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Quoted from joetechbob:Picked up a Creality Ender 3 Pro for ~$180 off of woot a couple of weeks back. Thus far I'm very pleased. That said, there is a newer rev w/ an upgraded controller & screen ... Maybe a couple of other improvements.
Don't want to sidetrack the thread (which was already seriously sidetracked), but I will throw this out real quick just for a FYI...some versions of the Ender3 (which I also have and is fairly new) didn't have the 'over temp' option enabled in their software. Meaning if the thermocouple in the extruder went bad, the heating element would be on 100% and could cause a fire. For that reason, I stopped running prints that went overnight. Aftermarket boards had that feature enabled, along w/some other upgrades as well. If I'm not mistaken, it simply limits the time the extruder heater can be turned on continuously.
Back to the speaker lights discussion.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Recent Enders can be upgraded to include thermal runaway capability with Marlin. You’ll eventually outgrow it but it’s a great starter to learn about all the parts of the printer!
Yeah, I've seen the threads about that. I'd probably just buy an aftermarket board instead of going the Marlin route. Had an Anet (Pursa clone) prior.
Quoted from Mbecker:I’ve been wondering how dangerous it was to run my ender3 during the night.. I hate doing it but also don’t want to pause a print and leave it on all night waiting either... maybe there’s really no danger to that and I shouldnt worry?
One of the easiest option might be to just upgrade the little motherboard since they are pretty cheap.
https://www.amazon.com/Creality-Motherboard-Mainboard-Customized-Non-Standard/dp/B07TZDJTKL
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089CQ3DHB/ref=twister_B08NW4QMXZ
Ender 3, at least the newer ones, have a resume. But my aftermarket build plate (forgot who makes it) makes it easy to remove prints when cool. Problem is when my print would start back up, the print wasn't adhered well and just pop off. If you're using the stock build plate, maybe that isn't an issue.
If you do decide to replace the motherboard, you'll have to do some homework to figure out best fits your needs and has all the options. Lot's of YouTube reviews regarding the Ender 3 upgrades.
Apologies to the OP if I steered this thread off topic a bit with the safety issue.
Quoted from mikepmcs:The topper I made for my Willy Wonka. It was the first thing I designed in tinkercad and the second thing I printed on my 3d printer.
It barely fits under the glass. Clear for the smoke bubble and whatever color you want for the topper. I actually ended up spraying mine brown textured stone paint or some stuff.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4679412
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What width did you print at? Looks like some pretty fine layers, 0.1 or 0.2mm nozzle, or did the paint fill it in some?
2 weeks later
Quoted from hoby1:Do you mean the arch . ....If so its a strip led that I kink in threee segments.. Wires run down the inside of the Right post and out the back of the foot.
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Interesting you print the entire thing in clear then paint the desired sections. That's s good idea - I would have thought it was two different filaments.
Thanks for sharing.
A little off topic since it's not a sharing file, but I'll toss it out anyways...
After eventually giving up waiting the GB library to get back in stock, I found this on cgtrader.com ($19)
I do want to point out, it's not the Stern library version, it's different. It's the New York library (albeit, simplified). Additionally, I do want to add that I would have bought the Stern version since we have to go thru the hassle of printing a complex design and painting, but it just never ended up back in stock. Plus I had to mod it so it fits over the old plastic piece's bracket and I updated it so it would utilize the screw next to it for support. Took two rolls of filament to get it to the point I'm happy with it. I may do one in clear so the windows light up.
Quoted from schudel5:Any thoughts on the Monoprice MP Select Mini 3D V2 printer? I know it's smaller but it gets good reviews it seems. Mainly looking to make smaller parts here and there, but it seems like it's pretty much ready to go right out of the box.
As mikep mentioned, I'd go with a Ender 3 from Creality (I use one). While the Monoprice seems popular, I think you will regret getting the smaller build plate rather quickly. Maybe splurge for the V2. Perhaps get a better build plate for adhesion for better leveling. One of the nice things w/the Ender 3 is the huge community support and just a ton of aftermarket support. It is a 'kit', but it's a quick build and not hard at all. One note: If you get the Ender 3, make sure it has the new version of the motherboard installed (4.2.2 or 4.2.7), it has a lot of improvements. The newer 3's have been shipping with them, but if you buy off of eBay or some other web site, might be the old version.
Be prepared for a learning curve and maybe some initial intimidation. But in the end, it really comes together rather quickly once you get your feet wet, just a bunch of baby steps. Bed leveling is another issue a beginner has to get use too, but that also comes easy after a bit (if your bed is flat and not warped).
This guy has some great Ender 3 videos. Here's one on getting your first printer (Ender 3):
Quoted from mikepmcs:Someone responded a few posts back you can do anything in tinkercard. This is true. Here's my Wonkavator version I designed using tinkercard...
I actually ran into a TinkerCad limitation the other day importing a crazy STL file (the New York library I posted above) I wanted to do a simple mod on. I think the limitation was ~ 25meg files size, and I think ~300K for the triangle mesh. My import was ~35 meg and >1M triangles. I tried mesh reducers, but they seemed to butcher the finer details too much (statues turned to mush, I would have rather taken the detail out of the brick area).
I fooled around with that file for two weeks trying all kinds of programs to just add two simple rectangular voids. MeshMixer (very cool program) would have worked, but it just made the computer grind to a stop. Of all things, guess what worked...Microsoft 3D Builder. I was done in about 15 min and it was fairly intuitive. Can't say I'd use it for much else, but it got the job done and was incredibly fast despite the complex STL import. Rotating the part...it just spun it around w/o any lag. Probably best suited for modding a file, not drawing from scratch.
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Quoted from mikepmcs:...That library mod you made looked fantastic, by the way!
I'm not that gifted. 
I bought that file ($19 cgtrader.com). It's the NY Library (simplified), not the Stern version that's been out of stock forever. I posted a comment about it a day or two ago in this thread. Actually printed great once I got done fooling around w/it. Wife played around with some painting then. Even setting it to 0.3mm in Cura, it has amazingly good detail. I bet a resin printer would knock it out of the ballpark.
Take a look at my post #229 above.
Quoted from mikepmcs:Yes, I saw that post. I was commenting on the finished product. Post processing we'll call it. It looks great.
r/
Mike
Ahh...got it. Thank you!
I just finished printing a translucent one and she's going to leave the windows unpainted...I'm hoping some light shines thru. If not, then I mod it and stick a LED or two in there.
BTW, ~13 hr. print time.
Quoted from electronWrangler:Another option for CAD software is the free version of Creo from PTC. Creo is the newer, combination of Pro Engineer and CoCreate. So you have the options in how you create your part. You can use the freeform method of CoCreate to mold your creation like a piece of clay by dragging features around or you can switch to the Pro Engineer parametric method of specifying each dimension and angle from the start. The free version is just like very expensive professional version except for limiting the total parts you can have in one assembly to 60. This is not really a limitation at all for hobbyists since most of the things we are talking about consist of a few parts at most.
https://www.ptc.com/en/products/creo/elements-direct/modeling-express[quoted image]
I got stuck on that link when I tried to sign up. Wanted a 'customer number'
I think this link might be better: https://www.ptc.com/en/products/creo/creo-view/extension-express
That link just wanted the basic info. Then they just e-mail you a download link. Seems to be downloading OK
Quoted from electronWrangler:Thanks for the updated link. I already had an account as we have used Creo at work from the Pro Engineer days. I didn't realize it would be different for new users.
For anyone new to CAD software, the full blown professional packages like Creo can seem intimidating but they really shouldn't. There are a lot of basic tutorials to get you started, even from right inside the program. You can ignore most of the features that you don't need right away.
On second look, that new link is for the stand alone viewer program, it is not the CAD program itself.
OK, PTC has changed their website a lot and it is much more confusing now. The original link I posted is correct. On that page you want to click the download link below "Download Now" (which just looks like a bullet point to me)
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Create a new account from the same web page with the "Create an account" link.
Next, (counterintuitively) switch from the "New User" tab to the "Basic" tab. The "New User" tab is for the paid versions.
Fill out your info with a valid email account which you will need to verify and you should be able to install the software and activate it.
I just created a new account and verified that this does work.
Trust me, the software is more intuitive than the registration process! [quoted image][quoted image]
Thanks for chasing this down further Electron.
Quoted from schudel5:Ordered a Creality Ender Pro and some PLA/PETG filament last night. I've played around with TinkerCAD already to try it out and see how difficult it was and it seemed fairly straightforward. Already have a few easy prints I'd like to do for some things around the house. Looking forward using it for some pinball things.
Congrats! If you think pins are modded a bunch, get ready for 3D printing...
With a new Ender 3 motherboard (Bigtreetech V2) that I just installed that runs Marlin, I just found out that Marlin has bed leveling code built in - meaning you check 9 points on the build plate to manually level with a sheet of paper, then hit enter to save the offset needed at each of the 9 points. I just bought a BLtouch for more precise leveling, but this is rather slick. Marling then compensates for the offset when printing the Gcode
Quoted from Grauwulf:I think you could do the manual mesh leveling with the stock ender3 main board, you would have just had to compile a copy of Marlin with that enabled. I briefly had it set up on one of my other printers, but never really used it.
Quoted from pb456:I typically use some gcode - probably from TH3D - to do the leveling on my Ender3, but there are so many ways to do it.
I've played around with adding gcode commands to the slicer, but never looked into it from the perspective of leveling.
The way the Marlin bed leveling works is by it moving the hotend to one corner. You slide some paper under the hot end like normal, until that point is at the right height (by adjusting the dial near the display, and you'll see the +/- offset in the display). Once at the right height, hit enter and the head moves to the next location and you repeat. After all 9 points are set, you save and you're done. Very easy and only takes about a minute or so. First time using Marlin for me, so not sure when this was implemented.
I usually level with the hotend and bed heated.
Quoted from Grauwulf:All of my printers have BLTouch sensors on them now, I do a good manual leveling of the bed and then lock it down and let the BLTouch handle the rest. Some of the best money I've spent on my printers.
The Bigtreetech motherboard has an interface for the BLTouch (I bought one), but haven't gotten around to installing it yet. But pretty much 'plug and play'. Didn't want to change too many things all at once. I was checking out the BLTouch install and calibration videos - rather cool.
So do you initiate a manual calibration on the printer? Or do you let the slicer gcode run it? How many points do you check?
Apologies to the OP. This thread is probably derailed some, since it has turned into discussing printers more than sharing the prints. But if it helps people get good prints, then maybe that's OK.
4 weeks later
Quoted from Ashram56:Good morning,
Anyone has a pointer to how to remix an existing STL ? I'm trying to mod a Tron lightcycle STL to "hollow" it at key locations, but I must admit Meshmixer is not the easiest in that respect.
PM me if you have some skills in that respect, goal is to build an alternative (and more fancy) Tron Lightcycle mod, open source, I can work on the HW/SW side of things (switch detection and triggers), would "just" need the 3D model.
Might be a little late to reply, but Microsoft 3D Builder (free) works good for that. I had a Ghostbusters Library (over a 1M triangles) and MeshMixer just crawled to a stop even by rotating the object. Granted, my computer is a relic w/respect to speed. And it exceeded the TinkerCad limits for file size and triangles.
3D Builder handled it with ease. Plus easy to reduce triangle count, etc. Not my favorite to use, but it tackled the job w/o issues. Popped in a few voids where two brackets would need to rest so it would set flush.
3 weeks later
Quoted from pb456:Super duper cool - if you release an STL post it!
Will do, once I know the STL is OK!
Quoted from Andrzej:I'd print that and use it if you provide the file. Nice design!
What I thought would be neat to do (and I don't have the skill set), is to make the speaker grill look like he's busting out of it (i.e. the pentagon shapes are damaged and facing outward - like breaking thru a fence).
Quoted from pb456:Super duper cool - if you release an STL post it!
Quoted from Andrzej:I'd print that and use it if you provide the file. Nice design!
First pass - looks like the speaker grill is undersized slightly. Might make the tail extend a little further out, but I think the 3D depth part of it looks pretty good. Didn't want it overbearing.
Time for Rev A
pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from latenite04:I think you can do it with some practice. If you make the base grill stl you can use one of the sculpting programs to make the damaged hole, https://register.strata.com/sculpt3d/index.html is a free online one. I'm not very good at using the sculpting tool but it's fun to play with.
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Excellent! This is exactly what I was looking for (and a faster computer)!
Is this some sort of an automatic function? Or tedious?
Quoted from latenite04:It's not automatic but it wasn't too tedious. Strata acts like your model is made of clay and lets you manipulate it in an organic way. The only two tools that I used to curl the pie slices were move and twist. It's kind of fun to just play with since it's so different from modeling with parameter based cad programs.
Sounds really interesting, will play around with it Sat.
Quoted from DavidCPA:Man... You guys got me thinking now. BECAUSE SHE IS HOLDING A THERMAL DETONATOR!!! A blinking red LED for my Star Wars.....
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Kudos!
When I first printed the JP version, the speaker grill vertically was maybe 5 mm short. Reprinting now to confirm it's OK after resizing and I'll let you know the TinkerCad dimensions when done for the speaker grill. I had to flip the T-Rex 180 degrees so the grill pentagons would line up, so keep that in mind too.
When I sliced in Cura, I used Tree support to the build plate. But that was for the T-Rex - so your mileage may vary.
BTW, I added a ~0.5" x 0.5" square in each corner to attach magnetic tape strip.
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Quoted from phalcon_2600:I wish someone would create a printable replacement basketball for space jam. These are unubtainium.
I don't have a Space Jam, so not sure what's under the basketball...but a basic basksetball is available on Thingiverse. Someone just needs to know how to mod it. Slicing it in two, making it hollow, adding the openings for the rails would be real easy, other than maybe getting the locations spot on. Adding the screw supports might take some trial and error.
Size might be an issue on some printers.
Looks like I'm probably in the homestretch with the JP grill experiment. Had to make some changes to the magnetic tape locations, but it seems rather solidly attached now. Right side will be done in about 8 hrs. Plus the wife will need to paint
Printed in gray just because that was loaded up in the printer, plus it's easier to see the alignment.
At some point I'll load it up on Thingiverse, but if any JP owners want the STL files ahead of time, just PM me (include an e-mail). Might be 2-3 days before I finally finish.
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Quoted from Fezmid:As someone who has never used a 3d printer before, what resources should I look at to help pick a printer and learn the process? I'm not sure if I want to get into it or not as it looks like it's a lot of work, but I've thought about it for a good decade and things have to be easier now than they were back then, right?
This is a good start. Same printer I have (Ender 3, ~$160).
While I wouldn't say it's easy - it's not hard. Just a TON of baby steps to learn. Can be overwhelming at first, but you'll catch on real quick.
Quoted from DugFreez:Any thoughts on doing the dino design without the hex grill pattern?
