/diy/ - Do It Yourself

I need to come up with a research project about 3D printing.

I have about $3000 in funding and about 2 months.

It can either be about hardware, software, or generally how people interact with 3D printers and the generals.


My original idea would be something about different infill patterns or the like (aka some sort of new default setting which would add a certain property to the print).

I have access to both PLA/ABS and a FormLabs Form 2+ printer.

Any suggestions?

>>1134919
add this to the op pasta next time, troubleshooting

https://www.simplify3d.com/support/print-quality-troubleshooting/

>>1134922
Just a suggestion, this is what I would do. Investigate 3d printing electronics, most consumer 3d printers use 8 bit Arduino mega chips and they have been pushed to their absolute limits when it comes to processing power to the point where they are becoming a bottleneck especially with multi-extrusion systems.

Maybe build a good quality printer and compare print quality and features of different control boards.

I've been meaning to get tinyg g2 core working on something like the duet or buying a printrboard g2 control board and fiddle with that.

Jan Ciger (@janoc200) says:
February 21, 2017 at 10:21 am

I think this is a rather strange question to ask.

Let me illustrate and ask a different but similar set of questions: “Are CNC mills ready for prime time?” “Is it possible for an average consumer to save money with a CNC mill?” “Are CNC mills easy to use if you are technologically illiterate?”

The answers would most likely be – “Yes”, “No” and again “No” for obvious reasons. Yes, because these machines are used for decades to produce everyday goods and no and no, because an average consumer doesn’t have neither the need nor skills to sensibly operate one.

Then why are we insisting on 3D printers being something for an average, technically illiterate consumer? It is exactly the same kind of machine and technology as a CNC mill or lathe. It is a *machine tool*, not an office appliance, despite all the associations, marketing and confusion that comes with the word “printer”.

This stupid mantra that somehow 3D printing is “not ready for prime time” until everyone can have one at home and even a grandma can operate it is artificially fabricated nonsense thanks to marketing BS of 3D printer vendors trying to convince people that 3D printer is the next hot thing and they have to buy now, not because it makes any sense. And journalists that parroted press releases and created echo chambers amplifying each others’ hype. Same as what the TV manufacturers tried it with 3D televisions or now virtual reality.

>>1134962

Let’s put away this nonsense about “average consumer” and look at hobbyists or machine shops – and you will find that the answers change drastically – 3D printers are both used already, we don’t need to be actually told when they are supposedly going to be “ready for prime time”. You can save money using them (it just requires a bit of brain and not printing Yodas) and they are relatively easy and safe to use (compared to other types of CNC machines). That applies even to the mass-market cheap $300 ones – if you adjust your expectations to the actual capabilities of what you have bought, of course.

Can we put this nonsense finally to rest, please?

BTW, yes, I do own a 3D printer and know about several other people around having one. But we are actually building things with them, not printing kitchen hooks and doorstops with them that you can buy for $1 in a supermarket.

>>1134962
>>1134963
http://hackaday.com/2017/02/21/ask-hackaday-is-owning-a-3d-printer-worth-it/
You could have posted the source.

Tiko is basically official dead finally

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tiko3d/tiko-the-unibody-3d-printer/posts/1809879

>>1134967
>kikestarter

>>1134967
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

And guess what?
No investor is going to touch them, the only selling point it had was its price.

Monoprice Mini is a formidable printer in the same price range from a reputable company. A mini Delta in the same price range is coming out too.

You arent going to convince anyone to keep buying Tikos when other similarly priced printers are popping up.
Maybe they should have spent less on paid PR and patent lawyers, and more money on R&D.

I'm having warping problems.
Should I disable cooling entirely as a first step or what's the first thing I should attempt?

>>1134922
Print out a few cubes in PLA and test different infill patterns. Then send everyone in the thread some of the remainder of the $3000 for helping you

>>1134987
What filament

What's a good trusty PLA brand? I'm in the market to go on another bulk buying spree

Are patents a jew plot? How come 3D Systems has a monopoly on actually good UV cure resins. A quick look at their tech sheets show their resins are head over heels superior to formlabs's stuff

>>1135002
I personally like atomic filament or push plastic, good color selection, different selection, fast shipping, damn good tolerances, and they give a shit about their name

>>1134978
Yeah at this point if monoprice gets their mini delta out there, going to be cheaper and vastly better results.

>>1134973
Only kikestarter projects that I actually became something (at least 3d printing related) filastruder, printrbot, seemecnc, formlabs, zortax and like two others. But they weren't out to "change" the world just to put out something they believed in and already dumped almost all their money in it already

>>1135005
Yes and know, its to protect everyone else making a profit off your shit, but at the same time it holds back innovation

>>1134922
omg thats so fucking lame and vanilla 3dp in general has been fucking stagnant.

some asshole gave you $3k do some cool shit

i will give examples
-print inside of a heated liquid or gel tank to stabilize temp and reduce shrinkage/warpage

-liquid/gel as support material

-automated placement of threaded inserts

-liquid cure type resin as an infill filler, automated

-make your own 3d printing optimized filament blend , by mixing different additives/binders with different engineering plastics ,free engineering samples offered by most plastic companies

>>1135000
PLA. Random Chinese brand.

>>1135052
3000 is nothing, certainly not enough to become a wizard and do half the stuff you're suggesting.

>>1135059
while that is true, a custom infill 8/10 times can be done with a few booleans at 100% infill.
hardly using 3 grand anyway.

>>1135054
You got chinked. Usually people learn not to use chinese filament after the first roll.

>>1135148

I've been using chinky PLA from reprappertech and its been working just fine. Not all of them are bad...

Making a grinder for my main moor and my main slav, what precautions should I take so that I don't accidentally kill them?

>>1135059
$3k is enough for everything on this list
your not being creative/good enough

>>1134922
How about doing an open version of Markforged's composite printing system?

>Dealing with serious under extrusion on left nozzle only
>Go full retard trying to clean it out
>Finally realise the guide hose is tight around the filament when it's bent (as it would be when connected to the extruder)
>Dig out a 5mm section of filament
>TFW spent the last hour burning myself on the hot end

>>1135052
mooooreeeeeeee.

I like these

>>1134919
Currently teaching a class of 21 high schoolers (about 16-17 years old) about 3D-printing, to get some credits for my Engineering degree.
We're basically just designing some trebuchets to print, but I'll put a 5mm axle in there with some bearings to minimise internal friction.

Our school has 10 Ultimakers, and I've got reserved 3 of them for 4 days, so about 250 printing hours. First guesstimations on our prototypes were 40-50 hours (and ~30 meters of PLA), and we've got three groups each making a design. Pic related is one group's example, it's missing the projectile holder though. We're using three pieces of steel (50x30x12) as counterweight, with a 6mm bearing as a projectile.

>inb4 not your blog

>>1135373
looks like a guillotine. Make one for mice.

>>1135374
Yeah, because that group discovered what inertia is. Instead of holding the counterweight in a bucket, they're going to duct tape them together and drop them from the top platform (with the group logo on it), onto the square part of the throwing arm. It should make for a pretty good throwing distance. I think if you're dropping ~0,4 kilos of steel onto a mouse from 35cm high, and it hits, that mouse should be pretty dead.

>>1134922

How about hacking an inkjet cartridge to dye white filament by doing a pass at the end of every layer?

>>1135379
That sounds like a great way to break the mechanism.

>>1135005

>Are patents a jew plot?

No, that was a self inflicted wound. Jews are simply good at making use of it.

>>1135052
-3d infill patterns
-shell vacuum filled with epoxy
-2mm nozzle setup
-automatically welding standard pieces together to form 3d object

Completely new to 3d printing and need advice on where i may be going wrong

>go to 3d warehouse
>find something i want to print
>realise i'm going to have to change file format to .stl
>download Spin 3D Mesh Mixer
>back to 3d warehouse
>try various skp files
>Spin won't convert
>download the .dae file
>Spin converts to .stl
>load file into Cura
>looks like this
pic related
>success
>maybe not..........

cont.

>let Cura calculate print time etc
>save Gcode
>decide to look at toolpath
>no sign of the model

usually when i look at the toolpath i can see the actual model in yellow, supports in this pale blue colour in the image and occasionaly red(overhangs?)

will this model print?
if not why not?
where am i going wrong?
how can i fix this?

thanks.

>>1135427
what is 3d infill patterns?

>>1135493
non manifold edges. They can be a real bitch to fix. Your best bet is to find another model that you like.

>>1135506
thanks, damn i thought 3d warehouse was going to be a shortcut, but as in life, there are no shortcuts.

>>1135499
https://engineerdog.com/2015/03/08/3d-printing-a-3d-honeycomb-infill-concept/

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20170224-kickstarter-backers-of-179-tiko-3d-printer-wont-be-getting-refunds-says-folding-startup.html


Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhahahahaha peachy2.0 confirmed

So I put an e3d onto my maker select plus and now when I turn both the hotend and heated bed on the board reboots. I think I'm pulling too much power but not quite sure how to fix it.

I've got the e3d wired to the original hotend location on the ribbon cable breakout. Should I have run it directly to the board?

>>1135715

I was hoping they'd crash and burn, to serve as a warning for any other smug startups trying to trick people with "sleek design" and empty promises.

>>1135742

Hard to tell without any picture of what the board looks like or how it's wired.

What do you guys do with your empty filament spools? I feel that just throwing them away is such a waste

>>1135769
>I was hoping they'd crash and burn, to serve as a warning for any other smug startups trying to trick people with "sleek design" and empty promises.

Not to mention the quality was abhorrent. Even a Da Vinci Jr made the reviewer samples they sent out look like trash.

>>1135796
you can probably sell them on ebay.
or you can split them in half, and you can reuse them if you buy un-spooled filament.
aside from that, pretty worthless.

>>1136206
is un-spooled filament cheeper?
Got me thinking about designing a filament spooler to print up

>>1136221

I dont think they sell unspooled filament...

>>1136221
if you buy wholesale, it can come on a large spool for a discount, unless you think your spool holder can hold a 10kg roll.

i only see protoparadigm selling 200g unspooled rolls, but its not really any cheaper.

>>1136269
>10kg spool holder
I've got a block of aluminum that I made from some aluminum horseshoes that this guy that I knew was about to throw out.
I might be able to make a 3D print of a filament holder for that, make a mold, burn out the PLA and then pour in the molten aluminum
Now you've got my gears all lubed up and moving in my head

PETG

Teach me its secrets.

I've tried without fan and enclosed and it comes out shiny with layers very stuck together, but with a bit of melting or blobing getting drug into the print some corners and things end up deformed.

I've tried with a fan which gives less layer adhesion but mostly nice shape. Problem is it strings everywhere and sometimes the strings will cause gaps in surfaces almost like a piece got blown away by the fan.

