/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Can somebody tell me what slicer it is that has those weird branching supports? I know it's a dumb question but I am very much a noob.

Looking for some of the budget budget printers that are still pretty good. Saw the Anet a8 and it looks pretty good. Should I get it or is there a better alternative for comparable pricing?
Can get the Anet a8 for 140$ on GearBest

>>1342784
meshmixer

>>1342822
>>1342784
Wait, wasn't it Cura?

>>1342920
meshmixer and cura, mmixer is still better, but cura is nice to remove and is a pseudo ooze shield

Heyo.
Im thinkin of buying a printer, but cant decide what to get.
Any suggestions for something that isnt crazy expensive that does decent work?
Also, do they come with software?
Will my old ass windows lappy run it?
Can a person who has never done 3d design actually use the software?
I feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting info and reviews and what works and doesnt.

>>1343335
>suggestions for buying
I'm 3 years out of date, can't help you here
>do they come with software
The boards generally do, but you need your own slicing software most of the time. The most popular I see are Slic3r and Cura.
>will my old-ass windows lappy run it
Yes; slicing might take a little longer but still should be pretty quick.
>3D design software
Look into things like Tinkercad, Fusion360, Blender, OpenSCAD and FreeCAD - they're all free with various learning curves and pros/cons. You can learn pretty quick if you have a desire.

>>1343346
When you say slicer, i have no idea what that means.
Im a hands on creator with hand tools and metal.
I have no idea what some of these terms for 3d printing mean.

Seems like a CAD program should be able to tell the machine what to do. But some of these things sound much more complicated

>>1343363
a 3d printer need precalculated information on how to print your object, thats what you do with a slicer. its a extra software which converts your 3d model into something your 3d printer can use. you can also modifiy many parameters in these slicers. like wall thickness, temperatures, and a million more stuff.

there are many fangroups of some printers, but theyre all somehow ok. some better, some not.
i for myself have a Creatility 10, or CR 10- its quite cheap, stable, and works. and i use cura to make the 3d printable files.

of course there are better options but i like the prints and it just works for my case.

>>1343363
Slicers take the model and cut it into paths along which the printer head moves. If you're familiar with CAD, it's pretty much the Z level of the tool head except it adds material instead of removing - see pic related.

Yes, you're technically correct in that CAD programs should be able to tell it what to do - there are some extra features like fan speed (for cooling), extrusion modifier (pretty much spindle speed), acceleration/speed settings (feed rate), bed and extruder temperatures.

>>1343368
>>1343374
And this is why i likely wont buy one.
I dont have the patients for this.

Thanks guys

>>1343363
>>1343363
Much like a CNC, the printer uses modified GCode - you could technically code it by hand, but it would be an unimaginable PITA.

Pic related is different layer heights (0.1, 0.2, 0.3mm) which shows the detail you get. Thicker layers = faster speed but less detail (since you're effectively using a larger tool).

I hope my CNC comparisons aren't too weird, but please feel free to ask questions if you need, that's exactly what this thread is for.

>>1343375
>patience
You take a 3D model, you import it into a program, and you hit the "slice" button, no patience needed

>>1343378
>program designed to work with a machine doesnt actually do anything
>then requires another program to actually make the machine work
This is dumb.
Its like buying a car and then having to find an ECU that makes it run.
Stupid

>>1343389
I don't get why this is such an issue. You can't just take an OBJ or SLDPRT file and use it directly in a CNC, you have to generate toolpaths for it. It's the same here. If just clicking 3 buttons is too much I don't think 3D printing is the hobby for you.

>>1343389
It's like a directions on a map or a GPS. The driver needs instructions on when to go, stop, and turn.

10/10 bait you got me to respond.

>>1343397
>>1343399
So why wouldnt the program that comes with the machine already do this? Surely slicing can be done in the same program as CAD.

remember guys dont feed the trolls

>>1343400
For the same reason a movie camera doesn't have Sony Vegas or a photo camera doesn't have Photoshop on it

>>1343401
I'm too far deep, send help

>>1343375
*patients
Well, if you can't take the time to spell correctly on a 4chan post, then it's game over.

But seriously:-
1: Buy a printer. Any printer under $300 dollars is a good deal. In fact, it's *better* if it's a kit - you learn a lot building it
2: Pick some 3D design software. Any, it doesn't really matter. Just pick one and watch a few youtube videos on using it properly. At this point, I will suggest FreeCAD - strange workflow, RMS freedumbs
3: Export your creation as a .stl file, and import it to slic3r or cura - this will take your 3D shape and export it to the gcode that your printer uses
4: Calibrate your printer and tune your slicing software
5: Send to your printer and enjoy!

There are LOTS of variables in 3D printing - they all come up in step 4, but the more time you spend in step 1 will help you understand.

If you want "click and forget", buy a davinci printer and never come back here.

If you want to learn a new skill, buy a kit printer and come back to us.

>>1343401
Not trolling. Seems genuinly inefficient and overly complicated.
>>1343425
Thanks?
Why the comments about davinci?

>>1343400
Slicing can indeed be done in expensive CAD suites like SolidWorks. It can also be done with some printer host software that support Cura Engine.

My Ender 2 is doing way better than I ever expected.

This is a 60% scale Benchy (to save time) printed with a 0.3mm nozzle and a shitty cooling mod I will need to redo at 60mm/s.

With this quality printing anime girls appers to be more realistic than I expected.
However how do I get rid of those horisontal lines on the hull and thise slight overextruded bumps on the nose?

>>1343467
some light sanding maybe?

>>1343446
almost every workflow require few different applications. you know the saying "jack of all trades, master of none"?

few printers comes with their own slicers, but those are usually not as good as commonly used slicers such as cura.

from my point of view, slicer IS the printer after you dial the hardware, magic happens in the slicer.

>>1343400
>So why wouldnt the program that comes with the machine already do this?
Because it would be garbage. See: Makerbot clones

>>1343469
Sure thing BUT I'm pretty sure that those surface defects are rather a result of myself doing something wrong and I can refine it with some more software settings and hardware tinkering before I get into destructive workflow with sanpaper and files.

>>1343481
>>1343467

You may want to try decreasing flow/extrusion %, and/or reducing line width.

Bulging on tight corners specifically is a sign that you're trying to print faster than your machine can accelerate, resulting in slightly too much material in the corners. You can compensate by slowing print speed, increasing maximum acceleration (at least until the motors start skipping steps), or avoiding hard corners in your designs. That's usually a consistent problem on every layer, though, not randomly like yours looks. I'd still suggest dialing back the print speed, though; a lot of problems are caused by trying to go too fast.

>>1343400

Why should it? I can see there being some slight advantages with the software coming ready out-of-the-box for that specific machine, but why would most manufacturers spend the time and hassle developing their own slicer when there are very capable and free options already available? And, more importantly, why would I pay the extra for them to do that when it's entirely likely to be inferior (unless it's a very high-end printer)?

>>1343446
>Why the comments about davinci?

The bullshit they tried to pull with putting DRM on a FUCKING ROLL OF PLASTIC left a sour taste in a lot of mouths. The 2D-printer industry may be able to get away with fooling the public into thinking that ink/toner is some voodoo magic that's more valuable per-gram than pure silver, but trying to do the same with something as familiar as mere plastic to a crowd that's generally a more learned bunch than the general populace? Foolish, at best.

>>1343346
I'll offer a little bit different way of explaining things than the rest of the people here.

You work with hand tools and metal, yes? You design things, then cut the pieces, then assemble them. That's a common way to put large things together: furniture, cars, etc. The analogy I'll go into will work better with wood, so I'll stick to that, but hopefully you'll get my gist.

When you're buying a 3D Printer, you're not buying a car (to comment on your ECU analogy) you're buying a tool.

The workflow for 3D Printing is like this: Model/Design - > Slice (generate GCode) -> Print

You often need a separate piece of software for modeling a part. This is the CAD software. There are some design softwares that come with the next piece of software built into it, but those examples are less configurable/powerful for that purpose. One way or another, you end up with a 3D model, in the STL format (which basically turns it into a bunch of surface triangles). You can skip the modeling step if you exclusively download models from Thingiverse or other hosting websites.

Next step: Slicing. This is done with a piece of software known as a slicer. It's called a slicer because it takes the model and slices it into every individual layer that is going to be printed. The slicer software is what will end up being used to create the GCode, and vary parameters like infill density, wall thickness, printing temperatures, etc.

Last step: printing. The printer takes your GCode and runs it. Simple as that.

The process for 3D printing is very similar to the process of running a CNC router or mill. You're going to have to mess with settings to get things the right way you want. You can't just throw a block of aluminum on a CNC mill and say "give me a screwdriver". You're going to have to input settings for the stock, the tooling, speeds and feeds. Running a 3D Printer doesn't require any more patience than running a CNC mill does.

>>1343550
Probably meant for >>1343335 , replying so they get a (you)

>>1343550
Thank you

>>1343389
What you're saying is like buying an inket printer and expecting it to set the font on the text

>>1342808
A8 is good once you replace 90% of it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnbSI7vDNAc

>>1343486
Thanks

>>1343480
Is that a 3d printed 5.56/7.62 carbine? Is it any good? I thought the only "less unreliable" 3d printed gun was the Liberator, however i would love to try to build a higher-than-.22 caliber 3d printed gun as a project (always expecting not to end up with one less hand)

>>1343335

>Im thinkin of buying a printer, but cant decide what to get.

But a kit build that's compatible with the RepRap standard. you'll be able to upgrade extruder/Hot end at some point, and the process of building it will teach you to troubleshoot it down the road, which you'll inevitably have to do. just don't buy a folgertech kit, they're literal fucking trash and their support is a joke. any company that's can't figure out how to use a Laser cutter on 1/4" melamine has no business selling kit anything.

if you don't want to do a kit, I have a personal softspot for lulzbots because I live 10 min. away from their factory and they're hella chill guys.

>Any suggestions for something that isn't crazy expensive that does decent work?

The kit you build DIY and setup properly to do decent work. avoid deltas as a first kit. they can be fine later on, but a traditional X-Y kit will be a little easier to get going with.

>Also, do they come with software?

Firmware, yes. typically Marlin. you'll learn more about that when you get into it, so i won't get into that.

Slicing software, no, but to avoid getting too technical - for a "complete package" - Simplify3D is my preference. Cura is basically as good and free.
Repetier Host using Slic3r or Skeinforge is really good and it's what I typically use, and I personally think that the Repetier Firmware is better than Marlin, but that's one of those semi-religious things I have.

>Will my old ass windows lappy run it?

yes. probably won't run the design software well, but using it as a host machine is fine.

>Can a person who has never done 3d design actually use the software?

Everybody started somewhere. There's no excuse when you tube is a thing.

>I feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting info and reviews and what works and doesnt.

