Bought a 3D Printer Tonight... Anyone Else Out There With One?

[fncceo]

Benchy test passed! Just needs a little sanding.

That's a pretty good Benchy right out of the box. Just a touch of banding. But overall a good print. What slicer are you using?

I have the free version of Cura. Sometimes however when I put the .stl file into GCode the printer doesn't recognize it. At first I found it was because I was taking the thumb drive out before doing the "safe ejection" button. But even tonight I did it the right way and didn't read it.

Thumb drives and SD cards are notoriously unreliable. At a couple of dollars per SD card, if I have issues, I just chuck it and use a fresh one. Does your printer have the option of reading the file by USB from the computer?

Also, where are you getting your STLs? If there are any unrepaired 'holes' (incomplete faces) on the original file Cura would not be able to create a complete G-Code File. I use Slic3r and not Cura (I could never get Cura completely tuned to my printer) but it should work the same.

 

[Lewdog]

Benchy test passed! Just needs a little sanding.

That's a pretty good Benchy right out of the box. Just a touch of banding. But overall a good print. What slicer are you using?

I have the free version of Cura. Sometimes however when I put the .stl file into GCode the printer doesn't recognize it. At first I found it was because I was taking the thumb drive out before doing the "safe ejection" button. But even tonight I did it the right way and didn't read it.

Thumb drives and SD cards are notoriously unreliable. At a couple of dollars per SD card, if I have issues, I just chuck it and use a fresh one. Does your printer have the option of reading the file by USB from the computer?

Also, where are you getting your STLs? If there are any unrepaired 'holes' (incomplete faces) on the original file Cura would not be able to create a complete G-Code File. I use Slic3r and not Cura (I could never get Cura completely tuned to my printer) but it should work the same.

Well my buddy has a newer version on his laptop and the printer read that one fine. I just was in a hurry and didn't take the time to update mine before putting it on there. The issue however, is the bottom layer for the larger print was not sticking to the hot bed, and it ended up catching and clogging up around the extruder nozzle. So I cleaned it up and tried again, and it did the same. I'm going to need to lower the bed, and try putting down painters tape to see if that works. I tried the elmers glue stick and that didn't work, and the time I tried painter's tape before, the nozzle dragged on it.

 

[fncceo]

This Starlord Helmet is about ten different pieces, fiber-glassed together and covered with several coats of spray putty to make smooth. The surface is air brushed with metallic paints and their about 24 LEDs in the eyes.

Remarkably, I can see pretty well while wearing it.

 

[fncceo]

Benchy test passed! Just needs a little sanding.

That's a pretty good Benchy right out of the box. Just a touch of banding. But overall a good print. What slicer are you using?

I have the free version of Cura. Sometimes however when I put the .stl file into GCode the printer doesn't recognize it. At first I found it was because I was taking the thumb drive out before doing the "safe ejection" button. But even tonight I did it the right way and didn't read it.

Thumb drives and SD cards are notoriously unreliable. At a couple of dollars per SD card, if I have issues, I just chuck it and use a fresh one. Does your printer have the option of reading the file by USB from the computer?

Also, where are you getting your STLs? If there are any unrepaired 'holes' (incomplete faces) on the original file Cura would not be able to create a complete G-Code File. I use Slic3r and not Cura (I could never get Cura completely tuned to my printer) but it should work the same.

Well my buddy has a newer version on his laptop and the printer read that one fine. I just was in a hurry and didn't take the time to update mine before putting it on there. The issue however, is the bottom layer for the larger print was not sticking to the hot bed, and it ended up catching and clogging up around the extruder nozzle. So I cleaned it up and tried again, and it did the same. I'm going to need to lower the bed, and try putting down painters tape to see if that works. I tried the elmers glue stick and that didn't work, and the time I tried painter's tape before, the nozzle dragged on it.

Painters tape was sent from heaven for that very task. Also, and I can't stress this enough, level ... level .. level ... the bed. Then level it again. I use a feeler gauge. Level it between prints. Level it when you change filaments. If the bed is the slightest bit un-level across the entire bed, you're going to have 1st layer problems.

 

[Lewdog]

This Starlord Helmet is about ten different pieces, fiber-glassed together and covered with several coats of spray putty to make smooth. The surface is air brushed with metallic paints and their about 24 LEDs in the eyes.

Remarkably, I can see pretty well while wearing it.

Sweet! 3D printers are freaking essential for cosplay people these days instead of going through the trouble of making fiber-glass molds and stuff.

 

[Lewdog]

Benchy test passed! Just needs a little sanding.