Also should I be using a plated nozzle for it? I've got one but hadn't installed it yet.

My original purpose for it was to use it for parts on a CNC machine, but it may be a bit too flexy for that. But I would like to replace a backplate on my printer with to insert a camera mount that will travel with the bed. Seems a good material for that since the heat from being near the bed shouldn't be near enough to deform it like PLA. I'm trying to move to it for things I would have used ABS for since fumes suck and so does the accuracy of ABS in many cases.

>>1135769
>I was hoping they'd crash and burn, to serve as a warning
Nah. People won't learn. If nobody learned from any of the other crowdSourced shitty pseudotech, they won't learn from peachy or tiko.
>tfw my internal merchant comes up with ideas for these projects every now and then.

>>1136317
This. The people that back kickstarters have way more money than they know what to do with.

>>1136306
A plated nozzle does help. Also, get your temperatures right, it does suffer from thermal creep so raising the temperature doesn't always result in smoother extrusion, especially if you're doing a lot of retraction.

I'm currently using HDglass, which is a modified PETG, printing at 220C, 60C on the bed with 0.08mm layer heights and 45mm/s print speed. I did have a failure on a larger print which resulted in a tangled mass of PETG around the nozzle, I discovered this was due to using a rectilinear infill and solved the issue by switching to a full honeycomb.

There will always be some stringing when crossing the part outline because the material is stringy but persevere with various temperatures and you can succeed. For all materials, I highly recommend Marvin:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:215703
With less than a metre of filament you can test just about everything that could go wrong with a print, just don't forget to pop a support between his 'legs' if you're going below 0.3mm layer heights. Every other area should be printable without supports. The keychain loop at the top is a good way to test layer adhesion, it should be only just possible to break it off with your bare hands and some small wire snips pressed into the 'eyes' and closed will decapitate him if adhesion is poor and just mess up his face if it's good.

>>1136306
>>1136306
I found retraction to be pointless, even with a direct drive, and near impossible to print anything too complex. I'll likely try tomorrow now that I have an all metal and plated extruder.
So far PETG has made me some pretty nice boxes. To be fair, for all its problems, I've found this to be one of the strongest filament I've ever used. I also understand it varies wildly between manufacturers. My spool is marked 230-260 print temp.
Pic is at 250c, don't remember about fan, as it was over a year ago. It's been banging around in the same pocket as housekeys for that long, and doesn't show too much wear.

>>1136323
Just finished this in Bronze HDGlass. The scars on the face from the supports are a little disappointing but I purposefully did no cleanup work prior to taking the photo and I find a dry stiff toothbrush does a fairly good job of removing them.

>>1136323
>>1136340
Another 80μm print, the wing tips are dented because I dropped it shortly after printing and sod's law had it land on the weakest part.

Has anyone tried printing with HATCHBOX pla before?
I got a spool of black to try out and it seems to be printing good at 205C and 55C bed

>>1136323
>get new board
>set everything up,
>looking for a test print
>find Marvin, looks good, I'll give it a try.
Pic related. I can't stop laughing. This is in PLA.

>>1136323
>>1136329
>>1136340
>>1136341


I was doing 235C onto a bed of 6C. Does going slower help with this or cause more globbing? I think I may have been running about 60mm/s.

I'll swap to the plated nozzle soon then. Got it in case I end up getting a glow in the dark spool for shits and giggles.

I was using rectilinear as I found that got better prints in the past, but back when I used honeycomb I was new and using ABS so maybe its time to swap back to that then. I'll try Marvin as well. I was using Benchy, which did come out fairly well with fan on it just had a few chipped looking spots where the stringing blew out a little bit of the part itself. I'ld post a pic but the cat stole it.

Mines Hatchbox which I've had great luck with PLA with over the company brand shit I started with.

I'm scared to go too high in Temp without all metal. I think teflon breaks down past 240C, but I'm not 100% sure.

Your prints look wonderful though. I'm assuming minimal fan use since its really shiny?

I was thinking of trying it with fan and hitting them with a heat gun a bit after to see if it brings out the shine to try to get the best of both worlds.

>>1136385
I've found some PETG doesn't like being printed at low layer heights. Try .2 mm. I use 235 and 55, full fan, no enclosure.

To get the shine it's usually print temp. I get matte colors around ~215, then super glossy and transparent at 245.

Esun transparent green fwiw.

>>1135742
Update on this. Took everything apart to have a look at the board. Everything's good, connections are snug, etc. Looks like the heater isn't even broken out besides at the pins for the ribbon cable, so I can't really move the heater connections.

I've got new connector/plug thingies coming to de-jank my wiring a little. Maybe that'll magically fix things. Otherwise I might try a trick they used on the older maker select models where you tie the bed heater ground to the psu ground.

Thoughts?

>>1134919
why does cura keep doing this to me?
the z cutoff is at 0mm

>>1136376
Spoopy.

>>1136385
>Your prints look wonderful though. I'm assuming minimal fan use since its really shiny?

Do you mean the lion and dragon? Those were done with the fan at full speed.

>>1136385
My boxes are transparent, at around 250 (as is my particular spool of petg, others vary) and I don't think I used the fan.

>>1135493
there are settings in cura to fix that, now that I remember. if you go to expert settings, and a setting under "fix horrible" may do the trick if you're lucky.

>>1136467
>>1136468
>>1136458
Maybe layer height is the trick. I'll give that a shot. Recently changed slicer so I just figured out some of the fan controls on it.

How is Esun? I like hatchbox, but so many of its options are out of stock all the time. I've heard Esun and Inland are the same thing and were recommended for some parts I was making.

>>1136481
In theory, thin layers should be harder to get right. I'd nail down the lowest temperature that produces good interlayer adhesion then progress to a thinner layer height (at a slower speed).

I have a few questions about 3D Printing that hoped some of you could answer.

1. What kind of programs are there to make 3D models for 3D printing and how do i transfer them to the 3D Printer? USB or something similar? What programs do you use?

2. Is making 3D models particularly difficult?Does making something a car for example take years of practice or will i get the hang of it after a few months? Should i start with less complicated parts and gradually work my way upwards?

3.What 3D Printer would you recommend? I've been looking into Prusa, Ultimaker 2+ Form 2, but i can't decide and i'm scared that they will be too complicated for me.

4. Is filament expensive? Do any of you find filament to be expensive? Could you give me an example of how much you print and how much money you spend on filament.

Some questions are probably stupid but i couldn't find a clear answer just from google or youtube so i would appreciate your help.

>>1136516

1. There's a range of programs from ones created specifically for design work (CAD software) with a range of complexities (generally, the more complex, the more capable in the long term) such as Solidworks, OpenSCAD, FreeCAD to general 3D software that can also export to STL format, such as Blender and Cinema 4D. If you're starting off, I'd recommend CAD software and if you're doing mechanical design I'd recommend parametric CAD software (all three of the aforementioned CAD programs are parametric). If you're designing art, you could also use digital sculpting software or alternative modelling methods, such as NURBS (Rhino 3D uses this approach). The main reason to use general 3D software for design is if you're already experienced with that process and are reluctant to change.

After you've designed an object, you need to run it through a slicer, this is a piece of software that translates your STL file (which defines the overall solid shape) into a sequence of instructions for your printer with variables such as movement speed, infill (3D prints are rarely solid), and temperature. These instructions can then, depending on the specific printer, either be saved to an SD card or sent to the printer via USB or WiFi. In my opinion, the best way is by SD card since this does not require your computer to be running for the entire duration of the print so your computer crashing won't ruin a print.

2. The hardest part, starting out, is how to break an idea in your head down to a set of steps to create the model. When you say a car, do you mean something functional like an RC car or a solid model of one? If you're designing it purely for aesthetics, the quickest way to go from an idea to a printable model would probably be a sculpting program. The best way to learn is probably to find some tutorials for the software you choose and go through them.

(cont.)

>>1136516
>>1136519

3. Starting out, I wouldn't buy a printer, I'd use a service like 3Dhubs to get some initial models printed out, shapeways are good too because they have tools to help you assess how printable your design is but they charge rather a lot. That said, even the cheapest provider on 3Dhubs will charge you at least 8x what the filament they're using costs so you'll have to decide at what point you buy your own printer. Apart from the economies, it can be quite useful to just pop into your spare room and run a design off that you're working on.

I can't specifically recommend a printer, I own a Flashforge Creator Pro and had an XYZ DaVinci Jr. The former is a workhorse that runs round the clock with little issue and is solid once you get it set up correctly, the latter is something I can't recommend because, although it's very easy to use out of the box, the filament is very expensive (it has a chip so you can only use manufacturer-provided filament) and you're limited to a drab range of colours.

4. It's a rabbit hole you can fall down easily, I pay ~£20 for a 1kg spool of PLA but, for very fine work pay more for premium PLAs as well as up to twice as much for other materials, you can save a lot by shopping around. If you're not careful, you'll end up buying colours you rarely use and oddball materials that look cool on paper but are a nightmare to print with (I'm looking at you, ABS-aramid). Currently, I have about 20 spools of various materials to hand because I went a bit nuts doing presents before Christmas, if you factor in the exotics, that's about £500-worth of material but they're mostly in various states of use. I'm pretty lazy at charging for prints and use a lot of them as diplomatic tools but a focused individual with more spare time could easily turn those into a couple grand of prints (I have no idea how good business is for those selling their services)

In short, don't buy a printer unless you plan to be doing a lot of printing

>>1136527
*forgot to add, when you're calculating costs, don't base it on the cheapest PLA. You'll end up spending more per print because of failures caused by poor QC on the filament.

>>1136528
Thanks dude

Hey 3dpg.

I just wanted to say thank you.

I'm a structural engineer who has been interested in prototyping using 3d for a while now. in 2015, I built my first reprap from a kit, and have used the help offered here to improve slowly.

Last year I took my3d printer into work so i could use it for something actually useful. Since then, I've convinced my bosses to invest in more printers and begin working in advanced geometrics - basically starting my own (small) division of the company offering architects and clients bespoke, algorithmically generated designs we can print initially. Once the form is settled, we build with more conventional materials using the things learnt from the printing.

We prototype connections - check geometry etc....

Without you guys - I wouldn't be able to do any of this.

Anyway, lets move away from the gay reddit tier post..... Has anyone ever considered printing frames in the form of 20mmx20mm aluminium rexroth?

I'm in a position where I can actually get heavily discounted (almost free) Alu profiles, but they'll take a while for delivery - In the interim, I might just print a frame and see If I can develop it into something viable.

Opinions?

>>1136541
No problem.

>>1136541
>>1136516

1. Read this: http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap_Options#Software_Toolchain
I use Autodesk fusion 360. It is free for hobby use, students, startups,... You can use it as a parametric "engineering" CAD or as a mesh "organic" modelling. I only use it as CAD. It is not the best, but good enough and is free.

