TheBackShed.com

Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : 3D Printers - Machine and Software

Page 2 of 3

Author

Message

SimpleSafeName

Guru

Joined: 28/07/2019
Location: United States
Posts: 319

Posted: 11:13am 13 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

matherp said SimpleSafeName offers good advice but sounds like he is coming at it from the perspective of a professional user. His recommendations put you into the semi-professional market in terms of facilities (and cost).

I'm flattered. :) I do print quite a lot, but after owning several printers that were nothing but exercises in frustration, I decided to quit messing around and get a *very* good printer.

Currently it's my only working printer, not having "Print Farm" kinds of open space to go crazy, I have to be selective in what I purchase. :)

My work in progress printer is a 595mm x 595mm x 650-ish mm homebuilt HevORT with Teknics Clearpath servo motors for X&Y. It's big enought that I could put the X-Max3 on its build plate. :)

Good advice on PLA - no need for an enclosure with PLA (Qidi has you leave the door open and the top off when you print PLA). And PLA+ filament is great stuff. And there's always PLA annealing...

Currently what I am printing: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3125601

Geoffg

Guru

Joined: 06/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 3194

Posted: 11:27am 13 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

I have just designed and printed my first box for a project that I am working on and I had it 3D printed by JLCPCB and they are amazingly cost effective. An instrument case about 10" x 3" x 1" with an intricate design in two parts using a smooth plastic finish (SLA Technology) cost about US$17 + freight and the result is amazingly good.

JLCPCB offer a huge range of technologies and printing materials (including in metal) and they are not the only one - there are many fabricators to choose between. In the past we used to make our own PCBs but now we just send the design files to China to be fabricated. I believe that this is going to be the same for 3D printing and it will not be worth buying your own printer.

As for the software. I tried quite a few free programs but settled on Blender. It is very competent and can do almost everything BUT it is extremely difficult to use. There are many secret "gotchas" and the people demonstrating its capabilities on YouTube seem to enjoy showing off their skills rather than delivering a useful tutorial. The best tutorial that I found for making electronic enclosures was this one.

Just my 2c worth (to quote Grogster)
Geoff

Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net

SimpleSafeName

Guru

Joined: 28/07/2019
Location: United States
Posts: 319

Posted: 11:30am 13 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Geoffg said I have just designed and printed my first box for a project that I am working on and I had it 3D printed by JLCPCB and they are amazingly cost effective.
Geoff

Big fan of jlcpcb!

stanleyella

Guru

Joined: 25/06/2022
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2129

Posted: 05:02pm 13 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

I use a £70 ebay flatpak build yourself kit and it's fine. problem is you have to copy the print file to a sd card then insert the card in the printer, there's no usb lead.
amazing the control board only uses a 328p.

stanleyella

Guru

Joined: 25/06/2022
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2129

Posted: 09:38pm 13 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

https://www.xometry.com/resources/3d-printing/free-3d-printing-software/
opinions?

Plasmamac

Guru

Joined: 31/01/2019
Location: Germany
Posts: 554

Posted: 01:46am 14 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

If you will not tinkering with the Hardware , go with Bambulab A1 Mini or with the A1 which will come out today. The Software Support is great .

All my 3d Models are created with Fusion360 Hobby and i hope i need never to pay for .
Playing with Openscad is not my Cup of Tea but i will check it again soon.
Slicing with Prusa Slicer / Bambu Studio.

mfg

Plasma

SimpleSafeName

Guru

Joined: 28/07/2019
Location: United States
Posts: 319

Posted: 02:42am 14 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

stanleyella said https://www.xometry.com/resources/3d-printing/free-3d-printing-software/
opinions?

Seems to be a mish-mash of various CAD programs, repair programs (MeshMixer), utilities, and slicers. Handy for one-stop shopping I suppose.

SimpleSafeName

Guru

Joined: 28/07/2019
Location: United States
Posts: 319

Posted: 03:11am 14 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

stanleyella said I use a £70 ebay flatpak build yourself kit and it's fine. problem is you have to copy the print file to a sd card then insert the card in the printer, there's no usb lead.
amazing the control board only uses a 328p.

