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[3D Printing] A toy to build toys...New to the hobby....

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Posts

  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    well, I was gonna get a phrozen mini but I think I'll wait

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAf0mpF9Nww

  • NoughtNought Registered User regular
    So I bought the Not Monoprice Select Mini 2 two weeks ago. Got it tuesday, but was too bombed by work to muster the energy to do anything with it. Also didn't have Isopropyl alcohol.

    Got it out this Monday and used the sample filament to make the cat print included on the SD card.
    Print went okay, but the layers are more noticeable when I run a finger nail down it then a print done on my friends Ender 2.

    He suggested that the sample PLA is junk, and that might be why.

    Finally starting two weeks vacation today, and installed Cura to start making stuff.

    The included version of Cura was something like 3.2, so after getting the newest one I found out that Cura wants a lot more info on the printer than what is described in the included documentation. So I ended up just choosing the Select Mini 2 profile.

    Just wanted to ask if that could cause any problems?

    From what I can see, it's just data on the phisical dimentions of the print bed and head.
    I'm thinking that even if some components in the printer isn't the same as a Select Mini 2, the dimentions should be the same.

    On fire
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    Island. Being on fire.
  • SteevLSteevL What can I do for you? Registered User regular
    Nought wrote: »
    So I bought the Not Monoprice Select Mini 2 two weeks ago. Got it tuesday, but was too bombed by work to muster the energy to do anything with it. Also didn't have Isopropyl alcohol.

    Got it out this Monday and used the sample filament to make the cat print included on the SD card.
    Print went okay, but the layers are more noticeable when I run a finger nail down it then a print done on my friends Ender 2.

    He suggested that the sample PLA is junk, and that might be why.

    Finally starting two weeks vacation today, and installed Cura to start making stuff.

    The included version of Cura was something like 3.2, so after getting the newest one I found out that Cura wants a lot more info on the printer than what is described in the included documentation. So I ended up just choosing the Select Mini 2 profile.

    Just wanted to ask if that could cause any problems?

    From what I can see, it's just data on the phisical dimentions of the print bed and head.
    I'm thinking that even if some components in the printer isn't the same as a Select Mini 2, the dimentions should be the same.

    I think the only other things that change with the profile are the starting and ending gcode scripts.

  • djmitchelladjmitchella Registered User regular
    Layer heights change as well -- the stepper motor for the Z axis moves in steps, so if you multiply the amount it turns by the pitch of the Z screw, you get the layer heights that the printer can make accurately. https://www.mpselectmini.com/optimal_layer has info on this (I get a 'ssl certificate has expired' warning, but the site's fine otherwise).

    And there might also be different maximum speed/accelerations per printer, because not every printer can move the print head around as fast, and potentially retraction settings might change depending on if it's a bowden / direct drive extruder.

  • djmitchelladjmitchella Registered User regular
    Just to show you what I got from mine, in case it's useful -- I just printed the cat print from the 'contents of the SD card' folder from the mpselectmini wiki above -- I'm not sure if it's the same as what you printed, but I'd guess it is. (trying to get it at an angle where the light shows you what the layers look like, and ignore the bit of black whatever-it-is on there, that's just dirt or something)

    GiPrk1n.jpg
    Wg9V1Fd.jpg

    Opening that gcode in a gcode viewer, it looks like it has layer height of 0.2mm, so I sliced this STL which I think is the same thing in Cura with 0.175mm layer height -- I forgot to turn supports off, so there's some leftover bits from those, but here's what that one looks like (it's mirrored left-to-right from the other one, and the characters on the front are different, but I think it's basically the same model otherwise):

    l5l6FXf.jpg
    uKkoVCg.jpg

    and here's what it looks like at 0.2mm on a prusa mk3:

    XkTZPKE.jpg
    7eFQTtH.jpg

  • NoughtNought Registered User regular
    Ah. Thanks. Looks close to what I got from the default one too.
    The included filament was white so it's hard to see because of the lack of contrast.

    I got two spools from a covid grabbag deal, one white and one blue.

    Might be a good idea to start off with the blue one so it's easier to see what's going on.