2. Modelling a car that would actually look like a real car is not easy. But making simple brackets, holders, cases, handles, robot parts,... is quite easy. It really depends how much you complicate. A simple 90 degree bracket with some holes will take you 10 minutes, but if you want baroque style bracket it can take you hours or days.

3. Watch unboxings / first print / reviews on youtube for desired printers. And then decide if you can do that yourself.

4. Filament is relatively expensive, usually 20-30 $ or € per kg. But if you print with low % of infill you don't use much of material. I buy filament when it is on sale (black friday, summer sale,... )

>>1136516
>1. What kind of programs are there to make 3D models for 3D printing and how do i transfer them to the 3D Printer? USB or something similar? What programs do you use?

Fusion360 for mechanical stuff that relies on existing blueprints, diagrams, etc.

3ds max for everything else, especially artsy stuff.

>>1134919
I watched a couple of videos on youtube about 3d printers made with old computer parts, is that a good option for a poorfag who just wants to try the technology out with no need for a 3d printer?
How would I go about making such a printer? what advice can you give me?

>>1136555

Do you mean are there frames made out of 20x20 extrusions? Or if anyone has printed 20x20 extrusionson a printer... The answer to both of those is yes.

https://www.thingiverse.com/make:159285

There are a few models on thingiverse, main issue of making a whole printer with them is that the bed area is always smaller than the length you'd need, so it means welding multiple pieces together.

>>1136672
I mean, it's not difficult to extrude the DXF's that are readily available.

My real question would probably be.... is it a good idea for vibration and frame stiffness?

The elastic modulus is far lower than aluminium so I don't know if that's even a good idea - or if I should simply wait for the extrusions.

I have been gifted some carbon fiber filament, and a hardened nozzle, what should I do /diy/?

>>1136670
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffXsCCo8OCw

>>1136680

It's an interesting experiment, but other than being more reprap-able i don't see what the benefit is. Like i said, you'll need to glue or fasten multiple pieces together if you want to say, build a Mendelmax with them as the length required extends beyond a printer's typical build volume. As for vibration, i'm guessing depends on the printer design, the infill pattern and percentage, plastic type etc. PLA is definitely stiffer than PETG for example.

>>1136670

It only makes sense if you have most of the parts laying around, otherwise it's cheaper and more hassle-free to just get a TEVO tarantula or something. You can also make a crappy one out of old CD-ROM drives and a 3d-printing pen like this guy on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anIy6eb1fW0

More of an excercise in "what if", not something actually practical if you ask me.

>>1136686
I'd definitely recommend installing the nozzle and printing with the filament. If you install the filament and try to print the nozzle it probably won't work.

>>1136700
Very funny, but seriously, are there any specific prints that benefit from carbon filament?

>>1136704
Mechanical parts where inflexibility/higher softening temperature is important, as well as prints that would otherwise be ruined by warp during cooling.

>>1136481
I've had no problems with both esun/inland, but I haven't played with much else. I've got one roll of hatchbox PLA that's actually awful though. Shit tier finish. Maybe I just haven't found the correct settings for white, but the finish is OK at 220, and then it gets strings everywhere.

Whats the most reliable extruder out there? I need a better extruder.

I have pic related, sometimes (often) it doesnt extrude. The gear rotates but it doesnt dig in the filament, pushing the filament a little or retract moves can help it to get a grip. Also when i push the opposing bearing it grips but requires more torque to move the filament and the motor just spazes out.

I checked the power supply it can deliver 10A, i dont use heatbed and when everything is on it only draws 3A, so i feel the supply is sufficient.

>>1136717
For my hatchbox I use 210C, but I usually print their Silver since the shine is nice. I honestly bought it the first time by accident trying to get gray since I usually paint PLA parts to seal them and primer is usually white so I can tell where I missed. I'll give Esun a shot. I really do wonder about the really expensive ones out there, I don't want to buy the Apple of filament.

>>1136700
I laughed more than I should have at this.

>>1136718
Before you go replacing extruders, check that you can manually push filament through the hot end relatively easily.

>>1136718
>Whats the most reliable extruder out there? I need a better extruder.
the best extruders are dual drive ones, by driving the gears on both sides you get maximum filament grip
be prepared to pay for it though, specialized, hardened metal gears manufactured in low quantities are expensive
some examples would be:
http://www.bondtech.se/en/products/extruders/
https://dyzedesign.com/shop/extruders/dyzextruder-gt-coldend-extruder-1-75mm/

>>1136728
I can, its not the nozzle.

>>1136731
Whats the best i can make myself?

>>1136776
You can make it from parts from ali. Here is a good assembled extruder btw: http://got.by/9hpuf

>>1136776
>Whats the best i can make myself?
I honestly don't think it's worth making your own one,
the critical component of a extruder is the drive gear,
to make that yourself you'll have to spend a lot of time with a file,
creating different tooth profiles and testing what works best
if your motivation for diying is not pure idealism but wanting to save some cash
i'd recommend buying a few different gears on aliexpress and testing them on your existing extruder
you might wanna extend the ptfe guide down until it almost touches your gear like e3d does it in pic related
and a stronger spring could also help with too little grip
oh and get rid of that fan it's airflow is completely restricted which renders it useless

>>1136787
>>1136789
Thanks.
I got a delta so it needs to be bowdeny.
It feels like a geared would allow for a greater pressure on the gears without missing a step.

>>1136799
>It feels like a geared would allow for a greater pressure on the gears without missing a step.
why not go for a larger motor instead, if you want more torque?
gearing it would reduce your speed which is crucial for retraction especially on a fast moving delta with a long bowden tube
since your extruder will be mounted in a fixed position the added weight won't affect you

>>1136707
Yeah, because I heard that carbon fiber doesn't warp at all, if only it was cheaper, the finishes look amazing.

>>1136805
You might be right.
Ill sleep in it

Made myself a frog

Anyone if Solidworks has a way to intersect two parts and just leave whats intersected?

Trying to make a design curve across a dome and the only way I could think was to make the design then remove it from a plain dome.

>>1136851
bigot

>>1136914
a keyword would be booleans. I'm almost positive Solidworks has them, though I've never used it.

Are there any open source alternatives to the formlabs form 2 that can still use their resins? Seems like all the third party resins that say they work with DLP seem to be junk-tier in properties.

>>1136914
Insert->Features->Combine->Common and select both bodies.
You can also try with Intersect tool.

>>1136776
I use MK8 drive gear for direct extruder and works fine. It costs like $2 on ebay. But it wouldn't fit on your extruder just like that. You would have to modify it or even change it.
If you want to go with geared extruder buy e3d titan or its clones from ebay/aliexpress. Or if you like to print it yourself, something like this: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:961630

>>1136851
Here is my frog. I still need to paint it properly and not with sharpies.

> tfw look a second time at model I've been printing for 20 hours and noticed it needs support in only ONE SPOT that has a sharp overhang and critical to the design
> tfw I didn't add supports
FUCKING DUMBASS
NA, FUCK THAT SHIT. I'M PRINTING AND GONNA SEE IF IT WORKS. FUCKING JUST

>>1136914
Interest tool does exactly that.

Frog with diicooler vs frog without diicooler.

>>1137147
Cover you hand with hairspray and put your finger under the spot where it needs to print, it will only hurt a lot.

>>1137272
I'm really tempted to do that but I'm not home right now and won't be for another 8 hours. Fuck!
Wouldn't be that bad. I've grabbed a 400c soldering iron before and it felt cold

>>1137274
Is it an extreme overhang or a part that's printed in free space and later joins onto the print? Worst case, you could cut that area off, reprint it separately and glue the two together with some hand finishing. I've gotten away with some very cheeky overhangs.

>>1137275
It's a knob that a gear is supposed to attach to. It sticks out like 5 mm horizontally and has a radius of 2 mm

>>1137278
It might be a little rough on the bottom. Depending on mechanical requirements, you could either drill it out and print a new cylinder or redo the entire print if it's going to be stressed.

What the heck are you printing?

>>1137284
A housing for a gear box. I'm making a mill with a transmission that can be controlled electronically
Think like a manual car gear box that functions like an automatic transmission but doesn't have orbital gears. It controls the speed of a rotating drum.
It's cooler than you think. When speeding up, a servo is designed to shift the gears like a human would in a manual transmission car with a makeshift clutch and all.

>>1137293
>It's cooler than you think

That sounds pretty cool to me already. Please do post pics when it's done. To be honest, I'd let it run but chalk it up as a learning experience if it comes out badly.

Shot in the dark, but you're not in the UK, are you? I have a couple of reels of polymax as well as some PETG that prints nicely if you wanted to try some alternate materials.

>>1137295
I'm in the US, it's a project for my engineering class. I'm using PLA on the print because it's not meant for real work and just demonstration (and good for our budget). I might share the .stl files if my group let's me

>>1137303
Oh well, all the best with the project. If you can, please do post pics (or, better still, a video). It sounds fascinating.

I've printed gears for a clock before, the horologist who I did the prints for informed me that the finest printed gears (80 micron layer height) produced the best wear resistance and smoothest operation and found hitting them with a stiff electric toothbrush head polished them nicely. If you're using a removable glass bed, put it in the freezer before removing the gear, it will separate completely which is useful because even the tiny deformation caused by pulling it off at room temperature can reduce the smoothness of operation.

>>1137023
>>1136805
>>1136789
>>1136731

So i hacked the extruder so it puts more pressure on the filament until i get a decent one. These rare pepes are before (hand pushed the filament in the extruder so it had a grip) and after, the improvement is great, but theres more to do still.

This was the printer:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zollfrei-3D-Drucker-Auto-Ebene-Metall-Kossel-Delta-Rostock-G2s-Pro-Dual-Extruder-/331951441685?hash=item4d49d90715:g:yLkAAOSwoBtW16bY

I sort of regret not buying a cartesian as my first printer.

>>1137307
Crazy thought: you could actually be extruding a little hot. I always do a filament unload/load at 230C and some PLAs actually take more force to push through at that temperature than 200C.

>>1137365
Interesting. Extruder was at 217.

>>1137386
Might be worth dropping to 200. I find black PLAs from the same manufacturer print better at cooler temps than white, clear or lighter colours.

>>1136851
dat wallpaper tho

>>1137389
Thanks for the tip

>>1137023
Thank you.

Ended up doing it by using an extrude cut from another plane, but combine is probably better to reduce the number of shells so the gcode doesn't come out funky with gaps that aren't in the model.

Has anyone printed with 3D Solutech PLA filament befoe?
A buddy of mine that I always print for gifted it to me

>>1137416
I am a simple man, I love my lolis.

