136 hour print in progress

[kmanstudios 1,120]

This is a design that I am printing on the new UM3X to really test its long time printing capabilities. It is in progress right now with 5 days and 5 hours left....just now up to themiddle of the runners after 9 hours of printing. Printing in PLA at 0.1mm layer height. Size is 127.7mm x 126.4mm x 135.8mm. Made mostly with fractals with a bit of created parts by myself. Part of a much larger concept piece that will take a while to finish as it will have to be done in parts and for the most part, I am trying to catch up on some fun designs I made previously. All of those prints are 72hours at the shortest time and 7 days for the longest time. So, this is the test print for any difficulties.

 

So far, the new printer is doing quite well. The older printer (one year old) is still holding up, but I am dedicating it to short term prints for the most part. Short term = up to 72 hours.

[SandervG 1,521]

Let us know how it goes! Any mid-print update pictures?

[kmanstudios 1,120]

1 minute ago, SandervG said:

Let us know how it goes! Any mid-print update pictures?

At this point, only about 3/8 of an inch printed. I will take pics as it goes. This is all there is:

'tain't much to see so far....LOL

 

Here is are a few pics of an early print that I did just to feel in in 3D before I went in and added stuff. This was a long time ago while I was learning how to make cleaner prints without the priming tower. And, not big as you can see with the US quarter as a scale setter.

 

I cannot tell you how many prints I have like this in the experimental stage that I am refining as I learn. LOL

[cloakfiend 996]

136 Hours? holy smokes! 52hrs is my record... I'm impatient. lol. You are lucky to have more than one printer at your disposal! Is that the Aliens Pilot seat by any chance?

[kmanstudios 1,120]

3 minutes ago, cloakfiend said:

136 Hours? holy smokes! 52hrs is my record... I'm impatient. lol. You are lucky to have more than one printer at your disposal! Is that the Aliens Pilot seat by any chance?

Yup, alien pilot seat and flight controls.

 

My record is a full 7.5 day print. I have a couple yet to print that are in the 9 day range. So, yeah, that is why I splurged for a second printer. The first one is dedicated to the shorter time limit prints.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

Ohhhhh, wait.....did you mean the pilot seat (The Space Jockey) from the movie "Alien"? No, just sorta looks like it. Totally happenstance.

[cloakfiend 996]

Perhaps your subconscious mind was at work there! lol. I saw it had kinda skis so wasn't sure but either way it looks quite nice!

 

And you are right about re-topo scans and stuff if you are doing it properly. I never do it. Id rather work with the existing scan polls or just dynamism the lot, but the only problem with touching up scans is that the detail you want to add is not there so unless you can sculpt competently in the first place its gonna take you a long time getting the details right, but after scanning in like over 50 -80 faces over the years and touching them up I got to know a wide variety of faces and facial features which I take inspiration from when doing my own faces. With art, I don't think there is any wrong way to do something. the benefit of a scan is that it is not mirrored, so it naturally looks more similar to the person scanned, but the downside is that you have to sculpt both sides! twice the effort!

[kmanstudios 1,120]

2 minutes ago, cloakfiend said:

Perhaps your subconscious mind was at work there! lol. I saw it had kinda skis so wasn't sure but either way it looks quite nice!

 

And you are right about re-topo scans and stuff if you are doing it properly. I never do it. Id rather work with the existing scan polls or just dynamism the lot, but the only problem with touching up scans is that the detail you want to add is not there so unless you can sculpt competently in the first place its gonna take you a long time getting the details right, but after scanning in like over 50 -80 faces over the years and touching them up I got to know a wide variety of faces and facial features which I take inspiration from when doing my own faces. With art, I don't think there is any wrong way to do something. the benefit of a scan is that it is not mirrored, so it naturally looks more similar to the person scanned, but the downside is that you have to sculpt both sides! twice the effort!

If one is to consider how the method of sculpting is done, volumetric sculpting can work with that huge volume of triangles. I love to do that with 3D Coat.

 

As for the Space Jockey, that model originally was going to be some sort of alien type of horseshoe crab. When you look at it upside down, you can see that sort of shape. But, it then morphed into an alien tank and then into the new concept which is much more involved. That will be revealed in time as I suss out the rest of the parts.

[JimT 8]

Looks very cool!

[kmanstudios 1,120]

19 minutes ago, JimT said:

Looks very cool!

Thank you. I love fractals. That is one of the reasons I liked what you are doing. It has a math/self-similar quality to it like fractals.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

Not quite 24 Hours later.

 

It is like watching grass grow.....LOL

[Brulti 177]

Damn, my personal record is at about 3 days for a print. I don't dare go beyond that yet...

 

Your model looks absolutely awesome, must have taken quite a long time to make in 3D as well.

