3D printing

[pastera]

Can you send me a link to that site?
Thanks

Making that Bullet Collator

First of all a hats off to jmorris for his abilities to make something from nothing. Some of the rest of us are probably capable but simply either don't have access to mills and lathes, welders and such or don't have the time. I fall into two of these catagories the time one and the "I don't...

castboolits.gunloads.com

 

[Boarder700]

My printer is working fine. I just let it run and it eventually started actually printing. Just ran around in circles for 5 min first. I printed this nerf gun that doesn’t work very well, but the kids love it. Also tried to print a topo map of NH but the filament broke half way through. I found a file on thingiverse that is a puzzle of all the states in topo. I plan to start working on that for the kids.

Anyone know where to get PLA cheap? I would like to get several colors but it looks to be ~$20 per spool.

 

[Kevin_NH]

Also tried to print a topo map of NH but the filament broke half way through. I found a file on thingiverse that is a puzzle of all the states in topo. I plan to start working on that for the kids.

The cheapest PLA is the most likely to have miswound spools or weak spots, resulting in breakage while printing -- depending on where the break happens, the "filament out" sensor may or may not pause the print so you can reload and resume.

Humidity can also cause brittle filament (and bubbled spots on the print)

Anyone know where to get PLA cheap? I would like to get several colors but it looks to be ~$20 per spool.

When I don't care about color I just use whatever PLA is loaded on the printers at the Manchester Makerspace, or I buy remanufactured filament at sale prices . Also worth watching for sales at Monoprice or MicroCenter.

Once you have an enclosure you can expand your printing to ABS (which is also sometimes on sale cheap) or expensive exotics (Nylon, PC, etc).

 

[mac1911]

Agree - I can shoot 22 for less than a primer.
But a 11grain rubber bullet would probably be a great way to convince someone they need to be somewhere else
Wonder what a primer only out of 20" 30 cal barrel would sound like

Probably like a dud and the bullet wont clear the muzzle?
Thats a lot of space in a 20” 30cal barrel

 

[scheming]

Anyone know where to get PLA cheap? I would like to get several colors but it looks to be ~$20 per spool.

Amazon has regular sales for $10-15, but the cheapest ones aren't always the easiest to print.
You can also get Inland branded PLA from Microcenter for $18-20, but you can use a coupon to knock of $10 for a roll.

But whatever you get, I'd advise to dry them before printing. The plastic is manufactured by extruding directly into water, and if they don't dry it before packaging, it'll still be wet when you get it.

 

[pastera]

Going cheap on filament is false economy.
The extra $3 you save will be wasted in time and materials.
The cheapest I go for PLA unless it's just a throwaway color is 3dSolutech. I've had good, consistent results with it so I grab a couple of spools whenever it's on sale.

 

[Boarder700]

Going cheap on filament is false economy.
The extra $3 you save will be wasted in time and materials.
The cheapest I go for PLA unless it's just a throwaway color is 3dSolutech. I've had good, consistent results with it so I grab a couple of spools whenever it's on sale.

So is $20 basically what to pay for 1kg of decent stuff not on sale?

 

[Boarder700]

Did you check to see if the extruder was turning?
Preheat the nozzle to 215°C (PLA) and release the extruder by holding the arm like you are loading filament then push the filament into the extruder by hand - it should extrude easily.
If it doesn't then the bowden tube is likely not fully pressed against the nozzle and is creating a jam. There is an easy mod to prevent this - I have plenty of capricorn TL if you are close by and want a short section to do the hotend mod.

i just watched that mod video - thanks for posting. That seems like something I will need to do at some point if not right now.

 

[scheming]

I avg $11/kg.

Lots of people swear by IIIDMax for cheap PLA. $107 shipped for bulk order of 10 spools, when they have their monthly sale. Never used it, but it's supposedly consistent and quite printable without many issues.

 

[pastera]

So is $20 basically what to pay for 1kg of decent stuff not on sale?

anything in the 20-25 range is fine as long as it has good reviews
Once you get used to a certain brand/type, stick with it unless you have a reason to change.
If you find decent filament for $15 or under then stock up

 

[paul73]

anything in the 20-25 range is fine as long as it has good reviews
Once you get used to a certain brand/type, stick with it unless you have a reason to change.
If you find decent filament for $15 or under then stock up

I spent evening yesterday bolting printer together following YouTube tutorial. Pretty straight forward task. Amazon delayed parts package, so I still wait for a Capricorn tubing kit and steel nozzles.
What got me curious- I saw some videos just bolting those nozzles in, by hand, cold. And some state printer head needs to be heated up before tightening it? What is a correct way?

Also it seems none of YouTubers making assembly videos ever heard of torque wrenches. So odd, as I always tighten such assemblies with a set torque.