Anyone have experience with MeltInk? Are they any good?

Anyone using an AC heated bed with a SSR and IEC outlet with switch? How did you wire it?

Is it possible to buy directly from Hatchbox?

I've tried to register on their site but it tells me I need a subscription, but has no place to start one.

>>1137542
>solutech
Curious on this as well. I've seen decent reviews on it. And seriously holy hell its like everywhere is sold out of shit that isn't expensive or shit.

>>1138124
Yeah, I wonder what happened, I really want the rigid ink purple, it's pretty.

>>1138124
> curious on this as well
I'll update you guys when I switch to it. I'm about 1/3 through a black hatchbox spool right now and will switch after I'm out

>>1138140
Cool thank you. I'm trying a few brands out soon and will report back as well. I like hatchbox they seem a good price to performance ratio, but fuck me they are always sold out.

>>1135395

Noice, heres the grinder I made for a stonerbro

>>1138194
>>1135395
Enjoy your cancers

Filament ran out for quite a few layers before I realised, but it bravely tried to carry on like nothing happened.

>>1138361
how do you think you're going to die anon?
Peacefully in your sleep?
kys my man

>>1135796
>empty filament spools
try this?
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2009550

>>1138538
Looks pretty cool. I will try it, thanks!

>>1138471
Tweak your stl export settings.

Anyone have any experience with 3d scanning? I'd like to scan flies if the tech is there for a 1000$ budget, it would have to be fairly accurate for details of hairstrands and feathers etc. but the objects are very very small

Anyone knows how this is called or even better how to fix it ? im pretty new to 3d printing

>>1138663
high zoom photos slow rotation and software to glue photos together in to 3D model.
There is free soft for that, quality of model will depend of photo quality you will feed to that program.

>>1138663
You already have dslr so it's only a matter of time and dedication.
For easier job you could invest in to rotating station, or even spend few more bucks for automated photo station if you want to manufacture 3D models.

>>1138663
if you want to go 0 cost then use colored/white/black background for good contrast and for simplest rotating stand you can use microwave plate, most microwaves have roller circle.

Got my digikey order last night, wiring is beautiful now.

However, my MP plus still crashes when I turn both the v6 and the bed on. I guess I'm just drawing too much power and got a shitty power supply? Is the $20 Amazon one worth it or should I just wait for a genuine chink one off Ali or so?

>>1138697
is that the underside of the part?

>>1138732
yeah

>>1138749
What is the first print layer set to? What is the nozzle printing at? What are you printing on?

>>1138749

>What is the first print layer set to?
no clue maybe pic helps you ?

>What is the nozzle printing at?
0.2mm

>What are you printing on?
anet a8 the masking tape that came already installed on the bed

>>1138756
too close huh ? well that seems like a valid point tho that would mean that my bed is bend

>>1138757
I had my bed bend, now I use auto leveling on a 9 point grid. I spent far too much time thinking that the aluminum 6mm thick bed was flat (it's saddle shaped with +-80 um). However, if that's the lower side of the part, it looks like the nozzle might have been too high on that corner.

>>1138757
also, 195C seems a bit low for printing at 200um. Might want to raise that temperature to something around 205, maybe even 210.

>>1136776
you can try the wade extruder; i have one on my umo clone; it's quite accurate and i used it for both filament diameters;

>>1136718
the problem of your jams could be the mk7-style drive gear, better try the mk8 version

>>1138764
Thanks will do

>>1138761
yeah getting an auto lever sensor seems like a good idea considering they cost like 10€ to avoid such a hassle

also does anyone know a good methode of removing prints from the bed ? they stick like crazy

>>1138772
>10 EruoBucks
no, http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pcs-SN04-N-DC-6-36V-NPN-3-wire-4mm-Approach-Sensor-Inductive-Proximity-Switch-/262801189602?hash=item3d302beae2:g:iB0AAOSwAuNW7PUy
There's a guy on youtube called Tom Sanlander, he's got good guides on setting up printer firmware. Although, to be honest, at this point just level your bed (there's wizards on various software, and marlin itself will have the option if it's a more recent release) try printing at 0 bed 0 nozzle, 0% extrusion, and pause it while still on the first layer, you should be able to slide a piece of a4 paper with a slight resistance.

>>1138757
>printing on masking tape
Do yourself a massive favor; spend $10 on a 200x200 sheet of borosilicate glass and some binder clips. This, a mosfet and a switch for the power supply should be compulsary for prusa clones that don't come with them already.

Is it better to have a hotter first layer than the rest of the print or colder?

>>1138798

Should be hotter, as it sticks better. Though that's really the heatbed's job...

Are they fucking serious? $90? What is this bullshit?

Admittedly, the next result down is $30 - but Hatchbox used to be $20. And it was good for the price. What happened? Did they decide to become ultrajews and jack up the price for no reason?

Can anyone recommend a different PLA brand for $20 which is comparable to Hatchbox? I'm not looking for something top-of-the-line or super great quality, just something which I can feed my printer that won't bubble/burn/warp/etc.

>>1138757
>>1138790
Do yourself a bigger favor and buy a thing sheet of PEI.

>>1139003
I'm trying some new brands, but its not Hatchbox. When they run out on amazon it just lists whoever else is left selling them, who usually jacks up the price. Pretty sure Hatchbox still goes for 20-25 on its own.

But fuck are they always out. I'm trying some different brands and will report back, but I think we may be better off with another place to order from.

>>1139005
heh. I stopped using Hatchbox early last year. I've been buying microcenter's brand, because it's $17, I can stop by the store, pick it up, and bring it home with me. I think it's called Inland. Their ABS is crap, though. PLA is good for the money, can't say I've noticed a difference between it and any other more expensive sources.

>>1139003

>MFW my local plastic supplier sells ANY top of plastic scrap/surplus they have for $3/lb, and occasional bulk surplus at cost

>>1139020

*any type

>>1139020
please tell me where this is.

>>1139004
PEI's good if you're set up for autolevel with an inductive probe; Anet a8 isn't set up for one out of the box. Glass at least insures you've got something reasonably flat when the bed heats up.

>>1139034
I have no autoleveling. I had endless issues with glass though. Parts hitting the clips, the clips and bed sliding, scrapping off the glue goo after prints, and so on. In half a year I've used PEI I've had to relevel maybe 3 times and lightly sand it once.

I suppose mileage may vary based on printer and environment its in, but for me PEI was the magic cheap part that made printing easy with no clean up, no rafts, no brims, no glue, no mess, and no prep.

>>1138663
That model is not possible to scan without very expensive equipment despite what others say. Photogrammetry can be used to get rough shape of a simple model. The first usable scanners start from 2k€ used.

>>1138697

Looks like very slight over extrusion. Either tune the extrusion multiplier down a little, or decrease the overlap

>>1138663
Just take pictures and model it. Scanned objects need to be retopo'd to be usable anyway.

>>1139003
Is verbatim good?
Bought 0.75kg for 25usd, and im in Yurop so all the extra tax and shipping charges are in this.
How the fuck are those filaments so expensive?

I think I'm getting a tiny bit of rippling, happens most if its moving between too parts or when drawing around a side hole in a part. How do you tell if your belts are tight enough or too tight?

>>1139493
On a tight belt, when pressing down on them, you should be able to move them down only 2 cm. Not more, not less

>>1139016
> shilling for inland
Their PLA is shit and you know it
Although I may pick up a spool for use when friends ask me to print something.

>>1139711
Shilling for buying filament not making your own, what a fgt

>>1139839
Making your own filament is a bad meme and you won't get a good tubular shape even if it fits your target dimension from one angle.

ABS vs PLA
What do you use for what? Are specialty filaments even worth mentioning?

>>1139925
I use PLA for the most part because it doesn't smell like cancer and you really have to screw up hard to mess up your print

I need a new laptop and was looking at possibly getting one with a 4K/UHD display.

A quick google says Fusion360 had serious scaling problems on high-dpi displays.

Does anyone know if this is still the case, or does Fusion360 play nice now with windows10 on a 4K laptop?

>>1139925
PLA won't stink up the room and its ease of printing and fan friendliness typical get sharper results. Its harder to sand if you want to do post processing and not as strong in ways, but for just something nice to look at it will nearly always printer better than ABS. Its also harder than ABS though more brittle so you can smash it, but if you need something rigid that won't take any impact it can be better there too.

PETG can be nice if you want something stronger. Its slightly flexible and water resistant so its more durable than PLA, but not full of toxic fumes like ABS. It sticks to beds easy and is also more friendly to part fans for crisp edges as well. Be prepared to fuck with extrusion settings, speeds, and temps though because if that isnt right it will blob like a mother fucker. But once you get it right its great. I replaced ABS with it mostly.

I haven't tried anything else really unless you are talking just PLAs with special stuff like glow in the dark or metal content and stuff which is fun, but not really different from PLA outside of needing a plated nozzle.


>>1139937
The usual issue with high res on small screens is menus and text ends up really small and not everything allows you to scale that up well. Run across that on small chromebook because the screen is wonderful, but small. Why the hell would you need 4K on a laptop, seems like anything benefiting from that level of detail would be better on a big screen?

Haven't tried it on Windows 10, because W10 had enough compatibility issues with so many other things I used I scrapped it and went back to W8.1 with Classic Shell, because outside of Cortana it really doesn't offer anything over 8.1.

what's the best way to deal with the excess static electricity?
I was thinking that I could maybe construct a proof of concept circuit that would convert the static electricity into maybe powering a led or something to provide light at night, however I don't think enough electricity is generated to do that.
Another idea is that I could store it up in a few capacitors then once the print finishes I could discharge it all across an arc to make a loud POP noise to signal the end of printing, kind of like an alarm

>>1140008
pic related.

>>1140011
yeah that's what I figured

>>1140008
>signal end of printing
http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M300:_Play_beep_sound is what you want. I don't know if your printer supports beeping but it's worth a try.

why is it that every time I level my printing bed, each point (4 points) changes and then I have to adust each point only for the points to change again and that happens until the screws are either compressed as much as possible or off the bed

>>1140198
Are your bolts tightened on the X and Y axes? Something sounds loose if that keeps happening.

>>1140206
Yes they are. My prusa i3 has two motors for the Z axis. Turns out, the Z axis motors were not aligned correctly and causing that to happen

>>1138144
Well after a few prints with solutech I will say that the print quality is decent. However you need to print at a higher temperature than hatchback to get it to stick and even then it doesn't like to stick to PEI sometimes.
I've tried 3 filaments so far
- Prusa filament that I got with my printer: 7/10
-Hatchbox: 9/10
-Solutech: 8/10

I will say though the solutech has had the nicest looking filament so far with regards to variance in diameter. No globs or tangles either

If you've got the money I recommend trying one out if you can't find any hatchbox for sale

>>1140375
Got some one the way, going to give it a shot. Finally got PETG to work as well, which is turning out very nice.

