tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20802424401536621732024-03-04T21:36:10.449-08:00Ultimaker 2 PrintsEntomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-6070659802461417402015-06-14T07:21:00.001-07:002015-06-14T07:21:35.307-07:00Door Sign<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxt8P-ltDzKC8U4k19HP-hEkIazA7vNGhRlctxiODqtyMc88xNOzg3o8x9NNg18vIL7rC8i3aLkisNCPWjsUe3XRazXjATiWLUR2Ca2xvmIh1Yi3hbdfv2XgqU2RkBtPbU-O2UaD2MKJ6/s1600/20150611_142029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxt8P-ltDzKC8U4k19HP-hEkIazA7vNGhRlctxiODqtyMc88xNOzg3o8x9NNg18vIL7rC8i3aLkisNCPWjsUe3XRazXjATiWLUR2Ca2xvmIh1Yi3hbdfv2XgqU2RkBtPbU-O2UaD2MKJ6/s400/20150611_142029.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I wanted to make a sign for my drone laboratory. I made it about as large as I could fit on my printer in a single piece, 220 mm wide. I sketched a rectangle in 123D Design and used the text tool to add the text. I made the base 3 mm thick and the letters 4.5 mm thick. I recessed the letters into the base 1.5 mm and used the subtract function to create recesses for the letters in the base. Then I printed the two parts in different colors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoeOi4BfN-GqylRxUWQ83Z6xlNVTHq3TevIDyBcAdz-VEUV9qUHxBfbxIsMuHm11tcCE5UNdXoJ_MwlkJOJkvZECPvOhwByf_K4sxgKKTRaf3aqNCIZ5-as2IEtOalgblAPs4wb80ykbc/s1600/20150611_140832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoeOi4BfN-GqylRxUWQ83Z6xlNVTHq3TevIDyBcAdz-VEUV9qUHxBfbxIsMuHm11tcCE5UNdXoJ_MwlkJOJkvZECPvOhwByf_K4sxgKKTRaf3aqNCIZ5-as2IEtOalgblAPs4wb80ykbc/s320/20150611_140832.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The letters were a perfect snap fit in the base. They probably didn't even need any glue but I used some just in case. Only the "e" needed some slight clean up on the first layer to fit.<br />
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<br />Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-30609791844464527072015-03-15T05:04:00.002-07:002015-03-15T05:04:53.629-07:00LiPo Charge Indicators<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I do a lot of work with drones and so I have accumulated quite a collection of LiPo batteries. It's always been a challenge to remember which ones have been used and which ones are fully charged. I'm constantly looking for my battery meter to check each battery before use. Recently I saw these <a href="http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__77277__XT90_Silicone_Charged_and_Discharged_Indicators_5pairs_.html" target="_blank">charge indicators</a> on Hobby King. Such a simple and elegant solution, just colored silicone covers that slip over the end of the XT60 plugs. Looked like something I could print.<br />
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I took some measurements and drew up the covers in 123D. I recessed the text so I could add paint. I printed them in PLA at 0.1 mm layer height. I found that the dimensions of the XT60's differ slightly depending on the source. These are a friction fit so you may need to scale the prints slightly to fit your particular battery. The files are available on <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:724210" target="_blank">Thingiverse</a> and <a href="https://www.youmagine.com/designs/lipo-charge-indicator" target="_blank">YouMagine</a>.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-54402334041010903142015-02-11T09:01:00.002-08:002015-02-11T09:03:08.726-08:00Compensating for ABS Shrinkage<h3>
Summary: Quantify your ABS shrinkage rates and scale your model to compensate...maybe.</h3>
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ABS is known to contract or shrink as it cools. The amount of shrinkage depends on the quality of your filament as well as your printer settings and capabilities. Heated build platforms and enclosed print chambers can minimize these shrinkage problems that can lead to warping in ABS parts. I never noticed much of a problem with the final size of my ABS parts until I started printing small holes. I was designing a bunch of 3 mm holes into my parts and each needed to be drilled out after printing to get the hardware to fit.<br />
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So I decided to print a bunch of ABS pieces and compare the CAD dimensions to the final printed dimensions. I used <a href="https://www.matterhackers.com/store/3d-printer-filament/pro-series-red-abs-filament-3.00mm" target="_blank">MatterHackers Red Pro Series ABS</a> filament for these prints. All prints were with 0.2 mm layers at 230°C with 90°C bed temperature, 50% fan, and 107% flow. I also used the brim option for adhesion. I started with cubes 5, 10, 15, and 20 mm square.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnxq4sxUwBNIwsqLb5rNYkS7Tt6cdCnH8fCJpz9ws_GQo2UsBgRZfysHdOA189lBqje5OcIWPbdIsqayjQn6rXRIPiaBH3HdJvLllQ_E7QKuS1YSADGvwttRsuwWCd8QmHJHjj95-cFFW/s1600/20150206_170444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnxq4sxUwBNIwsqLb5rNYkS7Tt6cdCnH8fCJpz9ws_GQo2UsBgRZfysHdOA189lBqje5OcIWPbdIsqayjQn6rXRIPiaBH3HdJvLllQ_E7QKuS1YSADGvwttRsuwWCd8QmHJHjj95-cFFW/s1600/20150206_170444.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">test prints</td></tr>
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When the prints were finished, I carefully measured the length, width and height of each cube with a set of precision calipers. Ironically, all dimensions actually increased except for two measurements. There doesn't appear to be any correlation between the size of the print and the amount of error. Note: I tried carefully to measure at points on the cube that were clean, avoiding any print fragments or over-extrusions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZux6oiOM5-HcnByKYYY5gDeyRE_h0MB6hoE4iaU4XPMTO6A3TA-FQX3pzack5pHCGKzKvxUlnC3Hz-Mwx5YyTNZRb1z-a_Fw91en0C50_vYncl26uOEj-_FL9Kuvr7vSRWIZBYc8vBC1p/s1600/Picture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZux6oiOM5-HcnByKYYY5gDeyRE_h0MB6hoE4iaU4XPMTO6A3TA-FQX3pzack5pHCGKzKvxUlnC3Hz-Mwx5YyTNZRb1z-a_Fw91en0C50_vYncl26uOEj-_FL9Kuvr7vSRWIZBYc8vBC1p/s1600/Picture1.jpg" height="130" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shrinkage of cubes</td></tr>
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Next I wanted to test hole sizes. I designed a 3 mm thick card with 5, 10, 15, and 20 mm diameter holes in it. It was printed using the same settings as above and measured with the calipers. In all cases, the diameter of the holes were smaller than designed. And this time, there was a clear decrease in print error as the size of the hole increased.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgzSu0O8aM7893jmQZqEIAr881RlNaGIcz1gT1rGhhV5bUxPGlG40iUGl66q8ERW-dNQC_fE5IXywX3APqMeKHbbVSip-y1zDUZJ9ds1fpb4C_o3Xk7prKRnJD6A0VL06WwoMeKaziKtg/s1600/Picture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgzSu0O8aM7893jmQZqEIAr881RlNaGIcz1gT1rGhhV5bUxPGlG40iUGl66q8ERW-dNQC_fE5IXywX3APqMeKHbbVSip-y1zDUZJ9ds1fpb4C_o3Xk7prKRnJD6A0VL06WwoMeKaziKtg/s1600/Picture2.jpg" height="120" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shrinkage of holes</td></tr>
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As it turns out, it looks like shrinkage isn't as much of a problem as I thought it was. In fact the cubes were slightly oversized. Perhaps it is the quality of the filament. Or maybe the files I printed are accidentally designed in a way that minimizes shrinkage. Or does the extra flow at the nozzle make up for any shrinkage? I don't know, but so far the dimensions of ABS parts from the UM2 are almost perfect. But, if you do find you are having problems with final dimensions, you can always repeat this test and scale your final prints. As for the holes, you may want to oversize your small holes accordingly or simply drill them out to their final size.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26yuBgMbFAv9ys88DzP6T0dvnlWL-4xWBxdBwA6osK-HJ0e0YmYoe-NKSHfCZi96oY-AKf1SGdO3e82PNqiK_8nXkNqzB1iceIhFawK96uTmJU3E49XwSHs-WMlcB9Lon4Bm6N6HWBrxy/s1600/20150204_181102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26yuBgMbFAv9ys88DzP6T0dvnlWL-4xWBxdBwA6osK-HJ0e0YmYoe-NKSHfCZi96oY-AKf1SGdO3e82PNqiK_8nXkNqzB1iceIhFawK96uTmJU3E49XwSHs-WMlcB9Lon4Bm6N6HWBrxy/s1600/20150204_181102.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">for perspective, this is the average error in the cubes</td></tr>
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<br />Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-72763846932819854032015-02-03T11:25:00.002-08:002015-02-04T04:25:58.833-08:00Ratchet and Pawl Mechanism<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsWujOOZcGM8oQ-eD4wXx7hEIZQ0gUBJTScAPw7Q0q0f-t_qrgFdl_r_3__gUds4UoHfCGo1xCovM2kc3yhXcXAIsRZLzdYeOXNTNq5ifc0bfgDNJtWeLEluv1qnerL-0VhiQ3ThGBdeN/s1600/20150131_094011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsWujOOZcGM8oQ-eD4wXx7hEIZQ0gUBJTScAPw7Q0q0f-t_qrgFdl_r_3__gUds4UoHfCGo1xCovM2kc3yhXcXAIsRZLzdYeOXNTNq5ifc0bfgDNJtWeLEluv1qnerL-0VhiQ3ThGBdeN/s1600/20150131_094011.jpg" height="400" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">servo-driven ratchet and pawl</td></tr>