Yeah, nothing wrong with that. Especially the price. :)

Revlac

Guru

Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 1024

Posted: 04:33am 14 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Just a few lines in OpenScad, mushroom is easy, its incomplete but anyone can play with it and make the way they want, I don't know the exact dimensions of that one in Bunnings, this should be fairly easy in any CAD I guess, just use the one your familiar with, I'm no expert with any of this.

$fn=100;

resize([40,40,12]) sphere();
hull(){
translate([0,0,4])
resize([24,24,12]) sphere();
//
translate([0,0,8])
cylinder(d1=20 ,d2=15,h=15);
}

Cheers Aaron
Off The Grid

electricat

Senior Member

Joined: 30/11/2020
Location: Lithuania
Posts: 161

Posted: 10:54am 14 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

I use Ender 3V2 .
Bit slow, bit small printing area.
But I am more than happy while printing enclosures I never could dream before :)

I made small improvements:
-Added BL touch
-Changed stock firmware to way much more better https://github.com/mriscoc/Ender3V2S1
-Changed stock extruder drive feeder to >> Creality Original Metal Extruder Drive Feeder
-Added filament run out sensor

For mechanical 3D modeling I use DESIGNSPARK MECHANICAL (free version does not allow import STL, but do not need that) https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/home
My random creation/enclosure

For some "creative stuff" or free sculpting (like cat faces and figurines) I use BLENDER. Free.

For slicing I use Ultimaker Cura 5.4 . I always print with rafts (better results)

Ender 3V2 is/was good and not too pricey first printer.
Sure now I would grab something faster, bigger, higher temps, more printing heads etc.

But for main purpose - printing enclosures it is still good! I do not regret at all.

Andrew_G
Guru

Joined: 18/10/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 847

Posted: 11:00pm 14 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Brian,

Quote EDIT 2, Found new version

Do you have a link to the latest version?
(I'm looking at the software side of it - I will try out a few of the suggestions)

Cheers,

Andrew

Chopperp

Guru

Joined: 03/01/2018
Location: Australia
Posts: 1057

Posted: 11:41pm 14 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi Andrew

The version is under Development Snapshots about half way down the web page (W10 or greater) here

There may be other versions. Good luck

Brian.

ChopperP

Andrew_G
Guru

Joined: 18/10/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 847

Posted: 12:15am 15 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi Brian,
Thanks.
Easy enough to load and then paste in Aaron's 'mushroom' from above.
I'm tinkering already.

Cheers,

Andrew

Chopperp

Guru

Joined: 03/01/2018
Location: Australia
Posts: 1057

Posted: 12:33am 15 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Quote I'm tinkering already.

Good to hear.

Aaron often comes up with some odd / quirky / different ways of doing stuff. He gets quite adventurous with scripting & slicer settings etc at times. He's quite good but we won't tell him that

BTW, I often tell SWMBO that I hate mushrooms, but I still get them served up.

Brian

ChopperP

Revlac

Guru

Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 1024

Posted: 05:29am 15 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Cheers Aaron
Off The Grid

SimpleSafeName

Guru

Joined: 28/07/2019
Location: United States
Posts: 319

Posted: 06:08am 15 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Revlac said hull(){

Had to look up "hull". That was a new one on me. :)

Revlac

Guru

Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 1024

Posted: 11:34am 16 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Was working on another project and ended up playing around with text,
Didn't work for what I wanted but makes a neat foot for little effort.

hull(){

rotate_extrude($fn = 150)
text(" O");

translate([0,0,10])
rotate_extrude($fn = 150)
text("O");
}

Seems funny that adding a few spaces before the "O" changes the size, the cheat sheet is good to have but Doesn't really explain how and where to use functions and other things, anyway will get back to my other project.

Cheers Aaron
Off The Grid

Chopperp

Guru

Joined: 03/01/2018
Location: Australia
Posts: 1057

Posted: 12:10pm 16 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

To reiterate

Quote Aaron often comes up with some odd / quirky / different ways of doing stuff.

Clever..

ChopperP

Chopperp

Guru

Joined: 03/01/2018
Location: Australia
Posts: 1057

Posted: 12:12pm 16 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

@Andrew
How's the mushroom farm coming along?

ChopperP

SimpleSafeName

Guru

Joined: 28/07/2019
Location: United States
Posts: 319

Posted: 01:49pm 16 Dec 2023

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

So that's umm, different. Try changing the "O"s to something else.

Page 2 of 3

Print this page