solid-print-3d

V 3.1.2 I didn't know there was a newer version available, silly me keep up the good work, it's MUCH appreciated!

keep in mind that you'll have to keep it oriented so that the hinge is parallel to the build plate. if you make it perpindicular, the hing will break at the layer line. This limits you severely to your orientation. I think you'll be lucky to print this particular size. Maybe send the customer a link to this post, where we tell you it's too small! The form1+ might be able to pull this off?

it is larger diameter for sure, but I haven't had any problems with it , well... the only time I did have a problem with it was when my teflon went bad last month, either friction, or the lip was creating problems. Once I replaced the teflon, it was back to business as usual. I am trying some black PLA I just got from Ultibot (cuz Zeni is out). Decent price, and it's supposed to be super tight tolerance. So far I've printed 10 of my compound bow risers with it, and they turned out great. I have noticed that it likes 220 temps for some odd reason. That's the hottest I've ever had to print any PLA, but that's what it likes.... One day I'll try some of the fancy Colorfabb, but the printing I do is BULK work. I can't print in the expensive stuff, else I'd have to pass those costs on to the customer. If a $30 roll does the same job as a $45 roll, then the $30 roll wins every time. Especially since I go through a butt-load... If anybody know of any great, consistent, and creamy PLA for BULK work, let me know

I didn't think it would do that great of a job. Probably why I haven't gotten around to doing it yet. Does the airbrush cleaner break down the PLA? I have an airbrush, but I just use mineral spirits to clean it out. I'll have to look up "air brush cleaner" Thanks

@ Valcrow. I have a nice ultrasonic cleaner her and one day plan to throw a bass nozzle in when I have some down time. What kind of detergent did you use, and what were the results?

for example, I have a print that has 6 tiers, or "platforms" with flat spots... think "stairs" At each of the stair treads, I have tweak at Z slow the print down 20% and extrude 102%, then I add another tweak at z for the next layer, resetting the speed to 100%, and flow to 100%. Basically every tweak I ever make has a pair of start-stop tweaks. For me, this has worked quite well for this particular model/print combo. I expect it to overwrite the settings I have entered into the UM2 menu for those specified layers. Works fine. Only problem I have at times is forgetting to subtract 1 from the layer I want adjusted. If the layer shows 29, then I enter 28 in the plugin. Another problem I have is if the print ends with a 50% speed tweak. The next print will start with the 50% tweak still activated. That's caught me a few times, as I'll wake up the next morning and the print is only half way done (looks really good though ) I did the math earlier and I subtracted 10% from the area of a 2.85 mm filament. I came up with 2.71 ( if I remember correctly). I've got a 3 hour print on with the new 10% less area, and 100% flow ) opposed to 2.85mm and 110% flow, and it seems to be identical

Those letters do have a draft of 10 degrees You could always add some fillet as well to smooth sharp edges. Anyways, it was just an attempt to illustrate how quickly you could design one up, and there are several free CAD programs available, if price was an issue.

You could always just model it... just stating the obvious here took me 4 minutes in inventor, so excuse the non perfect nature

@Dude -------> this is your explanation ___ / 00 \___/ this is my head I just use Tweak at Z to adjust flow. I asked on another topic about tweak at z adjusting flow, and the general consensus was that the tweak overwrite the flow values in the settings. This why I wanted to keep the flow values in the UM2 settings set to 100% I don't mess around with the gcode itself.

You sure you're not doing something wrong? I have 10+ rolls of Zeni, purchased at different times, and I don't have jams. Sometimes it catches the teflon lip when inserting new material, but that's not a big deal. You might want to make sure your teflon isn't deformed any, causing jams. Make sure you are able to run an 1/8" drill it through the teflon with your hands, and debur the bottom of the teflon. What did your filament Mic out to?

@ DIM OK, Thanks, I'll try to adjust the area down 10% and see if that works. Just didn't want to arbitrairly plug numbers in for 5 hour prints that I can't watch and come back to see it not quite extruded right. @Dude What do you mean "It depend where the flow % is used in the code."

multiple objects will help. Especially if the part is small. Trust me, I have 1000's of ABS prints under my belt, and multiple objects help. I think it has to do with the radiant heat being expelled by the nozzle. at 250 ~ 260 , it helps getting that heat away from thin lip overhangs for a second so the fan can do there work, ALSO, if you set your second object up so that one of the fans on the print head are moving directly over the problem area, you get much better and quicker cooling in that problem are. Often times, I custom make a ring, about 25mm in diameter and put it to the left of the part. This places the right fan over the part you want whiles it's printing the ring. In an enclosed chamber, this can really help becasue you need to get the radiant heat away from your print and a nice fresh source of open air flow over it. I've also found that it's not always necessary to enclose the chamber for smaller prints. Smaller prints, as long as they are adhered to the bed sufficiently, don't warp nearly as bad as large prints.