    I have seen a lot of youtubes use the tugboat for tests. Is that something any of you use or is it more of a youtube thing?

    On fire
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  • XeddicusXeddicus Registered User regular
    Benchy (the tugboat) is kind of the default test print meme. Perfectly fine, but there are a lot of others out there too.

  • Mr_RoseMr_Rose 83 Blue Ridge Protects the Holy Registered User regular
    Benchy the benchmark boat is specifically designed to test a bunch of things like overhangs/bridging, first layer adhesion, infill errors etc. Between that and the check cube you actually get a pretty comprehensive diagnostic of a standard FDM printer.

    ...because dragons are AWESOME! That's why.
    Nintendo Network ID: AzraelRose
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  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    What's the proper setting to tweak when you're putting down a brim and the first couple mm / cm don't adhere well, but then it "catches" and works fine?

  • djmitchelladjmitchella Registered User regular
    Try setting fan speed to "off" / reducing other movement speed for the first layer?

  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    Fan's off already; movement speed is 50% of normal on the first layer, which makes it either 20mm/s (if brims count as perimeters) or 12.5mm/s (if brims count as external perimeters).

  • djmitchelladjmitchella Registered User regular
    Hmm. Try adjusting Z offset down a tiny little bit? (or raise the bed up a tiny little bit, depending on how your printer does that sort of thing). 20mm/s seems plenty slow enough, yeah. Also whenever I have prints coming loose / first layer not sticking down as much as I want, I re-clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol, just to make sure there's no leftover fingerprints or whatever and that usually helps.

  • SiliconStewSiliconStew Registered User regular
    edited August 2021
    Elvenshae wrote: »
    What's the proper setting to tweak when you're putting down a brim and the first couple mm / cm don't adhere well, but then it "catches" and works fine?

    Sounds like a priming issue. The filament will ooze a bit while it's sitting there heating up and not printing so you won't have enough initial flow to get proper squish against the plate for it to stick, but it does stick once the nozzle fills up to get the right flow rate again. Does your printer do a purge/wipe line along the edge of the plate before it starts printing? Mine will have that initial adhesion issue on the wipe line, but then goes on to start the brim without issue.

    SiliconStew on
    Just remember that half the people you meet are below average intelligence.
  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    Hmm. Try adjusting Z offset down a tiny little bit?

    DING DING DING.

    Turns out the proper change to make was to adjust the z-offset one more click down, making it a rather tight grab on the paper instead of a mostly tight grab on the paper.

    The only thing is that this solves the perimeters issue, but gives me some small evidence of a too-close nozzle on the fill. The problem is that my z-offset moves in .1mm increments, and I really need to move in an 0.05mm increment between the previous setting and the current.

    (Also, regarding my above comment, brims seem to count as regular perimeters and get the faster speed.)

  • EchoEcho ski-bap ba-dapModerator mod
    The Resin you use in SLA printers is UV-Curing Resin. It sets when exposed to ultraviolet light (405 nanometres is the sweet-spot), which is why all the SLA printers have those funky coloured plastic covers, which filter out the UV light and stop the resin sitting in the tank setting due to sunlight.

    The general design of an SLA printer is a bank of UV lights, beneath an LCD screen, beneath the resin tank (the base of which is a clear type of plastic called an FEP). The build plate just moves up and down. When printing, the LCD displays the shape of the current print-layer, allowing the UV light to shine through in that exact shape, which sets a layer of resin in your tank which sticks to the build plate (or previous layer of resin). The build plate then moves up, making room for the next layer.

    One moving part, some lights, and a digital screen. Ingenious.

    The greatest part is that since it's the same curing time for all layers, the X/Y size doesn't matter, it's just the height that determines how long your print takes.

  • EchoEcho ski-bap ba-dapModerator mod
    My printer has been gathering dust for a long while so I haven't been around in this thread much, but I just fired it up again to make a couple of doodads for a coworker.

