Cutter thickness

[lifesvr525 0]

Hello all,

 

 I know this is a weird topic but I have no clue where to look.

I am new to the 3D printer and have been printing cookie cutters for my wife. When I scale a simple cutter design like a square the cutter thickness increases also. Is there a simple setting in Cura to be able to restrict the cutting edge from becoming thicker?

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this. I just had no idea where to look.

 

Thank you for any help you can give.

 

[Mari 37]

...don't think so (99.9999999% sure)... you need to redesign those cookie cutters...

[GregValiant 1,342]

But Mari - there is that other .0000001%...It's possible there is a window there but without knowing the exact model???

Now I'm not sure if this will actually work but it seems to have potential.

 

If we bring in a cookie cutter shape that has a wedge on the bottom, and scale it up say to 200% in X and Y and leave it at 100% in the Z (so it doesn't get any taller), the wedge scales up and the walls scale up.  Playing with the Cura number of walls and tops and bottoms doesn't give us much of anything.

 

We know Cura always brings things in at their center-of-geometry so we know that point of the cookie cutter is at build plate center (0,0)

We bring in the same cookie cutter file again but this time scale it to say 195.2% X and Y and leave Z at 100% (that 195.2% number I calculated would leave walls 1.2mm thick) and then move Model 2 to 0,0 so it lines up perfectly with Model 1.

With the second (smaller) model selected we choose Per Model Settings and the second tool from the right Modify Settings for Overlaps.  Then select Cutting Mesh (instead of Infill Mesh) and then Select Settings.  From the selection of settings pick Wall Thickness, Top/Bottom Thickness, and Infill  Density and set all three to "0".

In the main settings window set Wall Thickness to 2, Top/Bottom Thickness to 0, and infill to 100%.

Slice and dice and see how it looks.  I think the key might be to getting the scale right on the smaller "Cookie Cutter Cutter" model so the wall thickness comes out acceptable.

I like oatmeal cookies with raisins and nuts so If the cookie cutter thing doesn't work out, I'm good with the old fashioned "Push the dough off the spoon" technique.

[eldrick 65]

There is a setting - Shell/Horizontal Expansion - which can make your walls thinner, by using a negative value. For example, a -.3 setting would make the cutter .6mm thinner, by shaving .3mm off both inner and outer walls.
Use Preview to determine how many walls would result, and adjust to get the number of wall lines that would result. 

Edited September 19, 2020 by eldrick

[GregValiant 1,342]

Thanks a lot eldrick.  Mari figures it almost can't be done.  I spend 20 minutes coming up with a complicated incomprehensible solution that has a .0000001% chance of working, and you stick in a 2 line fix.

I'll have you know that if Xscale <> Yscale by more than about 50% that Horizontal Expansion won't work on a reindeer.

So there.😜