So ... 3d Printers....

[yotsuya]

Ok, I reduced the flow to 95, did the shell thickness (which I’d assume is the same thing as wall thinkness) to 0.8, and dropped the temperature down to 190. Printing something that should take 3 hours. We’ll see!

[yotsuya]

Ok, getting better - these are the first long time print practical things I've printed. If you have an A8, you know the crappy spool holder they give you. I printed these to center the spool to make it easier for it to roll...



Total print time 6 1/2 hours for the pair.

[BadMouth]

Those look good to me.

[yotsuya]

Yeah, those came out fine, and are very functional.

I have a question about overhangs. I printed a frame for the LCD monitor. In this design, there are two areas with long spans in them. As you can see, the tops look fine:



But on the bottom, the sides where there is no support under the spans, it’s a stringy mess:





I figure that’s because there is no support under the overhang, plus the length of the run. Is it normal? Should I print it with supports underneath? Or is there a different setting I should look at? Thanks so far!

[Slippyblade]

If you tell it to print with supports, it just makes these really flimsy posts underneath the overhangs.  They really help and then when done, they just snap off.

[yotsuya]

So I tried printing a filament guidance model this morning, and I had a little bit of the same issue. There’s a section that’s bridges by a little piece that’s only maybe 1 cm between the back plate and the nozzle, and that piece was wrecked during printing. So much so that I had to stop the print because it ruined the nozzle part. So I’m reprinting it, but I laid the piece on its back so the bridge is built horizontally, and I increased the print temperature to 200. I also increase the print speed to 35 just to see what happens. It’s been fun tweaking and tinkering with Settings, I feel like I’m 90% there, I just got to get it dialed in.

Oh, and thanks for all your help. It just saddens me this is the only thread on the site worth a damn anymore.

[yotsuya]

If you tell it to print with supports, it just makes these really flimsy posts underneath the overhangs.  They really help and then when done, they just snap off.

Yeah, I’ll probably have to do that. I wasn’t aware of the long overhang when I loaded the model, it was something I got off Thingiverse, and actually I cleaned it up with a Dremel so it doesn’t look bad at all. It’s just a piece it’s going on the back of the printer to help enclose the LCD, so I’m not worried about reprinting it, but I will keep that in mind for future prints. Thanks!

[Howard_Casto]

What you'll find going forward is the key to doing good prints is learning how to best use supports and orient the parts.  Anything with excessive overhangs will have a "bad side" even with supports (although it'll look significantly better with supports,  I use the "touching buildplate" option.).  You just want to orient parts so that unimportant, smaller sides get the overhang and sometimes add a sacrificial layer to the print that you know will get ruined and cut it off. 

[yotsuya]

What you'll find going forward is the key to doing good prints is learning how to best use supports and orient the parts.  Anything with excessive overhangs will have a "bad side" even with supports (although it'll look significantly better with supports,  I use the "touching buildplate" option.).  You just want to orient parts so that unimportant, smaller sides get the overhang and sometimes add a sacrificial layer to the print that you know will get ruined and cut it off.

So if you were printing this, would you use supports?

[05SRT4]

With no supports that still came out surprisingly well, for the price you guys paid the print quality has been amazing.

For the support question. Yes I would print that with supports.

Question for the CURA users, does it it allow you to place supports where ever? or does it auto generate based on your settings?



Yots, thats what the print would look like if I was going to print, dark spots are the supports. If the underside isn't going to be seen you can usually still with a less dense support infill.

[Howard_Casto]

Cura has a few options via plugin I think, but thus far the auto generation has been pretty good and I haven't tried anything else.  That's about what the auto-generated supports would look like on a part oriented that way.  If that is the front then that is the way to do it.

[yotsuya]

Yeah, Howard is right. I wasn’t using the support check box, but I will do that when I reprint the piece.

Reprint, you say? Why yes, it doesn’t fit. I did some investigating and realized that my Y-axis belts are too loose. I tried printing something round and it was coming up oval, so I tightened the belt and it made a huge difference.

[yotsuya]

Just checked the print bed. Wow, what a huge difference. What do you guys do about belt tightening? Just keep an eye on it from time to time?

[Howard_Casto]

I haven't had it loosen yet, so if you have it secure it should stay.

Right now I'm investigating the one flaw in the printer's design.... changing the filament.  It's a huge pain.  I've seen a few on thingiverse that allow the fan assembly to open like a door... I'm thinking a simple cone to attach to the throat of the top of the hot end assembly might work better. 

[yotsuya]

I haven't had it loosen yet, so if you have it secure it should stay.

Right now I'm investigating the one flaw in the printer's design.... changing the filament.  It's a huge pain.  I've seen a few on thingiverse that allow the fan assembly to open like a door... I'm thinking a simple cone to attach to the throat of the top of the hot end assembly might work better.

Yes, loading has been a PITA. I might be considering the door assembly myself.

[yotsuya]

Holy crap, tightening the belt made a big difference. The standoffs were perfectly round. I didn’t even need to use a drill to clean it up like I had on previous prints.

[BadMouth]

Dunno if it would work on yours, but my monoprice mini has these for belt tension.  Literally looks like the spring from a clothespin.

[yotsuya]

Dunno if it would work on yours, but my monoprice mini has these for belt tension.  Literally looks like the spring from a clothespin.

That’s Interesting

[SammyWI]

I haven't had it loosen yet, so if you have it secure it should stay.