 

[pastera]

I spent evening yesterday bolting printer together following YouTube tutorial. Pretty straight forward task. Amazon delayed parts package, so I still wait for a Capricorn tubing kit and steel nozzles.
What got me curious- I saw some videos just bolting those nozzles in, by hand, cold. And some state printer head needs to be heated up before tightening it? What is a correct way?

Also it seems none of YouTubers making assembly videos ever heard of torque wrenches. So odd, as I always tighten such assemblies with a set torque.

When all of the components are unused then cold is fine - as soon as you use the printer then plastic gets into the threads and acts like Loctite.
No problem with assembling the unit with torque just make sure you use torques for aluminum assemblies.


You don't need a steel nozzle unless you are printing with an abrasive (wood, metal, glass or carbon filled) filament. You don't want to start with filled filaments - you will get clogged nozzles that will make you want to throw the printer off the roof every time you print too cold or too close to the build plate. Start with PLA then go to PETG or ABS only then go to filled materials.
Brass nozzles transfer heat faster than steel so you can print faster and they are available in many sizes so you can go with a small (0.2mm) for very detailed prints or a 0.6mm for faster prints

Couple of things that get people:
1 - Once you get everything together, place the printer on a flat surface and loosen the bolts on the base and upright. Get the base flat, tighten the base and then tighten each side of the upright using a square to make sure Z is square to the build plate.
2 - "leveling" the build plate. You aren't leveling it, you are adjusting it to be parallel to the nozzle path which if you did step 1 should be pretty close to level. This DOES NOT NEED BE DONE HOT. Using a piece of paper is okay but a 0.002" feeler gauge is much better (assuming you know how to use a feeler gauge).

You can start printing without doing the hotend mod or stop by Taunton and I'll give you a short piece of Capricorn tubing to get it done.

If your Ender has the 32 bit board - get the Creality touch probe. With a probe you only need to get the bed close enough and you will still get good adhesion across the bed.

 

[paul73]

32 bit board - get the Creality touch probe

it should arrive today, as a matter of fact, waiting for it.
i was looking at the download site for firmware - what a hot mess... a board i have s a 4.2.2.

i got 3 files from there
09/23/2022 09:08 AM 212,860 Ender-3 V2-Marlin-2.0.1-HW-4.2.2-mainboard-V1.1.2-Compatible with ALT and filament detection.bin
09/23/2022 09:05 AM 212,860 Ender-3 V2-Marlin-2.0.1-HW-4.2.2-mainboard-V1.1.2-Compatible with BLTouch and filament detection.bin
09/23/2022 08:55 AM 1,359,088 Ender-3 V2_HW_V4.2.2_SW_V1.0.7_202200811.zip

i did not turn the printer on yet, so, dunno what firmware it came with.

do i need to run sequentially the big file first, then on of those smaller ones for CR touch? which one of smaller ones?
rather fascinating that there are like 3 different videos and some articles on the cr touch install, all mention download site, some screenshots and screens shown - and NONE of those actually matches what the creality cloud download site has in there, neither file names nor how it looks like.
there is some firmware in the main section, and also there is 'other' tab with cr touch tab on the left - it got different files. fun.

 

[paul73]

now i somehow got to a different version of download page - a 'former.creality.com' - 'former' my ass, damn, and it has slightly different set of files on it, but all in the same spot now and separated by dates. hmm.

 

[Kevin_NH]

now i somehow got to a different version of download page - a 'former.creality.com' - 'former' my ass, damn, and it has slightly different set of files on it, but all in the same spot now and separated by dates. hmm.

TBH, the firmware it shipped with will be fine until you want to add-on hardware which isn't supported by the stock firmware.

At that point, you'd likely want to switch to Marlin or Klipper anyway.

 

[paul73]

will be fine until you want to add-on hardware which isn't supported by the stock firmwar

that is the whole point as i am getting the cr touch sensor.
so the question is - is it going to be required to run a single 212K file, or does it need a 1.3Mb file first?

as files from download come with no instructions and no readme. fascinating.

when a firmware description says 'with no adapter board' - what is that supposed to mean?

ok, it seems i finally found a correct link that explains all if this shit. holy grief, what a mess. ok. got the correct file now.

CR Touch Auto Leveling Kit

CR Touch Auto Leveling Standard Kit,Compatible with most FDM 3D printers and most auto-leveling products.

www.creality.com

huh. ok. so, at the old link they have marlin 2.0.1 versions, but files are all organized and seem to be consumable.

they point to the new site from there with that hot mess i saw before. in there there is one file with chinese shit inside that looks like a core marlin 2.0.8 - dated by 11 aug.

there is one zip file of 182kb inside saying '"Marlin2.0.8 CR Touch Non-adapter board firmware" probably the one i need. Ender-3V2_HW4.2.2_ALT1.0.6B.bin
but dated on may - 05/07/22, not august.
what fun.

