Id stringlengths 1 5 | CreationDate stringdate 2016-01-12 18:45:19 2024-03-04 20:00:27 | Body stringlengths 61 26.1k | Title stringlengths 15 147 | Tags stringlengths 5 86 | Answer stringlengths 40 29.3k ⌀ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2016-01-12T18:45:19.963 | <p>When I've printed an object I've had to choose between high resolution and quick prints. What techniques or technologies can I use or deploy to speed up my high resolution prints?</p>
| How to obtain high resolution prints in a shorter period of time? | |resolution|speed|quality| | <p>For FDM technologies in general with a single extruder, slicing modifications is your only options. However there will be a trade off between quality and speed.
For ABS, changing to a machine with a enclosed build (such as a zortrax) chamber may help and a heated build chamber (Stratasys machine) will help the qual... |
2 | 2016-01-12T18:45:51.287 | <p>I would like to buy a 3D printer, but I'm concerned about the health risks that are associated with its operation. Some groups of scientists say it can be <a href="http://www.techworld.com/news/personal-tech/scientists-warn-of-3d-printing-health-effects-as-tech-hits-high-street-3460992/">harmful</a> for humans.</p>
... | Is 3D printing safe for your health? | |print-material|safety|health| | <p>I am going to address the air issue as it is currently unresolved. the third dimension offers <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/15/188">a great answer for common safety issues</a>.</p>
<p>The short answer is that based on our limited knowledge at this point, there may be imperceptible health hazards re... |
3 | 2016-01-12T18:46:22.083 | <p>I know the minimum layer height will effect how detailed of an item you can print and the amount of time it takes to print something, but is it necessary to have an extremely low minimum layer height if you plan to print only larger objects?</p>
| How important is the minimum layer height on a 3d printer? | |quality|resolution| | <p>In short: no.</p>
<p>Smaller layers will make your prints look nicer. That said, in my experience, most printers can handle roughly the same layer heights, no matter what the manufacturer says it can do. With a little tinkering, you can get any printer to do what you tell it to do.</p>
<p>That said, for larger pri... |
4 | 2016-01-12T18:50:55.973 | <p>Plastic is used in 3D FDM/FFF printing partly because it had a wide temperature range for its glass state - where it can be flowed with some force, but won't flow due only to gravity.</p>
<p>Most metals have a very narrow, or non-existant, glass state. They transition from solid to liquid with almost no flowable-b... | Are there any metals that exhibit a large glass state? | |fdm|material|print-material|metal-parts| | <p>A few things are required for effective extrusion-style 3d printing materials:</p>
<ul>
<li>It must stay where placed by the nozzle long enough to harden (or, alternately for pastes and such, have a shear-thinning or thixotropic viscous profile so it will not flow under its own weight). </li>
<li>If using a filamen... |
5 | 2016-01-12T18:53:53.623 | <p>What are the main differences when using ABS over PLA and vice versa?</p>
| How is PLA different from ABS material? | |filament|abs|fdm|pla| | <p>Basic facts and tips for using and choosing ABS and PLA materials:</p>
<p>Made from:</p>
<pre><code>ABS: Petroleum based
PLA: Corn or other plants
</code></pre>
<p>Smell: </p>
<pre><code>ABS: smell of hot plastic,
PLA: gives off a smell similar to a semi-sweet cooking oil. Less intense smell than ABS.
</code... |
6 | 2016-01-12T18:57:13.350 | <p>My MakerBot printer supports only two filaments at the same time.</p>
<p>What are techniques to print objects with more than two colors for one object?</p>
| Multi-color printing with desktop 3D printer? | |filament|makerbot|dual-nozzle|color| | <p>The standard option is to change out filaments at certain times during the print. Software to add these pauses to your print automatically are around, with one (<a href="http://prusaprinters.org/color-print/" rel="nofollow">ColorPrint</a>). This method works if you only want to change at a certain Z height, and not ... |
11 | 2016-01-12T19:07:53.343 | <p>The surfaces of my printed parts using PLA plastic look rough and uneven.</p>
<p>Would changing filament to a better one make any difference?</p>
<p>If not, what kind of methods can I use to achieve a smoother finish for my for 3D-printed objects?</p>
| How do I give 3D-printed parts in PLA a shiny smooth finish? | |filament|pla|post-processing|surface| | <p>For a cheap method to smooth out your prints, you can use clear nail polish. It will act as a resin-like coat. </p>
|
13 | 2016-01-12T19:18:57.943 | <p>With an ABS or PLA extrusion 3D printer, are there any potentially negative quality differences that could occur if I try to print at a higher resolution?</p>
<p>I am not concerned about print time as the equipment is not under high demand. I am, however, worried the device may be more prone to fracture, likely to... | Resolution Drawbacks | |quality|resolution|fdm| | <p>It's also worth noting that the ratio of nozzle diameter to layer height affects strength. The layer height is typically set slightly smaller than the nozzle diameter, so the nozzle "squeezes" the new plastic onto the previous layer. This is especially important for the first layer, because it affects how well the o... |
14 | 2016-01-12T19:22:14.277 | <p>I would like to print parts (e.g. jewellery) for use which I don't want to look or feel like a plastic, but metal-like, so briefly people won't see much difference.</p>
<p>Are there any specific type of home-printers that can achieve that? Or it's rather kind of filament that you should use?</p>
| How to print metal-like parts? | |filament|metal-parts| | <p>You have several options:</p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>Printing with filaments made up of plastic and metal powder mix</strong>. <a href="http://colorfabb.com/bronzefill" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bronzefill</a> is one example.</p>
<p>While most may argue it doesn't look much like bronze or copper and rather clay, it c... |
16 | 2016-01-12T19:25:52.270 | <p>I am aware of several "clear" filaments for a ABS or PLA printer. They, however, have a cloudy or frosted glass appearance. I do not believe this is possible to eliminate but I believe it can be reduced.</p>
<p>Are there effective ways to make a print have a more transparent appearance?</p>
| Are there any ways to make a 3D print transparent? | |post-processing| | <p>It depends on a lot of factors, type of plastic, whether the parts need to be strong, can you use a vase print, etc. Here's a few thoughts.</p>
<p>PLA - The brand of PLA makes a big difference, some can be printed very clear, some can't. Most of the transparent PLAs I've used print much more clear at around 240°C... |
19 | 2016-01-12T19:28:09.363 | <p>My printed parts consist rafts, supports and other extraneous filament when printing with ABS or PLA.</p>
<p>What are efficient general techniques of removing them?</p>
| How to easily get rid of rafts and support structures? | |support-structures|post-processing|rafts| | <p>I usually use a chisel or a flat-head screwdriver to easily remove the bottom plate that the printer auto-generates. I would also suggest using something like wire cutters or some mini pliers to pull them off.</p>
|
20 | 2016-01-12T19:30:45.060 | <p>I would like to understand the differences between rafts, skirts and brims. They appear in the software which I'm using to edit my 3D objects.</p>
<p>Can anybody elaborate what are these and what are the main differences between them?</p>
| What are main differences between rafts, skirts and brims? | |rafts|brims| | <p><strong>Rafts:</strong></p>
<p>Rafts are a few layers of plastic a placed on the printing surface before the object is printed. If non water dissoluble filament is used, a bit of an air gap will be placed between the raft and the print itself so it can be removed easily. A raft can help a print stick to the printi... |
22 | 2016-01-12T19:33:04.263 | <p>I've acquired all the parts to build a Reprap Prusa i3 rework, the only missing part is the frame. </p>
<p>I'm in doubt between a MDF cut (cheaper) or acrylic (more expensive), of course a cheaper one is my preferred option until I see any disadvantage on making it of wood. </p>
<p>I thought about variables like h... | Is the weather a problem for MDF frames? | |reprap|prusa-i3-rework| | <p>I want to add the following to the already direct and very good answer of @Dani Epstein. It does not answer your question, but hopefully may help many people who are reading the question when choosing between the two materials.</p>
<p>Acrylic is less stable and will probably wear off faster than a well-built MDF fr... |
28 | 2016-01-12T19:39:43.650 | <p>I've seen article about <a href="http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Worlds-first-3D-printed-bike-2014.html" rel="nofollow">World's First 3D Printed Bike</a>.</p>
<p>What kind of printer is required to do that, briefly how long it takes and how much does it cost? Is this even achievable at home? Doesn't need to be that sp... | How to 3D print a bike? | |cost|estimation| | <p>You will need a laser sintering or lasercusing printer, which will not be something you can buy for home use. They are horribly expensive.</p>
