Anet A8 3D Printer.

[gerrymoore]

Thanks UKR I'll take a look........

 

[Onoff]

Just jumping in here guys...just ordered an Anycubic i3 Mega S printer. Seem to have good reviews and easy to put together. Just got to do a lot of YouTube watching to learn how to use it!! Any advice where to start welcomed...

Ask away. It's what my lad has. Bed levelling, bed levelling, bed levelling is the main thing. Use the glossy bit of paper that comes with it for starters. Better than a bit of ordinary A4. Pretty much prints straight out of the box.

 

[gerrymoore]

Yes the reports sound good.. You probably won't know but I built my own plasma CNC a few years ago and made a good living from it. It's now gone, I'm retired, and I miss making things. I haven't really got a clue with the software side...I've downloaded Simply3D and heard that Cura is good too but I am an absolute beginner at the moment.

I'm watching youtube vids as I won't get the printer for a week or so (in fact I've asked if they can swap it for the bigger X version) .....can you recommend any vids worth watching...especially with designing parts ...never done 3D before....and then setting up to print....oh and be nice to have your first name rather than call you onoff!! Thanks Gerry

 

[DAPPH]

Sign up & down load Fusion, 360 sign up as a student or an OAP for a three year freebie to see if you like it, it's a cloud based programme . It's not for trade use unless you pay for it .
They do their cloud updates automatically so things do change a little which is good , I used to hate having to upgrade such things myself before I could use the original programmes .

Then go to Lars live fusion 360 videos by Lars Live on YouTtube .. you'll get a step by step education that logically progresses things for you to build . Fusion 360 has a Cura slicer hook up to turn your drawing into printables .
I frequently revisit some of Lars's videos if I've forgotten or am a bit hazy on the area certain videos cover .


Initially stick with the speeds & volumes of print the Cura programme suggests till you get bit braver and think of tweaking things here & there on a copied data card so you don't wreck the original ( guess how I discovered that little gem )

I had two computers on the go at once , one a nice 16 laptop to my left being the main one running the videos and learning . The other one my 20 inch all in one computer screen logged into Fusion 360 , so I could try to copy what he'd just said on as I've a memory like a sieve these days .

Several guys on here use it as a paid work tool as well as many of us using it for hobby use . A set of head phones plugged into Lars is recommended if you have others in the area when your learning.


I ran through all of Lars video's on Fusion 360 before going on to the two computer set up as I felt ( and found to my benefit ) that having a rough idea of what he was on about helped no end when it came to revisiting his videos and actually making things .

Thingyverse.com is a place where lots of people put up their successful printed programmes , usually with an accompanying picture or two . IIRC ......... some are free to down load & copy , some are priced and some are " Give a few cents here & there ". I've not used Thingyverse yet . but have spent many an hour just looking at some of the fantastic things people are now making .. got a few good ideas from the pictures alone .

Prior to using Fusion 360 I tried several 3D programmes but they all had things missing or were very limited in their scope .

Google almost any 360 Fusion problem you think you have and you'll find a massive world wide group of expert Fusion users frequently giving simple step by step explanations .

 

[ukracer]

If you click with Lars that's great but I find his accent hard to digest quickly so I ended up starting with McWhorter

Who I find is a bit repetitive (which is good when learning) but he does not digress as Lars does. Who ever you choose I fully understand I totally agree with @DAPPH in the use of two screens to be able to stop start the videos.

You seem to be going the opposite direction which IMHO is easier as printers are cheaper and easier to buy than a useable CNC.
When I try to get to info on CNC I usually get met with oh that's not a CNC that's a toy. To be fair I accept what they are saying but 3D printers are similar. creality,anycubic,Geetech etc all make cheap printers that need tweaking but do work if not as quick etc.

John Pearson the admin of Westmidlands 3D printing forum on Facebook has just built from scratch a CoreXY printer for around 3k but it is blisteringly quick and is not a toy. Lol

Anyway we need a thread on CNC so you can impart your experience on what you did and used etc.

p.s I found 3 D printing easier as it's quieter and there are many more finished files to print on thingiverse that just need slicing in Cura as opposed to CNC files.

Just think of 3D printing as mach3 = Marlin. Inkscape= Fusion 360 and Cura =sheetcam/post processor.

But some of these can do all of these things (such as fusion) others (many alternatives are available) do just one task.

Personally I use Arduino nano with CNCshield.......GRBL as a gcode sender......and Fusion to create files and Gcode (toolpaths are my Achilles heel)

In the 3D printing sideI use fusion (very basic)...Cura...Marlin on Ender3 and Ender 2 plus Anet A8.

 

[gerrymoore]

A lot to take in but thanks for all you input. It took me a loooooong time to be able to use my CNC to make money but got there in the end. I'll come back once the printer arrives......

 

[Onoff]

print....oh and be nice to have your first name rather than call you onoff!! Thanks Gerry

Onoff or Mr Onoff is fine!

Can't help ref Fusion 360 I'm afraid. Its alien to me. I'm a dyed in the wool AutoCAD modeller. Still can't believe Autodesk make both products. My lad is fluent in Fusion but prefers Solidworks.

 

[Bladevane]

Regarding Fusion 360, I recently re-downloaded the free version (2.0.8560) and it's quite a bit different to the previous version. In the past I found Lars very good but the newer version doesn't yet have the volume of tutorials to learn from. I did come across this site today and it is aimed at 11 - 13 year olds, which suits me fine. It's not like learning to tie your bootlaces whilst being towed behind a speedboat. It has printed and video tutorials. Having said all the above the version they have on screen is also a little different from the latest but not so much.