 

[pastera]

TBH, the firmware it shipped with will be fine until you want to add-on hardware which isn't supported by the stock firmware.

At that point, you'd likely want to switch to Marlin or Klipper anyway.

This - I build my own marlin with the features I want but I have the old 8-bit board so I need to save program space.

 

[scheming]

Also it seems none of YouTubers making assembly videos ever heard of torque wrenches. So odd, as I always tighten such assemblies with a set torque.

While I would use a torque wrench for working on my car, this is just a simple machine... So I'd use german torque spec of gutentight

At that point, you'd likely want to switch to Marlin or Klipper anyway.

Stock Creality firmware is Marlin, just an custom fork of Marlin

 

[scheming]

there is one zip file of 182kb inside saying '"Marlin2.0.8 CR Touch Non-adapter board firmware" probably the one i need. Ender-3V2_HW4.2.2_ALT1.0.6B.bin
but dated on may - 05/07/22, not august.
what fun.

With the chip shortage, Creality started using a mishmash of stuff that require different firmware. You have to remove the bottom cover and see which board you have.
You need the model number (4.x.x), the letter handwritten in the SD card tray and which CPU chip (STM with RCT6/RET6 or GD) to get the most appropriate firmware

 

[paul73]

With the chip shortage, Creality started using a mishmash of stuff that require different firmware. You have to remove the bottom cover and see which board you have.
You need the model number (4.x.x), the letter handwritten in the SD card tray and which CPU chip (STM with RCT6/RET6 or GD) to get the most appropriate firmware

i sorted it all out, printing now the bed tests and setting Z offsets.
i have managed to brick it, then figured how to unbrick it, it is all good. the leveling sensor is a neat thing.
it is rolling.
only trick now is how to explain to wife what the hell that is and why it is in there.

 

[paul73]

i think nozzle is already as low so i cannot push paper under it.
it still has this - see image below. does it mean i still need to lower the Z offset?

or just wipe damn glass with something?

 

[scheming]

Could be too high or the new bed is dirty.
Try cleaning the bed with soap and warm water. Do not use isopropanol, as it will remove the special coating on the glass.

 

[paul73]

It looks like it’s moving, but, some streaks there - does it look wrong?
Also model was said to be an hour long - printer says now 2hr 30min to complete- is it normal?

it is steel nozzle there, prints the demo filament that came with printer, temp is set to 215 nozzle, 60 bed.



it's printing on top of it and looks smoother now. go figure. dunno what it is supposed to be.
fascinating shit.

 

[scheming]

Print times are at best rough estimates. My 14 hour print yesterday became 15.5 hours and that's using better, more accurate software to calculate.

If you see ridges on the first layer, it's printing too close. Not enough space, so plastic is forced upwards. It'll flatten out with more layers, but z axis should be adjusted

 

[NH Phantom]

i have 6 printers. I've tried all the different types of beds. Finally i went to lowes and got window glass. A little bit of hair spray and I never ever have lifting problem.

 

[Kevin_NH]

Also model was said to be an hour long - printer says now 2hr 30min to complete- is it normal?

The print time on the website where you download the model is just a SWAG.

The estimate given by your slicer (e.g. Cura) tends, in my experience, to be off by ±15%.

 

[paul73]

The print time on the website where you download the model is just a SWAG.

The estimate given by your slicer (e.g. Cura) tends, in my experience, to be off by ±15%.

so the actual time to print was only slightly more than an hour - but the printer wsa saying initially a 2hr 48min. go figure.

it works ok. i am trying to figure out why walls are a bit wavy, it did first one very flat, but i then did something. i think i may have overtentioned the belt.

installed blender - not very usable as is, trying design mechanical now, as i used to work with both autocad and pcad. may it will be more usable.

 

[scheming]

Blender is great for organic shapes. But fusion 360 would more in line with CAD and for functional stuff. There's also freecad if you're going for freeware.

I tention both x and y belts so it gives a low twang when plucked. Check your carriage for wobble and see if the rccentric nuts are loose.

 

[pastera]

i think nozzle is already as low so i cannot push paper under it.
it still has this - see image below. does it mean i still need to lower the Z offset?

or just wipe damn glass with something?

View attachment 665637

Are you using the probe?
If so then nozzle height during the bed level doesn't matter - you are just setting the bed parallel to the nozzle travel.
You need to set the z offset

 

[pastera]

i have 6 printers. I've tried all the different types of beds. Finally i went to lowes and got window glass. A little bit of hair spray and I never ever have lifting problem.

Aquenet - absolutely cheapest crap you can find is the best.
That and purple Elmer's glue stick