<p>You could always print this in PLA or ABS and cast it in aluminium. Then you have to find a safe method to test the result, because casting is not quite as simple as it l... |
33 | 2016-01-12T19:52:25.430 | <p>There is a 3D desktop printer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RepRap_project">RepRap</a> which can print most of its own components.</p>
<p>Assuming each printed printer will print the next one and so on. Are there any limitation how many times this can be achieved?</p>
<p>For example somebody printed for m... | How many times printed printer can print it-self? | |reprap|desktop-printer|replicating-printers| | <p>The reprap printers have often been compared to plants, providing fruits to you and the possibility to reproduce themselves.</p>
<p>This analogy holds in both good and bad ways. Any life form can reproduce itself only so often without artefacts (mutations) being introduced.</p>
<p>It takes a bit of <strong>skill t... |
38 | 2016-01-12T19:59:15.953 | <p>I have a few kg of 3 mm filament when I only have use for 1.75 mm.</p>
<p>How can I make 1.75 mm from 3 mm filament?</p>
| Conversion of 3 mm ABS filament to 1.75 mm | |filament|filament-production| | <p>You could build a machine that has a nozzle with 3 mm input hole and 1.75 mm output hole, based on some designs for filament making machines. Or you could just cut the filament into little peaces and use them instead of the granulate in an original filament making machines.</p>
<p>There are some open designs for su... |
48 | 2016-01-12T20:16:01.823 | <p>I am printing a print using PLA on a Prusa i3 printer and an MK8 extruder, at 210 degrees celsius, 60 mm/sec, sliced with slic3r. The print consists of a base, with 4 tower-like projections that then join with a near-vertical overhang slope that isn't posing a problem for my printer.</p>
<p>However, even before the... | What are the reasons for my 3D prints having large numbers of strings between parts of a layer? | |quality|fdm|pla|extrusion| | <p>Here's just a few of the things you might want to look into.</p>
<ul>
<li>plastic - some plastic types are more stringy than others and there's also variation between brands and colors.</li>
<li>moisture in filament - water turning to steam tends to cause the extruder to ooze when it isn't printing, which can cause... |
49 | 2016-01-12T20:16:38.260 | <p>When using thermoplastic-filament, this can be potentially <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/q/2/20">hazardous</a>, since constant printing can emit hazardous fumes and odors that may be emitted by heating the plastics.</p>
<p>I understand it normally should be used in well ventilated areas. However I w... | Are there any methods of limiting exposure of hazardous fumes and odors emitted by heating the plastics? | |filament|desktop-printer|safety| | <p>Using negative pressure ventilation and a suitable organic filter will limit your exposure to toxic compounds, but won't completely remove them from your environment.</p>
<p>Enclose your printer in as air-tight a box as you can manage, then use a fan to suck air out of the box. This negative pressure will ensure t... |
59 | 2016-01-12T20:37:19.573 | <p>Is it possible to re-use ABS or PLA filament material from printed parts?</p>
<p>If so, what is the techniques to reform it?</p>
| How to recycle filament material from printed parts? | |pla|abs|recycling|filament-production| | <p>If you're more interested in the recycling and reuse aspect than the re-print aspect, you could melt all the scrap filament onto a cookie sheet or into a bar (like in a bread ban). You could then manually work the material, or use a CNC machine to carve out your next thing.</p>
<p>This <a href="https://www.youtube.... |
61 | 2016-01-12T20:40:43.047 | <p>I print ABS on a LulzBot Taz 5 and frequently have issues with the corners of objects lifting off the bed.</p>
<p>My extruder is at 230 °C and the bed is at 90 °C for the first layer and 100 °C for the rest of the layers.</p>
<p>I have experimented with using ABS slurry (ABS + acetone) on the bed fo... | Why do the corners of my ABS object lift off the bed? | |extruder|abs|heated-bed|lulzbot| | <p>This post is meant to share experience with products that make your products stick to the bed. This is not meant to be a promotion of the products! In other answers I've seen answers hinting to Elmer's glue sticks.</p>
<p>I have been printing directly onto the aluminium heatbed from day 2 of the i3 Prusa clone (Ane... |
65 | 2016-01-12T20:49:28.873 | <p>Taken from the <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/60/47">answer provided by @EricJohnson</a>,</p>
<p>When should I use a raft, and when should I use a brim? What advantages does each have over the other?</p>
<p>Raft
<a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/rOghM.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sta... | When should I use a raft, when should I use a brim? | |rafts|brims| | <p>I have been favoring brims recently; I am tired of the rafts becoming an integral part of my print, impossible to remove.</p>
|
70 | 2016-01-12T21:00:36.337 | <p>My print is warping and I suspect it is because of uneven cooling.</p>
<p>How can ensure my print cools evenly? Should I put a fan on the bed? Will no fan and a tall skirt help?</p>
<p>Or are my edges curling up for another reason?</p>
| My print is warping: how can I ensure that it cools evenly? | |adhesion|warping|cooling| | <p>Without more information we cannot address what is causing your edges to turn up. This can depend on the model being printed, the process, the material, the bed, and the method used to bond it to the bed.</p>
<p>As far as the initial question, a fan will most certainly ensure <em>uneven</em> cooling.</p>
<p>The mi... |
78 | 2016-01-12T21:30:33.083 | <p>I made a test print for a small gear (~ 1.5 inches in diameter) a few months ago, with a hole through the center. On the first try, the filament (ABS) fused to the print bed, meaning that I had to spend ten minutes scraping off material to loosen it. One solution to this is to use painter's tape spread across the pr... | How can I stop my print bed tape from sticking to the filament? | |abs|filament|maintenance| | <p>One thing that I do to keep it from sticking to the tape. Is to add glue from a glue stick down on the building pad in an even coat on top of the tape.</p>
|
81 | 2016-01-12T21:50:45.197 | <p>Acetone can be used to smooth ABS prints. What safety precautions should be taken during its use?</p>
| Safety precautions when using acetone | |abs|acetone|safety| | <h1>Safety Advice for Acetone Handling/Usage</h1>
<hr>
<p><strong><em>Please remember that you handle acetone at your own risk! By using this advice you agree to hold me harmless and not sue me as a result of using these instructions/advice. Remember that I am not a professional chemist or a lawyer (this isn't profes... |
83 | 2016-01-12T21:55:29.397 | <p>I would like to print multiple parts continuously (non-interactively), so
I can leave the printer alone for a longer time. So after finish, parts could be moved somehow out from the printing area, so the next can start.</p>
<p>Are there any methods of achieving that with standard desktop printers without having to ... | How to automate printing of multiple parts continuously? | |desktop-printer|automation| | <p>I've recently seen a video of this being done successfully with almost no hardware modifications to the printer.</p>
<p>Unfortunately I can't find the video itself any more, but the basic idea is to use the print head/gantry to knock the finished prints off the table, likely by adding some custom commands to the end... |
84 | 2016-01-12T21:57:01.307 | <p>For standard ABS and PLA filament, most distributors recommend storing the filament in an airtight bag. Does not doing this actually make print quality worse? I have left mine in the open for a year and have had no noticeable problems.</p>
| Does filament have to be stored in an airtight environment? | |filament|pla|abs|storage| | <p>In most cases, you should be fine with ABS or PLA out of an airtight container. If you're worried about it, throw a few desiccant packets where you store your filament.</p>
<p>However, some specialty filaments should be stored in an airtight container. PVA is notorious for absorbing the ambient humidity around it. ... |
92 | 2016-01-12T22:13:01.437 | <p>I'm considering purchasing Filabot or some similar filament maker.</p>
<p>What kind of plastic can I use to produce my own filament? Can I use any type of plastic or just specific printable filaments? <strike>Can I also mix different types of filament together or only one type at a time?</strike></p>
| What type of plastic can be used to produce your own filament? | |filament-production|filament-quality| | <p>Filament manufacturers (for example, Colorfabb) also sell pellets, price per kilo would be about 10 times less than the same plastic in filament form.</p>
<p>Out of household garbage only ABS can be easily extruded into filament with Filabot-grade machine. PET AKA plastic bottles looks promising as well.</p>
<p>Yo... |
