Admin Rodney Posted April 23, 2015 Admin Share Posted April 23, 2015 It's been a year but my M3D micro 3D printer arrived yesterday and I finally got a chance to get it a try. The two initial runs didn't work so great, so recalibrated... created much simpler test models... and am seeing better success now. I just put in a print of Thom to test the yellow 3Dink but (at 9% complete) it looks like his neck broke off in the process and the printer head melded it into his hip... Abort! Abort! Abort! It looks like most of my models will need to be set to print with higher quality... i.e. more solid. I'll post something if and when I get something worth posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildsided Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Good luck Rodney, 3D printing is a very cool technology. How much did your printer set you back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuchur Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 how did you print him? standing is close to impossible but laying him flat works ok especially with supports. i printed one in blue a while back . see u *Fuchur* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuchur Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 PS: This is how it looked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted April 23, 2015 Hash Fellow Share Posted April 23, 2015 Looking forward to your updates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Rodney Posted April 23, 2015 Author Admin Share Posted April 23, 2015 how did you print him? standing is close to impossible but laying him flat works ok especially with supports. Yes, standing is definitely a no go... didn't even try that. My last print just stopped mid-way into the print for no apparent reason. I'll give it another shot tomorrow. Gerald, I think your printer is considerably more robust and larger than mine. the M3D is tiny in comparison. How much did your printer set you back? $299 which includes a couple rolls of 3Dink. I purchased 5 more rolls (ABS and PLA) so I can thoroughly experiment. Supposedly it supports nylon. I'm of the opinion that most 3D prints I'd want to make would probably be better sent to a printing house (Shapeways or such) but I figured at some time I needed to take the plunge and actually have one of these and a little 3D printer sitting right next to my computer fills the bill for that. That's a bit expensive to just scratch an itch but... a year ago I had the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelplucker Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Congrats! The filament printers make very usable parts, great for mechanical stuff. For sculptures and models with extreme overhangs and need for fine details you should look into a polyjet (inkjet style photo polymer printer) or a small sla system that uses resin. I love the Formlabs I got but it is pricey to run. There are DIY kits out there that use DLP projectors instead of blue/green laser that have really nice resolution but the print sizes tend to be small. You might get a kick out of this film made with 3d printed parts done on a Form1+ Film is stop action and there was 2,500 prints and 80 liters of resin! Figure about $210 per liter and tank + shipping so your looking at approx $17,000 for the parts production!!! http://www.chasemefilm.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bigboote Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Cool! Does your printer print in colors, Rodney? Love to see your 1st success! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Rodney Posted April 23, 2015 Author Admin Share Posted April 23, 2015 Cool! Does your printer print in colors, Rodney? Love to see your 1st success! Only if I swap out the colors. I suppose if I measured them right I could fuse some of the filaments together at exactly the right place... One of the reasons I purchased extra (black) filaments is that I figure if any 3D prints are worth keeping they might also be worth painting. Aside: My youngest daughter has been into sculpting (she's pretty awesome with sculpy!) and I figure this might be something that will aid her in her creativity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zandoriastudios Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Rodney, The most important thing is calibrating the printer. The first layer is the most important--you want it to smoosh (but not too scrape). If it looks like a tube, then it will probably peel up... Getting everything just right is the most frustrating thing.... See if you can run different programs to run your printer. I've had a great experience using a program called MatterControl to run my printrbot. You can get it free at MatterHackers.com (they also sell most filament). If you can manually input G-Code in your software, after you are sure the bed is level, you Cade manually set the Z offset to tweak how close your first layer prints: M212 Z0 is default. If you need to be closer, change the Z increment in .2 mm steps. For example: M212 Z-.2 M500 [saves the change you just made] M501 [pings the home positions, to confirm what you just did] Test print, rinse and repeat until you have perfect. I use a 1cm test cube.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Rodney Posted April 24, 2015 Author Admin Share Posted April 24, 2015 Thanks for the tips Will! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Rodney Posted June 19, 2015 Author Admin Share Posted June 19, 2015 Something of an update, although not a good one... During my latest attempt to print, the print fused with the base and removal of it has damaged the base plate. This is going to be problematic because the printer head can't properly print on the 'missing' surface that has separated from the base. Sigh. If you listen closely you may hear the sound of my learning... and furtherance of my 3D print education. I'll have to see what options I have in replacing the base. The good news: Now I'm not too worried about breaking the printer so my experimentation can expand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted June 20, 2015 Hash Fellow Share Posted June 20, 2015 I'm disappointed that isn't getting a better result for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuchur Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 didnt you use tape or glue stick on your built-plate? i am always using tape on my (the one used by people painting walls to protect certain areas where no paint should go). some people prefer the glue stick but I am no fan of that. cant you rotate your built plate and use it the other way round? 3d printing needs some practice and tries and you will run into trouble but that is part of the fun with it. it will be a very pleasant feeling inside if you get a problem solved, even more if you fought it against all odds . if you have trouble ask. in the end all the printers face similar problems and maybe me or someone else found a solution before you even run into the problem. see you *fuchur* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Rodney Posted June 20, 2015 Author Admin Share Posted June 20, 2015 didnt you use tape or glue stick on your built-plate? Excellent idea! I must have missed that tip in the manual. I'm disappointed that isn't getting a better result for you. Me too. I would like to say I had high expectations going into this but after purchasing more than a few cheap solutions to I've learned that 'you get what you pay for' is still a very good yard stick to measure potential success. Come to think of it... that's also why I resisted buying A:M for a long time. I figured something so cheap couldn't possibly meet my expectations. A:M is definitely the exception to the rule. I don't want to suggest the makers of the M3D printer didn't put some serious effort into their product because it is obvious they did and do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuchur Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Get something like this: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B006I3404A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00 Extremly cheap and one of those will take years to be used all up. I can use one layer of this on my printer for at least 20 prints or more (there is no real rule when to change other than something went wrong and you have a hole in it). The good thing about it: It is a little rough too (not like sandpaper... just a little paper-structure on it) and that will make it even easier to get something printed on it off but it still keeps the printed parts very firm on it. (I just say it is perfect) And since it is meant to be removed without any leftovers it really is perfect. And yes, 80°C is perfect. even though the printed prints with 200-250 °C when the plastic hits the surface, that temperature is long gone and you are ready to go. I never had any kind of termic indication (like brown areas or stuff) on it. I would not go below that, since what really is important is the glue on the other side, but as I said: There never will be that much heat on the other side neighter. (BUT be aware that this is only good for PLA-prints. If you want to print ABS, you need a heated build-plate and that will behave differently. There I recommend Cabton-Tape. It is much more trouble to put on the built-plate and will need to be changed more often, but it will be better for letting the heat pass through, which is what you will need for ABS. But since you are having trouble to print anyway, I would not recommend to try ABS for now. It is much harder to print with and will result in warping and stuff like that, which PLA will not do at all (or at least very little...) See you *Fuchur*PS: If you are starting to print, print something simple first... do not try to print a full action figure or stuff like that... that is hard to do and needs understanding before you get it right. Start with simple things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zandoriastudios Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Try blue painters tape on the build plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakerupert Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 heres another very interesting printer to win: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?1145689&p=1145689&viewfull=1#post1145689 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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