Which is why kits revolving around the RepRap standard are a good option. if something goes wrong or doesn't work, it's easy to find a replacement or an alternative.

>>1343486
>increasing maximum acceleration (at least until the motors start skipping steps),

My priter prints more than twice slower than Cura predicts. Is it normal?

How do I properly set up the acceleration and jerk settngs to make it go faster?

How do i know if the motors are skipping steps? Dpes it sound like a loud click? what is going to happen first the motor skipping or the belt slipping?

>>1343744
Cura probably has higher values set tham what are set in your printer firmware and therefore it thinks that the print will finish faster.

>>1343645

It's a foam dart gun, bro...

>>1343813
Welp, atleast i've still got the Liberator and the zig zag revolver.

>order multiple packets of different sized nozzles from china
>chinaman just sends me like 3 packets of 0.2mm nozzles

>>1343480
Can I print and sell your design?

>>1343868
Stop asking dumb guestions and go look up his license on thingiverse.

>>1339563
Another attempt.
Also an upside down print with a 0.3 nozzle and two cooling fans.
Instead of shitty tree support I used concentric support in cura which now are my favorite kind of support,

>>1343956
Oh and I upscaled it just a little bit to 120% so that cura wuld shit itself less with the tiny details.

Still the parts that are mmessed up are essud up because of Cura slicing error on the very sall parts

Di Vinci printers suck. The proprietary filament sucks. I tried printing with the remaining PLA plastic I have on my spool and the printer and software think I don't have anymore plastic on the spool, but I see plenty of plastic on the spool. It refuses to print with the spool which is a waste of plastic. Let this be a lesson to anyone interested in a Di Vinci printer. Get something else. It might cost more money, but non proprietary filament is much better.

>>1343582
Wouldn't it be better to just get all the good parts without buying the entire anet a8 kit and is there perhaps a guide for this?

>>1344076
Yeah honestly just get the absolute cheapest kit with 4 nema 17 steppers, assemble it, learn how 3d printers work and then just pick your favorite build from this site https://openbuilds.com/ and build it using a few aluminum extrusions you bought, the motors and stuff you already had and parts printed on your shit china kit.

All in all if you do everything right you ought to be able to spend less than $300 while ending up with a printer that works as well as a $1000 one.

Tips keep lifting
What do?

>>1344128
>less airflow to bed / get an enclosure
>hotter bed
>more adhesive on bed
>decrease first layer thickness
Those are the first things I would check.

>>1344147
>airflow
i can look into that
>hotter bad
already running at near max of 110°C
>more adhesive
never used any before. what is recommended?
>decrease first layer thickness
gonna test around a bit i guess

>>1343498
>The 2D-printer industry may be able to get away with fooling the public into thinking that ink/toner is some voodoo magic that's more valuable per-gram than pure silver..

slightly offtopic, but as someone in charge of fleet laser and ink printers, originals cartridges are cheaper in the long run. at least on the corporation level.

our A3 laser printers are outsourced, we pay for printed page and consumables and maintenance is provided by external company. first they provided "alternative" toners. printed exactly as original. HOWEVER other consumable parts were wearing much faster. For example transfer belts died after 20k pages when it should survive over 100k. Same with fuser units. That shit is not cheap and I don't count all the hours of their time with replacing it. so after a year, outsourcing company switched our alternatives to originals by them selfs. similar story with inkjets - cheap alternative means costly repairs down the road, usually complete print head change or wicking of waste ink into the printer.

>>1344128
mire their gains bro

>>1344151
I use a 1/5 mix of Elmer's Glue and water (mostly empty bottle and add warm water until it's pretty thin) and spread it with a razor blade on my glass bed. Some people use hairspray. I don't like hairspray because of the overspray, smell, and flammability.

>>1344076
You need the Anet to print the replacement parts to turn your Anet into a God Printer (tm)... unless you have a buddy who can machine plates from aluminum, in that case you'll end up with a monster that will last much longer than FDM technology itself

That Tevo Tarantula is even better because you can use M3 sliding nuts to bolt Chiwin rails to the extrusions, so you end up keeping more of it than an Anet

>>1344211
Good, not God

But it will be a tiny God anyway

>>1344128
Just put loads of gluestick on the problemspots, i bet you could get even abs to print properly without an enclosure or a heated bed if you just use enough gluestick.

>>1342697
Has anyone here set up a heated enclosure? I've got the PID controller, the insulated wall material and heater to set one up, and I know that they do pretty well in commercial printers. not sure how that's gonna jive with kit parts though. has anyone tried?

What do I do to get better threads? I'm trying to make one of those meme vises from thingiverse, but I get a feeling I'll have to redo the threaded parts. Is it just printing finer layers?

>>1344348
Print one of the z-brace mods. That printer is capable of great prints, but out of the box, it's way too wobbly.

Anyone got any tips with printing with Nylon specifically taulman bridge? I finally solved the bed adhesion issue but I notice that retraction with nylon is a fickle bitch and I get too much blobbing despite my adjustments.

>>1344349

Got that, plus the belt tensioner mods to replace the springs. I feel pretty good about rigidity but I might take some time next weekend to look at temps/speeds and see what that gets me.

>>1344353

In your layer settings in your slicer I would go to at the most .12mm and depending on how steep of an overhang the threads are check to see if there is an option to print layers going outside-in. This gives a better surface finish at the cost of poorer overhang max angles.

Otherwise just slow down a bit on the speed and do some test prints with different temps & cooling to find the sweet spot with your filament.

>>1344348
Alright I can;t for the life of me get to reliably tighten the extruder filament tension spring. I really really really cannot be fucked modelling and making a screw-operated tensioner, though I should at some point when I'm not busy.

You ever get around to tightening these ones? The gear is fine but my filament keeps slipping out and making shit prints every 20mins or so.

>>1344381
Your extrruder spring? Not a likely cause--search elsewhere first if you say the gear is fine. Look at your spool holder and your nozzle I guess--it might be one of those.

I found that I was having trouble with my spools binding up on the monoprice stock holder because the paper label was rubbing against the brace and providing enough friction to stop it from spinning on a new spool, which hadn't happened before as the label was always applied on the other side. Changing the extruder spring may help, but it likely isn't the root cause here.

>>1344388
I will look into those. I have confirmed it as the extruder spring, filament slips if I tug on it gently or even hold it in place when it's trying to extrude. It hasn't done this before as the teeth bit into the filament - now it doesn't bite as much.

>>1344348

It came out OK; it seems black filament just makes every imperfection stand out more.

>>1344352
Turn on coast. Additionally, check your flowrate.

My Ender 2 has a defective power connector.
The positise lead literally can not be inserted at all and only contacts it loosely.
The printer functions most of tbe time but resets when I move it but yesterday it randomly shut down in the middle of a long print.

What is the best solution to this problem? Do I buy a replacement mainboard or should I try and solder a laptor power brick connector in there and get a power brick for it?

>>1344459
I cut up my old PSU cables and a Molex connector, soldered each end to where it's supposed to go, and use the molex connector instead of terminals. Should work for you too.

>>1344469
Will it be ok with printer power load?
AFAIK the printer PSU is rated 120w and the molex connector is 75 if not less.

>>1344435
That's why I never even bought black filament. Everything looks like garbage with it. Now if you use natural ABS everything will look like it came out of a million dollar stratasys

Almost done with an enclosure for my Rostock! The plastic sheet should arrive next week. And I ordered a Tevo Tornado. They were having a sale from the gearbest warehouse in California.

>>1344473
That's a fair point, the cables I replaced were for the heatbed. Still, soldering wires to the mainboard should be possible, just make sure you pick the right ones. I'm not super good with calculating these things and don't want you to burn anything down because of me.

>Be replacing nozzle
>accidentally touch the wires on the heating block
>short the wires out and see a tiny littlle spark
>Now the printer says ERR:MINTEMP

Did I kill the thermistor or the mainboard by this short?
My common sense tells me that shorting out like that would most likely put the load on the wires or the board elements. Is there any hope the board is still anive?

>>1344693
Did you try turning it off, then on again? The fact that the board is outputting something makes me think it's probably fine, off the cuff.

>>1344693
Oh shit it looks like I actually shorted out the heater and now it cant read the thermistor.

Is there any hope the mainboard is still alive or is it cerrtainly fucked?

>>1344698
Yes I did.

How much would I need to invest to get started with 3D printing?
Mainly for smaller parts (10x10x10cm maybe).
I'm located in Europe if that matters.

I'm basically wondering if I should get prototypes printed online or just do it myself to save money over time.

>>1344728
If you're in the Czech Republic just buy a Prusa from Josef himself.

Entry barrier is roughly $250 and gets higher depending on what features you think or are important. Costs for prototypes will quickly grow, particularly if they are large.

>>1344728
>How much would I need to invest to get started with 3D printing?
If we're talking about FDM technology (nozzle shitting out a thin plastic thread) you could get a fucnctioning machine for under 200$ which will require you to modify it, troubleshoot, tinker with it and learn the technology.
The ones that are just fine out of the box are couple hundred more.

If you want SLS printing (laser welding plastic powder together) like you can get on Shapeways which is very strong and is very detailed and precise the cheapest machines are like 7000$

If you want SLA technology (laser curing liquid resin) the chinks orrfer 500-700$ machines. the precision is the highest but mechanical properties of this material are meh. Also fuckload of fuckery with nasty materrials which ae also expensive.

Could anyone help?
I designed a new pivot cover for my motorcycle helmet visor, all done great looking good but whenever I try and convert it to an stl in fusion 360 it adds in slopes where there should be recesses/hole

>>1344735
Not the guy you replied to; I've been considering a Chinese SLA but there's virtually no info on them other than they exist. Are they really competitors to stuff like the Form 2 or are they "competitors" in the same way that the $100 acrylic printers are Makerbots/etc.?

>>1344739
How abouut you show a picture?

>>1344743
Ofcourse they are inferior but still look pretty good. Go check out youtube reviews on Wanhao Duplicator D7 and Something Something Photon.

AFAIK the technology is slightly different and instead of a laser those machines use an LCD screen with UV LEDs. but the thingies they print look pretty nice.

>>1344730
I'm from Germany, I looked up Prusa but those seem to be way over $250.

>>1344735
FDM would be good enough since it's only for prototypes. I don't mind having to tinker with it. Are there any beginner pitfalls I should watch out for?

>>1344749
>Are there any beginner pitfalls I should watch out for?
Other than buying wrong parts for it and doing this >>1344693 i dunno.
My research was very straightforvard
>WAIT IT IS SO CHEAP? INSTA BUY
>Unbox and assemble
>First print is dogshit
>tighten the belts and clean up the nozzle
>OK print not stellar but already better
>research on the settings and part cooling
>input the correct settings and get a decent looking print (the fourth one on the picture)
>WOW
>Print a fan duct that cools the part and input the best reasonable setting - get the fifth guy.