103 | 2016-01-12T23:39:20.770 | <p>Is there any regulation against a 3D printed weapon in the United States or Europe?</p>
<p>Some time ago, I saw <a href="http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1579449-crean-la-primera-arma-de-fuego-con-una-impresora-3d" rel="noreferrer">an article</a> in Israel where they had one that was not detected by the x-ray and was ful... | Is it legal to make a fire weapon with a 3D printer? | |legal| | <p><strong>Sort of.</strong></p>
<p>Fully plastic guns are banned in the United States by <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-102/pdf/STATUTE-102-Pg3816.pdf" rel="nofollow">the Undetectable Firearms Act</a>, because <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/fashion/the-rise-of-3-d-printed-guns.html" rel="no... |
107 | 2016-01-13T00:41:32.907 | <p>I have a 3d printer that uses ABS filament. The software I use will generate vertical supports for my objects before printing that can be easily broken off after they have been used during print to hold sharp angles up that would normally fall.</p>
<p>After breaking off the stints, the print is far from smooth. Is ... | What can I use to "sand" my ABS prints? | |abs|post-processing|support-structures|support-material|surface| | <p>I normally deburr with a deburring tool:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/2klww.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/2klww.png" alt="deburring tool"></a></p>
<p>Then I file if needed, then I hit it with a scotch brite pad:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/XAfxO.jpg"... |
132 | 2016-01-13T02:13:54.357 | <p>When you add a raft in Slic3r, the first layer of the raft prints at the first layer speed. After the raft is finished, the first layer of the print prints at the standard speed. How can I make the first layer of the actual print slow down to the first layer speed?</p>
| How can I set the 1st layer after a raft in Slic3r to print at 1st layer speed | |speed|slic3r| | <p>This is still work in progress, and here is what I have so far, but first:</p>
<p><strong>A useful alternative for similar problems:</strong></p>
<p>A problem very similar to this would be to use different settings for different parts of a model in Slic3r. For most settings, this can be achieved through <a href="h... |
134 | 2016-01-13T02:39:47.150 | <p>Assuming you have a high quality printer with a fast processor, will you see a noticeable improvement by upgrading from 16X/32X microstepping drivers to 64X/128X microstepping drivers? (e.g. smoother surface finish). In what ways do they perform differently from the more common 16X or 32X stepper drivers. I'm thin... | What are the benefits to using 128X microstepping drivers on the X and Y axis of a FFF printer? | |microstepping|stepper| | <p>You will likely not see a noticeable improvement by upgrading from a 16x or 32x to a 64x or 128x microstepping driver. Depending on the motors you're driving and the size of the load you could actually see a decrease in quality.</p>
<p>Although microstepping increases theoretical resolution it does not necessarily ... |
140 | 2016-01-13T04:14:31.923 | <p>I've had my printer for almost a year now.</p>
<p>Is there something I should be doing to maintain the motors?</p>
| Do stepper motors require any maintenance? | |electronics|maintenance|mechanics|stepper| | <p>The stepper motor itself does not. You may want to inspect the motors for debris or dust.</p>
<p>Depending on your configuration you may want to check on parts of your printer that connect to your stepper motor such as shaft couplings, pulleys, lead screws/threaded rods and belts. The stepper motor wires should o... |
147 | 2016-01-13T05:44:21.367 | <p>What materials which are <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/materials/">commonly used in 3D printing</a>, are food-safe?</p>
<p>Are there any certifications/grading process for such materials, which can help me with my cross-checking and selection?</p>
<hr>
<p>I have been using an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org... | Which are the food-safe materials and how do I recognize them? | |material|safety|food| | <p>I have looked at this a lot, both from the standpoint of my own use, and of selling items on Etsy.</p>
<p>As far as I can determine, PLA and ABS are both generally safe. </p>
<p>The FDA lists ABS and PLA as safe plastics for food contact, although some pigments and additives can bring their own problems. ABS is ni... |
149 | 2016-01-13T06:35:47.820 | <p>Suddenly, my printer has started producing prints that have a very pronounced layering. Normally, the alignment between layers is very good, and the prints look very smooth. Suddenly, the prints have become much worse and the layers are misaligned with respect to each other.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.co... | What can cause a sudden and dramatic loss in the inter-layer registration of my prints? | |fdm|abs|print-quality| | <p>It appears the heatbreak of my E3D nozzle had worked itself loose from the heatsink, allowing the nozzle to wobble around a bit. Because the nozzle was still tight against the heatbreak I didn't experience any issues with my hotend, but because the heatbreak was slightly loose the nozzle wasn't properly constrained ... |
150 | 2016-01-13T06:38:38.630 | <p>I am working on a robotics project and need to print some gears. These will probably by under a LOT of pressure. Which material/filament should I choose so that the gears don't wear off easily?</p>
<p>PS: Newbie here...</p>
<p><strong>EDIT:</strong>
According to my instuctor, it has to be some sort of plastic (not... | Which are the strongest and most durable materials? | |filament|material| | <p>Filaments that are intended for making parts that require strange should be rated by the manufacturer for strength and flexibility.</p>
<p>You need to calculate the required strength and then choose a material with higher rating</p>
<p>For example the rating for filaments made by Taulman are at <a href="http://www... |
164 | 2016-01-13T12:25:55.097 | <p>Assuming I've 3D design (or I've created one) which looks very similar to Lego bricks, I am allowed to 3D print them for my personal use?</p>
<p>Do I need to obtain some permission to do so, because of some patents? Or how does it work?</p>
| Can I print my own Lego bricks? | |legal|bricks| | <p>The patents that cover Lego bricks have expired, so you are free to print bricks using the same interlocking system. You are even allowed to offer such prints commercially.</p>
<p>What is not allowed (and a violation of trademark law) is to call them "Lego bricks" or use Lego's logo. "Compatible with Lego" on the o... |
168 | 2016-01-13T12:36:34.530 | <p>Assuming I've extracted 3D models from a game which I legally bought (such as StarCraft). I am allowed to 3D print them for personal use or give it to close friends?</p>
<p>Is there any general rule, or this suppose to be specified in the license? If so, which section/clause potentially can prevent me from doing th... | I've exported 3D models from the game, can I print them? | |legal|3d-models| | <p>No. Such figures are generally covered by copyright, which means that nobody but the copyright holder is allowed to (re-)produce copies of the work. Copyright also covers personal use. In the US there are limited fair use exceptions but they do not apply here.</p>
<p>The only way to do this legally is if it is spec... |
171 | 2016-01-13T12:52:32.577 | <p>I would like to print edible cookies or ornamentation for a cake.</p>
<p>Is printing with edible materials achievable by standard thermoplastic-like 3D desktop printer? Or you need to buy a special printer to do that?</p>
| How to print edible food? | |desktop-printer|food| | <p>MakerBot Industries had a mod available for their early open source machines called the <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1143" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Frostruder</a>. It was basically a syringe connected to your print head. I saw this in action at the University of Washington a long time ago. Check out t... |
181 | 2016-01-13T14:12:10.063 | <p>I would like to print fancy plastic cutlery sets or plastic glasses.</p>
<p>Is it safe to do it? Or bad for your health, if so, why?</p>
| Can you use PLA material with food and drinks? | |pla|safety|health|food| | <p>As others have pointed out, PLA isn't specifically not food safe, but materials that have been printed previously can contaminate the PLA.</p>
<p>Additionally, anything 3D printed is extremely porous. Once a part is used for food, moisture and bacteria will accumulate in the pores, and can never be completely clean... |
182 | 2016-01-13T14:12:59.173 | <p>In my slicing software (Slic3r) some of the vertices/walls of my model seem to have disappeared, so that the inside of the model - which should be solid - is visible, while the surface appears as a thin shell.</p>
<p>Why does this happen? Is it still safe to export the model for printing?</p>
| Why do some models appear broken in slicing software? | |slic3r|print-preparation|slicing|g-code| | <p>Had similar problems with blender <-> Slic3r, modified a stl in blender then slic3r started acting up, showing strange faces where it shouldn't.
