Bowden extruder, can you suggest a good hotend? This is my printer: [](https://s10.postimg.org/mhk71hq0p/IMG_20160302_204645713.jpg) [](https://s23.postimg.org/c7u1n63nf/IMG_20160302_204636873.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: To make the [suggestion of Martin Carney](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/670/which-hotend-does-not-clog-and-is-good-to-use-with-a-bowden-1-75-mm-setup#comment-874) a real answer and shift things away from comments: Yes, moisture and dust can be a problem. Find elaborations on the moisture here: [Does filament have to be stored in an airtight environment](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/84/does-filament-have-to-be-stored-in-an-airtight-environment). Also, dust getting into the hot end won't make extrusion easier. (link with suitable information needed). There are filament cleaning 'devices' for print on thingiverse, have a look at things with the [tag: filament cleaner](https://www.thingiverse.com/tag:filament_cleaner). There are some other things that are mostly discussed in relation to hot-end clogging, which are printing speed, retract setting and what I would call hot-end resistance. For all of those, read through this thread and refine your question according to what you tried and what the results were: [Repeatedly Clogged Printrbot Simple Extruder](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/612/repeatedly-clogged-printrbot-simple-extruder). Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: To add to [username_1's answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/670/which-hotend-does-not-clog-and-is-good-to-use-with-a-bowden-1-75-mm-setup#answer-699), with respect to the dust aspect, the page [Filament Not Extruding/ Clogged Hot-End](http://www.felixprinters.com/knowledgebase/article/filament-not-extruding-clogged-hot-end.html) makes a couple of relevent points: > > * **Dust collector not applied around the filament:** Filament attracts a lot of dust, which can potentially all come into the > hot-end. In some dusty environments this could cause a clogged hot-end > within a few hours. > * **Clog from the inside of the hot-end:** It could be that a big dust particle is inside the hot-end tip blocking it from the inside. > This can be solved by handdrilling the nozzle from the inside with a > 2mm drill provided in our webshop. > > > Upvotes: 0

2016/03/03

<issue_start>username_0: I have seen some lasers attached to the RepRap platform for cutting but most seem to be cutting paper, balsa wood, or merely etching. If I were wanting to build a platform for cutting wood, similar to the wood framed or boxed 3D printers on the market, what power laser would I need for that? I assume that a lower powered laser would have to travel slower but going too slow would add the possibility of catching the wood on fire (not good).<issue_comment>username_1: Please do not go down this road. First, not all lasers are equally absorbed by the material and the energy converted to heat to vaporize the material. The light not absorbed is reflected right back into your eyes. This is especially dangerous because it doesn't make you go blind instantly, fooling you into thinking there is no harm. You got the other part right, the lower the laser power, the less turned to heat, the longer it takes to cut, the longer you risk exposure to your eyes. That's right, a low powered laser is MORE dangerous than a big one. Next, the only way to properly cut is with air assist. This means a stream of air blows away the vaporized material so the laser can keep cutting deeper. This also prevents fires. The thing we haven't even touched is a proper safety enclosure, proper bed design to not reflect the laser beam back into the laser killing it and your eyes, and finally smoke/particle exhaust. Simply put, these cheapo DIY lasers are dangerous, and are also illegal. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Strapping a laser to a cheap robot made with flammable plastic parts and no enclosure is stupid in the extreme. Don't do it. Seriously, just don't. **RepRaps are not suitable for laser conversions.** You have to worry about reflected light damaging your eyes, and for the blue diode lasers currently growing in popularity, causing skin melanomas. You have to worry about mechanical vibration from jerky motion loosening fasteners. You have to worry about the workpiece catching on fire. You have to worry about the fumes being generated from etching and cutting. You have to worry about firmware freezes locking the laser on. It's dangerous to you, anybody in line of sight of the machine, and your property. Many of the lasers currently being sold for RepRap conversions, particularly from Russia, violate US and EU safety regulations related to power and safety interlocks and should not be on the market at all. The people posting videos of their RepRap laser conversions are almost always ignorant of proper laser safety requirements and regulations. It's downright scary how much blue flare you can see the camera picking up in a lot of these videos. Don't follow in those people's footsteps. More directly answering the question details, most people doing light etching or paper cutting type work are using small 0.5-2W diode lasers. These are particularly dangerous because they have poor focus and because they don't have the power to cut cleanly and quickly. That means more fumes, more fire risk, and more damage to the workpiece from edge charring. Slowing down the laser is not a good solution: dwell time is your enemy. You want a beam powerful enough to near-instantly vaporize the material, not slowly burn it away. An entry-level proper lasercutter for cutting things like plywood and acrylic is more likely to use a 40w CO2 laser. It should have air assist and fume extraction, and a safety-interlocked enclosure that 100% reflects or absorbs the CO2 laser light wavelength. That basically means a dedicated machine. Upvotes: 3

2016/03/04

<issue_start>username_0: Using an FDM printer and PLA or ABS, without adding support material. What modifications can I make to improve how steep an overhang my printer can print before it starts having problems? The obvious first answer is to add a cooling fan, increasing the airflow over the freshly-extruded material ensuring it solidifies. What other things can improve it? Does lowing the temperature help? Raising it? Does speeding up or slowing down the print head help? Does increasing/decreasing the extrusion diameter, or layer height help?<issue_comment>username_1: There's an answer [here](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/519/how-to-improve-face-that-are-printed-on-support?answertab=oldest#tab-top) that holds some of the same concepts. Regarding your questions: * **Does lowering the temperature help? Raising it?** : Yes, lowering the temperature can help. I've found that it is best to stay closer to the lower end of the material's melting point and just a bit above the point. Not only does this help with potential over extrusion, but also shortens the time it takes for the material to cool (refer to the link above). *However*, this could cause clogging if your temperature is too low. Keep an eye on your drive gear to see if there is too much friction while at lower temperatures. Increasing may keep the drive gear from "eating" your filament. * **Does speeding up or slowing down the print head help?** : I prefer to print slower, most of the time, to allow the material to cool a bit more to avoid curling/warping (I primarily print with ABS, so it matters more). You might be able to give and take between temperature and speed. Consider if your nozzle is cooler and your speed is up, bridging gaps might yield the same results as if you proportionately swap these two values. This concept may only matter if you are in a pinch to get the part done. Again, I prefer slowing my machine down as it allows current/previous layers to cool more before continuing. This can be especially helpful with overhangs when paired with lowering your nozzle temperature. * **Does increasing/decreasing the extrusion diameter, or layer height help** - I assume that extrusion diameter equals layer height (not difference in nozzle diameter, aka swapping nozzles). I'm not completely sure, but I think this depends on the part as well as slicing engine settings. For me, MakerWare is pretty good about proportionately adjusting extrusion steps with layer height, so I see an equal change in the width of the extrusion. I would think that in general, a larger layer height would yield a larger extrusion width. This would be helpful when printing overhangs, but may not be helpful when printing bridges (a larger strand will retain heat longer than a smaller one). Hopefully this helps, please comment if you need more information/clarification. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The two most important things you can do are: * Provide adequate cooling to solidify the plastic quickly * Minimize layer height Cooling is really obvious. You need the plastic to solidify before it has a chance to sag. PLA in particular has to shed a lot of heat before it is fully solid. A fan and air guide setup using a "squirrel-cage" radial blower around the nozzle is optimal. A little 30mm or 40mm axial fan will not provide optimal performance. Low layer height when slicing is less obvious, but is extremely effective. When you use thinner layers, two things happen: * There is less melted plastic per pass and a higher surface area to volume ratio, so the fresh material cools faster. * A larger percentage of each strand in the overhang is supported by the previous strand. If you do 0.2mm thick by 0.4mm wide, half of each strand is unsupported. But if you do 0.1mm thick by 0.4mm wide, only a quarter of each strand is unsupported. When you combine these two effects, it is possible to exceed 70 degree overhangs with good surface quality. Another lesser factor is printing shells/perimeters inside-out rather than outside-in. This helps anchor the outermost strand a little better as the overhang is built. This is pretty minor though. Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]

2016/03/07

<issue_start>username_0: I would like to secure my hotend thermistor in a more reliable way (now it is just thermistor plugged in the hotend :D). I want to have a stainless steel tip for it to fix it inside hotend with a screw (The same approach as used for the heating cartridge). I have thermistors, but I cannot find any tips to buy separately. Maybe you have some links for this kind of stainless-steel tips? Or some keywords I can use to search them?<issue_comment>username_1: There's an answer [here](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/519/how-to-improve-face-that-are-printed-on-support?answertab=oldest#tab-top) that holds some of the same concepts. Regarding your questions: * **Does lowering the temperature help? Raising it?** : Yes, lowering the temperature can help. I've found that it is best to stay closer to the lower end of the material's melting point and just a bit above the point. Not only does this help with potential over extrusion, but also shortens the time it takes for the material to cool (refer to the link above). *However*, this could cause clogging if your temperature is too low. Keep an eye on your drive gear to see if there is too much friction while at lower temperatures. Increasing may keep the drive gear from "eating" your filament. * **Does speeding up or slowing down the print head help?** : I prefer to print slower, most of the time, to allow the material to cool a bit more to avoid curling/warping (I primarily print with ABS, so it matters more). You might be able to give and take between temperature and speed. Consider if your nozzle is cooler and your speed is up, bridging gaps might yield the same results as if you proportionately swap these two values. This concept may only matter if you are in a pinch to get the part done. Again, I prefer slowing my machine down as it allows current/previous layers to cool more before continuing. This can be especially helpful with overhangs when paired with lowering your nozzle temperature. * **Does increasing/decreasing the extrusion diameter, or layer height help** - I assume that extrusion diameter equals layer height (not difference in nozzle diameter, aka swapping nozzles). I'm not completely sure, but I think this depends on the part as well as slicing engine settings. For me, MakerWare is pretty good about proportionately adjusting extrusion steps with layer height, so I see an equal change in the width of the extrusion. I would think that in general, a larger layer height would yield a larger extrusion width. This would be helpful when printing overhangs, but may not be helpful when printing bridges (a larger strand will retain heat longer than a smaller one). Hopefully this helps, please comment if you need more information/clarification. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The two most important things you can do are: * Provide adequate cooling to solidify the plastic quickly * Minimize layer height Cooling is really obvious. You need the plastic to solidify before it has a chance to sag. PLA in particular has to shed a lot of heat before it is fully solid. A fan and air guide setup using a "squirrel-cage" radial blower around the nozzle is optimal. A little 30mm or 40mm axial fan will not provide optimal performance. Low layer height when slicing is less obvious, but is extremely effective. When you use thinner layers, two things happen: * There is less melted plastic per pass and a higher surface area to volume ratio, so the fresh material cools faster. * A larger percentage of each strand in the overhang is supported by the previous strand. If you do 0.2mm thick by 0.4mm wide, half of each strand is unsupported. But if you do 0.1mm thick by 0.4mm wide, only a quarter of each strand is unsupported. When you combine these two effects, it is possible to exceed 70 degree overhangs with good surface quality. Another lesser factor is printing shells/perimeters inside-out rather than outside-in. This helps anchor the outermost strand a little better as the overhang is built. This is pretty minor though. Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]

2016/03/07

<issue_start>username_0: In a design that I need to prototype, I have a coaxial, rotational joint between 2 cylinders connected to another coaxial rotational joint between 2 cylinders by a hinge. I have attached the individual part files as well as their assembly where you can use your mouse cursor to check how they move. [Click here for the SolidWorks parts and assembly files](https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B8GACx5kXowlcEwxOWI4REV6OFk&usp=sharing "Click here for the SolidWorks parts and assembly files") Initially when I 3d printed them by splitting them in half, the outer tube did not close, even after filing the inner tube sufficiently. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/OjlVJ.jpg) Could you tell me an alternative method to get this complicated joint working? I need to 3D print them. I plan to use ABS for the 3D printing. Thanks for your patience :) EDIT: Lubrication: I plan to use grease to lubricate the sliding surfaces. Clearances: I printed them without clearances initially (this is my first ever 3D print and I wanted to know how accurate it would be). I then used Dremel and filing tools to file away about 0.5 mm of both the surfaces. It should have been enough for mating the parts. The gap between the edges of the outer shell while trying to close it around is 3-4 mm which doesn't suggest 3D printing inaccuracy. I suspect that the outer tube isn't circular enough in cross section. It meets the inner tube at the the two ends of the semicircle and not inside its belly (you can see it in the picture). I have already tried the obvious, which is removing material from the surfaces wherever the parts touch. The model seems to be too warped for any success. The parts were printed upwards from the bottom, so it is not the warping due to gravity.<issue_comment>username_1: Have you considered to use a service to have the part printed? You can print almost anything in one "pass" using selective laser sintering, typically done in nylon. I am currently un-boxing an SLS printer, so I cannot currently offer to print it, but the capabilities of SLS are substantial for parts of this nature. I've read of entire planetary gearboxes being printed, fully assembled, with appropriate clearances for operation, once removed and "dusted," or cleaned of residual powder. The printer I hope to be assembling soon has 80 micron powder, so the resolution is quite high, although I forget at the moment the x/y/z figures. Do you think such a method would suit your purposes? Edit (add): because FDM printing by nature causes "oozing" especially in the x/y directions, I would not be surprised to learn that your outer piece has a smaller inside diameter than your design has specified. You may have to make adjustments to the design to compensate. Those adjustments would be specific to a particular printer/filament combination as well. Calibration prints would make the task slightly easier. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Depending on your tolerances and how many you need - and how valuable your time is - you can 3D print in ABS with a regular FDM printer, then clear out support material and do an Acetone vapor treatment or vapor wash. It will be smooth enough for most prototypes. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: ### Consider ball bearings Depending on the requirements for your joint, I would consider making a design that utilizes *ball bearings*. With ball bearings, your join will not wear down as quickly, and also move smoothly. ### Handling dimensional inaccuracy The topic of how to achieve dimensional accuracy of FDM printers has already been discussed in [this question](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/322/how-to-achieve-dimensional-accuracy-of-printed-parts/). You might want have a look at [<NAME>'s answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/357/115) for a specific routine on how to calibrate a Cartesian printer. From the question linked, a summarized approach for handling dimensional inaccuracy could be: 1. Add any desired tolerances into the joint in your CAD model, without regarding the inaccuracy of the actual printer you will use. 2. Tune your printer and slicer to reproduce those dimensions set by your CAD program. Generally speaking, the printer settings should handle filament independent dimensional accuracy, while the slicer should be used to account for different characteristics in each filament type. Correcting size through your CAD model is ill-advised, since you should be able to use the same model for multiple printers. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]

2016/03/08

<issue_start>username_0: One of the local libraries has a new small Makerbot 3D printer. I have been submitting Sketchup files converted to STL files for printing. The tech guy who runs the printer for patrons is having trouble getting a project of mine to come out to be the right size. I need this item go be 2 inches wide. The tech guy sizes the item on the screen to 2 inches. I watched him do it. But, the item is printed with a base of 2 inches, and the item itself comes out smaller. Does anyone have suggestions about this? I can get more info if someone can give me the right questions to ask. The tech is open to taking suggestions. He wants to get the printer running smoothly for patrons. I submitted a file with my own base with supports made in Sketchup. But, the tech guy said he needs to set the printer to create it's own base and supports. Additional info: When I printed it by letting Makerbot create the base and supports, it came out to be 1 3/4" as shown here: <https://flic.kr/p/EashnD> Printer: Makerbot Replicator with Smart Extruder (not Plus). (I am now at the library with the technician.) Here is a screenshot of what I am trying to print. It is a replacement clip for a messenger bag. So, it has to be 2 inches across. <https://flic.kr/p/EtdM6s> Here is the printer: <https://flic.kr/p/E5F1M6> I used a website to convert the DAE file exported from Sketchup to an STL file. It was GreenToken.com. If I open the object's STL file in Tinkercad, the object appears two inches wide. And, if I open the file in one of the 3D printer websites in Tinkercad, the object appears two inches wide (in cm). The security on the library's computers do not allow me to apply plug-ins to Sketchup. The library's Tech staff is going to eventually put the plug-in in there. If it is resized to 2 inches wide in the MakerBot software to be sent to the printer, why is it printing the generated base 2 inches wide and not the object? Are there some settings the tech guy in the library is missing in this set up window? Additional notes: The library now has the latest version of SketchUp on Macs. They are working on installing the STL plugin. (Security issues) My process for producing an STL file to print is now this: 1. I create something in SU and export it as a DAE file. 2. I have found that meshconverter.com produces better STL files than greentoken. 3. I then upload/fix the STL file at the netFabb website. 4. I then import the STL file into TinkerCad to view it. If there are problems in the file, I can see them. And, I run it through netFabb again. I can also modify the file in TinkerCad. It is no where near as sophisticated as SketchUp. But, it doesn't claim to be. I have found that there is a way to export the STL file to 3D printer hubs through TinkerCad. You can see the prices, the material available and the location of the company/person doing the printing. You can contact the printer ahead of time and they can look at your file to give you advice. **Update** I just wanted to add that the netFabb website does not export STL files after it fixes them. It now gives you a 3MF file format when you upload an STL file. I am not sure why this happens. But, this has put a big wrench in my process. I can no longer fix SketchUp STL files with netFabb. When I bring them into TinkerCad, I see errors in the object. It seems like there are issues with complex curves.<issue_comment>username_1: It appears that you have scaled the object after the raft and supports were added. As you can see in your photo of the raft, the clip is approximately 7/8ths (1.75/2) the size of the raft. Edit: As a side note, STL files don't actually have a concept of units. Each axis is defined in arbitrary units. That's why when you export and import it you have to set the scale appropriately. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: When exporting from SketchUp you have options for what units you want to export the STL as. Pronterface and Slic3r use millimetres so for these you should export as millimetres. You can run into issues when designing a part in inches and then pulling it into printer software which might be expecting millimetres. In this case you may have to scale the part by 25.4 in all three axes. As an example, if you have a 1" test cube and you export it as mm the STL will have six faces that look like this ``` facet normal -1.0 0.0 0.0 outer loop vertex 0.0 25.4 25.4 vertex 0.0 0.0 0.0 vertex 0.0 0.0 25.4 endloop endfacet ``` You can see there are no units anywhere. If you import this into a program that is expecting inches you will get a test cube that is 25.4 inches cubed. Scaling by 25.4 can fix this OR you can just tell SketchUp to export as inches. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I´m using sketchup 8 and I had the same error under makerbot, and some times with slic3r. After testing some programs to fix mesh I realize that some faces are inverted on STL file, so this can be detected on preview under pronterface, or simplify3D. before sending to print is needed to check this point; not all STL from a repository is working or is with the right size. If you detect a GRAY surface is time to invert that face to get que correct fill. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: My advice is to use a micrometer (i.e., sliding dial caliper) accurate to within .001" and measure the printed object. If it is 1 7/8" for example, you would open the STL file in Makerbot software and use their scaling tool to scale the object to 1.0666666...., which is what you get when you divide the desired size (2") by the actual printed size (1.875"). I have found that it is much simpler to do that than to reinvent the wheel and try to figure out what each software engineer was thinking on each program and each conversion process and try to make it work right every time. Chances are that the same conversion factor might work right for any file originating from the same source and going through the same conversion software package. Also, 3D printers in general don't like edges that aren't completely "welded", or continuous seams. With Sketchup if you keep zooming in on an edge you almost always get seams that are stitched at intervals determined by Sketchup algorithms. They are "unwelded" seams. Some 3D printers can handle them. Many don't. I have used various 3D software packages, including Sketchup, and the best one so far has been Rhinoceros 3D. It handles multiple complex curvaceous planes and can radius adjoining curved edges and can "weld" them. Aeronautical and boat building companies use it for CAD/CAM applications. ... The STL file converter you mentioned is probably taking the Sketchup file and "cleaning it up" so Makerbot likes it. You would almost have to know exactly what algorithms each developer uses. to try and 'fix' it mathematically Like I said, do your own measuring and scale accordingly. BTW, it's better in my opinion to let Makerbot do the rafts and supports. Their engineers typically do a pretty good job. Where I have had issues is on things with a shallow angle (almost horizontal) hanging out into empty space. If you can re-orient the object in the makerbot software so those types of angles are minimized, the print is alot cleaner. Upvotes: 0

2016/03/08

<issue_start>username_0: What is the proper way to give printer settings to CuraEngine? Is it possible to put all these settings into a file (like Json formatted)? ``` CuraEngine.exe -v -o "c:\3d\test.gcode" "c:\3d\test.stl" ```<issue_comment>username_1: I'm not sure if it's possible, but on github is code for setting CuraEngine up. Maybe you'll find this link, [CuraEngine/src/settings/settings.cpp](https://github.com/Ultimaker/CuraEngine/blob/master/src/settings/settings.cpp) helpful. The latest release has more speed customization. You can change first layer speed, outer shell speed, inner shell speed, infill speed, and top and bottom speed. You can cut objects, its just a little wonky. In the advanced tab there is a "cut off object at Z height" that you can use to cut objects in half. Theoretically, you can put all settings into a JSON formatted file. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I think the easiest thing is to use the Cura application together with CuraEngine. If your printer is not supported, you'll need to add it manually by adding a JSON here: <https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/tree/master/resources/machines> But when you are done you can easily choose all the features you want. For example: generating supports, printing order when printing multiple models, etc. Cura and CuraEngine are developed at the same time, so you can expect that all features supported by the engine are accessible by the UI. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: First, try ``` CuraEngine.exe --help ``` The proper way is to first load in settings from the `.def.json` file of your printer. However, the formulae in the machine definition file are not being processed. CuraEngine only uses the `default_value`. Then you specify setting overrides to set specific settings to a specific value. The specified settings are applied to the last provided object/extruder and otherwise globally. ``` CuraEngine.exe -v -j machine.def.json -s global_setting=global_value -e1 -s setting=extruder_value -l object_to_be_printed_with_second_extruder.stl -s setting=object_value -o output.gcode ``` One-at-a-time mode is done by adding `--next` commands between each group: ``` CuraEngine [general settings] -g [settings for the first model] --next [settings for the next model] ``` Upvotes: 2

2016/03/08

<issue_start>username_0: Most 3 mm (mostly are actually 2.85 mm) filament extruders have some kind of gear reduction. Many 1.75 mm extruders are direct-drive / ungeared but some do use gears. What kind of reduction ratios are suitable or optimal?<issue_comment>username_1: I'm not sure if it's possible, but on github is code for setting CuraEngine up. Maybe you'll find this link, [CuraEngine/src/settings/settings.cpp](https://github.com/Ultimaker/CuraEngine/blob/master/src/settings/settings.cpp) helpful. The latest release has more speed customization. You can change first layer speed, outer shell speed, inner shell speed, infill speed, and top and bottom speed. You can cut objects, its just a little wonky. In the advanced tab there is a "cut off object at Z height" that you can use to cut objects in half. Theoretically, you can put all settings into a JSON formatted file. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I think the easiest thing is to use the Cura application together with CuraEngine. If your printer is not supported, you'll need to add it manually by adding a JSON here: <https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/tree/master/resources/machines> But when you are done you can easily choose all the features you want. For example: generating supports, printing order when printing multiple models, etc. Cura and CuraEngine are developed at the same time, so you can expect that all features supported by the engine are accessible by the UI. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: First, try ``` CuraEngine.exe --help ``` The proper way is to first load in settings from the `.def.json` file of your printer. However, the formulae in the machine definition file are not being processed. CuraEngine only uses the `default_value`. Then you specify setting overrides to set specific settings to a specific value. The specified settings are applied to the last provided object/extruder and otherwise globally. ``` CuraEngine.exe -v -j machine.def.json -s global_setting=global_value -e1 -s setting=extruder_value -l object_to_be_printed_with_second_extruder.stl -s setting=object_value -o output.gcode ``` One-at-a-time mode is done by adding `--next` commands between each group: ``` CuraEngine [general settings] -g [settings for the first model] --next [settings for the next model] ``` Upvotes: 2

2016/03/09

<issue_start>username_0: I had a friend request that I print out the Bathymetry of Lake Michigan as a gift for her PhD adviser. I went to NOAA and the site had a few files for the Bathymetry of Lake Michigan. Files and types are located here: <http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/greatlakes/michigan.html> I am trying to convert this into an STL file to print in my 3D printer however I am having no luck in converting this into a mesh I can use. I have tried multiple approaches with the different files that are listed but cannot seem to get it to properly convert to a mesh. I have tried the following so far: -Import an .xyz file into MeshLab to convert it to an STL. After I import it looks like nothing imported and I can't navigate around in the file -Import an ASC file into MeshLab to convert it to an STL. After I import it, I get no errors but the output is a long, thin mesh that looks nothing like lake Michigan -Just for a test, I imported the .xyz file into Autodesk ReCap just to see what would happen. I noticed that the points were in a long thin area similar to the ASC import but as I browsed around I noticed that the each layer of dots was the actual Bathymetry contours. I have tried multiple approaches and software beyond these but can't seem to get the files to convert into a printable mesh that I can manipulate to send to my 3D printer.<issue_comment>username_1: I was able to download the file collection from the link you posted, although I used none of the Grid files, as they seemed inappropriate to this task. The shape files were then imported into AutoCAD using the trial version of [Spatial Manager](http://www.spatialmanager.com/spm-forautocad/). The resulting drawing indicates that it's in 3D. When the 3D orbit tool is selected, the image rotates a flat drawing. I saved the AutoCAD DWG file and imported it with SketchUp, ostensibly not the smartest program for this sort of thing. The result was a flat image, not a 3D one. I suspect that the resulting flat drawing IS the image and cannot be 3D printed, unless you have reason to believe otherwise. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/guL1k.png) Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: In order to properly get an STL file out of a point cloud, you'll need some tool to help triangulate the points to create proper shell surfaces. The shell that is created in an STL is what the slicing engine will "slice". I'm not as familiar with the full potential of MeshLab, but I would think this tool is best suited for files that at least have most of shell already in place. Essentially best for fixing STL's. In the past, I've used (the very expensive) Unigraphics NX8. This CAD/CAM software is very powerful and has tools for creating meshes out of point clouds. I believe it was the [sew tool](https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=unigraphics%20nx8%20sew) that allowed me to do this in the past (I no longer have access to the software). Other CAD programs such as SolidWorks, Rhino, AutoCAD, etc. might have similar features. Alternatively, I think it looks like you might be able to convert a 3D point cloud in SketchUp. If the cloud is layered by height and each layer had points on the same -Z- plane, then you might be able to automate creating lines between the nearest points on the same plane. Then it might just take a little bit of manual labor to "fix" the model to become 3D printing ready. Also check out [this forum post](http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=56135), it looks like someone had luck in converting terrain point clouds. Completely alternatively, have you considered converting an image to STL? I've done this many times before and it turns out quite nicely. If you can find topographical map of the lake, you could alter the image into grayscale (play with it a bit). Then use [software](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:66115) to convert the grayscale image to STL. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: You can do this using MATLAB, or possibly Octave (the open-source version of MATLAB). I'm doing this right now to print a globe with exaggerated topography and bathymetry. MATLAB has tons of tools for importing data. I'm sure you can import the Lake Michigan bathymetry data, though you may have to hunt for an importing script on the MATLAB exchange. As long as you can get your data imported as a 2D matrix of X, Y and Z values, you can use the `surf2stl()` function by <NAME>, available here: <https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/4512-surf2stl> This creates an STL you can use. Note that it's just a surface, so you'll need to give it depth some other way so your printed object isn't paper-thin. Upvotes: 0

2016/03/09

<issue_start>username_0: I have recently bought a spool of eSun PETG. So far I really like the filament. My only complaint is, I get lumps of charred filament deposited on my object. The slicer I used is Craft Ware and I have played with the Far Travel -> Elevation settings. I have noticed that this helps but then I have little to no adhesion to the print surface and my supports do not stick to the raft. Does any one know how to mitigated PETG from collecting on the extruder?<issue_comment>username_1: Different brands and blends of PET filaments seem to do this to different degrees. Esun's PETG is definitely one that tends to glob onto the nozzle. Basically, the nozzle plows through the top surface of the filament and lifts up some plastic, much like the bow of a ship lifting up some water at high speeds. PET's viscosity and stickiness seem to amplify this effect more than other filaments. Some things you can do to minimize the globbing: * Calibrate extrusion volume on the low end of what you'd normally use for other filaments (how you do this depends on your slicer) * Use your slicer's "Z-hop" or "avoid perimeters" feature so you don't do travel moves across printed surfaces * Invest in an anti-stick coated nozzle, such as are sold by [Micro Swiss](http://www.micro-swiss.com/#!3d-printing/c843) or [Performance 3-d](https://www.p3-d.com/collections/duraplat-3d-extruder-nozzles) (these don't eliminate globbing, but they do reduce it and make the nozzle much easier to clean) * Play with slicer settings such as extrusion width, layer height, and infill/perimeter overlap to reduce the amount of "excess material" that sticks above the print surface Again, this is a common problem with PET blend filaments. Anecdotally, some brands seem to glob more or less than others, so switching to a different vendor may be worth trying if you want to do a lot of PETG prints. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: For me, none of the classic solutions to PETG zits worked; these include extra retraction, slower/faster retraction, lower extrusion width, lower extrusion multiplier, avoid perimeters etc. It was especially disappointing to see lower extrusion multiplier making no difference whatsoever in reducing the zits, but only resulting in a mechanically weaker and even spongy result. What made all the difference is to **disable z lifting during retraction** which my slicer profile has enabled by default. This setting alone eliminated nearly all zits and most stringing (i.e spiderwebs). Of course, the amount of zits and stringing will heavily depend on the particular filament you're using and the particular model you're printing. *Additional note:* I was getting extra zits/overextrusion on a particular model I had that was exceptionally thin and tall when attempting to print with PETG. Lower extrusion multiplier made no improvement but weakened the part and resulted in spongy structure. I was successful in printing this part **along with another part that was of similar height**. I'm suspecting that printing the part alone but **much more slowly** to help with cooling would also succeed. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: PETG strings at working temperature to different extents depending on brand. Some of the thinner strings are flying in the air due to the fan or mechanical stress, and are finally captured by the hot end. I feel, PETG has two modes * Too cold: Less to no stringing, but sometimes underextrusion and weak layer bonding * Hot enough: Stringing (from weak to strong) but good bonding **Things which do not help** (at least least on my printer with direct extruder), but which I tried out individually * Retractions past 1.5 mm on my direct extruders * Reducing minimum distance * Retraction speed 30 to 60 mm/s * Z-hops * Fan speed 30% to 100% **Things I have not tested** * Maybe minimum layer time could be increased **Things that worked** * Coasting seems the only thing which helps, but you still have very thin strings at sufficient temperatures **Other things to consider** * As mentioned the PETG brand has a certain impact * The worst Co-Polyester I tested were (by far) the XT-Filaments (pink and green) * All regular PETG filaments were better than XT in nearly every aspect, but still tend to string to a certain degree Upvotes: 2

2016/03/11

<issue_start>username_0: I have a z-axis which follows schematically the same principle as the makerbot one's (threaded rod and two leading rods with linear ball bearings carrying a level). It is from an old experimental lab doing physics or chemistry. The axis move gorgeously about 5 cm, but then it get's stuck on either sides of this way. Both driving threaded rod and the leading rods seem perfectly fine and should be able to allow for further movement. This is as far as I can see by eye. Where should I look to find further issues and how could I improve the performance? Do I need to take the construction apart?<issue_comment>username_1: There could be a few issues at play. 1. The smooth rods are not parallel which is causing the bearings to bind the further you go up. 2. Part of the thread is damaged not allowing it to pass through the nut. 3. The threaded rod is bent significantly to where it either doesn't pass through the nut or bind the assembly. (Is the end of the threaded rod opposite the motor constrained?) 4. Even less likely is that the motor could be damaged. Since you said it moved 5mm I would have to assume that is several revolutions of the motor so this is unlikely but possible. The easiest way to find the problem would be to unhook/remove the threaded rod and see if you can move the carriage up and down the rods by hand, if so you just narrowed the problem down significantly. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: X stage binding like this is almost always caused by parallelism issues with the rods and/or screw. The two-rod-plus-screw arrangement is quite over-constrained and thus requires good alignment to move smoothly. Some basic troubleshooting steps: 1. Make sure the screw is not constrained at both ends. It is very difficult to manufacture a screw that is perfectly straight and then mount it so precisely that it can rotate with zero runout. Screws in light-duty linear motion applications should be allowed to "wobble" freely so any bend or runout doesn't apply side-load forces to the Z stage. This can be accomplished by putting a misalignment-tolerant coupler (like an Oldham coupler) on the driven end, and/or leaving the non-driven end free without any support bearing. A motor mount with a small amount of compliance (like a rubber stepper damper) can help when the screw is captive to the motor. 2. Lubricate the screw and bearings and make sure everything is clean and in good condition. 3. Allow the Z carriage to self-align the rods and screw. The proper technique for this will depend on the Z stage, but the basic idea is to loosen the rod and screw mounts on either end, run the Z carriage back and forth a few times to push the rods into position, and then only re-tighten the top and bottom hardware when the carriage is at that end. It may also be necessary to loosen the screw nut and bearings on the carriage to get everything aligned properly and smooth-running, but that does not enforce parallelism like loosening the rod and screw mounts, so is really a secondary step. It may be necessary to leave some "float" in one rod or the bearings on one rod (with gravity preloading out any resultant slop) if the hardware has major alignment issues. 4. If the stage still binds after doing the above, it may be necessary to check if the linear hardware is bent (such as by rolling rods on a flat table) or use a file or Dremel to loosen up the mounts or whatever feature is causing the misalignment. Upvotes: 3