It seems you could make the contact area where the dino hits the grill flat. Then just add a couple of starter holes in the back of its flat contact area to put a couple of self tapping screws in from the back. Of course I am not familiar with 3D printing stuff to know if putting a screw in would damage the print or not. You would have to get the screw type and length right and possibly use a washer if the screw heads were so small they could slip though the back of the honeycomb grill holes on the panel.
If you wanted to get a bit more elaborate you could add a protruding hex pattern on the back of the contact area of the dino so the print would fit down into the speaker panels honeycomb grill holes. This would be useful if you wanted the design to be mounted at a particular angle....or you could even describe what honeycomb holes the back of the design should fit in if you wanted to suggest it to be mounted in a particular location (example: On the left side, screw hole one goes 4 columns in from the middle and 11 rows down. screw hole 2 goes 13 columns in from the middle and 12 rows down).
This, of course, wouldn't be as easy to mount (the speaker plates would probably need to be removed for the install), but I think it would look much better after the work was done.
Just a thought...
I sort of toyed around with similar options for attaching, I even lowered the backbox panel to look around and try to get some ideas. The grill fabric (or whatever the material it is) is there too and I'd have to contend with that (didn't want to damage it). In the end I figured just using magnetic tape was the easiest option. The grill overlay is only about 0.048" thick. The ones I printed in black actually look like they belong there, it really does match up well. I grabbed the grill from Thingiverse and modded it. Ditto for the T-Rex.
Adding extra material is no biggie for a screw (just add a cylinder for support, then another cylinder 'void' for the screw hole - see below). One thing I was thinking about was incorporating a hook (i.e. L shaped) that would simply go thru the pentagon openings...push the print against the grill, slide down, done. That way, someone could place it anywhere they wanted on the grill (as long as it didn't hit the speaker frame).
The other thing I was going to futz around with was to trying to make the grill look like the T-Rex was breaking thru it (i.e. bent, tore up). I posted that comment a couple of days ago and someone recommended a program to try, so I have been tinkering around with that - and that also requires the extra grill on the outside.
In the end, it was really just an experiment that sort of evolved. Plenty of different and good options.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from DugFreez:UPDATED thoughts... you may also be able to get some magnet discs and countersink them in the back of the dino design. Add some of the protruding hexes in the back that fit into the actual panel honeycomb and that should help the dino from sliding down the panel too easily if that would be an issue with the magnets. I know that honeycomb area really doesn't have much surface to stick / magnetize to.
I originally added a 1/2 x 1/2" solid print in each corner. Then went to Walymart and got some Scotch 1/2" mag tape. Unfortunately, that wasn't adequate. So then I added a ~1/4" solid strip on each side and cut the tape in half...that did the trick. Prior to extending the sides, I was going to add a single 1/2" strip on the bottom and keep the upper two corners filled, but that was just a tad bit to big for the printer build plate
I like your idea about the tape on the back of the dino. Only thing that would need to be done is to just make sure there is enough surface area. You can see below what the current STL file looks like from the back.
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Quoted from Fezmid:So is resin mainly for miniatures and such that you want to paint, whereas filament is for more general purpose stuff?
Just a guess, but at the hobbyist level, the resin printers are usually smaller than a filament printer. Mr_Tantrum already covered the many issues...those would just get worse with a bigger printer. So maybe at this point in time (and cost), the resin printers are just better suited for small prints. The resolution is pretty amazing tho.
Not sure how strong the resin is compared to some of the FDM filaments.
This is interesting tho: https://www.anycubic.com/products/anycubic-photon-zero. RANBOW recently got one, you can maybe ping him and see how he likes it. It would be neat to play with, but it just seems like the hassle would take the fun out of it. With PLA or PLA+ in the FDM printer...just load the file, wait for awhile, peel off, done with no odors.
If anything, I'd get CNC-3018 CNC mini-mill to play around with instead of a second printer. And if I absolutely needed a resin print, I'd just order a print online.
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Quoted from Nokoro:Hi all. I know this might not exactly be the right thread for seeking advice, but Pinside has been so helpful to me in the past, that I figured I would give it a try.
I am fairly new to 3D printing but have been learning a lot. I have an Ender 3 Pro. The issue is this. My extruder motor clicks / slips on the first few layers of the print (about 4 layers). It doesn't do it for subsequent layers. So, the obvious thought is that the nozzle is too close to the bed. However, if I move it further away, my first layer doesn't stick. I have leveled the bed multiple times and played with the exact distance between the nozzle to the bed. The end result is that if I want that first layer to stick, then my first few layers will have a clicking extruder motor. I print PLA and have tried temperatures ranging from 200-215, all with the same results. I have done multiple searches for what can cause this, but I keep coming back to the distance between the nozzle and the bed, which as I said, I can't go any further out. Plus, I find it strange that this happens on not just layer 1, when the nozzle is really close, but also layers 2-4.
The rest of the print comes out fine, and even the bottom layers print fine. So, maybe I just put up with this since it goes away after the first few layers. But, I keep wondering whether I'm missing something obvious.
Any ideas / help are very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!
While probably not your issue, you should check this as the first step. Make sure the rollers aren't loose, I think the bottom roller has an offset piece that when you turn it, so it will lower or raise the roller, allowing you to snug it up (but not too tight). Just google it.
I have an aftermarket build plate that does a great job adhering the print hot w/o the usual blue tape or hair spray. Then when cool - a print literally lifts off. I do want to add that build plate developed a warp after a number of years, so I bought a BLTouch for autoleveling (good excuse to buy one). Zero issues since. Amazing how well those two things work together.
Any chance you aren't using a Raft for a base layer? I usually do that out of habit.
I also noticed Cura seems to work better than other Slicers on the Ender. Clueless why, but I can definitely tell a difference when comparing to 'Slicer'.
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Along with checking the leveling in the 4 corners, what's it like in the center? The same gap as the corners? I've heard that noise before, but not since going w/the auto leveling. It measures a 5 x 5 grid across the bed, then adds a changing fudge factor while printing.
Quoted from Nokoro:I've gotten some really good prints with the Ender 3, but I can see how it can be annoying as well.
I'm reaching the conclusion that I may just have to live with the clicking on the first few layers. Good to hear that I'm not damaging anything. Every time I google the problem, I get solutions for first layer not sticking or clicking, but not how to find that sweet spot in between.
While I have an Ender 3, I don't want to come across like I'm a cheerleader. I've had an Anet (Pursa clone) for the printer I used to get my 3D feet wet. I realize the Ender is a sub-$200 printer, and don't mind tinkering with it. It sort of comes with the territory and I enjoy that aspect. I'd probably do the same with any printer <$500.
But the BLTouch really made a huge difference. I had a older version of the Ender 3 without the overtemperature protection, so I upgraded the mother board (~$30) to one that supported that safety feature issue and it also had the interface built in for the BLTouch. Like I mentioned, I had a slightly warped build plate - and like you, a dip in the center. With the built in interface, it just gave me an excuse to tinker even more. Just hit the auto level button, watch it probe all over the build plate, store the results.
I know some people in the thread don't use one, and they probably have a lot better printer (and skills) than me. But the auto level was a game changer for me. It just prints every time now w/o build plate adhesion issues. Don't even think about it nowadays. I thought about just getting a new build plate, but then I thought "Maybe the new one would warp someday too." So I got the BLTouch instead.
I do want to add there's still an adhesion issue of the filament is very old, as expected.
Quoted from toyotaboy:...I recently bought an anycubic zero just to play with (and model up better cooling for it). It's basically the Y-axis linear rail of a mega, with ender3 rollers for X (and basic display with scroll wheel like ender), but for $120 shipped it was hard to pass up.
https://www.anycubic.com/products/mega-zero
Wow, that's a crazy price! Wonder if it uses the Creality motherboard?
Quoted from Nokoro:Thanks. Sounds like a good device. I just don’t think it would help with the clicking. Even on very small prints where I make sure the center is adequately gapped, I get the clicking for the first few layers. I don’t mind bed leveling. It’s a bit of a pain, but it seems once I get the spot, I’m good for a while. And, as I said, I don’t mind using rafts on larger prints.
Yeah, could be something else. I just recall after the upgrades, I no longer heard it. I figured I was just 'squishing' the initial layer too much to make up for the build plate problem. But the new mother board has different IC's for the stepper motor, so that adds a another variable on my end.
When you set gap somewhat higher (ignoring it would mess up the print), did you still have the issue? If not, you might want to adjust the first layer values.
Quoted from Nokoro:I never let it get too far when I see it not sticking, but I don’t believe I hear clicking then.
I was contemplating spending a day of trial and error trying to figure this out with all different settings, but honestly it sounds like a lot of work and frustration for something that may only be a minor annoyance, and I’ve already spent a ton of time chasing this. I was really just worried that I was damaging something, but it doesn’t sound like it.
Just my gut feel... buy a new build plate that sets on top of your original build plate. Plus level after the build plate is warmed up, not at room temperature.
That's seems like the simplest and cheapest option. It really sounds like you are struggling w/build plate issues more than anything else.
Quoted from tdiddy:My set up
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For as much as I don't want a resin printer...I still want one. 
Quoted from Nokoro:Well, I seem to always give myself a trial by fire when I jump into a new hobby...
Granted, your issue sounds like a warped build plate...but there's so many things in the slicer that affect the print quality, especially if someone is just starting out fresh. Overwhelming at first. I wasn't a fan of Cura at originally, but they really have stepped up to the plate the last 2-3 years. Almost to the fault of having too many adjustments. Big fan of Cura now.
To me, part of the fun is just learning, despite being frustrating at times. Back up 10 or 15 years...how many of us thought we'd be chatting (complaining) about a $150 3D printer? Still sort of 'cutting edge' even today.
Quoted from herg:...but I will warn that there have been times I've wanted to take a hammer to mine...
If you don't happen to have a hammer handy, you can always try to print one. I'd go with 100% infill.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from Williampinball:What's everyone's thoughts of what's the better 3D printer that's works good and easy too use ,thanks
Regardless of what printer you choose, try get one that has thermal protection enabled in the software. Without it, if the extruder (and maybe the bed too) thermistor goes bad, it can cause the printer to catch fire.
Quoted from mikepmcs:I am not advocating for any manufacturer or what's better or worse. However... I will share something.
If you are looking at the Creality Ender 3 products make sure it's the Ender 3 Pro at least. You need that thermal protection circuit.
Mike
Just adding to Mikes comments...The more recent Ender 3 versions have a newer motherboard that really has some nice upgrades. If by chance you do get an Ender, just make sure it's not old stock.
Quoted from Agima2000:Next Step
Just tossing out an idea. How about some clear extensions coming out the barrels (maybe with some painted fire accents)...then turn on a LED to simulated a gun fire? That would be the 'flash'. Or maybe just a red led at the end of the barrels. Then the smoke comes out.
Regardless, excellent work so far!
Quoted from insight75:Just starting out...literally did my first prints today.....Ultimaker Cura. I just used Meshmixer to add supports. Still learning.
Cura has some excellent support options. 'Tree' to build plate is nice since it won't mess up your print. I've ran Tree support at 0% infill to make it super easy to remove.
Are you having issues?
Quoted from insight75:Interesting. I will have to check that out. Issues only because I don't know what I"m doing. Otherwise its printing great so far. Thank you!
Probably the hardest issue in this hobby are the slicer settings. Can easily be the difference between a great print or a total failure. Lots of good help in this thread, so hang in there!
Quoted from Stebel:Hello everyone. Was looking to do my very first print. Wanted to do TWD prison door mod. Files on Thingaverse aren’t working correctly. Does anyone have a proper STL they would be willing to send?
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I imported it into Cura and it is there...just microscopic! Not even a mm long. You'll just need to scale it up.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from Stebel:So my friend is helping me. We are using Cura.
We will work on it. I just thought it would be scaled to the size needed. Now I’ll have to figure out the size it needs to be.
Sorry total rookie here.
No need to apologize. The gent that uploaded must have somehow defined the wrong units (like latenite mentioned: mm vs. inches). I've had to tweak thingiverse models myself, but it has been an exception, not the norm.
Being a somewhat small part - if you have problems with it not sticking to the build plate, enabling a raft might help.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Oh man I gotta try this. Is there a model for the blank speaker grills available somewhere?
There is on thingiverse, but it seemed to be slightly off in size. So what I did is resize it to fit directly over the grill and I added a 1/4" extension on the sides for a 1/4" strip of magnetic tape to hold it in place. Go to Wallymart and get some Scotch 1/2" mag tape and cut it in half. Grill looks like it belongs there, not out of place at all. I should also add the left and right sides aren't the same, you have to 'mirror' it after you add the 3D figure (but you can rotate 180 degrees before adding the 3D figure).
Shoot me a pm w/your e-mail and I'll send it.
Quoted from ChrisBardon:Looks neat-did you find that Eddie model on Thingiverse? I was thinking about printing an IM topper, but hadn't found a model I liked to base it on.
Yep, here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3193572
Eddie is really 7 files, but I just grabbed the head and body and merged them together. Those two files were enough for the speaker grills. Resized and also simplified the mesh so I could import into TinkerCad.
Wasn't sure what those would look like since there's no 3D renderings shown, but was quite surprised when I opened up the STL - lot's of detail. Too much, really for a 3D print.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from herg:My advice is to use PLA and not mess with anything else until you're comfortable with PLA. There's enough to learn without throwing more difficult filament into the mix.
Good advice ^^
Quoted from Lhyrgoif:...Could some kind soul here explain, very shortly, when to use/not use each type of material ?
I could probably google it myself with a bit of a hassle but as I was thinking others may have the same questions as me I thought it would be great if you could write a short summary here for all pinheads to see.
Thanks
Now that others have chimed in, here's a quick read (really just bullet points) for 9 of the most popular filaments.
I know you didn't want to go down the Google rabbit hole, but it does shows the major pros/cons of each which is what your were looking for.
https://www.treatstock.com/guide/article/118-express-guide-of-fdm-3d-printing-materials
Quoted from schudel5:...PLA+ easy to print, a little tougher than PLA...
I had read that PLA+ was actually the same strength as standard PLA but it had a better elongation (i.e. not as brittle), but never knew if that was true or not.
I ordered some eSun FDM and they had a comparison chart for all their filaments - and it does look like it agrees along those lines (same tensile strength, better elongation numbers for the PLA+).
If I can find the chart again, I'll post it. Really a nice one page reference guide.
Quoted from schudel5:I buy my filament from 3DXTech, a local manufacturer not too far away from here. They make their own filament more suited for industrial applications really. They make a version of PLA+ called ToughPLA. They said it's not as brittle as PLA which it seems to be. Regardless, I use it interchangeably with PLA, but honestly, I don't really notice much of a difference with regular PLA. It is more of a matte finish, but that might just be that manufacturer's formula.
I sort of assume the specs are pulled out a hat (at least at the hobbyist level), unless there's some sort of standardized testing. Since 3DXTech is an industrial supplier, they may have stricter standards.