The solution was (as suggested by @tbm0115) to solidify the exported object.
Just add a Solidify modifier to the object(no need to apply), and when exporting to stl make... |
191 | 2016-01-13T14:36:43.710 | <p>I'm interested in designing & 3D printing as a hobby (e.g. printing chess sets, small toys for family etc.)</p>
<p>Conducting a Google search has brought up a range of small, cheap printers, but beyond that I don't know how to differentiate them.</p>
<p>E.g. selling points include:</p>
<ul>
<li>"liquid light-... | What criteria do I need to be aware of when buying a 3D printer for personal use? | |desktop-printer| | <p>The number one most important thing about a 3-d printer is the Extruder/PrintHead component. If these are buggy, the printer is worthless. Seems like most printers are pretty good with everything else. The place that they die is in the Extruder/Print Head assembly.</p>
<p>The second most important thing is quali... |
198 | 2016-01-13T16:47:37.063 | <p>I'm reading about wiring up the electronic components to my Prusa i3 using an Arduino Mega 2650 and Ramps 1.4.</p>
<p>I have step sticks, a heated bed, and a <a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B007KG0ZYI" rel="noreferrer">Switching Power Supply 12v Dc 30a 360w</a> (more details on that later when I ... | Tips for not burning out my Arduino Mega or catching something on fire when wiring a Prusa i3? | |reprap|prusa-i3|ramps-1.4|arduino-mega-2650| | <p>Adding to the other answers:</p>
<ul>
<li>ALWAYS power-off the printer completely and make sure it is not receiving any power from any source (could be receiving power from USB after you turned the power supply off).</li>
<li>Avoid loose wires, and before powering the printer on make sure every wire is connected in... |
203 | 2016-01-13T17:57:10.633 | <p>I have noticed that <a href="http://slic3r.org/" rel="noreferrer">Slic3r</a> offers a speed setting called "<a href="http://slic3r.org/blog/new-stable-1.2.9" rel="noreferrer">auto speed</a>" meant to give a constant filament pressure at the extruder, which I believe could eliminate filament grinding issues at higher... | How can I calculate volumetric speed for Slic3r auto speed? | |slic3r|print-preparation| | <p>There's no fixed maximum volumetric speed that works for everyone, there's simply too much variables to account for.
By using @Ian Williams explanation you can convert from volumetric to regular speeds but you still need to test what speed works best for your setup.</p>
<p>Just a few of the other variables affectin... |
204 | 2016-01-13T18:02:27.633 | <p>I upgraded to an Mk9 dual extruder, and it came with thermocouples installed instead of the thermistors I had before. </p>
<p>No matter what I did with the thermocouples, the indicated temperature jumped around by as much as 30C or more. In short, after several weeks of fiddling I never got the thermocouples to wor... | How to get consistent and accurate readings from thermocouples? | |extruder|maintenance| | <p>Thermocouples work by passively generating VERY small voltages via the Seebeck effect -- usually a few tens of millivolts. They're literally just a pair of wires made from two different special alloys, electrically connected together at the "hot" end. That wire junction can be mounted inside whatever kind of attachm... |
210 | 2016-01-13T20:35:45.770 | <p>How do I determine how much an individual print costs?</p>
<p>I'd like an answer including support material, failed prints, and (ideally) wear and tear / printer maintenance costs.</p>
<p>To clarify, I'm not asking how to <em>predict</em> the cost before printing, but rather how to calculate the actual cost after ... | How do I calculate the cost of a 3D print once it's done? | |cost| | <p>I recently faced the problem of calculating the cost of my printed 3D models. I wanted to know what their real value had to be counted in Excel. It was really inconvenient. Then I found a program for counting, it turned out really great, even takes into account the electricity. This is not an advertisement just thr... |
212 | 2016-01-13T20:46:13.137 | <p>When the print head changes direction, the printer must accelerate and decelerate the print head. When calibrated correctly, the printer is able to do this quickly and without causing the printer to shake too much, without drastically slowing down the print process.</p>
<p>If I set it too high, my printer shakes vi... | How do I determine the acceleration value for my printer? | |calibration| | <p>Most printers use between 2000 and 5000 mm/s<sup>2</sup>.... extrusion moves are usually 2000 (on average, between different printers), travel is normally seen at 3000-5000, though for most lower end or duel direct drive extruder (heavy) printers, this value should be lower (some as low as 500-1000, some as high as ... |
214 | 2016-01-13T20:50:38.520 | <p>Using a thermoplastic MDF printer with a 0.4mm extruder nozzle, I frequently have trouble with the nozzle getting clogged.</p>
<p>I am not sure what's causing the clog, but my guesses are dust and/or burnt filament (from leaving the hot end on without extruding).</p>
<p>What can I do to prevent, or at least minimi... | How do I keep my extruder head from getting clogged? | |extruder|fdm|maintenance|extrusion| | <p>First, you don't.</p>
<p>To reduce the likelyhood, use good plastics without contaminations. </p>
<p>Do not over heat the plastic, causes faster carbon build up.</p>
<p>Buy hand drills, mini drills to clear it.</p>
<p>Don't switch materials around a lot. Low temp plastic residue will cook when you switch to high... |
216 | 2016-01-13T21:00:04.907 | <p>My thermoplastic FDM printer has a heated bed and uses glass as the printing surface. Sometimes the glass will chip or break entirely when I'm removing my print. This happens most often when the print has a large area in contact with the glass.</p>
<p>What can I do to keep this from happening?</p>
| My heated glass print bed keeps chipping and cracking. How can I prevent this? | |fdm|heated-bed|hbp|fff| | <p>I have 2 suggestions.</p>
<p>First, get better glass. high quality <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borosilicate_glass" rel="nofollow noreferrer">borosilicate plate glass</a> at least 3 mm thick should shrug off even scraping with a razor. </p>
<p>Second, don't scrape it with a razor, put the whole thin... |
229 | 2016-01-13T23:34:03.707 | <p>I am reconfiguring a Printrbot Simple Metal that has been retrofitted with a RAMPS+Arduino Mega running Marlin, with a fairly slow feedrate due to mechanical and quality limitations.</p>
<p>I am finding that upon cancelling a print where something goes wrong, I have a long period of time in which the printer is con... | How do I set the G-code buffer size on Marlin? | |g-code|firmware|marlin| | <p>Marlin does allow one to change the size of the buffers, in <code>Configuration_adv.h</code>. In the current version there's an ifdef that switches between two cases, one with SD support, and the other without. Both have a movement planner of size 16, which can be adjusted.</p>
<p>Additionally, in the same file, <c... |
233 | 2016-01-14T00:23:36.260 | <p>I often switch my print material, i.e. ABS / PLA / Wood / Flex,</p>
<p>How can I best clean out my extruder between them to ensure I don't contaminate my next print?</p>