 

It's like watching grass indeed, but it's much more satisfying!

[kmanstudios 1,120]

4 minutes ago, Brulti said:

.....Your model looks absolutely awesome, must have taken quite a long time to make in 3D as well......

It really did not.

 

I have 3D and 2D fractal generators. I see things when I am playing with them and then put the pieces together. As I said before, the original intent was for this to be some sort of fractal, alien horseshoe crab. But, as things got put together, it just sorta morphed. The human made things like the ski type of pods, seat and controls took about 30 minutes to make.

 

I have been modeling for so long that I am at that point where I would rather discover the art than make it. Almost all of my creative stuff has been some sort of fractal generated start. Things like the Nautilus King, the bug helmet, seafloors, etc.

 

I do have mixed projects that require me to make a good deal of the things involved, but I have been having too much fun with other things to really focus on 'making things', I do have some I shouild get around to soon though such as finishing out my Allosaurus scene/dioramas.

 

But thanks you

[cloakfiend 996]

Just curious but which programmes do you use for 2d and 3d fractal generation? Ive had my head in zbrush for the past two years but havent even scraped the surface just doing freeform sculpts in dynamesh and dont even bother retopoing as there is no need to for my purposes atm! I used to use max and maya a lot but havent touched them in ages!. I dont miss them to be honest. I only use them to make my manual supports now. Im gonna start converting my old drawings into 3d art now. Cant wait! 

 

Keep it up with the fractals. I love that stuff too.....but I only have a um2! Lol, no dissolvable supports!!!!! And I really hate gluing prints together! Filler is a real pain to plate! Its too pourous.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

For volumetric sculpting I use 3D Coat. Regular 3D style program would be 3DS MAX and piddling with Blender. For 2D fractals (I got for the pure fractals there) I use Xaos. Not as intuitive as Fractint was, but Fractint does not really exist anymore. For 3D fractals I use Incendia and one that is just a gas for some interesting stuff is Apophysis

[yellowshark 153]

A brave man indeed; we are rooting for you.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

@cloakfiend this is one of the first prints l made from Incendia fractals. It was also one of my first prints.

 

It was an early experiment in paints as well as annealing the Nylon. The paints were a combo of spray (forget which brand) Water Miscable oils (Windsor Newton) and Model paints (testors). The spray paint may have even been old model paints.

 

I now mostly use Duplicor paints for sprays.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

This is the print 30 hours later.

 

 

2 Days and 22 hours to go.........

[kmanstudios 1,120]

2 Days and 2 hours left.......

 

Just started the gyftomyzers......

[JimT 8]

On 1/31/2018 at 6:42 PM, kmanstudios said:

Thank you. I love fractals. That is one of the reasons I liked what you are doing. It has a math/self-similar quality to it like fractals.

It's the fractal look of your piece that attracts me to it. My OpenSCAD module is based on the concept of defining a shape, and then repeating it at different locations, sizes, and orientations. This can give fractal shapes, as well as simple geometric designs. I've just posted examples of both kinds in the topic "More Jewelry Designs".

 

Your print is looking great!

Edited February 3, 2018 by JimT

[kmanstudios 1,120]

1 Day and 3 Hours left to go.....Finally getting some height.

From the top you can see how much the shell of the model is starting to wrap around.

14 hours ago, JimT said:

It's the fractal look of your piece that attracts me to it. My OpenSCAD module is based on the concept of defining a shape, and then repeating it at different locations, sizes, and orientations. This can give fractal shapes, as well as simple geometric designs. I've just posted examples of both kinds in the topic "More Jewelry Designs".

 

Your print is looking great!

Thanks

[SandervG 1,521]

Looks good @kmanstudios ! I was just thinking, did you take any preparations for your PVA for such a long print, or did you just mount a fresh full reel?

..I think we must be reaching the final hours about now, right?

[kmanstudios 1,120]

2 hours ago, SandervG said:

Looks good @kmanstudios ! I was just thinking, did you take any preparations for your PVA for such a long print, or did you just mount a fresh full reel?

Nope...just keep using the ones that are loaded as the printers do not sit idle at all. Though there is a moisture absorption (cannot stop that from happening), even with the Polybox, I just keep en eye out and make sure it does not run out.

2 hours ago, SandervG said:

I think we must be reaching the final hours about now, right?

4.5 hours to go and then the final bath. I will take a pic to post because it is really massive. Not huge, but a very voluminous piece. I have printed much larger, but somehow, it seems bigger than I thought it would feel.

[DidierKlein 729]

Wow that's a long print! Nice one!

 

Did you use Ultimaker PVA?

[kmanstudios 1,120]

The PVA is Matterhackers PVA. There are not really spindly parts that require that really solid PVA support that Ultimaker PVA creates. 1.6 hours to go....sigh...... LOL