2016/03/12

<issue_start>username_0: Some RepRap models use only a single motor for the Z axis, others use two. For example, there is the [3drag](http://reprap.org/wiki/3drag) that has only one motor and a smooth rod on the other side. There are modifications that add a threaded rod on the other side that is connected to the motor axis with a belt - which seems to be a really good solution. Other printers, like the [Prusa i3](http://reprap.org/wiki/Prusa_i3) or the Mendel90 have two Z motors. And after playing around with a two motor model, I find it pretty annoying when they get out of sync and I need to calibrate the axis and the print bed again. So two motors seem more like an disadvantage to me. Could someone please shed some light on why most RepRaps have two Z motors (nowadays)?<issue_comment>username_1: The general concept is to provide additional stability during the print. In the case of the 3drag machine you mentioned, you could run the risk of the -X- axis sagging due to the weight of the print head and/or additional wear on the rod or bearings on the one side (smooth side) as a result of the off balance weight. However, you may find "hacks" like [this](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:538770) can potentially help reduce the affects by providing a bit more stability. Having two -Z- axis motors with the threaded rods can help ensure stability of the -X- axis during print and can, overall, reduce wear on the mechanical components. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: There are three main options here for Mendel style ZX gantries: * One Z screw and motor, which is similar to a cantilevered design but somewhat more stable because of the opposite smooth rod * Two Z screws and two motors * Two Z screws and one motor, with belt synchronization of the two sides **Of all of these, running two screws off one motor is clearly superior in reliability and user-friendliness.** There is no risk of the two sides of the Z stage going out of sync. One motor running at higher current will generally out-perform two motors splitting one driver's current via parallel wiring, because one motor with twice the torque can push much harder when one side of the gantry binds up or hits a rough spot. The only real downside to the single motor, double screw approach is that it requires more engineering and parts. A closed-loop timing belt must be run between the two screws, with associated pulleys, tensioner, and support bearings. In comparison, using a separate motor for each screw is very simple. It adds a stepper and a shaft coupler, but saves a lot of vitamins and design complexity. Two-motor, two-screw solutions are lower-cost and simpler to design. That's why they're used. End of story. One-motor, one-screw Mendel style printers are quite rare. The passive side of the Z mechanism does add a little bit of stability to the X stage, but not a lot. It's possible to rack the X stage out of square with the bed and bind up the gantry. In order to work at all, they require a very wide/tall bearing footprint on the driven side to resist torque exerted on the driven side by the weight of the X stage and extruder carriage. So it's true that they don't have synchronization issues, but additional design challenges and undesirable flexure modes are introduced. It's much more common for one-screw designs to simply cantilever out the X stage, like a SmartRap or Printrbot Simple. Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: First up: I'm no expert. All of the below is guesswork. I think that the main reason is that it makes for a simpler design. If you hold the X-Axis only on one side, you have to keep it level through rigidity. (Especially if you have the extruder motor on that axis.) If you try to control the sagging, you have a problem because the torque changes depending on the position of the extruder. For stepper motors to go out of sync, one has to miss steps. Regardless on whether you have one or two or seventeen motors, if you are missing steps, you need to debug it. I got lots of missed steps in both X and Y, and I tried everything. Until I found out that I was actually missing steps in Z, and the nozzle was hitting the build. Upvotes: 2

2016/03/13

<issue_start>username_0: What software is best for the basest of n00bs when it comes to 3D parts creation? I have a heavy math background and know how to create explicit functions of volume, surface area, center of mass, etc. Ideally, I'd like a program that uses those strengths but I realize that most n00bs have a crippling math phobia so I'm not holding my breath. I tried freeCAD once and made some headway but the next time I turned my computer on, it refused to open. It was just a weakling netbook that I don't even have in my possession anymore but the computer I'm currently using is rather slow and doesn't seem to have much memory left either, so I still need something lightweight. tl;dr: Seeking a free, lightweight program to create .stl files that is good for n00bs that are **not** afraid of math.<issue_comment>username_1: I don't have a heavy math background, but enjoy using such skills when applicable. If you've not yet explored [OpenSCAD](http://www.openscad.org/), you may find that it meets your qualifications. It's more or less a scripting/descriptive language "compiler" that takes ordinary text and converts it to your model design. I use quotes, because I'm not skilled enough to qualify it as a true compiler, although it works in a similar manner and may indeed be a compiler. It meets another qualification of yours in that it's free and there's quite a supportive mailing list/forum for any questions or difficulties that arise. If you look on Thingiverse using OpenSCAD as a search term, you'll find others' code available for examination and integration into your own models. For the folks who are not so much into the math and text and logic, there's a GUI of sorts for OpenSCAD called [BlocksCAD](https://www.blockscad3d.com/) that allows drag and drop of various modules in a manner akin to Scratch programming. I'd been using OpenSCAD long enough that I found BlocksCAD to overly complicate the creation of models by obscuring details. It may be better suited for younger model makers in that respect. Syntax and punctuation errors would be eliminated with BlocksCAD, while it's far too easy to create such errors in the editor for OpenSCAD. One gets used to it and error count quickly is reduced. Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: OpenSCAD sounds like the best fit for the original poster given his math background but I think SketchUp is probably the easiest software for most beginners to use for basic part creation. There are two (or three) plugins I would recommend for anyone looking to use it to produce STL <https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/sketchup-stl> <https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/solid-inspector> <https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/solid-inspector%C2%B2> The first one allows export to STL The second and third check models to ensure they're solid. This is important for 3D printing as slicers have issues when models have holes in them. One more tool I would recommend to the beginner is <http://www.netfabb.com/basic.php> It also checks over STL files to ensure there won't be any problems slicing them. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: The software I began with was [Tinkercad](https://www.tinkercad.com/), it is a fully online solution that is *very* beginner friendly. The interface is trivial to use and there's a 15 minutes tutorial that guides you over everything the software has to offer to the common user. Here is a screenshot of the interface and a part I made using the basic tools : [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DOr6M.jpg) It works the following way : you are provided with a dozen basic shapes (cube, sphere, etc...) and you create your model using boolean combinations of those shapes and translation, rotation and scaling. That's for the base. Then there is a very large collection of more complex shapes provided by the community (screw, stairs, tree) that tend to be very useful to create specific things and a very important aspect is that those shape usually have some parameter you can adjust at the creation of the object (say the thickness of the trunk and the number of branches of your tree). The last increment of complexity is that those community objects are actually made using JavaScript (with their own API, it's not related to openjscad) and you can create your own objects by using their **interactive JavaScript interface**. That's when your programming and mathematical knowledge will be required. As a small PS note: my personal taste is, depending on the part I want to make, to use either Tinkercad, Freecad or Openscad Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I am using DesignSpark Mechanical. It's super cool and easy to use. [DesignSpark Mechanical Download Page](https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/mechanical-download-and-installation) Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: I recommend Fusion 360 as it is free to use, full of tutorials and is super simple. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: [Blender](https://www.blender.org) is a free professional level application, where maths isn't particularly necessary but can be used to good effect, and its *minimum* requirements aren't all that excessive (my copy of Blender runs on a maxed out 20 year old Dell 380): ### Minimum (basic usage) hardware * 32-bit dual core 2 GHz CPU with SSE2 support. * 2 GB RAM * 24 bits 1280×768 display * Mouse or trackpad * OpenGL 2.1 compatible graphics with 512 MB RAM ### Recommended hardware * 64-bit quad core CPU * 8 GB RAM * Full HD display with 24 bit colour * Three button mouse * OpenGL 3.2 compatible graphics with 2 GB RAM ### Optimal (production-grade) hardware * 64-bit eight core CPU * 16 GB RAM * Two full HD displays with 24 bit colour * Three button mouse and graphics tablet * Dual OpenGL 3.2 compatible graphics cards with 4 GB RAM If you like coding, then Python and C libraries are available as well. Also, there is a [StackExchange site dedicated to Blender](https://blender.stackexchange.com), which is useful. --- As a comparison, from [Best 3D Design/3D Modeling Software 2019 (15 of 30 are Free)](https://all3dp.com/1/best-free-3d-modeling-software-3d-cad-3d-design-software/), this comparative list could be useful ``` Name Level OS Price Formats 3D Slash Beginner Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi or Browser Free, 24$/year Premium 3dslash, obj, stl LibreCAD Beginner Windows, macOS and Linux Free dxf, dwg Photoshop CC Beginner Windows and Mac 142€/year 3ds, dae, kmz, obj, psd, stl, u3d SculptGL Beginner Browser Free obj, ply, sgl, stl SelfCAD Beginner Browser Free 30-day trial, 9.99$/month stl, mtl, ply, dae, svg TinkerCAD Beginner Browser Free 123dx, 3ds, c4d, mb, obj, svg, stl Clara.io Intermediate Browser Free, Premium from 100$/year 3dm, 3ds, cd, dae, dgn, dwg, emf, fbx, gf, gdf, gts, igs, kmz, lwo, rws, obj, off, ply, pm, sat, scn, skp, slc, sldprt, stp, stl, x3dv, xaml, vda, vrml, x\_t, x, xgl, zpr DesignSpark Intermediate Windows Freemium, 835$ (All Addons) rsdoc, dxf, ecad, idf, idb, emn, obj, skp, STL, iges, step FreeCAD Intermediate Windows, Mac and Linux Free step, iges, obj, stl, dxf, svg, dae, ifc, off, nastran, Fcstd MakeHuman Intermediate Windows, Mac, Linux Free dae, fbx, obj, STL Meshmixer Intermediate Windows, Mac and Linux Free amf, mix, obj, off, stl MoI Intermediate Windows and Mac 266€ 3ds, 3dm, dxf, fbx, igs, lwo, obj, skp, stl, stp and sat nanoCAD Intermediate Windows Freemium, 180$/year sat, step, igs, iges, sldprt, STL, 3dm, dae, dfx, dwg, dwt, pdf, x\_t, x\_b, xxm\_txt, ssm\_bin OpenSCAD Intermediate Windows, Mac and Linux Free dxf, off, stl Sculptris Intermediate Windows and Mac Free obj, goz SketchUp Intermediate Windows and Mac Free, 240$ Pro dwg, dxf, 3ds, dae, dem, def, ifc, kmz, stl 3ds Max Professional Windows 1505$/year, Edu. licenses av. stl, 3ds, ai, abc, ase, asm, catproduct, catpart, dem, dwg, dxf, dwf, flt, iges, ipt, jt, nx, obj, prj, prt, rvt, sat, skp, sldprt, sldasm, stp, vrml, w3d xml AutoCAD Professional Windows and Mac 1575$/year dwg, dxf, pdf Blender Professional Windows, Mac and Linux Free 3ds, dae, fbx, dxf, obj, x, lwo, svg, ply, stl, vrml, vrml97, x3d Cinema 4D Professional Windows, macOS 3695$ 3ds, dae, dem, dxf, dwg, x, fbx, iges, lwf, rib, skp, stl, wrl, obj modo Professional Windows, macOS, Linux 1799$ lwo, abc, obj, pdb, 3dm, dae, fbx, dxf, x3d, geo, stl Mudbox Professional Windows and Mac 85€/year fbx, mud, obj Onshape Professional Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android 2400€/year, free and price reduced business version available sat, step, igs, iges, sldprt, stl, 3dm, dae, dfx, dwg, dwt, pdf, x_t, x_b, xxm_txt, ssm_bin Poser Professional Windows, Mac Standard 129.99$, Pro 349.99$ cr2, obj, pz2 Rhino3D Professional Windows and Mac 495€ Educational, 995€ Commercial 3dm, 3ds, cd, dae, dgn, dwg, emf, fbx, gf, gdf, gts, igs, kmz, lwo, rws, obj, off, ply, pm, sat, scn, skp, slc, sldprt, stp, stl, x3dv, xaml, vda, vrml, x_t, x, xgl, zpr ZBrush Professional Windows and Mac 400€ Educational, 720€ Single User dxf, goz, ma, obj, stl, vrml, x3d CATIA Industrial Windows 7180€; Edu. licenses av. 3dxml, catpart, igs, pdf, stp, stl, vrml Fusion 360 Industrial Windows and Mac 499.80€/year, Edu. licenses av. catpart, dwg, dxf, f3d, igs, obj, pdf, sat, sldprt, stp Inventor Industrial Windows and Mac 1935$/year 3dm, igs, ipt, nx, obj, prt, rvt, sldprt, stl, stp, x_b, xgl Solidworks Industrial Windows 9950€, Edu. licenses available 3dxml, 3dm, 3ds, 3mf, amf, dwg, dxf, idf, ifc, obj, pdf, sldprt, stp, stl, vrml ``` Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: I would add OnShape.com to the list. The only downside of a free account is that your designs are publicly viewable. I would also add support for OpenSCAD. It is my go-to program for difficult problems, especially where being able to script something is far more efficient that dozens of clicks and careful GUI actions. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_8: I've had good luck using [MS 3D Builder](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/3d-builder/9wzdncrfj3t6). Most of [my thingiverse models](https://www.thingiverse.com/jcoehoorn/designs) were designed with 3D Builder. Depending on your Windows and Office installations, *this program may already be on your computer*, but otherwise you install it via the Windows Store. This program may also make good use of your math skills; I've done more trigonometry getting dimensions right for my models than all other areas of my life combined. [MeshMixer](http://www.meshmixer.com/) is another good free option. It's significantly more powerful than 3D Builder and many other free options, but I've found it much harder to get comfortable using. The visualization, especially, just hasn't been as clean, often making sharp edges appear to be rounded on the screen. Still, and I know and desire the power it offers, and I'll occasionally open it up for specific things. If nothing else, it's good for measuring/verifying the thickness of a section, and sometimes I can use it to repair models botched by other programs. Finally, I'll bring up [OpenSCAD](https://www.openscad.org/) again. OpenSCAD effectively lets you write a program to generate your models. As such, it's especially good when creating things you will want to do more than once, where you'll tweak or customize the initial part for later uses. One way you can achieve re-use like this is creating a library of partial-designs or raw shapes which you can then resize/stretch/etc and add or mix into other parts using the other programs. The other area where OpenSCAD really shines is in prototyping. When you discover just this one section of a part shoud have been a couple millimeters longer after the initial print, it's much easier to adjust this with OpenSCAD than with many of the other options. Upvotes: 2

2016/03/13

<issue_start>username_0: I'm building a Kossel Mini, and I'm stuck on the extruder motor holder. My Kossel came without instructions, I was given a set of instructions by a friend (the "Kossel Build Guide" by Blomker industries). I also found some instructions on the net. However, my components are different from those in the build guides. The question is how these components fit together. I'm pretty certain the stepper motor should be connected to the big black components (labeled (1) and (4) in the picture). The 4 holes in these components correspond to openings in the stepper motor; and the stepper motors for the vertical carriages, were connected in a similar way to their respective holders. The round thing, second from the left on the bottom, (labeled (2) in the picture) presumably goes on the axis of the stepper motor. Once again, a similar procedure was needed for the motors that will move the vertical carriages. The screws on the right, labeled (3), are 1 cm long and 3 mm wide. The other screws are 2 cm long and 3 mm wide. The stepper motor is a Wantai Stepper Motor Model 42BYGHW811 . I have e-mailed the company where I bought my kit and am awaiting their answer. Meanwhile I'm hoping to get some advice here. Apparently the usual stepper motor for a Kossel Mini is Nema 17. Searching on "42BYGHW811" I mostly find datasheets. Using "Nema 17 mount" or "Nema 17 mounting screws" as search terms, I find a lot of images with a component like (1). But nothing on how this and the other components should be put together for the motor holder for an extruder for the Kossel Mini. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/l98L8.jpg "Parts of the extruder")<issue_comment>username_1: Have a look at the image provided in this seller's part description. it probably says more than my words could (which would also only rely on images - your parts just looked like I saw them somewhere before). [3D printer parts right hand Bowden Extruder kit set no motor compact extruder aluminum alloy for](http://de.aliexpress.com/item/3D-printer-parts-right-hand-bowden-Extruder-kit-set-no-motor-compact-extruder-aluminum-alloy-for/32319995802.html) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fsNaL.jpg "Right hand Bowden Extruder kit") Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The extruder is an MK8 derivative, *I think*. After a *lot* of searching, the closest that I could find (with an assembly diagram) is this product which has more or less the same parts as yours (apart from the small black bolt and sleeve - used as the axis - which you don't have): [[Improved Version] YOTINO Right Hand MK8 Remote Bowden Extruder Accessories 1.75mm/3mm Filament All Metal Remote Extruder Frame Block for Reprap 3D Printer Kossel Prusa](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B07BMLD646). These are the parts: > > [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5BTxF.jpg "16 parts") > > > This is the assembly process: > > [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/whaLA.jpg "Assembly process") > > > This is the completed extruder: > > [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YF1U6.jpg "Completed extruder") > > > --- Also, whilst this is not the same beast, this link shows a detailed assembly which could prove useful as a cross reference: [RepRapWiki - Extruder assembly](https://reprap.org/wiki/Extruder_assembly) In addition, w.r.t the Blomker guide, there are a number of versions of the same guide that I've come across in the past: * [Kossel Mini Build Guide by Blomker](http://www.robotdigg.com/upload/pdf/2a823cc8a8dcff9da99cce92710cc745.pdf) - which has a very different extruder to the MK8 * [Kossel Mini Build Guide By Sintron](https://gr33nonline.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/kossel-mini-instrution-by-sintron-technology_v2.pdf) - which has a similar MK8 extruder but, rather unfortunately, no assembly details, only the finished article is shown, on page 58 Upvotes: 2

2016/03/14

<issue_start>username_0: I have some design diagrams only on paper. Scanning them to bitmaps is easy, but I've had no luck getting useful vectors out of them. I've tried vectorizers in programs like gimp, and a few online services. Generally, I end up with enormous numbers of spurious vectors (from dust, dotted lines, text on the diagram, slightly variations in scanning contrast, etc). What tools and/or techniques can I use to get a more useful vector result, that I can then modify in a normal CAD tool without spending absurd amounts of time cleaning it all up first?<issue_comment>username_1: There is the capable but somewhat expensive [Scan2CAD](http://www.scan2cad.com/ "Scan2CAD"). Otherwise, if you're happy with outlines and not centre lines, scan b&w, aggressively clean up macules, mask off text, and then vectorize in potrace, autotrace, etc. Alternatively, load the bitmap at the correct resolution into a drawing package as a raster layer and draw the lines/objects you want over it. This avoids the horrors of dotted lines. Both ways are quite a bit of work, sadly. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I would recommend using something like [Paint.NET](http://www.getpaint.net/index.html) to "fix" the images before attempting to convert them to CAD. To my knowledge, most of the Image-to-CAD applications are going to use the grayscale intensity of each pixel to get the Z-axis value. So, you can help this process by pre-filtering the image into grayscale and playing with the contrast until you get enough distinction between the features you want to stand out in your CAD model or print. Here's a quick example using a sample image: Poor Contrast [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JuyOg.png) Better Contrast [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yEjjk.png) Whichever program you use will generally have an easier time detecting the edges of the flower pedals in the second image the further towards the center it goes. GIMP has [greyscale](https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/Color2BW/) and [contrast](https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/ContrastMask/) tools as well. Upvotes: 1

2016/03/14

<issue_start>username_0: I'm building a 3D printer and I've been looking around for materials suitable to make the frame. I have occasional access to a laser cutter which I could use to manufacture a ply box-type (UltiMaker) enclosure, but I like the ease of adjustment provided by the T-slot beam kits. I don't have any metal-cutting machine tools. Can aluminium beam be cut by hand with a hacksaw to a good degree of accuracy? How does one finish the cut end?<issue_comment>username_1: Aluminum of almost every grade is very easy to cut with a hacksaw. I would suggest to mark clearly the cut line and to wrap masking tape at the edge of the cut. Consider to allow for about 2-3 millimeters (1/16") extra material for final finishing. Cut across the line, rotate the part ninety degrees and cut again. Once you have the guide cuts in place, you should be able to manage a square cut by following those guides You will want to have a clamping mechanism available, such as a vise or workbench type device. After the cut is done, use a sharp file to make final adjustments to the length and appearance. Push the file, do not drag it backwards. Push forward, lift away from the work piece as you return, then push again. Pick up a file card, which is a fine metal-tooth brush used to clear the teeth of the file. It is very easy to remove material with a hand file, perhaps three or four strokes to remove 1/16". Your accuracy will depend on the measurement of the lines you create and how carefully you file to the edge of those lines. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: As an alternative solution, Misumi sells extrusions precision-cut to length for a very reasonable price. You'll get better quality ends and a more precisely square frame from Misumi than if you try to cut them yourself. The HFS-5 series of 2020 is perfect for 3D printers. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I started to build with wood and then switched to T-extrusions -- very glad I switched. The aluminum is quite nice to work with. The extrusions are quite easy to cut, drill, file, etc. -- a hacksaw should be fine, though I often use a cutoff wheel on a "Rotozip" (basically an oversize Dremel). Just a couple caveats: * Think about which extrusions need to be exactly the same length as which others, and use extra care on those. For example, you might have 2 or 4 supports with plates screwed into the ends, and the plates need to be parallel. You'll probably want to cut the supports all a hair long, then clamp them together and file them all at once. * Extrusions from different companies may differ slightly for the same nominal size. I found that the drop-in nuts that fit my first rails, didn't quite fit the additional ones I bought from another seller later. Also, the center core took a different tap size when tapping the ends. * Be sure to get at least some drop-in nuts. Plain square nuts are a little cheaper, but it's a pain to disassemble anything to get a nut in when you want to add a bracket or fan or cable guide or something later. -s Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Misumi does provide a nice product but it's quite clear their business model is geared toward businesses and not the individual consumer. The 2020 extrusion seems to be a bear to get parts for, specifically T-nuts and braces. Openbeam or Makerbeam might be better options and are readily available on Amazon for very decent prices. Upvotes: 2

2016/03/15

<issue_start>username_0: PLA is flammable, but a good case can protect the main board from dirt. Is it worthwhile to protect a circuit board with a 3d printed case?<issue_comment>username_1: It depends. Protecting your electronics from being touched by random bits of conductive material which would short and fry them is always a good idea. If it's something that will be visible, then a pleasant printed casing might go well. You might just as well use any other casing though, there's no requirement it be 3D printed. For a very small circuitboard (an inch or less) heatshrink tubing might be a better form of protection. Or just insulating tape. If you never intend to access the circuitry again and heat dissipation isn't a big issue, then just putting the whole lot in potting compound may work best for you - complete waterproofing and environmental protection. Or you could just tape a bit of plastic from a 2l coke bottle over it, and get 99% of the protection you'll ever need, and still keep the circuit visible and accessible. Ultimately, it boils down to: Do you want it to be covered? If so, by what? If you would prefer a 3D printed case, then do you want it enough that it is worth the time and effort to you? Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: As pointed out by <NAME>, not all 3D printing filament is flammable (such as PET and PETG), and the question therefore rather becomes: **Can 3D printing be used to make proper electronic cases?** And the short answer to that is **yes**. 3D printing allows to make customized cases of all varieties. Also, since there is huge variety of materials available, you not only restricted to cases of plastic filaments - should this be of interest. Then again, it all depends on what you are protecting your electronics from. If you plan on submerging your electronics into water or throw them into a fire, 3D printing might not work for you at all. If dust protection is your only concern, however, 3D printed cases should do just fine in most cases. Upvotes: 3

2016/03/15

<issue_start>username_0: Backstory --------- I've had issues in the past with my drive gear "eating" my filament. It seemed that the filament quit extruding for one reason or another and the drive gear would slowly eat away at the side of the filament. I eventually assumed it was the plastic filament guides causing unnecessary tension that the drive gear couldn't compete with, ultimately keeping the filament from moving forward. Thusly, allowing the drive gear to continue "trying". My solution was to hang my spools above the machine to avoid using the filament guides feeding from the back of the machine up through the top. Question -------- Can the plastic filament guides really cause that much drag? What other variables can I expect to look out for? *Machine:* **MakerBot Replicator Dual (1st Generation)**<issue_comment>username_1: I have a few hundred printing hours on a Monoprice Dual Extrusion, which is essentially the same thing. I've had a couple random issues that lead to filament stripping by the extruder motor: * Clogs (either a buildup of material over time, or from over-retraction) * Filament kinks around the spool holder * Some other restriction of the spool's rotation I suspected the guides early on, but the grips on the rotor are actually fairly strong and the guide tubes are smooth enough to not cause a problem by themselves; I'd recommend looking at the other ends of the assembly first, as they're more likely to cause a problem. If you preheat the nozzle, open the tensioner on the extruder stepper, and can't push the filament into the nozzle with your fingers, the motor won't be able to do it either. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: For an easy test, try manually pulling the filament through the U-loop of guide tube. How hard is it to pull through? It should only take 1-2 lbs of tension at most. Then do a "tug test" on the extruder. Start it loading and grab the filament by hand to try to stop it from extruding. The Replicator 1/2/2x extruder style can typically pull ~8-10 lbs of tension and it should be fairly difficult to stop the filament. When you do stop the filament, you should hear clicking/thumping from the stepper stalling, NOT quiet grinding as the drive gear chews through the filament. If the grip slips rather than stalls, your extruder hardware needs to be tuned or replaced. There are three common causes of excessive feed tube drag: * Use of polyethylene tubing instead of PTFE -- this makes a shockingly large difference in drag friction. You can use a heat gun or torch (outside!!) to tell the difference between PE and PTFE. PE will soften quickly and then melt fairly easily, whereas PTFE will simply go clear and eventually char without melting. Nylon is also sometimes used for feed tubes with acceptable results, but if you have any suspicion about the tube material, just buy new PTFE tubes from a reputable vendor like McMaster. * Too many loops/curves in the tube. Total drag friction is an exponential function of the total amount of curvature in the tube. You should have one good U-loop, no spirals or floppy zig-zags. * Excessive friction on the spool rotation. Any spool back-tension gets greatly magnified through the feed tube per the [capstan equation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capstan_equation). This can be caused by a bad spool holder, or if the filament is knotted on the spool due to letting the end of the spool loose during handling. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: The friction inside of the guide tubes is fairly minimal assuming that the lines are straight and there isn't anything else inside them. My guess would be that you may have another issue. Reducing the drag in the guide tubes while it may reduce the problem of clogged nozzle, might just be hiding the symptoms of another problem. I've heard, but never tried adding a dab of Canola oil to the tip of your filament prior to feeding it into your extruder. Specifically for Makerbots. Link my source: <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/makerbot/Wn-MKC1Ybm0%5B1-25%5D> Upvotes: 0

2016/03/16

<issue_start>username_0: As my first project, I'm trying to design a holder for glass vials, for a scientific application. The photo below shows the latest design iteration, and also shows the problem with it: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7vqSam.jpg) As you can see, one of the clips that's meant to hold the vial in place has broken off. This happened after inserting the vial once or twice. I think I understand the reason for this. It's because I'm printing in the orientation shown below, in order to avoid the need for supports. (This will be more important later, when I scale it up to an array of many holders.) This means that it's relying on the strength in the z dimension, which is much weaker than in the other two directions, because it relies on the cohesion between the layers. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/aOyctm.jpg) My question is whether I can do anything about this by changing the design of the clips, without abandoning my hope of support-free printing. I don't care at all what the design looks like, except that as much of the vial as possible needs to be visible from the front. I'm printing in ABS. I have tried varying the thickness of the clips. Thinner ones don't break as easily, but they are a bit floppy and aren't very good at keeping the vial vertical. The ones shown are the thickest I've tried - I'm afraid that if they're too thick they won't bend at all. (The vial is supposed to be inserted from the front rather than the top.) **Edit** just as an update, here's what it looks like using John Biddle's suggestion, which works perfectly: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/w3qeG.png)<issue_comment>username_1: Considering that you wish to print the clip in the vertical orientation but without supports, I would suggest that you create a suitable taper of the clip from the bottom. The taper would provide necessary support-free support but may reduce the amount of bottle access one has to remove it from the clips. As such, you could also reduce the amount of the straight vertical segment of the clip at the front, which would allow the support-free support to start at a higher level from the bottom. If the bottle bottom encirclement is raised, you'd receive additional retention. You could then reduce more the upper encirclement and taper for easier release. I too prefer to design models that require no support, but have run into the same circumstance, where the weaker axis takes a disproportionate load. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Printing the model vertically should certainly be considered, as that will alleviate your issue by a whole lot. If altering the design by adding a *taper* to your model isn't what you are looking for, placing a *manual, removable support structure* at the outer edge og the overhang could also be an option. This way, you could print the overhang as a *bridge*, making it much easier to print vertically. Also, have you considered using another material than ABS? There are a large variety of filament types available that have better semi-flexible properties than ABS, without sacrificing overall strength. For instance, PETG and Taulman's Alloy 910 filaments are both very strong, and surprisingly flexible. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: **The Short** * Just print vertically * Reduce the clip size to bring them closer to the centerline * Try a vapor treatment or epoxy to increase strength **The Long** Ultimately, printing the object vertically (so the clips are printed horizontally) would be the strongest solution. Alternatively, you could adjust your model to bring down the size of the clips to reduce the strain. Consider making more of a cup or cone on the bottom for the vial to slide into center. Then reduce the length of the clips to bring the closer to where the center of the vial will be. Make sure, however, that your clips still curve slightly around the center (and maybe a mm or two beyond). From a design point, the bottom clip is probably unnecessary. Another option might also be to use a small vapor treatment on the ABS. Depending on how deep the alcohol penetrates, it could diminish some of the issues with the part cracking along the grain. This is just a fairly labor intensive process compared to some of the others posted here. Side note, those are great looking prints! I like how smooth ABS can look. ~~Its hard to tell, but it looks like your part has a bit of warping on the bottom. Definitely look into some of the warping questions here on Stack.~~ Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I agree with the previous assessments -- printing vertically for that part of the clip will definitely alleviate the layer adhesion being your weak point. You might also consider splitting that clip as a separate modular piece (which will clip/socket/bolt into the stand). Depending on implementation, this would give you the ability to * Print that part vertically without supports * Swap the part if it breaks, without having to print the whole assembly again * Preattach the clip to vials, which may be good or bad depending on your usage Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: It looks like those clips are thin and need to bend pretty far to let the vial out. Try to make the clips thicker, but with a smaller clip to retain the vial so that it doesn't have to bend as much. This is what I'm thinking, in beautiful MS-PAINT form: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/evTyz.png) Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_6: If you don't want your clip to break, you'll have to engineer in some form of flexibility in a strong part of your design. For example, right now it looks like the bases of the clips are sitting rather solidly on the underlying surface such that it can't move. I'd suggest that instead it might be better to have two clips attach separately to the bottom using a "post", and have each post attached to the solid part of the base with a piece of plastic whose horizontal cross-section is a somewhat-rounded accordion-style double zig-zag. From the top: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cIUa8.png) Having multiple "pleats" will mean that each degree that the clips flex outward will only require each pleat to flex a fraction of a degree. You'd have to play around to find out what number of pleats would give a suitable degree of stiffness and flexibility, but if the printer renders the design by drawing the zig zags, stresses should be concentrated in the directions where the material is strongest. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_7: Come on. Wider clips will just survive a bit longer. The real cause is the orientation (plane) of printing. Continues filament layer will always be more durable than few layers sticked together. So the question is why not to change printing plane? You can use better design which utilizes support without using "support material" [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gv3zu.png) Upvotes: 3