That's a pretty good Benchy right out of the box. Just a touch of banding. But overall a good print. What slicer are you using?

I have the free version of Cura. Sometimes however when I put the .stl file into GCode the printer doesn't recognize it. At first I found it was because I was taking the thumb drive out before doing the "safe ejection" button. But even tonight I did it the right way and didn't read it.

Thumb drives and SD cards are notoriously unreliable. At a couple of dollars per SD card, if I have issues, I just chuck it and use a fresh one. Does your printer have the option of reading the file by USB from the computer?

Also, where are you getting your STLs? If there are any unrepaired 'holes' (incomplete faces) on the original file Cura would not be able to create a complete G-Code File. I use Slic3r and not Cura (I could never get Cura completely tuned to my printer) but it should work the same.

Well my buddy has a newer version on his laptop and the printer read that one fine. I just was in a hurry and didn't take the time to update mine before putting it on there. The issue however, is the bottom layer for the larger print was not sticking to the hot bed, and it ended up catching and clogging up around the extruder nozzle. So I cleaned it up and tried again, and it did the same. I'm going to need to lower the bed, and try putting down painters tape to see if that works. I tried the elmers glue stick and that didn't work, and the time I tried painter's tape before, the nozzle dragged on it.

Painters tape was sent from heaven for that very task. Also, and I can't stress this enough, level ... level .. level ... the bed. Then level it again. I use a feeler gauge. Level it between prints. Level it when you change filaments. If the bed is the slightest bit un-level across the entire bed, you're going to have 1st layer problems.

yeah I bought a level tonight, plus the printer has an auto-level function.

 

[fncceo]

This Starlord Helmet is about ten different pieces, fiber-glassed together and covered with several coats of spray putty to make smooth. The surface is air brushed with metallic paints and their about 24 LEDs in the eyes.

Remarkably, I can see pretty well while wearing it.

Sweet! 3D printers are freaking essential for cosplay people these days instead of going through the trouble of making fiber-glass molds and stuff.

I've been making cosplay props for my daughter for years. Used to make my patterns from balsa, foam, putty, and bondo. Took months. The printer is so much faster and I'm finally getting the hang of post-processing.

My next frontier is lost-wax, lost PLA casting in aluminum and brass. Make my parts in metal and plate them.

 

[fncceo]

That's a pretty good Benchy right out of the box. Just a touch of banding. But overall a good print. What slicer are you using?

I have the free version of Cura. Sometimes however when I put the .stl file into GCode the printer doesn't recognize it. At first I found it was because I was taking the thumb drive out before doing the "safe ejection" button. But even tonight I did it the right way and didn't read it.

Thumb drives and SD cards are notoriously unreliable. At a couple of dollars per SD card, if I have issues, I just chuck it and use a fresh one. Does your printer have the option of reading the file by USB from the computer?

Also, where are you getting your STLs? If there are any unrepaired 'holes' (incomplete faces) on the original file Cura would not be able to create a complete G-Code File. I use Slic3r and not Cura (I could never get Cura completely tuned to my printer) but it should work the same.

Well my buddy has a newer version on his laptop and the printer read that one fine. I just was in a hurry and didn't take the time to update mine before putting it on there. The issue however, is the bottom layer for the larger print was not sticking to the hot bed, and it ended up catching and clogging up around the extruder nozzle. So I cleaned it up and tried again, and it did the same. I'm going to need to lower the bed, and try putting down painters tape to see if that works. I tried the elmers glue stick and that didn't work, and the time I tried painter's tape before, the nozzle dragged on it.

Painters tape was sent from heaven for that very task. Also, and I can't stress this enough, level ... level .. level ... the bed. Then level it again. I use a feeler gauge. Level it between prints. Level it when you change filaments. If the bed is the slightest bit un-level across the entire bed, you're going to have 1st layer problems.

yeah I bought a level tonight, plus the printer has an auto-level function.

Just my opinion ... I had an autolevel on my printer, took it off. It's not reliable. I can level a print bed in a couple of minutes with practice. I printed huge thumb wheels for the leveling knobs to give me greater control.

 

[Lewdog]

This Starlord Helmet is about ten different pieces, fiber-glassed together and covered with several coats of spray putty to make smooth. The surface is air brushed with metallic paints and their about 24 LEDs in the eyes.

Remarkably, I can see pretty well while wearing it.

Sweet! 3D printers are freaking essential for cosplay people these days instead of going through the trouble of making fiber-glass molds and stuff.

I've been making cosplay props for my daughter for years. Used to make my patterns from balsa, foam, putty, and bondo. Took months. The printer is so much faster and I'm finally getting the hang of post-processing.

