Random 3D printing chatter

Soldato
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The other thing you can do (depending if you need to be taking the screws in and out repeatedly) is print the threads with two or three perimeters and then run a tap through the finished part to bring them to dimension. The same works with printing a hole at nominal dimension and then running a (preferably decent, sharp) reamer through it to bring it up to proper size.
Not sure this is faster than putting inserts in but it's another option, especially if you've run out of them or for prototyping.
 
Soldato
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I stuck a length of self-adhesive LED strip to a strip of aluminium (1m lengths from B&Q or online) and mounted that on 3D printed clips from the frame. You can get LED strip in a 24V variety which will run directly off the PSU in your printer. Mine is an Ender 5 and uses a 24V PSU. I'm assuming yours also does but it's worth checking!
The strip I used was a COB strip (one seemingly continuous length of LED rather than individual chips) and is really bright. I put a barrel jack connector and a toggle switch in my control box for the 24V power and put a jack on the end of the strip lead. Works very nicely.
 
Soldato
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Found the post with a pic :D
 
Soldato
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Found the post with a pic :D
ohhh camera at the rear. I've avoided that corner due to cables but it looks quite tidy.
 
Soldato
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ohhh camera at the rear. I've avoided that corner due to cables but it looks quite tidy.
Ah, well that's where it gets confusing! :D That's the front you can see there - with the camera held awkwardly selfie-like. My Ender has been....reconfigured slightly :D That stepper is normally at the back but if it's at the back, the whole thing sits that much away from the wall...and then the front feet fall off the front of the bench :eek: So I modified it a tad. I'm trying to work out what I did exactly from where the holes are but I think I spun the entire top frame (the square of extrusions that mount to the upright extrusions), reversed the carriage (to keep it as it was) and then used a transfer punch to mark where the holes needed to be drilled for the extra bit of extrusion that holds the top of the z axis.
There's enough space in the slots of the extrusions to hide quite a lot of cable and that's where both the camera and light cable are run. Some simple clips across the extrusions stop them falling out - I've got models if you need them.

See if this makes any more sense of it (click for larger):



Yes, that's a VR lighthouse mounted in the back corner now. Just in time for my headset tether to fail on me :mad:
Side plate is just a container lid to stop some of the breeze from the heating hitting the build plate.
The dangly cable from the camera was more neatly tucked in until I moved it to work out how I'd modified the top frame :D
 
Soldato
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Ah, well that's where it gets confusing! :D That's the front you can see there - with the camera held awkwardly selfie-like. My Ender has been....reconfigured slightly :D That stepper is normally at the back but if it's at the back, the whole thing sits that much away from the wall...and then the front feet fall off the front of the bench :eek: So I modified it a tad. I'm trying to work out what I did exactly from where the holes are but I think I spun the entire top frame (the square of extrusions that mount to the upright extrusions), reversed the carriage (to keep it as it was) and then used a transfer punch to mark where the holes needed to be drilled for the extra bit of extrusion that holds the top of the z axis.
There's enough space in the slots of the extrusions to hide quite a lot of cable and that's where both the camera and light cable are run. Some simple clips across the extrusions stop them falling out - I've got models if you need them.

See if this makes any more sense of it (click for larger):



Yes, that's a VR lighthouse mounted in the back corner now. Just in time for my headset tether to fail on me :mad:
Side plate is just a container lid to stop some of the breeze from the heating hitting the build plate.
The dangly cable from the camera was more neatly tucked in until I moved it to work out how I'd modified the top frame :D
what's with the tupperware lid?
 
Soldato
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what's with the tupperware lid?
I've got an office at the bottom of the garden. When it was built, I (im)politely declined their offer of installing storage heaters and got an aircon unit to do the heating and also cooling in the summer. The lid just stops the breeze (be it hot or cold) from blowing on the build plate...at least most of it, it was quite clearly a nasty bodge :D Probably needs a more 3D-printed approach as is traditional! :D
 
Soldato
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I've got an office at the bottom of the garden. When it was built, I (im)politely declined their offer of installing storage heaters and got an aircon unit to do the heating and also cooling in the summer. The lid just stops the breeze (be it hot or cold) from blowing on the build plate...at least most of it, it was quite clearly a nasty bodge :D Probably needs a more 3D-printed approach as is traditional! :D
nothing more permanent than a temporary solution
 
Soldato
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Thinking about printing this for my ender 5, anyone tried it before?
 
Soldato
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I'm getting very strange stringing on my prints?
It's like the snot from my extruder is being wiped progressively further away from the model before it gets too far and starts again.
Anyone else get this and how do I stop it
I'm half considering mounting a small wire brush at 0,0,0 so it wipes every layer!
 
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Soldato
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Currently...

1) Making a grip extender for a pistol magazine. Doesn't change mag capacity, just allows a dude with big hand to hold his pistol better. Pretty sure this is completely legal in my state.
2) Gone back to using a 0.4 nozzle instead of a 0.6. Found I just wasn't happy with the loss of detail, or smoothness of some walls etc with the 0.6, especially on vertical curves. Takes longer overall, but I've decided that quality is more important that 4 vs 3 hours for the same print.
3) When you sell prints, I have come to loath post processing when spending 3 hours on having to sand difficult to reach parts of a print because it blobbed etc. I work hard to minimize supports and post processing overall, but sometimes it's almost unavoidable.
4) I really need to get my Ender 3V2 converted to a corexy for giggles. Just waiting for someone to hopefully update their conversion kit to belt instead of screw.
 
Soldato
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Just took delivery of my Ender 3 V2 Neo, got to say I wish Id bought one a long time ago, the amount of silly but useful stuff I have downloaded and sliced ready to go already is making it worth every penny, Ryobi battery and tool wall mounts etc. Even better that I had a gift card and spring deal on over on the rainforest site so it only cost me £135 inc a kilo of PLA+ to begin with.
Ive done the Rabbit already, one of my daughters wants benchy too but I want to get cracking with the handy stuff.
 
Don
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One of those rotary thingies with the curved blade? Yup. Got two of them. One for 3d printing and another with a hardened blade for deburring aluminium and steel. Very useful little tool.
 
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Soldato
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They do them in a variety of different blade shapes for deburring either different metals or different parts - like the backs of holes (reach through the hole and take the sharp edge off the other side). Probably less useful for 3D printing than metalwork in the other shapes. The triangular shaped scraper is sometimes useful and the countersinking/deburring tool is useful on holes. Noga is the market leader for metalwork deburring... but are probably priced higher than you (or I!) would like.
In another medium cross-over, I get good results with reamers and taps. Print holes with two (or preferably three) perimeters, don't fret about the exact size of them and just run a reamer through them to bring them to size afterwards. Ditto with threads. An M3 prints nicely but isn't useable. Run a (decent sharp) tap down the printed threads to bring them to dimension and you're done.
 
Soldato
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Not a demurring tool but as far smarter people than me have worked out, I meant a deburring tool.

I’m in the process of printing the printed parts for a Voron 2.4. I printed a load last year on my other printers but the quality step up on the X1C, though this will be down to my poor tuning of the other printers, is massive. I would like to build one still but not sure I can justify they expense though I’ll decide one I’ve printed all the functional parts.
 
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