2016/03/17

<issue_start>username_0: I would like to make custom insoles for my wife. This company makes a flexible filament that will be soft to stand on: <http://recreus.com/en/> I do not currently own a printer. How can I measure her feet and transfer the measurements to the printer? (one of these comes to mind: <http://www.eggheadtoys.com/pin-art/>) How can I measure the inside of the shoe? What kind of printer can print with the flexible filament?<issue_comment>username_1: Many questions in one post, but I'll address only the first. Consider to use a shoe with a flat insole, perhaps even what is commonly called a flip-flop. If your objective is to perfectly match the curve of her foot bottom, this should work. Apply a layer of polymer modeling clay, plasticine or similar material. It should be warm enough to permit her foot/feet to settle in and push enough material away to remove any voids. If voids appear, one could then add a few blobs and repeat the pressure. Obviously some will ooze from the sides, which will have to be trimmed away. Trim a sufficient amount to fit her regular shoes and you'll have a reasonable match of the necessary fit. The resulting shape can then be scanned with a 3d scanner and converted to a 3d model. Even if the clay is excessively thick, the typical 3d model editor can slice away the excess, although one would have to make an almost arbitrary judgement for the location of the slicing plane. Another option comes to mind. There are various silicone molding products. I've used one from makeyourownmolds.com that is of a consistency of frosting. When mixed together and applied, it makes a perfect duplicate of the item, in reverse. Another product sold at the local HobbyLobby is a similar molding compound that is more akin to the modeling clay. Both compounds will release easily from skin, are non-toxic and would provide a more durable model from which to scan. I think one difficulty you may have is how to determine the correct foot pressure and posture to achieve the desired results. The modeling clay would give you more support and probably be more accurate. If your objective is to provide the same support as a bare foot, the silicone molding method would be more accurate. If you stretch the concept even further, once you have the silicone or clay mold, you would be able to use the pin-art concept. The idea of measuring each tiny pin is mind-boggling, though. Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: In short, my opinion is that 3D printing is not the most ideal or cost effective means to accomplish your objective. I'm sure with just as much research, you can find an existing consumer product. However, to answer your question, you have a few options that come to mind: * Simply make a mould using supplies from your local craft store. Once a mould is made, look into a castable material that will be comfortable, though this may be difficult. * If you're dedicated towards 3D printing the insole. Try getting hold of a local service that can use a 3D Laser Scanner to get a mesh model. The same service might even be able to create solid model of the desired insole if you have dimensions of the shoe you wish to use. Next, you'll need to contact another service to 3D print the insole (most likely in nylon or similar) or, if you have a 3D printer, print the insole yourself. If you are considering printing yourself, and have not before used a material like nylon, please review the material specifications. Some suppliers recommend the use of a heated build plate with these type of materials to ensure the material properties are retained during heating/cooling. I'm suggesting Laser Scanning as it will be the most economical and flexible means of reverse engineering the dimensions you're requesting. Other options, such as a Coordinate Measuring Machine or X-Ray may would be quite uncomfortable and impractical. Ultimately, I would look into something like [this](https://www.drscholls.com/productsandbrands/customfitorthotics/?pse=google&matchtype=b&Keyword=%2Bdr%20%2Bscholl%27s%20%2Bmachine&network=g&placement&campaignid=194231145&adgroupid=9255309945#tablink_2) instead. I'm not endorsing any product or company, but something like this may be the best solution for you. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Here is a post that covers how to scan a foot and make a form fitting insole - <https://web.archive.org/web/20180429035945/http://www.gyrobot.co.uk/blog/my-adventures-with-3d-printed-insoles-part-4-4> Here are links to the rest of the blog - [Part 1 of 4](https://web.archive.org/web/20180307181312/http://www.gyrobot.co.uk:80/blog/my-adventures-with-3d-printed-insoles-part-1-4) - [Part 2 of 4](https://web.archive.org/web/20180307181409/http://www.gyrobot.co.uk:80/blog/my-adventures-with-3d-printed-insoles-part-2-4) - [Part 3 of 4](https://web.archive.org/web/20180305020707/http://www.gyrobot.co.uk:80/blog/my-adventures-with-3d-printed-insoles-part-3-4) Any printer should be capable of the temperature required for flexible filament. The main problem with flexible filament is the path between the drive gears and entrance to the hotend must be completely constrained or the filament will push out of any gap. Ninjaflex is very flexible and absolutely will not work unless you constrain it right after the contact point with the drive gear. Semiflex is another flexible filament but quite a bit stiffer than Ninjaflex, I've never used it but it should be a bit more forgiving on the path requirements. I know there are several other flexible filaments but I've never worked with them so I only mentioned Ninjaflex which I have used. The model used in the blog can be found here - <http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:586514> Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I have given this some thought prior since, I am also in need of such things, so here is my 2 cents. > > How can I measure her feet and transfer the measurements to the > printer? > > > If you want to be very accurate, then you will need a 3d scanner. Failing this, then you're most likely going to have to take an outline. Just let her stand on a piece of paper and draw an outline of her foot. Next get a document scanner and scan the trace. You could also take a photo but you will have issues getting the correct scale. Assuming your outline is black, convert the scanned outline to a vector file using an online source or Adobe Illustrator (e.g [https://vectormagic.com](https://vectormagic.com/)). Once you have a vector outline then import it into your cad software and begin modeling the insole. > > How can I measure the inside of the shoe? > > > Remove the exsisting insole (if possible) and scan it in a document scanner. > > What kind of printer can print with the flexible filament? > > > Any direct drive extruder can print with Ninjaflex or other flexible filament. You could also try [PORO-LAY](https://www.matterhackers.com/store/l/poro-lay-lay-fomm-filament-175mm/sk/MLWKN3PY), but it is much more expensive. I'd advise you to do you test runs in PLA or something cheap until you get the correct fit. Upvotes: 0

2016/03/18

<issue_start>username_0: For my Frankenstein's printer I am at a loss with the hotend mount. I cannot drill holes of 16 (upper diameter) and 12 mm (clamping diameter, 6mm high) which i would need to mount the E3D V6 clone I have. What I am looking for: a hotend mount plate that tightly fixes the hotend while having some holes for screws to mount it to the horizontally moving x-y drives. As I cannot print yet, it needs to be manufacturable at home. I thought of something like this: <http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:285405> I could get a piece of wood thin enough to fit the 6mm gap for the hotend, would not really be able to put any screws through it along the flat axis. also I would have to glue the layer with a 16mm hole on top. Not to say that I don't own a drillbit of 16mm diameter... Are there some completely different ideas around which I didn't think of yet? Additional info: the x-y axes are made from a scanner bed and an underneath mounted dvd drive laser positioner. Ideally, I'd want to mount the hotend directly to the DVD drive but a) there is almost no space for that, and b) I'm pretty sure I will burn the DVD drive's motor somewhere along the way, so I don't want to put too much work in the individual DVD drive.<issue_comment>username_1: If you do not have the tools to fabricate this component yourself, but have a 3D model available, I would suggest getting someone else to 3D print it for you. There are multiple options for getting your model printed, such as: * Friends * Your local makerspace, library or similar * [3D Hubs](https://www.3dhubs.com/) * [MakeXYZ](https://www.makexyz.com/) * [Shapeways](http://www.shapeways.com/) * [Sculpteo](http://www.sculpteo.com/en/) * and so on.. Good luck! Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You could cut a v-notch groove in a piece of plywood to hold one side of the groovemount neck, and then use a bolt through another piece of wood to push the neck into the V-notch. There are lots of options when building RepStraps and JunkStraps. Really depends on what sort of hardware and fabrication capabilities you have on hand. Upvotes: 2

2016/03/18

<issue_start>username_0: If you already have a 3D printer, would you say that you have saved money on buying the printer, buying models and then printing the models, compared to buying something alike in retail? Would you say that saving money is an argument to buy a 3D printer?<issue_comment>username_1: Yes and No. =========== There are two sides of this, ***yes*** and ***no***. Why I say *yes* is because there are little things that the 3D Printer can come in use for, like creating charger holders or just little household objects. The *no* side of this for me would be because of the cost of the filament in general and the maximum object size you can create with your 3D Printer. I know they have bigger ones out there, but you aren't going to make anything too big. Another reason it's a *no* is because of duration of time. It may save you money, but your going to be spending a lot more time and possibly more money the bigger your objects get, which is the only reason I'm not trying to get one at the moment. I'm choosing to wait until technologies advance to get my personal one, where it doesn't take over an hour to print out a keychain tag. So ***yes***, you probably could save money in the long run, depending on what you create with it based on size and how much filament you use, but I'm also going to say ***no*** because of the disadvantages the 3D Printer has. I personally would wait for technology to advance in the next 5-15 years before buying one that has a lot more power than these, as the one's currently in the market are expensive. --- **EDIT:** As I stated in my reasoning, I currently do not own a 3D Printer, but I do use one at my school for educational purposes and I do know the hassle on time and money for creating products that are relatively small in size. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I would say that the general answer to your specific question is no. If you want to justify buying a printer because of all the things you could print instead of buying that is not going to be easy. If however you are a DIYer and you have some CAD skills, or are willing to learn some, then consider the 3D printer as another tool you can use. There are plenty of stories about people who fixed some very expensive thing instead of having to buy a whole new one for hundreds of $/£; so if you have a specific use in mind then it may be justifiable to you. I have made and fixed stuff around the house, but it's often things you simply couldn't buy, or could have fixed some other way. There is an ever growing library of models available out there, and many are free. I recently fixed the leg on my keyboard with a printed one which I found on thingiverse, took minutes to print and the keyboard is part of a wireless set which would cost £30 to replace, so that was great but you won't normally find exactly what you want like that at this time. And lastly it's not plug 'n Play yet, so you need to be a tinkerer at heart to use most printers out there right now. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: You'll never net a profit 3D printing the equivalent of Dollar Store trinkets. Commercial-scale injection molding costs pennies per part, while 3D printing typically costs dollars per part. It's great every so often when you can replace an out-of-stock widget and rescue a major appliance from the trash heap, but those instances are pretty rare. What 3D printing lets you do is make stuff that simply wouldn't exist otherwise. That could mean clever gadgets that can't be manufactured any other way, or niche items that don't have enough volume to be economical via traditional manufacturing and sales channels, or one-off prototypes or art projects. Those may be very high value items! But it's difficult to assign a dollar value to them. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: What 3D printing or additive manufacturing is good for is printing *small and delicate stuffs*. examples: scaffolds, tissues, human organ. i've seen some people use 3D printing to print bone or a part of it. Also, it's good for fast prototyping, especially you don't want to wait for the machine shop forever. that's where 3D printing comes in. What is not good about 3D printing is the piece cannot withstand normal force/stress as compared to regular casting/manufacturing ways. 3D printed work piece are easy to break compared to other methods. no matter what alloys/plastic ink you use, there is always something better. 3D printing don't give the best. as such, manufacturing still relies on old methods. let's review the pros and cons of regular manufacturing (mfg) and 3D printing: * regular mfg: +cost: design mold, more time/money investment to make equipment +profit: faster+cheaper (in term of $/product) for mass production * 3D printing +cost: cheaper machine (usually but not always, depending on the input materials, could be alloys, plastics, etc.), laser type (diff commercial printers use diff laser) +profit: cut time to make equipments because it's ready avail, more expensive but also more control so each of these methods have their goods and bads. personally i think it's usually worse than better compared to regular mfg so it doesn't make much sense to me. So in my opinion, **no**. Upvotes: 2

2016/03/20

<issue_start>username_0: I've been curious about the various UV/Laser printers in (or coming into) market that use liquid resin. I've seen the samples of the [Pegasus Touch](https://fslaser.com/Products/View/1), [Form1](http://formlabs.com/products/materials/), and the [Carbon3D](http://carbon3d.com/) as examples. I like the specifications of the quality that machines can put out. However, in my experience with FDM printing, there almost always seems to be something not quite right about the print. So, what are some major maintenance considerations for these types of 3D printing? Also, specifically, are supports and overhangs as much an issue in these types of printers as with FDM/FFF? Here are some things I consider major maintenance considerations in FDM: * Extruder Clogging * Build platform conditions (i.e. levelness, clean, type of tape, bubbles in tape) * Variances in material quality (i.e. diameter, purity, physical conditions) * Mechanics of the machine (i.e. belts, rods, gear teeth, etc.) * Build environment (i.e. ensuring steady temperature in the build environment, minimize draft) I'm not necessarily looking for printer recommendations, more so technical insight on the technology.<issue_comment>username_1: Taken in order your questions: Maintenance for a resin printer means keeping the vat or tray clean, using appropriate methods to remove the unused resin (or leaving it in the vat per manufacturer's directions). Cleaning the tray should be done also per manufacturer's spec, although each printer's user forum may provide better or more effective options. The Pegasus Touch has a caution regarding dripping resin on the mirrors, so there's operational care considerations for these types of printers. There is a build platform for these printers. The flatness and level are as critical or more so for resin printers, as the resolution can be astonishingly high. If any portion of a print does not bond to the platform, that entire print will have a failed section, creating an entirely failed print. Gravity is not particularly helpful in that respect, at least with the Pegasus Touch. The release medium varies from device to device. The Pegasus Touch originally used PDMS (silicon release compound) and now uses what's called a SuperVat. The plastic material in the SuperVat is purported to provide better release and fewer failures, along with increased lifespan. PDMS becomes cloudy from repeated printing in the same location and can be torn away from the vat if the print does not properly release. I've become aware of a product from Australia that has had good reports from use in a B9 Creator resin printer. The report indicates that it releases the model quite easily and barely turns cloudy. I have an order pending for this material, as I am hopeful it will perform as described. The mechanics are also varied. One expects a system to raise and lower the build platform and to direct the laser or illumination system (DLP), but generally, this type of printer is somewhat simpler mechanically. Because I live in a hot humid climate, my Pegasus Touch remains in the box, and my brain is about to explode with what I've learned of using it. Environmental conditions are likely to vary with different machines. I've seen references that 70 degrees F is too cold, others that say 70-75 degrees F is just fine, anything higher is too hot. Another user says that 65 degrees is good. The type of resin also becomes an important factor for environmental conditions. The laser will create heat in the resin, so I'm inclined to believe that cooler is better. Different colors require different durations of laser light, somewhat akin to various plastics having different temperatures. supports and overhangs are important considerations in an SLA or DLP printer, just as they are in FDM. Expect also that many of the resin printers require that the user purchase only the product provided by the manufacturer. This isn't necessarily a negative as most of the resin sources are priced similarly. If I've missed any part of your question, let me know. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Despite how many vendors make it appear, resin-curing SLA/DLP printers are industrial or commercial tools that are really not suitable for home desktop use. Here are the major downsides: * Significantly more expensive to operate than FDM printers, in most cases. * The resin is seriously toxic until fully cured. Fumes can be an issue for users handling raw resin, and you should NEVER put a photopolymer print into a chemically-sensitive environment like an aquarium or children's toy. * Prints require messy post-processing to rinse off excess resin (usually with rubbing alcohol) and additional UV light exposure to finish hardening the photopolymer. The used alcohol/resin rinse mix is basically hazmat waste. * In bottom-up printers, the window in the print vat is typically a consumable. Some printers require replacing the vat ($$) after every liter or two of cured resin. (Technology is advancing rapidly here though.) * The peel mechanism in bottom-up printers is often a major source of print flaws, due to the need to rock/tilt/slide the print to free it from the vat window. * In top-down printers, you have to pay a large up-front consumables cost to initially fill the resin tank. (There are workarounds here like floating a layer of resin on brine, but these have their own technical issues.) * If you leave the resin in the printer for an extended period, you'll probably find a hardened layer on the surface from stray light exposure and have to clean out or replace the vat. * Resin vats/tanks need to be kept clean and free of cured resin debris from failed prints or stray light. * Every combination of resin chemistry, printer light source, and printer optics requires specific tuning to dial in the photopolymer curing behavior. This means it's somewhat difficult to change resin brands, and you may effectively be locked into the printer manufacturer's resin. Many light sources will change in intensity or develop dim regions over time as they age, which will either harm print quality, require period recalibration, or require frequent light source replacement. * There is a limited number of options for print materials. Technology here is advancing rapidly, but for the most part, SLA/DLP prints are non-load-bearing models with a limited range of color options. These are some pretty significant "user experience" downsides compared to a consumer desktop FDM printer. It's more hazard, more work, and more cost than FDM. SLA/DLP is primarily advantageous where high resolution or high print speeds are required. Upvotes: 2

2016/03/22

<issue_start>username_0: I was in the process of printing a 16 hour print, but I must have failed to copy the G-code correctly, because the print stopped after 107 of 223 layers. Looking at the G-code, It also stops there. However, I had the full G-code on my computer, and decided to try and resume the print from layer 108. It seemed to work, with the exception of a little excess extrusion at a single point in the beginning, but after three layers, i noticed that it wasn't extruding anymore. I am not completely positive that it isn't due to nozzle jamming, but I have a strong feeling that the problem is the G-code itself, as it does extrude some plastic just before printing starts. Here are the first lines of my manually edited G-code. Can anyone see why I get the blob in the beginning, or why I don't get anything at all later on? Or does it look good, and my problem is probably the nozzle? ``` ;FLAVOR:UltiGCode ;TIME:60308 ;MATERIAL:119047 ;MATERIAL2:0 ;NOZZLE_DIAMETER:0.400000 ;NOZZLE_DIAMETER2:0.400000 ;MTYPE:PLA ;Layer count: 222 ;LAYER:109 G0 F9000 X208.213 Y107.948 Z16.610 ;TYPE:FILL G1 F3600 X210.390 Y105.771 E4104.65185 G0 F9000 X210.390 Y103.170 G1 F3600 X168.331 Y61.111 E4107.77457 G0 F9000 X167.074 Y61.111 G1 F3600 X120.237 Y107.949 E4111.25208 G0 F9000 X121.695 Y107.949 G1 F3600 X74.857 Y61.111 E4114.72962 G0 F9000 X73.600 Y61.111 G1 F3600 X26.763 Y107.948 E4118.20709 ```<issue_comment>username_1: According to the RepRap.org [list of G-Code commands](http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code), see **[G0 & G1: Move](http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#G0_.26_G1:_Move)**: > > The `Ennn` command is *The amount to extrude between the starting point and ending point*. > > > However, according to [this](https://github.com/daid/Cura/issues/385) a discussion, that is now deleted from GitHub, about the Cura slicing engine: The **E** values are in *absolute mode*, so perhaps the firmware is attempting to move the stepper motor to the absolute position (which is almost 50% through your print). This may lead to clogging or skipping depending on how hot your extruder is at that point. As a last resort, you can perform a Boolean subtract on your model of the section that's already printed and re-slice the model to print the remaining bit. Then glue, or ABS weld, the remaining piece to the main print. I've done this in the past, it's not super glamorous, but it gets the job done if the part doesn't require a lot of structural integrity. **I was incorrect with the following statements with regard to the Cura slicing engine:** ~~It's been a while since I've looked at 3D printer G-Code, but from what I remember, **E** values can be the bane of any manually written G-Code. Usually the slicing engine generates the **E** value as an incremental step value throughout the G-Code (at least this was true for Skeinforge and early MakerWare, please verify this). So, if the value is incremental and depending on the controller, this value could be lost or corrupt if a new print is initialized.~~ I would hope, that if you're using a slicing engine's *custom G-Code* input, that the software would be able to compensate situations like this and reformat your provided G-Code to match the value of **E** or any similar command. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Is the hotend temperature set correctly? If you only preheat the hotend but then turn it off, it will behave exactly as you described (while you're above `EXTRUDE_MINTEMP` it will behave normally, but once the temperature drops too low it will continue doing the XYZ-moves, but stop extruding). Perhaps you need to add a `M109` command to set the temperature properly. [In his answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/850/no-extrusion-when-trying-to-resume-failed-print-with-manually-edited-gcode/851#851), username_1 mentions absolute and relative coordinates. Whether absolute or relative coordinates are used is set using the `G90`/`G91` commands and will always be the same for all axes (XYZ and E). He also mentions that: > > so perhaps the firmware is attempting to move the stepper motor to the absolute position (which is almost 50% thru your print). This may lead to clogging or skipping depending on how hot your extruder is at that point. > > > This shouldn't happen, as extremely long extrude moves are ignored by Marlin. When the printer encounters ``` G1 F3600 X210.390 Y105.771 E4104.65185 ``` it performs only the XYZ-part of the move, but doesn't move the extruder (assuming the printer was reset and the current extruder position is 0). However, it does update the internal value for the extruder position, so the next move happens normally. Perhaps missing the initial extrude segment isn't a big deal, but if you want the print to resume perfectly where you left off, you should add a `G92` command to the beginning to initialize the extruder position correctly, for example: ``` G92 E4104.4 ``` (but the exact value depends on the last extruder position in the previous layer). Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I know this is an old thread but I have been running into similar issues with my delta machine with Marlin firmware. Not all printers running Marlin ignore large `E` (extruder) moves. G-code has always (even in CNC machines) run commands from were the motors are now, to the value in the G-code line. For example, `G0 X10` will move the X motor 10 units. The units are set through `G20` or `G21`. When your machine has lost power, you need to re-home all axes in order for the machine to know where it is. If you don't, it will likely think that it currently is at 0, 0, 0, 0. Then when you have the line, ``` G1 F3600 X210.390 Y105.771 E4104.65185 ``` it will try to go from 0,0,0,0 to 210.390, 105.771, 0, 4104.65185 at the feed rate of 3600. Therefore it is always good to home after power loss and add a `G92 E4104.4` (last line ran before power loss) even if your machine may not need it. Good habits make for less mistakes. Upvotes: 2

2016/03/24

<issue_start>username_0: I have adjusted my z axis end stop via the paper test. However when I press to home all the axis the z axis hits the print bed moves it down slightly then goes to the postion I describe. Is this how its supose to be if not what do I need to do?<issue_comment>username_1: According to the RepRap.org [list of G-Code commands](http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code), see **[G0 & G1: Move](http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#G0_.26_G1:_Move)**: > > The `Ennn` command is *The amount to extrude between the starting point and ending point*. > > > However, according to [this](https://github.com/daid/Cura/issues/385) a discussion, that is now deleted from GitHub, about the Cura slicing engine: The **E** values are in *absolute mode*, so perhaps the firmware is attempting to move the stepper motor to the absolute position (which is almost 50% through your print). This may lead to clogging or skipping depending on how hot your extruder is at that point. As a last resort, you can perform a Boolean subtract on your model of the section that's already printed and re-slice the model to print the remaining bit. Then glue, or ABS weld, the remaining piece to the main print. I've done this in the past, it's not super glamorous, but it gets the job done if the part doesn't require a lot of structural integrity. **I was incorrect with the following statements with regard to the Cura slicing engine:** ~~It's been a while since I've looked at 3D printer G-Code, but from what I remember, **E** values can be the bane of any manually written G-Code. Usually the slicing engine generates the **E** value as an incremental step value throughout the G-Code (at least this was true for Skeinforge and early MakerWare, please verify this). So, if the value is incremental and depending on the controller, this value could be lost or corrupt if a new print is initialized.~~ I would hope, that if you're using a slicing engine's *custom G-Code* input, that the software would be able to compensate situations like this and reformat your provided G-Code to match the value of **E** or any similar command. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Is the hotend temperature set correctly? If you only preheat the hotend but then turn it off, it will behave exactly as you described (while you're above `EXTRUDE_MINTEMP` it will behave normally, but once the temperature drops too low it will continue doing the XYZ-moves, but stop extruding). Perhaps you need to add a `M109` command to set the temperature properly. [In his answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/850/no-extrusion-when-trying-to-resume-failed-print-with-manually-edited-gcode/851#851), username_1 mentions absolute and relative coordinates. Whether absolute or relative coordinates are used is set using the `G90`/`G91` commands and will always be the same for all axes (XYZ and E). He also mentions that: > > so perhaps the firmware is attempting to move the stepper motor to the absolute position (which is almost 50% thru your print). This may lead to clogging or skipping depending on how hot your extruder is at that point. > > > This shouldn't happen, as extremely long extrude moves are ignored by Marlin. When the printer encounters ``` G1 F3600 X210.390 Y105.771 E4104.65185 ``` it performs only the XYZ-part of the move, but doesn't move the extruder (assuming the printer was reset and the current extruder position is 0). However, it does update the internal value for the extruder position, so the next move happens normally. Perhaps missing the initial extrude segment isn't a big deal, but if you want the print to resume perfectly where you left off, you should add a `G92` command to the beginning to initialize the extruder position correctly, for example: ``` G92 E4104.4 ``` (but the exact value depends on the last extruder position in the previous layer). Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I know this is an old thread but I have been running into similar issues with my delta machine with Marlin firmware. Not all printers running Marlin ignore large `E` (extruder) moves. G-code has always (even in CNC machines) run commands from were the motors are now, to the value in the G-code line. For example, `G0 X10` will move the X motor 10 units. The units are set through `G20` or `G21`. When your machine has lost power, you need to re-home all axes in order for the machine to know where it is. If you don't, it will likely think that it currently is at 0, 0, 0, 0. Then when you have the line, ``` G1 F3600 X210.390 Y105.771 E4104.65185 ``` it will try to go from 0,0,0,0 to 210.390, 105.771, 0, 4104.65185 at the feed rate of 3600. Therefore it is always good to home after power loss and add a `G92 E4104.4` (last line ran before power loss) even if your machine may not need it. Good habits make for less mistakes. Upvotes: 2

2016/03/25

<issue_start>username_0: Suppose I want to to print several copies of a large, flat object, such as a hollow frame. If I make an STL file consisting of several copies floating just above each other then my 3D printer's software happily generates supports for the upper objects to sit on, as shown below: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XbxbGm.png) My question is, is this a crazy idea? If it will work it seems it has several advantages. I can print more copies at once than if I tried to fit them next to each other on the platform, and if one of the prints fails the ones below it will still be OK. It doesn't take that much more filament than printing them all separately. I'll probably try it at some point just to see what happens, but it's not something I've heard of people doing before, so I'm wondering if there's a good reason why it won't work or would otherwise not be a good strategy.<issue_comment>username_1: According to the RepRap.org [list of G-Code commands](http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code), see **[G0 & G1: Move](http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#G0_.26_G1:_Move)**: > > The `Ennn` command is *The amount to extrude between the starting point and ending point*. > > > However, according to [this](https://github.com/daid/Cura/issues/385) a discussion, that is now deleted from GitHub, about the Cura slicing engine: The **E** values are in *absolute mode*, so perhaps the firmware is attempting to move the stepper motor to the absolute position (which is almost 50% through your print). This may lead to clogging or skipping depending on how hot your extruder is at that point. As a last resort, you can perform a Boolean subtract on your model of the section that's already printed and re-slice the model to print the remaining bit. Then glue, or ABS weld, the remaining piece to the main print. I've done this in the past, it's not super glamorous, but it gets the job done if the part doesn't require a lot of structural integrity. **I was incorrect with the following statements with regard to the Cura slicing engine:** ~~It's been a while since I've looked at 3D printer G-Code, but from what I remember, **E** values can be the bane of any manually written G-Code. Usually the slicing engine generates the **E** value as an incremental step value throughout the G-Code (at least this was true for Skeinforge and early MakerWare, please verify this). So, if the value is incremental and depending on the controller, this value could be lost or corrupt if a new print is initialized.~~ I would hope, that if you're using a slicing engine's *custom G-Code* input, that the software would be able to compensate situations like this and reformat your provided G-Code to match the value of **E** or any similar command. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Is the hotend temperature set correctly? If you only preheat the hotend but then turn it off, it will behave exactly as you described (while you're above `EXTRUDE_MINTEMP` it will behave normally, but once the temperature drops too low it will continue doing the XYZ-moves, but stop extruding). Perhaps you need to add a `M109` command to set the temperature properly. [In his answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/850/no-extrusion-when-trying-to-resume-failed-print-with-manually-edited-gcode/851#851), username_1 mentions absolute and relative coordinates. Whether absolute or relative coordinates are used is set using the `G90`/`G91` commands and will always be the same for all axes (XYZ and E). He also mentions that: > > so perhaps the firmware is attempting to move the stepper motor to the absolute position (which is almost 50% thru your print). This may lead to clogging or skipping depending on how hot your extruder is at that point. > > > This shouldn't happen, as extremely long extrude moves are ignored by Marlin. When the printer encounters ``` G1 F3600 X210.390 Y105.771 E4104.65185 ``` it performs only the XYZ-part of the move, but doesn't move the extruder (assuming the printer was reset and the current extruder position is 0). However, it does update the internal value for the extruder position, so the next move happens normally. Perhaps missing the initial extrude segment isn't a big deal, but if you want the print to resume perfectly where you left off, you should add a `G92` command to the beginning to initialize the extruder position correctly, for example: ``` G92 E4104.4 ``` (but the exact value depends on the last extruder position in the previous layer). Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I know this is an old thread but I have been running into similar issues with my delta machine with Marlin firmware. Not all printers running Marlin ignore large `E` (extruder) moves. G-code has always (even in CNC machines) run commands from were the motors are now, to the value in the G-code line. For example, `G0 X10` will move the X motor 10 units. The units are set through `G20` or `G21`. When your machine has lost power, you need to re-home all axes in order for the machine to know where it is. If you don't, it will likely think that it currently is at 0, 0, 0, 0. Then when you have the line, ``` G1 F3600 X210.390 Y105.771 E4104.65185 ``` it will try to go from 0,0,0,0 to 210.390, 105.771, 0, 4104.65185 at the feed rate of 3600. Therefore it is always good to home after power loss and add a `G92 E4104.4` (last line ran before power loss) even if your machine may not need it. Good habits make for less mistakes. Upvotes: 2

2016/03/25

<issue_start>username_0: I ordered an [OEM Power Supply](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B007KG0ZYI) and I intend to hook up with [this rocker switch](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00511QVVK) I believe it's like the one specified in the [Power Supply Documentation](http://reprap.org/wiki/Power_Supply#OEM_type_PSU) which reads: > > In the US, IEC320 C14 plug connections are common, but use your > preferred standard. > > > I've also seen where this was attached in [this thingiverse project](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:31659). Inside the switch I've also added an F4AL250V fuse. Now what's confusing me is, that the [this rocker switch](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00511QVVK) on the back reads 10A 250V~ so I'm wondering if it's safe to use. The switch will be connected to the house mains via a plug and wired just like in the [this thingiverse project](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:31659), so it can be the input into my [OEM Power Supply](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B007KG0ZYI) via the black (hot - L), white (Common - N) and Green (Ground) wires. For the connecting wires I stripped a black PC Tower wire to get at the black, white, and ground wires inside it. <http://reprap.org/wiki/Power_Supply#OEM_type_PSU><issue_comment>username_1: According to the RepRap.org [list of G-Code commands](http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code), see **[G0 & G1: Move](http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#G0_.26_G1:_Move)**: > > The `Ennn` command is *The amount to extrude between the starting point and ending point*. > > > However, according to [this](https://github.com/daid/Cura/issues/385) a discussion, that is now deleted from GitHub, about the Cura slicing engine: The **E** values are in *absolute mode*, so perhaps the firmware is attempting to move the stepper motor to the absolute position (which is almost 50% through your print). This may lead to clogging or skipping depending on how hot your extruder is at that point. As a last resort, you can perform a Boolean subtract on your model of the section that's already printed and re-slice the model to print the remaining bit. Then glue, or ABS weld, the remaining piece to the main print. I've done this in the past, it's not super glamorous, but it gets the job done if the part doesn't require a lot of structural integrity. **I was incorrect with the following statements with regard to the Cura slicing engine:** ~~It's been a while since I've looked at 3D printer G-Code, but from what I remember, **E** values can be the bane of any manually written G-Code. Usually the slicing engine generates the **E** value as an incremental step value throughout the G-Code (at least this was true for Skeinforge and early MakerWare, please verify this). So, if the value is incremental and depending on the controller, this value could be lost or corrupt if a new print is initialized.~~ I would hope, that if you're using a slicing engine's *custom G-Code* input, that the software would be able to compensate situations like this and reformat your provided G-Code to match the value of **E** or any similar command. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Is the hotend temperature set correctly? If you only preheat the hotend but then turn it off, it will behave exactly as you described (while you're above `EXTRUDE_MINTEMP` it will behave normally, but once the temperature drops too low it will continue doing the XYZ-moves, but stop extruding). Perhaps you need to add a `M109` command to set the temperature properly. [In his answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/850/no-extrusion-when-trying-to-resume-failed-print-with-manually-edited-gcode/851#851), username_1 mentions absolute and relative coordinates. Whether absolute or relative coordinates are used is set using the `G90`/`G91` commands and will always be the same for all axes (XYZ and E). He also mentions that: > > so perhaps the firmware is attempting to move the stepper motor to the absolute position (which is almost 50% thru your print). This may lead to clogging or skipping depending on how hot your extruder is at that point. > > > This shouldn't happen, as extremely long extrude moves are ignored by Marlin. When the printer encounters ``` G1 F3600 X210.390 Y105.771 E4104.65185 ``` it performs only the XYZ-part of the move, but doesn't move the extruder (assuming the printer was reset and the current extruder position is 0). However, it does update the internal value for the extruder position, so the next move happens normally. Perhaps missing the initial extrude segment isn't a big deal, but if you want the print to resume perfectly where you left off, you should add a `G92` command to the beginning to initialize the extruder position correctly, for example: ``` G92 E4104.4 ``` (but the exact value depends on the last extruder position in the previous layer). Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I know this is an old thread but I have been running into similar issues with my delta machine with Marlin firmware. Not all printers running Marlin ignore large `E` (extruder) moves. G-code has always (even in CNC machines) run commands from were the motors are now, to the value in the G-code line. For example, `G0 X10` will move the X motor 10 units. The units are set through `G20` or `G21`. When your machine has lost power, you need to re-home all axes in order for the machine to know where it is. If you don't, it will likely think that it currently is at 0, 0, 0, 0. Then when you have the line, ``` G1 F3600 X210.390 Y105.771 E4104.65185 ``` it will try to go from 0,0,0,0 to 210.390, 105.771, 0, 4104.65185 at the feed rate of 3600. Therefore it is always good to home after power loss and add a `G92 E4104.4` (last line ran before power loss) even if your machine may not need it. Good habits make for less mistakes. Upvotes: 2

2016/03/25

<issue_start>username_0: I obtained the following wire 22 Gauge Stranded Hookup Wire from Radio Shack: ``` Type/Style: AWM/1007 Wire Gauge: 22 AWG Insulation Thickness: AVE. 0.42 mm Rated Voltage: 300V Temperature Rating: 80°C / 176°F ``` > > Use Limitation: Internal wiring of appliances; or where exposed to oil > at a temperature not exceeding 60°C or 80°C, whichever is applicable.. > Tags may indicate the following: 600V Peak - For Electronic Use Only. > > > I'd like to be able to hook up RAMPs 1.4 to my [switching power supply](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B007KG0ZYI) with this wire. Will this work okay?<issue_comment>username_1: That should be fine for powering RAMPS, steppers and extruders but it is on the thin side. To err on the side of caution you should use somewhat ticker wires. However, you should definitely use thicker wires for the heated bed connection. Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: 22awg wiring is good for a max of 7A in this usage case. Your power supply can provide 30A. So it is definitely not large enough wire gauge for good wiring practice -- in the event of a short, you want the PSU's over-current protection to kick in before the wiring overheats. That would mean 14ga between the PSU and board. 16ga would probably cover your actual load requirements just fine, but we need to know a lot more about your printer to say that for sure. 12v systems need heavy duty wiring, at least on the main supply lines. You can use 22ga for individual power consumers, such as fans, extruder heaters, etc. (No heatbeds.) Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]

