Just joined the 3D printer club though our business owns a half dozen they’re always busy. My partner also does all the engineering and I just ohh and ahh so it’s good to get some real hands on time on one. Picked up the new Anycubic Vyper for $359. The build and setup was dead simple. Auto leveling bed is a huge plus and prints so far looks fantastic.

B2EC73ED-081D-4349-AA09-BA1CC045B6CA (resized).jpegC107F236-044A-4D78-8DB8-6E00C17D8013 (resized).jpeg

2DFE4C46-85A4-4C52-87B3-851FC32F0296 (resized).jpeg

A8843674-2FA6-4B5B-9627-213DD7213A2D (resized).jpeg

87AFF2AB-FD4B-4D09-BB23-6340BECB149A (resized).jpeg

Has anyone made a simple ball holder that can be place on a flat surface to hold pinballs while you're working on it? Those things are like soap.

I looked on Thingivierse but didn't see anything.

Ah yes, Mr. Tantrum rocks. I did see this though it would be a bit dangerous for repair use. More of an art piece. I want something that will really secure them so I don’t send em flying.

Basically, yes. I started playing around in Tinkercad as well but for some reason I can’t find the void tool. Lol.

Well as I’ve been working on pins since I bought my first High Speed in high school 1989 it’s always been a pain dropping balls off lockbars. You tell the, to stay but they don’t always listen. I’d like to have a reasonable solution. Thinking of using TPU would be the way to go on this as well.

That would work well I believe.

I truly appreciate that swinks! I’ve been on Shapeways in the past and know their process. I will download and print for myself. Thank you again!

I did use that and figured it was a void tool. Why call it a hole though? Dumb. Honestly, I played around with it for a few minutes I had available today.

This was what I came up with yesterday when I first looked at TC for a few minutes. From here I would add some inclusions to remove material between the round sections to remove unnecessary material. I am printing swinks model now and will share that here when done.

Screen Shot 2021-10-07 at 11.50.38 AM (resized).png

Thank you swinks! Printed your model and it works great. I used PLA 10% infill, probably could've gone 0 infill to save some time. Took approx. 2hrs to print. So much better than using a rag! I'll stick some thin adhesive-backed foam on the bottom for placing on glass and likely try one in TPU next.

IMG_7919 (resized).JPG

IMG_7920 (resized).JPG

If I ever figure out a way to remove the balls without removing the glass I’ll let you know. I usually place the balls on the game next to it or a countertop. I just ordered a roll of TPU to test a print as well which will keep it from sliding on surfaces.

I like your idea of placing it on the coin box as well.

Thanks Yelo. Lot's of people print just fine with TPU on the Vyper. I've seen many posts on the Vyper groups about it. I'll give it a shot and see.

Good idea

In case anyone is interested I printed one out with flexible TPU and it is the way to go. Really nice and rigid but with some malleability and will not scratch anything around it or break if it fell. I used a Vyper members Prusa TPU profile but still need to play around with retraction to make it flawless. Really though its a functional part so it is great as-is.

I printed some TPU glass protectors which also turned out great. I highly recommend printing both for your toolbox.

IMG_8032 (resized).JPG

IMG_8036 (resized).JPG

Not putting the bar back on. Simply placing the ball holder on the game next to it for safe storage while working.

Nice choice. I love my Vyper. No issues from day 1 and have printed a wide variety of parts and sizes including multi-day prints. It's been plug and play. I've started designing parts which has made it truly an asset.

Super excited to be backer #21 on the new Bambu Lab X1 Carbon with AMS. Cannot wait for multi color prints and speed. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bambulab/bambu-lab-x1-corexy-color-3d-printer-with-lidar-and-ai

Exactly the reasons that gave me confidence in backing this Kickstarter as well. It seems this KS was more of a marketing and awareness tool than a need to rise capital.