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I've been working on a project that requires some precision motion control, rotating an object 360 degrees in 12 steps. At first, I tried using a stepper motor but it drew too much power, ran hot, and was too heavy. Worst of all, it wasn't strong enough to turn my load. A servo would be a better solution but most servos are only capable of 180 degrees of motion. How do you get 360 degrees of rotation from the limited throw of a servo? A ratchet and pawl looked like it might work.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxHBRc195sRAlNXM1bDse680cRRSHb_7QrUCbOH-toFrh1T0aR7RL5saIAe691x_BBjKDkU7QxZfN0TMmsqbwPEtkbEIsl4DiS7a673jRBauXUMGbXqlZJinEGtHPMJxi7Mo3JWnwkCgw/s1600/Screenshot+2015-02-03+13.54.54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxHBRc195sRAlNXM1bDse680cRRSHb_7QrUCbOH-toFrh1T0aR7RL5saIAe691x_BBjKDkU7QxZfN0TMmsqbwPEtkbEIsl4DiS7a673jRBauXUMGbXqlZJinEGtHPMJxi7Mo3JWnwkCgw/s1600/Screenshot+2015-02-03+13.54.54.png" height="199" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">drafting the ratchet</td></tr>
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I looked online for an existing design but I couldn't find anything that would work for me. So I drew one up in 123D Design. It was pretty easy; simply draw two circles to define the top and bottom of your teeth. Sketch one line from the center point to the outer edge of the circle. Then use the Circular Pattern tool to replicate that line around the circle as many times as you need (once for each tooth). Then use the 3 Point Arc tool to draw the back edge of the tooth and replicate that arc just as you did the lines. Lastly, just extrude and remove any unwanted parts. The arm and catch aren't nearly as critical, just sketch them to fit the profile of the teeth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPPpE-uMqGDICIYgQe747-xIzHhrNOdkPKjakIT7sXguGZlm5X46tH-wHFLixbsDrAOKnKIQTNFoyNj1BaYfjJNAOq3TekQWQlOuq4kICTaJKbAglXk0GtXd1ALodJBpGt3jciQ1R8Jme/s1600/Screenshot+2015-01-30+15.33.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPPpE-uMqGDICIYgQe747-xIzHhrNOdkPKjakIT7sXguGZlm5X46tH-wHFLixbsDrAOKnKIQTNFoyNj1BaYfjJNAOq3TekQWQlOuq4kICTaJKbAglXk0GtXd1ALodJBpGt3jciQ1R8Jme/s1600/Screenshot+2015-01-30+15.33.42.png" height="280" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the finished design</td></tr>
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With the design finished, I printed the parts in ABS at 230°C with a brim. Since the appearance isn't critical, I printed with a 0.2 mm layer height at 80 mm/s. I mounted the pieces to a scrap piece of lexan and used some small springs to tension the pawl and arm against the ratchet. Using an <a href="http://www.handymath.com/cgi-bin/arc18.cgi?submit=Entry" target="_blank">online calculator</a> I determined that for a 30° arc, the servo arm needed to be about 19 mm long to give me the necessary linear motion from the ratchet arm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAJQ_zPF4tTterC-QMuHzEGVSFkN26E8dd2qa9gXiYpTSGxfyWpNFMvk2I6gu83JCZAuPT6E3fN6n5vdBSpJ4kOba2GuCykoB3JOxhaVdQhQDjohYl7p8yAKusu7fhtYkawfmmkSnXPSl/s1600/20150131_094004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAJQ_zPF4tTterC-QMuHzEGVSFkN26E8dd2qa9gXiYpTSGxfyWpNFMvk2I6gu83JCZAuPT6E3fN6n5vdBSpJ4kOba2GuCykoB3JOxhaVdQhQDjohYl7p8yAKusu7fhtYkawfmmkSnXPSl/s1600/20150131_094004.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">servo connected to arduino</td></tr>
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I used an arduino to test the mechanism. I simply modified the <a href="http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/sweep" target="_blank">Sweep</a> code from the Servo library and shortened the sweep from 180° to 30°. To my surprise, it worked on the first try. I modified the code a few degrees to dial the servo motion in perfectly. This is a nifty little design that should come in handy in the future. Next I'll print a hub to mount this to the part I need to rotate.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/l4CXz2UywVQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/l4CXz2UywVQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Files are available on <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:660992" target="_blank">Thingiverse</a> and <a href="https://www.youmagine.com/designs/ratchet-and-pawl" target="_blank">YouMagine</a>.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-64526415421493567692015-01-11T06:53:00.002-08:002015-01-11T06:53:21.263-08:00Printing Multiple ABS Parts<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism7JaHHj2ASLElO21wtFTtOP9xb5ULjc3lHYaHkAeLdV6QlelTy6hNtnwmvGrf4bi-EBt2nAlu8pSuPIGoLdUGvBn3DHr1cTC9AJfgS00UBVTRvo2PGJ4pkcxUqIZGkl-R0LfHLu0mjJu/s1600/20150101_194957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism7JaHHj2ASLElO21wtFTtOP9xb5ULjc3lHYaHkAeLdV6QlelTy6hNtnwmvGrf4bi-EBt2nAlu8pSuPIGoLdUGvBn3DHr1cTC9AJfgS00UBVTRvo2PGJ4pkcxUqIZGkl-R0LfHLu0mjJu/s1600/20150101_194957.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">multiple ABS parts printed "all at once"</td></tr>
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<h3>
<b>Summary: Print ABS parts one at a time, not "all at once".</b></h3>
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Lately I have been printing a lot in ABS to make some custom parts for my multirotor helicopter. When I need to print several copies of the same part, I have been using the "print all at once" option just as I did with PLA. With PLA, this setting allows time for each layer to cool and generally gives higher quality prints.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgS_q9SY31v3c4rmXeOMDVrpQWYgOrkBCwMcpfJXRKOszRZ8GYXZrSGrn86Y8dd7sonTmrodM0fyUzbZqOpjx3sa2E_EJXV-31jtjx_23qChjPzBuhZ0g8aDVDGFMGlYcMpvcsKH1uOVc/s1600/20150109_091200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgS_q9SY31v3c4rmXeOMDVrpQWYgOrkBCwMcpfJXRKOszRZ8GYXZrSGrn86Y8dd7sonTmrodM0fyUzbZqOpjx3sa2E_EJXV-31jtjx_23qChjPzBuhZ0g8aDVDGFMGlYcMpvcsKH1uOVc/s1600/20150109_091200.jpg" height="258" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">layer separation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
However with ABS, I noticed some layer separation in my prints with printing with the "print all at once" setting. There were obvious gaps in some of the layers. With just a little pressure, the layers pulled apart very easily.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EC4jQebFWBtqrOqOFtnE-74GquUbBoL3b3q_CDOZAYFkU55P4u6wK2sjS0BVgKLJ5mF22Y-FbonZLhHs7Y3Ybn8DTkVzW9mlszY31v6JFC3-I9lCO0KEy6JmB-I26oXxgg3V69vgnvqJ/s1600/20150109_091952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EC4jQebFWBtqrOqOFtnE-74GquUbBoL3b3q_CDOZAYFkU55P4u6wK2sjS0BVgKLJ5mF22Y-FbonZLhHs7Y3Ybn8DTkVzW9mlszY31v6JFC3-I9lCO0KEy6JmB-I26oXxgg3V69vgnvqJ/s1600/20150109_091952.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">layers pulled apart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I think this is due to the fact that ABS shrinks some as it cools. Print continuously and the previous layer is still hot while the next layer is printed. But given extra time to cool, the previous layer shrinks before the next layer is printed and you end up with the layers not touching.<br />
<br />
Luckily, print quality has not been an issue; it seems easier to get good prints with ABS. So the print all at once option does not seem to be necessary. I have been printing my ABS parts one at a time and the quality and strength are perfect.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-51390365933927129362014-12-27T09:06:00.001-08:002014-12-27T09:06:34.382-08:00Figure Stands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcP7Q8jydLWoH8PMYDjKnmoNSTPVMOv6kEHQXwFRwEV_R9fDwZTnpEw4LSU5z2QEZ5u4Ef1u5lvggn5_xfEPuSO5ALES0s5Grn4reUAfEOEn4l0pVH_Gj7TcXGTXQQ_rd5UbGHerFM3qmT/s1600/20141227_094837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcP7Q8jydLWoH8PMYDjKnmoNSTPVMOv6kEHQXwFRwEV_R9fDwZTnpEw4LSU5z2QEZ5u4Ef1u5lvggn5_xfEPuSO5ALES0s5Grn4reUAfEOEn4l0pVH_Gj7TcXGTXQQ_rd5UbGHerFM3qmT/s1600/20141227_094837.jpg" height="400" width="297" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
One of my daughter's favorite gifts this Christmas was a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Schoolies-School-House-Ellen-Crimi-Trent/dp/0312516134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419698474&sr=8-1&keywords=schoolies" target="_blank">fold-out school house book</a>. The book opens up to make four classrooms and came with 18 paper figures to play with. Unfortunately, the paper stands that came with the figures were frustratingly flimsy. My daughter would spend 30 minutes getting her schoolhouse set up exactly as she wanted it. But as soon as she started playing, the figures would fall over like a class full of delinquents sending her into fits.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvD4NPjKgjNJuaqKJLrUdXSBppNi37h5RvlDkwxrDertNp7X6iJvOKPJxILf85BT1oLGcO_rrdfZTLADmJeqtxKYtV9zLv-fF4bUrB3sHQDX8pDtDrrk8Q-EuVUoSo2MmcPq8LUCQ4VYxu/s1600/20141227_113900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvD4NPjKgjNJuaqKJLrUdXSBppNi37h5RvlDkwxrDertNp7X6iJvOKPJxILf85BT1oLGcO_rrdfZTLADmJeqtxKYtV9zLv-fF4bUrB3sHQDX8pDtDrrk8Q-EuVUoSo2MmcPq8LUCQ4VYxu/s1600/20141227_113900.jpg" height="225" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looks like Mrs. Ellie the art teacher<br />