2016/03/26

<issue_start>username_0: So I bought a prusa i3 kit from a company called folger tech off of ebay. I've built it and even printed out a few parts, but I noticed that a lot of noise seemed to be happening only while the x-axis motor was moving the extruder. Then I noticed if I put my finger lightly on the plastic part of the x-carriage I could dampen the vibrations and pretty much eliminate the noise I noticed. Then I took apart that part of the printer and examined everything and all I could notice that seemed to be loose was that nut that allows the z motor to push up the x carriage. I don't know if I got a bad nut, or a bad screw, or is it's just supposed to be this way? I thought it was kind of a weird way to build things with a screw turning a nut, because I thought that it would bind up. But now I'm wondering if that is why it was so loose fitting (to reduce friction)? So does it need to be that way? Or could I get a different nut? Or is there some better way to go about fixing this issue? Or perhaps it's not even an issue.. idk.<issue_comment>username_1: It's probably intentional. Threaded rods are almost never perfectly straight. If the nut is rigidly coupled to the carriage, then the slightest deviation in the screw will either cause it to bind up or appear as artifacts (e.g. z-wobble) in the print. By making the nut slightly loose, it can move around a bit to compensate for wobble. See e.g. [this design](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:20147) and [this design](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3057) for how this is commonly implemented in other printers. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I do not agree with the answer of Tom. In a proper design, the nut is supposed NOT to be loose, especially in the Z-direction. All options of the nut to move can cause imprecise layer heights and Z-wobble. There is also the possibility to introduce Z-wobble by bent rods and good contact of the nut. However, Z-wobble is not what I want to address. Yes, to me, it seems possible that your rod or your nut (or both) are looser than they are supposed to be. However, I don't know the exact design of your printer. Usually there is some play along the axis, but hardly any perpendicular to it. Typically this can introduce a [hysteresis (wikipedia link)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysteresis) in the placement of the X-carriage. There is a nifty design against this, which most likely should also help you to get rid of your noise: [Thingverse: Z-axis anti backlash for Prusa i3](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:694575). **First**, however, you should check the following: * Are both your Z-axis drives set to the same height, or is just one of them doing the work (which would be very rare, by the nature of the design)? * Is your nut lose in the X-carriage? While the nut should not be lose itself, it should be totally fixed in the X-carriage (again: typically, but I don't know the FolgerTech approach). * Try other nuts from the hardware store to be sure whether you have a faulty nut or not. * While you're there you can connect a threaded rod with nuts there to gain experience what the typical degree of freedom in this union is. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I agree with Tom about looseness. I would suggest 2 solutions: 1. Use grease which will reduce friction (and vibrations as a consequence); 2. Use better clutch (coupling). Full aluminium couplings are prone to conduct noise (vibrations) from the threaded rod. You can use Oldham coupling with a plastic floating member. This will definitely reduce noise on Z axis. Of course you are encouraged to use both solutions :) Upvotes: 2

2016/03/26

<issue_start>username_0: I have done the calibration for the x, y, and z axis and everything works fine there. However when I went to do the calibration for extruder things got a little weird. The original number programmed on the board for the step per mm was 98 When I did my first measurements I used 120mm as the mark on the filament then extruded 100mm then remeasured the mark it was 37.66. Then by using the new\_e\_steps = old\_e\_steps \* (100/(120-distance). I would use the new number and upload it to the printer which was 119.0187. After that I took another measurement, the new measurement was 61.27mm after marking 120mm then extruding 100mm of filament. Using the formula it came out to be 202.6540. Then the new measurement was some where around 80 some MM. It seams that the more I do the calibration the less accurate it gets. What am I doing wrong here?[Triffid Hunters Calibration](http://reprap.org/wiki/Triffid_Hunter%27s_Calibration_Guide) is the guide I have been using and this link is to the specifications to the printer [HE3D Prusa XI3](https://www.3dprintersonlinestore.com/reprap-prusa-xi3).<issue_comment>username_1: It is really strange that although you *increased* the steps per mm, the amount extruded was *less*. I can think of two possible explanations: * You are extruding too quickly, at a rate at which the extruder can't keep up melting the filament fast enough, causing the filament to slip or the extruder to miss steps: try lowering the feedrate (a feedrate like 100mm/min is typical for 1.75mm filament) and make sure that the temperature is appropriate to your filament. * You are in absolute coordinate mode, and when you try to extrude 100mm it actually extrudes a different amount (based on the previous "position" of the extruder). Enter relative coordinate mode using G91. Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I understand you marked at 120mm then tried to extrude 100mm and measured 37.66mm remaining. Take the 120mm - 37.66mm (remaining)= 82.34mm (that was extruded (so you were 17.66mm short of your 100mm). The formula I use is [New Setting=(Wanted Distance X old setting)/ Actual Distance]. So [New Setting = (100 x Old Setting)/82.34.] Hope this helps Upvotes: 0

2016/03/26

<issue_start>username_0: First of all I'm working with a Folger Tech Prusa i3 kit, if that makes a difference. Also I believe the Arduino is a Mega 2560. I know somewhere in the back of my head that electrically programmable ROM like what must be on the Arduino board storing the firmware degrades a little, each time you write to it. Right now I'm trying to calibrate away another print problem, and I think I need to modify the firmware yet again, which I've already done several times. So I'm starting to worry about how many times I can do that. Well, once I remembered the acronym "EEPROM", and after a little googling, I came across this, [Arduino - EEPROM](https://www.arduino.cc/en/Reference/EEPROMWrite), which says that it can handle 100k cycles, so I think I'm onto the answer, but the problem is I'm not sure if a cycle is an entire file being uploaded? Wouldn't it be a single blip of data? And if so how many cycles would the average Marlin file consume? I also found this: > > but I'd be very surprised if I've uploaded to it more than 2000 times > > > on [Mega2560 bricked? not detected, DFU failing](http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=58243.0), indicating that the answer might be as low as 2000. Also, this: > > **Failure modes** > > > There are two limitations of stored information; endurance, and data > retention. > > > During rewrites, the gate oxide in the floating-gate transistors > gradually accumulates trapped electrons. The electric field of the > trapped electrons adds to the electrons in the floating gate, lowering > the window between threshold voltages for zeros vs ones. After > sufficient number of rewrite cycles, the difference becomes too small > to be recognizable, the cell is stuck in programmed state, and > endurance failure occurs. The manufacturers usually specify the > maximum number of rewrites being 1 million or more.[5] > > > During storage, the electrons injected into the floating gate may > drift through the insulator, especially at increased temperature, and > cause charge loss, reverting the cell into erased state. The > manufacturers usually guarantee data retention of 10 years or more.[6] > > > from Wikipedia: [EEPROM - Failure Modes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEPROM#Failure_modes), indicating the answer might be into the millions. At this point I'm just wondering if an expert might see this and relieve my angst...<issue_comment>username_1: The EEPROM is *not* where the program itself is stored, what's relevant for your question is the flash. The flash in the ATmega2560 [is rated for 10,000 cycles](http://www.atmel.com/images/atmel-2549-8-bit-avr-microcontroller-atmega640-1280-1281-2560-2561_datasheet.pdf) (i.e. you can reprogram it *at least* 10,000 times). Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: The AVR has SRAM for variables (what is usually called RAM), it has EEPROM for non volatile variables and it has flash for the executable code. (Harvard Architecture!) For re-flashing the firmware neither SRAM nor EEPROM write rates are important, but the Flash rates are. The flash write rates are in the region of 100 thousand to a million so that should not be a problem. The article you linked also states that he did not more than 2000 rewrites and therefore should be fine. I can only agree. A few thousand re-flashes is no problem. Once you get closer to 100 thousand you can start to worry. Flash bits can only be written from 1 to 0. Erasing the flash writes all bits to 1. Erasing can only be done on a flash page (size is device dependent but usually a multiple of 512). Upvotes: 1

2016/03/29

<issue_start>username_0: E3D mentions on their [own wiki](http://wiki.e3d-online.com/wiki/E3D-v6_Assembly#Usage_Guidance): > > Excessively long retractions will cause issues by dragging soft filament into cold areas. [...] for bowden systems you might want to go up to 2 mm. Retraction beyond 2 mm is likely to cause issues. > > > I have retraction set to the recommended maximum of 2 mm, but I still get a lot of stringing and blobs. My printer is set up with a relatively long Bowden tube (500-600 mm). I wonder if I need to push my retraction setting slightly beyond 2 mm to take up some of the slack. Is the 2 mm a conservative rating (I guess they don't want dissatisfied customers with clogging problems) or is it really the maximum? Is there anything else I can do to improve retraction performance? (I already have a small coasting distance of 0.1 mm set.)<issue_comment>username_1: Yes, you can increase retraction past E3D's max 2 mm recommendation to compensate for Bowden tube stretch and slop. The reason for the recommendation is that jams will occur with most all-metal hot ends if you pull molten filament up into the cold zone. Any molten filament that enters the cold zone rapidly cools and hardens and sticks to the walls, very often forming a jam. So, the requirement is to keep your retraction distance *at the extruder* less than 2 mm. Additional retraction travel that is absorbed by the Bowden tube and not seen at the extruder is fine. I personally run 2.5 mm retraction on an E3Dv6 Bowden system without any issues. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: As pointed out by [this article](https://www.matterhackers.com/articles/retraction-just-say-no-to-oozing), you can try to: 1. Increase your speed for travel moves 2. Increase retraction length 3. Place objects strategically during print **1. Calibrating travel speed** When calibrating travel speed, you can work with: * Maximum travel speed * Acceleration * Jerk * Z-hop/lift \* I found this [acceleration calculator](http://prusaprinters.org/calculator/) (by RepRap Central) and [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HsIZuj9vOs) (by <NAME>aderer) very useful. \*' *when moving at high speed, your stepper motors are more susceptible to getting de-tracked by nozzle collision from imperfections during print. If this becomes an issue, consider increasing your z-lift setting.* **2. Adjusting retraction** You can be fairly certain that your filament will clog if it actually retracts past those 2mm recommended by E3D at the hot end. However - as pointed out about by Ryan - bowden retraction is based on [hysteresis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysteresis), meaning that that the actual retraction distance at the hot end is *lagging behind* the distance retracted at the cold end. I have been battling this exact issue on my 30cm bowden tube E3D V6 setup recently, and currently use a fairly conservative ~2mm retraction. I am still getting occasional clogs while printing PETG. **3. Distance between objects** From the [article](https://www.matterhackers.com/articles/retraction-just-say-no-to-oozing) linked at the top: > > The faster you’re able to move to the next print position, the less time there is for filament to ooze from the hot end > > > As such, the distance between the printed objects will change the characteristics of the stringing: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xsmW1.jpg) --- Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: In addition to the already excellent answers above, I want to mention that maybe a change in hotend temperature (lower) can also help reducing ooze/stringing. That is, if not other parameters prevent that. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: To my experience, there is absolutely no problem in increasing retraction in E3D assemblies up to at least 5 mm. Typical retraction distance for my Bowden system is 3.5 mm (ABS). Clogging may occur after a series of retracts when thermal break doesn't have enough time to cool itself down. To avoid clogging when there is a real need in long retracts (printing with filaments like PLA or PETG) you need to: * keep amount of retracts at possible minimum * make sure that thermal break is properly cooled. You may want to use thermal grease and extra cooling for that Upvotes: 2

2016/03/30

<issue_start>username_0: I am encountering a problem with this ID3 printer using ABS -- at some point during the print the print head displaces on the y-axis by 2-3 centimeters. I cannot pinpoint how or why it is doing this. It has displaced in the positive Y direction and in the negative Y direction on separate runs of the same piece (which is just a poker chip I found on Thingiverse). Is this a software issue (Simplify3D) or a hardware issue? Can anybody suggest a fix? See the following photos: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/b9Kyv.jpg) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1yH40.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: It seems unlikely this is a software or G-code issue, instead it appears your Y-motor is occasionally missing some steps. There are two possible causes for this: * The current limit for the stepper driver is set too low, limiting the amount of torque the motor can generate. When the printhead encounters some resistance (for instance due to running into a blob on your model) the motor skips steps, resulting in a displaced model. * The current limit for the stepper driver is set too high. The stepper driver will overheat and thermal protection will shut it down temporarily. Some steps are lost while it is shut down. There are various ways to calculate the ideal current for a motor and set it using a multimeter, but a simpler approach is to turn it way down, and then slowly turn it up. Turn it up just beyond the point where the axis moves reliably. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This has happened to me in the past and here are a few things that I determined could have been the cause: * Limit Switch triggered. My coworker was able to repeat the issue by manually triggering a limit switch during the print. Somehow, this seemed to cause the relative axis to shift on his MakerBot Replicator 2. * Skipped steps. It's possible that, if stalled due to excessive load, the stepper motor could skip steps. I have a dual extruder, so if a part curls really bad then the second nozzle gets caught in the print. I'm not sure exactly how this works, but my coworker suggested this as an issue. * USB connection. I had sliced a model and tried printing over USB connection, however each time I attempted the print I encountered the "shift" at the same exact location. However, using the slice, I exported a G-Code file and printed from the machines SD card with no errors. * Slicing Engine bug. This is in correlation to the *USB connection* issue. I noticed that the issue occurred after updating my slicing engine. My solution in the long term was to re-install the previous version that was stable for me. I was using MakerWare 2.4.2 and reverted back to MakerWare 2.4.1. If you're printing via USB connection, I'd suggest exporting to G-Code if you're able to print via SD Card until you can find a stable version of software for your machine. This has been the most repeatable solution for me in the past. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I had exactly the same effect when my stepsticks where overheated. So my solution was to add cooling fan and reduce current on stepsticks. Of course heatsink is obvious. Please note that different axis requires different current settings. For example, in Prusa and clones, X and Y need a bit less current as one stepstick controls one motor but Z axis usually uses 2 motors connected to 1 driver. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: In my case the solution was to use [Slic3r](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slic3r) instead of [Cura](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimaker#History). Cura has some issues. Upvotes: -1

2016/03/31

<issue_start>username_0: Recently, the ticking sounds started to come from feeder of my UM2. Inspecting it I have noticed that once in a while stepper motor jumps back for few steps. I have an idea of what can be the reason, but I just want to hear what you can think of. That is the video of feeder during the printing :) <https://youtu.be/z6CzudMOeD0> First tick at 10sec<issue_comment>username_1: I had the same issue. It can happen for number of reasons. One of them is too low print temperature as stepper cant push the filament through. Also you could have partially blocked nozzle or if you print with PLA and have left it out for a while its diameter can enlarge and get stuck in the bowden tube. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Ultimately, your stepper motor is unsuccessful in driving the filament through the extruder. A couple potential reasons: * extruder temperature isn't high enough. This could either be operator error from not setting the temperature correctly or your machine is getting a false reading. Typically, for ABS/PLA, you can get away with a low extruding temperature of about 210c. * filament tension is too high. This happens if, say, your spool of filament gets kinked or wrapped around the spool spindle. * your nozzle is clogged. I've encountered where I had back flow coming out of the nozzle (filaments oozed around from the hotend at the threads). This was a result of not putting the hotend back together correctly. There was a enough hardened plastic backed up in the hotend that when I threaded the nozzle back on, it technically didn't fit back on all the way. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: So, problem was too low printing temperature. It was 200c. For PLA I have it was too low. Now I'm confused, for PLA the temperature range for printing is given from 180-210 (It is even written on particular coil). Does it mean that even printing in this range I should adjust temperature for each of plastics I have? Update: I have researched a bit about phenomena I had. According to RepRap wiki <http://reprap.org/wiki/Hot_End_Design_Theory> the flow of material dependent on many parameters, starting with softening point of plastic and ending with environmental conditions. I can conclude that in my conditions temperature of 200c did't give enough material flow (but feeder still tried to push it as much as it required). And ticking was one of indicators of it. Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: Oh yeah that is way too low for the ultimaker. That temp is a general "this is what PLA melts at" so if you took plastic, heated it up to that temp it would melt. However, you don't heat all the plastic at once. Your hotend it at that temp and if you let it sit it would heat up (fairly quickly). Printers like the ultimaker are fast, and well designed. They have a very small heat melt zone. So the plastic only has a fraction of time to heat up. Solution? Higher temps! (do not do this example. Not liable if you hurt yourself) You know how you can take a lighter and almost slowly wave your finger thought it without getting burned? You know if you let it stay even a full second you would regret it. Same thing here. It is going too fast to heat up. Upvotes: 0

2016/04/02

<issue_start>username_0: What are the steps in the production process that factories that produce filament have to take to get from pellets to a full spool of filament. Which of these steps are critical for quality (thickness, roundness, long shelf life,..) ?<issue_comment>username_1: Each step is critical for quality. It's refined plastic mass. And in oil-based-products, every step is crucial for quality. In **[this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=OEkksADFjP8)** vieo, everything is explained. Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Some general comments about the process used (plastic extrusion): The plastic extrusion process is not simple- many textbooks dense with equations have been written about it. The lowest cost industrial extrusion processes do not use pellets at all- because pellets have already gone through an extrusion process so they are more expensive than powder resin. There is typically a 'compounding' stage where colors etc. are added before extrusion. Significant heat is generated by the screw (which often has a complex geometry) via shear action that is itself temperature and pressure sensitive, and the heat is added to by external heaters in various zones (or subtracted by water cooling and chillers in larger extruders). In some cases we were able to operate an extruder adiabatically- the heat created by the screw motor matched the heat loss as the product left the die and no heating or cooling was needed once the process was stabilized. The end result is that you want to plasticize (melt) the plastic and achieve a certain pressure at the die. The plastic is deteriorating the higher the temperature and the longer the time so you want to limit the residence time at high temperature. There is some trial-and-error and a lot of previous experience in the setup person's task. Once the parameters are determined they are recorded and are used the next time that material is run. The size of an extrusion is typically determined exactly by downstream equipment rather than controlling the conditions at the die. It is essentially stretched as it comes out of the die and the heat is removed in a cooling trough. Here you can see a factory environment with a very typical extrusion setup, used in this case for 3D printing filament (but the setup would look almost the same if they were making slats for Venetian blinds). Notice that there are cooling fans as well as band heaters on the extruder barrel. They control the diameter by adjusting the take-off capstan RPM once the extruder is running well. This extruder looks like it has 4 heat/cool barrel zones and two (heat-only) nozzle zones (6 temperatures total). <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40HOAsUnSQ8> Extruders are categorized by the barrel bore diameter in inches or mm. A very small extruder might be 25mm. An extruder used for pipe production might be 6" (150mm) or more. Some machines use multiple screws. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I do my own filaments and its pretty simple. The real key for quality is **stability of everything**. The temperature, the movement of the air around cooling part, the extrusion force, both internal and external. It is funny to watch how I have several atm pressure inside my extruder, yet the gust of wind outside the room changes the outside pressure enough to affect filament. Yet I manage to keep my tolerances +- 0.05 mm which is enough for everything but miniature printing. Upvotes: 2

2016/04/03

<issue_start>username_0: I have a long 8 mm smooth steel rod of about 55 cm long. This rods bend easily due to the length. If I replace them with 8mm solid carbon fiber rods, will the bending reduce? Will the bearings wear off the carbon fiber rod? I couldn't find too much information about this.<issue_comment>username_1: Steel is the best material for a linear rod when you have a fixed cross-section. It will have the least flex of any rod (aside from some exotic metals) of the same size. Carbon fiber's material properties might seem superior at first sight, but the stiffness is very anisotropic -- it's very stiff along the grain and not very stiff across the grain. So multi-axis stresses like bending aren't necessarily going to perform up to the theoretical specs. Carbon fiber has exceptional stiffness-to-weight ratio, but the stiffness-per-area isn't necessarily superior in this application. People do occasionally use carbon fiber for linear rods/rails, but only in much larger sizes than 8 mm. Think >25 mm. And that's really the problem here. 8 mm diameter at 550 mm long is well outside what's reasonable for bending stiffness. Bending deflection increases with the CUBE of length, and this is simply far too long for the size of rod. The general rule of thumb for precision motion applications is length < 25\*diameter. That's a conservative rule, but it's the right ballpark. You really shouldn't be going over 200-250 mm or so with an 8 mm rod. Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I agree that steel is the best material for rails but the info provided on carbon fiber is just wrong. When making a carbon fiber part, whether a tube or any other shape, you lay the fabric in the orientation you need for the direction of the forces. If multi-directional strength and stiffness is needed then the fibers are laid in multiple directions. Nobody who knows what they are doing lays all the cf in one direction... In general, carbon fiber is stronger than steel by both the strength to weight ratio and by volume. I say "in general" because parts need to be designed in the right way. A poorly designed carbon fiber part or a low quality steel can easily be weak. There is a great video on YouTube showing a strength and stiffness comparison of a carbon fiber drive shaft vs the same part made in steel. The steel drive shaft bent and snapped with 3 times less force while the cf drive shaft had no visible bending until it snapped. The main reason why steel is a better linear rail material is surface hardness. Linear rails have bearings traveling up and down continuously. The rails need to be hardened to prevent them wearing out too quickly. The surface hardness (how easy it is to scratch or penetrate) of cf is far lower than steel. There is no comparison. Cf is great material for the frame but not the rails. For stiffer rails, I suggest buying some square THK rails. 15mm the rails will be plenty stiff enough for most 3d printers. Upvotes: 3

2016/04/05

<issue_start>username_0: My printer will feature LM8UU bearings/threaded rods for the z-axis and bronze sinter bushings on the x- and y-Axis. As also, but not only, written here <http://reprap.org/wiki/Lubrication>, I know that one should: - use machine oil for sinter bearings, if anything at all, - grease on the 'more fluid' side for the linear bearings so that the lubricant stays eqally with balls on the upper and lower side - and probably PTFE grease for the threaded rods (as for example provided by the Ultimaker UM2) Is there a way to unify this or at least only use two lubricants? I do not have the slightest idea about lubricants, I would not know what to actually buy if the combination would e.g. be machine oil and low viscosity grease. Do you have specific recommendations of what to avoid?<issue_comment>username_1: A mid-weight PTFE grease like the popular Superlube will work in all the cases you mention (bearings, screws, and sintered bushings). 3D printer service conditions are quite light-duty as far as lubricants are concerned. You really just need to keep everything a little bit "wet" with oil or grease and performance will be adequate. The main downside to using grease with sintered bushings is that they will likely stop being "self-lubricating" after the first exposure. The grease tends to clog the pores that allow the sintered bushings' factory oil impregnation to maintain a nice oil film on the sliding surfaces. So the bushings will forever-after require regular re-greasing, just like the ball bearings and threaded rod. In comparison, a light machine oil like 3-in-one will maintain the sintered bushings' self-lubricating properties, but if used in ball bearings and screws will require very frequent replenishment. And that is certainly an option -- oil DOES work on bearings and screws -- but odds are good that you'll eventually over-oil the bearings, get drips on the build plate, and bang your head against a wall trying to figure out why your prints won't stick all of a sudden. Grease doesn't need to be applied as often, and it tends to stay where you put it rather than dripping. So grease is generally preferred to oil if you have to pick just one lubricant. Again, the most important thing is to keep sliding and rolling surfaces wet with *something*. You'll just have various maintenance trade-offs with different options. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I needed to grease up my machine and had no access to specialist materials. So I researched, and ended up using Vaseline. I now have a small tub of it as part of my machine maintenance kit. Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: As for me... I used the oil I use to lubricate my Trombone slide! Upvotes: 0

2016/04/05

<issue_start>username_0: I began printing the parts for the Ultrascope DIY telescope designed by the Open Space Agency. See <http://www.openspaceagency.com/ultrascope>. All of the STL files for the 3D printable parts are canted 45 degrees. Brackets, tubes, everything I have seen so far. Is there a reason for this? I printed one part last night and simply rotated the part so it would lay flat because I didn't want to deal with supports. I am relatively new to 3D printing -- Am I missing something I should know? Is this a thing?<issue_comment>username_1: The orientation of the part in the STL file depends on the Software that creates the file. I had a software that would export the parts standing upright instead of laying flat. Depending on the CAD software it can be beneficial for the creator of the model to create in in a different orientation as the one you want to use for printing. Also not all CAD Engineers know (or care) about the best orientation for printing a part. So my guess is that this is an issue of file export/ STL file creation. It is totally normal to rotate the parts into a position that is best for printing. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Layer lines are failure lines. Sometimes I choose to print a part in a weird or sub-optimal orientation just to minimise the load across layer lines when in use. That may mean more support material and longer print time, but a completed part that fails is no use at all. Upvotes: 0

2016/04/05

<issue_start>username_0: I'm having a lot of trouble printing polypropylene right now, and I think it may have to do with the conditions. I'm using a very thin coat of ABS on the base plate (just as you would do when printing with ABS) in order to promote sticking. In this following first picture, I attempted with a 240°C tip and a 150°C bed (above PP's Tg). Oddly enough, one side actually looked somewhat decent while the other clearly had trouble sticking. The print speed on this was 1500 mm/min. In the second picture, I was printing with the tip at 220°C and a 50°C bed. What's interesting in that print (you may be able to see it) is that the polymer extruded with little blips of material followed by a more stringy section, rather than a steady, even filament. (Print speed on this was 2100 mm/min) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KCbye.jpg "240°C tip and a 150°C bed") [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IaF8Z.jpg "220°C tip and a 50°C bed") Does anyone have suggestions for doing better prints with PP?<issue_comment>username_1: First picture clearly shows that temperature was too hight, second one suggests too small extruding speed (too little) which is connected to your printing speed. 35mm/s is quite slow :) Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Polypropylene is a bear to print. There's a good reason almost nobody does it. The main problem is that it's a semi-crystalline material, which means it doesn't follow the normal rules for warping prevention. An amorphous polymer like ABS or PET is able to slowly flow or creep until it cools below the glass point, Tg. This means the stresses caused by thermal contraction will "shake out" above Tg and only start accumulating when the print cools below Tg and fully solidifies. That's why heated build plates are usually set around the glass point for amorphous materials -- there's minimal warping stress in the print at that temp. However, when you extrude semi-crystalline polymers like PE or PP, crystallization starts as soon as the temp drops below the melt point, Tm. A crystalline polymer will not flow or creep at a rate that is meaningful over the duration of an FDM print, so thermal contraction stresses will simply build up more and more as the plastic is cooled farther below Tm. And there's a loooong way to go when cooling from Tm to room temp. As a result, you get HUGE warping stresses with these plastics compared to more typical FDM materials. **It is simply not possible to pick a heated bed or heated chamber temp that entirely eliminates the tendency of PP to warp. The normal rules we use for amorphous polymers don't apply. And, greatly compounding the problem, PP is a very low-surface-energy material with adhesion behavior fairly similar to wax. It doesn't want to stick to much of anything except itself.** High warping stress + poor adhesion = bad times. So, the simple answer is, polypropylene does not have the correct polymer behavior to be favorable for FDM. You will always be fighting warping. Think carefully about whether you want to struggle with PP or switch to a more suitable material that could accomplish the same design goal for the printed part. Do you really need to use PP? PET blends have similar hardness and chemical resistance, nylon blends have similar toughness, and TPUs can handle living hinge applications. That covers most of the reasons you'd want to use PP. If you absolutely must use PP, you're going to need to pull out ALL the tricks people use with traditional high-warp materials like ABS and PC and nylon. * Use a build plate made of a close relative of the material you're printing. For example, people have successfully printed HDPE on a PP build plate, so I would imagine that a HDPE build plate should work for PP. * Or, use a perfboard build plate with a raft so the initial layer will get embedded into the holes. * Or, use a coarse fibrous surface like stiff cardboard or fiberboard. * Get the build chamber enclosed and as hot as you can without damaging the printer. 50C is usually reasonable for motors, extruders, etc unless you have PLA printed parts to worry about. (Heated build plates only really help with the bottom 5-10mm of the print if the printer is not enclosed.) * Use helper disks / mouse ears on corners. * Really mash the first layer down onto the build plate. * Print low layer heights, like 0.1mm. Smaller layers mean the thermal contraction applies more shear stress between layers, and less of the large-scale aggregate bending stress that lifts corners. * Higher print speeds may also help due to some complex strain-crystallization effects, but that's only currently proven in nylon to my knowledge. Another option, if it meets your functional requirements, is to use a fiberglass or carbon fiber composite PP. CFR and GFR plastics usually warp less than virgin plastics. The fibers have a low coefficient of thermal expansion, which makes the composite material contract less as it cools, which reduces warping stress. The most successful PP printing I've ever seen was GFR-PP. But that stuff is hard to find and may not work if the part needs to be flexible. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Polypropylene CAN be printed with excellent results, you just need a good filament roll and good printing setup. A few days ago I read this topic and was kind of afraid of testing it, now I am so happy I tried it. I am printing the PP filament from the brand Smart Materials 3D (search on google). I am using a Prusa i3 Mk2, bed heated to 70ºC and hotend to 210ºC. I ventilate the printer as much as possible: room windows open and fan at 100% after second layer. IMPORTANT: apply some cheap brown packaging adhesive strips to the bed, where the part is going to touch the bed, with adhesive facing down. I tried many other solutions but none worked. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8SBUz.gif) I have printed so far at 20mm/s constant, with 0.2 mm layer heigth, 0.4 mm extrusion width, 0.8mm retraction, flow 125%. Still optimizing setings. Parts come out very nice, with good flexibility and amazing inter layer bonding. Density is a bit lower than ABS, so excellent, and impact resistance is awesome. Check some parts I printed today: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/m3bXX.jpg) Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: Yes. These settings work for Ultimaker as well. Set the printer to print PLA, and put brown tape on the bed under the print. Set the layer to 0.1 mm, set the initial layer to 0.1 mm. Don't over heat the PP or when it cools it will shrink tons making it want to peel off. PLUS if you don't let the PP go below its Tg (80°C) by making the bed too hot it will stay molten and eventually stick to the nozzle making a truly pants print, and probably detach itself. I have been making tiny detailed little components with PP this evening, just about to put 21 on to make and then off to bed! ### Update: Sorry, PLA settings on the UM is 210°C for Hotend. I am making round PCB spacers, so these are best with a 100% infill and a concentric fill pattern. Also, I recalibrated the platform with a very thin post-it note which is about 50% of the thickness of the UM calibration card. It makes sense to just get the PP soft enough to extrude, in fact I am seeing turbulence at the beginning when the extruder runs some material through the molten material has a curly cable appearance. Like this the material beds itself right into the tape. Lovely. Upvotes: 1

2016/04/06

<issue_start>username_0: I have an idea for a 3D printed project, but I'm a total noob in this area and need someone to reality check it for me. Basically what I want to do is a tricopter frame made of a [tetrahedral honeycomb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragonal_disphenoid_honeycomb). The whole model would be within 30 \* 30 \* 10 cm, the honeycomb edges would be approximately 1mm thick and about 15mm long and it would be printed out of nylon with SLS. I have found Shapeways' design guidelines and my idea seems to fit it, but still it feels slightly more extreme use than what they had in mind. Is this doable? Does anyone else use a similar method? Is there some software that I can use to generate honeycombs like this, or do I have to write it myself? Edit: This is how two layers of the honeycomb look like: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ttIZ6.jpg) In the actual model there would be several layer of this on top of each other and the shape would be kind of carved out of the honeycomb (+ some finishing to avoid spiky surface)<issue_comment>username_1: In short, I don't think printing the full tetrahedral honeycomb design is a good approach considering the application of the part. Here are few things to note when attempting to 3D print the tetrahedral honeycomb: I wouldn't recommend trying to 3D print this with a an FDM/FFF printer as you will most likely need supports and there would not be enough strength laterally. You may be able to *print* the design using SLA, but handling would be very difficult before post-processing as the part is very brittle post-print until a heat treat or curing process is done to chemically solidify. The post-process of the SLA could determine how strong the part is (ie. stainless steel powder, infused with bronze in a heat treat process would be good for such a part). While SLS may be the best method for 3D printing this type of design, for that size part (30x30x10cm) you're looking at an expensive print regardless of whether or not you print it yourself. Instead, I would highly recommend finding (or designing your own) a joint connector that would allow you to join wood/plastic dowels in the tetrahedral honeycomb shape. Not only will this be cheaper for you in the long run (easier to replace a few broken segments than an entire 3D printed model), but it could provide more structural strength for something that could potentially get banged around, like a tricopter. For example, [this model](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:176263) on Thingiverse (not my model) shows an example of how you can utilize 3D printing complex or custom joints that allow you to connect dowels in the shape you're looking for. It'd kind of be like building with [K'Nex](https://www.google.com/search?q=k'nex&hl=en&biw=1920&bih=918&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjurNmd2fzLAhVL1mMKHZ9RA44Q_AUIBygC). As far as designing said joint, you could model a single "inner" joint that has 18 connectors (8 on XY plane, 6 on YZ plane, and 4 on XZ plane). Below is a crude example of what I mean drawn in Google SketchUp: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dlTMG.png) Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: For designing your part, especially considering the repetitive mathematics involved, I would consider to learn to use OpenSCAD. I've learned the program and it fits your modeling requirement quite well. I feel it's easy to learn and is somewhat easier for folks who have a programming background. I don't have one, but it's still a logical progression to learn this program. Regarding the SLS aspect, that also jumped out at me as a suitable answer. Solid shapes require to have "drain holes" to reduce the amount of powder consumed by the process. I am assembling a Sintratec SLS printer and your model is the sort of thing I would enjoy to create with the printer. I've not yet listed my Sintratec printer on 3dhubs to solicit business, simply because it's not yet a fully assembled printer! I did a quick Google search for "openscad tetrahedral honeycomb" and found this link: <http://forum.openscad.org/Beginner-Honeycomb-advice-needed-td4556.html> The result is more a polygonal honeycomb, not a true 3d tetrahedron, but it's a start. The file that created it is fewer than a few dozen lines of code. The post is old enough that the internal links no longer work but the OP posted his module code and that does work: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rO5Je.png) I'm not sure how personal contact works in stackexchange, but I'd be willing to work with you regarding creating your code and if the printer ever gets assembled, printing out your part. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/hohRb.png) Adding a picture again, to show the latest revision, based on the updated information: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gna6W.png) Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: > > Is this doable? > > > It has been done, therefore it is doable. I agree with fred\_dot\_u that OpenSCAD is a good system for programmatically generating highly repetitive 3d procedural content like this space truss 3d structure. p.s.: A few links to people 3D printing various space trusses: * [Parametric Space Truss Platform](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:10656) * [smoothed2 octet truss flats](http://www.shapeways.com/product/PYHTDGX6C/smoothed2-octet-truss-flats) * [Micro Truss Toy](https://pinshape.com/items/11870-3d-printed-micro-truss-toy) * [Materials by Design](https://str.llnl.gov/Mar12/spadaccini.html) * ["Nano octet truss materials synthesized"](http://bfi.org/dymaxion-forum/2014/07/nano-octet-truss-materials-synthesized) * ["Computer-Aided Design and Rapid Prototyping"](http://www.virtualscience.com/gallery_cad_rp.htm) * ["Octet Truss Construction Kit, v2"](http://www.shapeways.com/product/CSRJHUHMA/octet-truss-v2) * ["Octet Truss Memory, Time and Dollar Costs"](http://www.variousconsequences.com/2013/01/octet-truss-memory-time-and-dollar-costs.html) * ["3D Printed Isogrid and Octet Truss"](http://www.variousconsequences.com/2012/06/3d-printed-isogrid-and-octet-truss.html) * ["Ultralight Cellular Materials"](http://www.virginia.edu/ms/research/wadley/celluar-materials.html) * [3D printable "octet truss" models](http://www.yeggi.com/q/octet+truss/) * [STL finder "octet truss" models](http://www.stlfinder.com/?search=octet%20truss) Upvotes: 2