    Turns out I had lost my Cura profile so I went for a stock one. It defaulted to 50mm/speed, so on the second one I bumped it up to 100mm/s, print times were 25 and 19 minutes respectively, and I can't say I notice any notable difference in quality. A bit more ghosting in one spot on the second one.

    gj356z5qpz2c.png

  • EchoEcho ski-bap ba-dapModerator mod
    Huh, apparently macOS has previews for STL files now.

    cvwdjqtyri0z.png

  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    While printing a tube for my wife's fish to swim through (aquarium decorations!), my printer managed to somehow unscrew the pressure fitting at the top of the hotend. :shrug: This somewhat naturally failed the print, but it also managed to get the bottom of the hotend all kinds of mucked up as the captured length of Capricorn tubing was no longer held in place against the print nozzle and the whole thing was getting pulled out and pushed in anyway.

    So, I'll need to do the ol' acetone-soak-and-brush fix to get it back in working order.

    The good news is that I had a "clean" hotend and plenty of Capricorn tubing to replace the messed up one (since they come in couple-foot lengths and you only need a couple centimeters at a time). The better news is that the BL Touch I've got installed meant I just had to autohome the printer, slightly adjust the Z offset for the minute differences in nozzle install between the hotends, and I was basically off to the races with a single-step "bed leveling".

  • ChiselphaneChiselphane Registered User regular
    Good news: I got a 2nd printer for free; a relative works at one of those resale stores and they were throwing one out

    Bad news: They were throwing it out because it was listed as 'broken'

    Good news: It's not actually broken, it was just put together incorrectly

    Bad news: I think I can restore it but holy hell it's difficult. The x axis belts are uncoupled from the hot end carriage, and the whole thing is in an enclosure so its been a real curse-laden challenge trying to get them back in place. I may have to disassemble the enclosure to get it done but I'm leery of doing so because it doesnt seem to be all that well built in the first place

    Meh news: It's a Weedo M2 and the reviews don't seem favorable, so it might be more trouble than its worth

    Consolation prize: It came with a big roll of filament and a toolbox of printer accessories so if nothing else I did get something out of it

  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    Other Bad news: The filament is cursed.

  • ChiselphaneChiselphane Registered User regular
    Elvenshae wrote: »
    Other Bad news: The filament is cursed.

    It wouldnt shock me to discover it's crap. The more I tinker with the printer the more I realize how lousy it is.

  • EchoEcho ski-bap ba-dapModerator mod
    All filament is some degree of cursed, which is where the prayers to the machine spirit come in.

  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    Posted this in the SE++ Arts and Crafts thread, but …

    983hc8c30sj3.jpeg

    This is the end of a 3D-printed arm and base. You can use some 3D printed wrenches to tighten the blue nuts which lock the arm joints in-place. I basically printed it for this exact job: holding the jump rings in-place so I could neatly solder them onto my stained glass stuff. Doing it without the clips is tricky because you need to hold the ring, the soldering iron, and the solder, and that’s one hand too many for me.

    I designed the adapter for the arm and clip, and I think I’ll need to adjust it slightly: I made the part the flanges on the base of the clip grab on just a little too small for them to grab nicely.

    Anyway, worked perfectly. Held the rings nicely in-place, got them positioned and soldered first try and didn’t need to take them off to adjust the amount and location of the solder.

  • Bluedude152Bluedude152 Registered User regular
    Resin Printing hard

    I had my first successful print!

    Annnnnd forgot it in the ipa for a half hour oops

    p0a2ody6sqnt.jpg
  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    It’s modern art now!

  • Bluedude152Bluedude152 Registered User regular
    Im really fucking bad at this

    everything is coming out warped or with giant chunks of resin dried to it

    p0a2ody6sqnt.jpg
  • NipsNips He/Him Luxuriating in existential crisis.Registered User regular
    edited August 2021
    Out of the reservoir of the printer, or out of the IPA bath?

    If it's the former, it's likely either a supports or bed leveling problem.

    Also, if you have a bad print, it is 100% recommended to empty out the reservoir and strain your resin for loose particulates, and remove any remaining in the reservoir or stuck to the FEP film.

