Can you 3d print a 3d printer? If you did, would it take over the world?
The Krell once built such a machine... and it spelled their doom.
"Bones heal. Chicks dig scars. Pain is temporary. Glory is forever." - Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel
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Yea, that is very interesting... I would love to 3D print prosthetics.
Just yesterday I was showing some of the things I 3D printed to a coworker in my office, and she said she knows someone with dog that has a problem with one leg. So that would be relly cool to 3D print something that would help the dog walk better...
Yea, that is very interesting... I would love to 3D print prosthetics.
Just yesterday I was showing some of the things I 3D printed to a coworker in my office, and she said she knows someone with dog that has a problem with one leg. So that would be relly cool to 3D print something that would help the dog walk better...
... Orthotics ... I don't know.... I think that is difficult....3D printing with flixible plastic... I think that is better done with molds and such...
It's not flexible in use - it's simply adding "extra" millimeters of matter below your sole and the interior of your shoe. Trying to a achieve a more standard curve and rise and fall.
I spent some time a long time ago coding for a manufacturer of the various things that fill shipping containers - expanding foam, air - all that stuff. I thought at that time the fill-every gap foam material could be used for orthotics. They certainly are expensive enough when purchased from a professional.
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... Orthotics ... I don't know.... I think that is difficult....3D printing with flixible plastic... I think that is better done with molds and such...
I wear a below the knee prosthetic. The last couple fittings they used a laser scan which was converted to a kind of CAD\CAM "drawing". That went to a mold. There was no laser printing, but the last one I was fitted for I insisted on the traditional casting.
I'm guessing that "drawing" could be used for 3D printing. I'll ask about next time I'm there.
It's not flexible in use - it's simply adding "extra" millimeters of matter below your sole and the interior of your shoe. Trying to a achieve a more standard curve and rise and fall.
I spent some time a long time ago coding for a manufacturer of the various things that fill shipping containers - expanding foam, air - all that stuff. I thought at that time the fill-every gap foam material could be used for orthotics. They certainly are expensive enough when purchased from a professional.
My last one was roughly $13,000.00. That was your basic flex foot which gives (the forward part meets the slope) when you walk down a slope (versus that herd rubber ones I got in the early eighties). So it is a basic working man's model. I don't know how much the top of the line ones are.
I am excited to build it and learn how they work in more detail. I am also excited to print some parts for my Arduino Bar project that I am still working on. Should be fun!
I just bought a 3D printer on amazon. HICTOP Prusa I3 It seems pretty similar to yours CV....
Very nice dclamp!
Yes, it looks a lot like mine, and half the price *jealous*
The print size also looks nice, but the dimensions are confusing... it says "Printing size: 270*200*170mm", but what is the print bed size? is it 270mm by 200mm, or 200mm by 170mm? the height does not matter that much... I very rarely need to print tall parts.
If it is 270 by 200, then it's nice! The print bed size is that matters the most. Mine is 200mm by 200mm...
Good thing that it's a heated bed, but only up to 70 degrees? weird... on my printer I take it to 80 degree to print PLA plastic, and I have to take it to 130 degree to print ABS plastic... I only tried one time to print in ABS, and it did not go well. It took a very long time to reach 130 degree (about 10 minutes), and when it started printing the temperature dropped to 116 degree, and this caused sections the plastic to un-stick from the bed, and it curled up a lot, messing up the print. I think the power supply I am using cannot give it enough power to maintain the 130 degree. So when I have more time I will modify the printer to attach a second power supply to power just the heated bed separately.
What software do you use to control the printer? and what software for slicer?
I use Pronterface to control the printer, Skeinforge for slicing the STLs, and "Sketchup make" to design 3D things.
True CAD has absolutely nothing to do with art and everything to do with engineering.
Your simply constructing geometry with real world dimensions.
IMHO Artists make the worst engineers.
Full agreement.
In fact I'd go further and say that good CAD tools can make a decent engineer into someone who is able to represent the real world with some accuracy. This is not to say an "artist" of course, for that is very different.
With certain design tools, a competent designer can conjure up a 3D object that (with refinement and revision) can be used to shape a product's development without ever becoming physically tangible until the late stages. CAD is a miraculous technology. I would be completely screwed without Solidworks and Sketchup.
For what it's worth, I think artists have no place in designing products. Yeah they can draw stuff but it's the engineers who have to point out why you can't cost-effectively injection-mold a mathematically perfect 24-inch solid cube of thermoplastic, no matter how synergistically liberating it might be. One mention of draft angles and volumetric shrinkage the artiste has glazed over and ordered a skinny latte al fresco with a hashtag.
Last edited by wossname; Aug 19th, 2015 at 02:57 PM.
Yes, it looks a lot like mine, and half the price *jealous*
The print size also looks nice, but the dimensions are confusing... it says "Printing size: 270*200*170mm", but what is the print bed size? is it 270mm by 200mm, or 200mm by 170mm? the height does not matter that much... I very rarely need to print tall parts.