My next frontier is lost-wax, lost PLA casting in aluminum and brass. Make my parts in metal and plate them.

Yeah... they have the filament that looks like wood now too. Do you recycle your misprint filament? How do you do it?

 

[frigidweirdo]

So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer. I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger. This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.

Anyone else out there got one? Any pointers on some good shareware? Good places to find .stl files?

NEW Alfawise U20 Large Scale 2.8" Touch Screen Aluminium Alloy DIY 3D Printer US | eBay

I'd love one, but they're too expensive for me, I'd want either a high quality one or nothing at all.

 

[fncceo]

This Starlord Helmet is about ten different pieces, fiber-glassed together and covered with several coats of spray putty to make smooth. The surface is air brushed with metallic paints and their about 24 LEDs in the eyes.

Remarkably, I can see pretty well while wearing it.

Sweet! 3D printers are freaking essential for cosplay people these days instead of going through the trouble of making fiber-glass molds and stuff.

I've been making cosplay props for my daughter for years. Used to make my patterns from balsa, foam, putty, and bondo. Took months. The printer is so much faster and I'm finally getting the hang of post-processing.

My next frontier is lost-wax, lost PLA casting in aluminum and brass. Make my parts in metal and plate them.

Yeah... they have the filament that looks like wood now too. Do you recycle your misprint filament? How do you do it?

Mostly I just throw it in the bin. I have a box of stuff I've printed that didn't come out quite right. You can reprocess PLA into new filament but with the cost of filament as low as it is, it's not worth the effort. Plus, the different between cheap filament and better filament is the tolerance of the filament width. I can't equal factory tolerance by recycling at home.

 

[Lewdog]

So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer. I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger. This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.

Anyone else out there got one? Any pointers on some good shareware? Good places to find .stl files?

NEW Alfawise U20 Large Scale 2.8" Touch Screen Aluminium Alloy DIY 3D Printer US | eBay

I'd love one, but they're too expensive for me, I'd want either a high quality one or nothing at all.

Well I had an eBay coupon and saved a good bit off of mine. It is only a $300 printer but it prints a large surface area, and honestly many people tell me it is better to learn on a cheaper one before spending a lot on a more complex one.

 

[fncceo]

So I had a 15% off coupon from eBay today and decided to go ahead and take advantage and buy a 3D printer. I had been wanting to get one for awhile, so I pulled the trigger. This one is pretty big and isn't supposed to take too much to set it up.

Anyone else out there got one? Any pointers on some good shareware? Good places to find .stl files?

NEW Alfawise U20 Large Scale 2.8" Touch Screen Aluminium Alloy DIY 3D Printer US | eBay

I'd love one, but they're too expensive for me, I'd want either a high quality one or nothing at all.

Build it ... there are plenty of youtube tutorials on how to do just that. All the software you need is open source. The controller cards and part can be sourced from China. Build it simple then add upgrades as your skill increases. Many of the upgrades on my printer were made with the printer itself.

Added bonus, after you've done it, you understand how the printer works. That is essential for being able to troubleshoot the inevitable issues you will encounter.

 

[Lewdog]

This Starlord Helmet is about ten different pieces, fiber-glassed together and covered with several coats of spray putty to make smooth. The surface is air brushed with metallic paints and their about 24 LEDs in the eyes.

Remarkably, I can see pretty well while wearing it.

Sweet! 3D printers are freaking essential for cosplay people these days instead of going through the trouble of making fiber-glass molds and stuff.

I've been making cosplay props for my daughter for years. Used to make my patterns from balsa, foam, putty, and bondo. Took months. The printer is so much faster and I'm finally getting the hang of post-processing.

My next frontier is lost-wax, lost PLA casting in aluminum and brass. Make my parts in metal and plate them.

Yeah... they have the filament that looks like wood now too. Do you recycle your misprint filament? How do you do it?

Mostly I just throw it in the bin. I have a box of stuff I've printed that didn't come out quite right. You can reprocess PLA into new filament but with the cost of filament as low as it is, it's not worth the effort. Plus, the different between cheap filament and better filament is the tolerance of the filament width. I can't equal factory tolerance by recycling at home.

Well I've heard of people that will melt it all together for something cheap... not necessarily to make it into new filament, but to make things like a poker ch1p (Just found out poker ch1p is a banned word here. lol) or something simple out of it.

 

[fncceo]

I just bought some ferro-magentic filament (contains actual iron powder) that I'm using to make the core of a 3/4 horsepower electric motor with the printer. If successful, it will be the spindle for a large bed CNC I'm planning to build.