Right now I'm investigating the one flaw in the printer's design.... changing the filament.  It's a huge pain.  I've seen a few on thingiverse that allow the fan assembly to open like a door... I'm thinking a simple cone to attach to the throat of the top of the hot end assembly might work better.

I guess I should check back on this thread more often.  Glad to hear that folks here are enjoying 3D printing.  I haven't been doing as much as I'd like to but that should change with winter coming.  I do remember the A8 filament loading problems.  I was able to get good at doing it with practice and a few tricks.  1. cut the filament end at a sharp angle to get a nice point to work with.  2. straighten out the filament from it's natural curve from being on the spool so it will actually go where you are aiming it.  3. practice a few times with the fan off so you have an idea where that hole is that you are aiming for.  I was able to get good enough to reliably hit that hole on the first or second try.  Even so, some people never get the hang of it.  I did end up switching to an E3D hotend and Bowden setup - mainly to use higher temp materials but a side affect is no more loading issues.

[yotsuya]

I haven't had it loosen yet, so if you have it secure it should stay.

Right now I'm investigating the one flaw in the printer's design.... changing the filament.  It's a huge pain.  I've seen a few on thingiverse that allow the fan assembly to open like a door... I'm thinking a simple cone to attach to the throat of the top of the hot end assembly might work better.

I guess I should check back on this thread more often.  Glad to hear that folks here are enjoying 3D printing.  I haven't been doing as much as I'd like to but that should change with winter coming.  I do remember the A8 filament loading problems.  I was able to get good at doing it with practice and a few tricks.  1. cut the filament end at a sharp angle to get a nice point to work with.  2. straighten out the filament from it's natural curve from being on the spool so it will actually go where you are aiming it.  3. practice a few times with the fan off so you have an idea where that hole is that you are aiming for.  I was able to get good enough to reliably hit that hole on the first or second try.  Even so, some people never get the hang of it.  I did end up switching to an E3D hotend and Bowden setup - mainly to use higher temp materials but a side affect is no more loading issues.

Your detailed info and Howard’s feedback is what inspired me to pick this up. Thanks!

Great tips!

[yotsuya]

Got this bad boy printed today - came out great. No issues, I didn’t have to do anything to it to make it functional. Holes are round, dimensions are square, everything looks good. 96% of the way there!

[pbj]

Looking good.  Now - the pirate.

[BadMouth]

recommended: xacto knife holders
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:872876


I also printed discs to keep smaller screwdrivers centered in the cheap pegboard holders.

All the other plastic pegboard things I thought about printing, I found cheap enough elsewhere that it wasn't worth my time to print them.

[Vigo]

Speaking of pegboard, lots of benefits to 3d printing your pegboard stuff for the shop/garage.

I found the parametric pegboard tool to be very very helpful, especially when dealing with my special sized stuff.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:537516








And for pegboard, if you have those hooks that just slip down, these clips are a MUST. I will not go back to hanging hooks without em.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:559094



I also use epoxy all the time, so I made disposable mini pallet knives for small epoxy jobs, since they only give you one mini popsicle stick with each package of epoxy. They work great and hang on pegboard. I attached the STL.

[jdbailey1206]

I have an odd question.  After printing does everyone find themselves just accepting the final product of the printer or do you spend time on your creations honing what you created?  ie sanding, etc...

[BadMouth]

Everything I print is utilitarian, so I've never bothered sanding or painting anything.

[05SRT4]

I have an odd question.  After printing does everyone find themselves just accepting the final product of the printer or do you spend time on your creations honing what you created?  ie sanding, etc...

The only time ive had to sand something is because I didn't calibrate / compensate for something and two pieces dont fit. Or if I plan on painting the model I will sand a little.

[pbj]

TIL that I need a bulbasaur planter in my life.

[Vigo]

Yeah, totally depends. 90% of the time, no. I was interested in Acetone Vapor finishing when I first got into 3d printing, but nothing I build needs that much attention.

I do occasionally sand down and fill the z banding, spray paint, brush on acetone, reshape with a plastic welding iron, etc. to a print if there is a need.

[thomas_surles]

TIL that I need a bulbasaur planter in my life.

My thoughts exactly

[05SRT4]

TIL that I need a bulbasaur planter in my life.

Just pay for shipping and Ill send you one. You'll have to paint it though.

[pbj]

Can I pay you in Amazon gift cards? 

[05SRT4]

Hellz yeah, I thought I had your address somewhere, PM me it again and ill get it started.

[Howard_Casto]

That is pretty awesome.  Minus 10 points for not using "Cha Cha Cha Chia" though. 

[yotsuya]

Pretty chuffed, just used Tinkercad to create my first functional item. Of course, it’s an upgrade to my printer. :-)

[yotsuya]

Started printing it, realized it ain’t going to suffice. V2 coming soon!!!!

[yotsuya]

Heh. I was printing a new cooling nozzle that was pretty complex. Came home to my first ball of fuzz failed print!

[Vigo]

Happens to the best of us. 

[yotsuya]

Happens to the best of us. 

I have to blame you for this madness, my brother!

[Vigo]

Happens to the best of us. 

I have to blame you for this madness, my brother!

Sorry, not sorry!  The awesome thing is you have opened a TON of new doors in your building capacity. There ain't gonna be a thing on the planet that Yot can't build.