The Everything 3D Printer Thread

[txvwnut]

is there any 3D printer material that is flexible like a tail light seal ?

there are some seals that would be nice to print if they have some flex in them

TPG is flexible but I've heard you should use it with a direct drive extruder and not a bowden tube type.

 

[techieman33]

is there any 3D printer material that is flexible like a tail light seal ?

there are some seals that would be nice to print if they have some flex in them

TPU and TPE are the common types I know of. TPU is a little firmer, and easier to print with. You would have to do some research to see what your printer can handle. You may need to make some modifications like adding a direct drive extruder.

I guess I should have ordered a bunch of filament at the same time as the printer, it comes with some, but the nylonx is too expensive to learn on and it only comes with black PLA and then the fancy support materials. I guess I will have a bit of a delay, just ordered a bunch of "training" materials.....

Yeah, PLA and PETG are probably a lot easier to work with while your figuring things out. They're also not going to absorb nearly as much moisture as nylon, which needs to be kept in a very dry environment.

 

[bulletpruf]

Whats the metal part(function). They try (for money reasons) at my work to use 3d printing to replace metal and rubber parts. Mostly stationary parts with fairly low stress. Unfortunately it just doesn't work out. They parts get soft with oil and creep over time. I just fooled with a prox mount that was 3d printed last night.

There are printers(markedforged) that can add selective carbon tow to the print that can make high strength parts but on a whim I priced one, it was over 32k if I remember and the filament was 200 a roll and the carbon tow was over twice that.

The rubber (TPU filament) does work better/last longer, but still not a good replacement.

Rubber parts are relatively easy to build a mold and cast even at home. 3d printing would be useful to make the master, or even the mold itself depending on shape.

The metal piece is for a handlebar support. It will get oily and needs to be fairly strong. About the size of a walnut.

Thanks

 

[bulletpruf]

you could print the metal part a little larger to size for shrinkage and have it lost wax cast.

or 3D print a mold for the metal part and make your own waxes ,

we had our local caster make a mold off our original that we enlaged with paint and bondo , and then he made 100 waxes to lost wax cast

Casting is an option, but at this point, I think I'm waiting for a price on someone who is going to mill it out of billet aluminum.

 

[Strouty]

I have been looking into how best to keep the filaments dry, looks like they will come sealed from the manufacturer, does that mean it is dry when you open it up? If so can it be inserted directly into a sealed container with desiccant and it will stay “dry”? Or do you need to heat treat it even out of the package?

 

[techieman33]

I have been looking into how best to keep the filaments dry, looks like they will come sealed from the manufacturer, does that mean it is dry when you open it up? If so can it be inserted directly into a sealed container with desiccant and it will stay “dry”? Or do you need to heat treat it even out of the package?

It should be dry when you open it up from the vacuum sealed bag. That doesn't mean it always will be though. From my research it's usually the case, but people occasionally run into some that has at least some moisture content. So test it with a small print, and if you notice problems then you'll want to treat it. Seems like it best to setup an air tight container with a small hole in it to feed the filament when your printing, and then can seal back up when your done. You'll also want to keep some desiccant in there. I was planing on using one of these since I already have a couple. It's nice to visually see if it still has some life in it, and I don't have to turn on the oven for hours when it needs "recharged."

 

[Firebrick43]

TPU comes in different durometers(hardness of the rubber). As others mentioned, other than the high durometers you need a direct drive extruder. It actually prints (or at least the ninjaflex and Armadillo I have used) pretty easily.

As far as moisture, PETG and all most all the high temp filaments such as nylons are highly hydroscopic and need to be dried. PETG starts having problems if i don't dry it after a week in my basement kept at 45 percent humidity at 62 degrees. Nylons in a matter of hours will have problems. I use an old countertop convection oven (also to powder coat my bullets and small parts). The hardest part is the rolls like to deform if you heat it to hot which is right at the low end of the ovens temp. In the big oven I put them on a cookie sheet to keep the ovens element from direct radiant heat on the roll.

I have been thinking about getting stainless rolls from vision minor.

 

[vpd66]

I have been looking into how best to keep the filaments dry, looks like they will come sealed from the manufacturer, does that mean it is dry when you open it up? If so can it be inserted directly into a sealed container with desiccant and it will stay “dry”? Or do you need to heat treat it even out of the package?