Think I would need to go all metal for anything else though.

>>1134919
What is the advantage to all metal hotends? So far all mine does is jam. What could be causing jams in an all metal microswiss hot end?

>>1140143
oh cool
I didn't know I could do that
I've got a reprap so It should work
thanks!

>>1140143
This is really cool. You could compose entire tunes by doing this

>>1140440
Try higher temps. All metal is for printing above 250C, where ptfe in lined hotends breaks down into neurotoxin gas.

>>1140615
Won't PLA/ABS burn and clog at those temps?
I really don't want have to be switching heat brakes whenever I switch from PC & PETG to PLA & ABS.

Guys, I want to close the two ends of a polycarbonate tube using 3D printed parts. I want to then pump stuff into the tube and absorb/desorb stuff into beads contained inside the tube.

The end adapters allow the passage of fluid.

This tube will be operated up to 4 bar of pressure. What material should I use for the end adapters?

Just to be clear, the tube is plain old thick PMMA, and only the ends of the tube would have a 3D printed part.

>>1140658
I'm not telling you to go up to that temp for PLA, PLA should be printed around 200C, maybe up to 220C.

ABS will print fine at 250 and might need higher temps.

You don't need to change heat breaks for PLA and ABS. All metal can handle PLA just fine, you might just have to turn the temp up a little bit compared to what you used to have. If you print at 200 with the lined heatbreak then you might want to try 210 with an all metal. Again, this isn't a guide, just some advice that all metal hotends might need slightly higher temps than you're used to

With pla you can also try seasoning the nozzle, which you can look up for better explanations and safety

>>1140143
I remember seeing somewhere on some printers you could customize the sound that plays. Any idea how, I'm failing on my googling. I seem to remember a printer that played the Zelda item sound when it finished.

>>1140920
It's based on the frequency (pitch) and length of the tone, that's how you get distinct noises. The wiki has more detailed notes on how to change them if you follow the link.

>>1140780
Thanks, that really helped. I was switching back to my original ptfe tube when I realized I hadn't changed the thermistor over to the new table. Will try again later tonight.
>>1140920
http://doc.3dmodularsystems.com/plays-a-music-at-the-end-of-a-print/
here. Most slicers have a section for eng code, you can paste stuff there.

>>1134919
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z-iebHRxJk

>>1140924
>>1140926
Cool thanks. The old beep has gotten a bit stale.

Now if I can figure out why the bottom 1mm or so of mm benchy comes out smaller or otherwise different from the rest. I'm thinking the bed is too hot, but its only 60C.

>>1140974
>only 60c
I keep mine at 50C for PLA.

>>1140980
Ya I've been thinking of lowering it since I got rid of glass since that gave an extra layer to heat so it was never as hot as it said.

Its weird though it only really happens on benchy and not much else, but I suppose that is the point of that print, to show errors other things may not.

What filament should I use to replace interior car parts?
My visor clip broke and I printed up a replacement in PLA but today when I got in I saw it was melted

>>1140992
ASA is pretty good for long term exposure to harsh environments
it prints like ABS and has a similar strength
but you get far better UV, weather and chemical resistance

>>1140992
if you're cheap, annealed ABS or PLA might work.

finally a proper pepper model

https://twitter.com/PonderStudios/status/839446076591587330

I need some help.
I need to pitch some different printers to my boss. Then he will decide, if we buy it or not. Requirements are: PLA only (no need for heat bed), as big as possible, as cheap as possible and it must be available as soon as possible (in 1-2 weeks must arrive to Europe) and it must be pre-assembled or partially assembled. I know how to use a printer and how to make small improvements.
I was able to find some, but would appreciate your input as well:
- Prusa MK2, too long lead time
- Wanhao i3 v2.1, cheap but a bit small
- CR-10, big, cheap, but long lead time
- gMax 1.5xt+ and Raise3d N2 Plus, very expensive
Any other ideas???

>>1141674
>to my boss
>gMax 1.5xt+ and Raise3d N2 Plus, very expensive
only reasonable options if you are using it for business, upfront cost is almost irrelevant
tco of "cheap" printers will be much higher in the long run due to hundreds of hours you'll spend trouble shooting, dialing in and down time
not even considering the worse print quality that might deter customers

I'd recommend the Type A Machines Series 1
It's one of the cheapest printers that's actually built for business use
https://www.typeamachines.com/series-1

>>1141674
>PLA only (no need for heat bed)
>as big as possible
Carefull there. A heat bed is still pretty usefull for PLA especially when printing big things.

>>1141682
3d printer wouldn't be vital part of the business. It is more for visualisation of design before it goes to CNC machining. That is why we would print only PLA. I can deal with cheap printer, changing a hotend or fan shroud or even mainboard is not a problem. We are Europoor and small company and boss doesn't want to put too much money into it as he doesn't exactly believe in it, but we engineers think it would really help to print out stuff for this particular project.
Alternatively I will be printing stuff on my own printer, but I would prefer to have my printer free for my and my brother's hobby projects. So, I suggested him to buy one for the company and I would print on it while I am doing my job. It is really more or less just for me and some other guy to have easier jobs and maybe a bit better product. Us two basically do all 3d modeling, everything else is done by old masters; they mostly work from hand drawn sketches.

>>1141691
>It is more for visualisation of design before it goes to CNC machining
this is a vital part of your business if you lose time or can't get a prototype because your printer is down
you might send a faulty design to production, a single failure like that can easily be more expensive than a nice printer

>I can deal with cheap printer, changing a hotend or fan shroud or even mainboard is not a problem
of course you can fix it, but depending on where you are on the euro....poor spectrum an hour of an engineer's time costs somewhere between 20-100+€
that quickly adds up to more than the more reliable machine would have cost you

>boss doesn't want to put too much money into it as he doesn't exactly believe in it
don't even propose the cheap printers if something goes wrong you will be entirely responsibly
you should order a few printed parts from 3dhubs or another service for upcoming projects to show your boss how they'll be useful
and then let him choose between three or so proven reliable machines with good support

>Alternatively I will be printing stuff on my own printer
Never ever do that, not only will you be wasting your free time but you'll also hold all the responsibility if something doesn't go as planned

>Us two basically do all 3d modeling, everything else is done by old masters; they mostly work from hand drawn sketches.
sounds like the perfect opportunity to lead your company into the 21st century and no better way to show off the merits of digital design than idea->physical objects within hours
the old guys will believe it once they hold it in their hands
production will also love you because you can fail early and often within your own office and they don't have to suffer from the consequences

>>1141691
Why not consider a 3D printing service like Shapeways?

>>1141705
I just got hired to work with this particular project, that is a bit more sophisticated, compared to what they usually do. It involves 3d modeling with surfaces, that is why I suggested them to use 3d printer, because it is easier to see how it really looks. Boss has never seen a 3d printed part before and CNC guy only saw it in 90s, when it was super expensive. I agreed to print some pieces at home and I think that was also the reason I was hired on the spot. They will pay me for it, not a lot, but enough. But I would prefer not to print at home.
I mentioned a cost of 2000-3000€ for a printer, but he wasn't excited about it, he said he can get used CNC milling machine for the same amount. At first he was excited about 3d printing, but when I mentioned the price of printer, he became more sceptical.

I will show him different printers and I will write pros and cons of each. Those that I mentioned in my previous post are already candidates.
The problem is, that even with expensive printer, I can't promise him a good quality. For example I watched 3d printing nerd and he had some problems with Rais3d n2 plus, which is 4000€ machine.

I would just like to have more variety of printers,I will do a research for pros and cons and present it to the boss.

And something that I noticed: If there is a problem, simplest printers are simpler to repair. That is why I am also not a fan of complex expensive printers

>>1141674
I'd recommend form 2 or Stratasys dimension. Ultimaker, prusa or lulzbot if you want to go cheap.
https://www.3dhubs.com/best-3d-printer-guide

>>1141749
>I would just like to have more variety of printers,I will do a research for pros and cons and present it to the boss.

All fdm machines suck, even the expensive ones if user does not know what he is doing. You should order some parts made with high end FDM, SLA and SLS and show those to your boss.

>https://www.3dprintersbay.com/flyingbear-all-metal-3d-printer-kit

is this a good machine senpai?

>>>1141749
>he said he can get used CNC milling machine for the same amount
he clearly doesn't understand the benefits of a 3d printer
just because it can create physical objects doesn't make it comparable to a cnc machine
the printer is a design and prototyping tool that lives on (your), design engineer's desk
it doesn't take up shop floor space, doesn't require a machinist, uses almost no electricity, requires very little maintenance
and most importantly the workflow is export .stl -> slice -> check buildplate/clean -> print
this takes less than ten minutes and you don't even have to get out of your chair

one of the biggest trends in ALM right now is exactly this small, cheap ($2-20k), simple and reliable machines right on the desk of the design engineer
Type A machines was one of the first companies to develop their product exactly for this use case hence why i recommended them above
even larger corporations that can easily afford top tier Stratasys/3D systems machines, and already own multiple of them, are recognizing the benefits of this concept now (pic related)

What you should also do OP, is look for local resellers of printers in your price range nothing beats physically close support

>>1141753
>I'd recommend form 2
bet resolution, but small build space, clean up/post processing is a mess
>Stratasys dimension
replaced by F123 series, an order of magnitude out of OPs price class
>Ultimaker, lulzbot
good call
>prusa
hobby tier

>>1141755
>All fdm machines suck, even the expensive ones if user does not know what he is doing.
bullshit, get the right machine that comes with preprogrammed settings for your material and good support and it's the easiest
>high end FDM
only worthwile for production runs, specialty materials (Ultem etc.)
>SLA
if you need max resolution, other than that just more expensive and messier
>SLS
good if you need full freedom of form and strength but too expensive and needs a dedicated room because of powder

I know you did not recommend buying those machines but outsourcing gets expensive really quick and turnaround times are too long
it's good if you need perfect models once in a while as a trade show exhibit, for customers etc. but then I would go with some sort of Polyjet for full colors and great resolution

>>1139925
P. much always ABS. £10 a kilogram and less dense than other filaments. Means more filament per roll and lower per-roll costs bringing the price of printing way the fuck down.. like 1/4 the cost of PETG. It's much tougher for general use, doesn't break down in sunlight and can be smoothed for either aesthetics or to further increase the strength. It's also I think the most temperature resistant general purpose filament out there.

Fumes? I have it in a different room. The warping is annoying though even if you do everything 'right' large parts will warp. I had ABS juice on kapton tape on a glass bed and it stuck so well that instead of delaminating the glass bent instead (picture frame glass). That's the sheer force of warpage you can get.