For what it's worth, I did find the comparison chart for eSun:
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from snakesnsparklers:I think I'm convinced on getting a 3D printer now after reading everything in this thread and doing some research on my own. I am really liking Tinkercad for it's ease of use (and FREE) and the fact that it's web based to access anywhere is pretty nice too, didn't even know that was possible.
Leaning towards an Ender 3 V2. Considering the BL Touch add on but just going to start with the base V2 printer. I was leaning towards an Ender 3 Pro but it looks like the V2 is worth the small price increase.
Anybody using the V2 and have any comments, suggestions or other input? Just going to start with PLA and take it from there.
I have the original Ender 3, but a later build. One very important thing to note (for both the V2 and the Pro) is they upgraded the motherboard to a much nicer version. Easy to upgrade the software, directly supports the BLTouch, and maybe the most important - now has thermal runaway protection enabled. I think it is called V4.2.7. Super quiet too since it drives the stepper motors differently.
I have the BLTouch and it has really made a difference. But for years I leveled manually w/o issues for the most part. I have an aftermarket build plate that recently developed a minor warp in the center. Drove me nuts on big prints, but I liked the build plate properties. BLTouch compensates for that. Takes 25 measurements (5x5 grid) and interpolates a fudge factor when printing. Really slick.
Definitely lot's of choices on printers, and don't mean to sound like a Ender fanboy. Ender 3 is still a low cost printer, but one nice thing about is it's popular - meaning lot's of support/upgrades/etc. on the internet.
My first test print of the IMDN 3D grills. Didn't turn out too bad, the underside of his fists are a little rough - need to play around with Cura's Tree support settings a bit more. Wife will use to do some practice painting.
Not sure if I should make him a little smaller and maybe change the angle a bit (less aggressive).
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from snakesnsparklers:Thanks for the input! So far I hear nothing that is pushing me away from the V2...
Be prepared for a big learning curve, and undoubtedly frustration and cursing. Not one huge thing to learn, just a gazillion baby steps. Any of which can make or break a print.
If nothing else, just get your feet wet w/the Ender or something similar. Then buy something better down the road if you want to take it to the next level. Ender's mentioned a lot in this thread (both good and bad) - you might want to take a look for it. Pursa (and clones of it) is another.
Lot's of smart guys (a lot smarter than me) on this thread to help point you in the right direction.
Have you checked out thingiverse.com yet?
Quoted from snakesnsparklers:The V2 comes with a glass bed which supposedly takes care of the warpage issue, but I am still considering the BL Touch!
I got this for my Ender (mine didn't come w/glass bed). Very interesting build plate. When heated, the print (at least PLA+) adheres to it w/o blue tape, hair spray, etc. When cool, you can normally just lift the print off. Even if there's a huge raft, just get one edge up a bit, and off it comes. Clean it with alcohol every once in a while. Maybe once a month lightly hit it with some fine sandpaper to keep the surface fresh. If nothing else, removing the print makes it worth it.
Recently, it developed a minor dip in the center. Rather than getting another one that might do the same down the road, I got the BLTouch instead. Wish I had done it sooner.
Quoted from snakesnsparklers:I've perused thingiverse and there seems to be a ton of cool stuff there. Anything in particular you like on there that I should look into? I also saw a mention of myminifactory for another resource to check out.
Nah, just wondering. There is pinball stuff there, not a lot tho.
I have zero art skills, nor do I want to reinvent the wheel if someone (with better skills) already made something I need, that's when I check out thingiverse. I've used TinkerCad to make a bunch of things too. But as others mentioned, it does have limitations. Being recently retired, one of the things I wanted to explore is Blender, Fusion360, or maybe 123 Design - something more versatile than TinkerCad. Hard to give up TinkerCad's simplicity.
Quoted from snakesnsparklers:The V2 comes with a glass bed which supposedly takes care of the warpage issue, but I am still considering the BL Touch!
Wondering if there is any downside to ordering from Amazon (available immediately) vs. ordering from the official Creality website. Could I be getting an "older" version of the V2 from Amazon?
I got mine from Amazon, but it was thru an authorized seller. But Creality's web site has some great deals at times. Definitely make sure you get the new motherboard. If you buy from Creality, that shouldn't be an issue (but double check).
Looks like the Pro is $209, free shipping (ships from US) at the Creality website.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:There's actually a LOT of pinball stuff, it's just not always clearly marked "pinball". Also thingiverse search sucks - it will sometimes not bring back all your results, so keep checking
Yeah, you're right. Just not a lot when compared to Star Wars... LOL
Like you, I've noticed 'pinball' is not always the best search term. "Stern' gives pretty good results. Other times, just the name of the pin works well too.
Quoted from snakesnsparklers:Got my Ender 3 V2 built/set up last night and succeeded with my first print - the benchy boat. I just sat there and stared at it printing for about 15 minutes before I went to bed and woke up to a great print. On to pinball parts and who knows what next!
The only upgrades I went with from the start are the BLTouch auto leveler (awesome!) and the yellow bed springs since they are cheap and so many people recommended them. For now I just picked up some black and some white PLA filament to start but I'm sure I'll be getting more.
Since I have the BLTouch which also acts as the Z stop switch, I can repurpose the stock Z stop switch into a filament runout sensor. Someone made a bracket model to do exactly this so I just need to print that and mount it and enable it in the settings.
The first time printing is pretty amazing to watch. I have the yellow springs too. Some people ditch the springs all together and just hard mount the bed if they are auto-leveling.
1 week later
Quoted from mbwalker:My first test print of the IMDN 3D grills. Didn't turn out too bad, the underside of his fists are a little rough - need to play around with Cura's Tree support settings a bit more. Wife will use to do some practice painting.
Not sure if I should make him a little smaller and maybe change the angle a bit (less aggressive).
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
Finally, the IMDN 3D grill is coming together. Had to split it into 3 prints to make the supports a lot more practical. Very happy with it now. Wife's turn to add her artistic painting abilities to it (still a practice print). Not sure of the color scheme yet. Time to order more filament!
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from Rocanich:Hi, just a short question...why do you print the grill? Wouldn‘t it enough to print Eddie and glue a magnet to the back of Eddie?
On my first one (JP T-Rex grills), I was thinking of having the T-Rex busting out thru the grill, meaning the printed grill would be part of the 3D effect which would have been really cool. So that is what got me thinking of incorporating the 3D grill. But my rendering skills suck, so that is still a work in progress. Also, the grill could be a different color or painted for some special effect without messing up the pin. Since that was the first one I tried making, I wasn't even sure if there was enough area to hold the dino in place with magnetic tape. So it just sort of evolved.
I thought some 3D figures might not lend themselves to having a good way of placing the magnet tape on the backside, so it sort of became a 'carrier' for the figure.
But on the IMDN grills, I've definitely thought of doing just the figure since the backside is pretty big and the supports (when attached to the grill) were turning into a big PIA.
Quoted from DugFreez:I think a "no grill" solution would look better and be possible, but I'm not sure if magnets or even double stick tape would do. There just isn't a lot of surface area on the honeycomb grill area of the SPIKE 2 speaker panels...
I can take one of the IMDN 'powerslave mummy' bodies (which is pretty big) and stick some mag tape on it tomorrow just for the heck of it. But you might be right - just not a lot of metal there.
Here's a comparison of my JP with the grills, and a stock Munsters next to it with the pin off, then on. Can't really say there's anything distracting there. But if the 3D figure works w/o the grill - nothing wrong w/that either!
pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from DugFreez:I was meaning something more substantial than thin magnet tape... something like these:
amazon.com link »
with holes counter sunk in the back of the design to house them. Even then, if the magnets are fairly strong...I can still see it maybe needing something more to stop it from sliding down and as we have both stated, not a lot of metal in that honeycomb area to hold to either so any magnet use might be a bust.
Yeah, sorry - I should have clarified. I mentioned the magnetic tape just because I have some. I knew you were referring to the better magnets and/or something to clip on to the openings.
I tried the Scotch mag tape - didn't cut. Held in it place, but barely.
Quoted from snakesnsparklers:Try neodymium magnets. Much stronger.
I'm good w/the 1/4' magnetic tape strips along the edge of the speaker grill. It's low profile, blends in, and holds exceptional well. And most of all...easy! But since I'm sharing the 3D .stl files to anyone that wants them, perhaps someone can tinker around w/other options and see how it works. Lot's of different ways to attach.
Quoted from mbwalker:Finally, the IMDN 3D grill is coming together. Had to split it into 3 prints to make the supports a lot more practical. Very happy with it now. Wife's turn to add her artistic painting abilities to it (still a practice print). Not sure of the color scheme yet. Time to order more filament![quoted image]
An update to my updated update
Wifey's experimenting w/colors...
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from DudeRegular:When the screen/speaker panel is dropped do these hit the glass?
Yep, they would need to be removed. But as Rdoyle mentioned, they are held in place with magnetic tape (on the sides).
pasted_image (resized).png 2 weeks later
Quoted from Fezmid:Thinking about the Crealty Ender 3v2 since it's only $254 at Amazon today (amazon.com link »). Was wondering if anyone has used the fireproof/temperature control enclosure for it?
amazon.com link »
I'm not planning on printing when I'm not home, but anything to help reduce fire risk is a good thing in my book.
Make sure you get one with the new motherboard (maybe all V2 come with it?). It has the safety feature enabled in case the thermistor(s) fail. And it directly supports the BLTouch auto-leveling. You can get it directly from Creality for $259 + 10% discount, free shipping. US stock.
Quoted from Nokoro:I have the enclosure. It is mostly to prevent the cats from messing with the printer. It is very good quality, better than I expected from the pictures, and keeps everything at a nice constant internal temperature.
Where do you have the filament? Looking at the pictures on Amazon, it doesn't fit inside?
Regardless, does look nice...
Quoted from ChrisBardon:I've actually been trying to figure out ABS printing for a while now. I've got a snapmaker 2.0 A350 with enclosure, and I was printing ABS at 240 nozzle, 80 bed. The problem wasn't the first layer adhesion, but adhesion between layers. The part I was printing would peel apart pretty easily. Trying to take nozzle temperature even higher resulted in a mess (spool says the temp range is up to 240). Is there a chance that this is just a bad roll of filament?
Perhaps the fan at the hot end is an issue? Never printed ABS, so just a wag.
Decide to make something to cover the plastic raptor on the left side of my JP Pro. Simply slips over the existing plastic.
Once I sort out the 3D print, I'll adds shrubs and paint to hide the part the slips over the plastic raptor. The sides are fence posts that I can slip some wire into and make it look like the raptor broke thru.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from Viggin900:Call me crazy but wouldn't these be a piece of cake to 3d print for Metallica? I've thought about creating them in my program with a ring at the bottom so they can be screwed in under the lane screw.
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Does the ball ever hit them?
Quoted from Fezmid:My family is terrible at keeping secrets.... so I now know I'm getting the Ender 3 v2 for my birthday next week. I'm sure I'll have a million questions!
Did they get you some filament too?
Quoted from Fezmid:Yup - 1kg of hatchbox pla I believe. That's how it started - daughter said it wasn't a printer, it just says 1kg. Lol
Good deal, wouldn't be much fun to play around with w/o filament.
I'm guessing you know about Thingiverse (stl files) and Cura (slicer), given you've probably been reading this thread. Plenty of other options too.
Quoted from Fezmid:Yup, already downloaded that last week and started playing with it a little. My understanding is to simply slice in Cura, copy the resulting file to the SD card, plug that into the printer, select it, and cross my fingers?
In a nut shell, yep. Cura may have default setting for the V2, I know they have it for the original Ender 3 version (which I have, with upgrades).
"The devil is in the details" tho (i.e. supports, build plate adhesion, speed, infill, etc., etc.). It will take awhile to sort out all out all the Cura options and many times is varies, depending on the print.
Like everyone, you'll muddle your way thru it and a figure it out. At some point, lookup the BLTouch (autoleveling), I think the V2 directly supports it - it is sure nice to not have to worry about tinkering around with leveling.
And make sure thermal protection is enabled (on the Ender, not Cura), helps prevent a fire if one of the thermistors fails.
Here's a good article on Cura supports: https://all3dp.com/2/cura-support-settings-optimize-your-supports/
Quoted from Mr_Tantrum:Personally, I switched from Cura to Slic3r (now Prusa Slicer) well over a year ago and have never looked back. Once you learn it, I find it much simpler to work in, and it has all the features you need/want. Even though it is now developed and supported by Prusa, it is still free and works with all printer brands.
I like Slicer too and used it a bunch. But for some reason, I experienced issues with small circles and adhesion, and Cura printed fine. Never did figure that out, but I sure whished I could have slowed down just the circles in Slicer.
Seems seems like all slicers have their strengths and weaknesses.
Quoted from Yelobird:And don't forget pulling your hair out, screaming, throwing things across the room, and ordering new parts. lol It's all part of the fun and Know you will eventually come to peace with the learning curve but Rarely overcome it! Expect a few eye opening results in the beginning.
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A big Raft is your friend at times, LOL.
I had that happen just the other day, first time in a long time.
Quoted from Yelobird:Point made. You just never know. Just can't let it upset your efforts. Yes, IF I am planning a job that is 20 ish hours a raft is a must safety net. Otherwise I like to roll the dice...
Since I brought up Rafts, I sure wish I could just print 1-2 layers. Cura is 3 minimum, and I think 4 is the default. That can easily add +1hr print time on bigger prints, and gobbles up filament.
Quoted from Fezmid:What's a Raft? That's a term I haven't run across in my research!
It's like a 'base' layer(s), usually bigger than the print. It's meant to help w/adhesion. It's highlighted below. Really helpful on smaller prints.
There's also 'Skirt' and "Brim' types too. Raft is under the entire print, and extends out the sides (usually).
Quoted from Fezmid:Thanks! I ordered a spool of that from Amazon - lowest price it's ever been according to CamelCamelCamel. Figured I can try 'em both and see what I like. amazon.com link »
Ideally, bag up any open filament when not using (but whatever is on the printer - I tend to leave in there), it will absorb moisture and can cause printing issues. And toss in some of the moisture absorbing packets. I don't think ziplock bags are great for this, but must better than nothing. You can supposedly dry out in an oven at some low temp, never tried it tho.
I'm far from careful with the PLA and storage, and I usually still get good prints with older material. Dumb luck, I guess.
1 week later
Quoted from Spiderpin:Looks like a wrap (raptor), send to in-house paint shop.
And the in-house paint shop is expensive at times! No warranty either.
Quoted from Mr_Tantrum:Does anyone have a good process for prepping PLA 3D prints for paint? Basically, I'm looking for a way to fill gaps before I apply paint to achieve as smooth of a surface as possible before applying a chrome finish.
I'm thinking something like some type of a topcoat or filler, followed by sanding, followed by base coat/primer, followed by final coat.
What about just some patch compound used for drywall if it's just minor gaps? Or do you think it will pop out?