had one too many at lunch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So I decided to print some new stands for her figures. I took a few measurements. The paper was 0.44 mm thick; I made the slot 0.40 mm wide for a good friction fit. Then I drew up a quick design in 123D and printed out one test piece. It fit perfectly so I printed out 17 more.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXY-bdjRhesojGPOeu34uFfehzGTKzoX6Di8Ez_svIZdxvMUAa3YpEyKbTnxBvUqVH86T0bTtPWO7XTSL4qw5MYq5ieKmCe-E_Ua4iK3vaCDpK-M5AKPe42O0TV2zhrGwBNTLMZhpEA7a/s1600/20141227_110330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXY-bdjRhesojGPOeu34uFfehzGTKzoX6Di8Ez_svIZdxvMUAa3YpEyKbTnxBvUqVH86T0bTtPWO7XTSL4qw5MYq5ieKmCe-E_Ua4iK3vaCDpK-M5AKPe42O0TV2zhrGwBNTLMZhpEA7a/s1600/20141227_110330.jpg" height="175" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Success! Now the class can stand at attention for Mrs. Meows and the set is much more fun to play with. The files are available on <a href="https://www.youmagine.com/designs/figure-stand" target="_blank">YouMagine</a> and <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:612156" target="_blank">Thingiverse</a>.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-5447472864893058842014-12-14T07:08:00.001-08:002014-12-14T07:08:07.814-08:00Ultimate Jams!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5C7rUbzj9x5zzrNN30TonlWpSHu0TUjmErpKLQdClmJLHbIfVku4S6vmN6BHDs8xj3wducyb7uB6osuOS8yyxNhrLU7GC4jbBUDceLX1RlakYN0bv3GvAZ_d_bc-wbgRjkkSQnRPWVTq/s1600/20141213_074501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5C7rUbzj9x5zzrNN30TonlWpSHu0TUjmErpKLQdClmJLHbIfVku4S6vmN6BHDs8xj3wducyb7uB6osuOS8yyxNhrLU7GC4jbBUDceLX1RlakYN0bv3GvAZ_d_bc-wbgRjkkSQnRPWVTq/s1600/20141213_074501.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">uh oh!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
Summary: Keep an eye on your prints in case something goes wrong. Things can get really messy, really fast. A little glue is cheap insurance for long or multiple prints.</h3>
<br />
No, I'm not talking about music here. This is what happens when your prints don't stick to the build platform. I was printing a bunch of <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:252162" target="_blank">spirograph gears</a>. I had printed many sets before. So, confident that it would print without problem, I walked away from the printer and let it do its thing. I came back a while later to this...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOcoYXTca2UWKecKobsStls4mkcVsx7bkv-kSiJVpDRKHaFnghAZPw9l2Xdf7uRiUNPpHvAuD7A3R2IsT2wKMjLDgbFUbyNpmbTRF9xFulwhe4AH1K2n7nbW9gnTrPVY3DjWc_ENuRVqd/s1600/20141212_193341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOcoYXTca2UWKecKobsStls4mkcVsx7bkv-kSiJVpDRKHaFnghAZPw9l2Xdf7uRiUNPpHvAuD7A3R2IsT2wKMjLDgbFUbyNpmbTRF9xFulwhe4AH1K2n7nbW9gnTrPVY3DjWc_ENuRVqd/s1600/20141212_193341.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bottom view of print head</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
One or more of the gears had slipped off of the build platform and stuck to the print head. The printer kept going, knocking off other gears. Eventually the nozzle got blocked by the parts, but the extruder kept going. The melted plastic oozed up around the nozzle and hot end engulfing both. It looked like a total nightmare to clean.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoht7WGYdZ8EPIzAvzI1qR9bwsvLWbjNRKdKCkVl-O3_753zWAfJ5XoMW4NGiK760UnOITDj5mI6S0ToRQflzpK3yjW6YLam2m6kt6WJjfVSJ_Tg1_tMkuoUV7dMzfKkNpwIIQWGIno6CS/s1600/20141213_075408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoht7WGYdZ8EPIzAvzI1qR9bwsvLWbjNRKdKCkVl-O3_753zWAfJ5XoMW4NGiK760UnOITDj5mI6S0ToRQflzpK3yjW6YLam2m6kt6WJjfVSJ_Tg1_tMkuoUV7dMzfKkNpwIIQWGIno6CS/s1600/20141213_075408.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is what was stuck to the print head.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I peeled the mass of plastic off of the print head before it cooled down. But there was still a big mess of melted plastic surrounding the hot end up inside the fan shroud. I though I would have to disassemble the entire print head to clean it. After closer inspection I could see that the fan shroud is attached by four allen screws on the outside of the print head.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUJz5iYysbGHxat9TUNtG2oVp1_uFVLfCB5eWOabPp-JoO4-eC7M09uitDtbNDm7gCbdNV7rFrdtJddhBxXV_1leGWk7kOnpToOwNlvyDWDu6PN92aGlVyIfPegefKXenVZ4pWxzVIXu_/s1600/20141213_074400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUJz5iYysbGHxat9TUNtG2oVp1_uFVLfCB5eWOabPp-JoO4-eC7M09uitDtbNDm7gCbdNV7rFrdtJddhBxXV_1leGWk7kOnpToOwNlvyDWDu6PN92aGlVyIfPegefKXenVZ4pWxzVIXu_/s1600/20141213_074400.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of the screws holding the fan shroud on</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclFxQeIpssFjap14tMnhrBxm4dULgI6zzijdo9BUDiNfW1kzKqHjHD2HUcKiKOdHdSEygCFI2BjjCvEznaukUHidmWvhpzj_IjBamOVmuuToGKMnNcF0gCCWRYKw30eOe3yp1welwoz0v/s1600/20141213_074537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclFxQeIpssFjap14tMnhrBxm4dULgI6zzijdo9BUDiNfW1kzKqHjHD2HUcKiKOdHdSEygCFI2BjjCvEznaukUHidmWvhpzj_IjBamOVmuuToGKMnNcF0gCCWRYKw30eOe3yp1welwoz0v/s1600/20141213_074537.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mess of PLA around the hot end</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Once I removed the fan shroud I could see it wasn't as bad as I thought. I turned on the machine and used the advanced settings to heat up the nozzle to about 190°C; hot enough to melt the plastic, not so hot that it burns or makes a bigger mess. I gently pulled on the mass of PLA with pliers until it came off easily. With the nozzle still not, I wiped off the hot end and used a dental pick to remove the last little bits of PLA from around the nozzle threads.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XClRn3ak3Np6LJdXZhFdqqgc1Cm2MHid3k3x9LY4SiSYsN62gRNu2vn63mvsSJKnwcBO-gN4LIHcSdRwmgzl6GWKnBmLsSs0qxnjb6zHvCFMKqwrRV2Ly7Lnc2ZKabpUkmDu-DlezWlq/s1600/20141213_075342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XClRn3ak3Np6LJdXZhFdqqgc1Cm2MHid3k3x9LY4SiSYsN62gRNu2vn63mvsSJKnwcBO-gN4LIHcSdRwmgzl6GWKnBmLsSs0qxnjb6zHvCFMKqwrRV2Ly7Lnc2ZKabpUkmDu-DlezWlq/s1600/20141213_075342.jpg" height="201" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all clean and extruding properly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
With the hot end all clean, I advanced the extruder to make sure the nozzle wasn't clogged. The PLA flowed nicely so I screwed the fan shroud back on. I printed the gears again, this time using glue on the build platform. They printed perfectly. Even if you may not need it, use glue to make absolutely sure your prints don't come loose.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-4072472224141895382014-12-12T06:33:00.001-08:002014-12-12T06:33:37.866-08:00Cable Holder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLp5fd52HRevPu0ynVBsJMd3-CG-fHCR8gH0I459xAaLYMS_M4Omy3DU8W4RZp0yfBLeiA_B-LaIATjN72w585BamkXCJD04a30r8-U9SD8CMG-a5gV0VyQKArWfWZf1kDrWUCWmGKSJTL/s1600/20141211_181035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLp5fd52HRevPu0ynVBsJMd3-CG-fHCR8gH0I459xAaLYMS_M4Omy3DU8W4RZp0yfBLeiA_B-LaIATjN72w585BamkXCJD04a30r8-U9SD8CMG-a5gV0VyQKArWfWZf1kDrWUCWmGKSJTL/s1600/20141211_181035.jpg" height="279" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3>
Summary: Original design of a cable clip to keep your charging cables off of the floor. </h3>
There are a lot of portable electronics in my house, each with its own charging cable. Whenever one of them is unplugged, the cable falls to the floor. Not only is it annoying to have to fish the cable off the floor from behind furniture, the house is starting to look like the snake pit from Indiana Jones with cables winding all over the place!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8qRcK_8trXG789rHlDOl9kEKMJ3Avb5LZ9pLW9KA6WVzyExdrqOaIzzRUvfO_SPq-ZYzirnSTU5LI7UrVBo4j9yBAsbqfxDIrG3TXNVK1Zb8VCzhgOldKW-X9-gvfSr45aAkOBWBixhr/s1600/20141209_184620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8qRcK_8trXG789rHlDOl9kEKMJ3Avb5LZ9pLW9KA6WVzyExdrqOaIzzRUvfO_SPq-ZYzirnSTU5LI7UrVBo4j9yBAsbqfxDIrG3TXNVK1Zb8VCzhgOldKW-X9-gvfSr45aAkOBWBixhr/s1600/20141209_184620.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">these clips from Thingiverse were way too big, 32 mm in diameter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I thought it would be easy enough to print a cable holder that would keep the cable end on top of my furniture. I tried a few designs from Thingiverse but I couldn't find any that I liked. Some were too large, others had gaps that were too wide and the cable would fall out. So I decided to make my own.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6633fOSNLOJcjlZC37FxjTVhttOt1VWg0DHYNxqbryu_t-gO6i5N4wM-g0yqTLqxUcZu9BQjOKej0WfqNocPIuaOPuni2vxpWKfL0vhqGqwAGX__FOIia8KSfCvFo_uVywDMxvsMhVw4/s1600/20141209_233726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6633fOSNLOJcjlZC37FxjTVhttOt1VWg0DHYNxqbryu_t-gO6i5N4wM-g0yqTLqxUcZu9BQjOKej0WfqNocPIuaOPuni2vxpWKfL0vhqGqwAGX__FOIia8KSfCvFo_uVywDMxvsMhVw4/s1600/20141209_233726.jpg" height="260" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looks nice but cable slips out of gap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It turned out to be a little harder than I expected. It turns out, each charging cable had a different diameter. So if I designed a holder for a thicker cable, anything smaller would fall out. If I designed the gap for a smaller cable, I couldn't fit the thicker cables. I tried closing the gap down and making the sides thin enough to flex. That way you could bend the clip to insert the cable and the gap would close. But I was afraid the sides would crack and I didn't like the look of any of those designs.