>>1141822
>Type A machines
That frame design looks weird. You lose both stiffness and cover for air flows.

>replaced by F123 series, an order of magnitude out of OPs price class
Used Dimensions can be found quite cheaply now, but yes, materials are still expensive compared to the alternatives.

>prusa, hobby tier
But still the cheapest usable one.

>bullshit, get the right machine that comes with preprogrammed settings for your material and good support and it's the easiest
Zortrax, ultimaker3, stratasys etc. are good printers but having long lasting exposure to a wide range of FDM machines I would say that at some point they all cause problems that will scare off normies.

>only worthwile for production runs, specialty materials (Ultem etc.)
correct

>I know you did not recommend buying those machines but outsourcing gets expensive really quick and turnaround times are too long
it's good if you need perfect models once in a while as a trade show exhibit, for customers etc. but then I would go with some sort of Polyjet for full colors and great resolution
Prints are expensive compared to what you can make with your own apparatus, but what you are actually paying for is that someone else has fucked with print setting and calibration for weeks. First you can show what can be ordered and compare these to your own parts and then explain all pros and cons of each.

Are you by any change working in this field?

>>1141822
I really appreciate your concern and input. Maybe I didn't explained good enough about the company. They mostly do tube construction welding, some sheet metal and some hand and CNC machining and turning. Mostly rough stuff for tractors and farming equipment, small constructions and stuff.
I will work on a smaller project and will "need" to print like 10-20 pieces (or more after I cut them to fit on the bed). After that I will work on their regular stuff. So after this project there wouldn't be much use for a printer. And there isn't really any demand for used printers if we would want to sell it afterwards.
If I push for expensive printer, he might say no. He is comparing 20kg flimsy 3d printer to 2 tonne of steel CNC/manual machine for the same price.

The quality from prusa style machine is completely fine and I also know how to fix a printer if something goes wrong. Wanhao i3 would be good choice, but I would like to have a bigger build volume (300x300x300), so I wouldn't have to cut models on multiple pieces. That is all. I was just hoping you would give me some links to different printers I could choose from.

>>1141841
If you're okay building it the pegasus 12 inch kit is perfect for you price wise, quality wise and build volume wise

>>1141841
However the folgertech FT5 is a good printer with a ridiculously massive print volume

>>1141837
Counterpoint: Requires heated bed and is a PITA to set up "properly" since different rolls are always finicky (for me).

>>1141838
>That frame design looks weird. You lose both stiffness and cover for air flows.
that was my first thought as well but it is properly (over)engineered to provides enough stiffness
you can also buy acrylic covers for printing in drafty areas or for sensible filaments
the big plus of this design is perfect access to buildplate and printhead without a moving bed

>But still the cheapest usable one
agreed, but no business tier support which disqualifies it imo

>I would say that at some point they all cause problems that will scare off normies.
that's what your service contract is for and hopefully your engineering degree
you can never eliminate problems but minimize their occurrence and consequences

>Prints are expensive compared to what you can make with your own apparatus, but what you are actually paying for is that someone else has fucked with print setting and calibration for weeks. First you can show what can be ordered and compare these to your own parts and then explain all pros and cons of each.
you are correct, but also missing the point
what OP needs are not perfect prints, he is looking for parts that are good enough, can be produced quickly with little effort on a reliable machine that doesn't break down when needed the most
all that at the lowest possible price point

>Are you by any change working in this field?
kind of, I'm currently studying for my master's in mech. engineering and have worked on various ALM projects in the past ranging from volunteer work at a local makerspace, building RepRaps with kids
to writing a risk analysis report on the use of DMLS parts in spacecrafts during an internship at a large european aerospace company.

>>1141841
>I really appreciate your concern and input
I understand where you are coming from and yes you are right that most of your projects will not justify the extra time spent on prototyping, but having that ability in your toolbox sets you apart from the competition and then wins contracts

>I will work on a smaller project
if that is true your best option is to find a good print service because you'll never recoup the time and money invested in buying and setting up even the cheapest printer with that few pieces.
But is that really the case? will you never encounter complicated projects again that would be good to test on a small scale first? Aren't there a ton of opportunities for quickly making cheap fixtures and alignment tools to streamline production and assembly?
Once you have developed an eye and mindset for your printer's strengths you'll quickly start relying on it for many different jobs and when you rely on it every hour of downtime can be really hurtful

>If I push, he might say no
explain to him that a cheaper printer will waste more money in the form of your time than it saves upfront
as a business man he should understand the concept of TCO (total cost of ownership) and opportunity cost due to increased downtime

>He is comparing 3d printer to CNC/manual machine
that is a completely wrong comparison a desktop 3d printer is primarily a design/prototyping tool and not a production machine
he should also take a look at the recurring costs which will be one to two orders of magnitude lower, considering operator time, maintenance, tooling, electricity, floor space etc.

>The quality is completely fine
agreed almost any printer on the market will deliver the quality you require
but as a business you should be looking at reliability and operating cost (mostly your time)
the absolutely cheapest I can grudgingly recommend is the Prusa i3 MK2
preferably you should choose one in the range of Lulzbot, Ultimaker or my personal favorite the Type A Machines

>>1141726
Not bad. Was that done without support I don't see any snap off marks that would show on such a dark color. Your model or could I find it somewhere to torture test my printer with?

My Wanhao board has fried. I'm installing a Ramps kit with an external relay to take the load off the main board. Due to my country being so super friendly to hobbyists, I haven't found connectors like pic related anywhere and will possibly have to make a really long trip across town to find them. Is there any other way I can connect the PSU wires to the terminals that will be safe and secure?

Thanks in advance.

>>1141978
order
https://www.aliexpress.com/item//32697129751.html
but make sure to get the correct size
until they arrive in a month or so you can connect the bare wire directly to the terminal like pic related
this is neither safe nor secure and you shouldn't run your printer unattended and maybe avoid using the heated bed
until you get proper connectors

>>1135742
Brown out my brother you need more powar

>>1141978
You can solder the wire to a suitable washer and just use that, assuming you have some acidic flux. Or fix the wire with the screw as per >>1141993

>>1141941
It was done with support, using simplify3d as my slicer.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1440330/

>>1141993
well shit.
>>1142054
I could try this washer trick. So i think maybe just to be safe I'll try and source the spade connectors. My printer has been functionally useless for months and I just didn't want to go through the wait anymore. Thanks

>>1141993
>connecting bare wire to terminals is neither safe nor secure
Hate to tell you buddy, that's how roughly 100% of American outlets are wired. Enjoy your placebo connectors

>>1142081
the difference is that outlet terminals are designed for bare wires unlike chinky PSUs
you are also using solid core on outlets and not fine stranded wires as on printers
and most importantly an outlet has no moving parts that might pull the wires lose

Hey guys.
First time here and very new to 3d printing.
I've made few objects that are fairly large, and I am little worried about their strength as they are parts that might see use. My question is that is there anything I can use to fill them instead of increasing fill ratio and thus lenghtening print times? I've printed out some handles for a broken fridge door and I'm using 3mm perimeters for edges and no infill. Is there something like some self mixed foam or anything I could use to make the parts feel more solid/stronger without having to make over day long prints?

>>1142102
As long as you're using decently quality plastic and it doesn't delaminate, you should be fine for things like fridge handles.

>0% infill
>solid-feeling parts without day-long prints
Sorry, but pic related. Infill is what "ties" it together - you've run into the issue of "any three options, but pick two". You can't have it fast AND strong without it looking bad. You can't have it look good AND be strong without long print times. You can't have it look good AND be fast without having it be weak, and even that's a stretch. You really can't avoid long print times for objects that large, I'm afraid.

Your best bet is biting the bullet and using something like 5-10% infill, or filling the whole thing with epoxy. Self-expanding foam isn't a really good idea in general since it usually deforms things when curing and can break them.

How do reaprap printers figure out % done?
Does it go off filament usage or does it go off layer height

What's a good filament that doesn't deform at around 80-90 C?
I've got to print a new pistol grip for my AK to be compliment with the new CA laws

I'm about to calibrate my Prusa i3 for the first time

It's a version modificated to be more economic. that means I only have 3 screws for bedleveling, no endstop on the printhead and most of the parts are 3D printed, so I'm not expecting much precision but I don't want to break it before my first print.

I already got all the axis moving also fans and temp control work fine.

I now have to level the bed, calculate the acceleration and motorsteps per unit and calibrate the extrusion force and speed.

I only have 1m of good filament, is this enough to calibrate? Do you have any tips for me?

I have to have it working in two days so I'm kinda stressed out :(

>>1142225
pic related, the trouble child

>>1142226
and forgot the pic again, stupid me...

Anyone know an easy way to remove a depressed logo from an .stl model? I have an object that I want to print but the creator put a logo on one of the faces, and my print will end up with one horrible face and you wouldn't even be able to read the letters. Pic related.

>>1142284
I would imagine just open it up in something like freecad and fuck around with it

>>1142059
>http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1440330/
Cool thanks. Also I knew it looked familiar I like that game.

I've been debating on doing S3D for a slicer, but getting a pirate copy to work is near impossible. Had planned to buy it if it really worked well, but it seems a nightmare to use and that said from someone that configured Slic3r in detail. Slic3r sadly does a shit job on the gcode for my printer though and leaves gaps regardless of settings in some situations.

So I made a 3d print of a turn of the century toy soldier and cast it in a two part mold of oomoo silicon and poured paraffin wax so now I added cheese wax for drain holes before the plaster and melt out does this look good so far?

>>1142363
Not sure why you wouldn't cast him head-down as that's probably how it was done, but looks good otherwise.

>>1141708
You can't quickly iterate and refine a design if you have to wait for shipping. every. single. print.

>>1142363
I thought he had a bleeding capsicum on his head.

>>1142127
I think it's just total lines of gcode divided by current line number
>>1142156
PETG should be able to handle that, if not, maybe ABS

>>1142390
This. Base of the soldier is where you pour into. What's the final metal, bronze or something?

>>1142440
Pewter

>>1142225
help pls :(

>>1142466
if you want general beginner's advice use google or take a look at the links in the OP pasta
but most importantly just go ahead and play with your printer and come back when you encounter specific problems

looking at your pic you should really tighten that y-axis belt and clean up your wiring

>I only have 1m of good filament
it's worthless to calibrate for any filament other than what you plan to be printing with
so unless you have more of that "good" filament on backorder put the meter aside
and start calibration with your "bad" filament, you hopefully have a full spool of.

>>1142225

Don't be so stressed out about it, most reprappers go through the same calibration and troubleshooting ordeal at first. The problems you will encounter can't be completely prevented beforehand so you need to just solve them as you go along. 1m of filament will be enough to test things, but not enough to print anything significant. Get yourself a roll of PLA, even a 500g one will last you long enough until you get to grips with the machine.

