3D Printers and Printing

[k7zpj]

Geezzzz…. I was hoping someone who was serious about 3D printing would post up... :roll:


Seriously man, awesome setups there!!!! "thumbsup"

Do you do any external heating, or just have the enclosures to trap in the cast-off heat from the bed?

On a side note...
How active is the Ham community there? I have been trying to find a group up here to get my license renewed, but all of the sites that are up here list testing and event dates from 2014...

Thank you.

No heating external heating required. You do have to be careful to provide some ventilation when printing ABS or ASA to prevent over heating the enclosure.

The Ham Radio scene is moderately active in Oregon. Lots of people doing ARES and some digital with Winlink.
Here is the link to the scheduled US license exam sessions: Find an Amateur Radio License Exam in Your Area
You can do a search and find the closest session.

 

[Greatscott]

Meshmixer question...

Using Meshmixer to make an *.STL a solid, how do you get it back to Fusion?

 

[k7zpj]

Meshmixer question...

Using Meshmixer to make an *.STL a solid, how do you get it back to Fusion?

1) Insert the STL file into the design using Insert Mesh which is under the insert tab.
2) Right click on the design name and select "Do not capture design history
3) Right click on the mesh you inserted and select Mesh to Brep
4) You may have to clean up the faces since all of the triangles in the STL file shows up on the faces.

Here is a good YouTube tutorial on how to do this.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pgWWVcM5YJY" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Note:You can also export from Meshmixer in the .obj format and insert it into Fusion 360 using the same process for inserting by select .obj instead of .stl with the insert mesh dialog box.

 

[Greatscott]

I don't know why, but I liked looking at the downloads for my designs on Thingiverse. After the latest revamp the analytics tool as acting a bit goofy, it showed downloads but no views. A couple of days ago the analytics link was removed. Is this completely gone, or has it been moved?

 

[k7zpj]

I don't know why, but I liked looking at the downloads for my designs on Thingiverse. After the latest revamp the analytics tool as acting a bit goofy, it showed downloads but no views. A couple of days ago the analytics link was removed. Is this completely gone, or has it been moved?

It was moved to the "My Designs" page.
Down on the bottom left they have a link called view your analytics

To get to the My Designs page you click on the down arrow between the ! and your avatar at the top right of the window.

No telling how long before it moves again.

 

[Greatscott]

It was moved to the "My Designs" page.
Down on the bottom left they have a link called view your analytics

To get to the My Designs page you click on the down arrow between the ! and your avatar at the top right of the window.

No telling how long before it moves again.

Thanks for the reply.

Looks like there was a glitch in my account. Thanks to your post, I went ahead and logged out and back in and the analytics link showed back up.

 

[c0bra]

Everyone using fusion 360.

If I save a part that I design with it already extruded, and close that drawing, is it possible to go back and edit the original 2d drawing?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Greatscott]

Everyone using fusion 360.

If I save a part that I design with it already extruded, and close that drawing, is it possible to go back and edit the original 2d drawing?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You have made your sketch, hit "Q", extruded it, and now you have something wrong, and need to correct the sketch?

If this is correct, you are in luck...

• At the bottom of the screen is the history bar, this keeps track of everything you have done in that file. The white boxes with the pencils are the sketches.
• Left click on the sketch and it will highlight the plane that the sketch is on, and the lines that were drawn.
• Right click on the sketch icon, and near the top of that list you'll see 'Edit Sketch'.
Note: You can't be in another sketch or have any tools open to edit a sketch.

You can go back any time and edit a previous sketch in the file, just know that editing a sketch might/will effect parts of your work you did later. This is why setting dimensions and constraints are so critical.

 

[c0bra]

You have made your sketch, hit "Q", extruded it, and now you have something wrong, and need to correct the sketch?

If this is correct, you are in luck...

• At the bottom of the screen is the history bar, this keeps track of everything you have done in that file. The white boxes with the pencils are the sketches.
• Left click on the sketch and it will highlight the plane that the sketch is on, and the lines that were drawn.
• Right click on the sketch icon, and near the top of that list you'll see 'Edit Sketch'.
Note: You can't be in another sketch or have any tools open to edit a sketch.

You can go back any time and edit a previous sketch in the file, just know that editing a sketch might/will effect parts of your work you did later. This is why setting dimensions and constraints are so critical.

Thanks I will try that.

I am currently working on a k30 crew cab long bed conversion using a Rc4wd k5 body as a base and have made several attempts to get the curve correct. This most recent attempt is the closest. What I did was I got the test piece designed and extruded everything and then exported to a stl file and then closed fusion. After printing the part I noticed some minor changes that need to made to get it perfect. I tried to go back into fusion and just edit the already done sketch and was having issues


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Greatscott]

By default, history is turned on, so you should just have to reopen the file in Fusion and edit what you have done.

On the other hand, if you are trying to import the *.STL into Fusion and edit it, you are talking about an entirely different animal. There is no history there, you have to turn the part back into a "solid", then edit it from there.

 

[Greatscott]

Found a great tool on Thingiverse for sizing metric screws.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4154091

 

[Greatscott]

Here is some practical 3D printing...