| How should I clean my extruder when changing materials? | |maintenance|print-material|extruder| | <p>eSun has a cleaning filament that extrudes at a wide range of temperatures. It may seem ridiculous to use filament that costs over $100 USD per kilo to purge the nozzle, but it's very convenient and in practice, you don't use much each time (it's sold in 100g packs). I'm still using some samples I received with so... |
239 | 2016-01-14T05:15:09.270 | <p>After multiple jams from bulging filaments on two spools I'm getting frustrated. One, right before a job was done.</p>
<p>Is there something I can do to prevent these bulges in filaments from ruining jobs?</p>
<p>What can I do to prevent this from happening in the future before it's a disaster?</p>
<p>He's a pic... | Bulging filaments - How can catch them before they go in the printer | |filament| | <p>That's my picture :-)</p>
<p>I use a filament monitor with an encoder wheel that pauses the print if the filament stops moving (because a bulge got stuck, or filament ran out, or the hot end jammed, or whatever). I have a bunch of these on multiple printers: <a href="http://www.toybuilderlabs.com/products/tunell-3d... |
242 | 2016-01-14T06:54:46.547 | <p>My Kossel Mini printer (delta) has RAMPS1.4/Arduino Mega electronics configured to use a standard 20x4 LCD display with Marlin during printing.</p>
<p>Often, navigating the menus during print can be painfully slow, and I occasionally end up making the wrong selections due to lag.</p>
<p>Without starving the actual... | Marlin menu navigation slow while printing | |slic3r|ramps-1.4|arduino-mega-2650|marlin| | <p>A Delta printer requires constant complex calculations to produce straight lines while printing. The firmware, therefore, spends most of its time figuring out the step and timing sequence, and only the little remaining time between interrupts and these calculations is given to the user interface.</p>
<p><a href="h... |
250 | 2016-01-14T19:34:50.137 | <p>I am designing a part that has to clamp around a 11mm bushing, and due to other design constraints, it has to be printed with a semicircle-shaped overhang:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/LcLSm.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/LcLSm.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>... | How to print an overhanging arc | |fdm|support-material| | <p>I had to design something rather like this, but I made the part that wraps around the pipe (pipe in my case - bushing in yours) into a separate piece that slotted into the main arch. </p>
<p>That way, the main arch could be printed with poor precision on the overhang, and the sleeve was printed on its side. It took... |
253 | 2016-01-14T21:48:19.053 | <p>I'm thinking of recycling some filament from a couple of recently failed prints. I can reuse them in the future for basic prototypes, so I'm not concerned with whatever weird mixture of colors come out (they are of a few different colors).</p>
<p>The thing is, I have both PLA and ABS, in small quantities. I origina... | Can I mix ABS and PLA when recycling filament? | |abs|pla|filament|recycling| | <p>CNC Kitchen tested PLA up to 265 °C or 270 °C in a couple of videos, for example</p>
<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
<iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mwS_2R2mIvo?start=0"></iframe>
</div></div></p>
<p>The plastic (it may depend on the brand) ho... |
256 | 2016-01-14T22:29:05.317 | <p>I am operating a laser sintering machine, using polyamide 2200 powder (with a grain size of approximately 50 micrometers). During a print, a lot of powder goes unsintered and can theoretically be reused. However, using purely recycled powder degrades print quality to an unacceptable level.</p>
<p>Mixing a little us... | Optimal ratio of fresh to used nylon powder | |quality|recycling|sls| | <p>I currently use the 60/40 recycling mix ratio and find that it works very well. I do however wonder if there is an even more effective ratio in order to recycle used powder. I currently discard all "cake" powder (powder remaining in the build piston) and am only "recycling" the push off powder. I found this paper... |
258 | 2016-01-15T00:47:30.323 | <p>Usually it will either will rip the tape, or break the print somehow. Currently using ABS on a taped glass bed with a layer of hairspray for adhesion.</p>
| How to minimize damage when removing an ABS print from a heated glass print bed? | |heated-bed|abs|desktop-printer| | <p>Glass has a very peculiar effect under heating, that can be used to remove extremely delicate parts from the surface of it:</p>
<p>Glass expands and shrinks differently to the ABS under temperature. Letting the glass bed cool down has it shrink, creating tension on the interface layer which can be exploited with a ... |
259 | 2016-01-15T01:07:58.893 | <p>Let's say I print a part out of ABS and wait for it to cool. I could theoretically do this with several copies of the same printer, modified to use print beds of different compositions.</p>
<p>Will the material a bed is made out of affect how long it takes a part to cool?</p>
| Does the material a bed is made out of affect the cooling time of a part? | |heated-bed|hbp|cooling| | <p><strong>What bed material cools faster?</strong></p>
<p>I found an <a href="http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html">extensive list</a> which relates various materials to their <em>thermal conductivity</em>, k [W/mK]; the lower thermal conductivity, the better the material insulates, and t... |
264 | 2016-01-15T07:04:09.510 | <p>Why do we have two standard filament sizes, 1.75 mm and 3 mm? Does it really make a difference when printing? Or is the 1.75 mm just for smaller printers?</p>
<p>In what situations should I be using 1.75 mm?</p>
<p>When should I be using 3 mm?</p>
| When to use 1.75 mm vs 3 mm filament? | |fdm|filament|extruder| | <p>As I read the history, 3 mm filament was an accident of the supply chain when 3D filament printers were first being developed by hobbyists. There was a product called a "plastic welder" which consisted of a melting device and a source of filler material. This filler was 3 mm plastic.</p>
<p>As the techn... |
269 | 2016-01-15T13:05:05.660 | <p>As an extension from <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/264/when-to-use-1-75mm-vs-3mm-filament">this</a> question, is there any reason that you would not be able to use 1.75 mm filament in a printer that takes 3mm filament? I know you would have to change the filament size in the slicing o... | Can 1.75 mm filament be used in a printer that takes 3 mm filament? | |filament|extruder| | <p>Typically an extruder and hot end are designed for one or the other, and cannot support the other without mechanical changes.</p>
<p>The extruder may not be able to grip a smaller diameter filament with enough force to assure even feeding and retraction.</p>
<p>The hot end, however, is much more complex. The filam... |
271 | 2016-01-15T16:33:07.330 | <p>I've been printing for a week now on my new printer and have been getting great results, including great adhesion. However, most of my prints have had a fairly small footprint.</p>
<p>Now, I'm stepping up the types of items I'm printing, and I've started to run into a problem. Long, thin parts are starting to lift ... | Troubleshooting poor adhesion at the edge of the bed | |pla|adhesion|warping| | <p>Try a dilute solution of PVA glue (approx. 5:1 water:PVA) applied to the bed or the BuildTak like sheet and allowed to dry.
Keep the ambient temperature as high as possible (but not so high as to soften any plastic on the printer obviously).