According to their blog, it's a fork of the Slic3r/Superslicer/Prusaslicer

There's a great Bambu user group on Facebook where an incredible amount of detail is shared from test users whom have the units already. Lots of Youtube videos as well. The results I've seen are impressive with no post processing. Bambu Lab appear to be taking printing to the next level (from a consumer and small business standpoint) with AI, Lidar and other new technologies for the segment which is welcome and needed to get 3D printing past the hobbiest/tinkerer threshold.

They have seeded to youtuber/influencer types and those with a lot of experience in order to get feedback primarily on the software side of things though those units seeded are all production models, not protos or pre-production.

Tons of information here https://www.facebook.com/groups/bambulabofficialusers

My Anycubic Vyper has a textured plate and the the surface is relatively close to the coin door surface texture. Planning on going back and shooting it with a bit glossier black which should match even better.

IMG_9754 (resized).jpg

Here it is painted gloss black. It's a great match.

IMG_9958 (resized).JPG

Fantastic work. Very well done.

Great work especially for your first creation. You just won Pinside this week

Those are likely the same ones that are on thingiverse. I made of bunch of them for my and friends games as well. They do fit though they need to be sanded out a small amount in the center as they are a bit snug initially.

That's usually reasonable but then you're chasing a perfect fit and if they're too loose then they are trash. Since they are very close already, a quick hit with 120 grit and they fit snugly without worry of falling off when you lift the playfield.

My new Bambu Lab X1 Carbon has arrived and is AMAZING! Prints are lighting fast even in "sport" mode (~200mm/s) and the finish almost feels like its injection molded in many cases. I don't think my Vyper will see much use going forward.

IMG_0185 (resized).JPG

IMG_0178 (resized).JPG

IMG_0175 (resized).JPG

IMG_0188D (resized).JPG

IMG_0197 (resized).JPG

Im running the software on a Mac. Zero issues. In fact it hasn't crashed once since I installed it unlike Cura.

I have the AMS which is an automatic filament system. You can choose the primary filament feed for a single type/color/support in the slicer or on the unit as well as by 3d model color location in the slicer if applicable. It’s aimed to make things easier espe for mult-material prints. The unit comes with 4 Bambu spools which are reloadable or you can use most any 3rd party spool. RFID is a bonus.

I see. The ams feeds, retracts and loads new material from one of 4 positions via the primary ptfe feed tube into the head as needed. Hope that makes sense. More info here https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/home

Bed is heated. I use hairspray though some have said there’s not a need for it with PLA. I’d rather not chance it.

Those are complete opposite ends of the spectrum in every way and depends on what you are looking to get out of your experience. Not really comparable otherwise. If you want a "turn-key" print option go with Bambu.

Yes. This is my Godzilla monster egg as an example. I’m sure I’m not the first to do it.

7D12EF57-9D57-4F7E-BBBC-3CF3B7B01200 (resized).jpeg

Glad to see you’ve received your Bambu and seeing how amazing it is. I was backer #22 I believe? Had mine since End of July and loving it. I print almost daily and am still blown away by it.

Perhaps not much has changed beyond slicers improving in the age of Prusa's but If you've got the budget and want an amazing next generation machine look at the Bambu Lab X-1. I stepped up from my Anycubic Vyper and will never go back. it's like a horse and buggy now.

Sure it's great to learn the nuts and bolts of old technology but I'd rather learn the nuts and bolts of the newer technology if I was getting into the hobby now. Still plenty to learn either way.

If you want or budget allows for a very inexpensive printer you can't go wrong with a Prusa, Creality, Anycubic, etc.

Here's a good Bambu review

Saw this on the Bambu Lab user group yesterday. looks like BL is prepping to compete at the lower cost level before going larger. Rumor is $550 cost on the P1P.

Congrats. Love my X1 Carbon. It’s an amazing machine. My Vyper just sits there collecting dust. Really no reason to use it anymore even though I said I would.

That print looks great. No adhesion issues getting the prints to stick, just the opposite. Prints stick too well to the cool plate if untreated. The glue stick they suggest to use to allow for easy print removal. I remove The plate and spray it with Aqua Net because it’s so much easier and cleaner than glue stick. I only use that once in awhile for spot applications. I also bought their new textured PEI sheet recently.