A while back I printed off two sets of these pegboard spool holders that use a dowel. They worked, but the wood was flimsy, and if I pulled too hard the whole mess would come apart, or the holders themselves would break. Didn't get a shot of the one that holds my wire, but it was sagging worse than this one.

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

So, I designed new brackets for this, ditching the pegboard interface altogether. Instead of a wooden dowel, I used an 8mm hollow aluminum dowel. After about 20 minutes in Fusion and five hours on the printer, I had my brackets...

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

To make sure the dowel stays put, I designed in holes for zip-ties...

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

 

[B-MOW71]

Here is some practical 3D printing...

A while back I printed off two sets of these pegboard spool holders that use a dowel. They worked, but the wood was flimsy, and if I pulled too hard the whole mess would come apart, or the holders themselves would break. Didn't get a shot of the one that holds my wire, but it was sagging worse than this one.

Nice spool holders! Great idea!"thumbsup"

I need something like this on my bench! I've got spools everywhere!

 

[Greatscott]

Goodbye CR10...

Hello CR30!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo_J57U6DO4

 

[Greatscott]

Thinking about making a FPV gimbal mount for my trucks. There are a few different designs on Thingiverse/Yeggi, and I have some ideas floating around in my head.

Anyone make their own (3D printed or not)? What works, what doesn't?

 

[Greatscott]

Another project I have finished up is a voltage and current monitor. I bought it off of Amazon, and it more or less comes as a DYI kit. I threw a layer of overcomplication on to it by putting in two inputs and two outputs. I have the send power in and out via XT60 and JR connectors.

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

I did make a couple of mistakes, the spot for the JR connectors is just a tad too small, so they are more or less jammed in there, but I wanted them to stick out flush with the housing. I was going to glue them in like I did the XTs, but they are in there so tight, there is no need. Plus, I did not put any kind of polarity indicator on the case, so I just wrote the '+' and '-' signs on the XT connectors. I also gave barely enough room for the bridge on the inside of the case. I have corrected all of these issues in Fusion, but given that the case is a 17 hour print using a lot of filament, and given that the mistakes don't take away from its functionality, I will not print it again until I am ready to build the second one.

The wiring is a little messy, but not terrible, I really should have went with spade lugs on the 14ga wire going into the bridge, but it will do.

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

This set up allows me to feed it with my 12VDC power supply, or with my Castle voltage regulator (BEC). Here it is, being power by the CC BEC, I am wiggling two servos with the servo tester and powering a small 25mm fan.

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

As a side note, please forgive my workbench. I am horrible about cleaning as I go, and normally clean after I finish a project; in this case, this V&I monitor is my forth project I have finished in the last week.

 

[Greatscott]

One of my favorite plugs to use for the small stuff are Deans Micro plugs. They compact and easy to solder. Because the package gives no real direction on polarity, plugs coming from the source are wired so that the high is the female, and the return is the male. Of course, they are opposite coming from the load, the high is the male and return is the female. This makes anything I use with them universal, allowing me to grab LEDs off of one rig and put them on the other with no rewiring.

The biggest thing I use these plugs for are LEDs. But, plugging a number of different LED strings in can make wire management a bit of a nightmare. Taking a que from the distribution/PS block that comes on the TRX4/6s, I set out to design a block that uses the Micro Deans.

Why not use the Traxxas block and save some time? It only poops out 3VDC, and the LEDs I use need at least 4VDC to turn on.

Here is the finished product...

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

You can see where the CA glue got away from me... Luck my fingers aren't still attached to it...
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

I designed the block body first, and quickly realized that I would need a jig to hold everything steady for soldering. My first attempt a soldering was laughable because I kept chasing the jig across my workbench; given that this matt is magnetic, I solved the problem with some magnets and CA (again, lucky it still isn't attached to my fingers).

The jig is designed so that the Deans can only go in one way, and so that it is easy to tell where the wires go.

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

I used 18ga wire, stripping back about an inch, then tinning the stripped length. More or less this made a bus bar attaching individual connectors together. Certainly not my prettiest soldering job, but as a prototype, not terrible either.

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

I clipped off the excess and put it into the block. I was/am a little uncomfortable with how much it squeezed the connectors together. I need to go back and add a little room in this area to accommodate the bus bar. As it sits, there is plenty of room between the poles to prevent arcing.

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

To hedge my bets, I poured some liquid electrical tape in, just to make sure nothing arced. But, the pictures make the leads look like they are almost touching, that is just parallax error, and not really that close.

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

I will wait until I build the next one with the changes before I post it up to Thingiverse, want to do a little testing first. But, once I get the kinks worked out, this would clean up the wiring a bit.

 

[Sniper4370]

Looking good! I really need to go back and start trying to learn Fusion360. Y'all make me jealous with your design skills.

 

[Greatscott]

Found this video from Uncle Jessy, anyone else use printing resin to smooth and strengthen FDM prints?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lcQKHOWmG44" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Greatscott]

Well, just put this bad boy on order.

My CR10 has been rock solid, but there are a number of features that it is lacking, its build volume is really a lot bigger than what I need most of the time, and I can't print two objects with different color filament at the same time.

3 - 4 weeks...

Prusa Mini + by Scott O, on Flickr