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Old 12th April 2020, 16:05     #1
crocos
 
3D Printing thread of Stuff and Things

Heyo, so I've been contemplating getting into 3D printing for some time and decided it's finally time (and before Aussie locks things down). I know there's a few folks here that are keen-as on it.

Looking for top-tips, tool recommendations, filament recommendations, etc.

Also I have a chance to buy either a Creality Ender 3 Pro or an Up Mini 2 (with 4 print beds) for about the same price - which to chose and why?

Cheers!
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Old 12th April 2020, 20:05     #2
DrTiTus
HENCE WHY FOREVER ALONE
 
I have the UP Mini v1. The build volume is the same as the 2 (120 x 120 x 120), and this can be a bit limiting sometimes, although I managed to print most of an Inmoov on one (the legs need a bigger bed). It is ready to print out of the box though, and the software automatically adds supports (plastic underneath elevated parts of the model so the nozzle doesn't print into thin air) and a base layer (raft) to the print model which were touted as features. I'm not 100% sure if other software does this - I've seen some STL models online that say "comes with supports" as though that's a thing some printers need, but I imagine other software would/could do it these days. I've just not had another printer to compare with. After sales support from 3dprintingsystems.com is great too. They sent a free replacement board for something in the top that failed (I forget what exactly, it was a couple of years ago). It prints on perfboard, while I've seen others print directly onto a glass plate with masking tape or something? Glass might give a nicer smooth finish to the bottom of the model but can be harder to stick to [apparently] - sometimes with the perfboard its hard separating the base from the model (if it's a big flat part), and you pull off a layer or carve into the plastic.

I do like having multiple perfboards so you can quickly whip one out and put another one in for the next print while you deal with the previous one.

The tools I mainly use are a glove on my left hand and the putty knife thing that comes with it to remove it from the board and separate from the raft. I've stabbed myself with the corner of it several times, which is where the glove comes in handy! You'll need plenty of acetone too (Bunnings) to melt the excess filament/buggered prints into "poo glue" (I dunno what the real name is) that you can use to fix things up and stick things together. I make it in little glass jars from Briscoes with rubber seals (preserve jars?) so it doesn't dry out.

Nozzle cleaning filament is useful when going from one spool to another (say changing colour or types) - I found the nozzle was most likely to block when switching filaments. You can get very fine drill bits (0.4mm) to unblock it, but I found removing the nozzle and holding it in the flame of a cigarette lighter (outside or near a window) would eventually burn everything out well enough to run a wire from a twist tie and then run a cleaning filament through. The drill bits snap very easily, and it's hard to drill out solid plastic by twisting this fine little bit with your fingers.

I bought a bulk lot of half used filament spools from Trade Me which came with a whole lot of colours and a mix of PLA and ABS, but I am not a fan of the PLA, I just got used to the properties (and smell) of ABS and it felt to me a little more consistent/reliable. YMMV. I stuck with ABS after that, and found a supplier in Auckland with filament that worked for me, so I stuck with them.

I found everything worked better once it was "warmed up", so for the first print of the day I'd just do something small, and make sure everything was calibrated and running right before leaving it overnight to do something large. Otherwise you come back to a birds nest of filament. I might just be impatient and should be leaving it longer before running it, but it just became a ritual.

For making my own (geometric) models, I use OpenSCAD, because I'm a developer not an artist, so I prefer describing things with text and parameters and shapes rather than drawing them with a proper CAD tool (too lazy to learn and too budget to buy CAD software). Tolerances are a thing, so if you want say a 10mm shaft to fit through/into a hole, you need to make it slightly larger - I'd usually add another 0.4-1mm depending on the desired fit and whether the other part is also printed or some other material like a metal rod that actually is 10mm than 10.something.

I tried getting a DIY bigger bed printer (i3 Prusa or something from memory) in the last Black Friday specials, but it was such a good price that they said there was like a 3 month backlog (felt scammy), and I just got a refund instead. If you do get a DIY style printer, I'd be interested to hear how it goes! I got the UP initially because a friend had borrowed one so I was already familiar with using hers, and wasn't at the point where I felt comfortable putting my own one together from bits (calibration etc). At the time the prices hadn't come down as much as they have now, so there wasn't as much incentive. I'd be happy building one now since I have more experience with how things are supposed to work, but it hasn't been a priority - I haven't printed much in a while.
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Old 12th April 2020, 22:19     #3
crocos
 
Cheers Snow! Will remember that "poo goo" tip
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Old 17th April 2020, 11:23     #4
StN
I have detailed files
 
...and any time lapse pics should be synched with a layer change - maybe tripped of a z-axis pulse.

I've read that Acetone can be used to smooth out PLA surfaces - but done really carefully as a warmed vapour using a hotplate (no naked flames!).

Haven't tried any wood based filaments yet - When China is back up and running (maybe it is on Oz? Or at least the local nodes) AliExpress has 10m multi colour samples if you want to play with small stuff.

Also, if you can change the heads, a dual one might be a cheap upgrade if the controller supports it. Also, again, depending on how hands on you get with the controller board, there are different levels of stepper controllers. The coarser ones make music as the stepping waves are autotuned to digital steps. The slightly more expensive ones devised by a clever German chap smooth out the sinewaves and become almost silent.

I've had a couple of Prusia clones,and gone through a few controller boards and PSUs (Mental note, don't poke around in the guts with live power on - even rewiring the hot end/sensors can short out the main board with much magic smoke getting out!).

My first one was a bit of a failure - in hindsight, it was down to the driver software tuning. But I bought a newer model and all good - and the old one now has a laser strapped to it, and works find as a G-Code based cutter.

Last edited by StN : 17th April 2020 at 11:26.
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Old 17th April 2020, 12:26     #5
pxpx
 
I don't really follow 3D printing in much detail, but indirectly came across UV cured resins on the youtubes recently (along with printing with said resin) and thought that looked pretty cool.
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Old 29th April 2020, 10:59     #6
StN
I have detailed files
 
At a bit of a loose end over the weekend, so dusted off mine. Hot end is a bit borked, so ordered a selection from AliExpress during whatever sale was on last weekend. Trying to work out how best connect the heaty-uppy bit to the ABS X-carridge - at least to the point where I can print new ones that are more suited to these particular extruders. Either that or I upgrade the X-Axis to use metal bits on a 20x20 bar (seems to be the preferred way these days over slip bearings on rods).

Nice to see that the heaters come with silicon bras now - and media feeders seem to be an art for in themselves with some going for $80+ each (vs a $5 aluminium construct with a pinion gear and roller).
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Old 29th April 2020, 16:08     #7
StN
I have detailed files
 
Oh this looks good: https://youtu.be/NMJ_P_5z53c
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