Fabrication catch-all (CNC, 3D printing, machining, welding, etc.)

Printing! That was the start of a print job however I think I screwed up my hot end. While doing some testing during the build process I had a thermal runaway and I believe I screwed up the PTFE liner inside the hot end nozzle. Basically what was happening is that the extruder wasn't putting out material quickly enough and couldn't keep up one it sped up (the initial layer is printed slowly to aid in bed adhesion). I think I had too much backpressure in the nozzle from the distorted liner. I wanted a different hot end anyway, so I ordered one from a company up in Loveland and I should be ready for another go tomorrow.

It lives! I still have some tweaking to do to improve the quality, but I'm actually getting real prints now.

So begins the self-improvement process. Here's potentially a new herringbone gear for the extruder:

Jesus, LiquidMantis, soon it'll be improving itself so much it becomes self-aware. Then we're all f*cking doomed.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

Jesus, LiquidMantis, soon it'll be improving itself so much it becomes self-aware. Then we're all f*cking doomed.

HELLO, QUINTIN. I AM THE PUSHERBOT. MAY I HELP YOU DOWN THESE TROUBLESOME STAIRS?

Yes, please!

What will that new gear do to make the machine better?

The gears on my extruder don't mesh as well as I'd like and there's a bit of backlash. I'm hoping to print a better set so that they have tighter engagement.

Can you do some macro shots of your resolution?

Ghostship wrote:

Can you do some macro shots of your resolution?

Keep in mind that I'm still setting it up and fine tuning all the print parameters, but here's a print from last night that failed right at the top. I think what happened is there wasn't enough time for the ABS to set with the minimal material at those levels so it just pulled off with the print head. This is printed at 0.2 mm layer height. I should be able to print at 0.1 mm, just with double the print time. The piece itself is part of a table top game.

IMAGE(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a254/Liquidmantis/printSmall.jpg)

Here's a link to the full-size image. Just done with my PowerShot, so it's not great. I don't have a macro lens for my DSLR unfortunately.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/izaoangsb0...

Thank You for linking that.
I searched when you mentioned the Catan pieces. Didn't find it then, but saw the official collector's 3d Catan set.

**edit, ooops, thought that was 3d Catan... actually pocket tactics?***

Honestly, I'm surprised by the resolution you're getting.
Keep us updated. Honestly, at that resolution, it's presentable enough. I'd love to see results for a .1mm build.

What is your build volume? And do you, yet, have an idea of cost at volume x % filled?

Like if an 8x8x8 build is 20% filled. Just trying to imagine how much material would be used in an architectural model.

You know how to set it up. You and your flocking picture.

Oh, this is uber cool. I can't wait to see all the cool stuff that you make, LiquidMantis!

Neat! The figure looks kind of like 3d scan lines, that's the resolution issue I assume? That roof on the other hand looks like a job for Delta Green

Ghostship wrote:

Thank You for linking that.
I searched when you mentioned the Catan pieces. Didn't find it then, but saw the official collector's 3d Catan set.

**edit, ooops, thought that was 3d Catan... actually pocket tactics?***

Honestly, I'm surprised by the resolution you're getting.
Keep us updated. Honestly, at that resolution, it's presentable enough. I'd love to see results for a .1mm build.

What is your build volume? And do you, yet, have an idea of cost at volume x % filled?

Like if an 8x8x8 build is 20% filled. Just trying to imagine how much material would be used in an architectural model.

You know how to set it up. You and your flocking picture.

My build volume currently is approximately 10"x10"x8". I don't yet know how my cost is working out, I'm still focused on reliable printing right now, but I haven't really made an appreciable dent in my first $40 spool of filament.

Here's the Catan set I had mentioned.

Well I was spending a lot of time trying to dial the printer in and ended up taking some down time for mental sanity. Then with the Thanksgiving vacation and all this sat idle. Then I had an epiphany on dealing with the weird issue I had which got me back in the printing game. I still have a couple of issues I want to dial out but today I printed a couple of Raspberry Pi snap cases. Here's a piss-poor blurry cellphone photo:

IMAGE(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a254/Liquidmantis/piCase.jpg)

Very neat.

via the Make magazine blog, a 3D printing store has been set up in NYC's Fashion District until December 27.

