Finally got the 3D printer up and running!
23@compunaut, it’s done! Remember this thread?
Well, I ordered it February 1, I opened it when it got here, said “nope” when I saw all of the pieces. The box rested on my sewing machine cabinet in the living room.
Then in April, I finally put it together (it took an entire day). Then I had no place to put it for easy access and use. It ended up on a set of drawers in the bedroom.
Then, in May, I finally cleaned out the junk room (like a junk drawer, but bigger). This is the week I broke my meh button streak.
Over the next few months, I got frustrated with “leveling the bed”. I watched many videos, but never quite go the hang of it. I’d work on it every couple of weeks, with no success. Finally, last month, I finally understood what was meant by “resistance”. I thought it should resist more than the websites and videos did.
Anyway, at this point I’ve made four pallet coasters, a bunch of mask straps, two glow in the dark kitties, two organizers for cotton pads and q-tips, a remote control holder (boo, my Harmony doesn’t fit in it), and yesterday I made a little organizer for my printer tools.
I tried making a weenie whistle with glow in the dark pink filament for my best friend, but it turned out that the testicles need supports when it’s getting printed and I haven’t figured those out yet. But in good time…I’ve bookmarked websites and videos.
Here’s my workstation. (I just got the shelves this past weekend to hold all of the filament boxes. My goat trophy is on the top.)
Thank you for sharing the link back in February.
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How fun, Lisa!! What else do you think you will make with it?
Nice you finally got it up and running. Post pics of the things you have made (well if you still have them and haven’t given them away).
Thrilled to see you have it together! But where is the ubiquitous sample figure they usually include with 3D printers for you to test it with?
I had a Flash Forge Creator Pro I messed with for a minute. Made a ton of drone parts, a few parts for obsolete old Dodge Brothers carburetors, and a ton of pointless little figures and such. The FFCP is a dual-nozzle printer, which gave me the ability to print in two colours within the same object, but I never had much success with it. Always lots of little buggers and voids as a result of switching nozzles mid-print.
@ruouttaurmind @riotdemon would like those skulls. Nice work.
@Kidsandliz Thanks. They’re much more flawed upon close inspection, but they did turn out better than expected. I really like the aged impression the gold filament lends. U used them for a little Halloween diorama I build for my nephew’s school party. I rubbed on some dirt and grime and placed them partially buried in a mock cemetery. The effect was decent.
@ruouttaurmind Kids don’t notice lots of things we do. I am sure he was thrilled to have something really cool at the party that he could “take credit” for as other kids were admiring it.
@ruouttaurmind I’ve been checking out different ways of changing color. I did read that putting the machine on pause and pulling one color filament then installing another works well.
Just more stuff to experiment with.
@lisaviolet Pause/resume does work, but you need to move quickly to ensure your nozzle doesn’t cool off too much and your previous layer doesn’t cool too much before resuming. If I let things cool off too much I experienced separations in spots where I did manual filament changes rather than using the dual nozzle.
Another fun thing to experiment with is “captures”. In the case of my carburetor parts I needed a bronze bushing integrated into the printed plastic bits. I would create that as a void in the part, then when the printer reached the top of that void and was ready to start creating the layers over the top of the void I would pause and manually insert the bushing, then resume. The result was a bronze bushing fully incorporated within the plastic part. I ran a drill bit through the bushing to clear out any plastic flashing which results from FDM buggers and webs and it was perfect!
I did a similar thing with LED interior lighting for a hot rod. I would build the mount on the printer, then at the last second I would pause and push in an LED. The result was an LED encased within transparent PLA causing the entire part to glow. Fun effect!
@ruouttaurmind So, when you made your carburetor (why is that pronounced car-bur-ray-ter?) parts, did you design with a model or from scratch?
And you did it in Cura?
I’m gonna have to do it from scratch and I have no idea where to even begin.
@lisaviolet Microsoft used to offer a free 3D design tool prior to 3D Builder. It was a bit more powerful and easier to use than the current iteration. Also, Autodesk (the makers of AutoCAD professional design and drafting programs) used to offer a free program called 123D which is very powerful and flexible while maintaining a high level of usability for the novice. I used a combination of the two for all my original designs as well as modifying Thingiverse goodies. (I have never used Cura so I know nothing about it).
