3D Printing Thread

[JDH429]

Since joining the forum about a year ago, and using my 3D printer for lots of my builds and projects, I get a few PMs here and there asking questions about how and what regarding this great technology which has so many uses and appeals to the modeling, and functionality of RC. I thought it should have a spot somewhere formally on the board where interested members can ask questions and post up projects and techniques.

Im in no way an expert, and only have experience with the machines I have but since first getting started in 3D printing almost 2 years ago, Ive come a long way in learning the "dos and donts" and may be able to help if someone has a question.

There's plenty of information on the net about the types and machines out there, whose machines are selling the best, the layer heights, what materials to use so read up if your considering buying a machine. Im not saying in any way my method or utilities are the best, but im happy with them and use them on a daily basis. They work well for my needs which have been for many different areas.

First thing is "design". Make sure you can produce something to print before you buy a printer. Finding shared designs and printing them is cool but the ones that suit my specific needs rarely exist. Go to http://www.thingiverse.com/ and look around. Lots of neat ideas and nick nacks but ive never seen a shared file that helped me with the side steps or makes my excavator hub look like this...

A couple of the most recent parts Ive made...


So this is the Greatest part about having a 3D printer, and Ive said this time and time again...I just think of what I want and a little while later I have it in my hands! It still seems incredible sometimes.

I use 123D Design to design the parts i want to print. Its a free and easy to use program which has had a bit of a learning curve, but what program wouldnt. Ive never tried any others, as this one seemed more my speed and after getting deep into the workings of it, I found it did what i needed and have produced some complex parts using it, so Ive never looked elsewhere. The program converts the design to .STL file which my printer recognizes.

I have 2 Printers, 1 at home and 1 at work, They are Afinia H479s and i feel they are one of the top of the FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) machines out there. FDM is the most affordable type of 3D printing now. I got my machines for 1700.00 ea, and Afinia has a new model out now which is a bit cheaper so the prices are dropping slowely. You can still buy the 479 for like 1200.00 which is an incredible deal versus the H480 which has an auto leveling print bed now. IMHO knowing how to manually setup your machine, like leveling the bed, is one of those things that helps you to solve problems and understand how it all works, which you will have plenty of, so go into this knowing theres alot to learn and alot of parts to be tossed..The FDM type machines are a bit crude and not perfect compared to stereolithography, or the Holy Grail, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)where these machines use lasers and produce high quality looking parts with little to no post print processing.... But FDM has its benefits. My machine can use ABS plastic to build parts which I absolutely cant do without, because it can be welded together easily, sanded, comes in many colors, and is cheap and accessible. Youll find that alot of times due to the parts orientation as its being built, sometimes it needs to be sliced up and printed in sections. So being able to easily weld the parts back together using acetone and a brush is very easy to do. Also ABS can be processed using boiled Acetone to flash melt the outer surface to give the part a glass-like finish. I do this regularly and is very helpful and gives a great appearance. Another aspect that shines about my Afinia is that its loading program generates its own support structure to support overhangs on the part being printed where alot of machines out there do not. When I was researching a machine to buy, this kept coming up over and over again and is what convinced me to buy the machine I did and its such a useful part of the process, i couldnt imagine trying to print parts without that help.

So I hope this helps to answer some of the initial questions anyone has when looking for some direction on the subject. I know Im grateful to get the help i need on the board when trying to figure out how the **** the electronics or radio is supposed to be set up in my excavator, or other things im totally green about

Good day, Jason