3d printer

We may earn a small commission from affiliate links and paid advertisements. Terms

Nope. Filling all middle layers to 40%.

First four layers are solid, last four layers are solid, and perimeters are three layers deep.
 
Even with the lowers? You aren't printing 100%? I'd think you'd want the strength, no?

And what layer height are you using for them?
 
Even with the lowers? You aren't printing 100%? I'd think you'd want the strength, no?

And what layer height are you using for them?

.2mm layer height, I'm going to start printing with .125mm height.

You don't want to print it 100%, it's a waste of material.
 
Nope. Filling all middle layers to 40%.

First four layers are solid, last four layers are solid, and perimeters are three layers deep.
Interesting. Sounds like you have much more control over the fill and layer height settings than I do at school.
 
Interesting. Sounds like you have much more control over the fill and layer height settings than I do at school.

stratasys?

Their printers "just work" because they take the really big hammer approach to 3d printing. They use dissoluble support material, which is really cool, but it patented until later this year.
 
The one I use is a MakerBot. There's also one in the senior lab but I'm not sure what software it uses.

MakerWare sort of takes the big hammer approach too. You load your 3D file, slap it on the table, change the fill on the layers as needed, choose an "accuracy" (which is really just 3 different preset layer heights) and click go.
 
Yeah dude, it's all about the controller electronics, slicer, and software. I'd say most of the computation is done with the slicer, because all the controller does is take the g-code and do what it says...

You can probably use something like "Cura" to do the g-code generation, and just load that into the makerbot software. I'm using repetier firmware and client software, but I completely bypass the integrated slicer (slic3r) because now that I have a baseline of settings that work with my printer, I can now use anything, and slic3r is slow compared to Cura.
 
Who wants a prusa mendel i2 printed parts kit? Next week I'm gonna start cranking them out.
 
Got any pics of the printer and a few things you printed
 
I'll take some when I get home. I don't really have any pics up public yet. I'll have some by Monday though.
 
Are you still using the Sanguinololu board? With the Raspberry Pi? How does that work?

I'm lookin at building an i3 with a RUMBA board and smart lcd controller. Still have a lot of learning to do tho lol.

Oh, and yes. I did dig up a 2 year old thread.
 
Are you still using the Sanguinololu board? With the Raspberry Pi? How does that work?

I'm lookin at building an i3 with a RUMBA board and smart lcd controller. Still have a lot of learning to do tho lol.

Oh, and yes. I did dig up a 2 year old thread.

I use a sanguinololu connected to an old macbook pro for my Prusa Mendel i2, which is outfitted as a high-accuracy printer. I use it for smaller items that require extreme dimensional accuracy and very small layer height, with high detail.

I use a raspberry pi on my RigidBot 10^3 running marlin firmware, the Pi runs OctoPi.

They work great. The best thing you can do for yourself is to buy Simplify3D. It's $150, but it's well worth it if you do any kind of highly detailed printing.
 
What makes the i2 so accurate? The motors and drivers?

EDIT: The microstepping capability of the board?
 
It's not the i2 inherently. Mine is setup for 1/16 micro stepping on .9-degree motors, but more than that I have tiny little 8t gears for the belts, and fine-thread z-axis rods.

Everything is very rigid, and I have precision ground scientific stainless steel rods, along with an Aluminium Y-bed, and borosilicate float-glass print surface.

It's only high accuracy because I made it that way.
 
I see. Seems a lot like what I'm looking to do.

On gear sizes, is that a parameter in the firmware or something? Is that all taken care of in initial setup?
 
Upon calibration, you specify the number of steps required to move the print head 1mm on the print bed. You can estimate it, but you're better off busting out the calipers and micrometer to measure a 10x10x10mm cube that's been printed, and adjust accordingly. Once you have external dimensions calibrated, you then need to do things like print a cube with a recess cut for a nickle, and get that working. You'll have to play with extrusion width and extruder steps.

If you don't calibrate it to the actual object, you'll wind up printing out-of-spec objects -- I'm reminded of the makerbot people who design gears at 10mm, and they print at 9.7mm then say "that's just how 3d printers work.)
 
I gotcha. That's similar to how we test our machines at work.

I need to get some time on our water jet to make a frame now.
 
Do you make your own filament too? I've been wanting to get a 3D printer for a while now and the Prusa I2 seems like a good one to start off with.
 
Back
Top