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6ktukzO9WXEE6nt6QtBTNs_3aSl4o_QKxpOoYS9vO1umUfdSvLMxeTs4TA7layPMHAU_0WzJZmeNlaFQoPE4Abg9PwDjFaKyzdG9aQWwVmA62yFPmAX-AJdh8jO7iixJMRX7ZRdJgM7z/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-12+09.13.20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6ktukzO9WXEE6nt6QtBTNs_3aSl4o_QKxpOoYS9vO1umUfdSvLMxeTs4TA7layPMHAU_0WzJZmeNlaFQoPE4Abg9PwDjFaKyzdG9aQWwVmA62yFPmAX-AJdh8jO7iixJMRX7ZRdJgM7z/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-12+09.13.20.png" height="320" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my flexible design...meh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Finally I decided that I needed a design that snapped shut to completely enclose the cable. That way it would work with any size charging cable. Rather than go with the same hemisphere design as everyone else, I went with a cube. It took a couple of tries to get the snap feature correct; tight enough to hold together, loose enough to snap. But the final design works great. First time assembly is a little tight, but it smooths out after a few times. The orientation of the layers actually locks the halves together and keeps the pieces from sliding apart.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dc6C04b8ddb-_ool2Azfa3xSzcTcIrSmWsf62KcSHRyaGv40LLQWy6rrmMLf94awlNMJuvnMYOKqdRvsTMJwZmVknkzmH2WW3qr9HHgsbac9fjcOA3QKgXOfaidsmuTg0jtb2CNPlJSp/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-11+20.02.47.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dc6C04b8ddb-_ool2Azfa3xSzcTcIrSmWsf62KcSHRyaGv40LLQWy6rrmMLf94awlNMJuvnMYOKqdRvsTMJwZmVknkzmH2WW3qr9HHgsbac9fjcOA3QKgXOfaidsmuTg0jtb2CNPlJSp/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-11+20.02.47.png" height="311" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Cable Box™</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTfxE_JBalXgf9mFc9Ta9BnNZj-J2vyyxRztTidFPo1OPjProNWy8fZGOaveqvyTYyNKgJ3-j0urWFiacGKCtHrOI8XmazW_uNDzAumQ4iqD92TerQITQ1UqZNEu9C8uXPiwXfc_ffg2f/s1600/20141211_183302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTfxE_JBalXgf9mFc9Ta9BnNZj-J2vyyxRztTidFPo1OPjProNWy8fZGOaveqvyTYyNKgJ3-j0urWFiacGKCtHrOI8XmazW_uNDzAumQ4iqD92TerQITQ1UqZNEu9C8uXPiwXfc_ffg2f/s1600/20141211_183302.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">two halves print at same time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I named it the Cable Box™ after the shape. I made four versions to hold 1 to 4 cables. It is 12 mm square and has a 6 mm hole which should fit most charging cables. You attach it to surfaces with foam tape. The halves are a single .stl file but are separated on the build platform. So they print at the same time regardless of your "print one at a time" setting in Cura.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oacsb0cBblRGwp-JjnXu4iS_pVQLj-p2L2tUxMUxpVJ2gdvYFxkZgGGRNxcD3KqovNEzy2IvGnl4NoKGO2OGu4gsWjJSuinu9YBCzIjWWuR6X_Pu46cOKJ2klXNB9EsyHW4gYna68kkO/s1600/20141211_180901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oacsb0cBblRGwp-JjnXu4iS_pVQLj-p2L2tUxMUxpVJ2gdvYFxkZgGGRNxcD3KqovNEzy2IvGnl4NoKGO2OGu4gsWjJSuinu9YBCzIjWWuR6X_Pu46cOKJ2klXNB9EsyHW4gYna68kkO/s1600/20141211_180901.jpg" height="320" width="301" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKpyo2j9wH3LW3qOOy_iutU-pjmNVLu4YYB9SkHHRAYjKsCvxJS-KuPMqeGptEV05G1xXG8pTdQOIgQwwEOGZgAMVJMsBHJUK_xH4zkPkxObLMf_1IB4lh5JxP7LU8ltODYzXRmIBqens/s1600/20141212_063015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKpyo2j9wH3LW3qOOy_iutU-pjmNVLu4YYB9SkHHRAYjKsCvxJS-KuPMqeGptEV05G1xXG8pTdQOIgQwwEOGZgAMVJMsBHJUK_xH4zkPkxObLMf_1IB4lh5JxP7LU8ltODYzXRmIBqens/s1600/20141212_063015.jpg" height="161" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">designs for 2-4 cables</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEKsVR3POYoMBSW0XrcTf6Pn2AwLePh4Z1zbKend-c2q1bm776ZOAFS14CnLV66J0Fgz0QzvsU_17weleRfclrs84c9vEdREA_X0SNrz_Qnq7fWByJNknsitD1DX6n5quME6gSb5TMcJA/s1600/20141211_181704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEKsVR3POYoMBSW0XrcTf6Pn2AwLePh4Z1zbKend-c2q1bm776ZOAFS14CnLV66J0Fgz0QzvsU_17weleRfclrs84c9vEdREA_X0SNrz_Qnq7fWByJNknsitD1DX6n5quME6gSb5TMcJA/s1600/20141211_181704.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cable Box ™ in action</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I printed these in PLA at 210°C with the High Quality defaults. The design works great; looks pretty good too. I'm proud of the snap-together feature. I wasn't sure I could pull that off. I'll be printing a bunch of these for my house. If you want some for your house too, the files are available on <a href="https://www.youmagine.com/designs/cable-box" target="_blank">YouMagine</a> and <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:589823" target="_blank">Thingiverse</a>.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-49597546970337278932014-12-10T12:16:00.000-08:002014-12-12T05:08:06.485-08:00Maintenance Time!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjts-RJHPVwbZ7jIwtR8KPPtAfpAhP9W635fUZYPevwurL7mjQhOHo2BJcJ6MomGd1sUt4j7txogOESkDNj4ZIe7a5jkCqgEynPWD4mGklmop6mAM9Q8_CrAj8pM3sMzOFcPWmMN1r68LzX/s1600/20141204_184212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjts-RJHPVwbZ7jIwtR8KPPtAfpAhP9W635fUZYPevwurL7mjQhOHo2BJcJ6MomGd1sUt4j7txogOESkDNj4ZIe7a5jkCqgEynPWD4mGklmop6mAM9Q8_CrAj8pM3sMzOFcPWmMN1r68LzX/s1600/20141204_184212.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">these lines should be touching</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Summary: Tighten your belts and lube the rods every 120 hours or whenever your print lines drift apart.</h3>
I just hit 120 hours of printing on my UM2. My last print was going to be a long 19+ hours. So you can imagine my despair when I noticed the first few layers weren't looking too good. There were noticeable spaces between the lines. I was printing with the normal quality defaults where the initial layers print nice and slow. It wasn't an issue of my print settings being too aggressive. The filament wasn't skipping and the lines were uniform, just not touching. So it didn't seem to be a case of under extrusion. I wasn't going to chance ruining a long print, so I aborted after just a few layers to troubleshoot.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsWCWMwVlt9cVZ47Y8iuEn74BJfSgaL6RG9X3WIQj198BzregS8YVt4D-eamaJdl6cE8BMUJ5HaU8EZZ9GXdIQYtizWbW3NHvU4SkvjKBYL9aQ-KOMULb0lGtPazCike7a-LXAd4c_rWc/s1600/file-gexlFrfB1C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsWCWMwVlt9cVZ47Y8iuEn74BJfSgaL6RG9X3WIQj198BzregS8YVt4D-eamaJdl6cE8BMUJ5HaU8EZZ9GXdIQYtizWbW3NHvU4SkvjKBYL9aQ-KOMULb0lGtPazCike7a-LXAd4c_rWc/s1600/file-gexlFrfB1C.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once again, I went to my <a href="http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/23-a-visual-ultimaker-troubleshooting-guide" target="_blank">favorite troubleshooting guide</a>. I found the solution <a href="http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/23-a-visual-ultimaker-troubleshooting-guide#circles" target="_blank">here</a>. It looks like after so many hours of printing, either the belts have stretched a little, or the stepper motors have drifted in their slotted mounting holes. Luckily it is an easy fix. Simply loosen the screws for the stepper motors, apply downward pressure, and tighten the screws. Oddly enough, none of the included Allen keys fit the bolts properly (they're 2 mm). It took me longer to find the correct driver than it did to tighten the belts. While I was at it, I added a drop of silicone oil to the X and Y guide rods on the print head. Then I manually moved the print head to all extremes to distribute the oil.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXlAcK-hJIs8n8R1kuIOY5JP-viKI35lSir-YCfAK_iLrr5BJgIzl6CTeT-V1JIvYbpT7lePeL6uUIv2cq1YBp3SEEhSSABL907OJYjKU3eNHCDJp7eOwtPBo9-zXfNcgy-EWmN1dwsaV/s1600/20141210_163906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXlAcK-hJIs8n8R1kuIOY5JP-viKI35lSir-YCfAK_iLrr5BJgIzl6CTeT-V1JIvYbpT7lePeL6uUIv2cq1YBp3SEEhSSABL907OJYjKU3eNHCDJp7eOwtPBo9-zXfNcgy-EWmN1dwsaV/s1600/20141210_163906.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">initial layer after adjustments</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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That did the trick. Right after the maintenance, I started the print again. This time the lines were touching as expected. I was a little surprised at the improvement since the belts felt nice and tight before I adjusted them. I think Ultimaker should consider some sort of tensioner on each stepper to keep things tight. With all of the work those steppers are doing, it seems inevitable that the motors will drift some in the mounts. So just a little preventive maintenance can save you from lousy prints.<br />
<br />Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-37187713204065153882014-12-10T12:13:00.004-08:002014-12-10T12:13:56.144-08:00The Spiralize Setting<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmmm7GQQQbEyLfyPFO22OAdNzlHGoX-6CGP0HE0ubGU-0ZxBHDYWS5fIhLhvaEWp6cNJ7nHPIj23iguX7ZLYWAZ58jeVV0-pfxhtKmZe1eaHKSEdxBy0Y_nFKrSwN8t8lOcjUF5VOjMhp/s1600/20141208_200540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmmm7GQQQbEyLfyPFO22OAdNzlHGoX-6CGP0HE0ubGU-0ZxBHDYWS5fIhLhvaEWp6cNJ7nHPIj23iguX7ZLYWAZ58jeVV0-pfxhtKmZe1eaHKSEdxBy0Y_nFKrSwN8t8lOcjUF5VOjMhp/s1600/20141208_200540.jpg" height="255" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">standard print (L) vs. spiralized print (R)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
Summary: Use the "spiralize" setting for seamless walls on hollow prints like vases and cylinders.</h3>
<br />