Big brims help - consider adding them to the model rather than just apply... |
279 | 2016-01-16T00:11:52.217 | <p>With <a href="/questions/tagged/fdm" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged 'fdm'" rel="tag">fdm</a> printers, the 3D object that should be printed can be positioned anywhere in the build volume. But it's only practical to place it on the bottom, because otherwise support material would be necessary.<... | Is packing multiple prints into the build volume a feasible workflow for powderbed printers? | |sls|slm| | <p>The print speed for powderbed printing depends primarily on the height of the print; the lateral extent doesn't really matter. Since powderbed printing provides its own easily-removed support structure, a packing that maximizes the number of items and minimizes the height will maximize throughput.</p>
|
294 | 2016-01-16T13:28:24.050 | <p>I am building a Prusa i3 Rework, and I haven't been able to find out how to attach my J-Head extruder (see below), at the moment it's just kind of held there by pressure, but it seems there are two holes on ether side of it; not sure if they're meant to hold it in place, but it seems that way. </p>
<p><a href="htt... | How is a J-Head Extruder Head attached to the Prusa i3 rework? | |reprap|prusa-i3|prusa-i3-rework| | <p>It looks like the hotend may not be all the way in, are you sure it's not stuck?</p>
<p>If it's stuck and you can get it in further, those holes should go directly through the smaller ring on top of the J-Head. You just need to run a machine screw into each hole to secure the hotend. The screw will need to at leas... |
296 | 2016-01-16T14:40:27.247 | <p>From what I understand, when you hook up the <a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B007KG0ZYI">Switching Power Supply 12v Dc 30a 360w</a> to the wall outlet, you have to be <strong>very careful</strong>; careful not to get the wires mixed up; careful not to have anyone or anything touch the leads (in fac... | Are these the right types of electrical connectors for hooking my Switching Power Supply up to a wall outlet? | |wiring|switching-power-supply| | <p>The block on the supply will accept the bare wire</p>
<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/En7sd.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/En7sd.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
<p>you <em>could</em> use the yellow in the middle on the right, but the screw on the block ess... |
303 | 2016-01-16T20:21:06.633 | <p><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/1115.html">This article</a> states that 3D printing has been accomplished in outer space, on the International Space Station.</p>
<p>I'm curious as to how this works differently from 3D printing on Earth. Are there any extra measures that neede... | How is 3D printing done in space? | |applications| | <p>The first big space-specific issue is actually air quality. You can't just open a window to air out the molten-ABS smell from the ISS! </p>
<p>FFF printers put out fumes and nanoparticles. In a space station, the same air gets recycled over and over, and the air purification systems have a specific set of contamina... |
309 | 2016-01-17T01:23:41.323 | <p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/CJArK.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/CJArK.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
<p>The Sainsmart Endstops I picked up are different from the ones described in the RepRap Prusa i3 Rework electronics assembly wiki; they have 4 female ... | My endstops have 4 female plugs, but the examples on the RepRap Prusa i3 Site have 3; what are each of them for? | |prusa-i3-rework| | <p>The <a href="http://www.sainsmart.com/sainsmart-mechanical-endstop-for-cnc-3d-printer-reprap-makerbot-prusa-mendel-ramps.html" rel="nofollow">website</a> shows exactly what each wire is for. Both middle wires are ground, the wire on the same side as the lever is the signal wire and the last wire is the power wire.<... |
313 | 2016-01-17T13:27:51.030 | <p>My printed objects have horizontal holes in them (as seen I the picture below):
<a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/tSNwG.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/tSNwG.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
<p>This doesn't only look bad it also makes the object break at the seems... | Holes/ missing layers (after retraction) in 3d printed objects | |extrusion| | <p>(answering my own question)</p>
<p>The problem was the extrusion distance settings in Cura's advanced tab, reducing the value to 1.5mm solved the problem.</p>
<p>Other problems with the same symptoms:</p>
<ul>
<li>Partially blocked hotend nozzle.</li>
<li>Incorrectly configured steps per mm for the extruder motor... |
319 | 2016-01-18T10:29:58.050 | <p>Are there any techniques for getting a smooth finish for parts printed with co-polyester (PET) filaments? More specifically, I am looking for an alternative that does not roughen the look of the part - such as using sandpaper - but rather works like acetone baths for ABS.</p>
<p>In particular, I want to treat Color... | How to smooth the surface of parts printed with Co-polyester (PET) filament | |filament|post-processing|pet| | <p>Ethyl acetate (sold as a MEK substitute) is supposed to work for vapor smoothing PET. It doesn't seem very toxic (it's used to decaffinate cofee and tea, and as a nail polish remover), but you might want to look more into it. There's a post on Printed Solid's blog where he vapor smoothed colorFabb XT and MadeSolid... |
322 | 2016-01-18T12:33:22.370 | <p>When designing parts that should either fit with external objects or other printed parts, what measures can one take to ensure that the dimensions of the final print are accurate and fit the other object?</p>
<p>To my knowledge, you at least have two options to account for printer inaccuracy and shrinkage:</p>
<ul... | How to achieve dimensional accuracy of printed parts? | |desktop-printer|print-preparation| | <p>I print several pats that use 2.5mm "Pogo pins" which are spring-loaded electric contacts. I've found that many variables will influence the size of the holes I have in my design. Flow, temperature even different brands of filament will change the final size.</p>
<p>I create a profile for each part and specific f... |
331 | 2016-01-19T02:32:34.107 | <p>I upgraded to a dual Mk9 extruder, and quickly discovered how critical it is to get the ends of both nozzles exactly level with each other -- that is, equally distant from the build plate at all times. Otherwise the lower one will crash against the plastic just extruded by the higher one.</p>
<p>So, what's a good p... | Levelling heads for dual extruder | |dual-nozzle| | <p>Another option, that I found was the simplest one that worked for me: </p>
<ol>
<li>Level your bed using just the first nozzle (temporarily lock the 2nd nozzle higher than the 1st one).</li>
<li>Move the printhead at the center of the bed</li>
<li>Loosen the grub screws on both nozzles (IMPORTANT, don't skip this s... |
339 | 2016-01-19T15:36:34.467 | <p>My Replicator (you know, the one made of balsa wood) has blown a voltage regulator on its MightyBoard for the second time. The first time, MakerBot graciously replaced it. However, they replaced with the same model board with no apparent fix for the commonly faulty voltage regulator. I can't afford the now $500 repl... | MakerBot Replicator 1 Voltage Regulator Fix | |fdm|makerbot|replicator-dual|mightyboard|fff| | <p>What's the part number of the regulator you're putting in? The pin assignments vary from one part to another, but you can probably find them from the part number online. Some parts have the ground pin also connected to a metal part of their case. The green wire from the board <em>should</em> be ground (no promises!)... |
341 | 2016-01-19T21:21:46.710 | <p>I just received this printer and while it seems to talk to Makerbot Desktop software I'm not sure if I should be trying to update the firmware.</p>
<p>The printer comes with firmware v7.2 and while Makerbot Desktop offers an upgrade to v7.5 I'm not sure if it's a good idea with this non-Makerbot branded printer.</p... | Updating firmware on Monoprice Architect printer | |firmware|makerbot|monoprice-maker-architect| | <p>Since the printer has no heater, I'd advise some sleuthing</p>
<ol>
<li>Look at the motherboard. Find the big black square chip and see if it is a ATmega 1280 or 2560. Likely it's a 1280, but you never know. This will impact which firmware build you use.</li>
<li>If you will eventually add a heater PCB, then fig... |
343 | 2016-01-19T23:02:39.743 | <p>When I use Cura with the Pronterface UI it sometime just stops printing.</p>