2016/04/07

<issue_start>username_0: I can download a file from Tinkercad as any of these: ``` .STL .OBJ .X3D .VRML ``` Is there a way to convert any of those file types to .DWG?<issue_comment>username_1: In short, I don't think printing the full tetrahedral honeycomb design is a good approach considering the application of the part. Here are few things to note when attempting to 3D print the tetrahedral honeycomb: I wouldn't recommend trying to 3D print this with a an FDM/FFF printer as you will most likely need supports and there would not be enough strength laterally. You may be able to *print* the design using SLA, but handling would be very difficult before post-processing as the part is very brittle post-print until a heat treat or curing process is done to chemically solidify. The post-process of the SLA could determine how strong the part is (ie. stainless steel powder, infused with bronze in a heat treat process would be good for such a part). While SLS may be the best method for 3D printing this type of design, for that size part (30x30x10cm) you're looking at an expensive print regardless of whether or not you print it yourself. Instead, I would highly recommend finding (or designing your own) a joint connector that would allow you to join wood/plastic dowels in the tetrahedral honeycomb shape. Not only will this be cheaper for you in the long run (easier to replace a few broken segments than an entire 3D printed model), but it could provide more structural strength for something that could potentially get banged around, like a tricopter. For example, [this model](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:176263) on Thingiverse (not my model) shows an example of how you can utilize 3D printing complex or custom joints that allow you to connect dowels in the shape you're looking for. It'd kind of be like building with [K'Nex](https://www.google.com/search?q=k'nex&hl=en&biw=1920&bih=918&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjurNmd2fzLAhVL1mMKHZ9RA44Q_AUIBygC). As far as designing said joint, you could model a single "inner" joint that has 18 connectors (8 on XY plane, 6 on YZ plane, and 4 on XZ plane). Below is a crude example of what I mean drawn in Google SketchUp: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dlTMG.png) Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: For designing your part, especially considering the repetitive mathematics involved, I would consider to learn to use OpenSCAD. I've learned the program and it fits your modeling requirement quite well. I feel it's easy to learn and is somewhat easier for folks who have a programming background. I don't have one, but it's still a logical progression to learn this program. Regarding the SLS aspect, that also jumped out at me as a suitable answer. Solid shapes require to have "drain holes" to reduce the amount of powder consumed by the process. I am assembling a Sintratec SLS printer and your model is the sort of thing I would enjoy to create with the printer. I've not yet listed my Sintratec printer on 3dhubs to solicit business, simply because it's not yet a fully assembled printer! I did a quick Google search for "openscad tetrahedral honeycomb" and found this link: <http://forum.openscad.org/Beginner-Honeycomb-advice-needed-td4556.html> The result is more a polygonal honeycomb, not a true 3d tetrahedron, but it's a start. The file that created it is fewer than a few dozen lines of code. The post is old enough that the internal links no longer work but the OP posted his module code and that does work: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rO5Je.png) I'm not sure how personal contact works in stackexchange, but I'd be willing to work with you regarding creating your code and if the printer ever gets assembled, printing out your part. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/hohRb.png) Adding a picture again, to show the latest revision, based on the updated information: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gna6W.png) Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: > > Is this doable? > > > It has been done, therefore it is doable. I agree with fred\_dot\_u that OpenSCAD is a good system for programmatically generating highly repetitive 3d procedural content like this space truss 3d structure. p.s.: A few links to people 3D printing various space trusses: * [Parametric Space Truss Platform](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:10656) * [smoothed2 octet truss flats](http://www.shapeways.com/product/PYHTDGX6C/smoothed2-octet-truss-flats) * [Micro Truss Toy](https://pinshape.com/items/11870-3d-printed-micro-truss-toy) * [Materials by Design](https://str.llnl.gov/Mar12/spadaccini.html) * ["Nano octet truss materials synthesized"](http://bfi.org/dymaxion-forum/2014/07/nano-octet-truss-materials-synthesized) * ["Computer-Aided Design and Rapid Prototyping"](http://www.virtualscience.com/gallery_cad_rp.htm) * ["Octet Truss Construction Kit, v2"](http://www.shapeways.com/product/CSRJHUHMA/octet-truss-v2) * ["Octet Truss Memory, Time and Dollar Costs"](http://www.variousconsequences.com/2013/01/octet-truss-memory-time-and-dollar-costs.html) * ["3D Printed Isogrid and Octet Truss"](http://www.variousconsequences.com/2012/06/3d-printed-isogrid-and-octet-truss.html) * ["Ultralight Cellular Materials"](http://www.virginia.edu/ms/research/wadley/celluar-materials.html) * [3D printable "octet truss" models](http://www.yeggi.com/q/octet+truss/) * [STL finder "octet truss" models](http://www.stlfinder.com/?search=octet%20truss) Upvotes: 2

2016/04/08

<issue_start>username_0: I am new to 3D printing and need to know if I use steel in printing, do I get the same strength (compression and shear) as steel profiles manufactured in a factory?<issue_comment>username_1: A laser sintered part typically uses what could be described as surface bonding, as it does not melt particularly deeply into the powder. It would not have the same strength characteristics as machined steel or otherwise processed metal. A part constructed from 3d printing using feed metal/welding methods would have more strength, but would not necessarily have un-modified steel strength, due to the heat applied during the process. Using a metal which responds to post processing, as in tempering, will likely improve the strength, but I believe that one is unlikely to reach the same values as "ordinary" steel. Compression along the lines of the construction layers would be reasonably strong, but forces applied in other directions are likely to match only the characteristics of the bond. The same consideration applies to shear strength. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In terms of FFD plastics: Using metal infused filaments for FFD printing; definitely not. The properties mixed into the filament will have some affect on the final piece, stronger, heavier, etc for BronzeFill, but still the majority of the print material will be plastic. However, you can use PLA plastics (and new Moldlay wax like filament) for lost wax casting so all of the plastic is replaced with the molten metal. In this case, yes, all the plastic or filament is replaced with the final casting metal and it's at strong as any other cast item. Upvotes: 1

2016/04/08

<issue_start>username_0: I've been asked to prepare a 3D model for 3D printing in sandstone. I've been told that it needs to be 3" tall and the walls have to be at least 2 mm thick. It's an absolute pain in the neck having to make sure everything is the right thickness. So, I was wondering, can the whole model just be printed as a solid object, with 100% infill, and does that work for sandstone?<issue_comment>username_1: Yes, you can just print it solid. However, it might be significantly more expensive to print your object entirely solid. For instance, Shapeways charges \$0.75 per cm³ of material for their full-color sandstone. A solid cube of 5x5x5 cm would cost \$96 to print, whereas it would only cost around \$6 if you printed it hollow with 2mm walls. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: To add to the selected answer, again, yes you can, however making all of the walls AT LEAST 2mm thick shouldn't be too hard, depending on your model and modelling app. If your modelling app doesn't have a good shell function (or if it's too finicky on your model) you could easily define SOME negative space within the larger volumes of your model in order to save costs without having to actually make perfectly consistent wall thicknesses. Just make sure you leave a hole through which the excess material can escape from the interior void. Shapeways has a good set of guidelines for their full color sandstone prints, which work about the same as any: <http://www.shapeways.com/materials/full-color-sandstone> However, you'll want to double check exact measurements with your printing service. Upvotes: 2

2016/04/09

<issue_start>username_0: Is there a way to make all your prints seamless?? I know there was this program that printed a vase constantly changing the z axis making it seamless. Why cant this be done with regular prints?<issue_comment>username_1: If you ever seen 3d printouts on your own and you did keep it in hand then you probably felt layers. Most printouts contains 3 main "components" 1. bottom and top component (floor and ceiling) 2. outline (perimeters) 3. infill (inside supporting structure) It is almost imposible (and for sure sensless) to create all these components with one continues line as it would be very complex and sophisticated line. Second reason. It would be very often that printer would cross outlines (perimeters) so it would destroy good looking external surface. And third reason. Objects can have "islands". Imagine printed elephant which is standing on 4 legs. How to draw leg leyers with one line if these legs are separated (at the floor level). That's why "round vase" is the only option to print seamless. :) Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Look into post processing your model with an [Acetone vapor Bath.](http://makezine.com/2014/09/24/smoothing-out-your-3d-prints-with-acetone-vapor/). ABS plastic disolves in acetone. if you put your print in a chamber full of acetone vapor, the outer skin will sort of melt, and give you the effect you are looking for. The goal is to leave it in long enough that the outer skin melts a bit. Too short a time, and you don't get enough melting. Too long a time and more than the skin melts, and the print may deform. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I use Simplify3d as my slicer, and this has a 'vase' mode. You end up with a single wall thickness and it only works on simple shapes without supports. You get no infill or top surface, so it only works for certain shapes; vases for example!! Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: With Cura (a 3d printing software) you can go to the Expert tab and click Open Settings and you will see under an area called Black Magic, an option to Spiralize the outer contour. Upvotes: 2

2016/04/10

<issue_start>username_0: During printing, my printer occasionally makes some mystery moves: it will very slowly move either the X or Y axis all the way to the left/front, before very slowly moving back to its original position and resuming the print as normal. I've checked my G-code files, and the moves are definitely not part of the G-code. What could be causing this? I'm printing from an SD card on a Cartesian printer.<issue_comment>username_1: The issue was due to a corrupt SD-card, which was occasionally having some garbage read from it. It turns out that Marlin will try interpret a corrupt move command like `G0 X1q3.54` and still read as many numbers as it can. In this example, it would be interpreted as `G0 X1` rather than (as might have been intended) `G0 X103.54`. This explains my symptoms perfectly: * X and Y always moved to (approximately) their home positions, but it was always only one of them (it's quite unlikely that both moves are corrupted). * Z was not affected because Z moves are much rarer in the G-code (only on layer change) and thus it was very unlikely that a Z move would be affected. * E was not affected since a request to move E to near 0 would be prevented by Marlin's long extrusion prevention. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Beides a corrupt SD card that stores worng bits, leading to absurd commands, it's also possible that ithers parts in the Creatin of the file are compromised: This can for example happen if the card is removed during writing - but in this case it should be mostly an incomplete file on importing into an interpreter. More a random distribution of bad commands would appear if the writing process in itself is faulty, for example if the SD Port is defect or the adapter hast a error. Another way that writing can fail is if the drivers for the SD card adapter/port are corrupted. To detect a bad file or corrupted card is possible by re-importing the G-Code into a slicer (for example CURA allows this) and look at the tool paths. If any port does this with any card, software is to blame: See if it persists after a driver update (rare!) and a reinstall of the slicer. If it fails in one port but works in a different the port or adapter might bei at fault and might need replacement. If it is endemic to one card, this one is corrupt and to be thrown out. If it is endemic to a single file, overwrite it with a new one - sometimes writing fails for reasons that are almost impossible to understand. If the file&card are fine but read wrongly at the printer, then the card reader in the printer or the board are to blame. Upvotes: 1

2016/04/11

<issue_start>username_0: I've been going down the learning road with two broken printers that I'm rebuilding with better parts and electronics. One thing that I've recognized is that there is a pretty low likelihood that any hotend or heatbed that has had the thermistor/thermocouple and/or the printer board swapped with a non-OEM part can be trusted to accurately report it's own temperature. Sure, there are lots of things I can (and do) do to try to make it as accurate as reasonable like calibrating with thermistors from multimeters, IR thermometers, etc., but each method has limitations. You never know if the 2nd thermistor is mounted both correctly, or if it is reading the same local temp as the printer thermistor. IR thermometers have issues with reflective surfaces (like aluminum hot ends and build plates) Calibrating the thermistor constants from experimental data isn't perfect. IMHO, any hotend/heatbed temp on a DIY setup might be off by a constant ± 5 °C or so, more if it is poorly calibrated. Printers use PID controlled heaters to keep oscillations down to a degree or two Celsius, because people say it impacts print quality. Is there a good visual or experimental way to know whether your temperatures are "correct" for your printer/filament? IOW, if my filament was supposed to be heated to 220 °C, how would I know if my printer was having issues because the "true" temperature is only 215 °C (or 225 °C) when it is reporting 220 °C? One common problem I've experienced is the nozzle clogging after the transistion from layer 1 to layer 2. (Layer 1 = higher heat and slower speeds, Layers 2+ = lower heat and faster speeds.) It's been a struggle to know which factor (lower heat or faster speeds) are to blame for the clogs after the transition.<issue_comment>username_1: It looks like you have to calibrate your thermometer first. The easiest way is to use well known thermistor (preferably in well working printer) and then measure temperatures with your thermometer. This way will give you proper calibration of it. Then you can measure other thermistors with this thermometer. Of course it requires to keep conditions constant as far as possible. But to be honest... I don't really feel (or see) if there is a big difference with temperature ± 10 °C. Let's say my filament has temperatures from 185 °C to 225 °C and I tell you there is no difference (at least I don't see it) if it's 190 °C or 210 °C. Of course this difference is crucial when you reach min/max temperature but in the middle... Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: The short answer is, you use the temps and speeds that give you good results. It's trial and error. The temperature number your printer reports really doesn't matter. That's just a process control variable: it needs to be consistent and repeatable, but it doesn't need to be accurate against an independent reference. What you should care about is your print results. Some signs your printing temp is too cold: * PLA printed parts have a dull, matte surface * Poor layer adhesion * Extruder stalls or strips the filament at fairly low printing speeds for your extruder and nozzle size Some signs your printing temp is too hot: * PLA printed parts have a very shiny surface * PLA has a very strong sugary/waffle smell, or any material smells burnt * Stringiness during travel moves that you can't eliminate by tuning retraction * Excessive oozing while the nozzle is stationary off the print * Bubbles or cloudiness in extruded strands in extruded strands even with dry filament You will also calibrate speeds via trial and error. There are two main speed limits for a printer: how fast the motion mechanism can move the nozzle without running into issues or unacceptable print quality degradation (which is also a function of acceleration settings), and how fast the hot end can heat up and melt filament. The mechanism speed limits you have to find via trial and error. Pick a test print you like (such as Benchy) and repeat it with different tuning until you find your preferred limits. Melt flow restrictions are slightly more complex, because they are a function of VOLUME flow rate, not commanded speeds. Make a large boxy test print (with long straight lines) and multiply extrusion width times layer height times feedrate. That will give you your approximate flow rate in mm3/sec. Generally speaking, every extruder + hot end + material combo will have a maximum feasible flow rate. For example, most "average" hobbyist printers with 0.4 mm nozzles and good extruders can extrude about 4-8 mm3/sec with PLA. PTFE-lined hot ends are at the lower end, all-metal hot ends are at the higher end. The value will depend on your hardware. But you can do a few quick benchmarking tests to find the limit, and then use that to determine peak feedrates to avoid exceeding the melt capacity of your system. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: As per the detailed answer given by username_2, it can be a trial and error process to determine the optimal settings for your printer. This certainly does not require absolute accuracy of the temperature sensors1 or the use of ideal filament to achieve. In your slicing program it should be possible to *increment* or *alter* the parameters - like 'flow rate' or 'printing temperature' *during* a print of a simple shape - in such a way that is is possible to make subjective comparisons. Some enthusiast videos detail a method of using a slicer program to print a simple hollow column and to increment a particular parameter from say 90 % to 110 % of the "ideal" values in fixed steps every 5 mm in the Z direction. One can then observe the output and make a subjective determination of the print quality along the length of the column, and adopt the parameter value associated with the position in Z that produced the "best" outcome in terms of finish, strength and layer adhesion. A standard plugin for the free slicer program "Ultimaker Cura" called "TweakAtZ" allows one to generate such a script, and could be a good option even if you normally would use a different slicer. A user on the youtube site (with which I have no association) detailed this approach in a video titled [How to Find the Perfect Print Settings For Your 3D Printer](https://youtu.be/N-7uX6Dw-7A). They went on to recommend this process be undertaken each time a new roll of filament is loaded in the printer. I consider the method to be a good suggestion, as I find the suggestion "Pick a test print you like (such as Benchy) and repeat it with different tuning until you find your preferred limits." to be a potentially very wasteful and nonproductive proposition to an inexperienced user. --- ### Footnote 1 Directly calibrating the accuracy of the indicator for the temperature sensor inside the extruder would be no small feat, and as has been mentioned above would likely be of little value. If absolutely necessary it would probably best be done with a small gauge wire twisted Type "T" thermocouple wire tip inserted directly into the extruder nozzle if possible. Using an IR thermometer not would be appropriate due to the size of the target vs the IR thermometer's field of view and the emissivity of the nozzle as you have already observed. Upvotes: 2

2016/04/12

<issue_start>username_0: I have a 3D printer that is going crazy with x-axis shift, and I need a tension gauge belt to measure the tension. I've never used one before, and looking online, I can't tell which one would be the right fit. Any ideas? What things should I look for?<issue_comment>username_1: It's extremely unlikely that belt tension is actually your problem. I've never heard of anyone using a gauge to measure their belt tension. Typically you just pull your belt tight by hand so that it produces a low note when plucked. It's far more likely that you're experiencing shifts due to too high or too low stepper current. Unless your belt is so loose that it easily skips over the pulley (which should be obvious without using a gauge) or so tight that it completely binds up (it would be impossible to get it that tight without some kind of superhuman force) it's definitely not the problem. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: People are using this [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zA3d9.png) to tighten the belt but I would totally agree with @Tom - there is no need to use such devices or gauges and your problem lies in stepsticks current. It would be also problem with endstops so PCB doesn;t know it's time to stop :) Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: You may not need to adjust the tension, but you may nevertheless want to measure the belt tension, at least to ensure it's not too tight: the shaft on stepper motor has limitations. In that case, no need to buy a tool, you can use an audio app showing the frequency spectrum and then you pluck the belt. The lowest frequency peak can be related to the tension as explained here: <https://benchtopmachineshop.blogspot.com/2019/04/printer-belt-tension.html> For GT2 belts and 27 N tension, assuming the distance between belt and motor face is 10 mm, the relation is $$f [\text{Hz}] = \frac{28531 \frac{ \text mm}{\text s}}{length [\text{mm}]}$$ Be aware that by plucking the belt you will excite the higher harmonics more than the base harmonic, therefore identifying the lowest frequency may take some time and multiple tries. You should display the frequency spectrum as "waterfall". The app "Spectroid" for Android has it. If the distance between middle of the belt width and motor face is twice the value assumed (for example, 20 mm instead of 10 mm), the belt tension should be halved (based on an inverse relationship). Upvotes: 2

2016/04/13

<issue_start>username_0: [I'm still looking at wires](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/871/is-22-guage-stranded-hookup-wire-the-correct-wire-to-connect-the-switching-power) for my Prusa i3, to go between the power supply and [RAMPS 1.4](http://reprap.org/wiki/RAMPS_1.4), and [the power supply](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B007KG0ZYI) and the [MK2a Heatbed](http://reprap.org/wiki/PCB_Heatbed#MK2.2C_MK2a). I also recently found a [400 ft. Wire Storehouse](http://www.harborfreight.com/400-ft-wire-storehouse-61527.html) that I bought from Harbor Freight which has wire sizes in it from AWG 10 through AWG 22 (and additionally speaker wire, Zip Cord and Bell). I also bought some reading material, I picked up [Wiring Simplified 44th edition](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/097929455X), and in it on page 28, Table 4-1, there is a table with information about the [Ampacity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampacity) of copper wires including their maximum temp (C), and maximum carrying current (Amps) based on their insulation types. Unfortunately, the [400 ft. Wire Storehouse](http://www.harborfreight.com/400-ft-wire-storehouse-61527.html) does not provide any information in regards to the insulation type or quality and this makes it difficult for one to choose the correct wire based on the specification in the table. Given that the thing only cost $30 for 400 Ft. of wire, it would lead me to believe that the cheapest grade of insulation was used; as I understand it, the TW type wire. I also read a forum somewhere in which people were complaining about the cheapness of the wire in this kit, stating that one ought to wear gloves when working with it as there is probably lead in the insulation as well as the wire. The largest copper wire I have found in the table that I have (AWG 10) says that it is rated at 30 AMP regardless of which type of insulation it has, should I be using the speakerwire instead? That isn't listed in the table. Also it should be noted that though the ratings for the [Ampacity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampacity) are 30 AMPs, the max temperatures are different; with the TW being at 60 C. As far as I can tell if I use the AWG 10 (TW?) to connect everything it won't matter, but I just thought I'd check here to be sure first since my power supply is rated at 30 AMPs and that's probably the same as the wire....<issue_comment>username_1: **THHN** wire is thermoplastic high heat-resistant nylon coated wire. **THWN** is thermoplastic heat- and moisture-resistant nylon coated wire. **"T"** stands for thermoplastic insulation covering the wire itself. **"H"** stands for a heat resistance of the insulation max 167°F. **"HH"** stands for a heat resistance, but increased max 194°F. **"W"** is for moisture resistant. **"N"** is for a nylon coating make the insulation oil and gas resistant. In my opinion the Wire Storehouse is good for simple stuff, but I would not use it for something I consider important. It's quality is poor on the insulation rating and the number of strands is low. Higher strands number allows for more flexible wire. If you get high end audiophile type speaker wire it could be considered as you can find high strand number with good quality insulation properties in heavier gauges. Or your local auto parts store will carry 8 and 6 gauge wire with better insulation properties. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: No "mystery meat" wire in AC electrical --------------------------------------- That kit is random Chinese "no-name" hookup wire and cannot be used for AC power. It's fine for low voltage hobbyist tinkering, which is what it's sold for. If it was better than that, *they'd say*. **But who knows?** Maybe the boat didn't arrive and they needed some 12 AWG to finish some kits, so they ran to the electrical supply and bought bona-fide Southwire THHN. If so, the wire would be [labeled](https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/78847/how-do-i-read-the-markings-printed-on-the-outside-of-electric-wires) "UL Listed" and "[THHN/THWN-2](https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-thhn-vs-thwn-wire/)". Then you can use it for AC power. Without "UL Listed" or "UR Recognized" or other mark from a credible NRTL, any other labeling is lies. *CE is not an NRTL*. Proper THHN/THWN-2 is available locally, dirt cheap. ---------------------------------------------------- *Competent* hardware stores and lumberyards will cheerfully sell it by the foot. So like 6 feet for a dollar-ish. (However they are often not located in strip malls, so some may need to rethink their shopping mindset if they want value). Any good tinkerer/hacker ought to know the location of every good family-owned hardware store, real lumberyard, and electrical supply houses, bonus points for HVAC supply. TW, THW and THWN-2 are NOT "good, better, best". ------------------------------------------------ More like the Ford Edsel, Thunderbird and Escape: "obsolete, obsolete, and currently sold product". Why not keep making TW, THW and THWN? No money savings there. It would cost more to keep 4 separate production lines than to just make everything [*dual-rated* THHN/THWN-2](https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-thhn-vs-thwn-wire/). So that's what they do. > > it would lead me to believe that the cheapest grade of insulation was used; as I understand it, the TW type wire. > > > No, wiring doesn't work that way. You can't even assume it's a "T" family - there are also [XHHW](https://www.multicominc.com/training/technical-resources/thhn-vs-xhhw-difference/) and [RHH/RHW](https://www.multicominc.com/training/technical-resources/rhh-rhw-2-use-2-and-rhh-building-wire-explained/) and the "S" family cordage, just in NEC Chapter 3 wiring methods. And many other families **not approved** for AC power. > > Unfortunately, the 400 ft. Wire Storehouse does not provide any information in regards to the insulation type or quality and this makes it difficult for one to choose the correct wire based on the specification in the table. > > > Doesn't matter what the ad copy says, it matters what the markings on the wire say. **Wire that is [unmarked](https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/78847/how-do-i-read-the-markings-printed-on-the-outside-of-electric-wires) is *literally nothing***. Wire manufacturers know this. Chinese wire manufacturers don't care. But that Harbor Freight pack never claimed to be anything else, did it? Upvotes: 2

2016/04/13

<issue_start>username_0: I have a really bent heatbed PCB, the middle is elevated about 3 mm with respect to all edges. I have found this thread [Warped PCBs](http://midibox.org/forums/topic/17599-warped-pcbs/), where a heating method is applied by baking a PCB in the oven, as described here: [3.2 Bow and Twist Repair](http://www.circuitrework.com/guides/3-2.shtml). Can this help straightening out a Prusa heatbed PCB? If so, can I apply the heat by the heatbed itself, or do I need to utilize an oven? Will the pressure from the strongly clamped glass plate be enough or will the glass break at these temperatures (given that the heatbed can reach them).<issue_comment>username_1: Baking PCB in an oven is not a good idea, I would say. I know PCBs are resistive to the heat (especially heatbeds) but, still, it sounds odd. But the real question is how baking would help. Let's leave it. If your heatbed is such bent you can do few things depending on your situation/environment. You can: 1. Add two glass plates (at the bottom and at the top) and clip them all together; 2. Support your HB with flat aluminium or even wood; 3. Add an aluminium frame, or; 4. If you use glass plate, clip the HB to the glass using stronger (wider) clips. Ad#1 the thermistor can even stay sandwiched between the PCB and the bottom glass plate. Ad#2 If your HB is bent up in the middle, you can use the middle thermistor hole. Drill it a bit with fi8mm drill (but not too much, I would say halfway through) and use a cone head screw to screw it flat on to the aluminium/wood support. Of course you will have to install a thermistor into the new place. The simplest, and less destructive, solution is #1 and I would recommend that. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Since aluminium has a melting point at 600°C, you're unlikely to get it to a state where it flexes much by heating. I would doubt you even manage to aneal it (release the internal stresses). Your best option is to construct a jig which allows you to press the distortion out (or pull, using a screw in the existing holes), whilst also taking care not to apply pressure (at least with a sharp edge) to the tracks or coatings. This will only be a partial fix, but might be worth trying with a glass sheet in addition. Edit: This might be relevant for a Mk3 heatbed, but not the Mk2 as asked in the question. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Electrical engineer here. There is nothing odd about putting a PCB in an oven. Any surface mount PCB is assembled using a **reflow oven** which heats all the components, as well as the PCB itself, several degrees for quite some time up to the 'soak' temperature, which is **150 °C**. After that, the PCB (and components, still not soldered but held down with solder paste) are heated up to the reflow temperature, which for lead-free processes (i.e., all of them) is **245 °C.** After this point, they are held at that temperature for 60-90 seconds to allow the solder to completely reflow. Note, this is not time spent with the oven temperature that hot - this is time the entire PCB, which edge to edge has reached 245 °C, spends at that temperature. **There is absolutely nothing wrong with, nor anything odd about putting a PCB in an oven or otherwise getting it hotter than it's glass transition temperature. Doing so is a key part of their commercial assembly into electronics and has already been done to every PCB you own.** Please ignore the 'accepted' answer - it's incorrect. PCBs are usually made out of glass epoxy composite (FR4) with a glass transition temperature of 140°C. There are high heat varieties with a glass transition temperature of 170°C. I do not know which variety the Prusa MK2/MK2S uses specifically, but FR4 doesn't have a 'sharp' glass transition anyway, so you want to err on the side of hot regardless of the specific type. Get it nice and cozy at at 190-200 °C, and increase the temperature until it unwarps. The solder's liquidus is about 220°C, so you should try to keep 20 °C shy of this just because kitchen oven thermostats are not to be trusted. I own a MK2S, and have personally heated my heat bed up to above the glass transition temperature of PEI (don't ask) which is **217°C**, and this was not a problem (well, except for the PEI but again, don't ask). It didn't suffer any ill effects, nor did I expect it too. I'm printing on it right now, as I type this. It's perfectly fine to heat it up that hot. That was the entire reason FR laminate was even made - to be rigid and to tolerate being hot. Solder ain't gonna melt itself. Note, however, you will need to remove the PEI/Ultem sheet as well as the adhesive before you do this. Prusa has instructions on how, look under replacing the PEI print surface. Now, as for the actual procedure, the pcb isn't going to magically just become flat. You have to force it to flatness. Flatten it into submission. It will only be as flat as the hopefully flat surface it is resting on. And, given the gradual transition of the material, it isn't going to exactly become super pliable even when a good deal past its glass transition temperature. What you ideally want is two plates of aluminum large enough to sandwich it between. Or steel, or any metal. They need to be thick enough to not flex so they are very flat. A pizza stone, if you can find one that is flat, or a slab of granite also works. I know none of these are exactly 'just laying around the house' type objects, but really any flat surface that will tolerate the heat that you can rest the pcb on is acceptable. (Kids - ask your parents first) The only problem is it will likely not unwarp itself under its own weight. You'll need to put a large flat thing on top of it too, and either have it be heavy, or add heavy things on top of your large flat thing. You want to make a heat bed sandwich. Also, it needs to be shielded from the oven heating elements (be they electric or gas), as these will radiate heat a lot hotter than the oven temperature when they turn on. Don't worry - aluminum foil is enough to shield anything from the heat, but again, you should have something very flat and substantial on top. Oh, and remove the screw hole sockets from the PCB. They just need a hex key and some pliers to unscrew. Don't lose the lock washers. Anyway, the above procedure, while definitely a pain, will restore (or if it was always warped, imbue for the first time) flatness as good as the flat things it is sandwiched between. The flatness of kings. This isn't exactly unknown either. [People do it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ3D83cBnPE). It works. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: Easiest way would be to place a glass sheet on top of the bed and run a calibration... Although, that way you may lose a few millimeters of print height. Upvotes: 0

2016/04/13

<issue_start>username_0: **Before you put duplicate from this [Which are the food-safe materials and how do I recognize them?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/147/which-are-the-food-safe-materials-and-how-do-i-recognize-them) please read** I need to know if [this 3D Ink™ (PLA Filament)](http://store.printm3d.com/#filaments_head_scroll) is food safe[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lNh2d.png)<issue_comment>username_1: In general, PLA is known as a "food safe" filament, especially ***Natural PLA***. However, filament suppliers have different processes that may detriment the food safe quality. Doing a little digging, I found [an article on the M3D site](https://printm3d.com/solutions/article.php?id=47) which mentions the following about their filament > > All of our products, including our filaments are made from 100% non-toxic components and considered generally safe under normal use. They are not considered a chemical, or a hazardous material by OSHA standards. Therefore, OSHA defines it as an "article" and does not require MSDS sheets. You can see more information about that here: <http://www.ilpi.com/msds/faq/partb.html#article> > > > So, without contacting M3D directly to acquire an MSDS (or asking if its food safe), you will not find one online. [Here](https://pinshape.com/blog/3d-printing-food-safe/) is an article on a few tips for printing food safe objects as well. In a nut shell, don't 3D print food handling objects with crevasses, using uranium, or intend to put in the oven (a.k.a common sense). Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In general no filament is safe as the printing process leaves "nooks and cranies" between the layers where germs can gain a foothold. For food safe, I would advise: * print with white filament * use an acetone vapor bath to smooth and melt many of the "nooks and cranies" away. * Use a spray polyurathane and coat with 3-4 layers to reduce the evil "nooks and cranies" even more. At that point it it should be dishwasher safe and food safe. Upvotes: 1

2016/04/13

<issue_start>username_0: I have a prusa i3 with Mendel firmware and a RAMPS board. Recently it has been randomly stopping during prints. The LCD screen will lock up, the print will stop, and the heating elements will turn off. Pressing the reset button on the RAMPS restarts the system and it works fine. In addition to stopping during prints, it has also frozen up while just sitting while on. My first thought is the power supply (12V 30A) is going bad, but is there anything else I should check before I buy a new one and replace it? Update: I replaced the power supply with a new one, and the printer did not stop and completed a print. I am voting to close the question.<issue_comment>username_1: It could be several things. Your ramps board is overheating or has to much load on it. If you're not cooling the ramps board adding a fan may help the issue. I know Robo3D had this issue and started shipping with a fan to cool the ramps board. The ramps/arduino board could be faulty, the firmware may have gotten corrupted or the current version has a bug in the code. If you are not printing from the sdcard on the lcd controller and using software through a usb connection, that computer may be causing the issue as well. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I had the same thing, the printer was not heating the nozzle anymore after starting the print. I fixed this by reinstalling the firmware. It could also be that your stepper drivers are overheating. you can add a fan to cool them. The SD card could be bad, maybe try an other card or another .gcode file. It is probably not your power supply, a 30A power supply is more than enough, but you can measure the volts on the power supply while the printer is running, if it is around 12V it is probably alright. Upvotes: 1

