Hi guys and gals, my wife is hinting that she would be agreeable to purchasing a 3d printer for my birthday. What would be a good one?

I am looking to make pin-related pieces. Everything from pf toys to light baffles to ramps.

thanks! I will look into it, looks like there is a pro version as well, which might be the way to go as I expect to use it for a long time.

Does software come with these as well?

that is amazing, so precisely detailed

are you guys talking about making your own .100 board connectors? It seems like that would be a great idea, it might not make sense economically but I remember my Harlem Globetrotters had a 23 pin connector or something like that and I never could find the right size, I finally had to use two 12's butted up against each other.. being able to print one out, maybe even with a bit more heft to it would be awesome.

A newbie question. In talking to my local school which has a 3D printer, he recommended a resin printer rather than a filament. Looking at some web pages, The increased resolution looks impressive but some of the descriptions don’t sound promising (brittle, grows weaker in sunlight, not preferred for large models)

Do you guys use resin models for some purposes?

that is truly amazing! so smooth on the curved surfaces. Since the max printable size is 8 inches or so, I am assuming this is multiple pieces put together?

the video mentions the resin is toxic and smells... thats enough for my wife. We are going filament...

My Cyclone has a broken end on one of the ramps. It seems like this is something I could do with a 3d printer. I am thinking the end inch or so could be cut off square and a sleeve designed that would slide on and butt up against the ramp where the ball goes but overlaps an inch or so around the outside for strength and to give a place to glue them together. Would something like that work?

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those look awesome!

That is exactly the kind of thing I picture using a 3D printer for.... I can't wait, my wife says she is getting me one for my birthday!

That seems like a cool idea! with custom embossed flames or graphics along the edges. Ideally it would have to be thin, it might not last very long though.

Looks great!

Has anyone played with different designs for the lightbox baffles? I thought my first project (when my Ender gets here) will be to try and improve on the design to make a concave curved cone inside of the box instead of a typical squared off one and use mirrored paint, I think I ought to be able to make it a lot brighter that way (more light reflected out)

woohoo, got my Ender 3 S1 Pro in the mail today, happy birthday to me!

I got my Ender 3 S1 Pro set up and attempted a first print. Wow, I can really see why this is still considered a hobby. The manual is non-existent - I literally could not figure out step 1 of the installation and had to go to a YouTube video, nothing is documented, and the youtube videos - even their official unboxing one doesn't match my printer and everyones "unboxing and first print" videos skip a bunch of things.

I believe I have it installed and working correctly though I can't push the supplied filament manually through the nozzle like one video said to do. I auto leveled and figured out how to insert the memory stick and get the example files up on the display (no thanks to the manual) and tried the "rabbit" example. It just pushed a blob of plastic around on the plate.

I am assuming the "thermometer in the water" icon is the bed temperature, (because of course it is not documented anywhere) and it auto-set to 60 (Fahrenheit or Celsius? Who knows) when I selected the rabbit and the bed seemed warm but not blazing hot.

Time to go and hit more Youtube - not impressed so far.

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thanks for the info! I am using the supplied sample filament which it doesn't even say what material it is. Pretty crappy documentation. I will do more work in the leveling and see what happens.

thanks for the advice guys. It looks like its working. I had plate wobble which made leveling quite challenging. Also, adjusting the wheels was quite challenging as all the how-to videos are for the Ender 3 and not the S1 so the "turn it over and adjust the wheels" do not work.

That and I bumped the bed temperature up to 70 and it seems to be sticking quite nicely.

What are some good options for general all around plastic? Say for making light baffles in the head

Started my first print yesterday - a leg platform for the back legs

It got about 30% done and we paused it while we went out for awhile. I never moved the machine or touched anything, simply hit the pause button on the Ender 3 S1 Pro screen. When I got back, I pushed the start button.

It resumed but it is offset about 1/8 inch. You can see the top layer of infill doesn't match the rest.

Did I do something wrong? I thought you could pause a print without consequences.