<p>When it stops the printer just stops, the UI looks like it's still printing but nothing is moving in the printer, also, trying to control the printer from the UI does nothing.</p>
<p>It always stops early in the printing process, usual... | Cura with Pronterface UI stops printing | |software| | <p>After installing a screen on my printer I discovered Pronterface is sending a "Wait for user" G Code to the printer.</p>
<p>Because this changes the question too much and invalidates the existing answer I've asked a new question at <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/518/what-makes-pronterface-w... |
344 | 2016-01-19T23:18:20.953 | <p>I'm in the process of building a 3D printer and have all the stepper motors wired up and the controller connected to the computer running pronterface.</p>
<p>I can move each axis and also send g-code to the printer.</p>
<p>Now <strong>how can I define the current position to be the 0/0/0 position?</strong>
I'd lik... | How can I set the position in Pronterface? | |software|pronterface| | <p>There's a handy list of G0-codes at <a href="http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code" rel="nofollow">http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code</a> -- though the list is too big to be convenient for finding a code if you're not already sure what it's called... :(</p>
|
352 | 2016-01-20T14:06:31.790 | <p>Wondering if <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Crown-Bolt-10-Amp-Up-to-250-Volt-AGC-Fuse-71648/203537223" rel="noreferrer">this fuse</a> is safe to use in <a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00511QVVK" rel="noreferrer">this switch/plug</a> to turn on /off a <a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amz... | Is this fuse a good choice for my Prusa i3's power supply and RAMPS 1.4? | |electronics|prusa-i3-rework|switching-power-supply|ramps-1.4| | <p><strong>No, do not use this fuse.</strong> The current rating is too high to be reasonable for your printer. It will "work" in the sense that your printer will get power, but it won't provide anywhere near as much protection as a lower-rated fuse. </p>
<p>10A is a lot of current for mains voltage. Depending on what... |
361 | 2016-01-21T00:22:14.333 | <p>I was just shopping for filament, and saw some glowing claims about PETG being as easy to work with as PLA, but as strong as ABS, and less brittle. Anyone know if that's actually true, or what the tradeoffs are?</p>
| Advantages of PETG filament? | |filament|material|print-material| | <p>I love PETG. When I first started I always used ABS because I thought it was the best and didn't see the point in using PLA. However, after a few years of playing around I no longer use ABS. I use PLA for when I am testing and PETG when I want to print something that will be used, ike parts or models. </p>
<p>PETG ... |
365 | 2016-01-21T21:25:07.313 | <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereolithography">Stereolithography</a> produces parts by projecting ultraviolet light on the top of a vat of liquid photopolymer, causing it to harden. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_Liquid_Interface_Production">CLIP</a> produces parts by projecting ultrav... | Why is CLIP so much faster than SLA? | |clip|sla| | <p>The number of 100x could be true in some situations. I wish I could see the part(s) that they printed to measure this 100x, but that is another story. </p>
<p>Looking at their videos they can move the build plate at a maximum speed of 10mm per minute. You will see the Eiffel tower video where they have to change... |
371 | 2016-01-22T03:53:15.250 | <p><a href="https://e3d-online.com/blogs/news/are-abrasives-killing-your-nozzle" rel="nofollow noreferrer">E3D-Online</a> and <a href="http://makezine.com/2015/09/11/carbon-fiber-filament-ruins-nozzles/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Make Magazine</a> have written about the potential damage printing carbon fiber and glow-i... | How to identify nozzle wear? | |maintenance|carbon|nozzle| | <p>According to <div class="youtube-embed"><div>
<iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uvlMeTnjriQ?start=0"></iframe>
</div></div> the inner diameter doesn't change much, but, as said by @0scar, the nozzle shortens and at the end you get to the inner cavit... |
372 | 2016-01-22T06:03:58.597 | <p>I've been reading and experimenting with Acetone vapour smoothing on some printed ABS parts. My problem is that I need to selectively smoothen the printed parts which vapor smoothing doesn't allow. In particular, the cogs, whose sides I was trying to make smooth ended, up with smooth rounded tips, which was a disapp... | Maintaining fine details while applying smoothing methods | |abs|post-processing|smoothing|vapor-smoothing| | <p>A technique I've used in the past is to make a acetone slurry of the same filament used to print your object, and carefully paint the details you need to smooth. You must be careful and only do a very thin coat or you may damage your print. You can add extra coat if needed to make sure the acetone has evaporatored ... |
383 | 2016-01-24T12:34:09.723 | <p>On one of the nozzles on my printer, the filament comes out at a 45 degree angle. It seems that this causes problems with adhesion to the bed and overall quality.</p>
<ul>
<li>What caused this problem? </li>
<li>How do I fix it? </li>
<li>How do I prevent it from
happening in the future?</li>
</ul>
| Filament extrudes at an angle | |maintenance|extruder|extrusion| | <p>You very likely have partial clog in your hotend (the side which is clogged is the angle the extruding filament bends to) or have some plastic somehow stuck on the nozzle surface which the extruding plastic almost sticks to, like two droplets of water merging into one.</p>
<p>If its the latter, clean the hotend. It... |
386 | 2016-01-25T01:51:24.097 | <p>I"m considering making my own filament, with a device like the one at <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:380987" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:380987</a>. Partly because it's another machine to build, which is cool, but also to save money on filament.</p>
<p>Has anyone here tried... | Making your own filament | |filament|recycling|filament-production| | <ol>
<li><p>Quality depends on 3 things:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Quality of pellets (purity, fillers, color)</p></li>
<li><p>Where/how they are stored before and during the extrusion (humidity, contaminants)</p></li>
<li><p>Have a filter in your extruder to get rid of random junk and air bubbles ending up in your filament (25... |
388 | 2016-01-25T12:37:40.963 | <p>When installing and using a new hotend for the first time, which steps of action should be taken before. This will probably be more applicable to chinese clones than to authentic products (is the statement true?): <strong>Should a certain cleaning procedure be carried out</strong> (removing swarf/shavings for exampl... | Taking a new hotend into operation (cleaning, forming, etc) | |hotend| | <p>So far, these are my experiences to make a new hotend work properly.</p>
<ul>
<li>Read the instructions. The ones of the 'original' if it is a clone.</li>
<li>Check the parts. Is everything included you need?</li>
<li>and check the design, if it is a clone. It might not be the same as the one they're trying to copy... |
389 | 2016-01-25T14:01:51.620 | <p>What are the specifications of the three wires inside a PC cable that is used to connect the switching power supply to a US AC outlet.</p>
<p>The positive, negative and ground appear to be the same gauge stranded cable, and I've heard that it can handle 10A, but beyond that I don't really know what the rest of the ... | In the standard PC Cable Wire that goes from the wall outlet to the switching power supply, are they standard and what are the wire specifications? | |switching-power-supply|wiring|printer-building| | <p>It's somewhat unclear what you mean by "standard PC cable", but virtually all desktop computers use <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320#C13.2FC14_coupler" rel="nofollow">IEC C14 sockets/IEC C13 plugs</a>. Such connectors/sockets are rated for 10A 250V and thus you can safely assume that the cord itself ... |
394 | 2016-01-26T05:38:44.720 | <p>If I need to test out some of the components of a RAMPS 1.4 based 3D Printer, can I only plug some of them into the board (not all of them) and test them out?</p>
<p>I'd like to test out the NEMA 17 motors without testing the heated bed or extruder. Is this safe and why?</p>