This is actually the just launching and lower featured P1P and not the X1 which is fully enclosed and prints faster as well as more fully featured.

Not mine but a Bambu group member on Facebook posted his Mecha Godzilla print on his X1 Carbon. I may have to make this into a topper.

IMG_0349 (resized).jpg

Fantastic job. I know that it's a very large scale and took quite a bit of material and time to build. Really impressive.

Lots of good filaments out there really and everyone has their go to. I’ve used a ton of PolyMaker/PolyTerra even before I got my X1C with my Vyper but now use PolyTerra filaments for nearly all PLA. Overture, Sunlu, Hatchbox are all great as well. The Bambu slicer also has preset profiles for PolyMaker filaments though not sure how much that matters. It’s rumored that they even manufacture and white label the Bambu brand.

I think in the old days there were lots of variables in filament but it’s all pretty consistent these days.

Cab protectors. I've printed a set but not applied legs yet. I printed these at 75% infill rectilinear, 5 walls. Overkill. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm sure they will work just fine.

https://www.printables.com/model/119523-pinball-cabinet-leg-protector

IMG_1253D (resized).JPG

IMG_1220D (resized).JPG

All great points except for "biodegradable" which it definitely is not. Not even recyclable in the consumer waste stream unfortunately. I do have a friend whom is working on manufacturing a truly biodegradable filament based on his patented formulations. Fingers crossed, it would be a huge deal. Hoping to get some to test as well.

I've been using Polymer PLA and PLA pro with great results. I also print a fair amount of TPU and more recently flexible PLA which felt identical to TPU.

Actually it is not. While the definition to be able to label your product "Biodegradable" is very strict there is a massive difference between that and "degradable" which is not minor at all and these terms are often times used out of context.

Technically, every product on earth is degradable, because it will eventually break down either biologically or chemically.

Biodegradable, meanwhile, is a product that will be broken down by organisms or bacteria.

Traditional petroleum-based plastics and other heavy metal and chemical based materials fall into the category of degradable, but not biodegradable. They never break down fully into their natural elements to be repurposed by the earth; merely into smaller pieces over a long time.

Plastics are the biggest offenders, because they’re either photo-degradable (break down in sunlight) or oxo-biodegradable into smaller pieces called microplastics.

My Packaging company manufactures product that is MRF, municipal recycle facility approved meaning the fibers, print and coatings can be 50 state recycled and will biodegrade within months as if it were never here though we cannot technically call it biodegradable because it can take a bit longer than 180 days to do so.

Remember, just because you can't see something doesn't mean it's gone. Plastics are the best example we have of this.

You can download the BL slicer for free and take a look at it. It also has support for Voron and Ender 3 built in.

Currently sending your print files to the BL uses their cloud feature which is an intermediary with some benefits such as adding print information to the app so you can use the app to look back, print previous files and control the printer exclusively from the app if desired. It's also a really great way to control the P1P since the screen on that is a bit smaller and less informative. The printers do have a microSD slot for sneaker-netting print files so if you prefer not to use the cloud print features it's not an issue. BL have said that they are working on a wifi feature that will not require their cloud. I am not totally up to date on that development so perhaps someone else here or on the BL forum can comment.

The calibration pattern checks flow rates, retractions, etc. per material. I rarely use it after the first time I load a material and you can deselect its function in the slicer. That said, if you do leave it on printing directly over it is not a problem as I have done many times.

For the bed, they recommend using a release agent on the cool plate specifically. I do not use glue stick but rather hairspray which is super easy and ensures clean removal from the PEI surface. I do not use anything on the engineering side or textured PEI plate. There are also lots of other options out there like the Wham Bam which claim not to need anything applied. These are all tools. Use the one that works best for you. I print lots of prototype and functional parts on the textured PEI without a release agent and when I print something which I want a perfect PLA surface I print on the cool plate. Also set the ironing rate to 21% and get PERFECT top layers

Here is an example of a massive top layer on my X1C Multicolor print @ 5% infill. It looks like it was printed directly on a smooth plate.

Screenshot 2023-01-14 at 9.28.09 AM (resized).png

I change default line with from 0.42 to 0.4 along with the settings below

Screenshot 2023-01-14 at 9.50.14 AM (resized).png

When your running at 250-400mm print speed the time added for ironing is unnoticeable. Now if I was using it on my Vyper then yes, it would not be feasible for giant top surfaces like this.

Both BL and Prussia slicer are based on Slic3r and have nearly the same functionality. You can add support blockers and set attributes for specific components all of which I’ve done. You can also change color in several ways including layer height in the paint tool on the far right side of the toolbar. There is a setting for print by layer or by object so you’re good there too. BL is constantly updating and improving their fork as well.

I’m not home to look but it is in the paint tool menu. BL has a wiki that explains the slicer in detail. Here’s the page on multicolor.
https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/software/bambu-studio/multi-color-printing

There are a ton of resources on the BL webs and I’m sure you can get quicker answers there for about all the little details. Any printer and software is going to have advantages and drawbacks compared to another and BL certainly isn’t perfect but they are always improving.

No good deed goes unpunished https://forum.bambulab.com/c/bambu-lab-software/7

I do a lot of prototyping and the speed which I can get through iterations on my x1c is incredible. I used to have to wait for my old printer and the wait time could be torturous. Great decision.

Congrats! It is amazing isn't it. I was backer #19 and have been loving mine since July. As you say the size isn't much different, in fact it takes up less space than my Vyper did. It does make sense that is is louder than what we are used to but its also HELLA faster so its going to be. I have mine in my office and it doesn't bother me either.

IMG_1604D (resized).JPG

Yeah, I've considered another AMS as well even though the most I ever do is 2 colors at a time and that's not often. It's great just choosing the color you want in the slicer and you're done.

The support w is water soluble though I've used it and it just pulls right off without water. My roll says PA-CF for the carbon fiber but I will say that Bambu continues to improve and make changes so perhaps the formula/composition is different now.

Congrats to you too. You're going to love it.

Like all surfaces it depends on what you use. The only thing I use anything on is the cool plate and I spray a light coat of Aqua Net. No glue stick. Most of the time I use the textured PEI and engineering plate, nothing is needed.

I’ve had mine since July and had minimal maintenance consisting of wiping off the carbon rods and light cleaning. I use a light spray of Aqua Net on the smooth PEI side instead of the glue stick. I also just ordered a Wham Bam plate since I really like smooth surfaces for certain parts. That said the Bambu textured plate is incredible in operation and look.

I’ve used the support W and PLA as support and both work great though W is a bit cleaner if useng for functional or interfacing parts.

I’m really hoping that the next Bambu Lab machine is an IDEX or greater (3,4) to help speed up multi-color, multi-material models. Not that I print many multi-color models but decreased time and waste for common parts would be fantastic. Also the option to have one slot loaded with support material would be great. I’ll take a 350x350 print surface as well for the off times I need it.

That Dinosaur puzzle model is butter. Looks like it was injection molded when finished. So incredible clean. Really shows what it’s capable of.

I’ve used quite a few brands but pretty much settled on Polymaker, Polyterra PLA variants. The Bambu slicer also has presets for Plyamaker but most interesting is when you look at the details for these presets and the volumetric flow rates set for PM and the BL filaments. Polymaker is set @ 22 and BL filament 21 where as “generic” PLA is 12. This leads me to believe these are high flow filaments and have always performed spectacularly. At the end of the day most filaments are great anymore will work well so try a few and choose what you like.

I will also say that I began using Polymaker filament before I bought my Bambu X1. Just happened that they play well with this printer.

Does the printer give you an error about having the incorrect sheet installed for PLA when printing on the high temp plate?

Thanks. When I set mine to engineering plate with PLA material it does not allow me to slice the model but if I choose high temp it does. I believe though they are one and the same. I am an early backer and they have changed the plates and profiles a bit sine I got mine so its labeled differently.

Right. They used to be the same but Bambu made some big changes since the initial launch and added the high temp plate sticker option. The engineering plate used to be for high temp as well. I can take a pic of the plate that came with mine last July and you’ll see the differences.

I just hit 400 hours on my X1

Thanks for the kind words. I designed, make and sell them here in my Pinside store "Performance Pinball" and via my website http://www.performancepinball.com/playfield-jacks.html

Just for reference I designed these to enable the playfield to sit perfectly level when raised, keep it from moving side to side and protect the cabinet and art. A lot of thought design time and revisions have gone into these.

While inconvenient for sure their cloud service is a nice feature with some benefits bit your Juicero correlation comes from a lack of understanding of the product capabilities which have been described here many times before. You can send files via LAN connection or via sd card so no one is trapped into their ecosystem. No need to worry.

I print from the sd card all the time lately as my eero mesh network has been acting up. No handshake made. This is well documented. Coincidence I’d say.

It happens to all of us. Just glad it wasn't the famed "Juicero" issue. LOL

I’ve had good luck with bridging and seen some amazing results on the X1C with PLA. Though I have the fans mostly off while printing PLA you can use the aux fan to help by placing your model near it if applicable. All stuff you already know I’m sure.

For top surface finish turn on ironing and set *ironing flow* to 21% and you will get amazing results. I use it all the time. I primarily use Polymaker PLA. Here is an image of ironing on a multi-color print at that setting as well as only 5% infill on a 10" wide model so it bridged large gaps in support flawlessly to lay down top surfaces.

Screenshot 2023-02-27 at 7.53.10 PM (resized).png

Mr_Tantrum Same for me. Would also be great to have the model separated into objects for painting in the Bambu slicer but that's just a bonus. Not sure if it can be exported that way in Blender.

dpadam450 For sure. I scaled it up 1500% in my slicer with no issues. I've got a Premium coming so I'd just like to print one in relative game size in multi-color for fun.

I wonder what kind of stainless steel exactly was used. A powder based additive process will yield strong results but i'm sure you're aware if its stainless steel PLA it actually more brittle that other option like standard PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA CF, etc.

Mr_Tantrum Thanks for the tip on the BL High Temp sheet. I just received mine and did a test print with my Playfield Jacks with no release additive. They printed perfectly and popped right off the bed.

Absolutely epic designs. I'd buy a FF and possibly others from you if you decide to sell them.

I've been printing a lot of Flexible PLA and some TPU for my Playfield Jacks inserts and it does well though I would recommend bumping the retraction if you have stringing issues. I set mine to 1.5. Another thing I found is to be aware of heavy spools and bad filament winds which cause drag and can chew up the filament unnecessarily in the extruder. I am about to print this side spool holder as well.

https://www.printables.com/model/421739-bambu-x1c-side-mount-spool-holder-v2/files

I have printed TPU but not tried ironing. I would think that would be terrible considering how poorly it works for gooey 'rigid" filament like PETG.

For my needs and with the PFJ inserts having a very thin dimension I found TPU wasn't the best option. I am sure that if printing something more substantial/thick it would be just fine as the finish looked good enough. I really like the finish and density of flexible PLA though and it seems to work better for functional parts as well.

I do definitely recommend running cleaning filament through the nozzle when done but that goes for any printer. I have even considered getting a P1P just for TPU/Flex PLA so I don't have to bother the X1

Saw that. Interesting that they've baked in some profile settings into the RFID tag that are beneficial to the material profile making it even more reliable to get quality prints.

I had intended to use my Anycubic Vyper to run random parts when I got my X1C but honestly never wanted to go back to it. I asked several friends and was able to give it to a buddy to use it. I just added a P1P to the mix for TPU parts as it didn't make sense to go back to a machine that would take 5X the time to print. He is happy so all good.