Quoted from Spiderpin:Looks like a wrap (raptor), send to in-house paint shop.
Back from the in-house paint shop.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from Mattyk:The spot it breaks is circled. I tried to super glue it but it failed
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Besides doing a 3D printed part...try some epoxy maybe?
Quoted from Mattyk:Yes thanks. I’ll try some jb weld.
JB Weld makes a version that is rather strong. I've used it, but I looked their web page but wasn't sure which one I used.
Looks like the slower cure time products have a higher strength than the quicker setting ones. You could maybe reinforce with some metal too.
Quoted from Nokoro:I wonder if you could also use one of those kits that has the fiberglass bonded with resin. Perhaps just a thin piece of fiberglass pressed on that area would reinforce it and make it rock solid for the future.
I’ve used them to fix and reinforce opaque ramps that are cracked, and the file cabinet bash toy on X Files. It works well. Not sure if it would add too much thickness to that spot on the servo linkage though.
That's sounds like a really good idea. I was thinking along the lines of some thin sheet metal, like what they use for HVAC.
Quoted from Gogojohnnyquack:I haven't used this yet but I use Smooth On's other products for reproducing parts using silicone molds and casting resins. XTC-3D is their two-part product for smoothing and finishing 3D prints and can be colored...
https://www.smooth-on.com/product-line/xtc-3d/
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That's interesting. Wonder if you can use this w/o sanding? Some of my 3D prints have small details, would be hard to sand all the nooks and crannies.
Quoted from nettek:XTC-3D works really well for smoothing - but, it yellows really badly within 12 months of applying it. Makes your prints look awful.
Any issues if you paint (i.e. bleeding thru)?
Quoted from Mattyk:Wow thanks!! I have a buddy that has a printer
Might want to tell your buddy to do 100% infill.
Quoted from Soulrider911:Needed to plug the hole in my POTC playfield I made into wall art, made a disk
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Now you just need to figure out how to print one with 3 discs that spin in random directions and you'd be a hero on the JJP POTC threads!
1 week later
Quoted from Mbecker:That thing looks badass. Jealous of you guys able to afford toys like that!!! I looked it up when Yelobird recommended and nearly choked. Getting into used premium stern territory!
Plenty of cheaper ones out there to get your feet wet, if you don't so already.
1 week later
Quoted from Damonator:I just purchased an Ender 3 V2 to print some of the TNA pieces and now I’m needing to print the GnR spotlight linkages. Thank you Agima2000 for posting the STL files. I’m looking at them and wondering how to orient these in order to get a successful print. This one I think will print OK if I rotate it to print vertically:
[quoted image]
But this one seems to be a bit more of a challenge to orientate as those nubs are going to prevent a simple 180 flip:
[quoted image]
Any advice for a newb is appreciated!
The first one is probably fine printing like that. Or maybe rotate vertical (sort of a toss up)
The 2nd one, I'd rotate that 90 degrees so that the long edge is setting flush on the print bed.
And use some supports.
What are you using for a slicer?
Quoted from latenite04:This is what mine is usually set to if you need some starting values. Make sure your Support Placement value is set to "Everywhere" and not "Touching build plate" or it won't generate supports inside the model.
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Ditto on what Latenight and Schud said above.
Cura has some neat support options. Usually when I print (and I would think most people would agree), I think about "How do I print this with minimal supports?"
Here's a quick read on supports. Lots of pictures so it makes sense: https://support.ultimaker.com/hc/en-us/articles/360012612779-Support-settings
Supports can be tricky - You want the support to do it's job (hold something up), but at the same easy as possible to remove. Plus you don't them to leave a bunch of imperfections on the print. Honestly, I spend more time setting support options than anything else.
For the top print, rotate that vertical and use the supports like Latenite mentioned - you should be good to go them. Like this:
pasted_image (resized).png
The other one I would do this:
Lot's of ways to print, so more than one way to get a good print.
Quoted from Damonator:Thanks all - great tips! Support was the key to a successful print - now I just need to carve out the support pieces. It ended up printing better laying down - I had a couple of failures trying the vertical orientation.
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Good deal!
Once you get the hang of things a bit more, there's a couple of settings to make the supports come out easier. One thing I do is use almost no infill on the supports - ideally just a shell. The other is to barely have the supports touch the print. Usually these work great, sometimes - a complete fail.
'Tree' supports and 'Only touching build plate' are some more interesting options. 'Tree' supports are like branches on a tree instead of columns, 'touching build plate' keeps the base of the supports off the print.
Here's an example w/tree and build plate supports (don't mean to imply this would work - just showing an example). I use a raft too for the base:
pasted_image (resized).png
I really would have thought printing it vertically would have ben better. Did you try using a raft?
Quoted from mattosborn:That orientation would be a poor choice for this part. You will get a much stronger part the other way.
Didn't think about that - good point. Kind of got focused on supports.
Quoted from Nokoro:I’m making some pinball parts for a home brew project. Ever since I got my Ender 3, I get random layers that don’t stick well. Not a lot. Here is an example. During this 9 hour print, I had two layers where the extruded started making that clicking noise and I got under extrusion. It then fixed itself for all the other layers. Has anyone ever seen this? If it was doing it all the time, I would suspect a clog or too low a temperature, but the fact that it just does it in a single random layer or two during a long print has me baffled.
Also, any ideas about how to firm up that crack? It is still pretty solid, but I would like to make sure the crack doesn’t lead to real separation. I’m using PLA. Fill with super glue? Heat?
Thanks!
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Are you going to paint the print? If so, just some dry wall patch?
It would be interesting just to print a small rectangle (i.e. prints fairly quick) or cube the same height and see if it happens again.
One thing to look at is the extruder motor when it it clicks, is it still feeding in filament correctly?
You could take a look at the Z-axis screw and make sure something isn't up w/that (i.e. loose screw).
Just for the heck of it, the bottom extruder roller - that has an offset hole, meaning the roller tension on the rail can be adjusted by turning it. If it's not set correctly, then the height is set by the top rollers just running in the grove. On mine, I eventually get a bunch a junk on the rollers too. Nothing to do w/the clicking noise - but something that should be checked occasionally and cleaned. Mine loosened up after awhile.
Quoted from Nokoro:Thanks. Good advice. I’ve printed small cubes and rectangles, and it doesn’t seem to be a matter of height. I also almost wonder if there’s just some crud on the PLA or some moisture, and it causes this to happen and then resolves itself.
Any chance you removed the filament spool and put it back on at some point later. Maybe the end of the filament got under another layer and binds occasionally?
Quoted from Shredso:I upgraded my computer months ago and forgot to save my slicer settings. It's been so long since I set it up I have no idea what I did. I have an Ender 3 with a bunch of mods including a new mobo and BL Touch. The printer has been sitting idle for months because I don't want to go through all the hassle of tuning the slicer again. Is there a way to extract my settings if I had the sliced file?
You can select an Ender 3 in the Cura settings. That should get you to the point where you can printer, just tweak from there.
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The BLtouch should be set in the printer setting. When it measures the bed, the offsets should be stored in the printer itself, not in the code. Maybe one option in Cura would be to run a bed level cal each time you print, that shouldn't be needed tho.
Do you remember what mobo you bought?
Quoted from Nokoro:My wife just equated me buying my 3D printer to buying a Timex computer back in the day. Cool, but really primitive. She asked how I could put up with it and said that perhaps I should have waited 20 years until the technology advanced to make it more user friendly and hassle free.
I think my wife is brilliant.
Just do what I did, print a ear ring stand for her. She'll come around...
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from Nokoro:How quickly will PLA absorb moisture? I’m still having random extrusion issues and suspect moisture. I keep my PLA in a sealed container with a humidity absorber. But, when I am using it, it can be out of the container for several days as I do a print a day. I found when I take it out, the first print or two is ok, then I start having issues. This has started happening since the weather has changed. The air is much more humid now than over the winter. Can it absorb moisture in just a matter of days? Is the solution to always store the PLA sealed, even between prints a day or two apart?
Also, I used to be able to do cold pulls no problem, but now the PLA just breaks off when I try to do it.
I'm about as lazy as you can get w/PLA storage, I may use spools that are months old and have just been setting out. Humidity goes up and down depending if the AC is on or if the windows are open.
Can't say I have any issues. "Cold pull" as in not heating up the hotend to swap filament?
Quoted from Nokoro:Cold pull = heating up the hot end, pushing some through to extrude a little, letting nozzle cool to 90, then yank it out. It is a way of removing gunk from the nozzle that may be causing clogs. It worked for me before, but I can’t do it anymore.
All the issues I am having seem to point to moisture issues, but I can’t be sure. I’m thinking about buying the Sunlu filament dryer and seeing if that helps. I hate to keep throwing money at things without knowing for sure what the problem is.
Cold pull - got it.
There is a method to dry out filament in the oven, maybe you can give that a try just for the heck of it. If it works, then maybe buy the real filament dryer gizmo.
Quoted from Soulrider911:Not pinball related but thought ya’ll could appreciate this. Fully functional baby Mac in progress
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Impressive. What's it like on the inside? Raspberry Pi based?
Quoted from Soulrider911:I am waiting on a ribbon cable should get here tomorrow here is the inside, yes mbwalker RP Zero!
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Wow, neat on the inside too! So is the RP Zero is driving a VGA display directly or do you need to add an additional board?
Sorry for the sidebar to 3D printing...
Quoted from seenev:I just got an ender 3 v2. First 3d printer I've had since the thing-o-matic. My first few prints were great but then they kept failing every time. I finally sprayed my wife's old hair spray on the bed and it worked perfectly.
Blue painter's is also what many people use. I use a aftermarket build plate that sticks when hot, prints come right off cold. I'd have to look up the vendor if you're interested. Plus I have the BLTouch too.
Quoted from seenev:I got the bl touch. Does it really help? I can't tell.
My build plate has a minor dip in the center, so rather than buying another one (that might also develop an issue) - the BLtouch just subtracts that automatically. But bed leveling overall is just something I no longer need to worry about.
Here's the build plate I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JFY2LPN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title
No tape, hair spray, etc. needed. Have you tried a raft (i.e. I wouldn't blame a failed print on the build plate just yet)? I still tend to use a raft, maybe mostly out of habit. What build plate temperature are you running at?
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Merlin does allow to manually do a level adjust at 9 points across the build plate, but I don't know if the new Creality firmware has that option enabled or not.
I shared a first pass version in an earlier post. I think I'm done. A little 3D printed, a little bit from Walmart (plants, fence wire), and a little bit from Michaels (Raptor). Just slips over the original flat plastic raptor.
Stern JP Pro:
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1 week later
Quoted from slicknick13:Same, I like that map. I use inductive sensors for leveling but I have to use the BLTouch for my new bed since it has magnets and will screw it all up. Plus it seems to me that the touch sensors are congealing as the winner of the z end stop wars...
It seems like more vendors are incorporating the hooks in their motherboard for almost a 'plug and play' implementation of the BLTouch.
I think one other reason BLTouch might be pulling ahead is the use of third party build plates (i.e. glass) that set on top of the vendors build plate. Just a guess, but I would assume the farther the inductor sensor is away from the actual metal build plate - the more the inductive sensor struggles.
I have a BLTouch, is rather cool to see it map the build plate.
2 weeks later
Quoted from stefanmader:I had a problem with shifting on my prusa once, it was a firmware problem. Short time solution was exporting the files again and sliced new. That worked sometimes. But Firmware update solved the problem completely.
Good comment stef.
OP - Are you running Marlin for the firmware? Can't say I've seen that. Does it happen 100% of the time, same layer?
Quoted from Oldfart:Update, I checked the pots and they were good. I swapped the X and Y steppers and it still shifted on the Y axis. Tech support thinks the Y driver chip has failed and will send a new board from China. I think it failed because I do large prints (up to four days) and there are no heatsinks on these chips. The new board will get them and an extra fan. It might be worth checking if your printer has them. I think it would be a cheap investment to help keep the chips cooler.
You could always place a small fan nearby and run some air across the driver chip. Might not give a definitive answer, but a simple test that might help point to a thermal issue.
Quoted from BrewNinja:...From your pics, it looks like the prints are failing pretty early on as well, so they shouldn't be too hot yet...
I made the comment above about running some air across the driver FET's to try to keep them cool. I was thinking along the lines of perhaps a less than perfect solder connection on the FET's thermal connection, allowing the part to eventually heat up. Or maybe no thermal pad between the back of the PWB and the case (assuming they use one).
Granted, I think the driver part would outright fail - but who knows. So a simple test would be to run some air across the FET's and see what happens.
2 weeks later
Quoted from BowlingJim:Picked this up off Facebook yesterday for $60 with 4 rolls of PLA+. I think I did pretty good for my first printer. If I like it I am going to buy a good one.
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Congrats on a great deal!
One thing I'd like to point out (and I'm not familiar w/the Monoprice other than when I considered it for my first printer) - see if it has thermal runaway protection. And if it does, make sure it's turned on. Maybe someone can chime in that owns one.
Thermal runaway is when the hotend thermistor fails and the printer then thinks the hotend isn't hot enough, resulting in the heater power being continuously applied. Worst case result is it could start a fire.
2 weeks later
Quoted from Crile1:My son has an Ender 3 and is having a problem. There are gaps between planes of printed pieces so they peel apart/crack when take them off. Cleaned the nozzle. Any other tips?
What slicer does he use? Has it always done this or is this something new?
A picture might help too, maybe someone can spot the issue.
This link discusses it, but the posts above pretty much covers it already (temperature, clogged nozzle).
https://forum.simplify3d.com/viewtopic.php?t=5992
Does this happen in the same place (i.e. If he prints the same piece, are the gaps in the same place)? Or is it random?
1 month later
Quoted from gdonovan:I'll settle for "easiest to use" at the moment and then step up as I get practice and print ideas grow in complexity. If the software is too daunting to use at first, I'm not going to progress.
For the moment I need some rather basic shapes that frankly I could make out of other materials but wish to venture into 3D printing.
I have ZERO hands on experience with 3D printing or even CAD, I can read and work with blueprints though and at one time create them by hand.
In a nutshell, TinkerCad uses predefinded shapes (they have a lot), and you create something by combining and subtracting those shapes. Very easy to get started, but at the same time there are limitations. But once you get the hang of thinking of how to combine shapes...it's pretty easy to create something.
I sure would like to learn OnShape or even Fusion 360, but just haven't found the time.
TinkerCad: Here's a simple example for a socket to remove the tournament blank insert nut on a Stern (I install the remote volume control in its place).
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And here's the part turned into a 'void' (subtraction). So the socket body would be a solid cylinder, and the voids on the inside subtracts to make it a socket.
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Quoted from stefanmader:I really miss the champfer feature. For that i would go into onshape.
That is one area I wish TinkerCad would offer some more options. You can chamfer some individual objects, but that's about it. Everything I make has sharp edges.