These guys are a result of me tinkering with it during the first day of having it.
Currently I got even better.

>>1343645
>Is that a 3d printed 5.56/7.62 carbine?
It's Nerf
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2376150
>>1343868
Yes. It's public domain which allows customers to commission others to produce parts for them without issue. The hope is to also have people producing these in other countries but that hasn't quite happened yet.
You're going to need quite a collection of tools if you intend to produce the hardware yourself.
https://imgur.com/gallery/MpC55

And if you can't manage it I do sell just the hardware set as a kit with everything cut to length and ready for assembly.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/551944941/

>>1344744
This is what the top was designed to look like

>>1344744
>>1344786
This is what the top looks like when being converted to an stl

Its a similar story underneath/inside

>>1344730
>>1344749
Dont get prusa, you are just paying twice the price for the letters "prusa" written on it.

For that size get a a TronXY X-1 or a Cetus

>>1344791
That is broken, fix it in Blender.

>>1344786
>>1344791
Check if your CAD is a solid model and not a surface model.
Experiment with other options when exporting, i doubt a program like that generates garbage mesh by default.

>>1344807
Yeah lets solve a problem by using a second tool to solve a problem that roots from not knowing how to use the first one.

>>1344786
Try changing refinement in STL options, or triangle count or something.

>>1344761
Looks pretty good! Thanks for the advice.

>>1344805
That TronXY X-1 is apparently pretty cheap and seems to have good reviews, hard to resist the impulse buy right now.

>>1344822
If you dont have a printer yet i suggest you get one. I was amazed why i didnt get one sooner.

>>1344353
I also dropped my accelerations to 600m/s^2 all round. That seems to help a lot with the wobble/ringing. Slow speeds (as low as 20m/s on external perimeters) have also dramatically increased the quality of my prints.

>>1344813
Nope, no combination of refinement options helped

>>1344807
No shit, I shouldnt have to turn to blender, I should be able to just convert it to an stl properly in the first place

>>1344810
I'm pretty sure its a solid model

>>1344832
What happens when you export it to different file formats that you can open? obj, step, iges...

>>1344840
Tried iges, sat, smt none make any difference, doesnt step doesn't block over the hole however it seems to remove half of the model for some reason

>>1344779
>The hope is to also have people producing these in other countries but that hasn't quite happened yet.

I'll take a look at the non-printed items and see if I can find them here.

>>1344779
>https://imgur.com/gallery/MpC55

Yeah, I have none of that heavy machinery.

>>1344805
>paying twice the price for the letters "prusa" written on it.

Isn't the controller board like 50% of the cost? How easy is it to use it on other printers? I could import just it rather than the entire machine and make some bucks selling it as a retrofit controller for modded-out Anets

Trying to jump into 3d printing to prototype some ideas I have, anyone got a chinkshit 1.75mm PLA printer they'd recommend? Also is sketchup usable for this purpose?

>>1345075
Its not like I had bunches of different printers but i can give you a review.
>Buy the Ender 2 because people say its best in the price range and it can print nylon and other strong materials
>the prints come out OK-ish but the Z axis wobbles a fuckload and there's no part cooler, the extruder filament bearing is seized, fan rattles like crazy, the power connector on the main board is defective and comes loose if I move it.
>take out the extruder bearing, clean and oil it, add a small washer underneath it to make sure the external bearing ring can spin and not touch the static surface - fixed.
>pour the oil into the fan - fixed
>Z carriage has no adjustment bushings in it so I had to machine them and drill the holes for them to adjust the rollers - fixed. Now the machine is really rigid and sturdy, looking at other people's video my prints look pretty good in comparassing.
>for part cooling I 3d prined a fan shroud in which I mounted two 5015 axial fans blowing through the nozzles right into the printing area - fixed
>Printer started getting all weird displacements and shifts that drove me crazy looking for the cause, tightening untightening the belts, tweaking the motors and trying to figure out what the fuck is causing that until I found a loose screw I simply didnt tighten enough.
>the power connector issue will be resolved when I replace the mainboard. After that my printer will be just fucking great woth no further issues and printing very damn well with less surface defects that some expensive printers are getting.

From what I hear from other sources this degree of hardware tinkering is pretty much what anyone should expect if they want to get some good prints for cheap.

If your hobby is fixing your own car and fine tuning things you sure will love it.

>>1344152

That's fine, but the average consumer isn't printing on an industrial/corporate level. I'd wager that most people haven't printed 20k pages in their entire lives, much less in a matter of weeks/months.

I can't also help but think the external company was just getting bottom-of-the barrel, shitty toner. It's well-known that the (consumer) printer industry operates on a consumables model, and they're priced accordingly. There's no reason a 3rd party couldn't manufacture a decent ink and sell it cheaper, considering they don't have to make up for selling printers themselves at cost/loss.

>>1345075
Sketchup is trash for anything but architechture. Grab a freebie fusion360 license instead.

>>1344693
>>1344705
If you can't get it to work by rebooting it's prolly fucked.

>>1345075
I've got the Tronxy X1 and while i must say that it is all around functional and will even print quite nicely you can get a bit better printer by investing a bit more.

I'm making a rear bike light with my uni's free 3D printing service.
What is the best way to create a plug that will seal the battery hole?

I thought about dimples and grooves with a coin sized groove. I'll add an o-ring to ensure a snug fit. Any better idea?

>>1345212
works every time

>>1345212
Use a screw on lid? Very easy to do with Fusion 360.

Or just design som rails on the inside so you can just "pop" a cap on it.

>>1345231
I've seen the threading tools on Fusion, but I've never printed anything before, so I'll probably screw it up, no pun intended. I was thinking about a simpler alternative.

What is the hotend hrat insulating material?
Is it asbestos?

I'm kinda worried because I know chinks still use asbestos in china and it is perfect for this particular application.
Do they specify what is it made out of?

>>1345212
I finished the thing, I've made the cap radius 0.1mm less than the radius of the battery hole, idk if that's enough. I've tried to use as little overhangs as possible, marked with arrows. Will those overhangs be a problem? The rounded overhangs have a thickness of 1.5mm in both cases.

>>1345281
The upper arrow will be an issue. Just chamfer that spot and the matching spot in your cap piece instead.

See pic related. I have a 3-lug joint that allows these two prints to twist and lock together. I highly suggest doing partial prints of just the cap and that joint for a while until you get the tolerances between the two parts dialed in. Otherwise you will have to spend a good amount of time filing or cutting your cut until it fits.

The lower issue might print a little ugly and would probably work better as a pointed arrow. But it will print.

>>1343375
Unfortunately with no patients you'll never be a doctor either

>>1345305
>filing or cutting your cap until it fits.
fixed

>>1345212
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wills_Ring

http://promo.parker.com/promotionsite/oring-ehandbook/us/ehome/ci.Static-O%E2%80%93Ring-Sealing,EN.EN

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/how-piston-ring-groove-depth-clearance-effects-ring-seal.5454/

>>1345305
Thanks a lot for the input, I chamfered the upper edges. I also added holes for zip ties and used fillets, I think they'll turn all right.

>>1345305
Thanks a lot for the input, I chamfered the upper edges. I also added holes for zip ties and used fillets, I think they'll turn all right. I might make several caps to nail the diameter, but I don't mind filing the dimples a bit.
>>1345336
Thanks for the input, but I think I won't use an o-ring because of the risk of messing the print.

>>1345253
Bruh just dont breathe it and you'll be fine.

Been out of loop for some time and cant find anything on searches: Does Cura or any other software support thin layer second material support? I mean instead of building the whole support out of PVA for example, the PVA is only used for the connections of the support with the part you print.

>>1345405
I think the prusa flavor of slic3r does, but dont quote me on this.

Is there a setting in slic3r to adjust the bridging overlap? I'm encountering issues with the bridges not attaching to thin walls.

>>1342697
Anyone else building a hangprinter?

sup
i'm thinking of getting into this thing. seen the buyer guide in 3dhubs and more or less decided on Prusa i3 MK2S
should i go ahead?
and forgive my retardedness, but what are some good online shops for filaments? (that i haven't found yet)

>>1345443
>and more or less decided on Prusa i3 MK2S
Why not the MK3? The price difference aint so high and the MK3 got some really nice additional features. Unless you want to get a used one, i would really suggest you to go for the MK3.
If you are in the US, Hobbyking is having the Tronxy X1 with a US plug on sale for around 110-120$ including for shipping, if i remember correctly. Dunno about import taxes tho. Its a good printer for getting started and people often like to keep it as a second one. Just making the suggestion, since people often like to buy a expensive printer and then it rots away unused.

Regarding filament: Where are you from? Since filament is rather heavy for what you get and sending it from one continent to another can easily raise the overall price.

>>1345443
mk2s is a good printer, while some would say you're paying for the brand, much of that may be true, but they wont send you shit parts that you'd find in an ebay kit. You also get some level of support.

Just, as a word of personal advice, any printer can be made to print nicely, unless something is broken.

brands to scorn: DaVinci

brands with kits that require moderate modification for good prints, personally, while I now get pretty good print quality, I have some level of buyers remorse:
Geeetech, Anet, most gearbest printers.

If you're in the US: amazon is pretty good for filament, or you can just buy from manufacturers. Cheap ABS sucks, for the most part.

>>1345443
>>1345456
My 2c: $20-30 (per kg) filament seems to be the "good" price for it; anything lower than about 17 is usually not great (but can be okay), and anything above 27 is starting to be diminishing returns unless it's anything other than PLA and ABS

>>1345438
Cool concept, a huge waste of plastic in practice.

Do you guys 3D print 3D printers?

>>1345212
>my uni's free 3D printing service

Back in MY day I was charged time, labor, materials, and a surcharge to use my college's 3D printer

Sure it was 2012 and the printer was a hulking multi-color Stratasys SLS, but I'm still jealous

What size motors do I need for an i3 build?

The reprap wiki lists some, and the low end seems to be about .40Nm
I read somewhere thas a kit came with underpowered 1/2 amp motors which makes them about .3 Nm I think.
The common ones on ebay seem to be .4Nm to .57Nm

Is .40Nm enough? would .57 be overkill?
can the Z motors be smaller?
what about the extruder?

>>1345565
My university still charges for printing on makerbots, don't you worry Anon

>>1345438
show nozzles
sharpie in printer

Anyone know what sort of printers SpaceX uses to print out their rocket engines? Yes, I know it's not some home consumer toy for printing dildo molds.

>>1345691
It was actually the main valve body, not the whole thing. Some sort of laser sinterer; my quickie wem research only turned up the alloy used (inconel). Could be a machine built in house.

>>1345691
https://www.eos.info/systems_solutions/metal/systems_equipment
Check these.