Btw i don't get what you mean "only 3 screws for leveling", that's the optimal number. There not really much benefit to using 4 or more, it's actually harder to do it with 4.

(Captain America)

does somebody want a quick model of something simple made?

I do 3D modeling and would be happy to cook something up if somebody here is going to print it and share pictures of it. I want to see it

>>1142446
Should have bought some mold max instead of the oomoo; it'll withstand pewter temps

>>1142446
>Pewter
now I'm wondering whether PC could dissipate the heat quickly enough to not lose its form at these temperatures
or if you'd have to invest in expensive Ultem, PEEK or SLA resins to print directly castable forms

Guys, what are the hardware parts that justify the Ultimaker's premium price?

I am not hating on them. A lot of their cost is them being an "established" manufacturer producings straightforward printers ready to be used. They also support their stuff with forums, model showcase, etc.

Ignoring all those "extras", what are some premium or high-quality design decisions or parts that cause their high cost?

I am new to 3D printing so I have no idea. Do they have super exact stepper motors, or extra efficient fan design?

>>1141726
Very nice model. Is it yours? And most important, where can I find it?

>>1142501

There's nothing special about Ultimaker's parts, they're just well put-together machines. My guess is that most of that price goes towards R&D, software developent (Cura) and quality control. Electronics are still based on an Atmega2560, motion system is more or less the same since the Ultimaker1. You can build a much fancier machine yourself with the amount of money you'd spend on a UM3, but that's not the point. If you're buying something like an Ultimaker, a Printrbot or a Lulzbot it's because you don't want to bother with kits and sourcing parts, you just want something that works reliably right away.

>>1142501
Ease of use, automatic calibration, build quality (increased print quality).
Those are just some traits it has, also newest model comes with dual extrusion so it can use materials like PVA to create support structures that are water soluble.

>>1142529
>you don't want to bother with kits and sourcing parts

What would you recommend if I actually do want to bother with such things.

I would like to build one from the ground up, and see how each aspect of the build affects the final product.

Is there a recommended guide out there?

Am I wrong in believing starting with an aluminum box-frame is the best approach?

>>1142343
S3D user with an FFCP here, I use it for fine details. If I'm just doing mechanical parts I use FlashPrint because it produces slightly more predictable variance between the STL and final product but S3D is a lot better at picking up fine details that FP misses. It's also a lot more helpful if you're trying to fine tune a design because you can preview G code without having to save anything.

My only criticism, apart from the price, is that it's rather 'optimistic' for print times while FP is minute-accurate (loading the X3G file into FP gives accurate estimates when this is important.

>>1142479
Where are his upper legs?

>>1142534
Ultimaker 2+ is open source, just order the parts somewhere and assemble.

Prusa i3 clone kit would be easier though.

>>1142534

Go to reprap.org and check out the machines page. There are a ton of different designs, each with its own unique features and quirks. All the design files for the Prusa i3 are there of course, but you'll find other neat and less popular designs like the Ormerod, Artifex, Mendelmax etc. If it has a page on there, all the design files and BOMs should be available.

I chose to go this route and went with sourcing and building a Mendelmax 1.5. I picked it mainly for its aluminium construction (it's very stiff, you can stand ontop of the frame), though it's kind of an old design from around 2011. I tried to find parts locally as much as i could but it still took about a year to gather up everything necessary. If you have any questions about the build ask em here.

I've been thinking about getting into 3d printing but poorfag.

Finding these on ebay for $200.
Are they OK for entry level? Anything I should know?

>http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bundle-2016-Anet-A2-X2-Repetier-Desktop-3D-Printer-DIY-Kit-Self-Assembly-US-SALE-/322426245344
>http://www.ebay.com/itm/Anet-X2-Upgraded-Quality-High-Precision-Black-Acrylic-LCD-Screen-3D-Printer-DIY/222412691410?rt=nc&_soffid=5027406903&_soffType=OrderSubTotalOffer&_trksid=p5731.m3795

>>1142569
It's a Prusa clone, if you need the volume then you're not going to find anything that's a significant improvement for the price, only a case of manufacturers who offer varying amounts of support.

>>1142573
Thanks.
Seriously considering getting one.

>>1142580

Fucking Anet and their flimsy acrylic frames, why do they keep getting recommended here?

>>1142592
"because they cheap"

Really, guys, if you are going to be seriously using your printer - A) you're going to upgrade it, and B) the cost of the filament will quickly outstrip the printer cost. In which case, spend like $100-200 more and get GOOD QUALITY printers so you can stop fucking around with a piece of shit printer and print more.

>>1142592
>flimsy acrylic frames
Good to know.

>>1142620
The difference between $200 & $400 is the difference between me getting one or not. I mainly want to learn and be able to fabricate parts for "handyman" type of repairs.
Was looking into just building one from scratch, but with no experience with the software (CAM & 3dmodeling)) or parts I'd be doing a lot of guessing and propably go own some dead end paths and/or waste money.
Parts made with a flimsey cheap printer would make parts for a better one and give me some practical experience, wouldn't it?
I have experience with machining, electronics, programming, drafting, ect. I have an old dot matrix printer I've stripped and controled the carrage with a uC and homebrew driver. It's experience with a 3d printer I lack as I've never even seen one IRL.

I understand your sentiment, I share it in certain areas, but I can barely justify $200.

>>1142640
>Parts made with a flimsey cheap printer would make parts for a better one and give me some practical experience, wouldn't it?

You'd be better off getting said parts printed by someone with a decent printer, trying to put one together with parts printed on a low quality unit will make you furiously eat your own hair. It's a shame you're not in the UK, I'd happily run them off for you for material costs (my power bills are paid for by my employer).

>>1142537
He skips leg day.
It's why he's hiding behind the shield.

>>1142437
> PETG
I was reading up and polycarbonate sounds good too.
Doesn't PETG suffer from UV exposure?
I don't have an enclosure so ABS is out for me unless I build one

>>1142536
Good to know. If it wasn't for the high price for software I would have long ago bought it. I just can't see it making much of a difference.

I wouldn't mind having the by layer infill % controls and the varied fan speeds/controls, and the option to have the print head stay within the model to reduce stringing on flexible filaments. But over a 100 for that is so steep.

Flashprint is amazing to me though. I started with RepG, tried modding cura for it but never worked, and then used Slic3r for a long time. And when I swapped to Flashprint and the quality went up a ton, then a few updates to it later it went up a lot again. Really impressed the machines get so much good support to be a Chinese knockoff.

I just wish it had some more advanced fan controls outside of just when to turn on or not. And the option to reduce stringing movement would be nice.

I wish I could just try the FFCP profile first. If it even passably worked I'ld buy it, but setting it manually to test was maddening. And their little try it and we'll refund you thing just smells to me. I'm sure they would, but I don't trust I could master the software fast enough to know.

>>1142592
>Fucking Anet and their flimsy acrylic frames, why do they keep getting recommended here?
It has been shilled hard everywhere for the past few months.

Any recommendations for printers within a $300 price limit that would be good for printing costume pieces?

>>1142838
Monoselect seem decent with one at 200 and the other 350. The i3 at 350 is a rebrand of some passable printers.

I don't own one personally just looked into them.

>>1142481
This please?
https://vimeo.com/64911927

If you can just do the housing and the piston/rotor as basic as possible, that'd be great.
But if you can do the covers, crankshaft, rotor's intake/exhaust and geared section/counter weight that'd be nice, too.

>>1142861
For a minute I thought that was a new type of extruder, I was concerned that someone thought it was viable.

>>1142861
>>1142862
>liquid piston extruder
fund it

>>1142547
>Mendelmax 1.5

I did not find it in the list, is it a custom printer you designed?

>>1142770
PETG should be pretty UV resistent. Polycarbonate is harder to print than ABS as far as I know

>>1142873
Do you recommend building an enclosure or should I be good to go if I print in a mildly warm room with no cold drafts?

>>1142882
Enclosure helps you could just use a box. PETG however is way fucking friendlier than ABS and comes out nicer. Mine worked at 238C with a part cooling fan.

>>1142861
Looks like the old Mazda RX engine that were sort of ineffective and wore heavily on one side where the fuel injects. They were neat though. Whats it for?

>>1142869

No it was designed by Kludgineer/maxbots and has a page on the wiki here:

http://reprap.org/wiki/MendelMax

1.x was designed as a stiffer aluminium version of the original Prusa Mendel which used threaded rods for its construction. The Mendelmax 2 and 3 that came after it are more intended for mass production and thus use very few printed parts. Artifex is a spinoff of the MM2 that brings back the use of printed parts.

An interesting thing about reprap machines is that you can usually trace back their "family tree". The Prusa i3 (iteration 3) for example goes back to the i2, then the Prusa Mendel (i1) and finally to the original Sells Mendel, which in turn is an improvement over the Darwin...

http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap_Family_Tree

>>1142620

There are cheap i3's at the same price that use an aluminium or steel frame, TEVO's Tarantula uses 20x20 extrusions. But for some reason the acrylic Anet gets shilled here... I hope it's a 6mm acrylic sheet at least.

>>1142882
For PETG you don't really need anything, it's almost as easy to print as PLA. Bed adhesion is not quite as good as PLA, but it shouldn't be a problem. I've never had warping in my parts, without an enclosure.

>>1142801
They're actually very good about refunds. Data point of 1 but back in the dark days when I had a DaVinci Jr I bought it and couldn't get the dickity Z-axis offset correct (no matter what I did, it always put the first layer down in mid air). After trying for a week, I emailed them and had a refund within 2 hours.

>>1142890
For as much as they ask for it I should only need to tweak things based on complex models and it should do my taxes.

>>1142886
Are Mendelmax 2 and 3 better than the 1.X?

>>1142888

Maybe this is a dumb question, but how does the nomenclature work regarding the Prusa printers?

Like there is i3 Prusa Tarantula, then MKII or whatever. Are they all "i3 Prusa"? What constitutes a "Prusa"? And what constitutes a "i3"?

>>1142916

They're not that different, just the 2 and 3 are designed more like CNC mills in the components they use. Things like linear rails for motion and waterjet-cut sheet metal parts instead of printed parts. That stuff is nice, but usually more expensive and doesn't improve print quality much.

Biggest issue i've had with the 1.5's design is aligning the z-rods perfectly straight (you can do it, but it's fiddly) and that it doesn't leave enough room in the bottom to hide the power supply and electronics, at least in the original 1.5 design from 2012. There are plenty of community parts on thingiverse that address most issues, but they're not as common as parts for the i3.


