Cheap 3D printer

[ChadTower]

Haven't taken the glass off any of my machines in almost two years.  Pinball isn't THAT unreliable.

It is if you have people over.  A game will work perfectly for years and the first time guests play it bam something goes wrong.  No matter how well shopped a game is.  Just how it seems to work.

[Howard_Casto]

A 3D printed door handle that works without moving parts...except that it doesn't. It has more moving parts than a real door handle. 

Not to mention you would have to respond to the question "WTF happened to your door?"  Every time you had someone over.  Seriously... it makes legos look stylish.

[ChadTower]

It's the door hinge that is the real star of that idea.   

[Howard_Casto]

Heh yeah.  I think any door built with that stuff is more of a suggestion than an actual barrier.  A stiff fart would blow that thing apart. 

[Xiaou2]

Haven't taken the glass off any of my machines in almost two years.  Pinball isn't THAT unreliable.

It is if you have people over.  A game will work perfectly for years and the first time guests play it bam something goes wrong.  No matter how well shopped a game is.  Just how it seems to work.

 I will agree that Pins can break often..   and many parts were never well designed to last long - against such extreme impacts.
And, do not take this as a personal attack..  but its been my personal experience... that most pinball machines break often, due to a low level of maintenance being done on them... and or something that not right, and was not caught... until it was too late.

 Its a lot of work to make sure everything is tight, put together correctly, not stripped / cracked, not missing things.   And even then... the amount of vibration from the coils,  causes all of the fasteners to get loose again...  so you have to re-tighten every few months in heavy play situations.  Locktite could possible help.   Always make sure the threaded mounting holes/brackets,  and flipper bushings,  are in great shape.   Anything loose, will not mesh well,  and eventually will cause all sorts of broken.   

 Note: Even a slightly loose or bent part, such as a post or the flipper shaft...  can cause the the part to angle a bit,  and it will act like a wedge-ramp  to the ball - causing an airball (or crazy spin action that leads to one)  .. then probably cracking plastics)   A worn flipper bushing also causes the game to play poorly.. as the flipper travels in an oval path - causing different angles and timings.   It can make difficult shots easy.. and easy shots impossible.  It could ruin the whole flow, and enjoyment of a game.   I really think they should have made that assembly, far more robust.

 Its worth it to replace both flipper assemblies immediately  (the Full kits: bushing, switches, and all)....

 And then buy the clear lexan plastic protector kits.  Cracked plastics can be difficult to find replacements for, and they can be quite expensive.   

 The new remake plastics are often made with non-authentic / incorrect line and dot work...  but worse,  is that the colors are almost always atrociously-off.  Too sad.


 I also recommend use of turtle wax's  product called  F21 (Formula 21).   Should be in a lime green spray bottle in the automotive sections.
Its FAR better than wax.  More protective,  noticeably increased ballspeed, looks glossy and new, protects against UV fading,  and does not trap and track gunk all over the field like wax does.   Tested this with two machines in the busy mall arcade... and I went from needing a weekly cleaning..  to being able to clean once every 2 to 4 weeks.  Even at 4 weeks... the field wasnt 1/100th the mess that wax would have been.   And it only took a mild wipedown in the visible and easy to get at areas... to keep it that way.    No more +2hr sessions tearing apart subways and ramps.   Use it on the cabinet as well.  UV protection, and brings out a glossy and color-enhancing shine.

[Xiaou2]

I really like the idea of 3d printing... but I keep thinking about the extruder form,  as being mostly unusable.

 For gears.. they will be inaccurate, weak, and the particular materials + way they are printed.. gives them a rough high-friction nature.
Sure, you could try coating them with a layer of epoxy or something... but that may interfere with the mesh.  It also wont last... as it will grind off in short time.

 Flame-melting them a hair might help.. but then you are going to get shrinkage and or deformations.  Either way.. gears wont last long when they are not make fairly precise.

 Maybe you make a prototype mouse shell?   But again.. you have this meshy bumpy surface to deal with.   And the stuff is not very strong.. especially with thin walled things like this.

 The stiff probably isnt strong enough for the typical parts you might want to use to repair a device or toy with.  Unless you dont mind changing the part every few weeks.    In many cases.. you could probably just carve some plastic parts yourself with a dremel or similar.. for certain parts.. and have them be lastibly usable - where the 3d print would fail fairly quickly.

 So all that is left is stuff like Figurines.   Low quality, high grit, probably slightly warped / distorted.
And.. unless you are a master-3d modeler... your probably only ever downloading something out there.. rather than what you really might actually want.  (and then still wanting it in far better quality)


 On the other hand..  the 3d printing that really impressed me.. is the laser-based machines... that either cure a powder,   or a liquid bath.
The result of those are on a whole other scale.    While it is stronger than extruder stuff.. they still may not have very durable lasting  strength.   Still..with this kind of printer .. the decorative aspects, and the sheer accuracy levels.. are astoundingly awesome.


