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3d printer tips


pyro nl

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hello

 

after seeing some 3d models for printers I got rly interested into it (also because I saw loads of models of diff games)

 

so me and oldsailor are looking around abit but have no exspeirence with 3d printers atall

 

so my question is what type of printers are ya guys using and why ?

 

or what would ya advice be on a new1 atm

 

I see diff models, some do 0.02 mm acc while others have 0.20 or 0.18 mm

 

thought I ask here as ya guys proberly got some ;)

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http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials has a lot of good tutorials and tips on 3D printing. You can also use them to do the printing for you, and you can set up shop there to sell your stuff. If you use your own printer, you can still use the general tips and tutorials, but the specs like the max sizes will probably be different.

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Sorry in advance for a wall of text, but a lot to point out. I will be as brief as I can.

 

Several styles of 3D printing available. Extruded plastic is the cheaper method ($250- $4,000) and for harder materials (metal powders) there are rather expensive refrigerator sized machines (start at about $18,000). Here are several choices:

http://3d-printers.toptenreviews.com/

 

 

Also available is an experimental Laser Print scheme that uses a pan of plastic gel, which hardens when hit with a needle thin laser beam, and several agencies are experimenting with metal variants. As with any new tech these will be very expensive and subject to errors. (whole point of experimental, heh). I do like where they are going with this since the printed detail is amazing, but these will not be consumer friendly for another few years. (kind of where we were with 3D plastic 5 years ago. Not consumer friendly at all)

 

Cost is usually the biggest factor in print choice. It goes beyond the printer though. It will require 3D model manipulation to get anything ready to print or repair inconsistent prints to a more reliable model. It does not matter if you are re-engineering an existing thing or starting from scratch, you will require several forms of file manipulation programs.

 

There are of course free programs that you can use, but free always has a price. Functionality in this case. Dedicated CAD or 3D art programs are not cheap. If you are truly serious about this, plan on investing at least another $300-500 bucks on software. Lots of people are posting free files that can be modified or printed as is. Most popular site is:

http://www.thingiverse.com/newest

 

 

Common materials are plastics. PLA is where a lot want to go, since it has a lower melting point and hence is easier on the equipment. PLA is bio-degradable (water based) though and will eventually crumble or decay. Super glue can be used to bond chunks together for larger prints than the bed will allow for.

For conventional plastic there is ABS (oil based and last forever). Has a higher melting point and also requires a heated print bed to use efficiently, which over time is harder on the equipment. Acetone wash can be used to help stick the print to the bed, but acetone is a rather dangerous liquid to have around, which is probably part of the reason so many manufacturers are just offering PLA machines. Acetone is also used to bond chunks together for larger prints with ABS.

 

There are newer hybrid plastics which change color based on heat and also some flexible plastics. Of interest is a German group who sell spools of wood materials. Only down side I have heard about the wood printing is that you need to make it 100% fill or it results in a cardboard texture. At 100% fill it is like any other block of wood.

 

For the real adventure, there are build it yourself kits out there for as low as $250 dollars. Building it and then using free manipulation programs would by far be the cheapest method to enter the 3D print world. Once involved and past the initial learning curves, you will know if it is worth your time and resources to upgrade to better printers and programs.

 

Local 3D print enthusiasts abound. Most would be more than happy to work with you and Google searches should bring up any active groups in your immediate area. As a last resort there is Shapeways, which is expensive and does not seem to have any intellectual property filters, but they will get it built, for a price.

 

Hope this helped. - DRUM out

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 7 months later...

http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials has a lot of good tutorials and tips on 3D printing. You can also use them to do the printing for you, and you can set up shop there to sell your stuff. If you use your own printer, you can still use the general tips and tutorials, but the specs like the max sizes will probably be different.

 

Hi, I'd like to suggest another resource for those interested in getting their own 3D printer rather than using a 3D printing service: http://3dprintingforbeginners.com/ . There is quite a bit of in-depth information on home 3D printers, filament types and so forth. For newbies, post like 3D printing tips are certainly helpful.

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  • 2 months later...

I always wondered how Shapeways stayed under the radar with all the intellectual property stuff scattered throughout the site. Looks like they are not off the radar anymore.

http://features.aol.com/video/accessible-3D-printing-digital-piracy?icid=maing-grid7|bon1-c|dl35|sec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D1057814870?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000058&

Keeping an eye on this to see how it plays out.

In one regard it is free publicity, but outfits like Disney take a dim view on product infringements.