2016/04/13

<issue_start>username_0: I have been using Solidworks and AutoCAD to create STL file of a 3D model I want to print. I slice the STL file using Freesteel Z level slicer (<http://www.freesteel.co.uk/wpblog/slicer/>) and save the slices in a bmp format. My 3d print has an array of circular channels, all of one radius. I expected the bmp slice to contain the circular shapes looking exactly identical to each other. However, I don't obtain the exact same replicas. Looks like the pixel-wise mapping has not been done uniformly. (View <http://s24.postimg.org/p7w09zvkl/snippet.png> for the image). I want each and every circle to be represented by exactly the same set of pixels in the bmp image, so that all of the circular contours are identical. (I do not prefer changing the pixel resolution.) How can I overcome this problem? Are there any better tools which would lead to a perfectly uniform pixel-wise mapping? Thanks! PJ<issue_comment>username_1: Your objective has a serious constraint regarding the pixel resolution. Within that limitation, the software (slicer) you are using will generate "best guess" images, particularly dependent on floating point math. There may be a single combination of circular shapes (radius) and spacing for these shapes that provides your objective, but that's likely not a practical exercise. You have not indicated if you've tried other slicers, which would be the primary direction. A list of choices can be found here: [Free Slicing Program List](https://all3dp.com/best-3d-printing-software-tools/) Another option that you can consider, not included in this list, is to use OpenSCAD, import the STL file, then use the projection() command to manually slice and export the image file. I use the term "manually" but the program can be coded to perform this task automatically, and there is a command line feature to OpenSCAD that may be useful. Note also that the output of these slicers and/or OpenSCAD may exceed the resolution you desire. Manipulation of the image with a graphics editor could result in the same floating point disarray as you perform the changes. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You seem to have a pretty good understanding of how STL, so in case it helps anyone else, there is a file format (currently) in design called **[3MF](http://3mf.io/)** which should help with more accurate 3D Printing. While its focus is to ensure solidarity in a model (or manifold), the XML-based format should leave itself open to allow the machine/slicing software to be the only limiting factor in design geometry. Since *[STL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format))* relies on triangulation to define its shapes, it is common to see the discrepancy, especially on a circular feature. Upvotes: 2

2016/04/13

<issue_start>username_0: I'm losing my mind, it all started out with the idea of a project where I want an abstract shape (I'm going to call it a stretched cube with an angle), now I know a bit of Vectorworks - a 3D/Architecture drawing program. I found nothing in all the tutorials how to make something low poly but still be able to for example screw the bottom of with a thread for example. I found numerous shapes I like on Thingiverse but they are all STL files which I've learned so far are hard to edit and make them functionally usable when cross transferring them for one to another program. Today I gave it another try to find other programs which can give me the result and functionality I want. Thus far I've only found program where you make the shape perfectly and then by using a mesh program like 123make and Meshmixer to then change the outcome of the rendering. But in my case this makes some parts unable to use anymore as example the threading? So for the question I their a program which I can make a low poly shape (example below) where I still can add holes and threading like you can do with AutoCAD, Vectorworks. I hope somebody knows how to do this I've been searching and asking around for weeks!! This is an example of the type of shape I would like to create, [Low poly vase](https://www.google.be/search?q=low%20poly%20vase&espv=2&biw=1567&bih=976&tbm=isch&imgil=s0wM9Yoq8UTF1M%253A%253BNVFfgWtuiEyI8M%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.etsy.com%25252Flisting%25252F221563489%25252Fartsy-vases-redux-golden-polygon-modern&source=iu&pf=m&fir=s0wM9Yoq8UTF1M%253A%252CNVFfgWtuiEyI8M%252C_&usg=__9w_ZHPGpome2_nNv4VJ7ZRwwRUw%3D&ved=0ahUKEwiPqO-qpYzMAhUIow4KHY7BDmoQyjcIJg&ei=VJYOV4-uIojGOo6Du9AG#imgrc=s0wM9Yoq8UTF1M%3A) - mine would be exactly the same but it would be to give you an idea Example of the thread I would like to implement in the shape above, [Tap and Die for 3D printed threads](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:227192)<issue_comment>username_1: I've had my share of struggles with the issues you're having - bridging the software gap between hard-edge, parametric modeling tools (typically CAD) and more free-form, 'soft'/organic, modeling tools. It's not a trivial task to work across both domains simultaneously. The simplest workflow I've developed is: 1. Create a simple CAD model of parts of the object you're trying to make that have mechanical/precision features (e.g. threaded screw holes, joints) in a CAD program (e.g. AutoCAD, Inventor, Solidworks, Fusion 360). 2. Export a high-precision STL of those parts 3. Create/generate the 'soft'/organic portions of the model in your software suite of choice (e.g. Blender, Maya) 4. Export an OBJ file (or STL, if the option is available) of the 'soft' parts 5. Import both sets of parts into [Meshmixer](http://www.meshmixer.com/) and combine them there. 6. Export to a single, combined STL 7. (Optional) Pass the 'end product' STL through a model "fixer" - I quite like the [Microsoft Model Repair Service](https://modelrepair.azurewebsites.net/) Meshmixer is a powerful but poorly documented tool. In my experience, it's capable of accomplishing most of the basic "fixes" most models need in preparation for 3d-printing. It is possible to do some amount of sculpting/organic modeling within Meshmixer itself but you'll probably find it inferior in that regard to other software suites, if you know how to use them. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: If you have some programming background, take a look at [OpenScad](http://www.openscad.org/). It allows you to model using a functional programming language. Basically all of the customizer models on Thingiverse are written in openscad. My gut says you can use the poly command to string together a bunch of polygons to do what you want. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Yes, you can accomplish threading easily with something like 3Ds Max, Blender, Maya etc. I use Maya personally so, in Maya, all you have to do is: 1. Create a cylinder. This will be the main body of your 'screw'. 2. To make the thread, you need to create a helix primitive. You can edit the number of coils and the coil thickness in the Maya GUI. 3. Once you have the thread, it is a simple matter of performing a couple of boolean operations. The first boolean (union) operation will unite the screw made in step 1 with the thread made in step 2. The second boolean (subtract) operation will cut out the thread from the object within which you want your screw to be driven into. When you print the two models, you should find that the screw nicely turns into the object from which you cut out the thread. The point is: yes, it is easy to do such things in most 3D software packages. Maya comes with a nice selection of default objects you can use, so essentially you need to do no 'modeling' yourself to create something like the example you showed us. Your next question, about editing models on Thingiverse. The reason why you cannot edit them easily is because most models there have been decimated and triangulated, which makes them very difficult to reshape or edit because the topology is no longer strictly manifold -- it is just a big mess of triangles! If you want to edit Thingiverse models, I recommend something like ZBrush. You can import triangulated models and then rebuild the geometry into quads (using DynaMesh, for example), which you can then edit to your liking. Once done, you can simply decimate and re-export as STL or whatever extension you need. Finally, low/high poly is not so relevant in 3D print outs, especially in mechanically functioning parts. This is because most models are created in high resolution (high polygon count) and then decimated + triangulated down to truncate file sizes. But the functionality and physical feel of the model should not change due to this process - it just takes practice and lots of experimentation. Hope this helps :) Hassan Upvotes: 2

2016/04/13

<issue_start>username_0: I made a torus that was 1 on the x and y axes, and 3 on the z axis in Blender. It is supposed to be a bead for a beaded necklace. It was exported to Cura as an .stl, then printed on a Lulzbot Mini. It worked fine in plastic, but when we tried it with bronze filament the nozzle clogged and it didn't start printing. Is there something I need to add to the model that will provide instructions for the printer? The person who operates the printer says that most, but not all, of the models he prints in bronze have a border around them when they print, and this one didn't. I don't know if that makes a difference.<issue_comment>username_1: We print a lot of stuff in a variety of materials, and I think it is likely what you are experiencing is a problem caused by some combination of the following: Object size overall, object detail size, wall thickness, or span width/thickness. Blender gives pretty clean stls, but the last-mile needed to get output is primarily a materials engineering problem.... (and saying thias, I am assuming you got a valid stl that the printer was able to read and rip...) A first thought: Try loading your stl into one of the services that price online. Shapeways does, and Cubify does or did... and you can download the driver software for the Form2 even if you don't own the printer. Bring your stl into these apps and look for error messages. The Shapeways ordering app does a nice job of showing issues, particularly ones like wall thickness and manifold faces/vertices (another possibility I did not mention above) very quickly. I'd offer to look at your stl if it is something you can share... and/or you can ask your output guy for a sample stl he has printed with some success before. Bring that stl file into Blender beside your model and compare. I do not recognize a "border" around stls, but all of the printers have preferences for the support sprues that support the model as it is built.... possible that he means these? In any case, shout if I can help. We have used a lot of materials, but some of them take tweaking -- most often with detail size (how small of a detail you can recreate on the rpinted surface) and step size (how small the steps are inbetween printed layers in additive rinting systems. Or... just chuck it onto a CNC with a big ole' block of bronze and machine it down! That's pretty old school, but it works, too... just by removing material rather than adding. Here's a torus at Shapeways I uploaded.... [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7gMY6.jpg) Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The border that the operator is most likely referring to is called a brim or skirt and is typically handled by the Slicing software that the operator uses to convert the 3D solid model into the machine code for the 3D printer to run. I'd recommend double checking the settings in Cura for a brim/skirt. This function will make the machine print a small outer layer a few millimeters away from the part itself. The outer layer gets the filament flowing and hopefully will dislodge any clogs the machine might have. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Since we do not know more about the printer and its settings it is most likely that the issues lies within the printer and the temperature/print speed settings. Fill materials do print differently than just colored plastic of the same type. Find valid print parameters for the type of filament that you can modify as needed for the printer that is being used (a good first gauge are the offsets the printer has for other type of filaments (thermistors might be offset for example) added to the 'literature values' of the new filament). It might also be, that the nozzle was not clean when changing filaments and hence the clogging occured. Have you/your printing guy tried a 'cold pull'? [How should I clean my extruder when changing materials?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/233/how-should-i-clean-my-extruder-when-changing-materials) Usually nozzle clogging comes down to knowledge about your printer and experience with the filament. Upvotes: 2

2016/04/14

<issue_start>username_0: On my [Switching Power Supply](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B007KG0ZYI) there is a little orange trimpot that's marked `VR1`; what does that do, and does it work similar to the ones on the stepper drivers?<issue_comment>username_1: Vr usually stands for variable resistor, basically a pot. Usually by adjusting this you would adjust the voltage output on most power supplies, ensure you double check your voltage output with a meter after adjusting. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: No doubt it's just a final tuning potentiometer. Even on the pictures you linked it's described as V adj which stands for voltage adjustment. It's a way to tune your power supply's output as it can vary depending on temperature/humidity/wall-plug voltage/etc. It's usually set properly and doesn't need to be touched. But you can connect a multimeter to check if your power supply gives the voltage you need. If you are not familiar with the subject but still want to do it yourself, it's good to set your multimeter to the highest available range and make sure that AC/DC is properly chosen. Now you can measure voltage. You can set the range closer to the expected values then. Usually multimeters have a range around 20 or 30V DC which is propbably what you expect from your power supply. In such a range you should see something like 12.000. If it varies from 12.000 you can then precisely adjust it to get as close as possible to this value. But watch out... cheap power supplies can cheat you. When the are have a load on the output (your 3D printer for example) they can reduce voltage. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]

2016/04/18

<issue_start>username_0: I just recently purchased a new MightyBoard (Rev G) for my Replicator that requires a new power supply. The power supply for the Rev E was a 24 V/9.2 A which was necessary for the dual extruders and heated bed. I know I need a 24 V power supply, but should I be concerned about the amperage? What will a higher (or lower) rating affect on my machine?<issue_comment>username_1: I suggest looking at the maximum amperage draw for all components that could be on at one time, and then find a power supply that can supply at least 20% more current. You would never want to get a supply rated for lower current than your max draw, because then it will affect the torque or your motors, or the temperature to which your heaters can get. Think of it like this: An outlet at home may be rated at 115V/20A. Your blender is not going to draw the full 20A; having a little extra never hurts. But if you try to run a large appliance (dryer, hot tub, etc.) on a smaller amp circuit, the breaker would blow because you are trying to draw more than it can supply. The point is, get something rated for higher than you need, within reason. It will draw only what it needs. Pro tip: Make sure to set the current limits on your stepper motor drivers for maximum performance! Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: A short, figurative answer from the electronical point of view: A **power supply** (an an analogy you can view it as a water pump) as used by 3D printers is usually supplying a fixed **voltage** (a constant pressure going into your pipe system), in your case 24V. The given **amperage/current** (the amount of water that actually flows) that is actually utilized at a given point in time is determined by whatever you hook up to your power supply (the system of tubes or pipes - imagine a valve like your tap/faucet). Now the amperage rating of your power supply gives how much current you can run through your electrical system (as is the flow of your tap/faucet by the pump if you had a limitless big, imigainative one). The **power** that your supply can deliver is the product of voltage and amperage: P(power) = U(voltage)\*I(current). *What you need to make sure is* that **a) you deliver the correct voltage**, because this is what your circuitry needs to be specifically designed for (image the pressure of your pump being too low or to high, - you either won't recieve any water in the second floor, or your tubing can't stand the pressure) and **b) that you can supply *at least* the needed power** (otherwise you get a problem once you open up all the taps/faucets in your house, because they don't supply as much water as demanded). If your power supply can give more current, that's fine, it might just not be used. And as mentioned by username_1 already, keep a certain plus for losses and as a reserve, because no pump likes to run constantly at it's limits either ;) Upvotes: 2

2016/04/20

<issue_start>username_0: Some 3 mm filaments seem to actually be 3 mm - is there any way to shave off the excess and use it as 2.85 mm?<issue_comment>username_1: I would not recommend you to try and somehow re-size the filament, since even the smallest of irregularities and error in diameter occurring from such a process would ruin your prints with sporadic over and under extrusion. Rather, if you have the tools available, you could grind the filament into pellets, and use a filament extruder to make it anew with your desired diameter. Alternatively, depending on your printer setup, you might very well extrude true 3.00 filament with your 2.85 mm filament printer. If you try to do that, make sure to: * Adjust filament diameter in your slicer * Check that your filament isn't getting squashed by the extruder wheel * Check that all mechanical parts actually can pass through your filament freely I do not own a 2.85 mm printer myself, and therefore have not tried this procedure. There are, however, [several people](https://ultimaker.com/en/community/4297-30mm-pla-vs-285mm-pla) who seem to have done this successfully. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: you could put a 3 mm extruder on you're printer. or (if you're r brave) put route filament in the oven for 10 minutes and unroll it than stretch it out. if you do this outside you can attach one ent to a stride licht or something an pul on the other end, if it is hot anoth it should hold its new position. but don't get it to hot or the filament will stick to itself, you can put talk powder on it to prevent this but be shore to watch it off before using your filament. i have never tried this and not komw is it will work. you can try it on i short pease of about 2 m first to test it oud. if it works, please tell me. i would love to know. Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: You will need to melt it push it through a hopper, screw thread, then draw it out at a constant pressure, with a water bath plus a sensor to check diameter. Upvotes: 1

2016/04/21

<issue_start>username_0: I was working on my printer when something metallic came into contact with the pcb. I smelled smoke and quickly unplugged the printer. Anyway, this is the result and, of course, the heat bed won't heat. Can this be salvaged or should I toss it and buy a new one? [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WhRPu.jpg) **update** the heat bed was not hot at the time. I had the heat bed unscrewed from the chassis but had forgotten to unplug the printer. I am not exactly sure how it shorted but I think it shorted between the power lead connection and the thermistor.<issue_comment>username_1: What happend was short circuit of course. There is no doubt you overheated HB so copper detached from HB base plate. Because you wrote it doesn't work it means copper tracks are broken. There is very low chance to fix it. I mean it - near to zero. What you could do is: 1. Detach HB from arduino 2. Find a place where track is broken (which needs to uncover it from protective layer) 3. Connect it with a wire Unfortunately even if you do it and your HB will work (electrically) your fixed HB which won't be flat anymore. So definitely it's to be thrown away. **[edit]** I just realised you have double power HB, which means your HB has 2 heaters... which gives a bit hope. take a look here [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GZMZc.jpg) [here is schematics](http://reprap.org/mediawiki/images/thumb/6/62/Heated-bed-schematic.png/800px-Heated-bed-schematic.png) which could give you an idea You could check if your second heater works ok If yes then you are salvaged! :) **[edit2]** I really suppose the schematics of HB is more or less like this [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/AS2I1.png) So if H1 is broken there is a chance to use H2 connecting pins respectively Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Yes, it should be possible to fix, although you might choose to replace anyway on the basis that the repaired bed might give you concerns about how long it will be before your repair fails. You will need to carefully remove the protective layer to expose the heating element (assuming you can identify where it is likely to have broken). Then carefully solder across the break (maybe with a short fragment of wire). After making the repair, you should cover the exposed track. This provides both electrical and thermal insulation. In the absence of any suitable high-temperature paintable covering, you could try using kapton tape. Upvotes: 1

2016/04/21

<issue_start>username_0: Some have suggested that filament costs are asymptotically approaching a baseline cost - others that costs are linearly decreasing. Does anyone know where to find the trending costs on a single class of filament over the past decade or more? Part of the reason we are asking is to get enough longitudinal data to begin projecting costs for printing objects in the future. You might think of it like the "Moore's Law" of filament costs.<issue_comment>username_1: You could have a look though the various price trackers for Amazon (like [ccc](http://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/Kg-Yellow-MakerGear-Ultimaker-THING-O-MATIC-Universal/product/B00MVKOSM8?context=browse) and [thetractor](https://thetracktor.com/detail/B010P3EE6W/)), for some basic trends. Most of them does not seem to have sufficient data to give any valuable insight, but that could change. In general, I would refer to the yearly and monthly [trend reports found on 3D Hubs](https://www.3dhubs.com/trends). They usually include the average filament order costs per filament type from the previous 30 days, although they do not display it as a continuous graph at this time. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm not clear as to the intent of your question, but I would like to provide some insight. Typically, the biggest differentiating factor between a mediocre data scientist, and a good one, is based on the hypothesis they put forth. Therefore, understanding where the cost of filament is derived from is much more important than analyzing the market price equilibrium over a period of time (Even if done with consideration to various filament types). Here are some basic costs: * Raw material (the cost based on region, and grade) * Manufacturing scale (Mixers, extruders, cooling, spooling, packaging, etc.) * Shipping (Often 50% of cost for small quantities) * Supply chain (Number of middle men) Without going into detail of every preceding point, I was able to break down costs to a theoretical $10/kg for ABS, if starting with virgin pellets, and shipping flat rate USPS within the US. The point that I am trying to make is, fundamentals over technical analysis in this case. Upvotes: 2

2016/04/24

<issue_start>username_0: Since I'm running a 3D printing facility of an engineering school, students are always wondering how much infill percentage affects the stiffness of the part. I know that it is impossible to get a numerical solution for this question, but maybe there is an option to simulate in software an already sliced model. I haven't seen in any slicer an option to export as .stl or .step or any other format which can be accepted by simulation software. Has anyone seen or thought about something similar?<issue_comment>username_1: I don't believe that slicing engines create any sort of solid model that would be useful for CAD simulation. When a slicing engine slices a 3D model, it's goal is to spit out the preferred machine paths in G-Code (of some kind). However, I've read a few articles, done some tests, and heard through the grape vine that anywhere between 10%-35% is good enough for most applications. I once watched a webinar for understanding the new MakerWare interface that explained how they chose such settings. Although I can't find the clip directly, [here](http://www.makerbot.com/resources/webinars) is the page for all of MakerBot's webinars. I think [this](http://pages.makerbot.com/intro-makerbot-desktop-software-webinar.html?utm_source=leadgen&utm_medium=resource-center&utm_content=webinar&utm_campaign=rc-intro-makerbot-desktop-webinar) webinar was the one I watched explaining a little bit about preferred infill percentages. From experience, anything over 35% doesn't yield much more strength from infill side of things. Beyond 35% and you're going to want to reconsider how you're orienting the print when you print it and what you're printing to utilize the grain structure for proper strength. However, infill percentage/patterns are not the only variable for creating strong parts. Infill is really just a way to save time and material. Here are some other ways to potentially increase strength: * Increase your shell. Shell is the number of profile patterns per layer. Typically (in FDM/FFF), each shell is **about** the diameter of your extruder nozzle. * Increase your floor/roof. Similar to shell, floor/roof refers to the number of layers that make up the "bottom" and "top" of the part with regard to the build plate. * Print orientation. Pay attention to which areas of the part are susceptible to strain along the "grain" of the layers. Try to rotate your part on the build plate in a way that minimizes potential failure both in print and post-print use. * Post process. Don't be afraid to do some post-processing to increase the strength. There are [some 3D printers on the market](https://markforged.com/) that go as far as including Kevlar strands in the printing process to beef up their prints. However, it may be as simple as just coating the part in an epoxy with some basic finishing techniques. It's a bit more work, but it turns weak 3D printed parts into full production quality prints. **Update:** Based on some of the comments, it sounds like your best bet might be to find a custom application that can either convert the g-code file into a solid model (try CAM software?), or create a plugin for your CAD software (I know Unigraphics NX and Solidworks allow for this) and essentially recreate your own slicing engine that takes your solid model and generates the same infill pattern dynamically inside. Perhaps look into the works of [Simlab](http://www.simlab-soft.com/index.aspx) or similar which has a lot of 3D software plugins. I'm not promoting them and I don't work for them, this is just a reference of what to look for. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Since I am not able to comment on this question yet, I thought I would provide an answer in addition to the already helpful insight provided. If the question in general is regarding infill percentage, and the common follow-up regards part stiffness, then it should be explained that choosing infill percentage is much more than just part stiffness. Printing out tensile bars would be a great thing to have for educational purposes. The bars should not only vary in infill percentages, but in also the various infill patterns. Depending on the type of stresses and loads applied, different patterns may be stronger at lower infill rates, for example. Also, the infill rate should correlate to the thickness of the bottom, top, and sidewalls. This is especially important with ABS when it comes to shrinkage, warping, and delayering. In order for the part to be universally as strong as possible, as the part cools, it must shrink evenly. This is a well known factor for machinists creating molds for injection molding and casting. Otherwise, you may have unintended additional points of weaknesses arise. Lastly, if creating tensile bars, make sure to take into account the shrinkage experienced along each axis, for each individual example. I would also suggest cutting each one open, as well as attempting to break a few of the apart (in a very crude way). This could stimulate a lot of thought when designing a part, before printing it. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: If you're an engineering class, you may very well print out big cubes of different infils and test them. Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: I could think of a way. But it might require a few softwares to get everything done. First get the CAD file. Import to magics (Materialise proprietary software) There is a function for structures, you can build your custom internal structure. So add trusses etc. Export stl. (There is one software which allows direct stl to step conversion, I think its called Instep) Or i think you could reduce mesh density and use FreeCAD to convert it back to step and run your analysis. It would be intersting to see a report on the part. Also there is no good way of simulating a 3d printed part. Maybe the closest would be with composites. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: Anton, I parse the G-code and build a finite element model and a thermal transient event to simulate the printing of the part, followed by a structural simulation to determine the deformation and stress state in the resulting part. This part could then be further analyzed with external loads to determine mechanical characteristics. I use ANSYS software and the element birth & death capability to activate a small volume of material per each thermal transient step. The structural sim is static but also done at the same time steps as the thermal transient. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: You have to do it by eye. However you need to think about what infill you use. a triangle pattern will be very strong. Following I never use high infill. Most of my items have a strong outer shell, IE 3 layers. Inside I will do between 7 and 14 %. If I printed a square 200mm^3 I would have no concerns standing on it. All depends. Really though for your settings I would not thing you would really ever need more than 14%. At a company I worked at that was testing 3d printed parts. They evaluated material by printing the same test shapes and seeing what their tolerances were. You will need to develop your own method as such. Upvotes: 0

2016/04/27

<issue_start>username_0: I'd like to find an opensource software that communicates directly with the RAMPS board (or any other 3D printer driver) without using the arduino... It doesn't matter if it runs on Windows or linux as long as it's opensource. Also, I'm not worried about how this communication is done (USB, serial port, parallel port)... Has anyone ever heard about projects like this?<issue_comment>username_1: No, there exists no software like that. You can't communicate with a RAMPs board because a RAMPs board has no logic built-in; it's just a dumb breakout board that connects the Arduino Mega to your printer's components (such as stepper drivers, MOSFETs for controlling heaters, endstops,...). If you wanted to connect a RAMPs board "directly" to your computer, you'd need a way for your computer to generate the pulses that the Arduino normally generates. You could potentially use a parallel port for this but you'd need many more outputs than a single parallel port can provide *and* you'd need to find a way to do the analog to digital conversion needed for the thermistors. It's just not very feasible (considering how few computers have parallel ports nowadays). Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: The key question is not really if there is such software, but rather if such software is possible, or if it would work very well. While a printer is more than just stepper motors, those are one of the trickiest parts, so it makes sense to look primarily at that. Back in the old days of personal computing, it was not uncommon to generate stepper motor signals from the CPU of a personal computer, using individually settable bits on either a special purpose interface (that is in fact basically how the head in a floppy drive was typically moved) or borrowing another available interface such as a parallel printer port. But then two things happened: computers got faster, but more isolated from the world, and operating systems in common use became much more strict in what they permitted. To move a high resolution stepper at a decent speed, you need to generate either step pulses or winding activation signals at a fairly high rate. And to accelerate and decelerate a motor under load, you need to finely vary their timing. Back when I/O ports hung directly off processor buses, and operating systems could not prevent programs from speeding up the system hardware timer in order to run a stepper routine rapidly, this worked to a degree. But today: * Most PC class processors have little, if any directly coupled I/O - especially by the time you get outside the box. An interface like USB is great for moving a large amount of data per unit time, but it is absolutely horrible for accomplishing a trivial task with precise, frequent timing - it is a freight train, not a bicycle courier. Many of the things which let a processor internally operate quickly specifically work by decoupling it from an outside world that often cannot keep up - memory caches, bus exchange units, etc. If you do find a parallel port today, it is likely to be on the far side of a PCI bus bridge at the least, and have a different low-level interface than a legacy one. * Modern operating systems have a time-slice scheduler which "owns" the CPU(s) and hands out small chunks of processing time to ordinary programs. These programs typically get to run often enough to appear responsive to the user, but not frequently enough to accurately drive stepper motors. There are various schemes which have been tried, for example to create a "hard real time" scheduler which owns the processor, and allows a motor control task to register for precisely needed time slices - then, with whatever time is left over a Linux or Windows or similar kernel is allowed to run, and divide up the remaining time among ordinary programs through its scheduling rules. Of course, such a scheme tends to need to be revised each time the utilized conventional operating system has a new major release. While there are ways around these issues, they tend to require atypical hardware and deep changes to the operating system installation - making them neither inexpensive nor easy to setup for end users. Instead, it is generally simpler and more cost effective (not even $10 these days) to put an embedded processor on an external circuit board, and have it act as a delegate to execute precise-timing tasks on behalf of the host processor. Somewhat extending from the idea of industrial CNC machines that originally read punched paper tape, and were later updated with a scheme where an ordinary computer "drip feeds" G-code commands over a serial port, modern 3D Printers tend to deliver G-code (or other) command data a little bit in advance of when it is needed, so that the latency of a USB or serial connection doesn't really matter. Normally enough data is buffered on the printer for it to keep running, but even if not it would only pause briefly between the complete moves which are transmitted, not experience motor stuttering as it would if the USB were trying to deliver each individual step pulse. As for why an Arduino - probably mostly the history of who built the machines which kicked off the enthusiast printing trend. If someone from an industrial background were tasked with building something like an FDM printer or a machine with similar motion needs in isolation today, chances are they would end up with an ARM processor that would be a bit faster, more flexible, and with more resources, and likely cost a little less. But in actual history, the early affordable machines were built by those in maker community, who were already familiar with the availability of the Arduino, and willing to put some cleverness into getting good motion out of its limitations. RAMPS in particular seems designed to be a coarse-pitch through-hole bridge that a hobbyist could build themselves, and then buy the slightly trickier to work with surface mount processor and motor drive chips preassembled in the form of an Arduino Mega and stepper drive modules. That even fairly propriety machines maintain these basic parts choices is probably an indication of the utility of not "reinventing the wheel" - if you want to develop a printer, you can start from available components and customize them only one by one as you choose, rather than not being able to run your development prototype until you get a working circuit board designed and fabbed, a working software base developed, etc. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]

2016/05/01

<issue_start>username_0: Hey so theres a product we have been prototyping. We cant do FDM. The item has a ball valve. and the ball ~ 1.6-1.9mm I cant seem to prototype it. I have tried SLS, SLA, Polyjet. Anybody knows what could be wrong, or what should be the dimension i should be using? I thought I would post this at engineering section, but since I have to prototype I thought its best if its in 3D Printing section Edit: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0neFf.png) Update: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Byftf.png) So heres a figure showing the direction of air flow. Update: Thanks both answers are helpful. though not a precise answer. Then again, there is no correct answer. Thanks a bunch. Lets see how the coming months are. :p<issue_comment>username_1: As mentioned above in the comments, this really isn't a good application of 3D Printing. At least, not with expectation that it functions. I'd suggest using 3D printing to verify other dimensions and having the part machined traditionally. That ball and "seal" needs to be precision ground or honed to fit in order to stop air flow. My company has manufactured parts similar to this and the way to go was to produce a concave "cup" for the ball to settle into and hone the edges with a diamond slush using a ball end mill. That way, the ball settles into the cup and the pressure creates the seal. Omitted due to update in OP's image~~**Update** Excuse the poor SketchUp drawing, but this might help explain a potential design change: [Deprecated image](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PHCM4.png)~~ Please see [DarthPixel's answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/1065/ball-valve-to-be-prototyped/1075#1081) for a good design choice. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Hey why to make it soooo sophisticated and poor? Air valve cannot be designed with 2 stiff elements - it will never work. Make the air your friend but not the enemy. Use old good rubber (silicone) "flake" instead. Especially when you have such small design. Take a look on the picture. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Sk4Lj.png) Here you have black element which is rubber or silicone. It's sticked on one side. When air goes from the pipe (goes up) then rubber is slack so the air can flow. When you suck then rubber seals the pipe. **[edit]** You can find such solution in for example bike pumps, inflatable matterss pumps also gas masks and so on. It's pretty fine for low pressure. Of course ball valves are also widely use but then such device has to have "rubber" ball nest so ball lies on the rubber ring to seal it. There has to be a spring to tight the ball to the ring. Without such spring turning the device upside down would cause the valve would not work at all. Ball solutions are intended to higher pressure. Please note the spring which tights a ball creates kinda threshold on the pressure level which means that pressure has to exceed a spring force to reduce a pressure. This doesn't occure in rubber valve. I don't know what device you are trying to prototype but I'm pretty sure a rubber valve will be just fine. Please also note that sealing surface is very low in ball valve solution but in rubber valve it can be almost unlimited so it can seal quite well even when the surface is not perfect. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]

2016/05/01

<issue_start>username_0: Is there any type of software in which you can animate the way the .stl object will be printed? I'm not talking about what the end result looks like. I'm talking about a tool which acts like it's printing the given object as an animation. I know it somehow depends on your printer but is there anything I can use?<issue_comment>username_1: You may wish to consider [Craftware](https://craftunique.com/craftware) for your purposes. It's a free program in beta form that does provide a tool-path animation for printing the layers. It is not so much specific to a printer as it is configurable for your own requirements. [The video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv_WxUm1JC8) shows what I believe you are seeking at about the two minute point. Simplify3D also provides such information, but is not a free program. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The open source slicing engine, [Slic3r](http://slic3r.org/), also allow for such a preview. The preview is not animated, but you can see the path that your printer will follow for each layer. To do this, simply upload a model and press the *preview* button in the lower part of your screen. To select which layer to preview, use the slider on the right of the preview window. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I'm using [MatterControl](http://www.mattercontrol.com) and it has such visualization. User can see synchronized animation which shows how the object is actually printed and user is able to see each path of filament put onto the layer. It's possible to control starting and ending position so it's possible to precisely visualize each milimiter of filament even between start and end point. MatterControl also visualizes extrude flow so if user set extrude to 150% or 200% then application shows wider "line". All of it can be seen in 2D (from top view) and in 3D (perspective view). There is also possible to see overlay (by transparency) and print speed (visualized by color). MatterControl also shows non-printing moves and retraction points and their hight. Upvotes: 1

2016/05/02

<issue_start>username_0: My MakerBot 2 jams after a couple hours of prints. It is a couple months old, and the tip stops extruding after a couple straight hours of prints. I am guessing that there is a design flaw and that the media is melting inside the extruder before the feeding teeth. Does anyone have experience with this?<issue_comment>username_1: You may wish to consider [Craftware](https://craftunique.com/craftware) for your purposes. It's a free program in beta form that does provide a tool-path animation for printing the layers. It is not so much specific to a printer as it is configurable for your own requirements. [The video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv_WxUm1JC8) shows what I believe you are seeking at about the two minute point. Simplify3D also provides such information, but is not a free program. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The open source slicing engine, [Slic3r](http://slic3r.org/), also allow for such a preview. The preview is not animated, but you can see the path that your printer will follow for each layer. To do this, simply upload a model and press the *preview* button in the lower part of your screen. To select which layer to preview, use the slider on the right of the preview window. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I'm using [MatterControl](http://www.mattercontrol.com) and it has such visualization. User can see synchronized animation which shows how the object is actually printed and user is able to see each path of filament put onto the layer. It's possible to control starting and ending position so it's possible to precisely visualize each milimiter of filament even between start and end point. MatterControl also visualizes extrude flow so if user set extrude to 150% or 200% then application shows wider "line". All of it can be seen in 2D (from top view) and in 3D (perspective view). There is also possible to see overlay (by transparency) and print speed (visualized by color). MatterControl also shows non-printing moves and retraction points and their hight. Upvotes: 1

