CAD/CAM Software

[min2oly]

Tom thank you for the offer but I decided to order a Prusa i3 Mk2. I don't like the idea of proprietary cartridges and people seem to love this model. It can print lots of materials and this one has many updated features. It's going to be awhile until it arrives though, they are on back order. I almost got the Robo R2 but this was a little cheaper and I figure I can build an enclosure for it out of some Plexi or something to make up for it's open air design.

I also ordered a hardened steel tip for printing exotic materials and the multi filiment upgrade package. All of this was cheaper than just the baseline Robo R2.

Have you guys seen the multiple filament upgrade? Wow it looks nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpcH74DXyy0

You can build a box with 1inch ridged foam and plexi on the front for viewing. Paint it whatever color you like :-)

[Tom C]

prusia is an awesome machine.

[DMANN]

I want to print some molds for parts. I am currently reading/researching materials for structural integrity, outdoor uv resistance, and spark discharge heat resistance. I am looking at cements, epoxies, ceramics, plaster, putty, or any applicable mixes that could work. Suggestions for low and high power applications are welcome. My first project will be for a simple mechanical commutator much like the one described in the Bedini SG Intermediate book where copper was installed in Delrin.

Mann

[Michael Luton]

What about auto body filler? There used to be a guy on the web that used it for the purposes you are describing, supposedly quite successfully. Good thing is it is easy to come by.

[wrtner]

I want to print some molds for parts.

What are you building?

It seems to me there are a couple of solutions; a general purpose device and a fast rotating device.

[DMANN]

I made some refinements to the rubber band pulleys that I originally used on the 3D printed window motors. These will make it easy to test capacitor discharges mechanically. My plan is to use a reed/SSR like the one shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFz3D98qxRM&t=40s.

The file: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2229254
Here is a video of the pulleys.

Enjoy
DMann

[DMANN]

Tom thank you for the offer but I decided to order a Prusa i3 Mk2. I don't like the idea of proprietary cartridges and people seem to love this model. It can print lots of materials and this one has many updated features. It's going to be awhile until it arrives though, they are on back order. I almost got the Robo R2 but this was a little cheaper and I figure I can build an enclosure for it out of some Plexi or something to make up for it's open air design.

I also ordered a hardened steel tip for printing exotic materials and the multi filiment upgrade package. All of this was cheaper than just the baseline Robo R2.

Have you guys seen the multiple filament upgrade? Wow it looks nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpcH74DXyy0

Hey Bob. You have had the opportunity to use the Prusa for a while now. How is it printing for you? Any hiccups? I may be in the market for one.

Doug

[BobZilla]

Hi Doug,
I have nothing but high praises for this machine. It has not given me any trouble at all except for a few things that were my own fault. I ripped the build plate film trying to pry a part off of it early on but that was my fault, inexperience. You can see that over in my latest thread for the 3D machine I'm working on. It was very easy to replace the film and I have not had any problem in that regard since. One other thing which was also my fault was I got it out of alignment once. This happened because I was playing with custom temps and caused boogers to collect on the side of my tip which then eventually dragged across the print. I can only assume what happened but I think they hardened and then caused a drag on the head, it skipped a tooth on the belt but by the time I noticed it had already printed about 5 layers that were out of whack. Again this was my fault not the machines.

To recover from this mistake is VERY simple. I just cleaned the head real good and went through the alignment process. It is a procedure you call up through the menu which has you rotate the Z all the way up to start and then it goes through and plots all of the magnetic points in the heat bed by scanning over them many times. It calculates the X and Y and adjusts for any physical mis-alignment. Go look at their website to get a better idea but I'm telling you it is the simplest thing to realign the machine which I think is probably the best feature.

My prints come out spectacular. Have a look at a frame and coil holder I just printed for version 2 of my machine I'm working on. Click into these a few times to get higher resolution look at them.





I can tell you no reason not to go for a Prusa, honestly. Just be aware that they have a long back order wait time because they are in high demand. You will also get stuck paying an import tax because it ships from Czech Republic.

*EDIT*
Forgot to mention that I am pretty much exclusively printing with PETG filament so I cannot speak to other materials success.

[wrtner]

I have never seen a filament that has steel powder in it. remember all the supposed ferrous and non ferrous filaments, at th very best are a compromise. no print head on a low end 3D printer can melt steel.