>>1345691
Funnily enough, i fdm print the fungus models you refer to as dildos, and im working with an eos DMLS at my workplace.

>>1342808
Wait for a flash sale, they go cheaper.

Also grab some mosfets while you're there and a not shit power supply.

I think I've asked this before, but what is /3dpg/'s thoughts on the Dice 3d printer? Does a 3d printer with that small build volume have a commercial appeal? I could mill every metal plate and use some cheap hiwin clones more or less easily.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yvwE0MtqXo

This isn't really purely 3dprinting related, more cnc in general but I thought maybe you guys can help:
I want to have a 1 meter rail, run that with a motor and on the sled have another rail that can extrude ~10 cm upwards. It doesnt have to be accurate, a tolerance of +- 1 cm on the 1m rail is okay. How would I go with that? What rail and Sleds are cheap? (cost is my primary concern) How do I drive the sled? With a stepper and a wheel? Threaded rods seem unneccessary because they reduce speed a lot and I don't need the accuracy. Any help on where to look and how to run the sleds is appreciated

>>1345874
Out of curiosity, how much of an edge does being a FDM hobbyist give you when you are looking for jobs working with industrial printers? I'm sure they're looking for engineering degrees more than /3dpg/ lurkers but surely a bit of experience is better than none?

>>1345980
If your tolerance is that lax...rack and pinion would be a thought.

>>1346021
Do you even need an engineering degree to operate one? There's a branch of Startasys Direct right next to where I live, I wonder if I could work there with an architecture degree

>>1345980
Either makerslide or openbuids stuff will do. For travel in both axes you can use a rack and pinion system like >>1346023 said but using GT3 belts. It will give you a 0.05mm resolution at least.

>>1346021
I finished at uni, they were impressed with my thesis and got a job, it did not have anything to do with 3dp. I was dragged into 3dp slowly, i dismissed it before, learned metal printing and later i bought an FDM for the lols, and liked it.

FDM and DMLS has nothing in common, any skill you gained wont be useful in the other (except manipulating 3d models, and guesstimating where you need support). And the supporting ecosystems are quite different too. These systems are set up so that you just pop in a model and the product comes out. You cant tweak parameters unless you buy specific licenses. Manufacturing companies dont have any interest fucking around with parameters either, they want to get a job done. If you want to print different type of materials, you buy a different license. The only thing you have control over is in what orientation your model is printed and the placement of supports. This is the most important and it takes years to get it right, and you cant just throw out failed prints like in FDM, the build material is expensive. Most of the problems occurring are:
Separation from build plate (you wont see it until you finish with a print because the build powder hides it)
Insufficient support.
Coater arm get stuck on bent up bits of the printed item.
Insufficient heat conduction can lead to molten blobs or lack of material
You need to pause prints to clean filters and optics, replenish build material, while doing that the print cools down and shrinks, you you need to guess wher the print should continue.
Larger prints can go for a week even.

Its still a maturing technology, will take 5-10 years to be as common as an injection molding machine for example.

>>1346045
To operate one you can go on courses, i dont think you need a higher level degree. Its like feeding a machining center, a robot can do it.
On the other hand figuring out and planning how to set up the part in the printer requires a higher level of knowledge

>>1346021
If you have build your own machine from scratch (or even from chinkkit) it helps you to understand cnc machines in general. You have to dwell quite deeply into the hardware, firmware and software in order to get it running. Hobby DLP or other types are even more greener flags that you have true interest in the topic. The most helpful knowledge is that you can troubleshoot machines more easily (if you are a repair engineer) and you know how to deal with stl's, surface models and even sketchup tier shit that customers send in for printing.

I got my job because I had a strong hobby FDM background, it helps you to learn other techniques faster if you have knowledge in one. Most people in this business are still self taught and they are doing it with passion so it might be hard to get into the business if you don't have autism level fascination for machines. This is though changing as additive manufacturing is moving from prototyping to production.

btw. I have written about half of the /3dpg/ copypasta.

>>1346051
This guy has the wisdom of falcon.

>>1346051
Not to mention the health issues with DMLS, fine metal powder in your lungs aren't good, I'm more surprised the systems for print recovery hasn't improve much past using a fairly special vac to remove the powder for break out / cutting the piece off the bed.

>>1346023
>>1346045
Thanks for those, I'm not versed with the english terms, so this helps me a lot!

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2638683https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2638683

if i print this in PLA, will it emit toxic chemicals when i wash it with soap?

>>1346367
>https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2638683
I suggest covering ANY printed part that comes into contact with food with a food-safe varnish or coating - PLA shouldn't really emit toxic chemicals AFAIK, but the much bigger issue is that residue/liquid will seep between the layers and be a breeding ground for bacteria (even if you wash it).

Just a quick question before I return to nowhere
is metal 3D printing still limited to corporations and people with huge budgets?

>>1346381
Depends.
You won't see metal SLS in consumer printers amytime soon. Even corporations stay away from it due to the air filters you need to run one.

However there are aproaches to fabricate metal parts by printing pastes in an FDM-like prcocess and sintering the result. Tollarances are in the area of plastic FDM or worse.

>>1346381
Pretty much yes. Operation and raw material is expensive. These printers are mostly in large companies, universities, medical and dental facilities. There are businesses who offer printing services, but expect a large fee.
Not shilling, but we print in stainless and tool steel, prices start from 1000EUR/kg of printed weight just to give you an idea. And this is considered cheap.

>>1346153
>>1346384
About the health and air quality issue.
You must have a mask while messing around with powders, but when the machine is closed and the part is cleaned you can drop the masks. And yes masks are enough. Gloves are a must have when cleaning the parts, and an industrial vacuum should be used to periodically clean up the place around the machine.
The built in filters of the machine can be replaced and disposed into a special bins. Newer machines have multiple stages for enclosed cleaning and fancy stuff, in some you wont even touch powder.
Some powders are volatile if not handled right, like aluminium, it can start reacting and burn shit down.
The laser is only operating when the machine is closed, so there is no way you can lose a limb or an eye. The window on the door takes care of UV and the the emitted light on the powder is not intense enough to cause damage.
The room it is installed in must have a minimal amount of negative airflow, to keep air born powders in, but nothing deal breaking. Also some systems work by removing nitrogen from the surrounding air. The build chamber is filled with 99% N or Ar or some other protective gas, opening the chamber and sticking your head in might cause suffocation if you are stupid enough. This last two is only a big hazard in extreme cases and can be easily avoided.

Id say it is just as dangerous as a lathe: if you are an idiot, it is dangerous.

>Even corporations stay away from it due to the air filters
I dont think thats a deal breaker for a company, they would slap in some extra money and its sorted.

>>1346381
>>1346384
>>1346400
for the home user, the only realistic approach at the moment is lost wax/pla/(other plastic) casting, or for parts with simple geometry: sand casting from a printed model.

>>1346407
is there a diy thread for casting?
There are shit tons of blogs when you google around of dads doing home casting and forgework but they're nearly all from 2009 with no comments

>>1346381
>is metal 3D printing still limited to corporations and people with huge budgets?
The "cheapest" metal printing option that exists is binder jet. Once setup you can print at price levels of $10/cc or lower. But the printer and all the equipment required to process and sinter the parts costs a total of $380,000. And it occupies a minimum of 400 square feet.

>>1346428
I don't actual experience with it (curse of living in an apartment), but there's lots of info if you search for lost-pla or green sand casting.

>>1346431
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4UxBQ-LLsI
http://www.zyyx3dprinter.com/metal-3d-printing-from-zyyx-3d-printing/

>>1346494
Then compare that surface to a machine that is actually designed for printing metal.

Granted this is a DMLM machine, Direct metal laser metal (sintering) done before any surface finishing, Done on a +GF+ / EOS partner machine AM S 290

>>1346514
>Direct metal laser metal
a wat mate?
*Direct metal laser melting

I'm getting extremely bad artifacts with my printer. I think I fucked up my idling pulley a while ago because I was a novice and tightened the tension screws for that pulley without loosening the other pair of sliding screws. I'm hoping to replace that pulley, but once I have the belt off to replace that I am going to test the stepper by itself and see how it sounds.

Any other thoughts on what this might be? Printer is a BCN3D Sigma.

>>1346514
what's the sauce on that pic, anon?

About to get my first 3d printer, going with a cheap chinese one. Anyone have experience with the tevo tarantula or the creality cr10s? I'd be doing basic prototyping and maybe some mold making for casting

>>1346539
Both of them are considered among the best diy tier printers.

I have a cr10, its great, literally and figuratively.

>>1346516
Yeah I fat fingered it.

>>1346537
From an AM S 290, from a le reddit person who I talk to off an on, students got to take a tour of a service bureau that does DMLS / DMLM, CNCing and other shit

>>1346535
Looks like an acceleration/speed issue off the top of my head, Anon.

What sort of widely available flexible tubing should i use to pipe cold air to nozzles?

>>1346843
Surgical or PVC (vinyl)

>>1346843
I wonder if it really is worth it to pipe air to the nozzle since fans really only weigh like 20g.

>>1346861
You are right, but i have no space left.

>>1346848
Good idea, but i couldn't find anything larger than 12mm OD

>>1346544
I also have CR-10 (non S) and it's a great machine to tinker with it and upgrade. But it also works fine out of the box.

>>1346884
Ah, i see, thought it would be quite interesting to do a build where the only actual thing moving would be the hotend and a few tubes and wires.

>>1346896
Thats the idea.
I have fans but the tubing would be clunky, ill try it tho.
Maybe ill get an fish tank pump and have thinner tubes.

>print out some prusa parts for a buddy
>everything in ABS
>they turn out decent (pic related)
>charge him a reasonable price
>he likes the quality
>go check what other people are selling for the same price
>parts are horribly warped and have every sort of extrusion defect

>>1346514
Have you ever tried electron beam melting? It was around before lasers, but it needs a vaccum chamber or something of that sort to work

didn't know what a prusa was so i googled it and saw this
Why is the one that does multiple materials less expensive

>>1346977
Because it's not the entire printer, just a kit to use with the first two

>finally get round to building enclosure for CR10
>thank god I didn't glue the top on, since it doesn't fit through the door
>finally get it inside and it fits.... technically
>it technically just fits and everything has enough space for its full motion, but the Y cable pushes up against the back wall at full travel
>now wondering if I should cut a hole in one of the two sides I actually bothered to veneer or if I should just start again, this time having the wood cut by the supplier and making it out of painted MDF rather than a mixture of ply wood and hardboard

>>1346935
For how much can you sell these parts kits? How much plastic does a whole kit take?