>>1142917

i3 is the original design by Josef Prusa, the latest version of which is the "Original MKII" and it's being sold on his website by his company (Prusa Research). Anything else that calls itself a "Prusa i3" is made by a 3rd party and derived from that original design (it's opensource). I suppose one analogy would be the original IBM-PCs and all the "clones" that came after which that had nothing to do with IBM but were compatible. It's currently the most popular design because it cuts corners very effeciently, only in areas which aren't crucial to the machine's operation. I'd call it the Ford Model T of 3d printers.

>>1142931
Which kit would you recommend for a beginner?

Tarantula, MKII, or MendelMax 1.5? I have also heard (here) good things about the Wanhao.

>>1142998

For a beginner i'd recommend the MKII, though it may be a little expensive for someone just getting into the hobby. The instructions are clear, the components are good quality, everything should work as intended. Preassembled units costs even more, but i'd recommend going for the kit just to learn more about the thing and save a few bucks. Also be prepared to wait awhile before getting it because they're currently in high demand.

- MendelMax 1.5 makes more sense when you're self-sourcing everything and want a full aluminium frame. They're not as popular and they don't really sell complete kits for them anymore. Mendelmax 1.5 is easy to build, but sourcing a kit with all the right upgrades requires a better understanding of the machine beforehand which places it at an an intermediate level. They're not cheaper printers either.

- Tarantula and most of the other i3 clones are when you want a much cheaper kit than the MKII and are prepared to stumble though a few things. Problems like no documentation, no quality control, possibly missing parts from the kits, potential fire hazard etc... A mystery box for the more adventurous. Tarantula looks good to me from this category because i'm biased in favor of aluminium frames, but i haven't used one myself.

>>1143023
>potential fire hazard

Wow, that does not sound good.

Shoddy power units? What else can catch fire?

>>1143023
How about going something like Tarantula --> MendelMax (or some similar own brew)?

>>1143029

Shoddy power supplies, wrong wire gauges, bad crimps, bad thermistor connections causing a thermal runaway... There is protection for thermal runaways in the Marlin firmware but some chinese manufacturers have been reported to have deliberately turned it off (!)... Normally there are regulations in place when importing goods that requires them to be certified for complying with safety standards. That, along with import taxes makes them more expensive. As you can guess, this applies mostly if you're a business importing multiple units with the intention of selling them domestically. An individual shipping one kit over the mail from china may be taxed, but nobody bothers to check whether what thif it's safe or not. As i said, mystery box - you can't be sure what you'll get until you get it.

>>1143033

You can reuse things like the stepper motors, hotend, rods, bed and electronics to make something else, but you will need to spend more money on the new frame. It's easier to make a crap machine good than to rebuild it. There have been enough cases where a shoddy i3 would start printing beautifully after printing a few upgrades and installing a quality hotend.

>>1142885
>old Mazda RX engine
That's kind of what it is.
This company basically took the Wankel design and turned it inside-out, reducing wear where the apex seals contacted.

It's pretty interesting. The company has a contract with DARPA for use of their engines in drones/UAVs.
I think this type of engine would be great in boat outboards, personally. I'd like to see a production car with a larger sized engine, too.
It also runs on multiple types of fuels.


http://liquidpiston.com/
https://vimeo.com/170502635
https://vimeo.com/163543761

>>1143029
It is usually the heated bed terminal that catches fire.

What's a good PETG brand?
Has anyone tried eSUN?

>>1143140
I really dislike esun PLA, their ABS is ok

for PETG I like atomic filament or push plastic or I personally like e3d Edge

>>1143140

I use Reprapworld's REAL PETG filament - https://reprapworld.com/listing/filament/real_filament/

Prints well, there's more stringing and boogers compared to PLA but that's normal for PETG.

>>1143194
Shipping to the US is too expensive when compared to push and their free US shipping

>>1143044
better looping webm, just because

What would you guys recommend. I want to build a 3D printer.

- I have access to an already working 3D printer so I cant easily print parts.
- I am not afraid to get my hands dirty and play with electronics, motors, PCBs, etc. I think the experience and process itself must be pretty rewarding.
- I would like to build something upgrade-able in the future. I would prefer to use stable aluminum extrusions so I can build a heated chamber down the road.

What would you guys recommend, a RepRap? Are those good?

>>1143380
>I cant
I CAN

>>1143380
Why not build something large platform? If you already have a working printer around, that is. If it's someone else's printer, you can go for some reprap knockoff, Folgertech's one uses alu extrusions.

>>1143380
What is your budget and how much time are you willing to spend?

Personally I'm in love with delta printers, so i'd recommend designing/building your own Kossel variation
especially considering that it fulfills all your requirements
>I would like to build something upgrade-able in the future. I would prefer to use stable aluminum extrusions so I can build a heated chamber down the road.

the design is really flexible, depending on budget you can freely pick size, quality of components and special features

if you plan on upgrading to a heated chamber, a nice "research" project would be to replace your hot end and part cooling fans with pressurized air from an aquarium pump
there are already several people experimenting with it, but it is still a novel and uncommon concept, a great opportunity to leave the beaten track and push the boundaries of diy machines

Made my own extruder, sofar works better than the old one.

>>1143415
what problems did you have with the old one?
the tension lever seems like a really unlikely part to cause problems and everything else in your design looks stock
love the creative use of pcb though, good job

>>1143386
It is someone elses printer, but I can print as much as I need.

>>1143389
I would start with a simple cartesian printer first, and then check how a delta printer behaves after I have some experience.

Any specific RepRap you guys recommend?

>>1143389
>>1143386
BTW I would also have access to a metal late and metal cutting tools, so I could buy cheap alu extrusions, support rods or threaded rods and cut them.

>>1143439
Had pic related, some injection molded not adjustable crap. One of them was even cracked before it was built in. Had lot of problems with it, not extruding, clicking etc.

PCB-s are my go to material whenever i need something strong slapped together fast.

What are good slicers that will allow you to make your own supports?
Automatic support generation feels like cancer.

>>1143380
gMax style if you want to go big (I'm not a fan of big printers though unless they border on professional grade, most shit you'll print is small or better printed in parts in case of fails) That said gMax design isn't bad at all.

Could get Original Prusa MK2 kit and just assemble.

Or Tom Sanladerer is currently seeing if he can build a super cheap clone of the MK2 so you could follow along with his videos. I sort of think we'll end up with something similar to a Maker Select or other similar ones doing this. But fun to build and that would make it easy to substitute in higher end parts where you want, like a real E3D hotend.

Do any of you homos have one of these guys? I am considering picking one up and don't know if i should just shell out an extra $150 on a prusa.

>>1143649
They pretty awesome considering its right at 200 bucks.

Next month monoprice should be releasing the updated version, they haven't really said the full details of what the updated one will bring

personally I really like these guys, good quality, good support, safer then the chink shit that everyone shills hard these days

>>1143596
Meshmixer supports work alright then you import the model into your slicer of choice.

Free options slicers with good/decent supports;
Cura 2.4
slic3r 1.3 / prusa slic3r build
Craftware (like free closed source simplify3d)
torrent simplify3d 2.2.2 (most of the 3.1's are full of malware)

>>1143649
>right at 200 bucks.
>extra $150 on a prusa.
how does that work out?
Aren't Prusas ~700€?

>>1143690
probably a chinese clone like hictop
genuine prusa is ~700+

>>1143690
Monoprice makes a Prusa design that is about 320.

Aside needing to tighten things down once you get them everyone I've seen with these seems to get decent performance particularly for so cheap a printer. I mean ya a real MK2 is better and easier, but for cheap they aren't bad from looks of it.

>>1143700
ah that explains it
because generic chinese clones can easily be found for $200 or less
so the $350 must have been in reference to some specific model
I really hate it when people call every i3 style machine a Prusa
why not call it a *manufacturer* i3?

>>1143700
yeah the wanhao rebadged duplicator series are pretty great

>>1143704
Honestly I think because so many of the manufactures do it. I guess to try to trick new comers or I have no idea. Either of the monoprice seem fine as a intro to 3D printing. Be hard to build one yourself for that price with the same features.

>>1143705
Good to know. I've considered getting a 2nd printer, but it would be hard to not go for a MK2. But there may come a day within a year or two that I may need something for simple jobs I can just leave to do its business while I use a main printer for other stuff.

>>1143714
monoprice is rebadging and doing updates to the wanhao duplicator 5s mini from last I heard, that might be a good option for a workhorse in that ~700usd price range

would my prints look better if i used 3x thickness walls over 2x?
would it be worth the extra print time?
object strength or structure isn't important for this particular print

Sort of related to this thread as I'm 3d printing parts for it, but for a milling machine would ZZ or 2RS bearings be better? ZZ being all steel with a gap and the 2RS being rubber sealed on both sides. ZZ are a little cheaper but not enough to matter.

>>1143793
I do 3 shells a lot and cut down on infill. Helps on the top layer to keep it smooth and keeps the speed about the same.

>>1143649
Just bought one as a backup printer, because my DIY i3 is a pain in the ass. That way I can print out replacement parts reliably.

What is better, a moving bed (like the Prusa i3) or a moving extruder (like the ultimaker)?

>>1144589
moving extruder
even high end printers with a moving bed (lulzbot)
run into problems when printing tall parts at high acceleration/speed

> tfw out of filament and have to wait for shipping because nowhere near by carries the good stuff

>>1144589
Go coreXY if you can

like >>1144595
when printing at high z height you'll start to notice artifacts / a ringing affect on your prints

>>1144599
>closest place is a 1 hour walk, round trip
>buy 6.6lbs of filament on sale, half off
worth it

>>1144658
>Filament at half price
Where?

>>1144679
my local [nospoiler]microcenter[/nospoiler]
~$10 makerbot filament, it was a close out deal, so it may vary store to store

>>1144689
Have you tried their inland filament? I heard it's absolute garbage but I'm tempted to take a pilgrimage down to the one by me and try it out to see if I can get shit to print

>>1144884
I swear inland is like eSun's B and C stock, since it is just rebranded eSun and the normal stuff is no where near as bad

>>1144884
>inland filament
Yes, I've used Inland ABS before.
It's just ok considering it's $15 a spool.

On one spool, though, there was a wad of contaminants that just totally clogged things up.
I was using a colored spool and the wad was white and slightly larger than the filament diameter. That section seemed to be unmeltable compared to the rest of the filament.
Also, I think the variance in diameter causes extra material to be kicking around at times (but not all the time).
I'd recommend using some sort of dust filter with oil, because there is some dust in the spool
iirc, I did have to clean out my nozzle over 1-1.5 spools used.

When it did work, prints just came out ok


mileage may vary

Has anyone time to make the thread image and post a new thread?

anyone got any idea if this is up for free anywhere?

Guys I am one of the anons above asking regarding his first 3D printer.

I have decide to not buy a kit, and buy one from the ground up.

What do you guys think about this one?
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1752766