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Post by notoes on Oct 27, 2021 7:22:51 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice, I ended up getting an Ender 3 (the one you half assemble yourself) that I named "Twitchy" and have been running it ever since (upgrading this or that and finally learned the easy way to level the bed). And when Twitchy lives up to its name (or I don't have time to do it myself), I have a guy I use a lot.
Can you put a link to your channel in your signature? That way our members (and me too) can click on it to check it out when we need help or can contact you off the forum. Even after three years of having Twitchy, I still have questions here and there - mostly when it acts like a blanky blank twitchy machine (where it got its name) and won't do what I tell it to. I use ABS and my print guy uses PLA and I'm finding that I have to do a little more work to make the PLA do what I expect of the ABS before I can use it in my molds (I make custom candy molds) so I might have questions on the better ways of working around that too.
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Post by djnos1978 on Oct 27, 2021 7:43:55 GMT -5
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Post by Brian on Oct 27, 2021 10:39:10 GMT -5
I made a "sticky" out of this thread to prevent it from getting buried in the routine post to help preserve the link.
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Post by notoes on Oct 28, 2021 8:05:42 GMT -5
Thanks Brian. And thanks djnos1978, I see you have some Ender 3 videos I'll be checking those out. Most of what I learned about using it I learned from videos and on my own as there really isn't a "formal" class on it where I'm at.
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Post by djnos1978 on Oct 28, 2021 8:14:13 GMT -5
Thanks Brian. And thanks djnos1978, I see you have some Ender 3 videos I'll be checking those out. Most of what I learned about using it I learned from videos and on my own as there really isn't a "formal" class on it where I'm at. Most of the Ender 3 videos are the unboxing and assembly. I did make an upgrade to that extruder which saved me big time! A $2 upgrade to the nozzle tube.
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Post by notoes on Oct 28, 2021 8:27:00 GMT -5
I've been thinking about the upgrading the extruder (I'll have to check that out) and have already done the nozzle tubing and ends upgrade - that really helped me as the end had failed and filament kept clogging the extruder.
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Post by Erikel on Nov 20, 2022 15:15:36 GMT -5
This is a bit late,but like me, other people may have the same questions. I bought a $30 3D Pen. It is basically a very small hot glue gun that uses plastic string for glue sticks. It is finer and won't run as much as a puffy paint like Scribbles. It can stay as fine as the plastic string size, down to that webby-thready stuff you get pulling from hot glue, which can be an issue as well. If it's not hot enough, building it up can look like you just melted a bunch of plastic strings together rather than a smooth surface. If you use it on a chilled surface you pull out of the freezer, it will set fastest. It will not work well to fill the remeltable or heat sensitive mold materials. It works in silicone molds or surfaces like hot glue: peel off when cold. Flexibility depends on thickness and which plastic string material you use. If you need a thicker line, consider using a $5 hot glue gun.
Other cheap alternatives are using a wood router on plastic to make your reverse mold, or using half-round jewelry wire, crown molding, or balsa/basswood glued to a flat surface to form your letters or design. You can use round or square (armature) wire imbedded in rolled-out clay or a thin layer of plastic. I've cut mini hot glue sticks in half longwise and stuck them down with a mini-iron or woodburning tip on a soldering iron. You can run a line of solder for your raised design, if that's your medium. My favorite printing mold is from elementary school: take a smooth foam meat tray and draw your design with a blunt pencil, pen cap, or ball stylus for an instant reversed mold that you can also roll ink over and print directly from, or fill with latex or silicone to make a raised stamp. You can press or carve into wax or soap the same way, turning your usual casting material into your object to cast.
Alternately, stores that sell 3D printers will run demos for you, if you bring your own file on a flashdrive & may give or sell you the result for the cost of the printing material as a sample. University engineering & computer departments, community centers, Makers clubs, and other places that have 3D printers may practice on your project, or offer (cheaper extension not for credit) classes for you to do your own projects with instructors' support. A trial project like that is a good, cheaper way to decide whether owning a 3D printer is worth it for you.
Also, scanning an object you want to copy, or finding or programming the 3D computer software model you are going to print from is another skill and another consideration in 3D printing yourself versus having it done or finding another way.
The three main types of 3D printers are: Heat up or catalyze plastic powder to make it hard, shake out finished build. (Older, more expensive & industrial type for big builds.) Inkjet-type printer that squirts out layers of melted plastic, usually plastic string like the 3D pens. A light screen that activates a tank of UV resin one thin layer at a time to build up the 3D object.
They all have a limit of their respective particle size as to how smooth & tiny detailed the printed object can be, a micro version of building out of stuck-together marbles versus grains of sand: you get smaller details from the sand, but it's always a bit coarse no matter how fine the sand. That is the coarseness that shows up in molds of 3D printed objects. Coating the object in wax or a smooth, thicker mold release may minimize it. Painting with enamel or resin may give a smooth surface (spray paint or dip&drip, for no brushmarks.)
Hope this sparks some ideas!
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