3D Printers

[RolandKol]

12 hours ago, Gina said:

My 3D printer is playing up ATM.  Mostly it works fine but sometimes I get blobbing which catches the nozzle and spoils the print.  Mostly I use standard PLA or PETG.

Had the same problem, - in my case, Cura Combing sub option "minimal travel without retraction" value had to be incresead from 0 to around 5mm to solve.

Edited October 5, 2019 by RolandKol

[Fraunhoffer]

I thought about getting a printer for ages. Ive stuck with sending my stuff off to i.materialise or 3dhubs. It usually comes back within a couple of weeks. Theres a nice selection of different materials from standard PLA to more detailed and resilient mult jet fusion and laser sintered plastics. I don't have to find room for the printer, set up all the temperatures and add-ons,  maintain it and keep buying reels of PLA. 

[PeterW]

... or deal with print fails, work out what the new cura settings do,  breathe printer fumes or work out  what to do with excess filament.... there are benefits to sending parts out to print....

PEter

[Stub Mandrel]

I ran off five prototypes of the shell for the cooled mono cam I printed. Impractical to do by post, let alone the cost!

[Gina]

I'm afraid I couldn't wait a couple of weeks for a print!  Also, I rarely get the design right first time so that would make getting a perfect part take even longer.  It's not just bad printer settings that give me failed prints - my CAD sometimes leaves much to be desired!!

[Chriske]

10 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I ran off five prototypes of the shell for the cooled mono cam I printed. Impractical to do by post, let alone the cost!

Indeed, while designing I often end up with version 2, 3, and sometimes, making very complex parts, even more attempts are needed to have it all perfect.
To save cost and printing time, designing very large parts, I always print just a small 'cut-out' of that object before I print the entire object.

[PeterW]

I quite often test our parts of the design for fit and tweak, so delays are annoying!

PEter

[Chriske]

10 hours ago, Gina said:

my CAD sometimes leaves much to be desired!!

How so..?

[PeterW]

Even “measure thrice CAD once” can still have errors. Sometimes designs need tweaking, machine tolerances aren't  what you thought.:. Easier that only you know it was a mistake!

always good to test and improve. Remember it used to be called Rapid Prototyping for a good reason.

PEter

[Gina]

43 minutes ago, Chriske said:

How so..?

I sometimes get the design wrong and need to alter the design.  Also, there are times when I find my design doesn't quite do what I wanted.  Then again to get a printed part to fit snugly onto something else I need to change dimensions very slightly by trial and error. Second attempt is usually alright.

[Chriske]

I understand, but that has nothing to do with the CAD software itself. I misunderstood I think...😉

[johninderby]

Very rarely does something print out the perfect size first time. Usualy needs a tiny tweek in scaleing. 

[Chriske]

Indeed, there's a learning process involved, were you need to know how a printer will behave when a few slicer settings were changed.

[johninderby]

No two printers print exactly the same. With all the variables in set up each one ends up a little bit different and you have to learn what works with yours. 

And get a good slicer. Simplify3D isn’t cheap but can transform the results you get. Well worth it for the results. 👍🏻

[Chriske]

S3D is indeed one of the best, together with the Prusa-Slicer.  We've tested both these slicers side by side. (also a few others)
The Prusa-slicer looks exactly the same as Slic3r, but the Prusa version has been rewritten and has more settings on board.

[Stub Mandrel]

I need three washers 1/8" thick  for spacing switches in a guitar A/B box. Has taken just minutes to design them and get them printing.

3D printers are great for simple things not just complex ones!

[JamesF]

4 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I need three washers 1/8" thick  for spacing switches in a guitar A/B box. Has taken just minutes to design them and get them printing.

3D printers are great for simple things not just complex ones!

Quite.  I now have a fistful of 3d-printed T2 spacers for adjusting camera backfocus and suchlike.

James

[Gina]

Absolutely!

[Gina]

Found why my 3D printer was playing up - hotend cooler fan was running slowly and not producing enough cooling.  Replaced it with a new one and now merrily printing the parts for my all sky camera.

[PeterW]

I use CURA for everything, more tweaker setting being added almost daily. Prusa slicer is built off Slic3r. I played with simplify3D but haven’t used it much, might be to do with the printer I use it with is a Royal pain to setup and get the best levelled.

PEter

[Chriske]

2 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I need three washers 1/8" thick  for spacing switches in a guitar A/B box. Has taken just minutes to design them and get them printing.

3D printers are great for simple things not just complex ones!

Indeed , I even print my own plectrums...😉

[Stub Mandrel]

16 hours ago, Gina said:

hotend cooler fan was running slowly

Peel off sticker, apply one tiny drop of mineral oil (e.g. sewing machine oil) to bushed bearing, replace sticker. Usually a permanent and long-term solution.

[Stub Mandrel]

15 hours ago, Chriske said:

Indeed , I even print my own plectrums...😉

Yes Chris, but you'd print your own breakfast cereal if you could! 🙂

[Gina]

Well, I printed a toilet roll holder when the wooden one broke some years ago 😄

[johninderby]

 Maybe could print up a cereal bowl if not the cereal. 😁

Edited October 8, 2019 by johninderby