I've been printing PLA and now I'm just getting into PETG. I've never had any problems with my filament absorbing moisture but I do keep them in sealed bags with decondesitant (spelling??) packs. I know nylon is really bad at adsorbing moisture.

 

[Strouty]

I am thinking one of those vacuum food saver things would be the best way to store the hydroscopic stuff, after drying it.

 

[Firebrick43]

I am thinking one of those vacuum food saver things would be the best way to store the hydroscopic stuff, after drying it.

They are pretty good. I don't use the heat seal bags(for the filament) but they make reusable bags and my food saver has a port and hose to **** the air out.

 

[Strouty]

I was trying to find containers that would work, but no real luck. Looks like there are some specific to filament reels, reviews were pretty crappy.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I am thinking one of those vacuum food saver things would be the best way to store the hydroscopic stuff, after drying it.

Best advise I've seen is to run PETG in a dehydrator overnight before printing, that way you don't have any concerns with storage.

We already have one since my wife regularly makes jerky, so it's win-win.

 

[toolin' around]

Best advise I've seen is to run PETG in a dehydrator overnight before printing, that way you don't have any concerns with storage.

We already have one since my wife regularly makes jerky, so it's win-win.

Mmmm... jerky flavored 3D prints... that opens up a whole new market!

 

[Strouty]

The reverse would be worse.

 

[Gerald O]

Mockup of turbo exhaust manifold for MGB. Snap-together prototyping fittings are a combination of parts I got from Thingiverse, "1.625" Exhaust Header Fabrication kit - Plastic Snap kit byXeonDesigns", https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1649639
and my own additional designs for the flanges and some various fittings.

 

[Strouty]

You can buy those, but they are really expensive, what type of cost do you think you have into those parts?

 

[Gerald O]

Cost? About 1/2 of a 1kg roll of PLA. So maybe $10.

 

[white91formula]

New project for the garage..... Label light switches. Not crazy on the top layer surface finish but it serves its purpose. Have a few more to do and have a few things to tweak for the top layer.

 

[vpd66]

New project for the garage..... Label light switches. Not crazy on the top layer surface finish but it serves its purpose. Have a few more to do and have a few things to tweak for the top layer.

Try to enable "ironing" in your slicer settings. It goes over the top layer with less filament and smooths over the top layer.

 

[Strouty]

The light switch covers is a really cool idea. So many things I never thought of before now. Hope to have my printer up and running sometime next week.

 

[APEowner]

New project for the garage..... Label light switches. Not crazy on the top layer surface finish but it serves its purpose. Have a few more to do and have a few things to tweak for the top layer.

That's clever. Did you do a two filament print or is the black paint?

 

[Keyblazer]

So, about to pull the trigger on the Ender 3 v2.
Anything else I will need to get started?
Filiment? Any suggestion of make and color for starters?
Anything else I will need?
Thanks in advance!

 

[ihateminimumwage]

So, about to pull the trigger on the Ender 3 v2.
Anything else I will need to get started?
Filiment? Any suggestion of make and color for starters?
Anything else I will need?
Thanks in advance!

PLA or PLA+ filament, I use eSun Grey mostly. Easy to identify issues, but final print looks clean when everything is dialed in.

Most of the upgrades for the Ender 3 are included with V2, so not a long list of add-ons right out of the box that I've heard of. After I put in my order, I just spent nights wandering through Thingiverse and saving files I was going to print.

EDIT: Capricorn bowden tubing is recommended if not included with the V2, forgot that part.

 

[white91formula]

That's clever. Did you do a two filament print or is the black paint?

Two color print. Pause it at certain layer and swap filaments. I only have a single extruder.

I've done it a few times on things like this. Works OK.

 

[Strouty]

I bought a dual head just for this type of situation. Can’t wait to get my filament so I can set things up.

 

[PelicanPines]

New project for the garage..... Label light switches. Not crazy on the top layer surface finish but it serves its purpose. Have a few more to do and have a few things to tweak for the top layer.

Label options what to do OMG... I neeed a 3D printer... dual ports...

 

[techieman33]

Label options what to do OMG... I neeed a 3D printer... dual ports...

You don't have to have a dual extrusion printer do something simple like the labeled switch posted above. You can set it up so the printer pauses when it gets to the layer that the colors change and then you can manually swap colors. Dual extruders get more important when you want both colors or materials on the same layer, or your wanting them zebra striped. The couple of minutes needed to swap colors once isn't a big deal, especially for a hobbyist that is only doing it occasionally. But if you were doing a lot of it for yourself or commercially it would make sense.