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Thats the plan. It seems like even with the legs extended all the way its never quite enough and I have to add a bit more. This seemed like an easy first project. Created a 2d spline and rotated it....done

Currently set at 20% infill with 4 layer wall thickness. I suspect you are right and it won't hold up, I will be experimenting.

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I am using PLA to print with. Will it degrade over time? The articles I read talk about exposure to the sun but I wouldn't think it would degrade that badly indoors since people print highly prized statues and models and things with it.

I just wanted to post an update. So far things are going well. The 2 leg stands seem plenty strong, I hung from the backbox for an instant, adding a couple hundred extra pounds to them without trouble. They were designed so I could print out the pin name with the cameo and stick it to them so thats the next piece.

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20% with 4-thick walls. I am using Polymaker PLA PRO Filament 1.75mm, which according to them offers superior strength over "normal" PLA....lol

I don't like having the levelers all the way out in the back, I have a couple that have bent due to it, so I thought the support (rather than pieces of wood) would be nicer. I've got a "version 2" printing, with 30% infill, 5 wall thickness and higher lip on the center area. Hopefully no problems!

wow, is this the truth... it seems like every other "fusion 360 for absolute beginners" video I watch has a spot where I don't have the same options. Sometimes you can figure them out but other times......

Mine came with a small memory card and a bit of PLA thread. I fit the card into the slot on the front and selected "print" from the little screen menu, there are a couple of sample files ready to go on the card. You should be able to at least get something going with the rabbit.

I recommend purchasing a roll of "PLA" filament - i was having trouble getting the stuff that came with the printer to work very well, as soon as I switched to better stuff my problems went away.

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I cross-posted in the Cyclone thread but I don't get to post in this one very often and I thought you might like to see this. In putting the Cyclone back together I found that the underneath clear ball trough was broken. Only the end had broken and someone had epoxyed a metal plate to it in the past but it was cracking around it.IMG_6757 (resized).jpgIMG_6758 (resized).jpg

Marcos shows $65 for a replacement so I decided to crank out a sleeve I could use to brace the end. A little work in Fusion 360 and a couple of prints later and I have a sleeve printed in clear that fits nicely over the broken end and will glue on to strengthen it.IMG_6756 (resized).jpgIMG_6755 (resized).jpg

it was printed with the large flat edge down to prevent having to have supports. The issue is the top is at a slight angle so the little points you see are the end of a layer

Great idea, a topper seems like a good project to do a first serious piece on. I think I may try that!

thats a great analogy. Especially since the 3d printers are not anywhere close to a toaster in simplicity

I am struggling to print a cyclone wheel. Its a tricky print as it has the big flat plate so it needs a lot of support. But the support is curling, both off the plate and off the model once the big plate starts. I am using the Ender 3 S1 Pro with default temps (60, 200) default speed (50?) and pla+ (Polymaker PLA PRO Filament) and low .28 quality.

I thought it might be a bed adhesion problem but the model itself is peeling away from the supports. Could the filament go bad?

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thanks guys for the tips! I didn't even know a temperature tower existed. I have to admit I spent that last hour trying to figure out how nobody in the videos used supports when they printed one - I just learned that the 3d printer can bridge through mid-air!

mind=blown

trying it out now to see what happens

I would appreciate all the feedback I can get, both in design and printing. This is my first real attempt at doing something other than a simple leg support

I think I posted it ok, the .stl, .3mf as well as the original .f3d fusion 360 file

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5763124

the original is in fusion3d, thanks for the feedback guys! I think breaking it into 2 pieces prevents having to do the giant support. Since it really has no tension on it (it simply free-spins off the motor) it should work great. I will give it a try and let you know!

I believe I have finished the Cyclone ferris wheel print. I split it into two pieces per everyones recommendations and it really resolved my issues. It came out great! it is just a tiny bit bigger than the original as there was an issue with the ball occasionally getting stuck in the gap between wheel and the playfield and not rolling out correctly, resulting in complete loops!

