OT 3D Plastic printers?

Re: OT 3D Plastic printers?

Barry Irby

I know almost nothing about them but I have young friend who has one he is playing with. I may see him tomorrow and I will ask him.

Obviously the spool of plastic lasts until it runs out....There may be some calculation that explains how many cubic inches of solid you can generate with one spool but it truly depends on what you print. I believe the printers have settings that let you reduce the density of the material. So you could print "filler" material and 80% or maybe less. That would extend the life of your roll. No simple answer.

Re: OT 3D Plastic printers?

TomD

I have been looking at one also, though I don't have much experience with them.

The plastic is deispensed efficiently so basically you get how ever much out of it as is there, so a two pound spool will print out 2 pounds of objects, it depends on what you make, as to how long that lasts. If you elected to print a solid chisel handle or plane, it would go pretty fast, but things like leather stamps might number in the hundreds.

The files come from a number of sources. There are places with huge stocks of existing files, like thingieverse. You just download them and run them through your printer; there are parametric approaches, where you start with a simple shape, or an existing file and modify, stretch, etc...; You can model from scratch; Then there are specialty products that produce files out of other files. One interesting version of the latter are programs that produce lithophanes. You can look it up, but they are perforated, or differential thickness panels than when hung in front of a light source produce a transparent photographic realistic panel. Rater cool. This is a program where you need to provide the input, a photo, but the program has the capacity to produce a one of a kind of product, a lithophane, out of that photo. I don't know how many things there are like that, but one does trip over these single use products from time to time.

One CNC product I think would be fun for my kids is an eggbot. It draws on eggs, or golfballs, etc... The machine has a variety of component parts, that you can print. There are many versions that have been devised. You can choose the one you like and print out the components. And that sort of thing is relatively common, and often seems to come up when one is perusing instructions for things, people will come up with instructions they are willing to share. For instance, I looked up 3D printable sharpening jig, and got a bunch of projects.

Re: OT 3D Plastic printers?

TomD

A thing I should have mentioned about consumables is that it can vary, as with printing docs, depending on the parameters you select. So if you select a fine grain print, it will take a lot longer, and presumably fill in more gaps, and take more plastic? From what I have been reading, it seems as though print times can be quite long unless you have a very fast machine. I think it is important to want outputs that are consistent with the strengths of the machine. In my work, I think a lot of patterns and molds that would allow me to brand things would be very useful.

I am looking at the Monoprice machine, which is clearly pretty far over on the cheap end of things, and I do not know whether that is really enough to be useful. I am not interested in just making some CrackerJack prizes. On the other hand, I presented a video here were the guy was printing things like blast gates, and that seem too ambitious for the kinds of machines I can afford. That is why I think branding, and maybe some small tools will be the limit, and in most cases, I think those would require original designs, and that would require a lot of software competence.

Re: OT 3D Plastic printers?

Dick Coers

Material usage will depend on the volume of the part and how much interior structure is needed. Often even some exterior structure is needed to build a large cantilevered part. You can hardly ever do a true hollow part. You need some structure so some layers won't collapse as they build. You are going to need a more directed forum to get real answers. Real learning curve? Learning the software will be a major hurdle, then it's the speed of the extruding head you will need to be comfortable with. It will also depend on how good an owner's forum the manufacturer has. Honestly, the best feature you should shop for is that owner's forum. Learning all this by watching a couple youtube videos is even harder than learning to turn wood by youtube in my opinion. I didn't run a 3D printer in our model shop, but I watched a couple of designers and a modelmaker spend weeks getting perfect runs. Then just when they had it right, the heated table would not grab the first line of extrusion and the part was ruined. They also had a fair amount of trouble with flatter parts wanted to curl a bit as it cooled. I do know that sanding that stuff to get a smooth part was a real pain.

Re: OT 3D Plastic printers?

Jerry Nicholson

I have been using Afinia 3D printers for several years. My newest one allows a much larger print than the first one I bought. I use Sketchup Version 8.0 to create models. My printers require the input to be in .STL format (maybe another format too) and Sketchup requires an add-on to generate .STL (a stereo lithography format) files. Newer versions of Sketchup should work well too. For consistency, I use premium ABS plastic filament (same stuff as Lego blocks) and figure on a printing cost of about 5 cents a gram, including the support structure for whatever is being printed. The nozzle can clog up occasionally. Soaking it in acetone fixes that. You will use up a few dollars worth of filament climbing your learning curve. Printing can take a long time but you don't have to stand there and watch it, although you probably will for a while. You will need to watch where you put your fingers because the printing platform (for ABS) is heated to 90 degrees Celsius and filament extrusion nozzle is heated to over 260 degrees Celsius.

There are thousands of pre-designed models available for free on the internet but I usually find that I have to design my own.

Jerry

Re: OT 3D Plastic printers?

Jim Smith

Hello, Lots of information in this thread from another site. Linkhttps://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=413125

Re: OT 3D Plastic printers?

Tony - Memphis

I've had a Creality Cr10 for a while now. Can't really say how long a spool lasts - depends on how much you print. They are specified by weight, so you can get an idea of how much a model weighs (in a specific material) and go from there.

Learning curve. Hard to say since I don't know where you are starting from. There are several model sources out there, but I prefer to design my own stuff. Thingverse is a good source. AutoDesk Fusion 360 is free and is an amazing tool to model with.

Basically, you obtain an STL or design your own, then run it through a slicer application, then load it to the printer and let 'er rip.

There is a lot to learn with any particular printer, material, etc. Temperatures (bed and nozzle), feed rates, etc, etc - lots of variables to play with. There are lots of materials out there too. I mainly print in PLA - it is very forgiving, affordable, and works for most of what I do.

I have really enjoyed my machine. Amazing what you can do with one. Its one of those things that you think of lots of stuff to make after you have it. I've printed lots of things for the shop. The flexible filaments are nice for making soft corners and such. I've been playing with threads lately. They are turning very well. I printed a nut and bolt the other day that aren't bad.

Tony

Thanks All

Mike L

I have not decided if I will get one or not. I am pretty much traveling three to four weeks in a row right now. That is how get my points. Hilton Points can be used on Amazon if you didn't know already.

I am heading home in two weeks and getting the house ready for sale so I can get out of Ohio and move to Tenn. Just not so sure where I am going to place my hat when I get there.

Thanks Again