Buying a 3D printer

[Screwdriver]

Be careful. I've just read that direct drive extruders are recommended as flexible filament can cause problems in Bowden tube machines.

https://www.simplify3d.com/support/materials-guide/flexible/

I didn't want to overegg it but before I even bought the Ender, I had some upgrade Bowden connectors and cable ready to install during the build. Pennies extra. Little bit of research beforehand (including a fair few YouTube videos) all precautionary measures taken, I have not actually experienced any failures per se. just a bit of forethought plus all the help I got from here.

 

[Bladevane]

Ace. I like your style.

 

[indy4x]

Quite a time then.
I have been thinking about a printer on and off for a long time but the printing time puts me off

I always used to think that, it's no biggie, just set the job off and do other stuff while it prints, bigger jobs I run overnight

 

[Parm]

A little side distraction, I’m gonna be here in Devon for the next few months so I’ve cleared out her shed, had a big bonfire and chopped up her dinning table to make a small work area. I’ve bought with me a few of those PITA projects that need time but no serious tools.

I’m now all good to go and she’s happy that the shed is tidy, win win

 

[ukracer]

you have a significant head start on me by understanding computer things far better than me.

I don’t need a printer but would like one. As you say it’s not very expensive, I’ve wasted more money on a night out on the town. I could easily assemble and set it up but I’m still put off by all the tech stuff I don’t understand

which specific one have you got?

I won’t ever go into it the same level of detail as you but I am interested in taking a step into the 21sr century

I felt the same as you Parm despite being technically active for years. But screwdriver is the best example I have seen on showing it can be done.

As for fusion and designing I had my printer for over a year before I even used fusion.
You need to check out www.thingiverse co.uk and see the models available to print.

I will try and explain the process as I will be honest it took me a while to work out what was needed.

You need..
A 3D printer (Ender 3' are cheap and work out of the box once built (a few screws)

A slicer . I use CURA . It's free and works great.
A slicer takes an STL file and tells your 3D printer what plastic you are using. The speeds to print. The temp to print. And a whole lot of other things most of which we don't need to change.
If we do alter anything we can save it in a profile. (Such as the Black PETG used by screwdriver) (He can use his other saved profile for the original PETG he used).

That "sliced" file is a Gcode file. You don't NEED to know any Gcode to print. It can help but I don't know much gcode at all. This is saved onto an SD or Micro SD card.

The 3D printer is stand alone...does not need to be connected to a computer at all.

So to recap.
Buy your printer. Build it.

Visit thingiverse and download the STL file for the item you want to print.

Open that file in Cura. (It will help to borrow a profile that works to start with)

"Slice" the model you have opened in Cura...save it as a gcode file onto a microSD card.

Take that card and push it into the 3D printer. And tell it to print.

Simple..

 

[ukracer]

I went for the Ender 3 direct from Creality (link in this thread), @ £169 it was too tempting.

I will do a video of the process I go through from Thingiverse to model as much to practice with my new (to me) editing system as anything.

But:
find the model you want on Thingiverse
Download it
Drop it into a program called Cura which "slices" it and creates the path the nozzle goes to draw the layer
Take the micro SD card and pop it into the Ender
Hit print.

It is as easy as that. There are many ways it can go wrong but most of them are pretty obvious. Too hot too cold or the bed isn't level.

Should have read the thread before writing out the process. Lol

 

[Parm]

I felt the same as you Parm despite being technically active for years. But screwdriver is the best example I have seen on showing it can be done.

As for fusion and designing I had my printer for over a year before I even used fusion.
You need to check out www.thingiverse co.uk and see the models available to print.

I will try and explain the process as I will be honest it took me a while to work out what was needed.

You need..
A 3D printer (Ender 3' are cheap and work out of the box once built (a few screws)

A slicer . I use CURA . It's free and works great.
A slicer takes an STL file and tells your 3D printer what plastic you are using. The speeds to print. The temp to print. And a whole lot of other things most of which we don't need to change.
If we do alter anything we can save it in a profile. (Such as the Black PETG used by screwdriver) (He can use his other saved profile for the original PETG he used).

That "sliced" file is a Gcode file. You don't NEED to know any Gcode to print. It can help but I don't know much gcode at all. This is saved onto an SD or Micro SD card.

The 3D printer is stand alone...does not need to be connected to a computer at all.

So to recap.
Buy your printer. Build it.

Visit thingiverse and download the STL file for the item you want to print.

Open that file in Cura. (It will help to borrow a profile that works to start with)

"Slice" the model you have opened in Cura...save it as a gcode file onto a microSD card.

Take that card and push it into the 3D printer. And tell it to print.

Simple..

You and screwdriver are doing a good number on me ( not that it’s needed). If I could have one here in Barnstaple it would have been ordered by now, but locating it is a mission.

this gives me sometime to actually do some reading. The internet is telling me the Ender 3 is good for a novice

it’s gonna happen

 

[ukracer]

The printing time is nuts. Most of my little prints are several hours. The bigger stuff like the vice was two overnight jobs and some fiddly bits in the daytime.

It may be that you can ramp up the speeds on the bigger more expensive systems (much more expensive) but my guess is with the Ender 3, quality falls off exponentially with speed.

