FDM PLA 3D printing - with a model making inclination

[Dave Ward]

As you may have read, I've commissioned my Anet A6. I've printed out the benchies & calibrations, and now I'm going to use the printer as an extension of my model making. There are existing models, that could be useful. One of these I did print out, a track link jig - it printed OK, but it wasn't any good for anything other than very wide tracks - think Tiger+! There is a jig for holding assembled aircraft, which looks a bit weedy. In general, I think these models were made for a specific purpose, and don't look too useful for other models. At the moment I'm just thinking of assembly aids or jigs, the first being a propeller alignment jig, for 2,3,4 & 5 bladed assemblies, the second being a jig for tank track individual links with various widths and configurations. Among another ideas are a painting jig to hold tank/lorry roadwheels, without using those pesky masks. Further down the line - dockyard bases for 1/350 ships - seascape bases for dioramas, box loads for trucks - there are quite a few more ideas, but I'd better learn to walk before I run. This may take some time - prototyping can be a long drawn out process.............
Dave

 

[Jim R]

Good luck. I'm quite intrigued (and baffled) by this new fangled technology.

 

[AlanG]

Is this a separate entity to your 'different direction' thread or are you wanting it put in that thread @Dave Ward ? Seems to be the same thing just in a different thread

 

[Dave Ward]

Is this a separate entity to your 'different direction' thread or are you wanting it put in that thread @Dave Ward ? Seems to be the same thing just in a different thread

Separate Entity - I'll be putting up specific things aimed at modelmaking
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

Well, I stated to print out my first creation - or didn't - the printer refused to discharge any filament. Clogs and jams are apparently the FDM trait, as a case of 'when, rather than if'. Tried all sorts of things, had to bite the bullet & dismantle the extruder not a difficult job, but I kept on dropping bits! There are some helpful YouTube videos.............It's back together, but I'll have to level the bed again, which I don't feel like doing at the moment - a little power snooze is called for
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

Quite a steep learning curve!
I printed out a section of cobbled street - it's difficult to work out what scale it's supposed to be - I think it's either 1/16 or 1/24. The rather too wide track link jig I printed out last week

I found a scaleable sea base on Thingiverse by Vsadnik3D, suitable for waterline models

Printed at different sizes for (top ) Aoshima 1/700 Nenohi. ( middle ) IBG 1/700 HMS Middleton & bottom just the base for the ICM 1/350 Kriegsfischkutter.
Whilst I was printing this last one, I found I was having problems - the part cooling duct I had printed out was snagging the filament on the build plate - it also made access to the nozzle difficult - both for visibility & levelling , so I printed out another new one;
Middle, the supplied part, left my first duct & right the new part.

Whilst the printer was busy, I was using FreeCad to create the propeller alignment jig. The first one I drew, I realised I'd tried to be too clever & make it suitable for all scales. Of course, I only need to make it for one scale ( 1/48 ), and blow it up,or shrink it down for 1/32 or 1/72.
This is just the base - putting guide grooves in the top is proving a little tricky.
The printer keeps on losing it's level, and finally reached the end of adjustment of the build plate - then I worked out that the vertical limit switch had shifted, allowing the whole X-axis & hot end to be closer to the build plate. My BP had risen by quite a bit, when I fathomed this. So I left alone & will sort this tomorrow, I hope. One advantage of having built the printer, is I know where the bits are - having said that if it was pre-built the limit switch may not have moved!
Dave

 

[Neil Merryweather]

great progress Dave- your background clearly is an advantage

 

[Jim R]

It's a steep learning curve, Dave, but knowledge and experience is being gained all the time.

 

[Dave Ward]

Had a food convoy arrive this morning, and was late in looking at the printer.
When you start a print, the X,Y & Z axis auto-home. This creates the zero datum from which all movements are derived. The Z-axis limit switch ( a tiny micro switch ) became loose, so as the printer auto-homed, the whole switch was gradually pushed down - the result was the nozzle became too close to the build plate - creating all sort of problems. I thought it was a build plate levelling problem & kept on adjusting this, until I ran out of adjustment & the nozzle actually buried itself in the build plate.
I sat down, looked at the printer & finally twigged that the switch was loose & had moved, so the stepper motors weren't being switched off at exactly the same time & were in fact turning off later.
5 minutes work & a piece of double sided tape to help the fixing screws - when I auto-homed, the gap between the nozzle & build plate was about 5mm & I recovered all the adjustment needed.
I reckon I can cope with most problems, apart from mechanical/electrical failures - so I've got/ordered some spares - like nozzles & drive belts. & a new hot end & cooling fans.
All problems with the printer are similar to computer hiccups - in that they take much longer to solve than you anticipate!
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

I've been doing a bit on my Tamiya Renault UE & I remembered that I'd seen a cobbled street on the Thingiverse website, by user Prognosis that would be ideal for a base.