If it is 270 by 200, then it's nice! The print bed size is that matters the most. Mine is 200mm by 200mm...
Good thing that it's a heated bed, but only up to 70 degrees? weird... on my printer I take it to 80 degree to print PLA plastic, and I have to take it to 130 degree to print ABS plastic... I only tried one time to print in ABS, and it did not go well. It took a very long time to reach 130 degree (about 10 minutes), and when it started printing the temperature dropped to 116 degree, and this caused sections the plastic to un-stick from the bed, and it curled up a lot, messing up the print. I think the power supply I am using cannot give it enough power to maintain the 130 degree. So when I have more time I will modify the printer to attach a second power supply to power just the heated bed separately.
What software do you use to control the printer? and what software for slicer?
I use Pronterface to control the printer, Skeinforge for slicing the STLs, and "Sketchup make" to design 3D things.
If you have problems when printing, you can ask me for advice I can't wait until you get it up and running, and share ideas, and things to 3D print
I use Sketchup as well for my 3D modeling so I am glad to hear that I can also use it to 3D print objects. I haven't used any other 3D printer software (slicers, etc) yet so I will take what you suggest, I know that it also ships with Cura (spelling?) which has mixed reviews.
Yeah I am not too sure about the dimensions, but it has great reviews online about the size and quality of the prints. Apparently the assembly instructions suck really bad but I look forward to the challenge.
I will check out your Things and post mine, although I am sure mine will be pretty useless to most people since they will be for my project, at least at first .
I will let you know how it goes for sure. I am sure I will need help at some point.
I built my 3D Printer. I haven't had a chance to print anything cool with it yet because of work. I don't want to leave it printing unsupervised (at least for the 1st big print).
I printed a little Nickle thing to test the accuracy. Pretty good.
Last edited by dclamp; Aug 25th, 2015 at 08:47 PM.
Can't wait to see bigger prints. Try printing this maze: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:201097 (don't waste your filament by putting too much infill, set the infill to 10 - 20%)
Can you also take a picture on the other side? (the side that was stuck to the print bed, so I can see the first layer print)
I was at the Makers Faire in Detroit a few weeks ago - you couldn't go anywhere without tripping over a 3D printer. The popular ones seemed to be the 'tripod' style printers rather than the 3 axis. There was one which was at least 10 feet high (had an example trash can and a chair).
One thing I noticed, though (as I really haven't been into it) is that the surfaces are rather rough, and low density plastic seems to be popular. Maybe that's the way it is, but I guess I was expecting a bit better quality in the end result, and something as a substitute for machined aluminum...maybe I'm looking in the wrong place?
"Ok, my response to that is pending a Google search" - Bucky Katt. "There are two types of people in the world: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data sets." - Unk. "Before you can 'think outside the box' you need to understand where the box is."
for the entry-level typical consumer market, probably... for the level you're thinking, I'd imagine you'd have to go up to industrial level... with a much heavier cost.
The documentation doesn't seem to be very consistent for this model, but it prints PLA and ABS for sure. I have read it supports HIPS, Wood, and Nylon. But I cannot confirm those.
I am still brand new to the 3D printing world. I am not sure what types of problems can arise if I try printing with an unsupported material. I do not want to ruin anything, at least not on my first week of having it.
I am actually having a problem with the extruder motor at the moment. I tried printing what CVMichael suggested and it would not extrude anything. It worked perfectly for my first print but not for this. The motor actually works but there is no signal coming out of the connector on the board. I am going to try and trouble shoot it more tonight or tomorrow when I get a chance.
I can review the assembly at least. It was relatively easy to assemble, I have a feeling everyone here would have a pretty easy time with a assembly. There are some steps that are vague or the picture is not really great quality so it is hard to tell what part they are telling you to add. Also, the Y axis base that I received was made of some type of metal and was very thin, the picture showed the base as thick piece of acrylic. So the screws that they provided were too long to secure the metal base down, since they provided screw lengths for the acrylic. I had to use some spare washer to make sure it was tightened down.
I also had a problem fitting the Y axis timing belt onto the base because the grove was too tight. I had to use my Dremel to make the grove wider so the belt would fit. I also used the included zip ties to ensure it was tight. Haven't had a problem with it. There is no timing belt tensioner, so it has to be tight the first time otherwise there will be slack. I might try and print some type of tensioner to add but It hasn't been a problem yet.
I would recommend that you read through all of the reviews on Amazon since there is a lot of good insight and solutions to common problems. Thats how I knew to make sure the tension belts were as tight as possible right off the bat so I didn't have to go back to tighten them.
Some Artists are able to work with engineers / designers to create beautiful product.
Assuming the engineer creates a workable design first. It can then be augmented.
What do you build in Solidworks? I used the heck out of it on my last job in the silicon forest.
Burn the land and boil the sea
You can't take the sky from me
Some Artists are able to work with engineers / designers to create beautiful product.
Assuming the engineer creates a workable design first. It can then be augmented.