While people including myself to some degree have gotten PETG to print well on the X1 it’s really tough which is likely why Bambu doesn’t even sell it. PETG is becoming less relevant with PLA+, ASA and others which have high heat tolerance and aren’t so sticky. I’ve moved on from it. The key is slowing it down. Others may have better, more specific details or profiles to share.

Similar issues to what Bob posted above. That all said I don't really need to print PETG as there are better alternatives out there. I do have a few rolls of it laying around but not enough to worry about dialing it in further than I already have.

A friend has the NinjaCamp TPU protector and says it works great. I believe they have a pinside shop.

Yes, that plate works great. Also the “high temp” plate works great without glue and provides a smooth finish.

Whenever I use the cool plate I spray a light coat of Aqua Net hairspray, never use that crappy glue stick. The glue is actually supposed to be for releasing the print not making it stick.

Another tip to avoid issues on the cool plate is to raise the bed temp in the print profile to 35-40.

Also, BL has a new version of the cool plate coming out which needs no external applications and looks like it works great. I did buy a P1P recently to add to my X1C and it came with their new roll on glue and it’s fantastic.

In the settings you can enable LAN mode and send print’s directly to the printer on your network bypassing the BL cloud. You will lose some helpful features but it’s there as an option if you prefer.

FYI, for Bambu Lab 1 year anniversary they are having a sale including dropping the price of the P1P by $100. Being a Kickstarter backer I and others was also sent a coupon code for $165 worth of CF filament for $1.97 This company is killing it.

Have you seen the K1 reviews? I don’t think Bambu have to worry about that terrible thing. I think they are looking to own the market on their own terms.

I’m going off reviews from well know YouTubers which have shown less that acceptable performance and terrible software. I know that a Creality is a great company with a long history but it doesn’t seem as though the K1 is anything more that a knee jerk reaction to get something out the door that looks similar.

Just read this as well. Apparently Bambu thinks their current X1 and P1P printers aren’t that great (55/100) and have more advanced printers coming. As an owner of both I saw bring it on. https://all3dp.com/4/bambu-lab-p1p-price-drop-first-gen-printers-a-55-100/

I hear ya. I just added a P1P within the last month. I would email them and ask for a rebate on it. I know they have a 14 day return policy so perhaps they will do that for you.

For sure. It's also marketing speak ultimately but good to know they see much more innovation on the horizon for the company and its products. Oftentimes it seems that 3D print manufacturers move at a snails pace and this is them saying they will not.

Very well done. I did something similar for my son years ago out of foam core which worked well but took quite some time. I can only imagine of I had my Bambu printer back then how much it could have helped add to the process. I'm sure your son was extremely proud. Great job!

Happy to do it as well. No cost.

I finally got around to doing some filament organizing with a new wire rack and a couple RepRack spool shelves.

IMG_3422 (resized).jpg

It's clearly aimed at the beginner or perhaps even some print farms whom manufacture widgets and can line up rows of them for low cost. IMO one of these units w/o the new style AMS would be the way to go for most of people otherwise looking at budget printers. I'm happy with my X1 and PIP and fine that there's no new larger printer announced. We can see that BL is innovating like crazy and I'll be once again first in line for the X1 successor when it does arrive.

There's thousands of discussions about this and I believe you mean absorb moisture. Drying out is the preference. I live in a low humidity region and mostly print non-hydroscopic materials like PLA, PETG, etc. Those materials which are hydroscopic like carbon fiber nylon are generally kept in bags and also get dried before printing to be sure. I would be more concerned with it for some materials living in a very humid climate.

I understand that most any material besides some metals are subject to atmospheric water intake to some degree but that amount of absorption relative to any affects or print issues is irrelevant to me and lots of others when it comes to PLA, PETG, etc. I have printed years old exposed material w/o issue. Others like Joel (see above post and below image) feel the same.

Screenshot 2023-09-21 at 3.35.52 PM (resized).png