In partnership with Ultimaker, Shapeways, UP!, Fatboy and the Eventi Hotel, 3DEA runs until Dec. 27 and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11a-7p and Sundays from 11a-6p. We’re featuring rows of colorful printers to try out and bring home, a 3D photo booth, body scanning, Doodle 3D for kids, a 3DEA Christmas Tree Competition and Shapeways Holiday Shop. 3DEA also features an amazing lineup of classes, seminars and workshops

So if anyone happens to be in the area, it might be fun to check it out.

Cross post from the pictures thread for ease of recall.
Voltron-esque chess set.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:30606
IMAGE(http://thingiverse-production.s3.amazonaws.com/renders/5f/49/c3/ee/e0/ChessBotBattle_display_medium.jpg)

Oh, nice! I saw it in the picture thread but didn't realize there were print plans.

This is pretty cool Liquid! Haven't had any experience with the desktop 3D printers but I can envision hundreds of great home/hobby projects it would be useful for. I'll be following this thread with keen interest.

I do have experience with CAD/CAM but not 3D. I work in a manufacturing facility doing design/programming. Our lasers include an Amada Pulsar, Trumpf 1030 laser, Mitsubishi industrial laser, and a Trumpf 6000L laser/punch combo machine.

Today's SMBC. (The last gag is not really SFW, but the image is abstract enough that it should be OK, I hope.)
IMAGE(http://www.smbc-comics.com/comics/20130110.gif)

Cross post from the kickstarter thread:

Maker Guide Book

This looks interesting to me only because I have always wanted to get into the "maker" movement.

As an after school job in college I used to work for a company that used water jets to cut out objects, it was a lot of fun.

I have never gotten into the whole 3-d modelling CAD type programs. Anyone have suggestions for getting started learning something like that on my own? or are there good online courses I could take to teach me the ropes so I could make my own 3D printable objects?

If you're really interested in 3D printing, I'd highly recommend reading through Practical 3D Printers. It's really targeted toward the hobbyist 3D printer, but even if you don't plan on having your own printer it'll give you the foundation knowledge of the processes involved. There are several chapters that walk through the basics of modeling in various enthusiast level CAM/CAD programs.

LiquidMantis wrote:

...There are several chapters that walk through the basics of modeling in various enthusiast level CAM/CAD programs.

Do you happen to have a list of those programs? I would like to see how they stack up to the big boys I use everyday at work. I would like to find something cheap and similar for home use. I just can't afford a license of Solidworks or CATIA and, I hate Google Sketch Up.

Thanks!! I'll check it out.

The apps that the book specifically covers are: OpenSCAD, TinkerCAD, and Sketchup. I thought it had more but the other programs were for other aspects, like InkScape for vector graphics and others for dealing with preparing the 3D meshes for printing.

Cross-post from the Kickstarter thread:

This project for the Robo 3d printer has me temped, but I'd have to lay out about $650, which is no chump change. Plus I could conceivably get a Prusa Mendel kit right now for about the same price, which is a printer that's already established and fairly popular and not have to deal with the usual kick starter risks and waiting for order fulfillments.

Oh, plus I have no clear plan on what I'd use it for. Custom game figs? Whatever, I still think it would be bad ass to build and have.

It's a gamble. At $650 for a working 3D printer, that's a good deal. If you needed it for a specific project or goal, I would go with the prusa mendel.

LiquidMantis wrote:

The apps that the book specifically covers are: OpenSCAD, TinkerCAD, and Sketchup. I thought it had more but the other programs were for other aspects, like InkScape for vector graphics and others for dealing with preparing the 3D meshes for printing.

I'm actually going to a TinkerCAD class in about a week at a local "hackerspace". It's run by the guy who wrote the wired articles about starting a business last year.

http://mindgearlabs.com/

LiquidMantis wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:

Jesus, LiquidMantis, soon it'll be improving itself so much it becomes self-aware. Then we're all f*cking doomed.

HELLO, QUINTIN. I AM THE PUSHERBOT. MAY I HELP YOU DOWN THESE TROUBLESOME STAIRS?

Please print me a 3D printer, box, and postage. Or, in a language you'll understand, pak chooie unf.