You can scale the base up or down to suit the model, although It's better to keep the thickness as original. This one is going to take over 5 hours to print!
When you print a model like this, the first two layers are critical, if they stick to the build plate that's 90% of the battle. If it doesn't stick & you've left it alone, the print head drags the increasing mass of extruded filament around and around, because there's nothing to tell it that it's failed. If the filament breaks, or runs out, then the printer will continue to go through the motions, as if there was a full spool of filament. If you have a power cut - then it's back to the start. The later, more expensive printers have sensors for all these problems - I just have the Mk.I eyeball

No idea why there are two holes in the print - they look too regular to be a printer glitch
Dave

 

[Komedy]

Hi Dave

Are those holes not in the model, from the screen shot they appear to be in the model?

 

[Dave Ward]

Hi Dave

Are those holes not in the model, from the screen shot they appear to be in the model?

Well spotted! I hadn't looked carefully at the pictures, just the model! The cobbled street is designed to fit on a base....................

...........and is also two holed for screwing them together - I think I'll forget the base & putty up the two holes!
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

This eventually too 5hrs & 37 minutes to print out

This is printed in draft mode, if I'd set it to superfine, then you could add at least 3 more hours to the print time - not instant printing, as a lot of people expect!
Dave

 

[Jim R]

Providing you are confident enough to leave it be to do it's job then the time it takes doesn't matter.
That cobbled street looks good. How big is it?

 

[Dave Ward]

How big is it?

180mm x 80mm - the biggest I could scale it up to is 220 mm, but the width would be around 100/110mm. If you scale one axis too much you end up distorting the features!
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

I found a pack of diorama bases on Thingiverse by 'somnus' I printed this out at the highest resolution............

It's about 75mm diameter - unfortunately something went amiss with the base & it's pretty rough underneath. I think another round of Z-axis & build plate levelling will be needed. One thing that I am pleased about is the magnetic build plate - I've had very few problems with the prints not sticking & they can be easily removed. Not that this has any model, making connection, I've a mind to try something in what is called 'spiralise' mode. This is a print which consists of a single continuos layer in a spiral - the examples I've seen are generally vases etc.

For quite large prints, they don't take much time, as the volume extruded is small.................. It should be a test of the printer - a tall print should prove the stability of the printer frame.
Dave

 

[Neil Merryweather]

with regard to the base failure ,check the data-there may be a small piece sticking out which prevents it sitting perfectly on the plate.
I don't know your slicing software but one trick I use in Cura is to lower the piece through the build plate by a couple of layers before slicing- it only starts from the visible part. This is also useful if you want to test a piece but don't want to build the whole thing.
Bitter experience has also taught me to preview the build layers down to layer one to be sure it is actually complete

 

[Dave Ward]

with regard to the base failure ,check the data-there may be a small piece sticking out which prevents it sitting perfectly on the plate.
I don't know your slicing software but one trick I use in Cura is to lower the piece through the build plate by a couple of layers before slicing- it only starts from the visible part. This is also useful if you want to test a piece but don't want to build the whole thing.
Bitter experience has also taught me to preview the build layers down to layer one to be sure it is actually complete

The files for the diorama bases were .obj files - and had been created in imperial units & came in on one edge - I turned them through 90 degrees - possibly I didn't get them face to face - just another thing to watch out for!
Dave

 

[JR]

All very mystifying, but so interesting Dave .
Did you ever imagine you would be 3 D printing a few years ago ?

Think your knowledge of cad and engineering really shows, though not something I could ever see myself doing.

 

[Dave Ward]

All very mystifying, but so interesting Dave .
Did you ever imagine you would be 3 D printing a few years ago ?

Think your knowledge of cad and engineering really shows, though not something I could ever see myself doing.

I do a lot of things I never imagined I would do, these days! I can't keep up with the latest gimmicks & gadgets - I'm at east 10 years behind with the 3D printing!
In my design engineer days, I used a fair amount of rapid prototyping services - they were VERY expensive, now I'm doing the basics in my flat! It does help that I've seen various processes in action & worked on all sort of machinery. Main thing is I'm keeping my interest going................
Dave