The other feature I wish they had would be to align objects end-to-end (i.e. the left side of one object to the right side of the other object). I end up just scooting then together using a fine grid. Maybe there's some trick that I've missed?
Surprisingly, Microsoft's 3D Builder does some neat things and it's crazy fast, even with very complex imports (>1M polys). Don't think I'd use it to draw something, but it works well to mod imports.
Quoted from Mr_Tantrum:You mean butting objects together, right? This is something I need to do constantly in Tinkercad. My workaround is as follows:
- In this example, I'll assume I have a stationary object and I want to butt an object to it's right side
- I measure the width of the new object
- I perform a right align of both objects and anchor to the stationary object so it's position does not change
- I then move the new object to the right the exact width of that object - change the snap grid to desired scale when doing so (you can start big and then go smaller).
The only issue is if/when the new object you wish to butt against the stationary object has a thickness that is not in .1mm or greater. Then I do the above as close as possible then set snap grid to off and continue moving until I see the overlap color change on the object.
Ahh, good one! I was hoping someone would chime in. Thanks Mr_Tant!
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Suddenly having some weird lifting issues on my Prusa. Any suggestions? I do not print using an enclosure (that may need to change)
Beside the obvious bed issues (temp, leveling, cleaning, etc.), is the filament old?
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Nope, just opened the package on sunday.
Might not hurt just to try a different filament if you have a little leftover setting around. I got a new spool once, vacuum packed w/the silica gel in there - wouldn't stick worth a darn. Got the old stuff out (both were PLA+) and no issues. First time I tried that brand - and the last.
It's probably something else - just thought I'd toss that out there since I've seen it first hand.
Do you use a raft to help out?
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Good suggestions - I will try the Naptha first since I have some of that around for playfield cleaning (and lighting the grill haha). I like the soap and water option too
I’m printing a lightsaber for my kid, so most of the pieces are cylindrical - but this one has these crazy semicircle wings that I need to print again; just dry fit them and they are way too warped from the lifting. I’m going to wait until all the other parts are done (only 52 more Hours!!) and reorient them on the bed after wiping it down again.
Interesting the draft and ambient temperature don’t seem to matter much! I’ll keep that in mind too. I’ve been thinking I’ll move the printer to another room anyway so that may be a worthwhile test.
Forgot to mention, bed plate is between 60
And 70, I forget the exact setting. All other pieces are coming out REALLY nice! Loving the Ironing setting for the top layer
Are you using a raft?
Quoted from toyotaboy:NEVER.. USE.. RAFTS. If it isn't sticking, you aren't doing something right.
I tend to agree, but I think it helps for smaller prints that are taller or if someone is fairly new and hasn't quite dialed things in. Plus I'm lazy and just keep it on most the times.
Quoted from Kevin_LHeureux: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.
I just set them in the lockdown bar when it's off the pin (setting upside down). Or on a clean rag.
Don't overthink a simple solution unless you just want to play around printing stuff.
Quoted from Kevin_LHeureux:Basically, yes. I started playing around in Tinkercad as well but for some reason I can’t find the void tool. Lol.
Right in front of you!
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from gdonovan:Woot!
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Now get ready for a long learning process! Nothing by itself is hard, but just a million settings that any single one can cause issues, LOL. But it's a fun hobby. Frustrating at times tho. You'll get the hang of it, plus a lot of experience in this thread for help if needed.
1 week later
Quoted from Kevin_LHeureux: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.
Ahh, OK. Looking at your other posts, you needed a place to rest the balls on the pin after taking the glass off, but putting the lock bar in place?
1 week later
Quoted from gdonovan:First print, any suggestions?
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What are you concerned about specifically? Is there a little lifting on the corners (not sure)? Or are you a little worried about this area being a little rough?
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Looks pretty good for a first print.
Quoted from gdonovan:Just surprised that area was a little rough.
Thank you, its gratifying to see something you drew on the screen come to life even if it is a simple box in a box.
Just for the heck of it, turn on 'raft' in your slicer and see what happens. That will lay down a few layers as a base and help w/adhesion - then see how that rough area turns out.
Better to really dial in the printer, but trying the raft is an easy way to see if it cleans up the print, then go from there.
Good luck!
Quoted from gdonovan:Squared everything with bubble level before print. Belts, all snug.
In case it's a warped bed issue:
Not sure what printer you have, but the newer versions of the Marlin software (that would be the software in the printer, if they are using that) has a neat semi-automated adjustment that emulates auto leveling. The hotend will mover over a grid pattern on the build plate, and you adjust at each point (not adjusting the springs, but moving the hotend up or down). Don't remember how many points it checks, but it will add a 'fudge factor' to compensate, based on the value you dial in at each point when calibrating. Rather slick, really.
I'm assuming you have a 0.4mm nozzle? And what value are you extruding at?
Quoted from gdonovan:Its a bone stock Ender Pro 3 out of the box.
Zip on over to Thingiverse and grab this file: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2987803
It's just a simple test print to check your bed leveling. One of many you can find there.
Once you make sure the bed is level, then we can move on to other issues or settings that might affect your print. That's why I mentioned the raft comment - sort of cheating but of helps with adhesion and minor bed imperfections. Definitely not the right way to address the problem, but I thought I saw your first print corner lifting slightly, and the raft would help there. But if the first layer isn't going down correctly, pretty much all bets off chasing down other possibilities.
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Quoted from gdonovan:I'm learning...[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Looks like you are off to a good start tho!
There's not one particular thing that's terribly hard in this hobby, but there's like a million little things that each one can cause a problem with a print!
What are you using for a slicer?
Quoted from dudah:Try tree supports in Cura, much more efficient for larger prints, less material, less time, great results.
Adding to dudah's comment...I've really liked the results with Cura' tree support w/the 'Touching Buildplate' option. That forces the trees to (like it says) to only attach to the build plate. Makes for a cleaner print. Along those lines, I try to make the support the absolute minimum so it's really easy to remove. Very pleased with the results, but a lot still depends on the print - whether it lends itself to that type of support or not.
I know there are a lot of fans of the Pursa slicer, but I tend to gravitate towards Cura w/my Ender. I've seen first hand the difference the slicer can make.
Everyone's mileage will vary tho.
Quoted from gdonovan:I looked up Cura this morning and the only problem I see is only 64 bit computer support.
Ha! Nothing like that here, I'll try it on my work PC...
Snooping around the internet, looks like there is an unofficial Cura build for a Raspberry Pi. That would be a cheap way to run it at home.
https://www.3dprintbeast.com/cura-on-raspberry-pi/
Just food for thought... No experience w/it on my end.
One thing you might need to do down the road if you ever import a complex print (i.e. lot's a triangles/large file size) and want to mod it in TinkerCad, is to use the free MicroSoft 3D Builder to reduce the complexity. Super easy to reduce the mesh (sometimes it won't reduce tho). TinkerCad has both file and triangle size limits. Pretty big numbers by default, but some of the imported files are enormous. MeshMixer is another free program, but boy - it hogs the CPU like crazy when reducing the mesh. 3D Builder zips thru it pretty quick, plus it has some other pretty neat features. Wouldn't want to use 3D Builder to create something, that would be a bit of a PIA.
Quoted from gdonovan:For what I have in mind, I'll be moving away from Tinkercad in a few weeks. I'll start looking at other CAD programs when I'm further along with my plans...
I keep telling myself I'll do the same now that I'm retired, but almost a year later I can't say I've done much about it. Other priorities just seem to get in the way. Maybe now that the weather is starting to turn cold, I'll find time.
There's Blender, Fusion 360, and a bunch of others. I tried Fusion 360 (and I still have it loaded up), but it's such a step up in it's abilities - just a lot to tackle unless I really put my mind to it. A number of pages back in this thread, there was a pretty good discussion about the free drawing programs. Both apps and online.
Quoted from toyotaboy:I tried superslicer not long ago (mostly because prusa slicer is geared towards prusa, superslicer has every popular printer listed).. I do like the advanced options it has, but it goes overboard on supports (which increases print time, and requires more post processing). Simplify3d might not get regular updates, but it's very good at supports.
Do you run it on the Ender? Never heard of it yet, but I will check it out.
I almost think a lot of people (including myself) probably end up liking something and sticking with it. In the end, all are probably fine and all do a better than just a few years ago.
Quoted from Ashram56:Good afternoon everyone
Would anyone have designed an adapter plate for spike 2 4" (pro and premium) to 5.5" speaker (LE)?
These adapter plates are super expensive and I don't see why it could not be printed
Cheers
Just a little side note: I never really heard any improvement upgrading the backbox speakers to something like a two way (coaxial) speaker. Just guessing, some of the companies must really compress the audio (Stern, in my case). Not sure about the the higher freqs, but I just don't think there's much there for the tweeter to do any good. Did it for Aerosmith and AC/DC. Maybe a couple of others, but not sure. Granted, my ears pretty much suck above 10KHz.
I designed some for the Spike 2 and SAM pins, but the biggest bang for the audio was an external sub. Perhaps every pin is different, depending the quality of the sound track and the guy doing the audio tracks.
Quoted from RobF:...Do you know which is the off the shelf equivalent for the Stern upgraded speakers?...
Head over to PartsExpress and look up a 4" mid/full range driver. 4" inch speaker link: https://www.parts-express.com/speaker-components/hi-fi-woofers-subwoofers-midranges-tweeters/midrange-midbass-drivers-full-range-speakers/nominaldiameter/4
They should have something that tickles your fancy. I bought some before, but I'd have to look it up. One thing you need to be aware of is quite often the 'front' of the replacement speaker protrudes out the front of the speaker frame and would hit the grill. I could have printed a spacer (which I have done)...but last time I just ordered some hex posts. Screwed those on the speaker grill frame screws, set the speaker on the posts, then secured the speaker w/screws into the hex post. Didn't bother about the seal between the front and back - it still sounded OK. But wouldn't take much to print a spacer if you want it sealed. But at least the screw now no longer needs to be mounted in the spacer since the hex post does that. The spacer is just that - a spacer, but it a heck of a lot easier to design if you don't need to add screws, just clearance for posts.
Something like this for the posts (not the right ones).
Sorry, I don't have all the part numbers in front of me, only have a few min to spare.
Added over 2 years ago:Edit: Whatever speaker you get, double check the mounting holes to make sure they line up w/the original speaker.
Quoted from RobF:I thought the upgraded LE speakers were 5 1/4" or something like that?
Oh, you're right RobF- sorry to the poster asking. I only had a few minutes to find the links and type a couple of comments before heading out and was thinking he wanted an upgrade to the standard speaker (same size). PartsExpress link is still useful tho, just need to look up the LE speaker style instead.
Quoted from Pauz21:It’s part 11535 from that diagram. The arm is there. It’s the cam (protractor looking gear) that’s broken in half. That’s what I need.
I have a good ME work buddy that has a CNC machine in his garage. Not the kind that's a glorified toy...but the kind that takes up the entire 3rd bay in his 3 car garage (and costs a lot more than a car)! Just bought it new a couple of years ago.
If you ever get to the point of having a decent file that can used for 3D printing, I know he would be happy to CNC one at a very reasonable price. Doing little stuff like this keeps his skills up using the software, plus he just likes to tinker. Is this just a a flat piece?
If someone that has one that they could measure the hole(s) distance, maybe you could scale the drawing and redraw in CAD software. That would assume the drawing is to scale. Edit: Just noticed you have the part, it's just broken.
Another option might be to get a CNC-3018 for less than $200 and make one yourself out of aluminum?
Quoted from BorgDog:With cad file could also use a service like sendcutsend to laser cut it for you. I just had some parts done by them, fast, clean and fairly cheap, and lots of materials to choose from.
Wow, they even cut titanium!
Quoted from Pauz21:It’s part 11535 from that diagram. The arm is there. It’s the cam (protractor looking gear) that’s broken in half. That’s what I need.
Is the original piece plastic?
Quoted from RobF:I would say, the last thing to try if this last experiment fails, mix up some abs slurry use that on the glass bed.
I know some people aren't a fan of rafts, but you could maybe try that just to get thru this print.
Quoted from Pauz21:No it’s that pressed fibre. Bake light or whatever it’s called.
What about just getting some thick plastic (or some other material) and just Dremel Tool it by hand?
Something like this (I realize you are not state side)?
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from gdonovan:I'm really starting to dislike ABS
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On the bright side, it's good that you have thermal protection enabled. A lot of the Chinese printers didn't have that enabled, or it wasn't even in the firmware (including some early Enders). Some scary youtube videos out there demonstrating what happens when the heaters runaway unchecked.
You can perhaps bump up the limits a bit.
Quoted from toyotaboy:The way that creality attaches the thermistor to the hotend SUCKS. The idea of using a screw against a thermistor (which can change the value) is a bad design. I highly recommend soldering in one that screws in (but make sure you torque it down well)
amazon.com link »
I stumbled upon these or a similar one a couple of days ago, thought it was a great idea. I did notice one other brand had a silicone sleeve that slipped over it to help isolate it from the fan airflow. I'm getting ready to install a new extruder in a couple of days, I think I'll give this style a try. Maybe put a minute dab of thermal grease on the threads too.
I guess the only drawback is the thermistor is a bit farther back from the center of the block, but that could be easily compensated for by a temperature offset or dialing the temp a bit higher if needed. Probably splitting hairs tho.
1 week later
Quoted from BrewNinja:...My advice to people is always start with PLA...
I was actually going to suggest that too. Rather forgiving, just use it to work out the bugs in the model and the Slicer settings, then move over to ABS.
Quoted from toyotaboy:prusa overall is not without it's issues. Even on the MK3s after so many hours starts having issues with bed leveling, and the printer head is buried with plastic making it difficult to work on. However the new XL (which I pre-ordered) looks to solve both of those issues (load cell on the nozzle so there is no bed leveling), and the extruder is very open making it very easy to work on or swap hotends (plus the extruder looks like it has tons of torque)
That's got some really interesting features
Quoted from herg:Is your extruder fan working well? If it clogs and grinds in heat, but doesn't if the enclosure is open, I'd suspect heat creep causing molten filament too high up into the extruder.
I'll agree, I have no idea how your buddy could have good results letting other people send him pre-sliced files.
I just had this problem (with PLA+), ended up getting worse and worse real quick. Replaced the entire extruder (easier just replacing the entire assembly for ~$16) and I'm now back to printing fine. Usually happens about once a year. No biggie, other than the PIA routing the wires.
Quoted from gdonovan:1)...friend of mine has been printing with ABS virtually without issue for 2 years now, he doesn't even do the design or slicing work. Same model printer...
Have you tried letting him print the file since he has the same printer?
Quoted from Oneangrymo:Ugh I think my brain has reached maximum capacity. Ill just use one of these online companies to 3d print for me
Thanks for the heads up and information.
Nah, go for it, it's a fun hobby. PLA+ (the filament) is pretty easy to print. While it might seem hard at first - it's really just a bunch of baby steps - like 1000 baby steps. Lot's of sharp guys in this thread that will chime right in to help with issues.