3D Builder is still available for free in the Microsoft App Store. 123D is out there in various torrents and archives, just be careful which source you download from if you decide to try it.
The world Carburetor is French in origin. ‘Nuff said.
@lisaviolet @ruouttaurmind AutoCAD’s fusion 360 is free for hobbyists and businesses making less than 100k a year.
@RiotDemon I was just going to post this, the AutoCAD program. I have it in my bookmarks.
@ruouttaurmind Thanks. So much to learn. Teaching this old dog new tricks, for sure.
@lisaviolet @ruouttaurmind Carburetor is French for “Don’t screw with it.”
@blaineg
Welcome to the club!
What slicer software are you using? I use Cura and depending on the model, I use tree supports. It leaves less material touching the actual finished print.
@RiotDemon Cura, but I’m at below novice.
I installed prusslicer yesterday. I read that it has easy supports.
I haven’t done much diving into the software yet, right now I’m just getting used to how things work.
@lisaviolet supports are fairly simple. You just click the tree support menu and usually the standard options work fine.
@RiotDemon Cool.
I will post pictures when I get on the laptop or computer. I hurt my back putting those shelves together. Which is really stupid because it wasn’t that hard to do.
Not like slicing off part of my toe with an ancient tube type amplifier/ receiver when trapping those opossum joeys to get them out of the garage. Who knew the amplifier was gonna slide out of the case? Obviously, not me.
And I hate the keyboard on this little Fire tablet. So, need a real keyboard.
We’re not getting one until we move; there’s no place to set up another hobby, but I’ve been following others who are using these for a lot.
They talk about Thingiverse a lot as a place worth checking but very hard to search.
@duodec i love thingiverse!
@duodec @lisaviolet I also love Thingiverse!
@duodec @lisaviolet @tightwad I too also love Thingiverse!
Just kidding, I have no idea what thingiverse is!
@duodec @lisaviolet @moonhat Imagine if all those pinterest pins you had suddenly were actual plans/instructions for the stuff you thought was neat…that’s Thingiverse. btw…I refuse to use Pinterest because it’s about as useful as the Speedometer on a Geo Metro
@duodec @lisaviolet @moonhat @tightwad I have a love-hate relationship with thingiverse!
@duodec @lisaviolet @tightwad ok, that makes sense in a way. And you cracked me up with the Geo Metro comment. I bought a brand new one of those in 1994. It was red, and it was my first brand-new car. The un-speediness wasn’t that much of an issue as I’m kind of a nervous driver, but I remember driving over those grated bridge decks and how the skinny wheels would slide all over the place, especially if it was wet out… so scary!
@moonhat
Ditto x2 for the tires on motorbikes- I hated the metal-decked canal bridges we have around here, in the days when I rode one.
/giphy erie canal bridge
It would cause a shimmying sensation that made it feel like you have no control whatsoever.
@moonhat
Don’t know what that has to do with this:
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/holley-falls-park-holley
@PhysAssist yes! Scary type of bridge. Makes me nervous in all cars now. A motorcycle or moped would be horrible!
Stupid camera. I left it out overnight when we were watching the stars and it hasn’t worked right since. I got a new one, but I have to learn how to use it. Anyway, here are the things I’ve made so far. All came from the thingiverse website.
Four of these little coasters. Tired of the condensation from my water bottle dripping onto the furniture.
Then a remote control holder. Unfortunately, the slots aren’t big enough to hold my Harmony remote.
Then some straps for masks. I found out that PLA filament takes acrylic paint quite well. I’m going to paint the hibiscus, too. I made some for a teacher friend (hero) and a couple more (the mickey mouse) for my husband.
Then I got brave and tried the weenie whistle. It’s suppose to look like an erect penis and you blow in one end. This was glow in the dark pink filament. I had a foscam camera watching it and I could check from the family room. I wasn’t happy when it had fallen over and filament was just spinning into the air. The solid part was on the bed. The crisscross side was where it was building. It just kind of tipped over. Boo!
Then, with that filament still in the machine, I made these two kitties. I’m gonna paint their faces.
And I made this yesterday for the tools I use with the printer.
I guess I like this thing. lol
@lisaviolet And you have just begun and they look good. I bet after some practice the stuff you make will be ace.