    Nips on
    JXUBxMxP0QndjQUEnTwTxOkfKmx8kWNvuc-FUtbSz_23_DAhGKe7W9spFKLXAtkpTBqM8Dt6kQrv-rS69Hi3FheL3fays2xTeVUvWR7g5UyLHnFA0frGk1BC12GYdOSRn9lbaJB-uH0htiLPJMrc9cSRsIgk5Dx7jg9K8rJVfG43lkeAWxTgcolNscW9KO2UZjKT8GMbYAFgFvu2TaMoLH8LBA5p2pm6VNYRsQK3QGjCsze1TOv2yIbCazmDwCHmjiQxNDf6LHP35msyiXo3CxuWs9Y8DQvJjvj10kWaspRNlWHKjS5w9Y0KLuIkhQKOxgaDziG290v4zBmTi-i7OfDz-foqIqKzC9wTbn9i_uU87GRitmrNAJdzRRsaTW5VQu_XX_5gCN8XCoNyu5RWWVGTsjJuyezz1_NpFa903Uj2TnFqnL1wJ-RZiFAAd2Bdut-G1pdQtdQihsq2dx_BjtmtGC3KZRyylO1t2c12dhfb0rStq4v8pg46ciOcdtT_1qm85IgUmGd7AmgLxCFPb0xnxWZvr26G-oXSqrQdjKA1zNIInSowiHcbUO2O8S5LRJVR6vQiEg0fbGXw4vqJYEn917tnzHMh8r0xom8BLKMvoFDelk6wbEeNq8w8Eyu2ouGjEMIvvJcb2az2AKQ1uE_7gdatfKG2QdvfdSBRSc35MQ=w498-h80-no
  • Bluedude152Bluedude152 Registered User regular
    I believe the settings im using are just over exposing the resin

    The advised settings are for a much weaker light so I was just curing stuff way to deeply

    p0a2ody6sqnt.jpg
  • NipsNips He/Him Luxuriating in existential crisis.Registered User regular
    Yeah, that makes sense. Not knowing what you have, I've got a Photon and the settings from this spreadsheet have helped me get situated, and minimally for you might help as a sanity check.

    JXUBxMxP0QndjQUEnTwTxOkfKmx8kWNvuc-FUtbSz_23_DAhGKe7W9spFKLXAtkpTBqM8Dt6kQrv-rS69Hi3FheL3fays2xTeVUvWR7g5UyLHnFA0frGk1BC12GYdOSRn9lbaJB-uH0htiLPJMrc9cSRsIgk5Dx7jg9K8rJVfG43lkeAWxTgcolNscW9KO2UZjKT8GMbYAFgFvu2TaMoLH8LBA5p2pm6VNYRsQK3QGjCsze1TOv2yIbCazmDwCHmjiQxNDf6LHP35msyiXo3CxuWs9Y8DQvJjvj10kWaspRNlWHKjS5w9Y0KLuIkhQKOxgaDziG290v4zBmTi-i7OfDz-foqIqKzC9wTbn9i_uU87GRitmrNAJdzRRsaTW5VQu_XX_5gCN8XCoNyu5RWWVGTsjJuyezz1_NpFa903Uj2TnFqnL1wJ-RZiFAAd2Bdut-G1pdQtdQihsq2dx_BjtmtGC3KZRyylO1t2c12dhfb0rStq4v8pg46ciOcdtT_1qm85IgUmGd7AmgLxCFPb0xnxWZvr26G-oXSqrQdjKA1zNIInSowiHcbUO2O8S5LRJVR6vQiEg0fbGXw4vqJYEn917tnzHMh8r0xom8BLKMvoFDelk6wbEeNq8w8Eyu2ouGjEMIvvJcb2az2AKQ1uE_7gdatfKG2QdvfdSBRSc35MQ=w498-h80-no
  • NoughtNought Registered User regular
    I keep being too lazy to post. Plus I can't remember my imgur pw to post pictures of what I'm talking about.

    Just finished two weeks vacation so finally had time to fiddle with my printer.

    As I said it's basicly a monoprice select mini 2.

    My fist prints, the cat one that's on the SD when you get it, and my benchy came out okay, but I felt like I was really seeing the limitations of an FDM printer verses resin.