While the online services are great to use, I tend to mod too much, or make a few iterations as I print before I end up w/what I think will work. That can get to be a bit of a PIA if you have to wait for parts every time.
Quoted from gdonovan:Success.
Now to start refining settings.
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So what do you think was the most important change to your setup/slicer that made a difference?
Quoted from gdonovan:Loaded question as I think this unit has it's own issues which I'm starting to narrow down.
ABS likes to be hot- bed, enclosure and hot end.
This unit has problems with grinding when hot so I reduced the retractions and went to a .8 nozzle. It worked so now I'm going to a .6 nozzle and start dialing print quality settings back in.
A heated enclosure over 120F is a must to minimize warping with ABS and then you have to work around that problem. If I keep fooling with this Ender 3 and ABS I plan to move the control panel and feed mech outside the compartment.
Some of the things I'm working on an .8 nozzle is fine. I'm rerunning some light shields and will post a pic shortly.
At a 0.8mm nozzle, what quality did you print at (you're still using the Cura slicer?)?
Quoted from gdonovan:Draft is all that is available as a default, though you can always do a custom profile. Yes on the Cura, so far it has done best with the larger nozzle size.
[quoted image]
I was just curious since w/a 0.4mm nozzle (what I use), Cura let's you print at various 'qualities', implying the nozzle is still squirting out at 0.4mm, but it must be spread thinner depending on the 'quality'. Always wondered about that, seems like the most consistent results would be to print close to the actual nozzle. Don't know for sure, but I've just changed the nozzle to a smaller size when I wanted a really good print.
Maybe someone with more experience can chime in.
Quoted from scottieIA:I find I like to print functional parts at .2 - .25mm with a .4mm nozzle. It seems like they hold up better with less layers. It could me just me looking into it too much also. The above chart makes sense to me. I've had jamming issues trying to print .05 to .07 with a .4mm nozzle, so I don't even try anymore. All with a Prusa Mini.
Just for the heck of it, here's the Cura default quality settings w/a 0.4mm nozzle. Seems inline with the comments at 0.4mm.
Can't say I'm trilled w/results at 0.12mm, I usually swap out nozzles if I need a lot of detail.
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Quoted from toyotaboy:There's no magic, either sand or fill with a heavy primer. Cura has a new ironing mode (nozzle passes over a layer), but it only works for top flat layers. There's someone else that is working on code to do the same on curved surfaces, but again it can only be done on the top layer.
https://the3dprinterbee.com/cura-ironing
While not an option in Cura, nonplanar XYZ printing is pretty cool too. Definitely need some clearance around the nozzle tho.
Quoted from iamabearsfan:Thought I would throw these out there. These are a couple pix from a jet engine project I did a while back.
[quoted image][quoted image]
That's seriously impressive. Resin? Or is it just so big, the layers don't stand out as much?
Mind sharing some more details?
Quoted from Jenniebear:I just got an Ender 3 V2 today, made my first two prints. The octopus’s mouth came out a little wonky. Does it needs some type of support?
[quoted image]
What are you using for a slicer?
Quoted from Jenniebear:I’m using Cura.
Try 'Tree' support, 'Touching Buildplate'. It will add supports where needed, but will only attach the base to the build plate, not the model. And set 'Support Wall Line Count' to 1 (that will make a minimal support, easier to remove). There's some other settings that can help, but give that a try first.
Not too shabby for a first print!
Which file did you grab from thingiverse?
Quoted from Jenniebear:...Thanks, I picked the one clearly marked that it needs you to add your own support, lol
Here's the 5.6 stl file w/the Tree support. So the support is only from the Buildplate to the mouth. I had Raft turned on.
Quoted from Sijcolo:I’m not sure if anyone else saw this but micro center is selling ender 3 pros for $99 after coupon.
Here is the coupon
https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/specialoffer3dprinter.aspx
Just a FYI: If these are the version that don't have the upgraded motherboard, the thermal runaway is not enabled in firmware by default. I think that changed w/the 32 bit mother boards.
Great price tho!
Quoted from BowlingJim:Made these for my friend Godzilla pro. They are not the greatest but I think he will like them.
[quoted image][quoted image]
I like the mechzilla a lot, but the 2nd one doesn't look scary enough or has enough detail. Don't take it as criticism, just my personal taste.
Here's one with some more detail/meaner looking, if you're interested.
1 week later
Quoted from waveman:While we're talking about cheap filament -- I've been pretty happy with GST3D. They frequently run specials for 10 spools at $9 each. Curious if anyone else has used them.
https://gst3d.us/collections/mega-packs/products/pack-x10-pla-1kg-each
Darn - looks like you have to buy multiples?
Great prices if you print a lot.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:I have mine set up like this. Put together the Octoprint Pi myself. It’s GREAT actually. The only thing you need to put in PrusaSlicer is the IP address to the Pi, and there might also be a hash key you get from Octoprint. It’s like a 2 minute setup
So what's the major advantage of running a Pi + printer? I just dump gcode to the USB stick from Cura using my PC and stick it in the printer, and hit print on the Ender.
I currently run the BigtreeTech Motheboard + Touch screen, but is there any advantage with octoprint that I'm missing out on?
Quoted from dudah:Remote monitoring, TSD will use AI to detect failed prints and automatically pause the printer, endless plugins and customization.
Printing from USB is fine, but it's way nicer to sit at my PC and use the webUI versus a little display and a little knob.
When making parts I often make multiple revisions and it's way more convenient to upload to the pi over the webUI versus swapping the USB back and forth.
The value for the entry price is incredible.
You won't regret it.
Quoted from Anony:+1 for octoprint. If your printer is right beside your PC you don't need it but if your printer is upstairs like mine is it's really nice to be able to watch what your printer is doing without physically being there.
I had it set up one point with a telegram server where I could send a message and it would text me a photo of my printer. I used to use it a lot when I was newer to printing and would go out but worry about my print failing or going on fire or something lol.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:If you use CURA, it has the direct print via USB built in. I hated that when I switched over to PrusaSlicer, because PrusaSlicer doesn't currently support it - you have to use Octoprint. However, the Pi allows you to add a camera, which is REALLY important when you are doing hella long prints. I printed a ton of parts for my R2D2 last year and it was immensely helpful to see if something screwed up, and I could kill the print remotely without wasting time and filament.
The other thing is there are a huuuuuuge number of plugins for Octoprint. Remote access, a touchscreen UI (my Pi has a touchscreen), camera control, temperatre monitoring, a dashboard to see multiple data points at once. The best one IMO is the mesh leveling analyzer, so you can really dial in super precise leveling and get better top layers. Finally, there is this one: "Spaghetti Detective" which uses the camera and recorded/analyzes your print so if it fails, it can pinpoint exactly where/when and allow you to make adjustments. For example, if there's not enough support in a particular area.
many of the other plugins are 'fun' things like this time lapse creator:
Anyway, so not strictly required, but if you want to tweak or you really want to get things dialed in, it's awesome.
Also, not Octoprint, but I'd like to see this feature added to other slicers eventually:
the final output is incredibly smooth
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Thanks for all the detailed comments!
I just might use OctoPrint as an excuse to get a new Pi 4. I repurposed my old Pi 2 to track aircraft on FightRadar 24 since it was getting long in the tooth.
2 weeks later
Quoted from DaddyManD:Boys got a 3D printer for Xmas. Made 2 mods already using free files on thingiverse!
Painted the Mando Tatooine city by hand! So fun!
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So are you saying you bought them a printer for Christmas, and now you are using it to print mods for your pins?
Just yanking your chain - I bet they are having a blast!
Quoted from DaddyManD:That's actually a completely accurate statement! Also got the wife Stranger Things side armor since it's her favorite pin...definitely a Homer Simpson gift haha
LOL, not a darn thing wrong with that and the kids - a fun learning experience!
Are they making anything neat for themselves yet?
Quoted from bpull:I'll be stepping into new 3D printing territory with my new photon mono x 6K resin printer! [quoted image][quoted image]
I said this prior...for as much as I don't want a resin printer...I want one.
Quoted from Good-Times:My new Ender 3 V2 lasted 1.9 prints then dead. Ugh. Hopefully just the power supply, hopefully they shoot me a replacement soon. Kids are so keen to get some stuff done!
Managed to get test doggy printed, and enough of my pinball holder done that it works (just the back missing)! [quoted image]
'Dead' as in nothing on the display?
Quoted from Good-Times:Yeah went to bed, woke up and the nozzle was still on the model and nothing on the display. No fan. Cracked the model away, turned it off and then on again, and still no display, no fan. Power fuse is intact.
Does sound like a supply. You can always take a multimeter and check for 24VDC (I think) coming out of the power supply.
2 weeks later
Quoted from RobF:Neat! For the split, create an offset plane (or any other construction plane that makes sense) and put it at what ever angle you need. Then use the split body function with the new offset plan as the splitting tool.
Microsoft 3D Builder does have a couple of neat features to use that are super easy and fast. The Split is one, the Simplify is good for reducing triangles. Repairing STL files is good too.
Quoted from Mr_Tantrum:I'll give that series a try. I gave a crack at F360 for a couple of weeks but always found myself jumping back into Tinkercad since I can do 90% of what I need to there without even hardly thinking about it. I would like to do some more advanced modelling, so I know I need to step beyond Tinkdercad at some point.
I do exactly the same thing.
"I'm going to make this thing in F360." An hour later I'm back in TinkerCad
Quoted from PeterG:I really like the tree support option, works great and is easy to remove. That lightning infill I need to check out.
One thing I do is set the Tree support thickness to "1" , makes it super easy to cut an remove. And "Attach to buildplate only" w/a raft (if needed) - helps for tiny support adhesion to the bed.
I'd slice it like this. The front would remain clean since all the support is from the back.
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Here's a look at the support thickness:
pasted_image (resized).png 1 week later
Quoted from bowtech:Thinking about dipping my toe into the world of 3d printing and found the ender 3d pro is now on sale for 239 on Amazon. I see it mentioned in the thread just wondering if this would be a good starting point as I have zero knowledge in this area. Thanks for any help!
I mentioned this more than once in the thread, but I'll repeat since you might have not seen it.
The newer Enders (with upgraded motherboard) have the thermal runaway feature enabled by default. Thermal runaway can happen when the thermal sensor fails, so the heater goes full blast thinking its not heating up enough. End result could result in a fire. Ender's weren't the only one, others did the same.
I think the older Enders had the thermal option, but required jumping thru some PIA hoops to turn it on. The newer boards eliminated that problem, plus it was an all-around nice upgrade. I don't know the exact specifics, so you might want to look into that before buying, and make sure you get the newer model. It's been awhile since the upgrade, so I would imagine most the old stock has been flushed out of the system.
Quoted from Sleal16:Has anyone used both the bltouch and the firmware/software version of bed level calibration for the ender 3's? I might dive into the firmware version this weekend but curious if someone thats had experience using both could have input on what they prefer.
I have, sort of anyways. I have BigTreeTech motherboard in my Ender, and the BLTouch. But the BigTree just runs the Marlin code, so should be fairly similar.
I have to admit, the BLTouch calibration is slick. Does a 5x5 matrix probe, stores the data, then extrapolates the fudge factor when printing. My build plate (aftermarket, not Ender) has a slight warp in the middle that would be a 'no go' using the 4 corner springs calibration. No biggie for the BLTouch. You need to dial in the Z offset once, but easy to do.
I've used the Ender's 'manual' version of creating a matrix too, prior to getting the BigTreeTech mother board. Worked extremely well. If I hadn't already had a BLTouch, I think I would have been perfectly happy using the Ender software version.
Quoted from Sleal16:I might try that. Yeah its to compensate for warped beds mostly...at least from what I've read. Like mine...i can tell during the four spring corner calibration that its super slightly the shape of a bowl. I can get the corners decently consistent with the the paper test, but always a bigger gap right at the center.
Yep, that was my problem. I think you'll be fine using the software version. It's actually rather easy, the hotend just moves from spot-spot. At each location you just raise or lower the nozzle to set the gap (like most, I used paper to get the gap), then just save the measurements.
He's a video on it (9:00 min mark):
I think it's already enabled in the latest firmware? Not sure, maybe someone can chime in?
You might want to ditch the stock bed springs for some yellow ones.
Quoted from SkyKing2301:Just for clarification here, on the Ender (at least on my Ender 5 Pros), when thermal runaway occurs, it shuts off the heating elements so that it DOESN'T start a fire. It also lets out a loud & steady alarm tone that you can hear from far away so you'll know to go address it. I've had this occur when the thermocouple or heating element go bad -- which are relatively easy and inexpensive to replace.
Thanks SkyKing. I was really referring to some of the older Enders. From what I understand, it apparently was in the firmware, but was off by default. And the only way to update was thru an Arduino or some other cumbersome method. It's been awhile since then, and like you said - it's enabled now. But I sometimes wonder if there's new 'old stock' still floating around out there, especially when I see an Ender at a really good price. So I usually point out the possible thermal runaway on the older boards just so a potential buyer is aware of the difference.
Probably been ~1 - 1.5 years since Creality updated their motherboards? Not sure of that exact time frame. My Ender didn't have it enabled, but I just bought a BigTreeTech motherboard instead (had some neat features at the time).
Quoted from Mbecker:Is there an easy way to test if it has thermal runaway or not?
Do you have a Ender? If so, what version? Try seeing if the board version pops up on the screen when you turn it on. Other option is to just go into the settings and look for it.
Sorry, probably much not help.
3 weeks later
Quoted from Good-Times:...So all in all a bit more complicated than I'd envisaged, but got there in the end and it's easily paid for itself a month in. The printer seems to be on most days! So much to do. I'm looking forward to learning more about the software so I can do things like accurately add screw holes to the adaptor ring for example (I'm just going to drill them for now).
But yeah, just a quick note to say that it took a bit of practice but has been well worth the effort, and a massive thank-you to those sharing pin-related files. I'll be sure to pay it forward once I've got something respectful to share
Reminds me of what I always tell people interested in getting their first 3D printer. No one thing super hard, more like hundreds of little things to learn, and any one of those things can cause a print to fail if it not set correctly.
Quoted from Mbecker:The snap back noise is too much pressure build up in the chamber, so the stepper/hold on filament slips. I noticed issues like this when ironing was on, after ironing a low layer it would clog the chamber for a while skipping several layers. If not ironing, you may need an adjustment of travel or print speed
I'm pretty sure you're spot on in respect to the noise being the stepper feeding the filament slipping, I heard/seen that too. I can't recall exactly what I did to resolve it tho. I've never did the ironing...perhaps feeding too much filament (but I usually use the defaults) or a nozzle clogging up.
Quoted from brickbuilder14:Hey! Has anyone 3D printed a stern five drop target shelf yet? Thanks!
[quoted image]
Sure have, for a buddy. Not sure if it was a 5 bank or a different number of banks.
Edit: Found it. Looks like it was a 4 bank.