 

[vavet]

New project for the garage..... Label light switches. Not crazy on the top layer surface finish but it serves its purpose. Have a few more to do and have a few things to tweak for the top layer.

That is an awesome idea!

 

[Strouty]

My filament is on the delivery truck!

 

[harley jim]

New project for the garage..... Label light switches. Not crazy on the top layer surface finish but it serves its purpose. Have a few more to do and have a few things to tweak for the top layer.

Pines, have you got one yet, Lol

Sent from my SM-A102U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[bdbecker]

New project for the garage..... Label light switches. Not crazy on the top layer surface finish but it serves its purpose. Have a few more to do and have a few things to tweak for the top layer.

I've had good luck getting rid of print lines using rattle can high fill primer. Usually only takes 2-3 coats with a light sanding in between, then top with the paint color of choice.

 

[Darby9]

I've had good luck getting rid of print lines using rattle can high fill primer. Usually only takes 2-3 coats with a light sanding in between, then top with the paint color of choice.

3M spot putty aka glazing compound is also super-handy, especially on highly crowned surfaces where the "topography lines" become more obvious and annoying to sand. I make prototypes and trade show samples for companies, and spot putty bails me out of several rounds of sanding/priming when I'm trying to make something look injection molded, especially when vapor smoothing isn't an option.

 

[Strouty]

How well does paint stick to PLA?

 

[Strouty]

Got things unpacked, still won’t be able to touch it until Sunday at the earliest.

 

[PDX]

I was trying to find containers that would work, but no real luck. Looks like there are some specific to filament reels, reviews were pretty crappy.

I've got a few of these and they work great, two spools fit perfectly. I dry my filament in a vacuum chamber with dessicant and then stick them in here with more color change desiccant for storage; I've got one that has been closed up for the better part of a year with no perceivable change in color. Keep an eye out for warehouse deals and you can maybe save a few bucks. Made in the USA too..

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VDV4N7T/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Bessy]

Anyone on here able to help trouble shoot octoprint by chance? I have my pi configured, everything appears to be connected to the network when I am in my office where I have a monitor to plug into the pi with keyboard and mouse, but down in the garage nothing. Pi is plugged into printer, power supply works and I get red and the occasional green light flashes every 2-4 seconds for about a half second at a time, but my laptop won't load octopi.local/

It says the device is not responding?

Your thoughts/ideas are all welcome!

B.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

 

[Horror Business]

View media item 110922

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

Anyone on here able to help trouble shoot octoprint by chance? I have my pi configured, everything appears to be connected to the network when I am in my office where I have a monitor to plug into the pi with keyboard and mouse, but down in the garage nothing. Pi is plugged into printer, power supply works and I get red and the occasional green light flashes every 2-4 seconds for about a half second at a time, but my laptop won't load octopi.local/

It says the device is not responding?

Your thoughts/ideas are all welcome!

B.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

I treat my pi as a network appliance and never sign into it directly. Everything I've needed to do is from the Octopi web gui - install plugins et al.

Are you using wifi or the ethernet port. I'm using ethernet - less configuration on the pi . . .

If you ping octopi.local do you get an IP address from DNS?

Jim

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

So last night I had a hot end "jam" with my Ender 3 V2 printer. I got 2/3's of the way thru a small print and stopped extruding filament. I wasn't there so I'm not sure what happened - I've printed larger prints than the one it was running when it failed. The hot end fans were running when I came back on the scene - so maybe it was some sort of contamination/build up in the hot end that caused the jam? At this point the filament is "stuck" in the tube near the hot end.

I have some replacement tubing on order - it will arrive tomorrow.

This is the first hiccup since January for a bone stock printer.

Cheers

Jim

 

[Bessy]

I treat my pi as a network appliance and never sign into it directly. Everything I've needed to do is from the Octopi web gui - install plugins et al.



Are you using wifi or the ethernet port. I'm using ethernet - less configuration on the pi . . .



If you ping octopi.local do you get an IP address from DNS?



Jim

Using wifi due to printer location in the garage. No easy way to get wired connection there.

I have an IP address for the pi that worked up close to the router itself (verified by plugging into tv as a screen and using keyboard/mouse to navigate) but haven't been able to duplicate this in the garage yet.
For reference the printer is approximately 20-25 feet from the router, with a repeater within 6 feet.



Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk