1st 3d Print(er)

Inordinately pleased with my 1st attempt at 3d printing

After spending ages debating wether to buy a printer, a sale on the creality website resulted in an Ender S1 Pro heading my way.

The start of a steep and slippery path with zero 3d and CAD experience.

The following design was created in the Onshape app on an Android tablet. As far as I know it's the only CAD app you can create/modify 3d models, other CAD apps just being viewers only.

Finished print with minime prototype

This was the 3rd attempt at printing this, the original was going to be slightly longer but was to long to fit on the bed so an attempt to print it vertically was curtailed by me when I realised it was going to take nearly 2 days! Due to the whole model having to be filled by supports. All part of the learning process. The 2nd attempt was also curtailed when some muppet turned off the power for the house ring main forgetting the only socket in the workshop spurred from the house circuit was the one that the printer was plugged into! A resume printing function was initiated and printing did resume but as the bed had cooled the base detached.

3rd time lucky

Dave

A very interesting object! Nicely done.

3D printing is the only way I could make patterns and moulds for casting. It's an amazing process.

Fusion 360 is available free for personal use.

Bob

It's not that interesting I'm afraid. It's just a pen, paper and cordless phone holder to fit in a niche in the wall !

Hi iNf

I took advantage of the same sale to upgrade to the 3 S1 Pro. Very impressed with the first print straight out of the box. I've put mine in an enclosure and have have managed, after a bit of parameter tweaking, to print some distortion free artifacts in ABS with the aim of moving on to nylon as a more engineeringy material than PLA.

Enjoy your new toy,

Rod

Edit to correct iNf auto correct 

Edited By Roderick Jenkins on 05/06/2023 10:38:46

Hi Rod

I would be interested in details of your enclosure and ABS settings.

Thanks

Dave

Interesting that you should try a large item as your first print. Mine was a 1cm cube to measure accuracy followed by a small 1 module changewheel.

Rod - you might want to consider PETG but will be interested to hear more about your results if you do go for nylon.

Dave,

One of these **LINK**

The settings in Cura are generic ABS but:

bed temp is 110

initial layer temp 270

printing temp 240

I used a 8mm brim and adjusted the Z height so that the brim lines are barely distinguishable i.e. well squashed down on to the PEI bed. I didn't use any adhesive on the bed.

HTH,

Rod

Thanks Rod

I've not explored different layer settings yet, so a lot to learn.

Bazyle

I suppose the prototype was my actual 1st print and that's quite small. As it printed ok I thought I'd give the full-size one a go

Very nice print, iNF.

Shapr3D is a CAD App specifically designed to work on an iPad or a computer. I have been using it for a few months, and it seems very good, although I have only used 2D TurboCAD before and none of the others available.

3D printing is just brilliant. I can wake up with an idea in my head, then CAD it and set it printing to be ready that afternoon or the next morning. Even silly little things, such as A replacement lid for our bird feeder; Brackets to repair the clothes drying horse; A jockey wheel for a child's toy caravan, A holder for a set of specialised plumbing tool sockets which have a round profile but a large flat on one side, New plastic soft jaws for my crab clamp....The list goes on, and be warned; it gets addictive !

To make those in a machine shop would require a workshop and thousands of pounds worth of lathes, mills and tooling, plus I don't have the skills, experience or accuracy to work in metal. I don't know how you would even begin to cut the shapes for the plumbing sockets.

When you have a moment I would be interested in the advanced settings employed in your Cura if that's what you are using to slice:

Outer wall wipe distance, (0.3mm)

Infill wipe distance, (0.15 mm)

Retraction distance, (7.00mm)

Retraction speed, (25.0mm/s)

Retraction retract speed, (25.0mm/s)

Retraction minimum travel, (1.5mm)

My settings in brackets, for PLA filament.

With PLA I am getting a lot of stringing where the nozzle moves between elements on my prints, which require a lot of post print finishing, and I would like to reduce this.

I have not used ABS yet, but had trouble with PETG detaching, until I put the bed temperature up to 80°C.

Nylon was difficult, and really needs an enclosed print space apparently.

I'm afraid I don't know the advanced settings as I just selected the profile for my printer in the version of cura that came with it. Judging by the guide that came with the printer your Retraction settings are a lot different.

Regarding Shapr3D, it doesn't appear to have an Android app and the free version seems very restricted, whilst Onshape seems to have few restrictions and can work on any platform. I've not yet used it on the PC and solely used the android app to design/draw my print.

Dave

Many thanks for the info

it is isn't it. can make so many clever little things that otherwise would never be attempted. Just from this weekend, we need to add a vent to a machine, so was able to make a 6" to 4" connector and a little bracket to hold the 4 inch pipe to the wall.