A single bank is at Thingiverse, I just copied and pasted to get the right number. I recall adjusting the length slightly.
1 week later
Quoted from ChrisBardon:I made this over the weekend to hold the manual switch to share the QR reader from Godzilla to my other spike2 games. STL is on thingiverse if anyone else wants to take a shot at it-it'd be interesting to see if the tolerances worked out better on a different printer. I needed to drill/dremel things a bit, but end result was a nice, tight fit. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5275178
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Very nice.
Just tossing out an idea...instead of printing out a decal (if that's what it is) with the pin titles, any thought just making the print be able to hold removeable individual pin titles? i.e. You get a new pin, slip out the old pin name, slide in in the new pin title. That way you don't have to remake the entire decal each time you get a new pin. Sort of like how they do the marquee letters, but you'd print the title instead.
Wasn't sure if you designed the STL or just printed someone else's STL file.
1 week later
Quoted from Good-Times:Hoping to get some advice - My Ender 3 V2 has been consistently good for about 6 weeks, then suddenly I'm getting what I think is under extrusion. I've replaced the nozzle, tightened the spring in the feeder, cleaned the feeder gear, replaced the capricorn bowden tubing, replaced both pneumatic connectors and clips, and tried +5deg head temp and -5 print speed to no avail. Same result. Anything else I should try? I'm printing indoors, so temp and humidity should be ok, and it's been perfect with the default settings until now. So strange.
[quoted image]
I've had that happened to me. In my case, the thermistor had gone wacky. The normal +212C I print at (PLA +), wasn't really +212C even tho the display read +212C. I could have replaced the thermistor, but an entire hotend is cheap (and mine had some years on it), so I just swapped it out for a new one.
Adding to the other good suggestions above, if you have a gap in the Teflon tube inside the hotend (i.e. the Teflon tube isn't pushed in all the way against the nozzle), that can eventually gunk things ups too (toyotaboy sort of discussed this above). I had that happen, but it was because when I swapped a nozzle, the threaded part was a different length which allowed a gap.
Quoted from Ashram56:Please find below a link to a speaker ring adapter.
Designed for Spike 2 Pro/Premium, to fit JBL 4020 superb coax speakers (they really look cool...)
Fusion360 file provided if you want to play around with it and fit other speaker size
You need M3 nuts and screws to assemble the speaker to the adapter, which then slide in place with the existing screws of the original speaker mounting mechanism
Note that there is a groove where you can fit a ledstrip, which is covered by a thin 1mm thick wall, to diffuse light and reduce spot effect of leds
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5318717[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Do you need a little more clearance for the speaker foam (or rubber) surround? Not nitpicking, it's a very nice design. Just an observation - maybe the pictures are a little deceiving.
Quoted from Good-Times:Yeah man, all 0.4mm.
As an update, I changed over everything once again (to ensure I'm not going mad); new nozzle, coupling nuts, tube, did the tube preload where you back the nozzle out 3/4 turn, insert the tube, then torque the nozzle up for an exact fit, and the filament isn't feeding nicely. I've put two washers under the spring to increase the tension, and I even pushed the tensioner out (for more tension) whilst the feeder motor was moving, and it just doesn't pull the filament. If you push the filament as it's working to assist, it then takes. So with all the tension in the world, it still won't feed without a push.
I've got a whole new all-metal feeder assembly due here Friday, that's about the last thing left it could be! May be the pinion (is that the correct term?) gear, or the baseplate, either way fingers crossed. I'll be pulling my hair out if this doesn't fix it.
Just based on my (in)experience, when this happens to me, I think it's because somehow a small gap develops between the top of the nozzle and the PTFE tube that eventually clogs things up. Maybe over time the tube moves up a bit, or if I replace the nozzle - it's just a hair off in length. I always change the nozzle when hot and try to ensure everything is seated properly and feeds OK - but it will eventually catch up w/me and it's just easier to install a new hot-end and move on.
Quoted from Williampinball:Hi all I am looking for a 3D printer which one is a good 3D printer that will do most things for pinball
I'll summarize a lot posts in this thread related to your question:
1) Pursa MK3S+ (might not have the right model number). Near or under the $1K (USD) mark. Very loyal following and also a very good printer.
2) Ender 3 (maybe the V2 version). Works decently and has some minor quirks that are easily solved. Good entry level printer to get your feet wet for around $200.
Both are highly supported in the 3D printing community which I consider very important. You'll need advice at some point and the community has likely 'been there, done that' before.
I have an Ender 3 (with some inexpensive upgrades). Other printers have been mentioned, but the ones above seem to be the most popular and mentioned the most.
I just got my Ender 3 from Amazon, but Creality (the maker of the Enders) has decent sales fairly often: https://www.creality.com The $99 deal mentioned earlier is fantastic, but I think that is 'in store' only?
You should be aware that Ender upgraded their CPU board a number of years w/some neat features along w/safety improvements (thermal shutdown enabled, improved power supply) that were addressed. So just be aware of possible old stock that didn't get sold. Haven't seen any in ages, just more of FYI to look out for on your end.
The Pursa gang can chime in w/respect to where to get that printer.
Edit: If you're completely new to 3D printing, take a look at this video. It's for the Ender, but pretty much other printers are similar:
Quoted from Deaconblooze:What a disaster. I've been struggling with my printer for a while. I have a Monoprice Maker Select Plus (Wanhao i3 plus). I was attempting to add some more versatility in printing materials, but still really only use PLA. I upgraded the hotend, and added replaced the cooling fan with the diii cooler and new blower fan. Bed adhesion hasn't been a problem for me.
Any idea where to start to get something close to an acceptable print? It seems to me like the material is coming out too hot, and cooling too quickly.[quoted image]
What happen about an inch up? Almost looks like something shifted to the side towards the front? Maybe the photo is misleading?
After that, it seems to have gone off the rails.
Quoted from Deaconblooze:...It's also worth noting I chose fast print, and when I saw that there was significant improvement, increased speed to 180% on the device....
So what exactly is the print speed in mm/s?
Quoted from Deaconblooze:...I'm not sure what it was, I bumped it down within cura now to print at about 40mm/s, and also reduced travel speed to 100. I think the print speed was a lot of the problem (which could of course point to some other issues). I was getting some shifting in the print, which I suspect was a result of filament being put out too quickly, not adhering, and then catching the nozzle during travel, throwing things off.
I had issues with the filament balling up onto the nozzle/block. Most of the covering on the block is now gone as a result of freeing that from the dried filament. I assume that had some thermal properties that had some importance, and may also be affecting my results.
I tend to slow down on the perimeter, then have the infill be faster.
Just switched from a polypropylene build plate to a PEI build plate. The polypropylene build plate has been a great workhorse for a number of years and I already had the PEI I bought but never used, so I figured it was time to switch it up and try something new. Doing a quick build plate test print now.
Anyone else use a PEI build plate? Rather nice that it's magnetic, the polypropylene was held in place by clips.
Quoted from toyotaboy:This is what scares me about resin printers. I know you "just have to be careful", but the thought of uncured resin accidentally getting inside my body scares the crap out of me. You're also supposed to wash your hands after soldering, and I'm usually good about doing that but sometimes I forget.
I suppose if someone creates a system where I unhook a sealed box connected to the printer and go directly to a UV curing box, and the uncured resin can pour back out into a container without me touching it I might consider a system.
Do they make a resin that is less toxic?
Quoted from plasticbugs:A company called Fulament sells a similar textured sheet. https://fulament.com/collections/fula-flex/products/fula-flex-2-0
I just load up an older (but new) Fulament PEI build sheet on my Ender 3. Pretty impressed with a couple of small practice prints (PLA+).
Quoted from marioparty34:The clog is definitely in my nozzle. I am going to try the heat gun (decided I needed one in my tool box last night).
Removing the nozzle while it's hot is a little scary for me. I am hoping the heat gun will resolve the issue before my new nozzles come.
Thanks!
One thing you can do is just get a new hotend, they are usually rather cheap.
Install the new one, then cleanup the old one on the bench - you'll have a spare then.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Semi-related question - I just got a Glowforge laser cutter (f-ing amazing!), and to add to the shop I'm wondering if anybody has a consumer CNC machine? I have some parts I want to make out of aluminum, and I haven't found a reliable machine that's not industrial quality.
My ME buddy from work (I retired tho) bought a new industrial CNC machine, fills up the entire 3rd bay of his garage. The CNC is about the size of a minivan! He's always chomping at the bit to have a reason to make more stuff to further learn and keep his skills up. I bet he would be more than happy to make something at a very reasonable price. He's shown me some pictures of housings he made for work - crazy cool stuff, very intricate. I could be wrong, but it might be a Haas? Maybe even a 3-axis?
Shoot me a PM if you're interested and I'll shoot him a text.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Thanks for the offer! I'll have to work out sizing and such - might take a few rounds to get right.
Found a picture of his CNC. I have photos of things he made (impressive), but probably shouldn't share.
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Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Crap that IS huge. let's see some photos!
I'll share a little chunk of a couple...
We've talked about making pinball parts, not sure what is needed tho that a CNC will churn out.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from Viggin900:Question: I have big problems of my prints adhering to the mat of my ender 3. If I create a base in slicer it will be just fine. Is there another way of printing so it sticks without a wasteful base? Even if its a square object? What are skirt etc for and why? Raft is great but seems wasteful but not sure what the other options do or help?
Did your Ender come w/the magnetic build sheet?
Old tricks were to use blue painters tape, glue stick, hairspray, etc. But nowadays most have moved on to a better build plate sheet (it sits on top of the build plate). I just started to try out a PEI sheet, so can't comment on that much other than a couple of small test prints that came out fine. Prints didn't need a raft.
I still use a skit (only a couple of lines) just to make sure the nozzle is primed and adhering to the bed adequately. Never really used a brim.
Quoted from bpull:Full size resin Apollo 13 rocket. 21hr print time on my mono 6k. My biggest print so far. Still need to fine tune my support setting in Lychee.
Brian
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ISS up next!?
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Wow! Results like that make me want to get into this. Amazing results
I mentioned earlier in this thread "For as much as I don't want a resin printer...I still want one." LOL, still true.
Quoted from sandro:True, the mini is only 7x7x7, rather than 9.84x8.3x8.3. For most people, I don’t know if the 1-2 extra inches make much difference, but it is smaller. Technically, there is a difference in how Prusa implemented the PTFE tube in the hotend. Since the PTFE tube only goes half way between the heat sink and heater block they say it is safe to print up to 270c, even without an all metal hotend.
I tend to like the larger build plate. Granted, I don't fill it up often, but it does come in handy at times. For example, I made some 3D grills for my JP and they maxed out the Ender. In that case, the skirt even went off the edge but the model still fit.
There's likely plenty of mods out there to improve just about any 3D printer, but you're sort of stuck with the build plate size.
Quoted from toyotaboy:And faster to spark if a wire comes loose. DC is always safer.
Even at 24V, the spark is going to be rather big given the current available (probably depends on how the power supply is protected and if there's any bulk capacitance after the PS protection circuitry. A fast blow fuse in the line to the heater might be one of the safest bets. I should look into that myself...
Quoted from dudah:Incorrect, you can get frame replacement kits which make the print size much larger. My buddy prints out full size mandolarian masks on his xl ender 3.
Thanks, didn't know you could do that. Are they reasonably priced?
Edit: Found some, and the price.
Quoted from cpr9999:Anyone that uses Raise3D printers. We are struggling with one at work.
Admitting I am not an expert nor am I the one messing with it.
But looking for some advice....on running Black PLA material. What would typical Nozzle temp and typical Bed temp be? Approximately.
thx.
I think what might be beneficial to the gurus on the thread to help out, are the basic settings you're currently running. Bed temp, nozzle temp, print speed, build plate type, slicer, filament vendor, what exactly the issue is...probably a lot more than I can list. Maybe a picture of the problem? Did it ever print OK and now there's a problem?
There's some big hitters w/respect to what can cause a problem, but there's a lot of minor settings that if screwed up, can messed up any print. Sorry for all the questions, but there's just so many variables - but some more basic info is a good starting point for others to help.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:I appreciate the links. Man! You have to be super careful what you’re looking for - I see a LOT of models on these pay sites which are already free on thingiverse. Still have yet to find a Gappa model (one of the special modes in EHOH). There are vinyl figures but they are super expensive since the movie has mostly fallen into obscurity
yeggi.com is a 3D site that links to many of the other 3D model sites (both free and paid models). So I tend to use that as a 'one stop shopping' place to search. You can adjust the search for just the free models.
Quoted from JToeps:Does anyone have any experience using a glow forge? It’s more of a CNC machine than a 3-D printer but I think my family would get more use out of it. I do want to be able to replace plastic parts which it seems good for but also maybe make a ramp or two for a Pinball prototype.
Anyone use one of these?
(Also worry of the fact that it’s proprietary software but we are an all Apple house and have passed the Rubicon already)
I have zero experience with this stuff, but take a look at a CNC-3018. Desktop CNC but they often come with a laser option. Pretty sure Mr. Tant has one. Under $300 for the most part (last time I checked). Open source, so a lot of versions out there.
Here's a random search w/a laser option: https://www.amazon.com/3018pro-M-Engravering-Engraving-Controller-Extension/dp/B08312MSK2
I've often thought of getting one to play around with just for the heck of it. Not sure what you really need with respect to the laser option (power, color).
Quoted from Sleal16:Wanted to try getting a glowforge but a little pricey atm.
When getting budget cnc machines (especially laser), they can't go through clear acrylic. Found out the hard way when I got a desktop laser cutter. Ended up using it to cut templates out of particle board, then sending the design to somewhere local to cut it for me in clear acrylic.
What was your laser issue? Was it the material simply being clear? Or did you need more power, different color of laser (I'm assuming the color makes a difference)?
I mentioned the CNC-3018 when replying to @jtoeps, and if I bought one, it would mostly be for the CNC, not the laser option. But I'm still curious tho, might make me rethink things.
So what kind of edge is left when you laser cut plastic? Does it need to post work or is it nice and crisp from the get-go?
Quoted from sandro:Edges in cast acrylic are essentially production quality. You’ve probably handled laser-cut acrylic at some point without realizing it. It’s a smooth, polished finish on the edges possibly with a slight angle (in thicker material). I’ve created butt-joints in 1/4” acrylic, that had an angle, but you can often correct for this by adjusting the laser focus. Extruded acrylic can sometimes have very minor striations in a cut, but lost people laser cutting for sales just stick to cast to avoid any issues.
The one thing to be aware of is that some plastic when cut with a laser may burn or release toxic/caustic gasses. In particular PVC releases chlorine gas (very bad for you *and* the laser optics), and IIRC polypropylene and/or polyethylene) chars badly.
Either it was my Stern Pirates or my GB (or both) I bought some plastic for that were laser cut - nice edge for sure, but wasn't 100% sure if there was any follow up work.