@Kidsandliz Well, at this point, it’s like the stuff I do on the Cameos. I’m using someone else’s design and putting my own spin on it.
I’m supposed to learn how to make my own stuff for Brian’s company that he can send to our supplier and see if the can fabricate it for him in their factory.
So, it’s all a company expense. I’m in the learning phase right now. Then, when I’m comfortable enough with how it works, I can design my own.
@lisaviolet wow, that all looks great!! Good job!
@moonhat Thank you!
@lisaviolet Your prints are quite good. Did you have to do any tinkering getting the printer zeroed in? Or is that just out of the box and it’s printing great?
Good stuff. This topic is making me miss mine!
@ruouttaurmind Out of the box. I had a real problem with getting the nozzle height just right, but then it finally dawned on me what I was doing wrong.
I noticed last night I used the wrong picture for the organizer.
@lisaviolet Looks like your weenie whistle may be suffering from Thr-ED.
@mehcuda67 Yeah, it kinda was. I’m sitting in the family room, check the webcam to see how the print is going (in another room with a closed door to keep the cats and dog out) and filament was just all over the place. I don’t think I’ve moved that fast in a while.
I almost forgot this little toy! I just have to figure out how to set it (where to put the string).
It’s a DaVinci catapult.
I highly recommend printing a filament guide if you haven’t already and upgrading the extruder to an all-metal one. if you have the stock plastic one, you can probably already see where the filament has started to wear down on the plastic extruder entry point.
@RiotDemon Hmmm, it looks like mine is plastic. They look pretty reasonable on Amazon.
I’ll add it to my list.
I can print my own filament guide! Woohoo! Off to thingiverse.
I don’t even know where to look for wear. The filament is worn or the extruder is worn?
@lisaviolet the extruder wears. They also tend to snap on the arm. Here is a photo of mine after I replaced it. You can see the gouge next to the entry hole for the filament. It wasn’t very old. I’ve kept it as a spare in case I have issues with my new one. Those don’t last forever either.
@RiotDemon Thanks, that helps. The metal ones are really inexpensive. I’ll most likely have it changed out by next weekend.
Yay!
@RiotDemon Okay, checking out metal extruders on Amazon. There are so many and they all look alike, all within a few dollars in price.
Do you have any preference? You know, point to one and that’s the one I’ll get?
@lisaviolet I just bought a random one on eBay. I’m not sure the differences between them all. Just make sure it’s for your model.
@lisaviolet this video shows the extruder and there’s links in his description box for the extruders on Amazon.
@RiotDemon Thanks.
@lisaviolet @RiotDemon Nice nail polish!
@sammydog01 thanks! It’s perfect for this time of year, I think.
Check me out on Thingiverse.
I’m still using 123D-Design and OpenSCAD.
I design things that I find useful and don’t find already available (actually, sometimes I design something that already exists). Also things that amuse me.
Single-extruder printer, so all my multicolors are accomplished via filament change.
@PocketBrain i just followed you. I’m lisaviolet.
@lisaviolet
I am Groot.
I’m also on YouMagine, but I haven’t uploaded anything yet. I really should double-upload, considering the technical problems Thingiverse has been having.
@PocketBrain Nice work!
I loved reading this thread and the excitement.
But you guys are killing me.
I want a 3D printer.
So many hobbies, so little cash to spend on hobbies.
Anybody have a large printer? I would love one of these but the last quote I had was several thousand dollars. A real one would cost less. Any chance I can get this printed for a few hundred dollars?
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1449634
@joebuddah It looks like it’s printed in sections and you put it together.
Jeezum crow, I just read the comments. That thing is BIG!
@joebuddah @lisaviolet Wow, Jabberwock’s stuff is off the hook. From the comments, it looks like a lot of printers have trouble even at 25% scale. One person came up with the clever idea of building the flight deck from plywood.
@joebuddah
It bugs me that the number on the island is “99” and the number on the flight deck is “66”.
Yea its stupid big. I never had one as a kid. As
A. It was expensive.
B. Its massive.
It was designed to be taken apart for storage. The full size one is 7 feetish. A prime example of the excess of the 80s.
It can hold 3 gi joe airplanes on the flight deck.
Can you use traditional pp/ pe material (pellets)
@joebuddah these printers use rolled filaments, not pellets.
