mitchfx

Here are a couple of test I did yesterday on the Dremel. The bronze is at 100 micron and the gray was at 80 micron. 100 took about 1 hr 20min and the 80 took about 2hrs 30min. These are raw with no cleanup or refinishing. The Idea Builder seems to shine with smaller models like that but artifacts and issues become much more common with taller prints.

Thanks Cloakfiend for doing this test print and demonstrating your refinishing process. Sorry for the late reply but the UM forum reboot preventing me from following up in a timely manner. There are some really nice aspects to this print compared to what I've been getting on the Dremel. I wonder if your intermittent banding might be due to filament inconsistencies. Anyway, I had already pulled the trigger on a Rapide Lite 200XL by the time I saw your posts. I ordered it with the upgraded extruder and slider rails so hoping it will match or possibly beat the UM. I'll post examples once it arrives. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rapide-lite-200xl-400mm-desktop-plus-3d-printer#activity

I'm not 100% clear by what you mean by "not much in it". Your print does look good but it would be nice to see a photo with better lighting. I don't mind some random changes of layer width and occasional banding. I actually prefer that over harshly defined lines that are evenly spaced. Almost like a stochastic sampling to give it some natural chaos There are a few reasons I'm sticking with FFF. First of all is material costs. Right now a small bust costs me less than $1 to print in a really nice quality PLA. Second is the fact that I have friends with the Form1 and they have WAY more failed prints and other issues that I do. Lastly is I want to upgrade to something with a larger build volume. This kind of size in SLA would be extremely expensive. Like I said, I'm not unhappy with the quality of the Dreamer/Dremel...I just want more build height and a second printer that can run at the same time to get stuff done faster. Thanks for doing that test print!

Going to try a fully calibrated test tonight at 80 microns and slower speed to see just how clean I can get this to look.

Looks pretty good, but it would be really nice to see a print from the UM2. Here's a newer test print with speed and extrusion adjusted to further reduce the lines on my current printer. I'm still trying to get an example of a FFF print that meets or beats it before I decide on the next purchase. So far test prints from the M2, MendelMax3 and Rapide Lite have yet to sway me.

Cloakfiend, Yes, these are from my own zbrush sculpts. I'd be happy to post a partial section of the They Live bust but not able to upload the entire model for a variety of reasons. I'm still curious to see that old man head that I uploaded test printed on the U2. Thanks.

Try this... https://www.youmagine.com/designs/old-man-head-section-test

https://www.youmagine.com/design_ideas/old-man-head-section#!design-idea-documents

I'm not seeing where to add attachments on this forum. There is an "attachments" area under the "my media" link, but nowhere I could find to actually upload. Maybe because my account is so new? If anyone wants to give this STL a test run I'd appreciate it. Rapide 3d, MakerGear and Maker's Toolworks have all kicked one out for me, so that only leaves the Ultimaker 2.

I'm in the market for a 2nd printer and would like something with a larger build volume and slightly better quality than what I'm getting from my current model (Flashforge Dreamer). The Ultimaker 2 is at the top of my list after weeks of research, but I want to make sure any new printer it can match or exceed the surface quality and detail at 100 microns or better resolution. My main issue with my current printer is some excessive ringing and ghosting in areas of high detail. Here are some photos of my prints... 3.5" 100 micron PLA. 30mm tall 100 micron PLA 5" tall 100 micron PLA 4" tall 100 micron PLA. Thanks! Mitch