1 week later
Quoted from toyotaboy:I would really question if those snaps would hold up.
Ditto^^ Perhaps the design could be modified to make it a little beefier and maybe print it horizontal. But even then, I'd likely just buy new and be done w/it.
Quoted from Viggin900:Back in business. So my question is if it needs to be hot to get the pla off how do you not get electricuted? The spark it made touching the wire wasnt pleasant! Do i just turn it off real fast?
A spark? That shouldn't have happened. Can you elaborate a bit? Regarding being electrocuted...both the hot end and bed heater is low voltage (lot's of current tho).
Heating the hot end makes it easier to clean. And the nozzle should be hot when you install/uninstall too.
Quoted from Jigs:Taking the plunge.
Is this the same as the Micro Center deal? Except, of course the price.
amazon.com link »
I live 5 hours away from the nearest one in Atlanta.
Wherever you get the Ender 3, make sure it has the upgraded CPU board (probably been a couple of years since the change). The new CPU incorporates some nice features.
Quoted from Jigs:Thanks, I'll have to wait to see what ships, I suppose.
Looking at the one I just linked to and purchased, it doesn't have the magnetic bed and has a generic PS.
Should I be going with this one instead? Thanks
amazon.com link »
That's the Pro and it has a few upgrades over the standard Ender 3. Somewhat mixed responses on whether they're needed or not. I should add it has been probably 2-3 years since I bought my Ender and can't say I've kept up to date on what's shipping now besides the new CPU.
Here's the link for the newer CPU (i.e. motherboard): https://www.amazon.com/Motherboard-Mainboard-V1-1-5with-Customized-Non-Standard/dp/B07TFTVTXK/ref=sr_1_3
I would think the only way you could get an old CPU would be if someone got ahold of some old stock. I'd search the reviews or questions to see if you can be certain.
Quoted from Mr_Tantrum:Ultimately, the tabs are not even that necessary IMO. Can be difficult if you are doing plastic stacks sometimes getting everything put together, but I think you could print 3D spacers the same height, outward diameter, and make the inner diameter just large enough for the bolts/screws you will but utilizing and you'll be golden.
Ditto^^
So I guess the next question would be print vertical or horizontal?
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Like the thermal sensor shutoff, which keeps your Ender from causing a fire when there is extreme buildup on the hot end. KIND OF a good idea!
Absolutely!
Quoted from Mr_Tantrum:Vertical is only choice if you want a true cylinder.
Yeah, but I was also thinking also horizontal for more strength. Depends on the final shape of the standoff and maybe the type of material used.
Quoted from Jigs:I may just screw around with the Ender. And pick up a Vyper FDM as well.
I'm going to order this as well today.
amazon.com link »
amazon.com link »
Any thoughts on these? I'm just prototyping.
EDIT - Canceled my order for Ender and bought an Anycubic Kobra. Still shopping the resin printer.
Thanks
I think one of the most important things for any printer is the community support. Both parts (including upgrades) and forums.
Quoted from Viggin900:How is the PEI sheet working? I am tired of waisting time with rafts. Everything else U have tried lifts up on me. Thanks
I've only done a few smaller prints using PLA+ (need to order some filament to print anything substantial), but so far, so good. No rafts needed.
On some of my larger area prints, boy - the rafts were a fair amount of material. I had even bumped the raft layers down one to minimize waste and time.
One thing I haven't tried since changing is using Cura's 'Touching build plate' Tree Support. I suspect the support might be a little tricky compared to touching a raft. Like this:
pasted_image (resized).png
Quoted from snakesnsparklers:Finished assembling and rough priming the blaster for the battle droid. Here's the final assembly before I tear everything down for more sanding, filling, priming and paint.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
On a side note, doing anything special to carry all that weight on the robot's hips? Just a lot of filament or is there some sort of dowel rod in there?
Quoted from orangegsx:Does anyone know if there is a way to convert a .sldprt into an .stl without solidworks? Or maybe I’m way off and this isn’t really a thing.
Haven't tried it: https://anyconv.com/sldprt-to-stl-converter/
Or...https://all3dp.com/2/sldprt-to-stl-how-to-convert-sldprt-files-to-stl/
Quoted from dudah:Any software you will need is nice and free. All 3D printers operate on gcode.
The usual workflow is taking a model file (STL, 3MF, etc) into a Slicer application (Cura, Prusaslicer, Superslicer, etc.), you have a massive amount of settings to customize how it prints (infill, wall thickness, temperatures, speed, etc.) which spits out a Gcode file. Load gcode onto a SD card, print. I use Octoprint to skip SD cards and print directly.
Adding to @dudah's comments...
I draw in TinkerCad (online, free) for simple things. Export that drawing (STL, which is the file extension), then load that into Cura. Like mentioned above, Cura generates the gcode which is just an ASCII (i.e. text) file that the printer understands. I usually dump that onto a thumb drive and plug it into the 3D printer and hit 'print'. Cura has default settings for many printers.
If you go to thingiverse.com (repository of things people made and share for free), you typically download a STL file.
Quoted from orangegsx:Thanks! Its surprisingly strong. I tried crushing it and hitting it with hammer, I think it will hold up just fine. If there is an issue I’ll make some a bit thicker.
I started messing with a design for a pop bumper cap for addams family last night too. Maybe in translucent black like my posts so it lights up a bit.[quoted image]
Maybe put it in a vice, simulating it being mounted on a PF, and hit it w/a hammer (within reason) to mimic a ball strike? That might be more of a real-life test.
Just tossing that out there to help, not to hinder. Very nice print!
Quoted from C_Presley:First time looking at this thread, just want to say great stuff guys! Looking at getting my own printer now. Maybe I missed it but has anyone made a new ship for space shuttle?
Don't recall seeing one here, but check out thingiverse.com. Plenty of shuttles there you can mod.
Quoted from TheShadowsNose:Haven't got my 3D printer set up yet, so, new to this, and to the thread. But I was wondering if people have success printing scoop and kickout hole protectors. Cliffy's are great, but I'd love to print my own if it's a thing that can be done.
Isn't the Rush 'ninja' scoop 3D printed?
Quoted from snakesnsparklers:I am looking for a .stl for a .156 IDC punch tool - anybody have one? I found one on Thingiverse that said .157 but it was waaaay too small.
Will a 3D print be strong enough for a punch down tool?
Quoted from mark532011: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.
Should be something like this. The tool is sort of like an automatic center punch. Push down on it and at some defined setting it 'pops', pushing the wire into the contact correctly.
pasted_image (resized).png
Quoted from Mr_Tantrum:...I print 90% PLA... I don't notice any odor whatsoever...
Quoted from Aurich:...PLA is odorless to me. And I'm typing this sitting 4 feet from an unenclosed printer that I run all the time...
Ditto here too, no PLA smell what-so-ever. Various vendors of filament, but mostly Sunlu and eSun.
2 weeks later
Quoted from AZTim:Thank you all for the initial ideas and interest!!
This would be exciting to come up with something that can be constructed using a 3D printer and maybe a few items that could be obtained from a local homedepot.
toyotaboy, your concept is also was I was sort of thinking might be towards a solution.
Anyway - thanks everyone and keep the ideas coming! Said family member doesn't know that this effort is in progress, so it will be fun to surprise him. He does have access to a pretty decent 3D printer.
I know you were interested a 3D solution, but this might be more practical...what about a simple foot switch? Some wire and a couple of small alligator clips and you're in business.
Like this. Cut the plug off and add some alligator clips (or an in line adapter).
pasted_image (resized).png
So if you really want a 3D printed option, one thing to consider is whatever is added, is that it doesn't impede normal play (i.e. the lockdown bar button on a Stern) or the flipper button itself. So rather than go across the top, I'd focus on going down the pin's front leg to the floor instead.
Would this be home use? Or something he (and the family) could take to an arcade too?
2 weeks later
Quoted from Ashram56:Just love Open source and DIY
I replaced the controller board of my trusty CR10S with a Bigtreetech board. I had to compile Marlin, took me a while to adjust all options correctly, but it now all works fine. The new stepper motor driver on this board are completely silent, I only hear the fan noise now.
But what's even more fun... The board has a small ESP32 based board, with Wifi. I compiled the appropriate firmware to enable wifi communication and serial communication with the controller board.
I installed Octoprint in a docker container running in a small ARM system which I use for other purposes (I could install it in my NAS for that matter), installed a plugin which allows Octoprint to communicate over a virtual serial connection over TCP/IP, and voila, I can now send directly from Cura to Octoprint over network, which can send gcode commands to the ESP32 over Wifi, which in turns communicate with the controller board. No need for a RPI connected to the printer anymore.
I tested for two 4 hours print, no issue. Now need to test with a longer print
Slightly off topic, I know.
I replaced the motherboard on my Ender 3 w/a BigTreeTech board. The BigTreeTech SD connector failed almost immediately. Bummer because the board has some great features (like you mentioned). I contacted them and they wanted to know if I could fix it myself and they'd comp me some money (odd...but yeah, I could do that). But I offered them an alternative...just send me a LCD touch screen board (it has both USB and SD card connectors, so I can just plug my thumbdrive in that) and we call it even. They agreed, win-win!!
Quoted from Soulrider911:TOTAN bed of Nails mod is finally finished. Was fun teaching myself some 3D sculpting to create realistic wood.
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
That's impressive! Want to share some details?
Quoted from Ashram56:I remember somebody mentioning a 3D printer build plate that had a texture very similar to the black powder coat texture on the coin door, so that printing parts (and paint them black) would look very similar, but I can't find the reference, any pointer ?
Thanks
Have you looked into Cura's new 'fuzzy skin' mode? Looks interesting and might apply here, but I wonder if it will work on a horizontal surface vs. vertical? I guess you could rotate the print at the cost of more supports.
https://all3dp.com/2/cura-fuzzy-skin-simply-explained/
pasted_image (resized).png 2 weeks later
Quoted from rrosenhouse:Here is the part:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4835017
Looks like the part just before the hole for the post needs to be thicker...but that is beyond my ability.
Quoted from RobF:My first thought was PETG before looking at the part. But..oof, there is a really thin section that I think is doomed to break on most materials. I am going to guess that's where it snapped? I say TPU is your best bet. It's little finicky to print, but easier than the other options I can think of; polycarbonate and nylon. TPU will absolutely without a doubt never break If you prefer to have it less flexible, you can do a little digging in the different brands and find harder durometer versions (maybe like a 90shore?).
I'd probably just take the thingiverse file and beef it up in TinkerCad where needed.
If you need someone to mod it, I will. Shouldn't take long.
Quoted from turbo2nr:5 axis CNC Brazilian wood, also a 3d printed version, and another I painted
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Very cool. What CNC are you using? I occasionally think about getting the inexpensive CNC-3018, but haven't bit the bullet yet (too many other hobbies).
Quoted from turbo2nr:I have 18 cnc mills for my business. None were cheap. The one in picture is a haas OM2a or aka office mill with added 4th/5th axis rotary.
I also have a fleet of industrial 3d Systems printers
My ME buddy bought a new HAAS CNC a couple of years ago. Pretty much filled up the 3rd bay of his garage. I may have posted about it earlier. Pretty amazing what it can do.
Quoted from rosh:Treated myself to a 3d Printer for my birthday, got the Prusa mk3s+ kit, took 3+ weeks to get, and then a weekend to assemble. Assembly was a bit more involved that I realized, but was an enjoyable experience and I was beyond thrilled when after assembly it all just worked. I did crack one part, but have printed a replacement so if it every fails I can replace it.
During the three week wait, I taught myself blender and I've just shared publicly my first project, a reimagined Otto for Oktoberfest. I probably should have started with something smaller, but hey, go big or go home.
That's rather ingenious how you got the hands to move. I was thinking "What's inside of Otto?" until I took a closer look and spotted how you did that. A+ work.
Quoted from mark532011: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.
Likely PLA, so I'd be around 200 or 210ish and maybe 55 for the bed. If your temps are close to that, then I'd look at the extruder gap between the bed. How did you set that? Doesn't hurt to slow down the first layer print speed too to get started.
3 weeks later
Quoted from DropTarget:Hi All,
Great thread.
I'm new to 3D printing and have a question. Maybe the group can help.
I'm trying to print the Chicago Coin score reel arm file. The file seems to print just fine, but the arm does not fit properly. There is a notch on the underside of the arm that is supposed to mate to a key on the score reel gear. It does not. The author hasn't been on inside since 2020.
Any suggestions on how to modify the file? I don't know if the notch is too small or not deep enough. I'll try to get a better look tomorrow morning.
Thanks[quoted image]
Assuming the location or shape is the problem and it's not a printing error like Norkoro was discussing, just import the file into TinkerCad and mod it.
Quoted from DropTarget:Hi All,
Great thread.
I'm new to 3D printing and have a question. Maybe the group can help.
I'm trying to print the Chicago Coin score reel arm file. The file seems to print just fine, but the arm does not fit properly. There is a notch on the underside of the arm that is supposed to mate to a key on the score reel gear. It does not. The author hasn't been on inside since 2020.
Any suggestions on how to modify the file? I don't know if the notch is too small or not deep enough. I'll try to get a better look tomorrow morning.
Thanks[quoted image]
Is this the original file?
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1316469
And this is the only area you're having an issue at?
pasted_image (resized).png
Quoted from DropTarget:Gotcha
So what extruder temperature are you using (and material)?
So what part of the area that has an issue is the problem? The arc, the square, all of the above just a smidge too small? If so, how much?
I can always mod the STL for you real quick if you just need a tad more clearance. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes.
Quoted from DropTarget:yes, and that is the only area. I'll take a closer look at the original part. I believe the notch should be squared.
Sorry, I missed your 'notch should be square' comment earlier. It definitely has an arc to it, not square. See the Cura slicer screen shot below.
Granted, the original designer of the STL might have made an error, or maybe the part changed over the years, but I think it's printing as intended.
It's not uncommon for 3D printed parts to not exactly fit as intended, people often don't leave any wiggle room for tolerance or slop.
pasted_image (resized).png
Quoted from Miguel351:Total noob questions here again:
I'm sure most of the different materials used for these prints have different strength ratings, correct? Are they rated in PSI or something else? I've got a friend who's going to print out a prototype part for me so I can check measurements and for fitment, but it would be nice to know how much weight per print thickness some of these materials can support. Is there a place to find that info or do most of you guys just know the general rule of thumb with these materials?
It'd be nice, while checking measurements and fitment, to be able to test function as well, too. In a way, I don't really care if it breaks, but it'd be nice to not put other assemblies in jeopardy while doing so.
If you go to eSun and look at a filament product page, there's a link to Parameter Information. Click on that and you'll see the specs. https://www.esun3d.com/pla-product/
But to try to address your question directly, I'm not sure how you translate those numbers into something more meaningful in real world applications. Just a WAG, but I assume these are standardized tests. But maybe you can use the numbers to at least compare between filaments.
Maybe a ME can shed some light on the tests...
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