SLL printers, (stereo laser lithography) use a different method, printers like the ones from stratasys, are 30K or more and use powdered or sintered metals, and are welded by a lazer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6Px6RSL9Ac

I don't know what tech these people use but it looks interesting - particularly if one can find someone who has $120,000 and lets the machine be used cheaply overnight:

https://www.desktopmetal.com/products/studio/

[Tom C]

Bob,

I have a few spools of PETG but have had nothing but problems. perhaps its because I have an E3D V6 hotend on my rostock max, they are known for clogging easily. I was trying to print weatherproof light covers, but the nozzle kept clogging. what is your hotend temp, feed speed, and what size nozzle is on the PRUSA

Tom C

Hi Doug,
I have nothing but high praises for this machine. It has not given me any trouble at all except for a few things that were my own fault. I ripped the build plate film trying to pry a part off of it early on but that was my fault, inexperience. You can see that over in my latest thread for the 3D machine I'm working on. It was very easy to replace the film and I have not had any problem in that regard since. One other thing which was also my fault was I got it out of alignment once. This happened because I was playing with custom temps and caused boogers to collect on the side of my tip which then eventually dragged across the print. I can only assume what happened but I think they hardened and then caused a drag on the head, it skipped a tooth on the belt but by the time I noticed it had already printed about 5 layers that were out of whack. Again this was my fault not the machines.

To recover from this mistake is VERY simple. I just cleaned the head real good and went through the alignment process. It is a procedure you call up through the menu which has you rotate the Z all the way up to start and then it goes through and plots all of the magnetic points in the heat bed by scanning over them many times. It calculates the X and Y and adjusts for any physical mis-alignment. Go look at their website to get a better idea but I'm telling you it is the simplest thing to realign the machine which I think is probably the best feature.

My prints come out spectacular. Have a look at a frame and coil holder I just printed for version 2 of my machine I'm working on. Click into these a few times to get higher resolution look at them.





I can tell you no reason not to go for a Prusa, honestly. Just be aware that they have a long back order wait time because they are in high demand. You will also get stuck paying an import tax because it ships from Czech Republic.

*EDIT*
Forgot to mention that I am pretty much exclusively printing with PETG filament so I cannot speak to other materials success.

[DMANN]

I just wanted to pass this deal along here. https://printrbot.com/shop/certified/ This is a small high definition printer. It is the one that I use. At $200 It is a really good deal. As is, it only prints pla but it can be upgraded with a heated bed to print other materials (I have the upgraded bed on mine). It has auto bed leveling which makes make ready time easy. Affirm is also available at checkout for financing.

It is not a Prusa and it is not Printrbot's top model but I think that it is a very good printer to learn with.

Doug Mann

[BobZilla]

Bob,

I have a few spools of PETG but have had nothing but problems. perhaps its because I have an E3D V6 hotend on my rostock max, they are known for clogging easily. I was trying to print weatherproof light covers, but the nozzle kept clogging. what is your hotend temp, feed speed, and what size nozzle is on the PRUSA

Tom C

Tom,
Sorry I did not see this until now when Doug posted something to this thread. My machine uses the same hotend, I remember in some other thread trying to tell you that but we weren't clicking so I didn't push it. I use a .4 brass nozzle, clones now but the first one was an original. At one point I had a partial clog after using the same one for months and I could not get it to clear up so I put in a hardened steel nozzle instead. That caused me a lot of problems, I later found out that you need to crank up the heat with those because thermally they behave much differently. Anyway I got some clones and they work just as good as the original (link below)

https://www.amazon.com/Mercurry-3D-E...PLA+3D+Printer

Here is a shot from my slic3r settings to show print speed and also cura. Most of the time I print at .35 layer which is not as nice but gets my parts done reasonably fast, sometimes I will go with .2. I set the nozzle temp for 240C and the bed at 90C.





Maybe you got a bad batch of filament? I find the PETG very easy to work with and it is very strong as long as you make the walls thick enough. You can even make things that are semi-flexible with it by making things that are not so thick, it bends a lot without breaking.

Filament brands that have worked for me:

Hatchbox- This is very good stuff but too expensive.

MakerGeek- Decent and the price is reasonable. I also like to support them because they are American manufactures

Inland- I like this because it is cheap and I can pick it up at the Micro-Center computer store near my house.