 

[fncceo]

This Starlord Helmet is about ten different pieces, fiber-glassed together and covered with several coats of spray putty to make smooth. The surface is air brushed with metallic paints and their about 24 LEDs in the eyes.

Remarkably, I can see pretty well while wearing it.

Sweet! 3D printers are freaking essential for cosplay people these days instead of going through the trouble of making fiber-glass molds and stuff.

I've been making cosplay props for my daughter for years. Used to make my patterns from balsa, foam, putty, and bondo. Took months. The printer is so much faster and I'm finally getting the hang of post-processing.

My next frontier is lost-wax, lost PLA casting in aluminum and brass. Make my parts in metal and plate them.

Yeah... they have the filament that looks like wood now too. Do you recycle your misprint filament? How do you do it?

Mostly I just throw it in the bin. I have a box of stuff I've printed that didn't come out quite right. You can reprocess PLA into new filament but with the cost of filament as low as it is, it's not worth the effort. Plus, the different between cheap filament and better filament is the tolerance of the filament width. I can't equal factory tolerance by recycling at home.

Well I've heard of people that will melt it all together for something cheap... not necessarily to make it into new filament, but to make things like a poker ch1p (Just found out poker ch1p is a banned word here. lol) or something simple out of it.

Sounds VERY messy. If I want to cast something in plastic, I just use 2 part polyurethane and a silicone mold -- I've been making props that way for years. PLA is very difficult to get liquid enough to cast with. It would harden too quickly.

 

[Ridgerunner]

God, I love capitalism...

 

[fncceo]

God, I love capitalism...

Totally!

 

[Lewdog]

Sweet! 3D printers are freaking essential for cosplay people these days instead of going through the trouble of making fiber-glass molds and stuff.

I've been making cosplay props for my daughter for years. Used to make my patterns from balsa, foam, putty, and bondo. Took months. The printer is so much faster and I'm finally getting the hang of post-processing.

My next frontier is lost-wax, lost PLA casting in aluminum and brass. Make my parts in metal and plate them.

Yeah... they have the filament that looks like wood now too. Do you recycle your misprint filament? How do you do it?

Mostly I just throw it in the bin. I have a box of stuff I've printed that didn't come out quite right. You can reprocess PLA into new filament but with the cost of filament as low as it is, it's not worth the effort. Plus, the different between cheap filament and better filament is the tolerance of the filament width. I can't equal factory tolerance by recycling at home.

Well I've heard of people that will melt it all together for something cheap... not necessarily to make it into new filament, but to make things like a poker ch1p (Just found out poker ch1p is a banned word here. lol) or something simple out of it.

Sounds VERY messy. If I want to cast something in plastic, I just use 2 part polyurethane and a silicone mold -- I've been making props that way for years. PLA is very difficult to get liquid enough to cast with. It would harden too quickly.

Have you seen the 3D printers that can do metal, and have been used to make replica engine blocks?

 

[fncceo]

I've been making cosplay props for my daughter for years. Used to make my patterns from balsa, foam, putty, and bondo. Took months. The printer is so much faster and I'm finally getting the hang of post-processing.

My next frontier is lost-wax, lost PLA casting in aluminum and brass. Make my parts in metal and plate them.

Yeah... they have the filament that looks like wood now too. Do you recycle your misprint filament? How do you do it?

Mostly I just throw it in the bin. I have a box of stuff I've printed that didn't come out quite right. You can reprocess PLA into new filament but with the cost of filament as low as it is, it's not worth the effort. Plus, the different between cheap filament and better filament is the tolerance of the filament width. I can't equal factory tolerance by recycling at home.

Well I've heard of people that will melt it all together for something cheap... not necessarily to make it into new filament, but to make things like a poker ch1p (Just found out poker ch1p is a banned word here. lol) or something simple out of it.

Sounds VERY messy. If I want to cast something in plastic, I just use 2 part polyurethane and a silicone mold -- I've been making props that way for years. PLA is very difficult to get liquid enough to cast with. It would harden too quickly.

Have you seen the 3D printers that can do metal, and have been used to make replica engine blocks?

No printable filament would be suitable for making an engine block. Remember, it melts at around 200C, even the metal infused filament. Metal filaments are merely PLA plastic with metal powder infused. The metal gives it no additional structure, just the appearance of metal.

That is why I laugh whenever someone inevitably brings up the subject of 3d printed guns. I can't think of a WORSE way to make a gun than with a 3d printer. Unless you want to find a novel way to remove one of your hands.

It would be however, be ideal for making an engine block pattern, which is molded in green sand, and then cast in aluminum and machined.