>>1345451
>Why not the MK3? The price difference aint so high
will check and see if it doesn't go out of my budget, thanks
>Where are you from?
south america... yeah, overseeas shipping scares me a bit. will see what i do
>>1345457
thanks a lot
how much does a kg last? approximately

>>1344779
>https://www.etsy.com/listing/551944941/
How often do you restock and do you ever run sales? I'd consider buying multiple kits if you offer some sort of muli-order discount.

>>1344705
had to fix mine. check the crimps if it uses them off the element.

>>1346990
cut the hole. that is what I'll do with 15U IT rack enclosure, that is a few cm too shallow.

>>1346535
Artifacts? You mean the waves? That's usually from printing too fast or loose belts. Post a better pic, maybe print a large cube or something.

>>1346938
Never have, there is a place that has one, all I really know about it is, doesn't have to fight against the temp forces nearly as bad, and allows for nicer nestings of multiple parts.

>>1346428

Ask in >>>/tg/wip a lot of those nerds cast their own miniatures

>>1347035
100 to 250 BRL, I sold for 120. I used up around 380g of filament, charged for 3 times the cost of it to cover for electricity + botched parts + me watching the printer.

Just yesterday I talked to someone who invested more than 9000 brl (equivalent to 2762 us dollars) to prototype a project of synthesizer (but that was an electronic circuit, not a 3d printed part), so I think I'm going after the wrong target market.

>>1347044
>How often do you restock and do you ever run sales? I'd consider buying multiple kits if you offer some sort of muli-order discount.
The blasters are made-to-order but I've had to limit the number of orders I can accept per week or I risk having my lead times get a lot longer. I "restock" the available quota every Sunday.

I did a 10% off sale on Cyber Monday. I'm not sure if there are any other holidays I will be offering discounts on.

Multi-order discounts have to do with adding accessories to your orders, as opposed to ordering multiple blasters or multiple hardware kits. I will refund shipping overage on accessories ordered with blasters since those get added to the blaster package and don't change its total weight much.

Blasters have to be shipped individually in order to avoid oversized packaging fees. As many as 4 hardware kits can be shipped together to save on shipping costs.

Just message me on Etsy if you want to discuss something specific.

Is it possible to print the bottom part of a print with solid infill, and the top part with vase mode? I know the prusa slic3r can combine print modes but i dont know about combining mode.

>trying to print a part with a few holes
>first layer looks OK, second too
>leave for a few minutes
>part looks like it was deep fried
>try again, this time with no infill and no top layers
>total garbage
>try again, this time I attach the extruder to the top of the printer so I can use a shorter bowden
>garbage
>print a small hollow cube
>looks perfect
>print the part again with none of the holes
>looks fine
>try it with just two holes
>garbage
>figure out the filament must be moist, hence it's printing like garbage
>swap out PETG for some old PLA
>nope, same result
>look at the extruder gear as it's supposed to be doing the hole walls
>it doesn't even turn
>remember I had lowered the microsteps from 1/16 to 1/4
>put the small jumpers back under the stepper drivers
>multiply e-steps by 4
>try printing again
>looks fine
>increase retraction a bit
>parts turns out flawless

Well, the lesson here is that if you try to use larger steps on your extruder motor you'll just end up missing steps and not with a larger torque.

>>1347435
Manually splice together the two g-codes.

>>1347571
Thats what i ended up doing, 1hour or my life wasted.
Next time i need this ill write a script to do this.

>>1347310
do you print these in PLA?

>>1347655
>do you print these in PLA?
Yes. The piece at the front of the plunger tube and the sear are printed 2 100% infill with 2mm perimeters. Everything else is 1mm perimeters and 20% infill.

The majority of the structure comes from the threaded rods that all the parts slide onto.

>>1346539
The Tevo Tarantula is good but needs a good amount of tinkering and upgrades to make great prints. The CR-10 is good right out of the box but costs a lot more. The Tevo Tornado is sort of like an upgraded tarantula to equal the CR-10.

>>1347840
Do you use extra walls on alternate layers?

>>1347882
I haven't needed to do that anywhere. I'm reinforcing parts where needed by adding indents and buttressing. Which is why the middle of the grip is cutout and attaches to the stock using a threaded rod as a "thumbhole" extension.

What factors are under control in print quality? Temperature, flow rate, and rigidity of structure? Anything else I can do to get best quality?

I realized I would need to repot into a bigger container this year for one of my trees so I did a bigger one than last time

I finally built my Chinkshit A8. I printed a test file from the microsd card, and it's a fucking bust of Shia Lebouf. So far, the thing is working pretty well. Shia's hair got grabbed by the nozzle in the last minute of printing, but I leveled the bed a bit better an the problem seems to have gone away. Learning how to fuck around in Cura a bit now.
Thanks for the guidance with all of this hooey, boyos. I'm looking forward to having a lot of fun with this thing.

>>1348212
Benchy looks like it could use a bit of work. You'll get there eventually, it takes about a week of fucking around to get a new machine in working order making nice prints if you're new.

>>1348224
I scaled it down to 70% or so just to test a few adjustments. What sticks out to you? Any pointers?

Eyyy lads, Anycubic i3 mega vs Original Prusa Mk2s

>>1348329
I got a good value for the Prusa MK1 (no parts broken, minimal adjustments, no electronics burnt over two years later) so my vote's for that one

I'm researching for the purchase of my first 3d printer and I'm finding the choices under $400 to be numerous without a clear "best". One one hand you have the Anet A8 for $160 that can apparently be tweaked to print excellent quality with some mods and settings, on the other hand you have the Creality CR10 that prints great out of the box but is closer to $400. Can I just expect that I'll be able to get great quality out of any 3d printer with enough mods and tweaking of settings? Anyone have any particularly strong feelings about what I should buy? I just want high quality PLA prints

>>1348443
The issue is that the market is a bit oversaturated with "cheap" printers - the ones at that price range will generally all have the same features, all function mostly the same, and all need the same amount of tweaking. Of course, you'll have absolute crap like the DaVinci, but those will be well-known or reviewed.

Does anyone know a good cracked version of Simplify3d? the one I downloaded asks me to login and a password.

>>1348443
Tronxy X5S might be a option as well you didnt hear about, you can get it sometimes for 280$ and Aliexpress is having a bigger sale week next week, so there is a good chance you can get one at this time for that price. But it aint a printer that is perfect out of the box. Print size of a CR-10 while, being smaller and very easy to enclosure.

>>1348493
It looks good and I didn't even know about that one. Too many options.

I'm trying to pull an .stl file from the internet, but the link is dead; however, the model still loads to be viewed online. I can't see an STL, but I did discover an 11MB .bin file. if anyone knows how to utilize this file I would be grateful.

https://storage.googleapis.com/yobi3d-web-assets/0DcubK6vqj%2F0DcubK6vqj.bin?GoogleAccessId=yobi-web-signed-key-generator@yobi3d-web.iam.gserviceaccount.com&Expires=1520979945&Signature=d%2FwgsWnx3CLxeV3iTcIEPdz08RFPG9%2Bcin9c%2BCj6qjcVwmL0o8uXCr1%2F%2FYEV%2FfG4mZQQ%2BhKsFmtISVz514tuHAKBiyFxylUW4Tg37%2B71oYk85haY%2BAsxukvPx4xFWp7IV91z6GPRxcGj%2Bz861d83FyEasQDI95NkoXoIz2KfhxODhLeuaOQ%2FA9eZL54F11XqaqS4paMFX4SjrZp6HRmWUi0%2FeDEZaIYeqTwVOEzQFo6OK00jsdxmwT4i9azHJbGEIGsgXTCUmBxjUWMROowrjUUl%2BgqfgHld5XssfLUwxYk1dNSsT8K4mqQ4NF9bU14IVVgcD4RnKOfh6%2FVPcov2WQ%3D%3D

More info:
6th model:
https://www.yobi3d.com/q/3d-nsfw

Tubgirl (NSFW) | 3dshare
product-9762.zip o_19ecqi5ot1oufqk1e161k1rbifi.stl (28.42 MB)

the link provided is a dead end. I think the .bin file is javascript, but I am no expert.

>>1348558
>>1348550
Imma take a look.
I successfully ripped models from bad dragon, and suff from sketchfab thats not downloadable.

>>1348558
>someone modeled tubgirl
Jeez, that's certainly a... niche interest

>>1348591
I'm actually looking for a 3D model of goatse. Tubgirl caught my eye.

>>1348550
it's a file for the three.js binaryloader

>>1348565
What's the best way to rip 3D models from sites? I usually F12 then F5 and search for the file I am interested in.

>>1348558
Where do i upload it?
2MB of zip

>>1348623
Not always so simple, a lot of these 3d model sites roll their own flavor of file formats and/or viewer. While it might contain a three.js binary, it could be encoded in some way that the original three.js implementation cant handle. Ive seen systems where the raw data was encoded with a password, and the password is generated in some obfuscated garbage js code on the client side.
In this case we got lucky and its just vertex and face index data.

>>1348625
Sometimes that works, often times the files are junk, like i explained above and you have to dig in the javascript.
Ive been fucking with sketchfab to get to their models for a month now, and im at a point where i can get everything. Not sure how big of a trouble id be in if id shared the code on github tho.

Also a lot of times a trained eye can tell whats going on in the raw file and "You get used to it, I don't even see the code, All I see is blond, brunette"
This time it was easy, some header and probably payload sizes, a big block of data with a little pattern lines ending with A and B, that tells me that the numbers are in the same range, the model is not huge. If the model were huge the patter woudl be a little more random.
Then the pattern changes to a more easily recognizable pattern. At the pattern change the new block starts with 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 04 00 00 00 05 00 00 00 05 00 00 00 04 ... which are face indices.
After this its just a couple of lines of code to spit out an stl file.

>>1348637
I'm not sure. Do you have a mega or dropbox you can link? I'll see what I can find, otherwise I'll post a burner email.

too bad you can't embed it into the jpg like back in the day.

>>1348655
>>1348637
Just upload it to mixtape.moe or uguu.se

>>1348659
out.zipmy.mixtape.moe/efjkdb.zip

>>1348637
>"You get used to it, I don't even see the code, All I see is blond, brunette"
I used to be that way with HTML before templates and copying and pasting everything. I haven't really used HTML in years.

I can see the Three.js header in notepad, but after that it is all greek to me. What languages ought I learn to be more proficient in being able to read the code to at least recognize....anything :o

>>1348689
This site can’t be reached
out.zipmy.mixtape.moe’s server IP address could not be found.
Try running Windows Network Diagnostics.
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

what am I missing?

>>1348690
Language? Any really. Data stored in files are independent of language, the data types however not. A big chunk of data can be interpreted as float or ints or whatever, you have to know the context what you are looking for, and figure out what makes sense. Back in the DOS days i spent a lot of time looking at binary files, i was amazed by it, and now im a 30 year old virgin.