No such thing as a free lunch and @Parm, I would say they are potentially quite dangerous in the wrong environment. Leave a print going overnight, throw some kids or animals into the mix or just a failed sensor and they have been known to catch a bit on fire.

Latest marlin has thermal runaway protection enabled....much safer now.

But yes I agree with what you say.
They take a LOT longer to print than you can imagine.

 

[garethp]

You and screwdriver are doing a good number on me ( not that it’s needed). If I could have one here in Barnstaple it would have been ordered by now, but locating it is a mission.

this gives me sometime to actually do some reading. The internet is telling me the Ender 3 is good for a novice

it’s gonna happen

One of me mates has an ender 3, he says its great and it does seem like a decent machine.

In comparison my Anet a8 was ok to start with and went down hill when i started to tinker with it. Its currently awaiting a rebuild with a metal frame.

 

[Screwdriver]

Should have read the thread before writing out the process. Lol

Haha, I don't think it does any harm to read the same thing written from a number of perspectives.

 

[ukracer]

The printing time is nuts. Most of my little prints are several hours. The bigger stuff like the vice was two overnight jobs and some fiddly bits in the daytime.

It may be that you can ramp up the speeds on the bigger more expensive systems (much more expensive) but my guess is with the Ender 3, quality falls off exponentially with speed.

No such thing as a free lunch and @Parm, I would say they are potentially quite dangerous in the wrong environment. Leave a print going overnight, throw some kids or animals into the mix or just a failed sensor and they have been known to catch a bit on fire.

You can certainly ramp speeds up but the cost goes up exponentially.

 

[ukracer]

One of me mates has an ender 3, he says its great and it does seem like a decent machine.

In comparison my Anet a8 was ok to start with and went down hill when i started to tinker with it. Its currently awaiting a rebuild with a metal frame.

That's what I started with AM8...

 

[DAPPH]

Can you print in a flexible material?
I have been looking around for caps for my water cooled torches and just can't seem to find anything. I will probably just end up making something from delrin or something similar but it would have to be a tight fit to stop leaking and would be a pain to push on and pull off.
Anyway these are the things I am meaning.

View attachment 245580

Put an internal "O" ring in the Delrin cap to seal it

 

[Hood]

Put an internal "O" ring in the Delrin cap to seal it

I had considered that but there was a reason I decided against it but for the life of me I can't remember what it was.
I am now back to that idea except instead of making up single ones I might just make a doubler so I can shove both pipes into it, one either end. It doesn't matter that the water could flow from pipe to pipe as it is just for storage/transport so...

 

[ukracer]

you have a significant head start on me by understanding computer things far better than me.

I don’t need a printer but would like one. As you say it’s not very expensive, I’ve wasted more money on a night out on the town. I could easily assemble and set it up but I’m still put off by all the tech stuff I don’t understand

which specific one have you got?

I won’t ever go into it the same level of detail as you but I am interested in taking a step into the 21sr century

As I said earlier I admit to being technical but with a poor memory.
I actually totally understand as when I first got a 3D printer a slicer was one of those things they cut cucumber and tomatoes on a market stall (cut your fingers as well but that's another story)

To be honest to get you started anyone with an ender 3 ( or without one for that matter) could send you a print ready.gcode file you could save to the Card that comes with the printer.
I think if screwdriver is prepared to do a short video on using one it will help you no end.

 

[DAPPH]

You and screwdriver are doing a good number on me ( not that it’s needed). If I could have one here in Barnstaple it would have been ordered by now, but locating it is a mission.

this gives me sometime to actually do some reading. The internet is telling me the Ender 3 is good for a novice

it’s gonna happen

Ventilation is needed for some types of filament used . I'm soon going to cut a 2 inch hole in the plywood back of my Perspex fronted printer enclosure and stick a computer fan n a box on the outside fitting it with a nozzle to take some 40 mm pond water piping and venting it out of a hole I'll cut in the log cabin wall . Having the printer in an enclosure is useful as it stops cold air currents causing you printing problems as the temperature tends to become a stable heat . You can fit the enclosure with a smoke alarm and a thermal current breaker too . I've put led lights in my enclosure ...having it well lit is good for seeing everything ..the heat off the lights helps the temperature stay up ..
Most printing is best done in an ambient temp of 18 oC or slightly above .. they don't print well at a minus 11 oC air temperature & print even worse if it is in a cold draughty room .

 

[ukracer]

All you need is someone with some flexible filament. Send me a reel and I'll print it out for you

It's not quite that simple mate..

 

[ukracer]

How long would something like that take to print?

What was the size....pm me with STL file and I will print one in the morning .

 

[Hood]

What was the size....pm me with STL file and I will print one in the morning .

Appreciate it but it would have to be flexible to be any use.
Will probably just make up some double ended delrin ones with O Rings. I do now remember why I had decided against doing it with O Rings, simply because they would not be attached to the hose and could get lost but I can probably devise a way to attach them to a hose or just make it big enough that it doesn't get lost

 

[Screwdriver]

I had considered that but there was a reason I decided against it but for the life of me I can't remember what it was.
I am now back to that idea except instead of making up single ones I might just make a doubler so I can shove both pipes into it, one either end. It doesn't matter that the water could flow from pipe to pipe as it is just for storage/transport so...

If it's just water and not under pressure make it from sugru. Hack mould with plasticine etc.