What do you build in Solidworks? I used the heck out of it on my last job in the silicon forest.
Me? I design embedded electronics systems. In a nutshell, I cram computers and other gear into cramped metal boxes for a living.
I use SolidWorks "backwards" for the most part... modelling existing objects and using the models to see if they will fit together in close proximity. If they do fit, then I can build my design -- if not, well it's back to the drawing board.
Occasionally I use SolidWorks to create simple new objects (typically sheet metal parts or early "artist impression" type visuals for conceptual purposes).
I love SolidWorks for prototyping -- just sketch it real fast and fire it by email at my favourite subcontractor and wait a day or two for a quote. It's so easy.
Here is an example when the 3D printer comes in very useful if you have one handy
Not long ago I installed a bathtub door, and one of the plastic things broke while I installed the door. So I spent about 20 minutes to design a replacement part in Sketchup, and another ~20 minutes to 3D print it, and it fitted perfectly on the first try!
Here is an example when the 3D printer comes in very useful if you have one handy
Not long ago I installed a bathtub door, and one of the plastic things broke while I stalled the door. So I spent about 20 minutes to design a replacement part in Sketchup, and another ~20 minutes to 3D print it, and it fitted perfectly on the first try!
The replacement KIT for the thing is $24 USD, plus shipping? but I fixed it for an equivalent of less than a dollar
While that's the most boring and mundane thing to make, it's probably the most awesome use of a 3D printer!
"Ok, my response to that is pending a Google search" - Bucky Katt. "There are two types of people in the world: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data sets." - Unk. "Before you can 'think outside the box' you need to understand where the box is."
Got my printer working again. Turns out the extruder was just clogged. Might pick up a few on amazon ($12 bucks for 5) then I can just keep several on hand. I can use one while cleaning the others.
Its also way too hot to be in my garage watching my printer. So naturally I setup an IP camera so I can watch from inside the house
If the extruder gets clogged that means it's not calibrated property. Mine got clogged often at the beginning also, until I figured out how to calibrate it properly. It's been a few months since last time it got clogged.
I ended up taking apart the Z axis (just the vertical bars + screws) and made sure it was all level. Then I lowered the bed to make it even at all 4 corners, making sure that all the screws were taught. From there I then went corner to corner making sure that the extruder tip was level all the way around.
I was not sure exactly how close the tip should be to the bed? should it be touching or about a mm above?
Welp. I went to check on it and found out that the two screws holding the Y Axis timing belt to the heating plate came loose and almost fell off. That cause my print to get messed up. I tried to tighten them while it was still working and i think that caused more problems...
I ended up taking apart the Z axis (just the vertical bars + screws) and made sure it was all level. Then I lowered the bed to make it even at all 4 corners, making sure that all the screws were taught. From there I then went corner to corner making sure that the extruder tip was level all the way around.
I was not sure exactly how close the tip should be to the bed? should it be touching or about a mm above?
I am currently printing a RPi Case
Here's how I calibrate my printer:
First, I make sure all corners are the same level, I use a piece of paper and I insert it between the nozzle and the glass, and move it a little bit. If it goes in too hard, then it's too close, and if it's too easy, then too far, so I go by the feel of it.
Next, I print a square that is approximately 1 cm smaller than my bed size. The square has only one layer, and is made up of 2 lines on each side. Now I go by how much the line (plastic) is squished. If it's not squished enough, then the 2 lines don't touch and they separate when I remove it from the bed. It's too close when the plastic is too thin / too squished. Note: if it's too close, it will probably clog the extruder.
Welp. I went to check on it and found out that the two screws holding the Y Axis timing belt to the heating plate came loose and almost fell off. That cause my print to get messed up. I tried to tighten them while it was still working and i think that caused more problems...
It's strange that the screws got loose (that would be a really bad design), maybe you should have used nyloc nut instead?
By the way, on my printer ALL the nut are nyloc...
None of the nuts on mine are nyloc! I added a secondary nut to secure them. I might go back and add Loctite (Threadlock) to secure all the nuts and screws.
Nothing else has come loose though. I am going to have to calibrate it again since i had to take the heating plate off... and its WAY too hot outside to fiddle around with it now... Guess I will do it later!
After I explained in my previous post on how to calibrate it, I thought to do a calibration print test to show you "how it should be", and instead I discovered that my printer somehow got de-calibrated
So I went through my usual method of calibrating it, and I cut a corner of each print as I was testing, to show you how it looks like:
The first print shows when the nozzle is too far from the print bed; the lines don't stick to each other, and also don't stick to the print bed. The middle one is the calibrated print, and the last one is when the nozzle is too close to the print bed, and it is too squished.
When all 4 corners look like the middle print then your printer is calibrated.
Ok so my first real "big" print. A Raspberry Pi case. It looked good at first then when it finished, the walls could have been a little neater. I had to push hard to get the pi into the case because the wall was not straight. I also had to really work the lid on because the walls were off.