2016/05/02

<issue_start>username_0: I've been interested in 3D printing for the past month however, I have noticed that it's sort of a "reserved" topic. Meaning that everyone who talks about it, has already some basic knowledge about the topic. What are some good resources for someone who wants to start learning from zero? My main goal is to acquire enough knowledge in order to build my own 3D printer.<issue_comment>username_1: The resources you have at your fingertips are going to be more up-to-date than anything you'll find in a paper/published book. Use this amazing thing called the internet and read everything you can find. Use Google or your favorite search engine using appropriate terms. I'd suggest, based on your overly broad question, that you use "build your own 3d printer" as a starting point. You'll find that [Instructables](http://www.instructables.com/) is one useful resource as well as [MakerShed](http://www.makershed.com/) for additional material. You will find a very large source of helpful information at [3dprintboard.com](http://3dprintboard.com/) simply by reading others' posts there and at other forums as well. There is quite a bit to absorb and understand but with the internet at your fingertips, you won't be lacking for information. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You can learn a lot just by reading the forums. I'll just list a few that are quite popular... [Reprap Forums](http://forums.reprap.org/) - Has a ton of information on DIY printers including build logs and posts dealing with many issues. [Soliforum](http://www.soliforum.com) - Large user base with lots of information. Not sure what it's standing is now that Solidoodle is gone but I'm sure the forum will stick around. [SeeMeCNC](http://forum.seemecnc.com/) - Support forum for SeeMeCNC, has a lot of information for Delta printers and also other printers. There aren't many books that I know of...Make magazine has done a few issues on 3D printing that you could try to obtain. I'm not sure what your idea of building a printer is, do you want to design your own or follow someone's instructions and put one together? Designing one would require some basic hardware and engineering knowledge. All that said, the best learning experience would be buying a kit and learning as you go. You'll never read in a book what you will learn from having your own printer. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping, and Direct Digital Manufacturing Springer I think its a perfect book. A lot of details to all technologies. \*Beware there is math and physics involved. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/52f1O.jpg) Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: I would recommend **[Design for 3D Printing: Scanning, Creating, Editing, Remixing, and Making in Three Dimensions](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1457187361)** by <NAME>, <NAME> and <NAME> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YIohZ.jpg) It has a lot of tips, tricks and examples. Good for beginners and experienced users. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: If you really want to learn about three dimensional printing then "Mastering 3D Printing" by <NAME>, published by Apress, would be a good place to start. It does not provide you the in depth knowledge about all the types of printers or materials but it is good enough to get a newbie like me or you get of the ground. Upvotes: 1

2016/05/02

<issue_start>username_0: I'm trying to squeeze a little better quality out of my time lapses generated by OctoPrint. I'm using the Raspberry Pi Camera Module V2 with a Pi 3. I've already edited the Octopi config to get 720p resolution, but the encoding during time lapse rendering is horrific. Blocky as hell. Right now the encoding is set up at 5000k. What am I doing wrong here?<issue_comment>username_1: The resources you have at your fingertips are going to be more up-to-date than anything you'll find in a paper/published book. Use this amazing thing called the internet and read everything you can find. Use Google or your favorite search engine using appropriate terms. I'd suggest, based on your overly broad question, that you use "build your own 3d printer" as a starting point. You'll find that [Instructables](http://www.instructables.com/) is one useful resource as well as [MakerShed](http://www.makershed.com/) for additional material. You will find a very large source of helpful information at [3dprintboard.com](http://3dprintboard.com/) simply by reading others' posts there and at other forums as well. There is quite a bit to absorb and understand but with the internet at your fingertips, you won't be lacking for information. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You can learn a lot just by reading the forums. I'll just list a few that are quite popular... [Reprap Forums](http://forums.reprap.org/) - Has a ton of information on DIY printers including build logs and posts dealing with many issues. [Soliforum](http://www.soliforum.com) - Large user base with lots of information. Not sure what it's standing is now that Solidoodle is gone but I'm sure the forum will stick around. [SeeMeCNC](http://forum.seemecnc.com/) - Support forum for SeeMeCNC, has a lot of information for Delta printers and also other printers. There aren't many books that I know of...Make magazine has done a few issues on 3D printing that you could try to obtain. I'm not sure what your idea of building a printer is, do you want to design your own or follow someone's instructions and put one together? Designing one would require some basic hardware and engineering knowledge. All that said, the best learning experience would be buying a kit and learning as you go. You'll never read in a book what you will learn from having your own printer. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping, and Direct Digital Manufacturing Springer I think its a perfect book. A lot of details to all technologies. \*Beware there is math and physics involved. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/52f1O.jpg) Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: I would recommend **[Design for 3D Printing: Scanning, Creating, Editing, Remixing, and Making in Three Dimensions](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1457187361)** by <NAME>, <NAME> and <NAME> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YIohZ.jpg) It has a lot of tips, tricks and examples. Good for beginners and experienced users. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: If you really want to learn about three dimensional printing then "Mastering 3D Printing" by <NAME>, published by Apress, would be a good place to start. It does not provide you the in depth knowledge about all the types of printers or materials but it is good enough to get a newbie like me or you get of the ground. Upvotes: 1

2016/05/03

<issue_start>username_0: I've printed mostly ABS in the past and encountered [delamination](https://www.google.com/#q=3d+printing+layer+delamination) between layers many times. I've ensured the following conditions regularly: * Build plate is level * Base of print isn't warped (using ABS slurry) * Prevent air draft. I've added acrylic panels to the sides of the machine and the machine is in a custom cupboard. * Nozzle temperature at about 225C * HBP temperature at about 112C (I live in NW USA, so the ambient temperature is typically fairly cool). * Using MakerBot filament What are some other variables to consider to help prevent delamination between layers?<issue_comment>username_1: I know some could not fit your question but maybe someone will look for all possibilities. Delamination can be caused by: 1. filament * humidity * diameter 2. extruder * pressure (holdfast) - soft filament can be crumpled caused by extensive retraction) * dirty jagger teeth (knurls) * thermistor/wire failure - when it reports temp under ie 170C then extruder doesn't extrude * caret floatage (extruder motor cannot pull filament so it climbs) 3. general * printing speed * temperature issue Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Cool environmental conditions are the single biggest contributor to ABS delamination. Delamination or edge/corner cracking is caused by warping stresses when the first layer adhesion is stronger than the interlayer bonding. Or it happens when the heated build plate allows a strong non-warping foundation to be built until the print is too tall to be adequately warmed by the plate. In either case, the corners of the first layer can't lift, so the print cracks elsewhere to relieve the stress. All ABS warping stress, in turn, is caused by the repeated thermal contraction of the fresh plastic layer at the top of the print. The FDM process sticks hot, expanded plastic onto cool, contracted plastic. When the new layer cools, it tries to contract, but it's stuck to a layer that is already fully cooled/contracted. This generates a large shear stress between the two layers. The accumulation of those shear stresses over many consecutive layers generates a large-scale bending force on the entire print. That's what causes both warping and delamination. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HZZam.png) The less the previous layer cools below the glass point of the plastic, the less thermal contraction it experiences before the next layer goes down, and therefore the less warping stress will accumulate as the *next* layer cools. Environment temp is the biggest thing you can control: * If your printer's environment is below 35C, you probably shouldn't even bother printing ABS. * A 50C environment is significantly better and will have minimal problems with warping and delamination. This is within the ambient temp ratings of most motors and electronics. Air-cooled extruders can typically extrude ABS reliably up to about 60C ambient, at which point they may be prone to clogging. And don't forget about plastic structural parts in your printer. * Industrial ABS printers with heated build chambers print ABS in a 75-85C environment, with lots of airflow. In terms of cooling regimes, ABS in an 80C chamber acts very similar to PLA in a room-temp environment. No warping, but lots of airflow required for good detail. Printing ABS at a higher nozzle temperature (say 240-250C) will also improve layer adhesion so delamination is less likely to occur. The same warping stresses will be there, but the layer bonding may be stronger than the internal stresses in the part so it survives printing. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Delamination should not happen when the temperature is correct. As already pointed out, different temperatures between hot and cold layer cause warping, but warping is not delamination. If you print at the correct temperature (higher for bigger pieces, lower for thin columnar pieces), the layers will stick. This is the procedure to optimise the printing temperature to avoid delamination: <http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:35088> Print the object at increasing temperatures (210-250C, 5C by step) and when cooled try to break it. Pick the temperature (for THAT SPECIFIC filament roll) that gives you the highest strength. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3VwaN.jpg) Other test objects such as <http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:915435> are meant to test print quality, not strength. For strength and delamination you need the procedure I described above. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: wall size and filling are also parameters. If wall size is too thin delamination is more visible Upvotes: -1

2016/05/03

<issue_start>username_0: I'm using brand new PLA filament and am getting frequent clogs in my extruder. I've had this problem with 2 different filaments from 2 different vendors. It will be print just fine, then clog up. It doesn't ever seem to go more than 5 minutes before clogging. When it clogs, and I pull out the filament, it is always twisted in a spiral (helix) shape like a corkscrew. I have put a picture of 2 clogs below. I have tried using temperature of 220 all the way down to 180 in increments of 5 degrees and seem to get the same result. it prints the base layer GREAT on the 70 degree heated bed. No warping or peeling off. However, after a few layers, it clogs up and stops extruding. I am using an HIC PRUSA I3 printer with a single extruder head. I've only had the printer for a couple weeks. It had been printing fine with ABS, but the ABS would peel up from the heated bed, so somebody suggested that I use PLA and hairspray. Hairspray is AWESOME !! It sticks really well and removes easily as well (once the bed cools a bit). Please let me know if you've had the same problem with the extruder just clogging up and twisting the filament into a corkscrew shape. By the way, pay no attention to the black marks on the green filament below. That's just me marking every half inch or so with a sharpie marker to see if it's still being extruded. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qKNR5.jpg) I think I figured out the problem. Now, to figure out a solution... Take a look at the image below. There is a 1 inch tube that goes from the heat element to the heat sink. This 1 inch of tubing is REALLY hot and larger than 1.75mm. So, the filament goes through that tube on its way to the head and gets soft in the tube because the tube is so hot all the way down to the head. When the filament gets hot, it melts and bends and curls which makes it NOT push itself into the heated tip and out onto whatever I'm printing. The solution would be to find some way to cool this 1 inch shaft between the heat sink and the heated head so that the filament inside of it won't melt. Any ideas??? [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/hFkPM.jpg) Here is a picture of my heat tip. Note the shaft has about 1 inch sticking out of the heater. The top of that (above the white arrow) is inside the heat sink. But 3/4 inches of it are bare and uncovered. There is also no teflon tube inside the metal throat. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/i05Vo.png) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/08pZq.png)<issue_comment>username_1: The shape you get is quite easy to explain. It's the shape of the lowest energy possible in your situation. Simple but it doesn't explain the issue... or does it? It does. The filament cannot be put into the extruder as it becomes plugged. This leads us to some obvious explanations. You can read [this post](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/904/teflon-tubing-in-nozzle-throat-coming-out/906#906). So how is that possible that there is enough room to form such corkscrew? My bet is you don't have teflon pipe inside the extruder heatsink. So filament goes into the heatsink and everything is ok until the heatsink itself warms up to the temperature when filament becomes soft, then there is no enough force to push the filament out of the nozzle so above the nozzle filament bends and forms the shape of the lowest energy as said. Options to check: 1. Take your extruder apart. See if there is a teflon pipe. If its length is proper. 2. Check if cooling fan is working well, if it's pushing air to the heatsing but not sucks from the heatsink. **[edit]** Looking closer to your photos I'm pretty sure you don't have such teflon pipe. Your spiral has flat external (virtual) surface... it looks exactly as it would be pushed into hot pipe with diameter of 4mm. **[edit2]** please take a look on the picture [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YQKDd.jpg) Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The distance between heat block and heat sink is too big (3/4 inch, almost 2 cm). In this area your filament is some half melt state, not cooled as in heat sink part, not melted as in heat block part. You should make as small as possible, less then 0.5 cm. Great source of information about hot ends is video created by <NAME>: [Build your own 3D Printer: Which hotend to pick!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf907duwAAE) Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I've found that this happens on my prints on the first layer when it's a really big layer. If you have the initial fan speed on something really low, and it prints for a long time (ie giant first layer) it will twist up the filament. Thanks for the answers, I was confused too. Upvotes: 2

2016/05/04

<issue_start>username_0: I found a nice model for a ship from the game "Eve". It doesn't have a flat bottom, so it needs support material. But Slic3r generates several dozen tiny support pillars, and one by one they break loose from the build plate. As they get tall, the leverage of course increases, and since they're so tiny they don't have much area in contact with the bed, so they separate. Eventually the whole model broke free, turned a bit, and since I had gone to dinner it kept printing... see below. I think the main problem is the poor support material geometry, but the controls in Slic3r for support material don't seem to give many options. How can I get better support material layout? Oh, this is PLA, by the way. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/d4sbr.jpg) (appending to question to be able to put in the picture) I tried a bunch of things, and the MeshMixer support, plus fiddling with several settings, got it to come out pretty well. Thanks to all, esp. @Tormod! [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gwngu.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: I see more important things on your photo. 1. Filament layers are not sticked together, even these on the first layer (on the bed). 2. Next is that lines are not staight but they are wavy. This suggests that you should try * increase HE temperature * set speed of the first layer (20% of normal speed) * decrease first layer thickness * increase extrude rate for the first layer Of course (answering your question) there are other types of support material. The most stable should be honeycomb but it will not work for you if you will not tune up printing parameters. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I know many Slic3r users - myself included - add support material to the model itself *before* importing it into Slic3r. I personally favour [MeshMixer](http://www.meshmixer.com/) for support generation, as the supports are much more predictable and easily removable. In complicated cases I also add supports in my CAD software. Although a not free, the support generation in [Simplify3D](https://www.simplify3d.com/software/) is supposed to be great, allowing for custom placement. I also found [this review](http://blog.think3dprint3d.com/2014/08/slicing-software-printed-support-review.html) that compares support settings in Meshmixer, Slic3r and Cura fairly well. Here is the summary: > > **Meshmixer** > > > This support was the most efficient in material use however it required the most manual tweaking to print properly. In addition the marks it left once removed were more noticeable than Cura and (sometimes) Slic3r. While the settings could probably be further modified to improve the performance this support type appears the most limited for future improvements. > > > **Slic3r** > > > The support's performance was variable - by far the best in some situations (fox's head and tale) however the worst to remove with the most obvious marks in other areas of the same model. This may be down to my chosen settings and with some more tweaking I may get better results. The most obvious general flaw is that it does not leave a big enough gap between the support and the unsupported areas of the model (like the foxes legs or the lower roots of the planter) > > > **Cura** > > > While some of the support left marks, overall it was the easiest to generate support which performed consistently well. Once again though slight tweaks could improve this further for specific models. > > > Overall Cura wins my "no time to tweak - got to make it work now" award. > > > Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I have not used Slic3r very much. But my guess is that the settings should still be same. Also, are those rafts? They look incomplete: you might want to check your leveling again. In addition, try to increase your thickness of the support material. Make it squares or something, as that will give much better strength. Furthermore, if there is a setting for manually placing supports, you might try that. Simplify3D had that option and it worked wonders for few of our projects. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: In my point of view it seems that the bed offset not optimal. I see that you are using the blue tape, which is better than any other tape. As a next step I would recommend to try different types of glue. I agree with username_2 and can also recommend Cura. You can also experiment there with a lot of parameters and after a time you will get a feeling how to print your things successfully. Just take a look at the download page at Ultimaker for the application and if there are problems with the software you can feel free to report issues at GitHub. Regards Upvotes: 1

2016/05/04

<issue_start>username_0: I have a RepRap Prusa i2. I have done the majority of my printing with clear PLA that I got on the cheap from eBay. It works just fine. I bought a roll of Hatchbox Silver PLA (1.75 mm) from Amazon. I have never had a print go well with it. I have tried various combinations of hotter and cooler extruder and bed (180 - 220°C extruder, 50 - 78°C bed). Prints always either curl up from the bed after 5-20 layers are deposited or delaminate in the middle of the print. I print directly on the heated glass bed, and have also tried various cooling fan settings. Does anyone have good settings (Slic3r) to use with this stuff? Or any other advice for getting a successful print?<issue_comment>username_1: I've been using Hatchbox 1.75 mm (but white), and settled on 190°C extruder temp, and 60°C bed. I've had trouble getting some prints to adhere to the bed, but most have been ok; I don't see a clear pattern. I don't know whether it's the fiber or my settings. I'm trying slightly higher temperatures, higher extrusion rates, and other filament brands to see if those help. Will post back if anything clear shows up... Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I use a Wahao Duplicator I3 with a heated bed. I have only used the orange Hatchbox PLA with great results. I use 210°C for the extruder and 55°C for the bed. Speed is 40 mm/s which works well for me. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I use 205°C for the extruder and 60°C for the bed on my RoBo3D. I also put hot glue stick on the bed to help adhesion and use a brim if it is a small object. I would also check the first layer to see if you need to adjust your z offset. Delamination could be a sign the plastic isn't fusing correctly, which could be both an offset or temperature issue. It could also be a feed issue from the roll itself. You can try printing these, [Print Temperature Calibration Piece](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:35088), and see what temperature gives you the best result. I have had only one delamination happen to me and I think it had more to do with a hiccup in the commands sent to the printer than the filament itself. I basically have only used Hatchbox filament. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: I know the original user has probably found an answer to their question by now, but I'll add my 2 cents for the benefit of others who come across this. My experience with Hatchbox has been that the walls and top layers were looking good at 200°C, but when I started stress testing the parts to their fail points I noticed that the internals were just a fibrous mess with no structural integrity. So I started increasing the temperature in increments of 10°C and found that at 210°C it improved, and at 220°C there was good layer adhesion. At 230°C layer adhesion was absolutely beautiful, but it begins to get a little too melty. I have settled at 220°C for my machine. Keep in mind that everyone's printers are going to be slightly different - hotends, fan setup, even the thermistor could have varied resistance from one machine to another causing incorrect readouts on temps. That's why you have to tinker and find what works well for you and your machine. Upvotes: 2

2016/05/04

<issue_start>username_0: I am looking to others who have successfully printed in ABS using a Wanhao Duplicator i3. I have tried and get a lot of warping and delamination. I tried putting a large box over the printer which did help with the warping some but I am still getting some layer separation. I used 235 °C for the extruder and 100 °C for the bed. I am printing at 40 mm/s and 0.2 mm layer height. If someone has ABS and PETG settings for this printer, your help would be appreciated.<issue_comment>username_1: I am an official Wanhao Distributor By experience I can recommend you to print with this settings: * Extruder 230 °C * Heated Bed 65 °C * Have a glass surface * Use hairspray over the glass * Continue to enclose the printer or at least put it where there is almost no wind * Print at 45 mm/s Note that this settings vary a lot depending on humidity and other factors related to where you are printing, so it would be very useful to know where in the globe are you experimenting. Also note that humidity is very very bad for 3D Printing Filaments so keep them sealed while not using them. Please do comment if you have any more doubts. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I've had hit and miss success, but nothing I would consider great. I was using Hatchbox ABS with the extruder at 230 °C and the bed at 65 °C and a homemade enclosure. One thing that did help was making sure the HVAC vents near the printer were closed. Upvotes: 2

2016/05/05

<issue_start>username_0: I have seen mechanical (micro switch), optical and magnetic(magnet + hall sensor) end stops. Are there any differences in how exact they switch at the right location? If so which are the most precise?<issue_comment>username_1: I think there are several factors involved in which sensors are best, but the general ordering for me would be Hall, Optical followed by mechanical. All of the types will be subject to some drift due to vibrations and changes in the printer over usage. Therefore it's the ease of adjustment as well as the accuracy of the stop which counts in the assessment. In my experience the hall effect sensors are the most accurate and easiest. They don't rely on physical switching (as with the mechanical) meaning there is no "wear and tear" on the component and the point of switching will remain fixed. They have a potentiometer which can be adjusted to make the position of the stop change without any mechanical intervention allowing very fine tuning. They can be very accurate. Optical are similarly accurate but usually have a fixed component that cuts the beam to switch on/off the sensor. The adjustment of the stop will usually be mechanical because the mount points will need to be adjusted - this reduces their accuracy. There are various adjustable mounts to alleviate this on thingyverse or the like. Mechanical switches are similar to optical in terms of adjustment with the added inaccuracy of the actual switch mechanism which may degrade over time. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: If you take a look at the [RepRap Wiki](http://reprap.org/wiki/Endstop), they briefly explain these three switches: * Mechanical > > *"**Mechanical Endstops** are the most basic form of endstops, made of an ordinary switch, two wires. Changing the switch state signals the electronics.* > > > * Optical > > *"These Optical Endstops observe the light level and reacts to sudden changes."* > > > * Magnetic > > *"These endstops; Hall effect sensors is a transducer that varies its output voltage in response to a magnetic field. Hall effect sensors are used for proximity switching, positioning, speed detection, and current sensing applications."* > > > In regards to your question, it's dependent upon your circumstance. However, most of the time a good 'ol Mechanical Switch is repeatable and serves its purpose well. I, personally, would place both optical and magnetic switches in the category of a multifunction component. Meaning, both of these types of switches (generally) provide a valuable range for object detection. This can potentially lead (depending on your machine) to a pushed command that tells your machine to slow down when it comes close to the soft stop. Again, personally, I would be wary of using an optical endstop with potential white light noise from ambient room lighting or other sources. I could be wrong in my concern for some modules that address these kind of issues. So, if we narrow down between mechanical and magnetic: - Magnetic would provide a gentler approach, reducing (potentially) the amount of wear - However, I'm assuming, magnetic switches require "dialing in" depending on the components used in the sensor. This could lead to an undesired range that the sensor is triggered. - Mechanical switches are simple. They're either touching or not touching (on or off) - A possible pro (or con) is the ability to manipulate the trigger manually, more easily. I've run into a situation a few times where I needed to manually trigger the endstop as part of a troubleshooting step. But, if you accidentally bump your endstop while the machine is running, no good. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: There are some different criteria that we should use to select a switch type: * Precision / repeatability: does the switch trigger at the same place every time? How much spread is there in the trigger position? Do environmental changes or machine setting changes affect the trigger position? * Contact distance: does the switch register with enough clearance to its hard-stop that the homing axis can stop before colliding with something? * Noise-rejection: does the switch ONLY trigger when it is supposed to? It's important to ask, how much switch precision do we actually need? A typical 3d printer drivetrain using a microstepping stepper motor can only accurately position the moving load within +/- one 1/16th microstep (even if using finer microstepping than that) due to error-inducing effects like friction torque and magnetic detent angle error. That's around +/-0.01mm for most printers. The homing switch only needs to be as precise as the motor's positioning! Nothing is gained by having, say, 0.001mm precision endstops. This precision of +/-0.01mm is achievable for all types of endstop switches, with proper switch selection and configuration. Then there are three "standard" switching types in use in consumer/hobbyist 3d printers: * Mechanical switches, typically dual NO/NC limit switches, which either pull up or pull down a signal pin by connecting an electrical circuit when triggered * Optical switches, which use transistors to detect when an obstacle ("flag") is blocking the window between the emitter and sensor * Hall effect switches, which use transistors to detect when a magnetic field exceeds a particular field strength cutoff **Mechanical Switches** Precision/repeatability depends on the switch quality, length of lever arm attached (longer increases contact distance but is worse for precision), and impact speed of the carriage with the switch. It's possible to have a good mechanical switch or a bad mechanical switch. This is typically a reasonable default choice because it is simple and cheap. A small mechanical switch with a short lever arm (or the lever arm removed) will generally achieve the required +/-0.01mm switching precision. Very cheap switches, high contact speeds, and long lever arms may provide inadequate resolution for Z homing or probing, but will still be adequate for low-precision X and Y homing purposes. Where mechanical switches tend to cause issues is in noise rejection. Different controller boards use different ways of wiring the switch: some use two wires and only send a signal when triggered. When not triggered, the signal wire is left floating or weakly pulled up by the microcontroller, while attached to a long wire that acts as an antenna to pick up EM noise. It is VERY common for heater or stepper wiring to emit nasty EMR due to the PWM current control. Two-wire endstop cables should always be run away from stepper and heater wiring. Shielding and twisting the conductors is a good idea too. A more robust approach is to use three-wire switches that actively pull the signal line high or low depending on the switch position. These will tend to reject noise better. Very cheap mechanical switches may fail within the life of the printer. However, most limit switches are rated for millions of cycles, which is unlikely to occur over any normal printer's lifespan. Mechanical switches are easy to align and easy to trigger by hand during troubleshooting. **Optical Switches** These rely on a flag blocking a window between a light emitter and a detector. This is non-contact and can be quite reliable, but introduces some challenges. The exact trigger position (and thus precision) may depend on ambient light levels in the room, because the sensor is monitoring for light to decrease below a specific intensity. So it may be very repeatable/precise in the short term but have some drift if the sensor moves in and out of the sun through the day. Switching tends to be more consistent and reliable if the flag enters the window from the side, rather than the top. Optical switches will actively pull the signal line high or low, and thus have good electrical noise rejection. **Hall Effect Switches** These measure the intensity of the nearby magnetic field and trigger when it exceeds a certain amount in a certain polarity. This is highly precise/repeatable (better than +/-0.01mm) and extremely resistant to noise and environmental conditions. (Unless your printer is next to something that emits large magnetic fields, anyway.) The hall switches I've seen have an adjustable trim pot to tune the trigger distance. That's a nice feature when trying to manually calibrate a Delta or a Z-bed for first layer height. The primary downside to hall switches is that they need a magnet to trigger the switch. This can be difficult to trigger by hand during troubleshooting, and requires attaching a magnet somewhere on the moving carriage. Glue works fine... but don't glue the magnet in place backwards! Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: I don't think there is a simple answer. In my opinion, for a home sensor accuracy doesn't matter. Firmware usually allows setting an offset between the indicated position and the actual position. What really matters is repeatability. Every time the sensor indicates position, the position is the same. **Mechanical Switches** I have found through testing several mechanical switches that the "make" event is less repeatable than the "break" event. For best results, I move toward the position that closes the switch, then move in the opposite direction until the switch opens. If I remember correctly, I got "make" repeatability of about 0.02" (0.5 mm), and "break" repeatability of about 0.005" (0.13 mm). **Optical Switches** For a delta 3D printer, I use optical sensors. Optical sensors have a built-in illumination and sensor, usually on opposite sides of a forked structure. The sensor side has a slot which masks the light being received, helping to shroud it from ambient light. The slot is along an axis which is either aligned with the fork or normal to it. The flag you use for the interrupter should completely cover the slot, and for good repeatability edge of the flag must be parallel with the slot. In other words, some sensors expect the flag to enter from the side while other expect the flag to enter from the top. Either will work, but you need to choose the right sensor for the configuration of your machine. **Ambient Light with Optical Switches** Perhaps ambient light could be a problem. If so, it could be addressed by shading the sensor. Let's assume that the LEDs in the sensor are the same efficiency as the ambient LED lights. For reference, here is a spec sheet for a typical optical interrupter used in optical sensors: <http://www.isocom.com/images/stories/isocom/isocom_new_pdfs/H21A.pdf> The package of the optical sensor is designed to reduce susceptibility to ambient light. Light intensity falls off as distance^2, and the illuminators in the sensor are very close. How much effect does room light have on the sensor? In my shop, I use 8-foot LED replacement bulbs for the fluorescent bulbs. With this, I have 72 watts of LED lighting, which, let's say, illuminate evenly the semi-sphere below the ceiling. A full sphere is 12.56 sr (steradians, or stereo-radians), so the half sphere is 6.28 steradians, for a power of 11.46 W/sr. At the sensor, this must be divided by the square of the distance, let's say 8 feet. This gives us (11.46 W/sr)/(96in^2) = 0.119 W/area. The illuminating LED has a power (typically) of 1.2 V \* 0.05 A, or 0.06 W. The light cone from a typical LED is about 30 degrees, which is 1 sr, for a power of 0.06 W/sr. Scaled for an estimate of the distance between the emitter and sensor of 4 mm or 0.157", is (0.06 W/sr)/(0.157in^2) = 2.43 W/area. It seems unlikely that general ambient light will be a problem. If it were, the sensor mounting could be designed to shield the sensor from direct exposure to ambient light. It is important with optical sensors to be sure the interrupting flag is actually opaque to the illuminator light. As I found, red PLA is not especially opaque to infrared light, so I needed to paint the flags with a black pigmented paint. **Hall Effect Switches** I have no experience with Hall effect magnetic limit switches. Other answers here have praised them because they have an adjustment which can be used to set the precise detection point. I don' t like adjustments because they drift. Pots are subject to wear, oxidation, and both slow and fast variation in their resistance. I would prefer to have something unadjustable and repeatable in hardware and use software to hold the calibration. **Example of Hybrid Choice** On a 6-axis delta architecture CNC machine I build, I use a hybrid approach to sensing home position. Mechanical switches indicate a position that is close to home, and the index pulse of a rotary encoder defines the precise home position. The homing firmware moves toward home until the mechanical switch closes, then away until it opens, then back toward home until it detects the index pulse. As there are six axes, there are six sets of these switches and encoders. Using a mechanical switch for the rough homing made sense for this machine because the index sensor is hit once per revolution, so it is not a unique indicator of home, and this machine creates a lot of dust and chips, which could block an optical sensor. So, without an absolute answer, my preference is for optical switches for repeatability. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: A separate issue not addressed in other answers is that the end stops for X/Y axes have different requirements than those for the Z axis. ### X/Y Axes When the printer offers XYZ calibration (like Prusa i3 MK2), the properties of the X and Y switches play a role, since for the Z probing the probe should be centered above the fiducials (copper circles) in the bed. The XY part of the calibration measures the position of the fiducials relative to the end-stop trigger point. Then the Z calibration measures the height of each fiducial. When the XYZ calibration is not offered, there's usually no need for very repeatable positioning relative to the X and Y travel ends, and on most printers you could simply move the motors until they start skipping steps and call that a day - it will be accurate to within a few steps. ### Z Axis The Z axis always has a high requirement on accuracy and repeatability, and there are two general approaches to determining its position: 1. No end-stops on the Z-axis drive system, a probe is mounted on the print head and is used to detect when the head is a certain distance above the print bed. This can be used for 9-point calibration of the bed shape and thus removes the need for bed levelling. 2. End-stops used on the Z-axis drive system. No sensor on the print head. The bed needs to be separately leveled in reference to the nozzle - thus the bed leveling screws. ### Delta Z For Delta, you essentially have three Z axis drivers, and similar to the Cartesian XYZ drive, you don't need any end-stops if you have a probe on the print head. You can also perform multi-point bed leveling with such a probe. ### Other Approaches X and Y endstops become unnecessary once you use closed-loop stepper control, such as [Mechaduino](http://tropical-labs.com/index.php/mechaduino) or linear digital position sensors (e.g. as used in CNC machines). The Z probe is still useful if you don't want to perform bed leveling manually. Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_6: [<NAME>](https://twitter.com/toms3dp?lang=en) performed exactly the [comparison you ask](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il9bNWn66BY). Check the whole video. The result is that inductive sensors are the most accurate, but they are highly dependent on the bed material chosen. Mechanical switches (bare, no metallic arm) are about as accurate and keep the same accuracy with every bed material (however you need a mechanism to retract them, which may or may not decrease the accuracy). Other sensors are less accurate. In any case, most of them are already far better than required, since anything below 50 microns is fine and basically all of them reach that accuracy. Choose based on other factors such as weight, installation, price. Inductive, after a calibration based on your specific bed, may be the easiest since they need no retraction, but they are bulky. BLtouch is probably the second choice, mechanical microswitches the third one. Upvotes: 3

2016/05/05

<issue_start>username_0: I am very close to buying a 3D printer and have started to do some preliminary design work from the things I'd like to make, but I have a question: Which corner of the print bed corresponds to the origin (0,0,0) in slicer software? Is this the same across slicers and printers? The reason I ask this is because of the difficulty some have in removing items from the bed. It seems to me like I'd want to print small items closer to the front of the printer to make access easier, but it looks like most slicer hosts only show a box representing the build volume with no real indication of what's "front".<issue_comment>username_1: Depending on what kind of printer you have, the build table origin and slicer origin (0,0) are usually either the front left corner, or the center of the build plate. This can be changed by the end-user in most open-source printers. There is no standard or requirement for a particular origin location. The important thing is merely that the slicer and printer coordinate systems match, so parts actually come out where your slicer thinks they should. In practice, it's usually quite easy to tell what's "front" in your slicer's build volume. When you open the program, the bed usually appears as it does when you stand in front of your printer. It is rarely an issue. In terms of difficulty removing prints from the bed, a removable build plate is an excellent solution. Plastic has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than most build plate materials (like glass), so throwing the print+plate in your freezer will generate large separation forces and help remove the part for you. Non-removable build surfaces are a deal-breaker for most serious 3D printer users I know. Either don't buy such a printer, or add a removable plate yourself. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Normally the home position of the printer is the front left corner of the bed. The slicing software will ask you where this is so you can than position your object anywhere on the bed. The slicing software will make all the necessary adjustments for you. You normally would print the object in the middle of the bed, especially when heated, so it would be the most consistent in temperature. Personally, I have more of an issue keeping the object stuck to the bed than getting it off. Once the bed cools, the objects are easy to pop off. My experience using PLA and a glue stick. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: On Cartesian printers, the origin is usually the front left corner. On Delta printers, the origin is in the center. If you are having trouble getting prints off the build plate, maybe consider a removable flexible build surface, such as the [Easy Peelzy](https://3d-easy.xyz/en-us). Upvotes: 1