 In the end... I think I would rather own a CNC router, instead of one of the extruder types of printers.   Maybe a thin laser cutter too.
(if one had the money.. one could attach a plasma cutter to a CNC table .. to deal with metals)

[BadMouth]

I was originally waiting for the laser machines to become more mainstream, but $170 was too cheap to pass up.
The learning experience alone is worth that much to me.
This weekend, I might actually find time to tinker with it.

[05SRT4]

Wondering if you guys were able to get this calibrated? Any prints you'd like to share?

[BadMouth]

I set up a designated area for the tiny printer (and future devices) below an exhaust fan in my basement.
That's as far as I got. 

I've been too busy winterizing my house and watching football.
Finally cleaned up the basement yesterday after making a mess of it insulating the rim joists.
Hopefully this week I'll find some time.

[knave]

I've printed a bunch of stuff. I really enjoyed the learning curve. Their is a great facebook group for ideas and information as well as a ton of examples.

After a while it was time to do some maintenance. I am upgrading my extruder arm and nozzle while I'm at it. I also got some tempered glass screen protectors from the dollar store to try out as a print surface.
Fine tuning the settings can be overwhelming...but after playing with it, I can load up Cura and specify the print settings and know what most of them will do the the print.

Sadly...For me at least now that the novelty has faded...I just don't "NEED" to print anything. I'm over the print a bunch of toys and trinkets phase.
It is still worth it, and am planning a few projects.

[BadMouth]

Not sure how I missed this website earlier, but for anyone else who picked up this printer and wasn't aware:
http://www.mpselectmini.com/

I didn't even realize the thing had wifi. 
After floundering around with the various options, I think the g-code method to load the wifi password and then utilizing it via a browser window are the easiest way to go.
You do have to update the UI firmware before it will work.
Firmware updates are unsupported by monoprice.  I was afraid to update the motor movement firmware since I haven't had any issues with the current version.

Knave, how did the tempered glass screen protectors work out?
I've done a half dozen prints on PEI and it shows no signs of wear.
I've only had one print fail.  It was because the code I downloaded off the internet didn't have the heated bed kick on and I didn't catch it.
Ten minutes later there's a half printed/half blob object being drug around by the nozzle.

[Howard_Casto]

I don't know if this is useful to anyone, but for the clones at least, the wifi option is just a mini Bluetooth dongle designed for Arduino projects that just plugs in and can be used with most printers with a simple firmware update.  There is a Bluetooth and wifi version available and I think they run around 10 bucks. 

I'm interested in the glass results as well. 

[BadMouth]

I've done a half dozen prints on PEI and it shows no signs of wear.

To follow up on this and avoid having misleading information out there....

I did a bunch of prints of PLA at 195 with a bed temperature of 55 and the PEI showed no signs of wear.
Last night, I tried experimenting with hotter settings and at 200/60 the PEI blistered where the first outside edge went down.
It's faint, but it was visible on the bottom of the next print.
I'm still happy with the PEI, but going to keep the temps at 195/55.
Not happy that I have to spend a half hour cleaning the adhesive off and applying a new layer. 

[SammyWI]

That's strange.  I regularly run PETG at 235 / 60 on PEI and it has never been a problem.  Different printer but same principles.  I've seen plenty of folks running a lot hotter than that on a PEI bed. Is it the PEI that blistered or the adhesive?

[BadMouth]

That's strange.  I regularly run PETG at 235 / 60 on PEI and it has never been a problem.  Different printer but same principles.  I've seen plenty of folks running a lot hotter than that on a PEI bed. Is it the PEI that blistered or the adhesive?

I'm not sure.  Where the outline of the first layer went down has turned from clear to white-ish and it is raised just enough to be visible on the bottom of the next print if held at an exact angle.  It's thin, adhesive backed peel and stick stuff.  I was thinking maybe it being so thin was the issue.   I hadn't considered that maybe it was the adhesive.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3D-Printing-Ultem-PEI-Sheet-3-mil-backed-with-3M-Adhesive-12x12-/322261722877?hash=item4b084ba6fd:g:1K0AAOSwMtxXtMAr

I suppose it's also possible that that outline was stuck better than the rest and I lifted/stretched the PEI when removing the part.
I usually give parts a twist to remove them.  The plastic knife that came with the printer seems useless.

EDIT: I see the same seller also has 10 mil thick.  Is that more standard?

[SammyWI]

That actually looks the same as the tape I use but I get mine from here: http://catalog.cshyde.com/viewitems/3d-printing-materials/ultem-pei.  But I think that the thicker .030" thick sheets with separate adhesive is more common.  The thin tape just seemed easier (and cheaper) and has worked great for me.  My guess would be that the higher temps increased the part's adhesion to the bed and you may have pulled up too hard and pulled up the tape adhesive underneath, maybe stretched the tape some.  I almost always use a thin spatula to slide under the part and break the adhesion.  I like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VB1U886/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.  It has a thin but not sharp edge and can flex just enough to get under the part. 

I've heard that citrus based cleaners will take off the adhesive but I'm still on my first sheet so I haven't tried any yet.