| When building a RAMPS 1.4 based printer, can I safely plugin just some of the components to test if they are working? | |ramps-1.4|prusa-i3-rework|printer-building| | <p>As others have also said, this is generally fine. The main things I'd avoid are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Don't plug or unplug "heavy" items (mainly motors and heaters) with power on; turn everything off first. This is especially true for motors, whose coils produce a hefty back-voltage when disconnected.</p></li>
<li><p>Be... |
401 | 2016-01-26T16:45:11.463 | <p>High Impact PolyStyrene (HIPS) is a frequently used filament in 3D printing. It has been touted to have simular properties when printed to ABS and is especially useful for support structures (if the user has a multi-nozzle 3d Printer) as it is soluble in Limonene.</p>
<p>General Purpose PolyStyrene (GPPS) is frequ... | Can general purpose polystryene (not HIPS) be used for 3D printing? | |filament|filament-production| | <p>In principle, it should work fine as a filament, since it's used extensively in the plastic extrusion industry, but I don't think you'd get great material properties out of it. ABS and HIPS incorporate polybutadiene into a graft polymer structure for a very good reason: the butadiene sections in the long molecular c... |
402 | 2016-01-26T17:45:57.233 | <p>This is in with <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/394/when-building-a-ramps-1-4-based-printer-can-i-safely-plugin-just-some-of-the-co">my other question about components</a> and the <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/389/in-the-standard-pc-cable-wire-that-goes-from-the-wall... | How to use a multimeter to test how many amps RAMPS is pulling? | |ramps-1.4| | <p>If you don't want to stick a multimeter on the wire, I recommend getting a kill-a-watt meter. Pretty much, you plug it into the wall, and plug the printer into the meter, and it has a little screen that shows the result.</p>
|
403 | 2016-01-26T18:20:41.537 | <p>There is a little circuit board, or breadboard or something <a href="http://reprap.org/wiki/Prusa_i3_Rework_Electronics_and_wiring#Wiring" rel="nofollow noreferrer">in the diagram of the wiring for the i3</a>.</p>
<p>And it's mentioned that the z-axis motors need to be <a href="http://reprap.org/wiki/Prusa_i3_Rewor... | How do I wire the z-axis motors in parallel on the Prusa i3? | |ramps-1.4|prusa-i3|printer-building|z-axis|nema-17| | <p>For some unknown reason, everywhere everybody is saying that Z stepper motors need to be connected in parallel... And this was always the only obvious way, until recently some people started to connect these motors in series.</p>
<p>And I personally started to believe the right way is to connect them in series.</p>... |
409 | 2016-01-27T14:26:50.577 | <p>I'm thinking about buliding my own 3D printer from scratch. </p>
<p>Is it better to buy a starter DIY kit and try to build your printer around it, or to order separate parts for printer, and then to combine a printer?</p>
| What are the pros and cons of collecting parts yourself, versus getting a DIY kit and then modifying it? | |printer-building|desktop-printer|diy-3d-printer| | <p>Three great answers have already been posted, and it has been extremely interesting to read them. I shall try not to repeated what has already been said.</p>
<p>I have sourced the parts <em>separately</em> for three different printers:</p>
<ul>
<li>P3Steel (the frame was a kit, mind: <a href="https://3dprinting.stac... |
410 | 2016-01-27T14:30:41.597 | <p>There are a big variety of them that can be found at the market. Some of them have similar characteristics, the other varies from each other.</p>
<p>What are props and cons of cheaper filament vs expensive filament?</p>
<p>How to choose which filament to use?</p>
| How to choose a right 3D printer filament type? | |filament| | <ol>
<li><p>Determine what properties you need the filament to have.</p>
<p>There are a very wide variety of filaments because they all have somewhat different properties. You need to determine what properties you need your final print to possess. For instance, ABS can be smoothed used acetone and PLA is biodegradabl... |
413 | 2016-01-27T16:25:12.577 | <p>How do I smooth 3D printed objects? What is the best / common method to do this?</p>
| Methods for smoothing 3D objects | |post-processing|smoothing| | <p>Get a rock/jewelry tumbler and some tumbling media such as stainless steel shot, and try tumbling your print.</p>
<p>For 3D printed plastic, your print will (a) need to be sturdy, and (b) not have any fine details or small parts that you don't want to be worn away. With metal you will tumble it for hours in order t... |
423 | 2016-02-01T11:50:29.077 | <p>I recently found out carbon fiber and glow in the dark PLA can damage the printer nozzle, now I'm suspicious of all the "exotic" filaments.</p>
<p>So, does wood filament cause damage to the nozzle? (under normal use, or at least what someone who only used PLA/ABS before would consider normal use)</p>
<p>Let's assu... | Does wood filament damage the printer nozzle? | |filament|filled-pla| | <p>Wood PLA is too abrasive for a brass nozzle and will wear it out until it becomes a straight pipe after about 12 hours of printing with it.</p>
<p>This answer is based on first hand experimentation. I'm attaching photographic evidence of what to expect if you do not use hardened steel at minimum for Wood PLA.</p>
<p... |
442 | 2016-02-02T10:35:52.800 | <p>In general 3D printers are compact and smaller than RP machines. That's ok. But, what's the difference? 3D printers can be used as RP machine too.</p>
| Whats the difference between a basic rapid prototyping machine and a 3D printer? | |rapid-prototyping| | <p>A sintered metal printer is a version of a 3D printer that is rapid, but expensive. Seen 1 for 800,000$aud
Uses laser to melt metal particles like titanium.</p>
|
450 | 2016-02-03T01:01:00.623 | <p>I have a Robo 3D. However A while ago, the print bed was fractured, and now it has a long crack cutting it in half. The bed still works because it is held together, by the screws holding the bed to the tracks. So I want to continue using it, because it still is fairly good, the heating element works fine, and a repl... | Broken Print Bed | |heated-bed|hbp| | <p>I agree with several others that your best bet is to replace the glass entirely. But short of that, you might try something like Loctite "Glass glue", which is essentially crazy glue for glass. Be sure to level and clamp well while drying, or you'll end up with it permanently <em>not</em> straight of course. You'd w... |
454 | 2016-02-03T06:42:47.657 | <p>I'm using Cura as my slicing/printing software and I just started using the BuildTak printing surface.</p>
<p>The BuildTak is damaged by pushing a hot nozzle into it and my printer's (Robo3D R1+) autoleveling feature works by pushing the nozzle into the build surface.</p>
<p>Is there a way to configure Cura so tha... | How to configure Cura to run the Z probe before heating | |software|ultimaker-cura|slicing|calibration|z-probe| | <p>As pointed out in <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/454/how-to-configure-cura-to-run-the-z-probe-before-heating/469#comment6403_469">Markus's comment</a> to <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/469/4762">Tormod's answer</a>, <code>{print_temperature}</code> needs to be replaced by <c... |
458 | 2016-02-03T09:30:32.887 | <p>I'm thinking of another extruder on my printer, and I'm curious about this one....</p>
<p>Is it necessary to have both hot ends on same height? Why yes / why not? (if there is not)</p>
| Is it necessary to have both hot ends on a dual extruder printer at the same height? | |printer-building|hotend|dual-nozzle|calibration|layer-height| | <p>To add to the above answers, besides the obvious point that one hotend might collide with something another hotend positioned lower than it has printed, you also want both hotends to be positioned X microns above the bed at minimum height so your filament will stick to the bed properly. Position one a bit higher tha... |
461 | 2016-02-03T10:39:03.100 | <p>I have searched the internet and found various 3D printers with different advantages and materials which they can print - some even multi color. </p>
<p>However, I cannot seem to find a printer that can print multiple material with different properties; for instance, simultaneously printing PLA and metal. Is there... | Printing multiple materials with different properties on the same device | |multi-material| | <p>For the most part, you can achieve this with a dual extruding printer. However, dual extrusion is best for either multi-color printing or printing with support material. For example, printing the part with PLA and all support material with water soluble PVA.</p>
<p>In practice, printing two completely different mat... |
End of preview. Expand in Data Studio
README.md exists but content is empty.
- Downloads last month
- 19