incorporating your own Supports In your Design

[bob-hepple 59]

Question to the community

I have been Drawing up a "Lock Nut" thats what I call it. in the middle there is a cut out for a hex Nut.

I wanted to print this out and because there is a overhang decided to try and make my own supports. They are offset from the face by 0.01 they are 0.40 wide 4.5mm high by 18mm long

I expect the crucial bits 's are the offset from face which is 0.01

and the width which is 0.40

see below in blue

 

 

I started this as a learning curve for 3D Printing and CAD

 

Advise appreciated

 

 

 

[oliver3d 2]

That should work. However I don't think there needs to be that much fill in the support piece. You should be fine with about 50% less.

Here's a link to some help about designing for 3d printing, where you can find out more about making supports, made by IRobertI:

http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/38-designing-for-3d-printing

 

[pm_dude 27]

Honestly if the height is 4.5mm then it mean the width of the bridge section is what, 10mm wide? If you print cold and slow I think you would not even need supports except for the round perimeter. As mentioned above, look at the posted link.

http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/38-designing-for-3d-printing#custom-supports

0.01mm is too small of a distance. It will connect with the border. 0.4mm wide lines are too thin. Even if the print head is 0.4mm wide it need to be able to pass twice (assuming you are using Cura) on those sections unfortunately so try with 0.45mm.

You can easily see what the results will be in Cura. Load the object, let it slice, go in layer view and validate your tests.

 

[bob-hepple 59]

Thanks for the advise

I will increase the gap from ).01 to 0.02 and increase 0.4 to 0.5 and reduce the amount I have in by 50%.

pm_dude the reason for the supports is I can see a problem inserting the Nut if any of it sags so as a a Test/Learning point thought of adding supports..

I am not using Cura

Thanks for all the advise..

 

[amedee 349]

Also if the purpose is to leave the nut in your lock nut, you can also put it inside while printing, so you won't have any overhang

 

[IRobertI 521]

Personally I'd go with Amedee on this one, pause the print at the appropriate height and insert the nut. That's the easiest and cleanest option.

If that's not an option I would put a semi circle supporting the outer circle and let the printer bridge the rest. Leave a small gap on either side of the hole (maybe 1mm or so) to give you something to grab. This will create a support wall that you can easily pull out in one piece.

I usually use a distance of 0.15-0.2mm for supports and make the walls 0.5mm thick.

 

[bob-hepple 59]

Wow I like that idear I am using simply 3d printing at two resolutions will work out how to pause the programme at a given point of the print and insert the nut.

Thanks for the advise Brill.

[bob-hepple 59]

still working on pausing the programme software is not helping to edit the Gcode and place M0 as Simplify 3d say I should

 

[amedee 349]

If you are struggling with the GCode, http://wiki.imal.org/howto/gcode might help you...

 

[bob-hepple 59]

Thanks for that I think I worked how to identify the line just need the code to insert simplify 3d not really helping hear

Very interesting Thankyou

[pm_dude 27]

you can easily do it in Cura with the Pause at Z plugin

 

[bob-hepple 59]

Well managed it inserted nut and printed over it in Smp 3D

supports at the bottom are C**P really but first time and loads of learning curves

 

Well Pleased Thanks for all the Advise