I saw some really nice <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/Botmaster/designs" target="_blank">rocket models</a> on Thingiverse. The designer recommended printing them in "vase mode". That is a mode for printing cylinders, where the table (z axis) continuously lowers as the print progresses rather than lowering in steps. That way, the print head can just go round and round without pausing when the bed lowers. It makes for seamless prints.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZC0YmaFyHPTjtSlSiMVT_1dBDl3RaZyvvvaSiPZuJt-QB5O1yvtIq8N0-SD7xXs1Ha7lJtpDoFsHXbEnXNEfPbqg3ipEtz8LxjR-5B6F9vEkgz3JEOM2XVwdALCj7SHvLFVPFnYirXD-q/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-08+21.08.12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZC0YmaFyHPTjtSlSiMVT_1dBDl3RaZyvvvaSiPZuJt-QB5O1yvtIq8N0-SD7xXs1Ha7lJtpDoFsHXbEnXNEfPbqg3ipEtz8LxjR-5B6F9vEkgz3JEOM2XVwdALCj7SHvLFVPFnYirXD-q/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-08+21.08.12.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">location of the spiralize setting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I looked in the Cura settings and couldn't find a "vase" or "continuous Z" mode. So I asked on the <a href="http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/8555-does-cura-have-a-continuous-z-mode/" target="_blank">UM forum </a>and found out that there is an option to "spiralize the outer contour" in the expert configurations which does the same thing. To test it out I decided to print the <a href="http://repables.com/r/430/" target="_blank">twin cylinder file</a> I have been using to test print temperature. When printing in the normal Z mode, it leaves a visible vertical seam. I split the model so I could print just one cylinder. First I printed the cylinder in the normal mode. Then I repeated the print using the spiralize setting.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxUiEaVuBhfjkgpiGuvhp0Mz3jUEyO2F0MDUgbi4enrqBbzNPgMjp9h8n8RnW-KNhtdF7VqOcjU1ZaDDfT-m17nvgWJVExLDbDGHjmZ8jqh09UijBcA4yGzXkYQhfm0saiHxzE_yEQ1hi/s1600/20141208_200446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxUiEaVuBhfjkgpiGuvhp0Mz3jUEyO2F0MDUgbi4enrqBbzNPgMjp9h8n8RnW-KNhtdF7VqOcjU1ZaDDfT-m17nvgWJVExLDbDGHjmZ8jqh09UijBcA4yGzXkYQhfm0saiHxzE_yEQ1hi/s1600/20141208_200446.jpg" height="320" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">note the vertical seam from a standard print</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1DQktALKend4udw21b9arTwcubnmjdFAugsJazBGC01D6zayb9bnl26aIMidMfqBw37SiKyh0uL-VYmrR4xjU7cKJ8Z4oNuiLbOPgeXRogUa8SO9Rl-nQeftKjK3xf0Cq9fhgYvs8HiB/s1600/20141208_200730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1DQktALKend4udw21b9arTwcubnmjdFAugsJazBGC01D6zayb9bnl26aIMidMfqBw37SiKyh0uL-VYmrR4xjU7cKJ8Z4oNuiLbOPgeXRogUa8SO9Rl-nQeftKjK3xf0Cq9fhgYvs8HiB/s1600/20141208_200730.jpg" height="194" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">inside view, spiralized print on right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The spiralize setting made nice clean cylinders with no vertical seams on the outside or inside. The internal quality is just as important when printing something you want to shine light through. Once I tested the setting on the cylinders, I printed the rocket model at .69 scale (just to save time and material). The setting worked great. I printed a little too hot and the tip of the rocket drooped a bit and there are some blobs inside the print. But there is no vertical seam. Just another great feature of Cura that you may have missed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oKzGThKsm17rljSLP2qut7OWFC2poMVOljVBUlrpFLPbHBWH0c6PWJ2bSFHrpFZjK0M9MfNPbspwI1N2XyFbj0LjvS1VN5ChAxLD9rgRcK-v0B1ockEObCamxu3UoAROMEvfClkD3Z_O/s1600/20141208_212128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oKzGThKsm17rljSLP2qut7OWFC2poMVOljVBUlrpFLPbHBWH0c6PWJ2bSFHrpFZjK0M9MfNPbspwI1N2XyFbj0LjvS1VN5ChAxLD9rgRcK-v0B1ockEObCamxu3UoAROMEvfClkD3Z_O/s1600/20141208_212128.jpg" height="320" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spiralized rocket print</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Vk5BNWwD3lp-SUwsv7Dhvb5xuZIk9PPBNsPHFvbfz4ECAv58ekS5bNrcpzFEoSjHjjL2vdYzS680eoLDf_CGsgnCk14oi4weKh1ha5Lcy1PYPwI-x5BNUh9hdDTk9Kr0sIHsdjW6llHe/s1600/20141208_212939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Vk5BNWwD3lp-SUwsv7Dhvb5xuZIk9PPBNsPHFvbfz4ECAv58ekS5bNrcpzFEoSjHjjL2vdYzS680eoLDf_CGsgnCk14oi4weKh1ha5Lcy1PYPwI-x5BNUh9hdDTk9Kr0sIHsdjW6llHe/s1600/20141208_212939.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lighted print</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-83033987416417490302014-12-08T06:28:00.001-08:002014-12-08T06:28:10.588-08:00Pen Holder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzryezYox4pBVD92XCCHA-q47b0H5Fb4QGazEstYCnw9DgUZ5nMMq6G3jH7WG7dS-h_WT3R-4wYa6xCXzNsixc7OTzU1bbG-LwQrDhVU9ZqAkSW-Yq-Qg4-jXapc_3I_nO1VQmLwjxjtN/s1600/20141208_090430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzryezYox4pBVD92XCCHA-q47b0H5Fb4QGazEstYCnw9DgUZ5nMMq6G3jH7WG7dS-h_WT3R-4wYa6xCXzNsixc7OTzU1bbG-LwQrDhVU9ZqAkSW-Yq-Qg4-jXapc_3I_nO1VQmLwjxjtN/s1600/20141208_090430.jpg" height="400" width="228" /></a></div>
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I like to collect all-metal pens. I have a small collection that I would like to display on my desk rather than have them hiding in a drawer. I figured I could print a nice one but I was not able to find a design that I liked. A few days ago, I came across a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/karaskustoms/the-cube-machined-pen-storage?ref=users" target="_blank">design by Karas Customs</a> on Kickstarter. I loved the look of it, but I couldn't justify the $75 price tag just to hold my pens. So I decided to draw up something similar in CAD and print it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ozEdBKk1Qi3MscInUtiluB23A_fmkN_1LSDTM3X-v3Vv3aGcE5B8_9zVs1CmYbjYCPN1hUZ0hyHJF62l3nxak4xPKGoRf6Tocx4D_nvSHomYiWZvDBt5wbMHnkVasTYJpLjcv8PMy42m/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-04+10.31.49.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ozEdBKk1Qi3MscInUtiluB23A_fmkN_1LSDTM3X-v3Vv3aGcE5B8_9zVs1CmYbjYCPN1hUZ0hyHJF62l3nxak4xPKGoRf6Tocx4D_nvSHomYiWZvDBt5wbMHnkVasTYJpLjcv8PMy42m/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-04+10.31.49.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">design in 123D Design</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Drawing the holder was pretty easy. It is just a cube with 9 holes in it. But I wanted to add a custom touch, my company logo embossed on one of the sides. With my limited CAD experience, that turned out to be a bit more difficult than I expected. I am sure there are easier ways to do this, but here's how I did it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC2vVMezjh4NurfyWtUpBGVE1ETevbyqihkUnRZtMWg_QH9mMyN45oDpNtPc0RzNaKbsAcpbUDXUp0R02e9BUONMG_2LgPzxNSh4MDbRubmBVkqpAtp_fq5nTr0TMCzFu198Z2x4Whq-J/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-04+10.45.46.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC2vVMezjh4NurfyWtUpBGVE1ETevbyqihkUnRZtMWg_QH9mMyN45oDpNtPc0RzNaKbsAcpbUDXUp0R02e9BUONMG_2LgPzxNSh4MDbRubmBVkqpAtp_fq5nTr0TMCzFu198Z2x4Whq-J/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-04+10.45.46.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sketching over stl object</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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First I opened a .png of the logo in Cura and created an .stl object just as I <a href="http://ultimaker2prints.blogspot.com/2014/11/printing-from-2d-images.html" target="_blank">described in this post</a>. Then I opened the new .stl file in 123D Design. The file had way too many faces and I couldn't manipulate the object to extrude it. So I lowered the object below the plane and manually traced a new sketch on top of it. Then I deleted the object and just saved the new sketch. Next I opened the pen holder file in 123D and inserted the new sketch.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkm_oMK_rmeP0EaMDoNF0e2itlvh072CuJAqdW6O4moHz_G25JosILniN6Z21sS9_YeMtEARlyBDcRa6IAB0n2EIgwTXmtY2e694cGlfKkVeeEpQ86kDoqAhYD1lxcWILKl80lZVZXCRk/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-04+10.51.26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkm_oMK_rmeP0EaMDoNF0e2itlvh072CuJAqdW6O4moHz_G25JosILniN6Z21sS9_YeMtEARlyBDcRa6IAB0n2EIgwTXmtY2e694cGlfKkVeeEpQ86kDoqAhYD1lxcWILKl80lZVZXCRk/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-04+10.51.26.png" height="199" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sketch of logo with holder</td></tr>
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Finally, I just moved the sketch into position, scaled it to fit, and extruded it into the pen holder. Then I exported the file as an .stl so I could open it in Cura and print. It sounds easy enough but it took me several tries to get the workflow correct. Again, there is probably a more efficient way to do this, but this worked for me. Like the original, I added some recesses in the bottom for rubber feet.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcmfv1Pc24Ntlkq2TOWIsYrEEcd5nRJ1SamFLZuJ8pnEBdGrfYDmvedimaAMBHmzEH6Gx3f3gR7c4-yGReNJyQHpByBAKb7UAKtof1VzDAHLvVUnWIT4KD4VqPprAgcWMCdhVd0xjD7Xx/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-04+10.59.21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcmfv1Pc24Ntlkq2TOWIsYrEEcd5nRJ1SamFLZuJ8pnEBdGrfYDmvedimaAMBHmzEH6Gx3f3gR7c4-yGReNJyQHpByBAKb7UAKtof1VzDAHLvVUnWIT4KD4VqPprAgcWMCdhVd0xjD7Xx/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-04+10.59.21.png" height="201" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">final design in Cura</td></tr>