The original was kind of a dull red, this one is going to be candy apple red with glitter when I get it painted! then an added spotlight so as it moves, the light will glint off it, its going to be great I hope.

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I soooo appreciate this group! I had no idea there was such a thing as ironing. What a difference in my top layer!

I just learned about the "ironing" option in the slicing software. It gets rid of most of the lines. Here is a reference cube I printed with iron turned on. No cleanup, this is how it came out using pla+ and .28 layers

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for those with an ender 3 and are not an expert, this seems like a good video on how to adjust the belts and wheels to make sure everything is tight. As it turned out, my wheels on the crossbar were a little off with the top wheel turning much more easily than the bottom wheel.

This one is not as fancy as most of these projects. My Cyclone ramp was pretty busted on both ends.busted ramp

The ramp end can be made usable by adding a new ramp, but the ball-drop end can't. A replacement is $150+ so I decided to whip up a new end for it.
Its not real fancy but it works and I plan to put a sticker on it and it will most likely look like it was part of the original!new designnew end

For custom flippers, It seems like you ought to be able to make something that fits around the flipper shoe and use the metal parts for strength and durability

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/26497

really nice!

is there a topper thread? I would love to see what people have created (or purchased) - 3d printing or not.

Those are so cool! I want to make myself a Cyclone topper. I purchased the roller-coaster model and I am thinking of doing big light-up letters like the ones you guys have been showing. It would be nice if the lights could be synced - how do you wire them? Just run wires from a relevant bulb somewhere up to the topper or reprogram somehow?

I was watching the attached video about the Ender 3 S1 Pro's high temp printing abilities and he showed off a beautiful translucent white print using "Colorfab XT"

Take a look at the translucent print it makes, it should work perfect for the lighted letters that people are printing. The relevant clip starts at 11:30 to about 13:00

Hey guys, I have a design question. I am working on a topper for my Cyclone. It is designed around the 8 inch model I purchased. My question is about connecting the parts (its in 3 parts as it is 24 inches wide) - Ideally it should lock into place so that once assembled it is reasonably solid. I originally thought of gluing the sides together but I doubt that is strong enough. I could build a wall on both parts with a screw hole but it wouldn't look that great. What do you guys think?

In the pic you can see I put a notch in the base to get it from slipping but the pieces are simply butted together

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thats a great idea, thanks! I will put in some horizontal pegs and holes so there is additional strength when it is super-glued.

amazing detail! even wrinkles in the fists...wow

That looks amazing! Do you have a pic of how you did the lighting/wiring and routed the wires? I am struggling to figure that out for a topper I am designing

Wow, I really messed up. My ender 3 messed up during an overnight print and i woke to a big blob of plastic.

I heated it up with a heat gun and softened the pla enough to get it off but i overheated it and melted the fans. Sigh. I suspect i will have to get a whole new assembly

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I thought you might enjoy my little saga of part replacement for the Ender 3 S1 Pro that I mangled with a heat gun.

I purchased a replacement extruder assembly from Amazon but it doesn't come with everything, specifically the cover of the fan which was melted and interfering with the fan rotation.

After some back and forth with Creality customer service, I got the response:
"The Nozzle PCB mounting plate and shipping cost a total of $18 Please place an order at this link, the quantity is 18.
https://www.creality3dofficial.com/products/cancel-refund-different-price "

The link points to a confusing "extra fee and different price" page full of parts, none of which match $18 or "Nozzle PCB mounting plate" - after another round of emails, I got the impression I am supposed to place an unspecified order for $18 and they will send me the right part since it cannot be purchased in the normal fashion. I sure hope this works!

moral of the story - keep heat guns away from your printer!

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I have a Comet that I am working on. The head has a wheel-of-fortune type thing which spins. It has lights all the way around it.

I have heard some discussion about using colored lights, but it seems like its not very bright so I was thinking of a small reflector. It would press into the hole and surround the bulb, painted silver it would reflect more light onto the wheel.