 

There is a lot of self policing on Thingiverse. But Shapeways is not community driven in the same way. - DRUM out

Edited by Drum
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  • 2 weeks later...

I love model making (I got the Millennium Falcon currently spread out in pieces on my dinner table) and 3D printing has been on my mind since I first heard about it a few years ago, and I'm still not convinced to get one. Sure, recent development has made great progress but the machines and the materials are still not quite at price range for me to justify getting one.

Seeing people print out Star Citizen ships does look great.. although I see people printing out one solid model. I think I would spend some time taking the 3D models apart and printing the ships in parts, so that you can get on the inside for a detailed cockpit, cargo hold.. etc. install some LEDs in there.. would be sweet.

So as far as getting a 3D printer, I think I'll wait this one out a bit longer.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm far from convinced that consumers should buy a 3D printer. The best budget-friendly printer I know is probably the Ultimaker 2 (or a DIY-based kit of this if you want to save something), but even this thing is far from optimal with relatively high fail rates for prints. We have two of them, and the most reliable they get is up to 70%. Besides this we also have some Leapfrogs (waste of space/money due to very poor reliability) and some Formlab Form 1's. Although the Form 1 may be significantly more expensive to print with, it's also considerably more accurate for small prints (and fast as well), but again printing isn't very reliable, especially attachment remains an issue. 

I wouldn't know any printer below $5,000 that I would be happy with, despite many claims of the developers, most of these printers remain intended for enthusiasts and hobbyists who enjoy experimenting with this technology. 

In higher segments, there are some interesting things available on the market which would definitely be interesting to have, but I'm starting to talk about more than $100,000 here. For this money, consumers would probably still be better off using shapeways anyway since they probably won't print hundreds of models. When we go to $500,000, you can get some SLS printers for small metal objects, although you will need to have some pretty unique products with weird shapes or tiny details that you couldn't make the same cheaper with a decent CNC-machine. 

Edited by BravoTwoZero
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all,
I have been doing a whole heap of 3d printing the past year (I work full time in IT and build props in any free time i have) so i should be able to answer most questions :)

I use 2x UP plus 2 3d printers and slice most things up to fit on the small print bed. The good thing about the UP printers is that they are reliable. Super reliable. Ive had one of mine going for over a year constant an it hasn't missed a beat.

19904204785_7a675d0155_b.jpg

I'm far from convinced that consumers should buy a 3D printer. The best budget-friendly printer I know is probably the Ultimaker 2 (or a DIY-based kit of this if you want to save something), but even this thing is far from optimal with relatively high fail rates for prints. We have two of them, and the most reliable they get is up to 70%. Besides this we also have some Leapfrogs (waste of space/money due to very poor reliability) and some Formlab Form 1's. Although the Form 1 may be significantly more expensive to print with, it's also considerably more accurate for small prints (and fast as well), but again printing isn't very reliable, especially attachment remains an issue. 

I wouldn't know any printer below $5,000 that I would be happy with, despite many claims of the developers, most of these printers remain intended for enthusiasts and hobbyists who enjoy experimenting with this technology. 

In higher segments, there are some interesting things available on the market which would definitely be interesting to have, but I'm starting to talk about more than $100,000 here. For this money, consumers would probably still be better off using shapeways anyway since they probably won't print hundreds of models. When we go to $500,000, you can get some SLS printers for small metal objects, although you will need to have some pretty unique products with weird shapes or tiny details that you couldn't make the same cheaper with a decent CNC-machine. 

I can say that the UP printers are pretty much consumer grade. I've put over 80kgs through mine and they still print pretty much every go. Success rate maybe 95%? The only drawback is the small print area.

 

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For that price I would just wait for the moon ray printer to be released. Seems the best so far, if you have the cash the Pegasus is good to but not my pick. I just cannot recommend any fdm printers anymore since sla is just leaps and bounds ahead in every way.

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

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  • 8 months later...

Good a spot as any to place this.

We saw recentl advances in making of candy, but Harvard has raised the bar. Metal has been doable but in a box full of powder for support.

New technique developed by Harvard has instant printing (without support or powder coverage).

Amazing times in the 3D Printing world. - DRUM out

http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpressrelease/257

 

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  • 7 years later...
On 6/14/2023 at 12:42 AM, L_Jet_BlckNwYear said:

Nozzle size? Speed? Temp? Printing settings.. etc. 

Having had several 3D printers and now a few lasers, I can comfortably say every machine is different. Might get you into a ball park area, but I wouldn't hope for an easy fix unless your machine is same brand and model with corresponding software and modifications.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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