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/about/outreach/resources/fusion_tutorials

 

[ukracer]

Regarding Fusion 360, I recently re-downloaded the free version (2.0.8560) and it's quite a bit different to the previous version. In the past I found Lars very good but the newer version doesn't yet have the volume of tutorials to learn from. I did come across this site today and it is aimed at 11 - 13 year olds, which suits me fine. It's not like learning to tie your bootlaces whilst being towed behind a speedboat. It has printed and video tutorials. Having said all the above the version they have on screen is also a little different from the latest but not so much.

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/about/outreach/resources/fusion_tutorials

Apart from the fact lars goes off on a tangent which makes it hard to learn the one thing you are looking for as you say many tutorials suffer from the constant updating and changing of menus.

I had a go at altering an STL file to make it thicker to fit my CNC and the only tutorials I can find seem to be mentioning the model arena and it no longer exists nor do many of the others they mention. Their names have changed so they are still there but harder to locate.

Yesterday I spent hours, litterally hours (in fact I almost found the solution in one of lars videos) lol but I was trying to work out how to extrude a section of a bracket. Sadly I cant see how to extrude to a specific length as it shows a much larger value than the measuring tool in inspect does.

 

[Bladevane]

Fusion 360 is up there with YouTube as a fantastically interesting way to waste hours of your life and achieve very little. It's good fun though when it goes well.

 

[PhillipM]

Because you're not working with a solid model any more with an STL, an stl is just a skin/shell of triangles giving you the outer shape. You'd have to edit it in mesh editor or convert it back to a solid model and then fix any issues that pop up from the conversion.

 

[Onoff]

Apart from the fact lars goes off on a tangent which makes it hard to learn the one thing you are looking for as you say many tutorials suffer from the constant updating and changing of menus.

I had a go at altering an STL file to make it thicker to fit my CNC and the only tutorials I can find seem to be mentioning the model arena and it no longer exists nor do many of the others they mention. Their names have changed so they are still there but harder to locate.

Yesterday I spent hours, litterally hours (in fact I almost found the solution in one of lars videos) lol but I was trying to work out how to extrude a section of a bracket. Sadly I cant see how to extrude to a specific length as it shows a much larger value than the measuring tool in inspect does.

View attachment 240086 View attachment 240087

Try Meshmixer:

http://www.meshmixer.com/

Tbh it's a big reason why I continue to model in AutoCAD. Seconds to extrude a face etc and a real solid to work on, not a mesh.

 

[PhillipM]

The other issue there is using offset face to move it which will be a reference from the original construction point, not the height of the lug that you're measuring, hence the measurement difference. Just re-extrude the face the extra amount you want instead. Or use a new offset instead of auto/existing offset.

 

[DAPPH]

Regarding Fusion 360, I recently re-downloaded the free version (2.0.8560) and it's quite a bit different to the previous version. In the past I found Lars very good but the newer version doesn't yet have the volume of tutorials to learn from. I did come across this site today and it is aimed at 11 - 13 year olds, which suits me fine. It's not like learning to tie your bootlaces whilst being towed behind a speedboat. It has printed and video tutorials. Having said all the above the version they have on screen is also a little different from the latest but not so much.

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/about/outreach/resources/fusion_tutorials

Google the fusion 360 problem there is a vast amount of useful knowledge on line usually with a reasonable YouTube video showing you the solution .

Happily I'm starting to find 360 is starting to gel in my senile mind and is becoming intuitive for my occasional limited needs .

 

[snoozer]

Onshape has been really easy to use so far !

 

[ukracer]

Google the fusion 360 problem there is a vast amount of useful knowledge on line usually with a reasonable YouTube video showing you the solution .


Happily I'm starting to find 360 is starting to gel in my senile mind and is becoming intuitive for my occasional limited needs .

I am hoping that a video I was sent yesterday can assist me with relating to the old tutorials.
Apparently it links the old and the new interface.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=rSrmPYwyvsM

I learnt a new command yesterday. Pressed S for search and then typed slot.
This gave me the shape I needed but it did not tell me how to use it and the tutorials showed the old interface.
I managed to create what I needed but I don't know how. Lol
I find this sketch concept very very difficult.

 

[thinfourth]

two years on from this thread being kicked off with an ANET printer

Things have moved on in the world of printers

So what does one of the more trusted 3D printing Youtubers think of the current ANET offerings

I'd advise watching this before you decide on a printer

 

[DAPPH]

I think the mismatch of a working machine with an up to date viable operating system is something that'.

At least their going to be with us for a long time , till the copy cat makers fall by the way side and a few quality makers who put their name to their programming , reliability & customer support come to the fore . .

I'm so pleased I paid for the high costing Genuine Prusa printer direct from Joe Prusa's factory . What's the old saying buy cheap buy twice ?

 

[ukracer]

two years on from this thread being kicked off with an ANET printer

Things have moved on in the world of printers

So what does one of the more trusted 3D printing Youtubers think of the current ANET offerings

I'd advise watching this before you decide on a printer

Problem is the first 3 minutes were about coffee and subscribing...I gave up by then..

 

[Onoff]

Problem is the first 3 minutes were about coffee and subscribing...I gave up by then..

I didn't get that far even, just thought four eyed, ginger, to$$er. I can look in the mirror if I want to see that!