I whipped up a quick idea of it but before diving into printing I was wondering if anyone had tried it and found it useful or basically unnoticable.

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I see that Creality is having a sale of $500 off for their laser engrave. $1200 and its yours, seems like it could be fun but I just have no idea what I would use it for.
https://store.creality.com/products/falcon2-40w-laser-engraver-cutter

those are really nice. Can anyone print truely clear ramps? I've tried printing with clear PLA and its translucent but not like a vacuformed clear plastic ramp

really nice!

I needed replacement parts for my brothers hot tub. Obviously PLA was not the right choice so I went with TPU. Everything I read says it is rated up to 200 degrees f and won't leech chems into the water. I just picked one at random. Its soft but tough, essentially like printing rubber, opens up a new set of possibilities!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VDP2S3P

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fyi - I went with generic TPU settings and tried a print speed tower test print first. This filament on my Ender 3 worked perfect from 20-100 speed

Have you guys experimented much with the metal filaments? It seems like you ought to be able to make some pretty tough stuff with it, far tougher than standard filament.

I found this stuff which says its 45% iron, so it seems like it ought to be able to withstand a lot of impacts and possibly be quite strong. I wonder if you could make unobtanium parts like standoffs, brackets and lever arms out of it.

https://www.amazon.com/ProtoPlant-Protopasta-Metal-Filled-Composite-Ferromagnetic/dp/B00X8BQYPS

has anyone tried to print a replacement ramp? I know it would have to be thicker than a metal one but it seems like at least the smaller ones might work.

My DE Star Wars has a busted center ramp. Since replacements are $130 I am going to go and talk to a welder and see what they would cost but my wife took a look at it and said, "why don't you just print one?"

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We should start a thread. I would love to see custom (3d printed or not) toppers. My first one was for a Cyclone, I purchased the metal Cyclone model roller coaster and discovered it was far too small for a topper on its own, so I designed and printed a topper around it. I wired the lights up to several playfield lights so it is an interactive one.IMG_6954 (resized).jpg
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I am currently working on a Nascar one that features the collectible cars spotlighted in the game

Hey guys, I thought you might get a kick out of this. I like the Data East drop target design so Ive decided to experiment and see if I can put a Data East drop target set into my Williams Stellar Wars as I hate the horseshoe contacts. There are a lot of alternatives but I thought this would be a fun experiment.

The Stellar Wars has 2-3 drop targets and 1-4 drop target so rather than simply looking for parts on eBay I decided to 3D print replacements so I can extend the design to a 4-drop target one. So the first task was to pull out my Star Wars drop target assembly. I photographed it from several angles and then measured all the pieces and created it in Fusion 360. It was quite the learning experience for me and its tricky trying to measure hole spacing and things like that. But I think I have it pretty good now.

What I spent some time doing is playing around with the rendering, so I could match it up against the actual photographs and see how close I am to reality. It highlighted a couple problems which I fixed and it seems pretty good now so I've started a test set of prints.

One interesting thought will be to see how durable these pieces are. The final pieces will be printed solid naturally and I've added in some bracing in strategic areas ... time will tell if it will be strong enough (I give it a low percentage chance)

Anyway, thought you might like to see a render of where I am now.....printing has begun!

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Hey guys, I thought I would post a pic of my completed Nascar topper. I purchased the model cars and I zip-tied them to the ramp to match the main graphic. I designed the trophy to match the shape of the 2005 Nascar trophy (its a 2005 game.) The rest was pretty simple, some wavy flags and big sloped ramp (which had to be printed in thirds.) The colored lights are wired to the GI and the 4 lights on the back side of the posts are wired to the R-A-C-E playfield lights. I am really happy with it.Nascar topper design
Nascar topper finished model

depending on how detailed it is, you could cast it. I watched a video of a guy who printed a part and used it to make a mold, then cast in molten aluminum. Looks like it would be a fun project!

or lay them on your scanner and scan them. The artwork will be blurry but the shape of the plastic will be exact. Then you can use that as a canvas in Fusion or whatever.