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I printed it out at the normal quality defaults. After 19+ hours, I had a really nice holder for my pen collection. It's not as sexy as the original but I really like it and the logo adds a nice personal touch.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie47ZrqT3I_RLaYAksiwlsbGGCZTfNxnuhYJuY34mKyiEM9tjUSxPBLJd2yLJkcGlAebCHg6W4jUdD5OMJ2OkvnEly76_pE14f0dUbSoSpZFFRd5FGWZIlDecK8ICHmG-cIQHanKGPlLYI/s1600/20141205_164204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie47ZrqT3I_RLaYAksiwlsbGGCZTfNxnuhYJuY34mKyiEM9tjUSxPBLJd2yLJkcGlAebCHg6W4jUdD5OMJ2OkvnEly76_pE14f0dUbSoSpZFFRd5FGWZIlDecK8ICHmG-cIQHanKGPlLYI/s1600/20141205_164204.jpg" height="278" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-66023277807803718612014-12-07T12:22:00.002-08:002014-12-08T06:27:08.635-08:00Finding the Optimal Nozzle Temperature for Your Filament<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhxhc4FopRJF3E041SnKc_toGsF03N9LEbIusCCiDzAII3XsYfEUSz02L4uWCxj9dMzMNCJN2mJ3Dz-bvJIDCIvU6agXLNKCxufF6yzialwHJs3VYcJUVcOSvGuLhp-e2ScsI_vWarlwS/s1600/20141206_132829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhxhc4FopRJF3E041SnKc_toGsF03N9LEbIusCCiDzAII3XsYfEUSz02L4uWCxj9dMzMNCJN2mJ3Dz-bvJIDCIvU6agXLNKCxufF6yzialwHJs3VYcJUVcOSvGuLhp-e2ScsI_vWarlwS/s1600/20141206_132829.jpg" height="282" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">proper temperature yields nice prints</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Summary: Perform this easy test to find the perfect nozzle temperature for your filament.</h3>
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A few days ago Doodaddoes posted <a href="http://youtu.be/POaL2GGBHGM" target="_blank">this video</a> about finding the best print temperature for your filament. I have been making test prints with the UM robot. The robot is a complicated print regardless of print temperature. It looks like the Doodaddoes method will result in clearer results because the prints are simpler.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7llh7wTMzy0fBg8mR4DUeelMFiGlreVCXVbUlS_hJyFUXHWDUVK6AM-QSTMTf3XIClIW_TPl_hjB2ww17DhFS-q6EbfUYVqnYWYe1c7p_DW6xM5UJJ-KurNyyFjt_sndgizioQf8uOqx/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-06+10.17.59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7llh7wTMzy0fBg8mR4DUeelMFiGlreVCXVbUlS_hJyFUXHWDUVK6AM-QSTMTf3XIClIW_TPl_hjB2ww17DhFS-q6EbfUYVqnYWYe1c7p_DW6xM5UJJ-KurNyyFjt_sndgizioQf8uOqx/s1600/Screenshot+2014-12-06+10.17.59.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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You start with <a href="http://repables.com/r/430/" target="_blank">this twin cylinder file</a>. Open the .stl in Cura using the full print settings. Change the Basic settings as below and save the G-code to your SD card. View the model in layer mode so you can be sure you do not have any top or bottom layers and your shell thickness is only a single wall. Do not use the spiralize setting, you want to see the seam of the print. It will help determine the best print.<br />
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Layer Height: 0.1 mm<br />
Shell Thickness: 0.4 mm<br />
Bottom/Top Thickness: 0<br />
Fill Density: 0<br />
Print Speed: 50 mm/s<br />
no support, no adhesion<br />
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Make sure your filament diameter, bed temperature, fan speed, and flow are correct for your filament. Then you start printing. I start with the lowest print temperature recommended by the manufacturer. Each print takes 37 minutes at those settings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzPd5WqiTqkROKeotetX7VnbB0rdi3cfDKUXLpE8MFtalWf6XRxO_m8mY4KqdRxKODu7CAyG5w7Qfpti6kdrYyIhb14WLvfAcx9z-lNHOvBrANufui7wP-JWXHlR9r883VkJJyYqamJ0J/s1600/20141207_113456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzPd5WqiTqkROKeotetX7VnbB0rdi3cfDKUXLpE8MFtalWf6XRxO_m8mY4KqdRxKODu7CAyG5w7Qfpti6kdrYyIhb14WLvfAcx9z-lNHOvBrANufui7wP-JWXHlR9r883VkJJyYqamJ0J/s1600/20141207_113456.jpg" height="111" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all test prints from 190°C to 230°C (L to R) in 5°C increments</td></tr>
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Then I print the cylinders again, each time raising the temperature 5 degrees until the print quality starts to degrade. I first tried this method with Ultimaker Ultimate Blue PLA which has a very wide recommended temperature range (190°C-260°C). I thought about printing all the way to 260°C but that would be a waste of material and risk clogging the nozzle. So I stopped once the prints started to look bad. To test the prints I first look for signs of under extrusion and check the surface finish. Then I try to pull the layers apart by putting my pointer fingers in each side, grasping with my thumbs, and pulling in line with the cylinder. Finally, I squeeze the sides of the print together to see if it cracks or the layers split.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjSHyf7HmJeuF0bssL4oJXTwid5l6fCVsDKGKbdl2LCxhOEfq_CgE88XyuKe1IbdDWkRUOOPsPUCerLy4KSdQxQ6LPwzjklDvNXVe1FplW_bbhcYty4r1KtlHZ9Y2OplSHjdQh0Hk9U3D/s1600/20141207_120200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjSHyf7HmJeuF0bssL4oJXTwid5l6fCVsDKGKbdl2LCxhOEfq_CgE88XyuKe1IbdDWkRUOOPsPUCerLy4KSdQxQ6LPwzjklDvNXVe1FplW_bbhcYty4r1KtlHZ9Y2OplSHjdQh0Hk9U3D/s1600/20141207_120200.jpg" height="299" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">under extrusion and weak layer bonding at 190°C</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8_Z-V48qh7N7fRmGIKh3Yr9pJTsL6AMr6eJDLfY7P2lfTT5MtzmrSGXWKgWBkuLGedr5K1lbsR9qpQbuz3bWxhXP_UE7g6SV_1hpQAEW0YXofJ29lHFEEEBvGbCighXfAsigOZoydgAd/s1600/20141207_120245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8_Z-V48qh7N7fRmGIKh3Yr9pJTsL6AMr6eJDLfY7P2lfTT5MtzmrSGXWKgWBkuLGedr5K1lbsR9qpQbuz3bWxhXP_UE7g6SV_1hpQAEW0YXofJ29lHFEEEBvGbCighXfAsigOZoydgAd/s1600/20141207_120245.jpg" height="169" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">messy seam at 225°C</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazN7kBTyrBxNz5Go4mGRe6tNPJKTt557nbJn9AepDSCjjmmZQbuUQRWxQ_wHmnQb2wC_rgexxf2VDOAClHq4GAhuuHrjpvKQKrHAYYctVqmmHwkd1U5JwgiZhGZQj0yWvELMWICg9zU_k/s1600/20141207_120321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazN7kBTyrBxNz5Go4mGRe6tNPJKTt557nbJn9AepDSCjjmmZQbuUQRWxQ_wHmnQb2wC_rgexxf2VDOAClHq4GAhuuHrjpvKQKrHAYYctVqmmHwkd1U5JwgiZhGZQj0yWvELMWICg9zU_k/s1600/20141207_120321.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rough surface finish at 230°C</td></tr>
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You can see evidence of under extrusion at 190°C-200°C. The bonding between the layers was also very weak and easy to pull apart. The 205°C and 210°C prints look great with the seam being just a little cleaner on the 210°C print. Layer bonding was nice and strong and the print held up when squeezed together. At 215°C gaps started to appear in the seam and got worse at each increase in temperature after that. At 220°C the layers became more obvious and by 225°C there was significant stratification of the layers. And by 230°C the surface finish of the print became very rough. There wasn't any point in printing at any temperature beyond that. It looks like 210°C is the perfect temperature for Ultimate Blue PLA on my machine.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7418wtgsLMLCYqMvwYI-pUfXk-7iB5lCFpO4ZidBH0KtnpBkqvCW7eaK3KiyBHT2tGsoP6wf5xWRvDSgJdCeqb7xuf5Wp1ZPFKsZ514YFcfEyKfuONSUp59m5iSSk4yomJ3BY4mf1sLq/s1600/20141208_091702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7418wtgsLMLCYqMvwYI-pUfXk-7iB5lCFpO4ZidBH0KtnpBkqvCW7eaK3KiyBHT2tGsoP6wf5xWRvDSgJdCeqb7xuf5Wp1ZPFKsZ514YFcfEyKfuONSUp59m5iSSk4yomJ3BY4mf1sLq/s1600/20141208_091702.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">great layers at 200°C</td></tr>
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I repeated the test with <a href="https://www.matterhackers.com/store/3d-printer-filament/pro-series-green-pla-filament-3.00mm" target="_blank">MatterHackers Pro Series green PLA</a>. There was under extrusion at 185°C to 195°C. The prints were perfect at 200°C. Although the recommended temperature range is only 185°C to 200°C, I printed at 205°C and 210°C as well. Those prints were very good but the seam was cleaner and the surface finish was just slightly better at 200°C.<br />
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This is a terrific way to find the best print temperature for your filament. The prints are relatively quick and the differences in print quality are easy to see. I will be performing this test first with every new batch of filament I buy.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-34833022042555465722014-11-28T15:37:00.003-08:002014-11-28T15:37:47.224-08:00First Prints in ABS<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgK_kLXutFKYPblMCCl56OjzItoCgDMwi00d_iC74pq2-Pgg0YQr6DVOuTFnHZfW873wI6TF0PWRF16-ILgjC_CtZi_H6OejqiWqjiCZG_FujVaoV6Yi1l3y30SqKMG0FO2ePwMJP1Q7do/s1600/20141128_181958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgK_kLXutFKYPblMCCl56OjzItoCgDMwi00d_iC74pq2-Pgg0YQr6DVOuTFnHZfW873wI6TF0PWRF16-ILgjC_CtZi_H6OejqiWqjiCZG_FujVaoV6Yi1l3y30SqKMG0FO2ePwMJP1Q7do/s1600/20141128_181958.jpg" height="307" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ABS print</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
Summary: Printing in ABS is easy. Lower default nozzle temperature for best print quality.</h3>
