I have my new printer assembled. Now working out the bugs in the software. Very frustrating as I bought an auto levelling proximity switch with my kit. Trouble is the software needs to be tweaked accordingly and I have tried exactly what the "experts" recommend. Getting closer but still learning a few things with coding and setup.

I do hope to be printing this weekend but will see. These printers are definitely not plug & play. You save a lot of money but time is spent getting it working.

Will add pics & videos soon. I do have things moving just not 100% the way it should.

Pedro

Pedro,

I have auto leveling. I had to make sure the Y platform was level and then I just set the auto level sensor too low, which positions the head too high, send the head out to a location on the platform, measure and then adjust for desired/proper height.

Do you have manual controls to move the print head? If not there are software commands(G code IIRC) but it is more difficult to dial it in quickly. I use the display and encoder dial next to the spool to move my print head manually.

One of the first things I printed were hubs for my filament spools.

Lon





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2016 06:04AM by Bigbore.

Would like to see the quality of some objects you have made and put into usage, Lon. How's the durability over time. How do they handle stress. Do you find cold joint lines that fatigue?

Gary

Gary,

So far, serious projects have been, left to right, top to bottom:

Ruger 10\22 trigger that didn't print well but I'll get it next time. A custom bracket(top, center) for a relay in my UTV battery box(yellow arrow at bottom). Hubs for my printer filament spools. Z axis guide brackets for my printer. A poorly engineered wire bracket for the printer that got ditched. MANY practice items.

3D printing requires some technique to print things that have unsupported areas because the plastic droops. I have a lot of projects on the list for the printer but I have been very busy with other things. Durability depends on design and materials. Done correctly, it should be as good as anything produced by a business.

There is an 80% Ruger 10\22 receiver I'm finishing. I had to make the aluminum brackets to capture it first. No 3D printer application, just pushed 3D print projects off the radar.

And then the usual screwing around as shown below. Also, I was in Colorado last week so that punched a big hole in my productivity although it was well worth it.




Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2016 06:44AM by Bigbore.

Good job Lon,

Good to see your projects.

That sure is a nice ATV you have too. Stylin' in the Glades!

Thanks,
Gary

Gary,

3D print projects on the list are custom gun parts like the trigger, custom wire management brackets, hobby parts for RC and custom parts to accessorize the UTV. 3D printers open up an interesting space in the shop, any custom part a person needs can be drawn on CAD and printed. I think I posted this before but I'll post it again. This is the bracket for the printer I designed in CAD. Web sites like "Thingiverse" have hundreds of thousands of useful projects ready to download and print for free. As usual, time is the scarce commodity.

You would probably enjoy looking through some of the projects on thingiverse; some are amazing. Of course there are 5000 phone covers too. I'm actually going to print someone else's tablet stand design for my tablet when I decide which one suits my needs. You, for example, would probably like an iPhone stand to set your phone in in the shop so that it is upright and can be viewed while you work.

[www.thingiverse.com]

Lon



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2016 03:50PM by Bigbore.

Thank you Lon,

I'll look around.

Hey -you meanyoudont have to start with billet tool steel???? Whhhaaaaaaatt...........



Gary

Hi Lon,

Thanks for the tips. I was wondering if I had my sensor to low. Will have to review the heights. This build is really kicking my butt. I think if I cannot get the auto levelling working soon will go to manually levelling the bed so at least hopefully start printing. I flashed the firmware three times tonight and the display stated in German, no idea why.

I do have manual control and need to get the firmware loading correctly again to have the movement.

Will get it figured out.

Pedro



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2016 04:00AM by pedrog.

Pedro,
Nice work with the printer looks like a lot of work assembling and dialing in! Looking forward to seeing some 3d prints some neat stuff! Was watching some YouTube videos of laser ingravers, looks like they are pretty similar to 3d printers, wonder if you could convert it with a laser head attachment! Looks good tho nice job!

Matt

Pedro, Lon , Matt , Gary
This is a great web sight and I really enjoy the discussions and topics here . I haven't seen a printer in process yet but they are amazing . A couple of years ago my son won a scholarship to a robotics camp at LSSU Lake Superior here in Michigan . They had a great week with a demonstration for parents at the end showing the programing/ working of some of the weeks activities . It was amazing . At the end they all recieved a trophy that was 3~D printed . It snapped together and articulated . It was an arm of a robot with a couple knuckle's and a pincher & base and their name and school name on it .

The whole thing in my mind about the printer is the media used . Hearing you'all talking it seems to be a common thread . Pedro have any of your previous parts gotten brittle ? If they have do they separate where the seams were ?
One would think a curing agent applied by spray and or baking would solidify the parts being manufactured .

Anyway thanks for the discussion .

Thanks
Kurt

Kurt,

The plastic is melted and if the printer is adjusted correctly the printed part shouldn't come apart. The different filaments have different characteristics so they must be matched to the task. PLA is the easiest to print with and is adequate for most things. Want more strength? ABS. Still more strength and some flexibility, nylon. The ABS and Nylon require higher print head heat and are a little more difficult to setup the printer to make parts well. Printing parts that have portions that are unsupported is were the skill is required. There are techniques that are standards and then some experience and creativity helps.

You can make all the parts for a robot on a printer except the motors and wires. Look through and search Thingiverse, probably everything you can imagine. People make car parts like knobs, motorcycle parts to manage wires and cables, everything for hobbys like modeling and RC. It is a huge world.

I'll throw stuff up from time to time as I print it successfully.

Lon