    When I printed benchy I kept going back to the printer and loosening the pla a bit, because I was afraid that it would snag on the side of the printer.

    So the first thing after that was a filament guide, with a sort of gimble eye, for the top of the machine. And then a spool holder.

    For those two I changed the cura settings to fine, and was really impressed with how smooth the rounded bit were.

    For the next week I was printing some walls for battletech, and they come out super smooth. I'm guessing the design of them are a big part of that.

    My biggest problem was that I was getting a lot of stringing when builds were spread out. But changing the retraction from 2.5 to 4 cleared it up.

    The first gate towers I printed stuck to the buildplate, so I heated it up in an attempt to make it easier to get off.
    I got it off, but the base is a bit warped.

    Is there some way to save it? Like maybe putting it in boiling water for a few minuttes to make the pla more bendable?

    I also had a problem with benchy sticking to the build plate. Got it off, but it left som pla.
    Tried to use the included plastic scraper, but jeg got really dented.
    Read that I should use acetone to clean the bed of pla. It didn't do too much to the pla, but the top coating of the build plate frosted over immediately, and removed the knobly texture from the middle.

    Thinking I had ruined the build plate I grabbed my trusty steel spatula that I use fill in old drill holes.
    Turns out it works perfectly for removing prints, since the corners are round, and the edge have been worn down a bit so it doesn't dig into the plate.

    I'm thinking it might be a good idea to a magnetic build plate at some point, as I end up manhandling the plate a bit and have to relevel every five prints or so.

    On fire
    .
    Island. Being on fire.
  • djmitchelladjmitchella Registered User regular
    That's why I wound up using tape on the base in the end, I'd gouged the base enough on mine trying to remove prints that I wanted to avoid making it worse, and it also helped with grip at times. (I also wound up going from the plastic spatula to a metal one get things off, though it still had sharp corners which is where some of the base damage came from).

    I've straightened out the base of some prints just by heating the bed up to 60 degrees or so and then pressed the print down on there to reshape the bottom a bit, though there's certainly the risk of things getting worse rather than better that way. You could try boiling water, too, I think it depends on what sort of straightening-out you need to do.

  • ChiselphaneChiselphane Registered User regular
    I've found cold to be much more efficient than heat in removing prints stuck to the plate.

  • SchadenfreudeSchadenfreude Mean Mister Mustard Registered User regular
    I got one of the magnetic build sheets from TH3D (EZFlex I think it was called). It's the business, can thoroughly recommend.

    Contemplate this on the Tree of Woe
  • NoughtNought Registered User regular
    Yesterday morning I tried to see if I could level out my wonky print.

    Got a container, put some boiling water in, put the print in and turned away thinking it needed a few minutes to become soft.

    Imidiately I see something odd out of the corner of my eye. Looking back, the print is floating and bendt like a boomerang.
    I get it out and it hardens almost immediately so I put it back in, out and onto a flat surface.

    Its flat on the long axis but the sides of the three hexagons have curled up.

    Ended up starting a new print of it before going to work.

    So, lesson learned. The pla I use gets plastic way before it becomes molten. I guess jet fuel does melt steel beams.


    Before going to bed I started to print a mech on the very fine setting in Cura, but it wasn't quite done when I had to go to work.

    Not sure if the select mini can print at .08 layer height or if it benefits from it, but will see in a few hours.

    On fire
    .
    Island. Being on fire.
  • Custom SpecialCustom Special I know I am, I'm sure I am, I'm Sounders 'til I die!Registered User regular
    I just got an Ender 3 Pro! I was on vacation down in Georgia when I found out about the $99 Micro Center deal and was happily discovered that there was a location in the same town we were staying!
    Got all assembled yesterday afternoon and did my best leveling, which seems to have gone well as I printed a benchy, the a flex octopus that finished at the end of the night, then I put down two flexi-rex for the kids to wake up to in the morning! Everything printed very well, and I apparently got away with highway robbery on my demo filament that was included:
    eatlbg7waz91.jpg

    Next step is successfully changing filament, probably another benchy to test that PLA, and then I will continue to print ALL THE THINGS!
    Any suggestions on things to look out for, prints to try, etc?