>>1348693
I fucked up
https://my.mixtape.moe/efjkdb.zip

>>1348700
Thanks! if anyone has a goatse.stl or knows where to find one, please post up.

>>1348708
https://my.mixtape.moe/hsppfx.zip

>>1348716
>>1348700
Holy fuck, they both opened. NICE.

>>1348700

Fucking kek

I had a problem with the poo stream breaking off at the end and had to glue on the one side with a break in it, but the effect isn't lost at all.

>>1348866
>3D Printing: Bringing your wildest dreams and nightmares to life
this is gold

>>1348875
> this is gold

Monoprice maker select plus is on sale right now for $300, should I get this over the creality cr10 or tronxy x5s? How do they compare?

So why exactly is metal 3d printing so expensive? How about i just replace the hotend with a powerful laser, add an arm that'll wipe on a new layer or whatever and so on. Surely all of this shouldn't cost more than like $400 at most, and surely the powder doesn't have to be that expensive either, i mean it's just metal powder you melt down with the laser, what makes it so expensive?

>>1349131
>powder doesn't have to be that expensive
It has to be a consistent size, otherwise it wouldn't work properly.
>add an arm that'll wipe on a new layer
The layer is very thin, the tolerances have to be low to get an even thickness and make sure the whole surface is level
>replace hotend with a powerful laser
Can't be too powerful or it'll melt the layers below. Can't be too weak or the particles won't fuse.

If you can find JUST a laser that can consistently melt metal for hours for under $300 I'll legitimately be impressed.

>>1349131
>So why exactly is metal 3d printing so expensive?
Lasers at the power range are really expensive. Also, dispensing metal powders (even spherical ones) as consistent layer heights is some difficult shit.
Cheap powder isn't spherical and is comprised of irregular shapes with a somewhat wide variety of sizes.

>>1349131
Just do burnout casting, with PLA or wax or castable resins.

>>1349160
>>1349184
>consistent size powder
ah yes i suppose that would introduce some problems, good point
>layer heights for powder
Yes i suppose that would be a problem but surely that could be solved with the usage of just some good ol' linear rails, no?
Also, are the lasers really that expensive nowadays?

>>1342784
I have them on flashprint

>>1349218
>Yes i suppose that would be a problem but surely that could be solved with the usage of just some good ol' linear rails, no?
That's not the issue. For powder bed printing you have to dispense the powder onto the prior printed layer at a set height and at a somewhat consistent height. That height then has to be run over with either a roller (like a miniature steam roller) or a rake to get a precise and repeatable thickness. The dimensional accuracy for a given machine of this type depends heavily on this precision. The rest is in handling thermal deformation as well as the optics of the laser.
>Also, are the lasers really that expensive nowadays?
We're talking water-cooled Class 4 lasers in the 40w to 200w range, not shitty laser pointers rated below 500mw. This is the same powder range as industrial laser-cutters, but with different optics because the laser has to do scanning instead of point-focusing at a narrow location. The laser also has to be tuned to the refractory properties of each material of powder or you would get garbage parts.

>>1349226
Doesn't grain size of the metal powder also make a good difference in quality of the part?

With all the entails, like getting a more consistent height, feature size, how well it's able to "melt" the powder

>>1349226
>but with different optics because the laser has to do scanning instead of point-focusing at a narrow location

Scanning as in galvo-scanning or just x-y kinda stuff like on desktop laser cutters? I think someone posted in this thread a video of some guys doing SLS on a modified laser cutter

some guy in the r/3dprinting question thread is shilling the monoprice select plus to everyone. Is there any agreed consensus that this is a particularly good printer for $300?

Is there any way to use a 3d Printer to make money?

>>1349414
Yes

>>1349400
For that price I got a CR-10

>>1349400
It's not bad, with some mods it really shines, mostly the Z brace mod, a better part cooler and getting rid of the buildtak and slapping down a glasstile with PEI.

But do note I don't believe there is any sales for the plus going on right now so its 400 funbucks before tax + shipping.

At sub 300, I'm a lazy fuck and don't want to tinker level- monoprice select mini or anycubic i3 mega ( a few minor mods to make it shine) or creality ender-2

Willing to tinker level pretty much any kit or chinkshit printer.

>>1349465
The maker select plus is $100 off + free shipping with code SELPLUS - https://www.monoprice.com/pages/3d_printers

Given that price, is this the one you'd go for? I also understand that aliexpress will be having a sale soon so 3d printers available there will be on sale too, would you get the CR-10 or Tevo Tornado at the same price point?

>>1349471
If I knew I was going to be only running PLA and PETG more then likely the CR10 after replacing the glass it comes with.

If I knew I was going to use it to run ABS/ ASA / nylons I'd go for the maker select plus

I'd personally pass on the tevo.

>>1349472
I'm going for high accuracy for mold making so that would be PLA, right? Also, what are your thoughts on getting a cheaper printer like an Anet A8 and heavily modding it? I'd have fun with the tinkering and some of the prints I see from heavily modified A8s seem very good, I just don't want to buy it for $160 only to have to put another $120 into it, and have it only be as good as a print from a stock maker select plus or CR-10

>>1349476
>mold making
Some people use ABS or ASA for that, since you can vapor smooth it.

>>1349476
I'd avoid the a8 personally just due to how much you should put into it and I personally would ditch the acrylic frame and do the mod that uses 20x40 extrusions.

PLA or ABS would both work well as a master for a mold, PLA is very user friendly and easy so I'd suggest that. You'll spend the largest amount of time really fine tuning your settings regardless of what machine you get just to get really tight tolerances, a well tuned 300 buck 3d printer well be just about / at the same quality as the higher end it's just you have to put in the work yourself.

And to get really good looking results for you mold, sand, putty fill , sand some more, prime and clear coat the printed piece before making the mold, other wise the layer lines can and will show up when you go to cast it.

Heyy ladies and gentlemen, i would like to have your attention for a few seconds.

So i've decided to buy my first 3D Printer and i belive that it would be great to ask a few things in a place full of people that know a lot more than me about 3D printing and 3D printers

So, first thing:

- Which printer is better?

>Tevo Tarantula [Fully upgraded (replaced acryllic parts, dual extruder, dual Z axis upgrade, etc.)]

>Anycubic I3 Mega

>Aluminum Prusa I3 Geeetech

- If the case is that neither of these is really reliable and they WON'T have good printing quality, should i save enough money to buy an Original Prusa I3?

If you need to know what am i going to use it for, i am just a hobbyist so just printing stuff for my house and using sometimes exotic filaments.

Thank you very much for your attention.

>>1349480
Man this really isn't an easy decision. Thanks for the help

>>1349487
I print mostly small character models; I only print in ABS. You can do many things with ABS that you can't do easily or at all with regular PLA. You can weld parts together with acetone/ABS sludge or vapor smooth with acetone in a crock pot. It's far easier to sand than PLA and Is generally stronger. Primer and paint sticks to it better. It more readily accepts Bondo and other filling compounds.

For my money, I wouldn't even consider buying a printer without a heated bed or enclosure options because I love my ABS too much.

>>1349521
I've found PLA can get higher quality prints due to the quicker solidifying/cooling, personally, but ABS is much better in the sanding-and-welding category

Bought some abs. Cant get it to adhere to the bed. it just sticks to my nozzle in a big glob

>>1349543
>first layer height
>bed temperature
>enclosure/get rid of drafts
First three things you should check, in reverse order

>>1349546
How crucial is an enclosure for abs? Its in a small room with no ac/heating. My bed is set to 100 using a first layer height of .2mm

>>1349553
It's not crucial but it really helps since it gets rid of stray breezes. If nothing else, literally stick a cardboard box on top of it, I did that for a few months while I had no enclosure and it worked fine.

>>1349481
>should i save enough money to buy an Original Prusa I3?
This, get the MK3. The thing is so good and has so many nice features, that people start to call it boring, since it works so well most of the times. But prepare to get frustrated when you cant share one of the 10 things you changed or repaired on your printer, when talking to other makers.

>>1349565
Also prepare to have people keep telling you you overpayed for it, that's like the #1 thing I hear whenever they ask me to print stuff for them since their printer isn't working

>>1349565
Well the biggest thing you get with the mk2 / mk3 is support and for a lot of folks thats exactly what they need.

>>1349569
>Also prepare to have people keep telling you you overpayed for it
And it will be coming from a bunch of people who don't value their time and still don't have their printer working quite as well.
>>1349230
>Doesn't grain size of the metal powder also make a good difference in quality of the part?
It directly determines the minimum layer height. The dispensing pass for the powder is usually 3 to 5 times the thickness of the individual powder grains, and the smoothing/leveling pass is 2 to 3 times it.
Cheap powder is 50 to 175 micron particle size and isn't sieved for a narrowed distribution.
The powders used for DMLS is usually 45 to 60 micron and sieved to keep it within that narrow range.
There's always a push to go smaller to get narrower resolution, but the relative danger of metal powder increases significantly once you go below 20 microns. The increase in surface area makes the resulting powders way more flammable, harder to filter, and otherwise more reactive.

If you want better surface finish and smaller layers electron beam makes more sense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7--ZWPVVdQ

Cheap powder and powder bed printing don't mix well.
>>1349296
>Scanning as in galvo-scanning or just x-y kinda stuff like on desktop laser cutters?
Optical Scanning as opposed to Cartesian Drive. The laser is fixed due to its weight and cooling requirements, but the beam is moved by optics. There are only a few printers that do a blend of the two, and it's usually due to the size of the print area being too big for optics-only to offer a narrow enough focus in boundary areas, so the head has to move a little.
>I think someone posted in this thread a video of some guys doing SLS on a modified laser cutter
He's not going to get very good prints, but they will be mostly net shape and will need to post-machine them to get dimensional tolerances. But hey, that's the same issue you would have with really really expensive powder-spray or wire-feed metal 3d printers.

So I think I’ve decided on the Anycubic i3 mega. Looks like aliexpress is having a sale on the 21st, is there any guarantee the anycubic will be on sale? Aliexpress also has a bunch of coupons for the sale too, what are the chances there will be one that applies?

>people trying to make the lightest possible printhead using meme-xy systems
>not building heavy semi-military grade serial cartesians instead

I think something like this will be my next-next build. I'll sell it as a professional-grade machine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCNkPRM5mcM

>>1349812
Or rather, like this. I'll use a Nema23 with a belted reduction for a direct-drive extruder.

>>1342697
I have a chinky 3D printer, ANET A8 that some asshole reccomended I buy. It worked well enough but the heating block overflowed with PLA above the heating block. I tightened it again but it happened again. Do I need to replace the heating block or is it something else? Should I replace the copper tube and the nozzle too?

I'm printing statues out right now. >>>/mlp/32050654 I'm wondering if anyone has tips on how to sand intricate parts for painting

>>1349824
>the heating block overflowed with PLA above the heating block.
You assembled it wrong (or the chinks did). The nozzle bottoms out in the bottom of the block. The male threaded portion from the top half of the extruder then needs to bottom out against the nozzle.