I have a number of parts to make for my custom hexacopter. I needed to print them in something tougher than PLA that can hold up to some hard landings and withstand high temperatures like in a car. So I ordered some <a href="https://www.matterhackers.com/store/3d-printer-filament/pro-series-red-abs-filament-3.00mm" target="_blank">Pro Series ABS filament</a> from MatterHackers. If you read up on printing with ABS you can easily psyche yourself out. So much advice on getting successful prints with ABS. I chose to ignore all of it and just print the Ultimaker Robot with the default ABS settings at normal quality.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCvU6kclD2kYLMCVx8vlzMPuzXV4Gf9bNOcFVyjk22ByL979rzZXz1zvLNs4cCMSdIDpoiuHQs-6nHSUdH9L395Ya-q6g_o6BFVlFcpXNVuipzdLgrR5N7aHhQ_9hyuzgcMOOAiRVmLFC/s1600/20141128_110803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCvU6kclD2kYLMCVx8vlzMPuzXV4Gf9bNOcFVyjk22ByL979rzZXz1zvLNs4cCMSdIDpoiuHQs-6nHSUdH9L395Ya-q6g_o6BFVlFcpXNVuipzdLgrR5N7aHhQ_9hyuzgcMOOAiRVmLFC/s1600/20141128_110803.jpg" height="311" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">normal quality print at 260 C</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The default ABS settings are 260°C nozzle, 90°C bed, 50% fan, 2.85 mm filament diameter and 107% flow. I used glue on the bed to help the part stick. The part printed without any problem and stuck to the platform firmly. Print quality was pretty good but it looked like it printed a little hot. The color also looked to go a little light and matte compared to the bright gloss red of the filament. The first few layers printed a little messy with nubs of material, same for some of the infill. The small details like the antennae and ears looked melted and the bridges looked bad. The Pro Series ABS is rated for 230°C - 240°C so I decided to print again at 240°C. This time I adjusted the filament diameter to 2.90 mm.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6fSX2YBgvsz2CiHW-ldqC_1Esm03YHUHltKn5CpkF75l7nvC5EPziYLsUYy1FSzPYgLrIjW5e5EsKrec5T9dThxZWZ_TBV7afX0-GVlyIb-jdbzn_LdgVAU659i8PhkffQCL03VLjis7/s1600/20141128_181732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6fSX2YBgvsz2CiHW-ldqC_1Esm03YHUHltKn5CpkF75l7nvC5EPziYLsUYy1FSzPYgLrIjW5e5EsKrec5T9dThxZWZ_TBV7afX0-GVlyIb-jdbzn_LdgVAU659i8PhkffQCL03VLjis7/s1600/20141128_181732.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">260C print (L) vs 240C print (R)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This 240°C print turned out a little better. The initial layers printed clean as did the infill. The color of the part also got brighter. The fine details printed much better and the bridges improved slightly. On another note, many people complain about the smell of ABS during printing. While it does have a faint smell of melting plastic, I found it underwhelming. It was only really noticeable when close to the printer; not a problem. Let's try one more print at 230°C.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKobbQTcNBpHhEB-tpqoyKu3QkHPfLBt5Bl2GG8IalHp-tZzXiHOkvuVJDCoM_gS7OejDJr0y7AUXLmavks-di9jbh67H1q1Jh4yZIinNalaPvh_1S_Yj7EZrh6coTpkTYLfELJVX2eTTA/s1600/20141128_181816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKobbQTcNBpHhEB-tpqoyKu3QkHPfLBt5Bl2GG8IalHp-tZzXiHOkvuVJDCoM_gS7OejDJr0y7AUXLmavks-di9jbh67H1q1Jh4yZIinNalaPvh_1S_Yj7EZrh6coTpkTYLfELJVX2eTTA/s1600/20141128_181816.jpg" height="268" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">240C print (L) vs 230C print (R)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
At 230°C the small details and bridges improved a little more. Most noticeable, the sides of the print were smoother. At this point, the ABS prints nearly as well as PLA. Larger prints may not be so easy, bed adhesion and warping may become an issue, we'll see. But for now I'm ready to make some parts in ABS.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6ZIWc225tdy44rptA2yFfq8Xx1Jy8_1RgDqBEiHU0HjqTHjKSZy12ni3T404C_9pK5eIUdumUQO6i5RO9GxD3KkPaOS37lUniz0QE2MuBCBG9aXXAdzxifkYkAyCtWliu_A7V-rYDjdF/s1600/20141128_181913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6ZIWc225tdy44rptA2yFfq8Xx1Jy8_1RgDqBEiHU0HjqTHjKSZy12ni3T404C_9pK5eIUdumUQO6i5RO9GxD3KkPaOS37lUniz0QE2MuBCBG9aXXAdzxifkYkAyCtWliu_A7V-rYDjdF/s1600/20141128_181913.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ABS (L) vs PLA (R) prints</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-43999403560424646082014-11-25T18:18:00.002-08:002014-11-25T18:18:47.231-08:00Separating Parts in Cura<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcePHOJAER4nv3txYgzzJ9k2_IbofirX0RouCM6Jj9i_tKtnUqH2H_ZeJ7xswJdHckFkswkFtWdXMAkUX3s-FIpoc_J_97lU1Bb9DrMVCHEdhFye5GqFA8qJG7-ju5yBVxqXAk5NWl41NP/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-25+21.09.41.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcePHOJAER4nv3txYgzzJ9k2_IbofirX0RouCM6Jj9i_tKtnUqH2H_ZeJ7xswJdHckFkswkFtWdXMAkUX3s-FIpoc_J_97lU1Bb9DrMVCHEdhFye5GqFA8qJG7-ju5yBVxqXAk5NWl41NP/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-25+21.09.41.png" height="250" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all parts are one object<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Summary: Separate multi-object files into separate parts for easier printing.</h3>
I am working on a multi-part model. One of the stl files contains several parts. When the file is imported into Cura, they are seen as a single object. This was a problem because some of the pieces needed to be rotated. Luckily this is easy to fix in Cura. Simply right click on the model and select "split object into parts".<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtyeUfePLosikQROhLo1_HxVfHMOTbcPS52Rors8gbEApUxXYRzCboaPbO6dUbVFjLch8Ndk9PPfYvFjpVppN2uIrw-NqmKyN6_Sc6-rf0ijMaEWiRizb9poCJiDo5KLnffWXofWkoCPf/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-25+21.12.54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtyeUfePLosikQROhLo1_HxVfHMOTbcPS52Rors8gbEApUxXYRzCboaPbO6dUbVFjLch8Ndk9PPfYvFjpVppN2uIrw-NqmKyN6_Sc6-rf0ijMaEWiRizb9poCJiDo5KLnffWXofWkoCPf/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-25+21.12.54.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">model split into 11 objects</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In a matter of seconds, Cura splits the model into multiple parts. Each part can now be repositioned and rotated as needed. Or, you can save each of the parts as a separate stl file by copying the file and deleting the unwanted parts. This is just one of those handy options in Cura that is easy to miss.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-13898819914886820342014-11-25T18:07:00.003-08:002014-11-25T18:07:20.371-08:00A Note About Gluing Print Bed<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh68UFWD3K83ZH1cXhstCvZjlXgqzUkOnPt_SjYYyRoxcYc1hbDn0UHT3r4BjICHZ1T7DkyFpbZozx4i8Oo5652n-wpkgC8n16FqOxi0P403lS5VvZ4xsPZPpS3HqFOw3nsY_-AfsLKSbI/s1600/20141123_073842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh68UFWD3K83ZH1cXhstCvZjlXgqzUkOnPt_SjYYyRoxcYc1hbDn0UHT3r4BjICHZ1T7DkyFpbZozx4i8Oo5652n-wpkgC8n16FqOxi0P403lS5VvZ4xsPZPpS3HqFOw3nsY_-AfsLKSbI/s1600/20141123_073842.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">warped corner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
Summary: Use glue to prevent warping. Smooth glue out with water to thin the glue layer.</h3>
I just finished a marathon 11 hour print for the <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:31702" target="_blank">MakerBot tractor</a>. (I will write up the whole build when it is finished.) I was printing two pieces of the grille. The quality of the prints was perfect, but the corner of one of the pieces warped. I didn't expect this since I was using a heated bed with PLA. I guess using some glue to help with adhesion on large prints is a good idea.<br />
<br />
When I used the glue stick on past prints, occasionally I could see some of the layers of glue on the bottom of the print. Usually it is not a big deal because you don't see the bottom of the print. But I came across some good advice on <a href="http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/23-a-visual-ultimaker-troubleshooting-guide#warping" target="_blank">3D Verkstan</a> regarding gluing. After you apply the glue stick to the build platform, use a damp lint-free cloth to smooth the glue out. As the bed heats up, the water evaporates. The glue layer left behind is very thin and will not leave any trace on your print.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmPgdnSQhd6nsACWnq31bmH3UrWiROeGiPZZBWD4uIyMVzi9MfEEnfWHx8lz3krucv2soJZ_jwxZTCNKAfcAI0uZ7exmgomAgb5fO-HqcbEYwYdxsJeu_ZnvVpP02k3Tt7IqMxwmfH4nu/s1600/20141125_162718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmPgdnSQhd6nsACWnq31bmH3UrWiROeGiPZZBWD4uIyMVzi9MfEEnfWHx8lz3krucv2soJZ_jwxZTCNKAfcAI0uZ7exmgomAgb5fO-HqcbEYwYdxsJeu_ZnvVpP02k3Tt7IqMxwmfH4nu/s1600/20141125_162718.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">no warping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I reprinted the part with the glue and no more warping. So while the heated print bed helps to prevent warping, gluing down that bottom layer gives you just a little more insurance.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-59107129918968237802014-11-25T11:27:00.000-08:002014-11-25T11:27:56.916-08:00Finishing PLA<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xDlRQpsUJYRoB6YU2hDv0rIHJtV4gGS1Ipef-XCNG2EvMDU4_KRDGDSQmBl8oPejobQKF8kEvYPWKQKYZJ8aW1vBnP_xt2M2oVo8Vqxtrv9REw8M1RVjvoPjDOpka_TEGNfOdYdc3v_C/s1600/20141124_091525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xDlRQpsUJYRoB6YU2hDv0rIHJtV4gGS1Ipef-XCNG2EvMDU4_KRDGDSQmBl8oPejobQKF8kEvYPWKQKYZJ8aW1vBnP_xt2M2oVo8Vqxtrv9REw8M1RVjvoPjDOpka_TEGNfOdYdc3v_C/s1600/20141124_091525.jpg" height="207" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stock surface finish of a high quality print</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