    XBL: F4ll0utBP | STEAM | PSN : CustomSpecial | Bnet: F4ll0ut#1636
  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    Nought wrote: »
    So, lesson learned. The pla I use gets plastic way before it becomes molten. I guess jet fuel does melt steel beams.

    You may already know this, so forgive me if I'm teaching Grandma to suck eggs, but this is pretty universally true for anything you'll be printing at home.

    The glass transition temperature is where plastics start getting, uh, gummy and less rigid. This happens well before the actual melting point; e.g., most PLAs have a melting point around 200C, whereas the glass transition temp is around 60C. This is why PLA isn't all that great for stuff that's going to be out in the sun or in hot cars, because while 60C is well beyond the air temp in anywhere fit for human habitation, there's a good chance direct solar heating or being in a closed car can get close to that, causing your PLA to deform.

    It's also why the boiling water trick works for printed (and other!) plastics. 100C is above the glass transition temp for a lot of stuff, so it allows the plastic to soften, be repositioned, and firm up again as the temp drops (possibly because you just dunked it in ice water).

  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    edited September 2021
    @Custom Special

    Traditionally ( ;) ), the first functional things you print are upgrades for your printer. I don't know if the Ender 3 Pro needs these specifically, but stuff like fan covers, V-slot covers, and filament guides are good first things.

    Depending on how you've got your printer set up, you might want to print some feet for it to reduce vibration, a TUSH (or remix) to hold your filament spools, holders for the tools that came with your printer ...

    Ooh! Drag chains - they clip around the various wire bundles to reduce stress on them and keep the wires from kinking in a particular spot and potentially breaking, and have the added benefit of looking really cool, too.

    I found printing out some spool drawers to be really useful to hold all of the little things I've picked up.

    A bed handle so you don't have to touch the hot bed to slide it back and forth when leveling your bed or adjusting things.

    Elvenshae on
  • Custom SpecialCustom Special I know I am, I'm sure I am, I'm Sounders 'til I die!Registered User regular
    Elvenshae wrote: »
    @Custom Special

    Traditionally ( ;) ), the first functional things you print are upgrades for your printer. I don't know if the Ender 3 Pro needs these specifically, but stuff like fan covers, V-slot covers, and filament guides are good first things.

    Depending on how you've got your printer set up, you might want to print some feet for it to reduce vibration, a TUSH (or remix) to hold your filament spools, holders for the tools that came with your printer ...

    Ooh! Drag chains - they clip around the various wire bundles to reduce stress on them and keep the wires from kinking in a particular spot and potentially breaking, and have the added benefit of looking really cool, too.

    I found printing out some spool drawers to be really useful to hold all of the little things I've picked up.

    A bed handle so you don't have to touch the hot bed to slide it back and forth when leveling your bed or adjusting things.

    :biggrin: I did spend some of my print time yesterday on my PSU fan cover and filament guide arm!
    Chain guides/covers and the feet are both on my list to consider. I haven't hated the noise so far, so the feet aren't a huge priority.

    I think that bed handle might be coming up pretty soon though! I didn't think about being able to move the bed easily like that.

    XBL: F4ll0utBP | STEAM | PSN : CustomSpecial | Bnet: F4ll0ut#1636
  • ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    edited September 2021
    I printed this one, and haven't felt the need to try anything else: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2957507

    Also, one of these is good: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4178305 (Ed: If you've got the upgraded all-metal extruder; don't remember if the Pro comes with that.)

    Elvenshae on
  • Anon the FelonAnon the Felon In bat country.Registered User regular
    edited September 2021
    Did my first print on my resin machine last night. Let them sit on the plate all day and had a hell of a time getting them off. Will breaking the parts loose sooner be easier? Is this a thing I can prevent? Was the first layer exposure on my test print too high?

    After wash and cure, I'm way happy.

    I did get a little white on the bottom of my models, but I assume that's because I let them sit in the wash bin for like a minute longer while I fucked around on google.

    Anon the Felon on
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