>>1349835
I'm not a native speaker but I'm not really sure what you mean...

>>1349839
He just told you exactly what you need to do. Bottom of your throat and the top threaded portion of your nozzle need to seal against one another midway through the block to keep plastic from seeping out. Tom has a guide showing you what to do on YT somewhere; assemble your throat & block so the throat is halfway in, bring the block up to temp (say 210-220c), then screw in the nozzle so it hits the throat tight.

>>1349846
I just said I tightened it. Yes, exactly how you said.

this is the guide I used
https://dan.bemowski.info/2017/08/12/fix-oozing-leaking-heat-block/

>>1349812
You'll need a heavy frame for this to work.
I've been thinking about making one from concrete.

>>1349876
30x30 luminum is enough to bear the weight of a 20x40 with an hgr15 on top and a pair of nema23's

>>1349848

Get all the plastic out of there, then hand tighten the throat and nozzle into the heating block. Heat to 210 without and filament in it, and tighten the nozzle more whilst hot. Then let it cooldown, then load filament and start printing again.

I had this exact issue last week. Cleaning out the molten filament in the threading is the most important part

>>1349976
Does anyone else just take a blowtorch to the nozzle until there is nothing left to flame when it is time to clear jams? I suspect that I will leave carbon particles behind, but I have yet to find a better way to clear out stuck plastic.

Also, do not let the molten plastic drip and settle onto a glass electric range. When I removed the plastic it bits of glass came up with it. The range still seems to work, but I couldn't believe that PLA could cause such damage.

>>1349980
Nozzles are a consumable. If I even suspect something is gunking up the works, it's time to pull & replace. My time is worth more than the $1 the nozzle is worth.

>>1349996
>consumable
Consumed in flames it is then.

>>1349980
this is dumb simply for the reason that you're warping it

>>1350008
I don't quench it :/ my prints look fine and I'm on maybe my 3rd scorch

>>1349824
You need your nozzle to mate agains the inside screw thingy and not the heating block, so loosen your nozzle, tighten that inside screw thingy and then tighten your nozzle so that there is about 0.5mm space between the heating block and the nozzle when it is all tightened properly.

Has anyone here tried printing wax filament (Print2Cast, Moldlay,Polycast,...) for lost wax casting?
Does it work or not? Does it print well or does it jam a lot?

How durable is 3D printed stuff? And how expensive is the material? Was thinking about getting one with a friend for our hobbies, airsoft, paintball and a lot of repairing of all kinds of shit comes our way usually. Could I trust a 3D printed Vesa mount to hold a 27 inch monitor in place if I felt like making one? Or would an airsoft vertical grip hold together?
Also, any suggestion on a printer? Prefferably on the cheaper side

>>1350077
I made a bracket for a paintball gun, because I bought the wrong stock, and it hasn't broke yet. The material is cheap, $30 CAD per kg.
If you make it near solid its really strong, but it depends on your design

>>1350083
Nice to hear that, Gonna start looking into different models then.

>>1344791
Try to normalize faces

is a 3d pen good enough to make simple mounts for servos, ?

>>1350077
If you really want a strong result then you can just print a positive, pour a negative with silicone, then cast a positive with some sort of resin

>>1350077
You can also anneal prints for maximum durability
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NzDr1YAb8Q

>>1349876
>cast concrete frame 3D printer with linear rails out the ass
Sign me the h*ck up.

I'm getting really bad waves on my prints that only started recently >>1346535

I've tried tightening and loosening belts, adjusting the stepper driver potentiometers, lubing things up, tightening screws, reducing speed, acceleration, and jerk, using a different Slicer, reformatting my SD card, and nothing has helped.

How likely is it that my stepper driver controller is dying? How likely is it that the stepper motor itself is dying? My machine is IDEX so I can swap the primary and secondary X-axis motors but before I spend a few hours doing that I want to hear any thoughts from /3dpg/.

Also, a WIP shot of big boi Garchomp

>>1350142
Depends on what you mean by "simple". What were you planning on mounting? if it's something like a flap or small mass, it should be fine, but anything like a robot arm might be difficult at best.

>>1350249
simple would be something like this (without the holes)

>>1350254
That should be fine if you make it fairly rigid and don't put too much stress on it. If you already have a 3D pen and want to make it, I'd say try it, but if you're weighing a 3D pen vs. a 3D printer, you should invest in the printer.

>>1350230
>How likely is it that the stepper motor itself is dying?
not likely. It is possible that bearings got bad. But unless you completely fry the motor nothing else could happen.
Does this happen on both extruders or just one? on all axes (x1,x2,y)?
Are you sure there is nothing wrong with stl files?
And have you tried to contact BCN3D support? I feel for that kind of money you should get some sort of support.

>>1350321
>>1350230
Yeah man it's really unlikely that the stepper itself is the cause, those things are basically just a block of metal with some electricity going through 'em. You might want to open the them up and check that they've got proper lubrication on the bearings and whatnot.

>>1350230
My guess: lost lubrication on the rails which causes resonances through changed resistance. Try relubricating your machine.

Does an inductive proximity sensor work with aluminium?
Or can it only detect ferromagnetic surfaces?

>>1350361
Yes, but detection distance is worse, you need to get closer, sometimes closer then you acutally can, like with some glas plates over the heatbed.

>>1350331

Do not open stepper motors. You will partially demagnetize the rotor, tanking their performance.

>>1350369
Would a thin steel sheet mounted on top of it help that?

>>1350374
Should help, you mind want to watch this, since it is quite interesting and i might forgot to remind you of other probelms that can occure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il9bNWn66BY

Guys, I did it. I finished a decent size print. I've done about 30 or so failed prints and only three completed ones so far, and was considering returning it. This thing is broken, stringy, under-extruded, has layers missing, pillows, strands, and I do not care. I'm so proud of this little printer right now, and I'm keeping it no matter what

I asked this in /QTDDTOT/ but you lads helped me in the past and one option is related to linear actuators which is part of /3dpg/ I guess.

So I need a platform to press up vertically, and I don't know how to go about it. The force "F" (which isn't all that much) is needed to activate.
I have 2 ways to solve it. Either a linear actuator built from a threaded rod and a platform pressing up. This is slightly harder to build I think.
Would I go with a threaded rod? Cost is my main problem. Any other linear actuator I found costs way too much. I don't care about accuracy.
Other alternative is a direct servo and a angled 3d printed piece. It won't apply the force vertically (at an angle so some of the force is not going to be applied but again, not the problem). This would be easier I think, but maybe it would break?

Any other ideas?

>>1350474
The first one isn't expensive, the second one is the dumbest thing I've ever seen. Ready made linear actuators are expensive

>>1350361
It does but the range is really small if you have glass on the top of it

>>1350533
>Ready made linear actuators are expensive

Are expensive but all it takes to make one is a piece of 20x60 aluminum extrusion, two 12mm rods, two 12mm linear bearings, stepper motor, T8 leadscrew, the plates and a nut

>>1350474
I'm too lazy to MSPaint it, but the second option would work much better if you had a piston/cantilever of sorts to apply the force vertically. Threaded rod would be the cheapest and fastest solution, though.

>>1350557
what do you mean by fastest? fastest to build or fastest to extrude?
The problem is any motor is rotational force. The only other option I thought of is pic related. Is that what you mean?

>>1350533
Thanks for the input, if I can stay within the cost I plan with I'll likely go with the first one

>>1350372
Whaat? Surely not.

How do I go about 3d printing this and what software?

>>1350626
He's off his nut. Pulling the rotor past the magnets probably does change the field around it by some miniscule amount, but to get it to the point where it would affect performance would take like years of disassembly/reassembly cycles.

>>1350626
Its real. You need professional equipment to disassemble a stepper. But eventhough the stepper will be weaker, it will still serve the purpose for a 3d printer but maybe a bit slower. If you were doing cnc milling though youre screwed.

>>1350566
You can make do with a few pieces of wood, a threaded rod and M5 nut. You can't cheap out on the stepper. I mean, you can use a salvaged stepper, buf if you skimp out too much you'll end up with something that will be much harder to make work than a proper setup.

>>1350566
This is basically what you want to do. You can make everything from leftover plywood, MDF or whatever

I printed these mold halves for a friend. I think it is a tropical fruit of some sort.

>>1350731
is that a horse benis

>>1350738
He just said it's a tropical fruit.

>>1350731
Good to see you pervo poster.

>>1350731
You should print a bunch of dog dicks and then post the picture with an Aliexpress review of that printer

>>1350672
>>1350676
Thanks guys, this helped me a lot!

>>1350731
BTW, what filament is it? Clear PLA or PETG?

>>1350777
A no-name transparent PLA

>>1350780
I'm going to get some clear PLA for architectural models. I bet it will look good with LEDs underneath.

>>1350800
You can play with printing temperatures an/or heat treatments to get different opacity.

I have yet to find the optimal process settings to get a transparency closest what the filament has.

>>1342697
So I had 3 monoprice select minis as part of my part production farm, and they've been driving me absolutely insane with maintenance needs over the past month or two. After buying a fourth that developed similar issues when new I have simply had it with these things.

The new one is being returned because it was missing parts and the teflon liner in the extruder is defective.

The newish one I gave to a customer.

The middle child one I gave to a coworker who is willing to repair it.

And the oldest one I hit REALLY hard with a hammer and threw off the porch.

All of them will be replaced with what is now my fifth lulzbot mini. I'm in the process of making wiper pads for them in bulk since I found the whitepaper on how they're made.

>>1350850
what's broken?
i've had my v1 mini up and running for about 2 years now

>>1350850
Please tell me you atleats salvaged all of the stepper motors and whatnot before destroying it.

>>1350837
>You can play with printing temperatures an/or heat treatments to get different opacity.
So it's like PETG then

I'm fine with just translucent

I don't have a 3d printer. But, my local library has one. I printed this.

For anyone not familar, its a shroud to hold carbon filter for my fume extractor.

>>1350912
>have a fume extractor but no 3D printer
Soldering/painting?

Just got my CR-10 today. After a few botched prints, my print of the cat is going well. Had to use a glue stick gratuitously to keep that shit in place. Any tips for a newb to decrease bad prints?

>>1350926
Check your first layer height, extrusion multiplier, and tune your print head speed to your hardware.

>>1350928
Is Cura the way to go so I don't have to sit next to the printer?

>>1350928
>>1350929
Also not really sure how I "check my first layer height".

>>1350929
I've used Slic3r without any problems since day one of getting my first printer ~5yrs ago and I have zero experience with Cura, I honestly can't compare them

>>1350930
Look at the bottom of your print; Does it look squashed? Is the head dragging? Is it evenly sticking to the printbed? Is the printhead too far away from the bed? Generally (not always), the part of your print that touches the bed will be very shiny or have a texture to it.

