3D Printers and Printing

[Greatscott]

DAMN!!!! Lots of great info here!!!!

Out of filament and it is killing me!!! I order four rolls of PLA off of Amazon, three have come in but received ABS. I am not quite ready to take that hill just yet, some I sent them back and reordered PLA...

If using blue tape, use 3M blue tape and not whatever is cheap next to it. I've tried tons of brands and 3M is the only one that works reliably. clean it with rubbing alcohol and its sometimes too good.


I print PETG and TPU on tape. TPU also prints well on PEI. PETG requires boro glass or else glue stick/ hairspray so the glass doesn't chip. I'll normally choose clean glass to print on unless TPU. I have a boro bet for PETG and mirror glass for everything else.

My SOOWAY SW-200 that's 180mm x 180mm x 180mm came to today and took me like 5 minutes too assemble, now I got to build a bench or see if I can find something on the Market Place or Craigslist cause my extra Rollaway tool box is too small for both printers and my laptop

I have only had my printer for two weeks, and already looking at getting another one, something will a smaller build volume for quicker jobs.

I got tired of 3M tape ripping when prints stuck to it so I switched to a PRINTinZ print surface skin and never looked back.

My Anet printer uses 3M painters blue tape. The only time I have to replace it is when I tear it or start to notice the first layer not sticking. So far this piece has about a dozen jobs on it.

My Ender copy uses a Creality Bed Surface sheet - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FQWTZ3Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I do have to let that cool down to room temp when I pop the parts off or I end up tweaking the part.

Tape...

I tried the smooth 3M tape, found out that filament does not like to stick to it. I am using Aquanet now, its ok, but I need to bring by bed temp back up to 60 to get good adhesion. I think this weekend I am going to get a big wide roll of the 3M tape, and see what that does for me.

 

[BUBBA069]

If using Amazon basics filament, or Hatchbox, those are all re-brand of Chinese stuff. If you want some good budget domestic filament, look at Ziltech. Step up from that is Coex, step up from that Matterhackers and ProtoPasta.


Other US based

3DFuel
Atomic Filament
COEX
IC3D
Matterhackers
Ninjatech
Printed Solid
Protopasta
Push Plastic
Taulman3D

 

[Voodoobrew]

Definitely try petg before abs, and maybe stick with petg for functioning parts if you print inside and dont have an enclosed system. Abs has some noxious fumes.

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[kgb424]

I leveled out the SooWay, and made my first test print, and like how it prints, the only problem is that I used the Cura software and tried to load another STL file on the SD card and it wiped it clean, all the system files are gone and my desktop will not detect the SD card, the printer says there is no files, now I got to e-mail them and see if I can get another loaded SD card or download the system files, there is not a lot on the website either, I really don't like or care for the SD card BS too be honest cause they suck and do exactly what it did, its not the first time I have had a SD card take a shit on me, my old Samsung Galaxy S3 went thru a few of them, the Ender 3 Pro you can re-download the SD card files and add a better card reader, looks like with the SooWay I'm going to have problems

 

[Greatscott]

I leveled out the SooWay, and made my first test print, and like how it prints, the only problem is that I used the Cura software and tried to load another STL file on the SD card and it wiped it clean, all the system files are gone and my desktop will not detect the SD card, the printer says there is no files, now I got to e-mail them and see if I can get another loaded SD card or download the system files, there is not a lot on the website either, I really don't like or care for the SD card BS too be honest cause they suck and do exactly what it did, its not the first time I have had a SD card take a shit on me, my old Samsung Galaxy S3 went thru a few of them, the Ender 3 Pro you can re-download the SD card files and add a better card reader, looks like with the SooWay I'm going to have problems

I just printed the Flexicat version of this, turned out really well.

I have printed my first "functional" RC part...

An ESC mount...!

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

So, here is my TRX4 before...
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

It worked, but I wanted the on.off switch, but had no place to mount it, so it just kind of flopped around. I added the mount. The holes were printed around 3mm, but it did not take much to get the screws to spin freely, so I backed them with nylocks.
Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

And, here it is all mounted up. I need to do a little bit of clean up on the wiring, but I am already liking the mount.

Untitled by Scott O, on Flickr

The Mamba-X kind of locks into the mount, but I am sure one good hit would dislodge it. I cleaned the mount and ESC with some isopropyl alcohol and then slapped the whole mess together with some industrial servo tape.

If you are interested, here is a link to the file on Thingiverse.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3427458

And, for those running the HW 1080, here is the mount for that....

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3668792/files

Now I am looking for a STL for a holder/case/bracket for a CC 10A BEC. I saw a couple of the damn things before I started 3D printing, but I'll be damned if I can find it now. Anyone have a link to an STL?

 

[Voodoobrew]

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2507493
I usualy search on yeggi not thingiverse because it searches multiple sites at once. Usualy everything is on thingiverse though.