2016/05/06

<issue_start>username_0: I would like to get a green tombow PITS adhesive stick. On Rakuten, it costs \$1 (USD). On my 3d printer's (XYZ) retailer's site, it costs \$20 (USD). Due to the costs and the fact that Rakuten does not ship to my country, I need an alternative. I am currently using Davinci 1.0 for my bed, which I believe is a glass bed. So, my questions are: 1. What glue is best for PLA plastic? 2. What glue is best for ABS plastic? 3. Is there a glue that functions with both types of plastic?<issue_comment>username_1: Most PVA glue works well for both (Poly Vinyl Acetate). There are different brands in every country. Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: As mentioned by username_1 - PVA glues work perfect for both filaments. It works well because it's softening temperature is between 45..85C so it's more or less temperature of HB. Advantages: * cheap * easy to apply on HB * can be applied on cold as same as on hot HB * sticks model very well * non toxic, no solvent, odorless * easy to wash (from HB) (just wash it under water or scrape with sharp tool) * works very well even with old and dry layer of glue Disadvantages: * quite hard to detach model (I use paper knife) * first layer is not glass-perfect * after detaching, model is a bit sticky (first layer) I use Scotch Glue Stick by 3M. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I use glue Sticks from Staples. It works. Anything else is over thinking :-) I use it daily on PLA and ABS on 3 out of 5 printers. Printed 5 lbs this week in plastic so far. Following my flashforge creator pros use this amazing mat, that even after months of use still work great (so long as I clean it with alcohol every so) Some use hairspray. Tried it, mix results, got sick of breathing the stuff in. Also it wont work on both plastics as gluesticks do. Upvotes: 2

2016/05/06

<issue_start>username_0: I'm trying to set up [OctoPrint](http://octoprint.org/) on my Linux Ubuntu 16.04 desktop to work with my Micro3D printer. The printer works fine on Mac and Windows: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Kmil9.png) I've installed OctoPrint with the [M3D Fio Plugin Manager](https://github.com/donovan6000/M3D-Fio). I can see the files in `~/.octoprint/` fine and I can even turn the printer fan on/off, move the extruder, etc. through OctoPrint: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qyeCZ.png) But when I press the blue "Print button", there is no response. Also the files in the "upload" section are greyed out. Must I download a slicing program or something? I'm new with 3D printing in general but not with Linux. Grateful for help!<issue_comment>username_1: I just discovered that OctoPrint only reads .gcode files for printing (apparently, unless you have a slicing software embedded in it), so I installed [Slic3r](http://slic3r.org/download) separately, and ran ``` ./slic3r mystlfile.stl ``` to generate a .gcode file (in the executable directory). Then I uploaded the .gcode file to OctoPrint and things got moving. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: For me it sounds like you've missed to install the CuraEngine for slicing, but I'm only guessing, as I'm not using OctoPrint at all. Instead I'm using Cura directly and save gcode to a SD or use USB printing for quick/small prints. Regrads ;) Upvotes: 2

2016/05/07

<issue_start>username_0: I recently decided to upgrade to auto bed-leveling using an inductive proximity sensor and an aluminum build plate on my Prusa i3. I also wanted to try to secure the build plate using neodymium magnets at 4 points, with the magnets being secured with bolts to the Y-carriage, and steel washers glued to the bottom of the aluminum build plate (since aluminum is not magnetic). I would like to know if anybody has attempted this, and what the results were, as well as any issues incurred. My primary concern is a possible interference between the small magnetic field that is created by the magnet, and the sensor when probing the plate. I fear this question may sound a little open-ended, but I would just like to know if this could work. Please feel free to ask any follow up questions to details I may have missed. Thank you. P.S. I would also like to note, in case there is any relevance, I do not plan on using a heated build plate, since I have a heated build chamber.<issue_comment>username_1: Good question. The magnets from the build plate will almost certainly interfere with your inductive sensor, the movement from the carriage will induce a current in the inductor as it approaches the magnet and may cause it to trigger. If you're looking for a mag build, I'd suggest looking at: <http://www.3dprintermods.com/prestashop/index.php?id_product=9&controller=product> I'm just about to get into auto-leveling myself, with this particular build there are a few ways to get around the issue. If you plot your auto level to occur as far from the magnets as possible (x,y location wise), then you might be ok. Otherwise you might consider investigating optical and touch probes. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: You might use the magnets themselves or additional ones on top for the leveling process, as partly discussed in this thread: <http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?1,479795> A mechanical or piezo switch might also solve the issue for you with a lot less guesswork and trouble. Upvotes: 0

2016/05/09

<issue_start>username_0: I have a Prusa i3 that I am mostly happy with. However, I am seeing these strange artifacts when the extruder moves along one axis in one direction - in particular from the back of the printer towards the front. The extruded lines look uneven and the surface is quite rough, but only in that area and only while the extruder moves in that direction. Here is a recent print that shows this happen. The pieces were printed side by side, and both of them show this on the left hand side, while the right is okay. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MNLHp.jpg) I am thinking maybe the extruder tip is slanted (not perpendicular to the bed), which causes some sort of scraping while extruding? What do you think?<issue_comment>username_1: In case of such difference in printing in different directions you can check if; 1. for x and partially z axis * filament is blocked and cannot be pulled as it should * spool is blocked 2. for x and y axis * rods on which caret/HB is sliding are parallel * timing belt idlers are parallel and they are in a line Shape of the nozzle or its perpendicularity should not be the case as it's hot and it wipes layer itself. You can also check if it's not an issue of cooling fan. It can vibrate as such. Eventually it could be an issue of cooling itself. Let's assume you have cooling fan at the back and it pushes air to the front then when caret moves from the front to the back then cooling time is longer than when the fan goes in opposite direction. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: In my case, there were some artifacts only on the right side, and the problem was that the screw was partly out of the pulley under the bed. I would suggest moving the bed to the back and checking the pulley. You might also consider [cleaning and lubricating the rods](https://help.prusa3d.com/en/guide/maintenance-tips_23200), which is what I was doing when I discovered it. Here is an example of the bumps when the pulley was loose (using TPU): [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/QSrzW.jpg) Upvotes: 1

2016/05/10

<issue_start>username_0: I know there is a 3d printing technique, where sheet of papers are cut and glued. Like the ones [Staples](http://www.gizmag.com/staples-mcor-easy-3d-printing/25284/) has in their stores. But this sort of paper isnt recyclable, because of the heavy use of glue. Is anywhere filament available, which is made of cellulose or other recyclable and bio-degradable material? Or do you know if research is going on in this area? edit: added bio-degradable<issue_comment>username_1: Check Green-TEC by [extrudr.eu](http://extrudr.eu/collections/bdp) is made from lignin (wood) or perhaps Algix Dura. They are both bio degradeable. Green-TEC ist my favorite because of less warping and [fast printing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqx170kPmg4). Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Filament made of Polylactic acid ([PLA](http://reprap.org/wiki/PLA)) is usually made of biological materials (such as corn), and can therefore be considered bio-degradable in most cases. Whether the filament is 100% bio-degradable (and non-toxic for the surroundings) will depend on the specific formula used by each individual filament manufacturer. (Many manufacturers include various additives to achieve particular effects, such as [glow-in-the-dark](http://3dprintingforbeginners.com/glow-in-the-dark-filament-review/), [metallic](http://colorfabb.com/bronzefill) finish or extra strengh.) [Woodfill PLA](http://colorfabb.com/woodfill-fine)-like filament might be of extra interest to you, not only because it typically is bio-degradable, but also because it will give you the *look and feel* of being bio-degradable. Hope that helps! *PS: there are multiple other filament types that are either recyclable, bio-degradable, or both, although PLA might be the most commonly available of them all.* Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]

2016/05/11

<issue_start>username_0: I am trying to make a structured light 3D scanner using single camera, light projector and a turntable. After days on Google I did not find any reliable open source project which I can get to work. [SLStudio](https://github.com/jakobwilm/slstudio) really seemed a good choice but did not compile properly. I was wondering if anyone knows a good open source which they have used with the same kind of setup? Any help would be really appreciated. I am blocked here.<issue_comment>username_1: Try [Brown University School of Engineering: Projector-Camera Calibration / 3D Scanning Software](http://mesh.brown.edu/calibration/software.html). I have not tried it myself, but give it a look. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: It is not structured light. This uses a laser: <https://hci.rwth-aachen.de/fabscan> But it is completely open source software / open source hardware. See also here: <https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:14198> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBueeqDJ6rQ> Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I have also been looking for some free or paid software for doing 3D scanning and the closest I have found to something that might work is this<http://wedidstuff.heavyimage.com/index.php/2013/07/12/open-source-photogrammetry-workflow/> But it isn't Structure from light (doesn't use a projector) If you want to stick with Structured Light then I would suggest looking into openCV (<http://docs.opencv.org/trunk/d1/d90/group__structured__light.html#gsc.tab=0>) I havn't looked into this much but it looks like you might be able to get something working with it. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I got some really useful resources here but I got rid of structured light approach because of lesser resources. I used [VisualSFM(.exe)](http://ccwu.me/vsfm/) , [VisualSFM(source)](https://github.com/mrquincle/visualsfm) with the turntable for the purpose and got some pretty neat results. Works well and easy to use. Upvotes: 1 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_5: I did find only one 3d scanner which uses structured light. There is many projects using a laser diode. And these systems are completely opensource. Structured Light ================ Structured Light 3D Scanning by kylemcdonald -------------------------------------------- * <http://www.instructables.com/id/Structured-Light-3D-Scanning/?ALLSTEPS> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vZv6S.jpg) Laser diode =========== Sardauscan ---------- * <http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-30-laser/?ALLSTEPS> * <https://github.com/Sardau/Sardauscan> * <http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:702470> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/sB4pN.jpg) ATLAS 3D Scanner ---------------- * <http://www.freelss.org> * <http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1280901> * <https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1545315380/atlas-3d-the-3d-scanner-you-print-and-build-yourse/posts/1475722> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ENwwb.jpg) Ciclop ------ * <http://diwo.bq.com/en/tag/ciclop/> * <https://github.com/bqlabs/ciclop> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Goheb.jpg) 3D(ollar) Scanner ----------------- * <https://hackaday.io/project/2021-3dollar-scanner> * <http://www.instructables.com/id/Lets-cook-3D-scanner-based-on-Arduino-and-Proces/?ALLSTEPS> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fFKEj.jpg) "Super Make Something" Tutorial On How To Build a Simple 3D Scanner ------------------------------------------------------------------- * <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qeD2__yK4c> * <http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1413891> * <http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.de/2016/04/super-make-something-tutorial-on-how-to.html> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SfQNb.jpg) Different method ================ $15 3D scanner consists of a tub of milk and a smartphone --------------------------------------------------------- Interesting idea of using milk and phone. * <http://www.instructables.com/id/GotMesh-the-Most-Cheap-and-Simplistic-3D-Scanner/> * <http://www.3ders.org/articles/20160423-this-3d-scanner-consists-of-a-tub-of-milk-and-a-smartphone.html> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XDoCO.jpg) Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: [BQ Ciclop 3D Scanner](http://www.makeralot.com/ciclop-3d-scanner-diy-kit-p196/ "BQ Ciclop 3D Scanner") * Scan Volume: Bigger than 5 cm x 5 cm and smaller than 20 cm x 20 cm * Scanning Precision: 0.5 mm All the necessary parts for Ciclop are included in this DIY kit, which comes unassembled. This Ciclop 3D Scanner Parts List: * 1 x Plastic parts( 1 set with 11 pcs) * 1 x Arduino Uno R3 with USB cable * 1 x ZUM Scan Shield * 1 x A4988 Stepper Driver * 1 x C270 HD camera * 1 x Nema17 stepper motor * 2 x Laser * 1 x Power supply adapter * 1 x 16014 ball bearing * 1 x M8 threaded rod (9 pcs) * 2 x Acrylic panel * 1 x 8mm spiral wrapping band * 1 x Set of screw and nuts Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_7: You can use a Kinect sensor for Xbox 360 OR Kinect sensor for Xbox One. That sensor allows you to get a true 3D surface with its SDK. You can connect these devices directly to your PC using USB (I have one). Even the Xbox One model, in its SDK, has an example that allows you export your captured mesh as STL files. Upvotes: 2

2016/05/11

<issue_start>username_0: After printing successfully for a while I received an error saying: Tool 0 Failure! Temp limit reached Shutdown or restart. The front panel is not responsive and doesn't allow the printer to print at all. If I quickly go to monitor mode it shows tool 0 temperature in the ~700°C range; which made me think it was the thermocouple.On the motherboard I unplugged the thermocouple and the same error occurred, I then swapped the other thermocouple and put it in its place and got the same error except the tool 1 temperature showed "NC". I had recently taken apart the extruders to change out the nozzles and thought I had possibly smashed the wires when putting it together but now I don't think that's the case. I'm on the phone with FlashForge's tech support but wanted to see if someone else has had the same experience for cross reference. What's the underlying issue? Is there a quick solution to this that can get me printing right away (I'm under a deadline)? What's the end solution?<issue_comment>username_1: It sounds like a failed TC amp chip. But we need to rule out some other stuff. Some important facts about the Creator Pro temp sensor: * If you smash and short the two thermocouple wires together, the printer will simply read room temp. * If you cut or disconnect the thermocouple wires, the printer will report NC for "not connected." * The thermocouple lookup table in the firmware only goes up to 300C. Seeing a number over 300C means either a bad thermocouple amp chip, or excess voltage on the TC wires due to a short to something else in the hot block. (However, such a short will usually fry the entire controller board to smithereens.) To rule out stray voltage entering the TC wires, completely detach both thermocouples from the hot blocks and lay them out not touching anything metal. Do you still get an unusually high reading on tool 0? To rule out an issue with the specific thermocouple, swap thermocouples between tool 0 and tool 1 and see if the problem moves with the TCs. If the TC is not touching anything, and the problem stays with the tool when you swap wires, and you STILL get >300C reads, the thermocouple amp chip has failed. It is possible to replace the chip if you have (or your friend has) a hot air rework station and some experience soldering. Or you can get a new mainboard from FlashForge. The next question is why this problem happened. You don't want to fix the symptoms with new parts but have an underlying issue cause the same failure to re-occur after you swap out parts. With the printer on but the heaters off, use a multimeter to check for voltage between the hot block and the printer's ground. Certain types of heater cartridge failure can short the hot block to +24v. This is highly dangerous and needs to be fixed before you continue using the printer. So make sure you check it before trying to repair anything else. Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Oh yeah my printer had that. Specifically 2 Flash Forge Creator Pros, Replace the thermal couple. Done. Really fragile thermal couples they use. Edit I see you tried shorting the TC. Wouldn't shorting the TC, produce the same error? Upvotes: 0

2016/05/12

<issue_start>username_0: I have a Flashforge Creator Dual. One corner of my print bed is warped down. I am thinking about having a steel print bed made so it would tend to stay flat. Has anyone tried this?<issue_comment>username_1: I would consider getting another aluminum build plate for the following reasons: * **Lightweight**. Aluminum is a very lightweight metal, making it suitable for most machines that have injection molded platform arms. This reduces potential sagging of the arms and overall load on the -Z- axis stepper motor. * **Conductivity**. Referring to [this](http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html) simple Google search for heat conductivity, aluminum is significantly more conductive than steel (205 vs 43 respectively) with copper at about double that of aluminum. * **Availability**. Aluminum is already a widely used material for 3D printing, so finding one will be relatively easy and probably cheaper than having a steel build plate custom made. In conclusion, I personally would not recommend using steel for your build plate as aluminum seems to have the most benefits. Yes, steel will be more rigid and durable, but I don't think that these should be variables that are significantly more beneficial over aluminum. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Whether you should use steel or aluminum depends on the construction of your print bed stack. Either will work, but there are trade-offs involved. Various considerations that may come into play: * A flat sheet of aluminum has better **stiffness/weight ratio** than a flat sheet of steel. If weight/mass is a concern, such as with a Mendel style moving Y-bed, aluminum may be superior to an equivalent stiffness steel sheet. On the other hand, steel has the superior **stiffness/thickness ratio**, so if the total thickness of the plate is constrained, such as by the printer's mounting hardware, steel may be higher performance. In short, for sheets of equivalent stiffness, aluminum will be thicker but lighter. That may or may not matter for your specific printer. * Differential thermal expansion can be an issue, depending on what the plate is attached to. For example, rigidly bolting a steel sheet to an aluminum sub-frame will cause the structure to warp when its temperature changes. Likewise for bolting an aluminum sheet to a steel sub-frame. Bed mounts that "float" will not cause warping in either case. * All kinds of rolled sheet metal may have a tendency to warp when heated/cooled, due to residual stresses and grain alignment effects from manufacture. When people want extreme dimensional stability for the flattest and lowest-warp print bed possible, an aluminum cast tooling plate material such as MIC 6 is usually used. The MIC 6 sheet is then precision ground to be flat. Of course, that adds cost. * Neither aluminum nor steel is a particularly good *bare* print surface. Either will need some kind of adhesion layer, like Kapton tape or gluestick. The adhesion layer matters far more than the type of metal underneath. * Aluminum sheets are often used as **heat-spreaders** to even out the bed temperature of heated beds. This is very important when heaters are smaller than the total bed size, or have hot spots. (Most heaters do have hot spots.) Steel is a relatively poor conductor of heat, so the surface of the bed will take longer to heat up and will be less even. That may or may not be an issue, depending on the printer and desired materials. So, it's really a holistic design decision. Aluminum is far more common because of its thermal properties and lower weight, but steel print beds (particularly with permanent adhesion coatings) are often used too. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]

2016/05/13

<issue_start>username_0: I use Prusa i3 with one extruder for some years and I would like to print from one material in two colors or from different materials for one model. Therefore I'm lookig for new printer with dual extruder. Is there some way how to measure and/or compare quality of printers with dual extruder on the market? For example to create 3d model - ask the seller(s) to print it - and then compare? - what details to focus on?<issue_comment>username_1: As you suggest yourself, ordering test prints of some model is one way to do it. [3D Hubs](https://www.3dhubs.com) and [MakeXYZ](https://www.makexyz.com/) allows you to get your model printed by hobbyists and small businesses for a fair price. Both sites also allow you to order prints based on printer type, which I believe is what you may be looking for. On 3D Hubs, visit on of the [trend reports](https://www.3dhubs.com/trends), and select the printer you want a sample from. Similarly, on MakeXYZ, [search local makers](https://www.makexyz.com/3dprinters/) for your desired printer. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: "Make" Magazine compares 3-D printers in a way that is as scientific as possible to help determine the strengths/weaknesses of each 3-D printer compared to others. The link to the November 2015 comparison test is available here: <http://makezine.com/comparison/3dprinters/> I was unable to find the ability to compare among dual-extruders, however. Upvotes: 2

2016/05/14

<issue_start>username_0: I have a 3D model that I'd like to print. This is my first project, so I'm trying to decide if I'm getting in over my head. Here's the model rendered with Blender: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/N1cVF.png) If I throw it at a commercial printing shoppe, is it going to be fairly straight forward? Or is it unlikely to be able to get the colours fitting together like this to work well?<issue_comment>username_1: You would need to ask around shops to see what they think about this 3d file. What I have heard is that colors of prints end up blended together, and that the print resolution is low. How many colors are you using? You could probably get a quality print, but it would come with a high price. Print quality is dependent on the expensiveness of the machine used. Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Here is a set of options you can get: 1. print the object on multi color printer Unfortunately we got some limitations here (on the market). Printers have limited set of heads which are in fact printing in one color at a time. So we usually have 2 colors, there are also 4 color heads. If there are more then they are rare, expensive or rare and expensive. here are examples of such color printouts: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yzU5gs.jpg)[project](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:329436) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wgYj6s.jpg)[project](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:67503) 2. print object splitted In this case you can have single color printer. You print parts in one color then you change filament and print other color and so on. The issue here is to have well formed object which is designed for such print method (it's connectable in some way) or you can stick printed parts with the glue. here are examples of such puzzled printouts: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xT33Es.jpg)[project](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:642211) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EEIOks.jpg)[project](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1360459) 3. print and paint here are examples of such painted printouts: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BbzNGs.jpg)[project](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1333103) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/oZP7Qs.jpg)[project](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:459472) **NOTE:** All above assumes that you are gonna print your object in FDM technology. You can also take a look on [other technologies](http://3dprintingfromscratch.com/common/types-of-3d-printers-or-3d-printing-technologies-overview) such as: * Stereolithography(SLA) * Digital Light Processing(DLP) * Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) * Selective laser melting (SLM) * Electronic Beam Melting (EBM) * Laminated object manufacturing (LOM) Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Getting this printed at a professional print shop will be quite straightforward, given that you prepare the model nicely for printing (i.e. make it a watertight, manifold mesh). You could print the pieces separately and assemble them later. You might also look in to getting this printed in one piece with the colors already in place on a ProJet machine, which is available as ["Full Color Sandstone" on Shapeways](https://www.shapeways.com/materials/full-color-sandstone). This might be a nice option for you. With regards to printing the pieces separately you could go with pretty much any printing process, bearing in mind that FDM will offer the greatest range of available colors but the worst surface finish. You could try SLS instead (White Strong&Flexible on Shapeways) which is a white material that can be dyed with fabric dyes (such as RIT and Dylon) to achieve any desired color. Of course, anything you get printed (regardless of the material) could also be painted. If you decide to get this made in FDM then make sure to choose a nice orientation for the pieces (minimizing overhangs) so you get the best quality possible. The print shop may be able to help you with this. Getting the parts to fit together will not be a problem if you keep a little bit of clearance (around 0.2-0.5mm) between parts that interlock. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: The simplest and cheapest method to have this object printed would be to have individual STL files for each part and give these to the print shop with the color of each piece. Printing as a single piece would be much more expensive as more advance methods would be needed as mentioned in the other answers. Upvotes: 0

2016/05/14

<issue_start>username_0: I printed a big base for a model, but the corners of the bottom bent up, making the whole base rock when set on a table. Is there a quick fix for a makerbot2 without a heated plate?<issue_comment>username_1: here are the options: * Use brim settings which increase contact surface. * Use some sort of glue. People are using many things including hairspray. I do prefer paper glue stick. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: * Consider using a different material. Since you're on a replicator 2 you're probably not printing with ABS (which would be a terrible choice for a large, flat model) but probably with PLA. Perhaps you could try printing with PET(G) instead, which tends to warp even less. * You could try modifying your model a little. If you include several grooves in the bottom surface of your model that may provide some "strain relief" so-to-speak, preventing warping. * Increase adhesion: print your initial layer slower, closer to the build surface, at a higher temperature, with a brim, and with some kind of print surface to increase adhesion (tape/glue/hairspray). * Increase ambient temperature. The Replicator 2 does not have a heated bed, but you could still make the cooling more gradual by enclosing the printer, shielding it from drafts, etc... Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Try printing with a raft, and adding "helper discs" to expand the size of the raft. You might also try lowering your extruder temperature a bit to reduce the cooling temperature differential. Upvotes: 2

2016/05/15

<issue_start>username_0: I know that the SLS 3D printer stands for selective laser sintering,where as DMLS stands for direct metal laser sintering. I want to know that,can i convert SLS 3D printer to DMLS. By just changing powder(or another way?)<issue_comment>username_1: By just changing powder: No. Changing the powder, the laser and the chamber, maybe you can get something, but it's not recommended. DMLS machines use a sealed chamber with a flow of Argon, Nitrogen, or other gas to prevent oxidation of metal powder (and avoid fire or explosions). Laser power for metal needs to be of higher power than that used por polymer laser sintering (SLS, SLM, LS, etc). BTW. DMLS also need a metallic build plate to dissipate heat. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Totally agreed with the answer provided.To add to that answer, the use of DMLS lies on the thickness and material limitations of SLS method. So, regarding the amount of thickness, the [original source](http://www.atlanticprecision.com) of sizing for both the methods vary drastically and hence cannot be inter-converted. Upvotes: 1

2016/05/19

<issue_start>username_0: I just received my E3D v6 hotend and I am installing it on the open source design of a Prusa i3. How do I clean my hotend after each print and after using different filaments?<issue_comment>username_1: Usually there is no need to clean the hotend, as filament sticks well to itself rather than to the inside of the hotend. If there are remains - the simplest way to clean it up is to extrude 5-10 cm of new filament, which will gather all remainings clean the hotend. The above concerns changing filament in the same group of plastic. So if you print PLA you can switch colors/manufacturers and so on without issues. The same goes for ABS. There is also usually no problem when switching from PLA to ABS. The worst scenario is to switch from ABS to PLA. This is because the extruding temperature of these two materials is different. Unfortunately ABS can have such a high melting temperature that the PLA will burn. So having a dirty hotend with ABS remainings, there is no way to extrude PLA to clean the hotend because the PLA temperature will not result in melting ABS. It can eventually lead to total plug of HE. So what can you do when you are in such a situation (ABS -> PLA)? You can clean the hotend first with ABS. Extrude some, wait until it is cold, ease the springs and pull or tear out the filament from the hotend. If you are stuck you can use special drills to clean the nozzle. But to totally omit the issue you can have two hotends :) One for ABS and one for PLA ;) But I think you can manage cleaning if you apply what I've written above. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Or you can use atomic nozle clianning!It woks fine for me :) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04T8zdgyh3E> Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: As Anton mentions, cleaning your nozzle is commonly done using a **cold pull** (or **atomic pull**). This process involves pulling out your filament from the nozzle while it is still semi-hot. (PLA, for instance will often be pulled at 80-90 celsius, which is the temperature at which it will slowly start to soften.) The reason why this works is because the filament will stick better to itself when semi-hot, than to the nozzle, and pulling it out in this manner will most likely bring any residue along with it. This question [debates](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/240/115) it further, while the video Anton posted demonstrates it well. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I've found a blow torch to work pretty well for clogged nozzles. Note: If your hotend use PTFE tubing internally DONT DO THIS or it may melt and ruin the nozzle. Upvotes: 1

2016/05/20

<issue_start>username_0: I have a FlashForge CreatorX (MakerBot clone) that's been working fine for about 15 months. Int he past month, I started noticing "thin" layers in some of my ABS prints. I finally tracked the issue down to the extruder gear grinding the filament (after a while, enough filament had ground off that the gear teeth were filled with plastic). I cleaned the gear twice before giving up on ABS and switching to PLA. Everything seemed ok until the PLA started doing the same thing during an overnight print (thin layers on prints, audible skipping during filament feed). Raising the temperature on the extruder seems to fix the problem, but I'm now extruding PLA at 242 °C, much higher than I used to need. I worry that continued printing at this temperature will increase wear on the thermistor and increase my chances of clogging PLA in the gear (an issue I've had twice before). Are there any common issues that cause this issue of filament not feeding properly? I've tried cleaning out the extruder head with wire and there don't seem to be any clogs…<issue_comment>username_1: Usually there is no need to clean the hotend, as filament sticks well to itself rather than to the inside of the hotend. If there are remains - the simplest way to clean it up is to extrude 5-10 cm of new filament, which will gather all remainings clean the hotend. The above concerns changing filament in the same group of plastic. So if you print PLA you can switch colors/manufacturers and so on without issues. The same goes for ABS. There is also usually no problem when switching from PLA to ABS. The worst scenario is to switch from ABS to PLA. This is because the extruding temperature of these two materials is different. Unfortunately ABS can have such a high melting temperature that the PLA will burn. So having a dirty hotend with ABS remainings, there is no way to extrude PLA to clean the hotend because the PLA temperature will not result in melting ABS. It can eventually lead to total plug of HE. So what can you do when you are in such a situation (ABS -> PLA)? You can clean the hotend first with ABS. Extrude some, wait until it is cold, ease the springs and pull or tear out the filament from the hotend. If you are stuck you can use special drills to clean the nozzle. But to totally omit the issue you can have two hotends :) One for ABS and one for PLA ;) But I think you can manage cleaning if you apply what I've written above. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Or you can use atomic nozle clianning!It woks fine for me :) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04T8zdgyh3E> Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: As Anton mentions, cleaning your nozzle is commonly done using a **cold pull** (or **atomic pull**). This process involves pulling out your filament from the nozzle while it is still semi-hot. (PLA, for instance will often be pulled at 80-90 celsius, which is the temperature at which it will slowly start to soften.) The reason why this works is because the filament will stick better to itself when semi-hot, than to the nozzle, and pulling it out in this manner will most likely bring any residue along with it. This question [debates](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/240/115) it further, while the video Anton posted demonstrates it well. Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I've found a blow torch to work pretty well for clogged nozzles. Note: If your hotend use PTFE tubing internally DONT DO THIS or it may melt and ruin the nozzle. Upvotes: 1

2016/05/20

<issue_start>username_0: BuildTak is great because the printed plastic really sticks to it, it pretty much solved all the problems I had with prints detaching from the buildplate during printing. However, it does sometimes cause the opposite problem of prints sticking too much and just not detaching from the build plate. I'm specifically not asking how to prevent this from happening - I'm asking what to do after I made a mistake and now have a print that isn't coming loose.<issue_comment>username_1: If you have a heated bed, bring the bed up to a reasonable temperature, then do as best as you can to create rapid cooling. If you can remove the bed, heated or not, consider to place it in a freezer or refrigerator. Obviously, if the bed is heated, you'll want to handle the bed carefully and not place it on anything in the freezer that could be damaged while it cools. Unrealistically, pour liquid nitrogen over the bed. This may crack the bed and/or the model, as well as be all the more dangerous for unprotected users. Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I would do as fred\_dot\_u initially suggested, by increasing the bed temp (or using a hair dryer) to heat the BuildTak. Then, use a small fan to quickly cool the platform (or at least quicker than room temperature). An ice pack on the build plate/part could also work. This drastic fluctuation between the build platform (or BuildTak) and the part should make it easier to remove the part. This works because the [temperature coefficient](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperature_coefficient) is going to be different between the build plate, BuildTak, and the 3D printed part. So, each part rises and falls in temperature at different rates. When objects are heated and cooled, they expand and contract (respectively). Essentially, as each object expands and contracts at different rates, the objects begin to separate. A good example is if you've ever placed a jar into the fridge/freezer to make it easier to open. Typically the jar is glass and the lid is either plastic or metal. You'll notice that the lid is significantly easier to open, as opposed to its original state, because the lid and the jar physically react differently to temperature changes. Also, [here is a good article](https://all3dp.com/6-ways-remove-3d-prints-build-platform/) explaining a few different ways to remove a stuck part. (for prosperity sake, here's a quick list): * Brute force. Just try to yank on it until it pries off. * Sharp objects. Try using a small blade to get under a corner of the part and wiggle the part a bit. Careful not to break the blade and send it flying. * Utilize temperature difference. I already explained this above. * Use solvents. I didn't know this, but apparently there are solvents in the market that are targeted for 3D printing maintenance. Essentially its just an alcohol-based liquid... * Use floss. Another cool idea that's related to using a sharp object, using dental floss. Basically, any small object that you can remotely wiggle under the part and give you more leverage to yank on it. * Invest in a flexible build platform. I've personally heard some mixed reviews on these (in present day of 2016). But material science is getting better every year, so who knows what will be available soon. Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Use dental floss. It sounds a bit crazy, but I tried it for the first time yesterday, and it works like a charm. 1. Wrap the floss around two handles for comfort. 2. Loop the floss over the print. All the way down against the build plate. 3. Start pulling towards yourself, slowly but firmly. 4. Work the floss side to side if necessary. Once the floss makes it all the way to the front side of the print, it will be removed from the buildtak cleanly, without torqueing the bed unnecessary, or popping the print of suddenly and flinging it across the room. --- Glide style floss works better than waxed. Upvotes: 1

2016/05/21

<issue_start>username_0: What is the least expensive 3D printer available today? I am looking for something suitable for general use in a home office.<issue_comment>username_1: **Depends on your definition of "available" and your definition of "suitable for general use."** The cheapest 3D printers are mostly Kickstarter promises that take a year or more to ship, if they ever do. For example, the Peachy 3D printer Kickstarter just imploded and failed. There have been many other failed low-cost 3D printer crowdfunding campaigns. Another low cost Kickstarter printer, the 101Hero, is ongoing now (May 2016), but most competent observers I've talked to don't believe it will succeed at delivering working printers to all backers at that price point. If they do deliver, it will be painfully low-cost components and the printer will not perform well or last long. **Stay away from crowdfunding campaigns for your first printer.** At best, you get a beta product with lots of kinks to work out. At worst, you get nothing and lose your money. For actual products you can purchase today, there's a wide spectrum of quality/cost tradeoffs. * Under \$200 there's nothing credible. The Tiko (\$179) might deliver, but post-Kickstarter units are widely expected to cost more. * Around \$200-300 you get into low-quality Prusa i3 kits from China. These aren't a great value -- most people end up spending another few hundred dollars on upgrades to get them working reliably and with high quality. * Around \$300-400 you can get an *ok* 3D printer, often with "chipped" proprietary filament so the vendor can make high profits on locked-in consumables. ("Razors and blades" model.) For example, the XYZPrinting Da Vinci Jr is \$350 but locks you into high-cost chipped filament. The Wanhao Duplicator i3 is currently a community favorite for value-for-money at \$399. The Printrbot Play is much higher quality/reliability but much smaller at the same price. * If you get up around \$600, a big range of decent printers opens up. But this is no longer the "least expensive" option, so I won't get into it. If you want to tinker, the Duplicator i3 is a good choice. If you want a machine that just prints, the Play is a good choice. There are other printers and cheaper printers, but most of what you'll find below $400 is going to end up causing pain unless your goal is simply to tinker with printer troubleshooting and upgrades. Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You can get an A8 3D printer on Gearbest at 149$, It's a version of an i3, with easy assemble and pre configured, and it have a suprising good quality. I thinks is the best price/quality that you can find at the moment. It prints with a good quality by default and you can upgrade it if you need it without spending hundreds of dollars. <http://www.gearbest.com/3d-printers-3d-printer-kits/pp_337314.html> Upvotes: -1