>>1350932
>the part of your print that touches the bed will be very shiny or have a texture to it.
All right cool, thanks. I think my leveling is definitely off but I really don't know how to get it "just right" other than making a few mistakes.

>>1350932
>>1350933
Here's a pic of one of the failed prints because the print started moving

>>1350935
Yeah, that looks like your print head is *way* too far from the bed - see if you can lower it. The first layer looks like it didn't even adhere.

>>1350937
Should the head be touching the bed or should I really use a paper until it rubs up against the head teehee

>>1350940
Yes, you should use a paper. I use a regular cardstock business card (non-laminated) until it "bites" the card but I can still pull it through with ease. I don't know about the CR10, but my printer has thumbwheels which I can use for fine height adjustment of each corner, you might have to use shims.

>>1350949
Yeah, this is annoying. I am gunna print something with more surface area and less detail next.

>>1350950
I don't know if your slicer has this option, but Slic3r has the option to print one-layer rafts/rings, I think it's called a skirt. What it does is it increases the surface area of the first layer (draws N [user-specifiable] rings around it) to promote adhering. I use it for thin, tall parts or for parts that detach often.

>>1350959
Yeah, I appreciate that. I watched a video about using Cura and it has a base option. Trying a raft now.

Was looking into building my own 3d printer from scratch. Was wondering if something this big would be a bit much for a 3d printer?

>>1350800
Depending on the look you want you definitely want the PLA to diffuse more light.

Pic related

>>1350837
>You can play with printing temperatures an/or heat treatments to get different opacity.
I never knew this. I'm going to have to experiment a bit.

>>1351003
Pic actually related.

>>1351003
>>1350881
>>1350800
Dug up a pic of different heat treated samples. The left one is as printed, dont know what i did to the other two, and the filament.

>>1350918
yeah its for soldering. I forgot to mention that, oops. :X

>>1351015
Third one looks like stale urine

>>1350988
It's roughly the same size as some laser cutters

This is what it would look like if you built it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwk7JaXUFc0

It's not too much but it will take forever to print anything of that size with any nozzle smaller than 2.0mm

>>1351073
Tastes the same

>0.4 mm nozzle
>trimming off filament from yet another failed print
>Accidentally trim the tip off the nozzle
>after failing to replace it decided to just give another shot at a test print
>shit actually looks really good
Are .4mm nozzles just shit? Before my filament was comnig out extremely stringy almost like fish line. Now it's coming out thicker and more opaque but looks "better" or correct. It's just killing me that I don't understand WHY it does or wtf was going on.

>>1351194
Could be you had a bad/clogged nozzle.

>>1351194
>filament
well, what type?
what temp?
what fan speed?

I havent used my duplicator i3 in half a year and just warmed it up. Was doing leveling test and it seems to dip heavily in the center. What are the options to fix this?

>>1351260
White PLA.
65 degrees
I actually didn't pay attention to fan speed on this last one so whatever the model on the Creality microSD gcode was set to. The front came out pretty smooth but why does the back look like this?

>>1351260
oh and 195 degrees on the filament

Does anyone have advice for finishing a small, detailed printed part? Something similar to >>1343956 but it actually came out right with all the fine detail represented. The only problem being the visible layer lines.

I'm trying to sand down the face and hair but it seems like everything I do either takes out fine details, or can't get into tight spaces, or both.

>>1351352
Spray fill used for fixing dents in car chassis. Use it modestly, it can dull out your part quickly. Its best for large curves where layers are visible too much.

Any type of 2 part liquid epoxy. Setting time is the important, you dont want to wait for it for days, although i have done it and works fine. Smooth-on XTC is what comes up a lot, its designed for this, its pricey tho. I have yet to try it, i have a bottle unopened.

Thick lacker paint could work, never tried it. I feel it would dull the details, also it sets slow.

Cyanoacrylate (super glue, CA glue) glue great for this, there are different types. The thick ones fill up layers good, thats what you want but anything will work here. You can even fix things very accurately, sprinkle baking soda in a hole and drip glue on it, the bakingsoda will harden almost immediately it will be the strongest part of your print. The glue breaks down baking soda to water and CO2, and the setting of cyanoacrylate is initiated by water so its pretty fast.
You can coat your whole model with it and speed up the setting by rolling it over steaming water.

For thight spaces and localized fixes CA glue is the best option. Id try this first.

My friend had a better idea: have a tropical fruit, and put a jellyfish in it at the same time. For this ill need to save the soft silicone, so now i just used silicone caulk.

I incrementally filled both halves and joined them. Im really hoping the opening will go smoothly. Ill have to do post finish anyway because of the layer lines.

Usually silicone caulk (white silicone didnt, transparent did) releases easily from PLA, but the lines are a problem. Spreading wax with hot air at 150-160C can hide the lines and it releases silicone chalk. I tried epoxy but this silicone stuck to it very good. Didnt try urethane coating tho.

Smooth-on dragon skin released from everything so i can use epoxy to coat the molds to cover the lines for the fruit jellyfish.

>>1351399
Looking good, senpai. What's the jellyfish tentacle diameter, and what hardness are you using? I've got about an inch in diam but with a really soft TPE on it on my last cast - good results achieved.

Also, any reason why you don't have locating features on it, apart from the base? Don't quite seem to find any on your original post.

>>1351403
The chaulk is like Shore A 20-30, sort of softer than silicone tubing. Not good for jellyfish, good for fruits, tentacles and fungus.
Smooth-on dragon skin is Shore A 10, soft like gummy candy. Better for jellyfish, still sort of too hard i feel. Thats the softest on the market i can get hold of.

What you see there is not actually the negative of a jellyfish stuck in the silicone, its a negative of a screw hole for ... how shall i put it ... an automatic fruit back-and-forth actuator.
The old jellyfish i made with Shore A 10 was 2.5cm to 3cm wide, the 2.5cm bit was chunky so it didnt felt like a good jelly fish.
The smallest and largest diameter of the fruit is 4 to 5 cm so theres enough room for a jellyfish.

>locating features
Dont have any, but you are right, i should have had some. I was thinking about that too late when i already had one half printed. Didnt need them in the end, the zigzag part on the edge was more than enough for registration.

>>1351421
Thank you for the reply. This all sounds good, I haven't tried a mold release since I end up peeling the jellyfish off slowly, and hot pours so far has been a learning experience. I will play with a 0.1mm layer height, as current 0.2mm layer heights have had a visible effect on adhesion and surface finish on the positive. Wax may not be ideal for me as a surface smoother, since my temps end up going to 140 degrees C for decent casts.

I should check up on dragon skin and silicone as the casting ends up cooler. If you do end up casting tpe jellies, I advise having multi-part negatives, as materials do tend to stick to surfaces.

I'll be working on a four part mold lengthwise instead of two halves. This should make release a tad bit easier. Once I get a cooling fan and dimensionally consistent prints, I'll get back to it all as I have 6kg of material to melt down.

>>1351399
Regular cornstarch is real good as a silicone release as well. it has the added benefit of making a smooth/non-tacky surface finish

So I learned that slowing down the printer helps with more complex prints. Left was first attempt and right was second. If you notice the left has uneven layers.

Total failure with the silicone fruit.
Interestingly the silicone stuck to the pla, that didnt happen before. Had to break the mold, that was expected, but the silicone tore everywhere. The end released nicely, only because i waxed it.
I might reuse this hunk of silicone as a core for a new one.

>>1351471
Cornstarch plus water? Apply that to the mold and let it dry?

goddamn are you guys dedicated to printing shit you can stick your dick in. the amount of time and money you've spent on this would probably buy you at least two high-end dragon dicks at this point.

>>1351810
>he doesnt get it

>>1351765
>>1351399
You want a pro tip? Use a primer on the PLA, pour in a little silicone into the form and move it around til it covers all walls, then turn the form upside down, so all the exsessive silicone can drip away, wait til it cures. Now you got a mold which is a little bit smaller and lost some minor details, but is layer free smooth and doesnt have a seem where the molds are connected. Use a good amount of release agent and cover the inside of the mold, let it dry and then pour in the silicone. If everything went right your got a smooth tropical fruit.

>>1351839
I used silicone caulk, not two component silicone.

>>1351765
>cornstarch plus water
No, just regular cornstarch, the caulk doesn't stick to it as easily. Might not work for you since it could be brushed away, though, but it would help with the sticking at least a little.

>>1351846
>silicone caulk
Why the hell would you do that, expect you are planning to waste money on failures?

>>1351854
Why the hell not?

>>1351858
Because it is dirt cheap crap, containing who knows what and isnt handling stress very well. If you are using the stuff for the bath, enjoy your fungicides.

>>1351765
>Cornstarch plus water? Apply that to the mold and let it dry?
I need to try this some time

>>1351960
see:
>>1351849

New thread when?

>>1351999
when this one gets bumped off
and nice triples

>>1352034
Thanks! Check out my latest bed leveler. Finally getting relatively clean prints.

>>1352090
>finish assembling printer in august 2017
>buy a roll of opaque white PETG
>everything I print with it ends up looking like garbage, weak to the point of crumbling and with either over or under extrusion
>buy PLA, forget about that roll of white PETG, thinking it is just trash
>still garbage but not so much
>march, 2018
>start designing another printer, do a bunch of changes to current one to make it work a little better (calibrate e-steps, make the bowden tube half as short)
>the underextrusion on small islands is gone because bowden is shorter
>decide to give that white roll of PETG a try
>print at 245ºC because found out that seems to be the sweet spot for PETG, not 232º like I was doing in the beginning
>prints as good as other clear and translucent PETG rolls I tested before
>parts are extremelly solid, better than my ABS prints

I'm doing this for 5 months and only now I'm getting it right

>>1343956
Did you use the in game model directly? It looks beautiful

Here's the risk you run if you buy cheap Chinese clones, guys

>>1342697
Currently using a big ass Tractus T3000 (delta printer) and it's turning out shitty layers, especially the first. The first layer is so rough that the nozzle scrapes over it in some points, which is enough to vibrate the nozzle loose.

How do I solve this?

>>1345565
>>1345576
Our Uni has 10 Ultimakers AND a Stratasys and they're all free if you talk to the right people.

>>1344128
USE A BRIM YOU FUCKING IDIOT

>>1351839
This seems like dubious advice to me. I use 2 part for resin casting, and in my experience the only thing that silicone sticks to is itself. You could do the same thing with epoxy resin and not risk ruining your mold & castings.

Is anyone having issues switching filament live? I think my problem is that I had to remove that plastic tube from inside of the extruder in order for a 0.3mm nozzle to fit, but now I cant switch filament without taking the extruder apart