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[kgb424]

Thanks to the files on Thingiverse, the SooWay crashed and destroyed the magnetic pad after the Z axis suddenly dropped and crashed into the heat bed after printing the second layer, and my Ender 3 Pro only came with 2 tie wraps on the entire wiring harness and need cable management bad before I can print on it, and the only thing I can find is a cable chain from Thingiverse and screw that place and it has be printed, so there is 2 printers down and going no where, just pissed off and frustrated once again

 

[GA Dawg]

The Ender 3 prints just fine without a bunch of cable management. I keep telling myself that I am going to clean it up, but I never do.

 

[svt923]

Thanks to the files on Thingiverse, the SooWay crashed and destroyed the magnetic pad after the Z axis suddenly dropped and crashed into the heat bed after printing the second layer

Unless you were running a gcode you downloaded from Thingiverse, it probably had little or nothing to do with the file. An error in creating the gcode from the slicer or a good old printer glitch is more likely. The hardware randomly screwing up is part of the fun of cheap printers.

My Monoprice mini did something similar as I was running a test print to set the Z offset. The offset is supposed to adjust in .01 mm increments and in one press it went from about -.2 to -10 jamming the nozzle into the print bed. Luckily I shut it off before it could do more damage than tearing the buildtak.

 

[kgb424]

I just scored a free table to set my printers on and my laptop and still have room to work, got to love free shit

 

[Greatscott]

I just scored a free table to set my printers on and my laptop and still have room to work, got to love free shit

SCHWEET!!!!

I set my printer up in my Lego room so it would be away from all of the garage dust.

 

[kgb424]

I didn't think about that I will have to cover them when not in use, my garage is the only place I have room for them at the moment unless I move stuff around or get rid of stuff and set it up in one of the bedrooms maybe

 

[Voodoobrew]

If you throw out the womenfolk they look good in the kitchen.

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[BUBBA069]

If they will live in the garage, make up an enclosure for each and a dry box for the filament.

Filament will suck up the humidity. The moisture content gets to high, will print like crap. Then you are either putting the filament in the oven to dry it out (normally not wife approved) or putting it in a modified dehydrator to get the filament dried out.

The enclosures will help to even out the temps for the printer. Large temp swings will affect your bed level.

 

[Greatscott]

If they will live in the garage, make up an enclosure for each and a dry box for the filament.

Filament will suck up the humidity. The moisture content gets to high, will print like crap. Then you are either putting the filament in the oven to dry it out (normally not wife approved) or putting it in a modified dehydrator to get the filament dried out.

The enclosures will help to even out the temps for the printer. Large temp swings will affect your bed level.

I have been researching filament storage, seems like you want to keep it as dry as possible. I have bought an air-tight tote and going to buy some rechargeable desicant to keep the humidity as low as possible. Anyone else do this? Any problems with doing this?

 

[BUBBA069]

I only run single colors, and run in room that has stable humidity. The rolls I buy come sealed with desiccant. Once I open a roll, it only lasts a couple days. If I know I'm not going to print enough to get through the roll in a couple days I will seal it back in a large bag with couple large desiccant packs and keep it in a cool dry place.

 

[BIGW0RM]

Im a noob to 3d printing and online services. I found some things I want on thingaverse. I then found treststock.com which will print the thingaverse files for me. But it has a HUGE list of media types I can choose. What is the best media to use for RC parts? Ideally Id like to have a smooth OEM like finish. Some of the things Ive seen 3d printed look "rough" or very course.

Can anyone tell me whats best? Here are the choices.


Resin
Nylon
polycarbonate
high performance plastic
polyester
PLA
ABS


Thank you!

 

[Voodoobrew]

The more confusing part is some of those names are interchangeable and are website specific or printer types.

Hard to explain the difference between them with out explaining how all the different printers work.

Usually the services offer their own exinations of what to use.

Nylon is rather durable but that dosent refer to the smoothness at all, that depends on the printer.

Resin is a method of printing that is generally pretty smooth. But that dosent tell you anything about the strength / durability.

Pla is hard and kinda brittle. Less flex
Petg less hard less brittle, stronger than above
Abs less hard less brittle, stronger than above
Nylon less hard less brittle, stronger than above more flex



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[Greatscott]

Slicers...

I just bit the bullet and bought Simplify 3D.... Yeah, there is a lot of stuff in there.

First, anyone know of a good tutorial sersies to go over the ins and outs of the program?

Second, in Cura, getting a part flat to the bed is fairly simple. The process seems to be a bit convoluted in Simplify 3D. I found a great video that greatly speeds the process up, but for such a basic function in a $150 program, it seems like there should be a short cut key to do it more easily.

Here is the video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dul_EwQ-Hg0

 

[BUBBA069]

its not convoluted in S3D. Its 3 clicks, Edit -> Place Surface on bed -> Click the face you want on the bed. Done. If you want to use the short cut its CTRL+L

Now if for some reason the face isn't 100% flat on the model, and you want it to be. Just click the model, then the move icon (or W key) on the left, then lower the Z position number until the surface is below the build plate. The slicer will ignore it, and slice as if it wasn't there. boom flat bottom.

as for videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQP0KuWKndRvvTbLVYWZXnQ/videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj9Woql9iHE <- more on his channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET1EX8mImRQ <- more on his channel