I've noticed the extreme retraction as well. I've noticed myself checking more and more lately on the beginning layer of prints to make sure the nozzle is sufficiently primed, and the first layer is going down fine. I'm having to do this becasue there are times where it just doesn't prime enough, or for whatever reason the filament binds in the hotend/teflon, causing a jam. I used to be able to just hit print and walk away. Not 100% sure it's this long retraction, but it's definitely a strong candidate for being the culprit.

try printing multiple objects at once to give the layers time to cool. Try using a little thicker shell. Try using fan 10~50%. Are you using an enclosed chamber? Try using thinner layers. After a while, you'll be able to predict how parts will print, and you'll be able to adjust settings to get it to print right the first time. Hang in there

Oh yeah, you can do text too of course

OK, becasue I'm such a cool dude, I'm going to show you how to do this -If you don't have these, get them, they're free Download Zsurf4 http://www.cadforum.cz/cadforum_en/download.asp?fileID=1129 Download blender http://www.blender.org/download/ Download any free software that will convert IGES to OBJ (freecad is supposed to do this) http://www.freecadweb.org/ Here are the steps in picture format. I'm limited to a 2 dimensional screen or else I'd make a cool pop-up book It's really as simple as what the pictures say. The hardest part for some will be converting the .igs file that Zsurf generates to a .obj file format I tried to keep this as simple as I could. For reference, I use Keyshot to convert the .igs to .obj So in summary, -Edit image to a nice gray-scale bump map, save as .bmp -open that .bmp in Zsurf. Mess with settings. Hit "Process" -Convert the ".srf.igs" that Zsurf just created to .obj (using whatever program you like to convert) -open Blender. Import .obj. Right click on cube that blender loads by default and delete it. Right click on your project and switch from object mode to edit mode. Go to the right and click on wrench. Got to modifiers and choose solidify. Enter in a value for how thick you would like it. Export to .stl -Open .stl in cura. apply your magic Done. It really sounds more complicated than it is, but after doing it about 3 times, you'll see that it's actually very easy. At this point, you're either very confused or you are benefiting from this. Either way, I accomplished something tonight

Don't you just love it when you're dead tired, ready to call it a night... all your work is done, the beds looking very nice, only to realize there's 28 minutes left on a print. Not that long that it can wait until the morning, not soon enough to hang around the printer for it to finish. After all, that's a 6 hour print you can put on overnight if you'd just wait 28 minutes (plus cool down)

Yes, I agree. Sometimes I think you guys with mad programming skills are part of some secret organization, like the Illuminati, giving out just enough information to confuse the hell out of a non programmer, thereby ensuring the secret art of firmware programming remains a hidden art If I'm lucky, one day, someone will post a nice, step-by-step, tutorial, written for guys like me

LMAO!

duh, yeah... that was an oversight on my part ... The main question was, is the 10% change I want factored into the area of the filament? Surely you don't just factor in a 10% change to the diameter, you would end up with a 2.57mm value!

at least when I'm older and have to get up ten times a night to pee, I'll be used to it

This might be a silly question, but if I have a filament that is set to 2.85 diameter and 110% flow, is that the same as just adding 10% to the area of the 2.85mm circle, or 2.898mm? Or is there more to it than that? Reason I ask is that I have some new filament that seems to print perfect at 2.85mmx110%flow. I cannot get a consistent diameter measurement on the filament. I have several Gcodes already prepared with Tweak at Z values setup for certain layers with 102% flow to ensure nice full top layers. In order to use these codes, I need to set the flow value in the menu to 100%, which means adjusting the diameter only.

search "feeder" on www.youmagine.com... there are several to choose from

Yes, trick Cura, or design the voids in. I usually just design the voids in so I can control perimeters precisely.

you know you have it bad when you have a 103 deg temperature, coughing up a lung, head about to split in half, laid up in bed for 2 days.... yet can't stop yourself from getting up every hour to change the prints on the printers, change filaments, diagnose problems, etc... I think a normal person may have just shut them down for a day or 2...