So, for the more advanced users, have you ever tried the marble PLA filament?
I looked at some of the makes on Thingiverse and there was white marble and black marble. The white marble looks to be white with black specks. But the black marble has sparkles in it? Not white specks?
And I’m reading that the texture is rough on the black w/white.
Any input from anyone who’s tried either of them? (I was gobsmacked to read that wood color has actual wood dust in it.)
@lisaviolet textured stuff, glitters, glue in the dark, etc wear the nozzle down faster. Grab some spares.
Wood is awesome since you can stain it after.
DIPLOMAT! RAT-A-TAT! FAT CAT! AWESOME!
@lisaviolet @RiotDemon
I printed this Bonsai planter with wood-fiber filament. It needs a little clean-up in this picture.
BTW, this was PLA wood filament. The stuff I got doesn’t change color with heat as some do. For those that do, you can change your extrusion temperature up and down its range to achieve a sort of faux-wood-grain look, depending upon how much control you have over your slicer.
It smells sort of like you’re sawing through plywood while it’s printing.
@PocketBrain @RiotDemon Will you sand it down at all?
@lisaviolet @PocketBrain @RiotDemon Last year, my wife and I went to Cape May and she was enthralled by an angel statue in front of a local church. I discovered that someone had made a photographic scan of it and posted a 3D model. I printed it for her in light marble and was very pleased with the result. (So was she
). I don’t have any experience with black marble filament.
@RiotDemon makes an important point- if you are printing lots of composite filaments, especially glow-in-the-dark, get spare nozzles. I have a stainless steel nozzle I reserve for that stuff.
@mehcuda67 @PocketBrain @RiotDemon The printer came with extra nozzles.
I’ll put a stainless steel one on my list of things to have on hand.
In thingiverse, someone had made something with black “marble” filament and it really looked sharp. The only black I can find has sparkles in it and the few samples don’t look anything like that picture of the make.
There are lots of white marble, though. Another thing on my list.
I appreciate all the input I’m getting. If this was school, I’d be in pre-k level.
@RiotDemon @ruouttaurmind and anyone else who’s familiar with the Cura software.
How do I get the screen to split like this? Object on the left, tools on the right? It’s probably really simple, but I’m not seeing it.
@lisaviolet that menu sits on the top right of my window automatically. It only opens up more when you click a button to get more options.
I’m not at home to double check.
@lisaviolet also, that is an older version of Cura. Tree supports are no longer in the experimental section. They’ve moved into the support section.
/youtube chep Cura update
I highly suggest watching Chep, Teaching Tech (some more advanced stuff), Fat Dragon Games, Makers Muse… So on.
@RiotDemon Thanks. I’ll check it out. Right now, I’m printing the filament guide.
Cheap electric today so I’ll be doing stinky housework stuff (we’re on a tiered plan, cheapest lectric is midnight to six am on weekdays, midnight to two pm weekends and holidays). I’d do laundry during the early morning, but the noise interferes with hubby’s sleep.
But in between, I’ll check out those videos. Right now, I’d be happy to get that menu to show up. lol
Thanks again.
@lisaviolet Unfortunately I’m not a Cura user, but I’ve used my share of design and graphics programs, and typically what you seek would be in a menu titled View or Window. At least in my experience with the variety of stuff I use regularly.
Halp! Now what do I do? I have the new extruder on and I’ve hit a snag. It doesn’t have a screw in for the bowden tube, just a pop in piece.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085ZM19QC/
@lisaviolet push the white collar towards the brass piece and pull the tube out. Push the tube into the new push fitting.
Edit: you’ll probably have to pull out the blue clip first.
@RiotDemon Thank you. I’ve taken the thing apart three times because I messed up, then this.
I tried the collar thing earlier, but I guess I didn’t use enough force. Gonna get Brian to do it. lol
He got it!! Yay! Testing…thanks again.
@RiotDemon It works! Thank you so much for all of your advice. A mentor. You’re a mentor.
@lisaviolet you’re welcome. Don’t forget to put the blue clip back. It helps to keep the tubing in. Basically stops any accidental pushes on the collar.
@lisaviolet also, if you ever need to change the coupler again, you can usually use the small wrench to push against the collar. Just hook the wrench over the tube and push.