Summary: Sand and polish your parts to remove any hint that it came from a 3D printer.</h3>
I have been extremely impressed by the surface finish of the high quality prints from my UM2. On many of the things I have printed, I have come to appreciate the very fine layers and lines of the print. They prove that the object is printed and that just makes the object that much more amazing when showing it off to friends. However there are times when you want to hide the printed quality of the print. There are many different finishing techniques for printed parts. I decided to try a few techniques on a scrap PLA part that warped during printing.<br />
<h4>
Sanding</h4>
First, I tried sanding the part. I started by sanding the surface with 220 grit sandpaper. This removed any trace of the layers but left visible sanding marks.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1NcvXhWUR14E-y4pxjcMhbh1i7h_u6BqVE2tLFsItDatRUMAP6ZPwqVqVxof0iW9LTDqy80m6TxFTFHtAabfEntYJYEVAMfRrxLGyAVmrvJmSUrnLrL1s_n7D_Q98ypy4yW0r1M5bLaj/s1600/20141124_094031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1NcvXhWUR14E-y4pxjcMhbh1i7h_u6BqVE2tLFsItDatRUMAP6ZPwqVqVxof0iW9LTDqy80m6TxFTFHtAabfEntYJYEVAMfRrxLGyAVmrvJmSUrnLrL1s_n7D_Q98ypy4yW0r1M5bLaj/s1600/20141124_094031.jpg" height="153" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">220 grit sandpaper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I followed that up by wet sanding with 600 grit waterproof sandpaper. The water really makes the sanding easier as the part does not stick to the paper and the PLA does not heat up and clog the paper if you apply too much pressure. As a bonus, the water keeps the sanding dust from getting everywhere. The 600 grit left a matte surface that was smooth to the touch. The sanding marks were visible up close in the right light but disappeared if you moved the model away by just a few inches.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkb9lQWUyxgWy1pWLZOwiHMlaULwEbwA8bKS0YKWkc4jIV7smB_se6zNNDkgjedWxUE-6V94tYviuE6QOLgckx9SNhnt6JE55kW6NNJh1GcmsHtbYzqOF9ux-Y_FvuQtHVaLA9R3E6_NI/s1600/20141124_094753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkb9lQWUyxgWy1pWLZOwiHMlaULwEbwA8bKS0YKWkc4jIV7smB_se6zNNDkgjedWxUE-6V94tYviuE6QOLgckx9SNhnt6JE55kW6NNJh1GcmsHtbYzqOF9ux-Y_FvuQtHVaLA9R3E6_NI/s1600/20141124_094753.jpg" height="135" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">600 grit wet sand</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lastly, I tried #0000 steel wool. This removed all sanding marks. After this step there was no trace of the layers or sanding marks. The surface had a nice even semi-gloss finish that looked like a molded part.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BBbUdFlCVabDg8nyST-bWfcopz1gqRyfdgJkjTHW7TC_Z7bWvOq7xXVa5pbrxv5UP-GFSONGFtNisdo5RX4ia-1l_Qm9s_GC1aq58J8-9z136PJGD_4_fQKUzPq4L1yXD0wGHwmGGIwJ/s1600/20141124_101004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BBbUdFlCVabDg8nyST-bWfcopz1gqRyfdgJkjTHW7TC_Z7bWvOq7xXVa5pbrxv5UP-GFSONGFtNisdo5RX4ia-1l_Qm9s_GC1aq58J8-9z136PJGD_4_fQKUzPq4L1yXD0wGHwmGGIwJ/s1600/20141124_101004.jpg" height="132" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">600 grit (L) vs. #0000 steel wool (R)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
Polishing</h4>
With the sanding marks removed, I wanted to see if I could get the PLA to shine. Starting with the #0000 steel wool surface finish, I used <a href="http://www.novuspolish.com/index.html" target="_blank">Novus platic polish</a>. Normally, you start with #3 and work your way to #1. I skipped #3 as it is designed to remove heavy scratches. The #2 Fine Scratch Remover definitely brought some shine to the part. But the polish gets into all the nooks and crannies and made any fine scratches more noticeable. The #1 Clean and Shine just seems to be a cleaner, it didn't add any polish to the part. If you need more shine on your part, like for a clear piece, I would just purchase the #2 formula. But it's a lot of extra work for a finish that isn't much better than the #0000 steel wool.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6RyuLjCWSAOm7gE_Qbu0gQsMq29ClaHfx2J3X3tPgMXYR2kzJlTKsVVkztIz6PCXIPCMshT1GmPyGmQm_hYG2uwLiFZ_VQQHmFVglrdXIsvfjfwJj9at1_49ph_2S9XTn34WA_bJAQ46/s1600/20141124_182633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6RyuLjCWSAOm7gE_Qbu0gQsMq29ClaHfx2J3X3tPgMXYR2kzJlTKsVVkztIz6PCXIPCMshT1GmPyGmQm_hYG2uwLiFZ_VQQHmFVglrdXIsvfjfwJj9at1_49ph_2S9XTn34WA_bJAQ46/s1600/20141124_182633.jpg" height="142" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it's hard to make out in the photo, but the polished side (R)<br />
has a little more shine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
Sandblasting</h4>
Just for the heck of it, I hit the piece with 80 grit silicone carbide in my sandblasting cabinet. It didn't seem to do much in the way of smoothing and it made the surface very dirty. I don't recommend it. Maybe blasting with baking soda would work better as anything caught in the part would dissolve in water leaving a clean surface?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXdnMP4vjsbhGxjj7BcvtFSfO-hyaI5iOmOWxILPkS1Sy8j2shus0uSMfnBChbLGKj8hdD8RVD5ZvliSwvFaooHiI07oTDiAWKydwOi48IWfR3ouxlnrK3nAlVu0uFc_kBTTfFZ25yMIR/s1600/20141124_183928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXdnMP4vjsbhGxjj7BcvtFSfO-hyaI5iOmOWxILPkS1Sy8j2shus0uSMfnBChbLGKj8hdD8RVD5ZvliSwvFaooHiI07oTDiAWKydwOi48IWfR3ouxlnrK3nAlVu0uFc_kBTTfFZ25yMIR/s1600/20141124_183928.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sandblasted area on right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
Acetone Vapor</h4>
This technique involves melting the surface of the part with acetone vapors to smooth out the print lines. I personally don't care for the look, it destroys a lot of the detail and the part often looks like it melted. But I can see some instances where that look might be appropriate. I definitely would not use it on parts that need to be glued together as I think the parts would distort too much to get an invisible glue joint. If you had to, I would do it after I glued the parts together.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvu-qxaiz0RCxOjD8eRMZktZWvJULR6DMYM8bnTWiNLB1FpSvUlw0Q2pijiAZlgAyRP4ku4NILSckXbu_ZOBvuM4yQnJ9a0tVhT8oo9HbzZhYp2dMm_FhIg0VoO78nf3FFahytcc0cFLx/s1600/20141124_185733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvu-qxaiz0RCxOjD8eRMZktZWvJULR6DMYM8bnTWiNLB1FpSvUlw0Q2pijiAZlgAyRP4ku4NILSckXbu_ZOBvuM4yQnJ9a0tVhT8oo9HbzZhYp2dMm_FhIg0VoO78nf3FFahytcc0cFLx/s1600/20141124_185733.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
First I just tried sealing the part in a Ball jar with some acetone in it. Over two hours later I still could not see any effect on the part so I removed it. I tried again, this time leaving the lid of the Ball jar on loose. I also put the jar on a mug warming plate to heat the acetone and speed up the process. Five hours like that and still no appreciable effect!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjet7yCzJVbtg6y3Jw1-XZO0dSQAmQcaBH48KM86o7HrwY7jYmIbudmaFp4N_uH1sxig2XdDIH7RGOOPjKYPXB8eg3Z5dogzfs7_Jr5FLbe2aoT0L-Q1MILCP_ZoFKmPRdlxS4gCJt5yq4U/s1600/20141125_141052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjet7yCzJVbtg6y3Jw1-XZO0dSQAmQcaBH48KM86o7HrwY7jYmIbudmaFp4N_uH1sxig2XdDIH7RGOOPjKYPXB8eg3Z5dogzfs7_Jr5FLbe2aoT0L-Q1MILCP_ZoFKmPRdlxS4gCJt5yq4U/s1600/20141125_141052.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 hours of acetone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The print lines are still visible, not even close to the glossy melted look I have seen on other prints. Maybe the MatterHacker PRO Series PLA is resistant to acetone? The part softened and distorted, especially where the corners touched the jar. But the surface did not smooth out. I'm done with acetone for now. Apparently it's not as easy as it looks. I'll try again if I ever have a part that I want that look on.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-79406439467428823702014-11-25T07:00:00.001-08:002014-11-25T07:00:07.960-08:00Printing with Supports<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFy6uelIh5oqdf9WwjXJLlDsDOFdy3zftaKNAQyjBWhntKcw7o7GOJakftmBU6X-EYokMErd1gTtF4x8FlHhw66bzWYUFemsc1auo9pYz6DudYIb-Qw062DTMiapNI4yks9x7WEYQuyW0J/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-25+09.15.10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFy6uelIh5oqdf9WwjXJLlDsDOFdy3zftaKNAQyjBWhntKcw7o7GOJakftmBU6X-EYokMErd1gTtF4x8FlHhw66bzWYUFemsc1auo9pYz6DudYIb-Qw062DTMiapNI4yks9x7WEYQuyW0J/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-25+09.15.10.png" height="248" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long bridge will likely need support</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
Summary: Print support structures for clean bridges.</h3>
<br />
Yesterday I printed out a very large part that took 19 hours to complete. The part has a long bridge that probably would not have printed well without a support structure. I was not going to risk a print this large so I selected the "print support structure" option in Cura.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauaxLdTBHI4KB7jWcPcuZ05HzxvK5f0KbBSFs-2QJv7ICUK7RqWHNFoQSF7VTitg72LnoTAm0eT9oEuG8syn5CqLjOMOkbb8IqrFnJHZ4ym-3E3cxI4TEaDp72OJoAUkK1u6-TbLG5C0A/s1600/20141124_070740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauaxLdTBHI4KB7jWcPcuZ05HzxvK5f0KbBSFs-2QJv7ICUK7RqWHNFoQSF7VTitg72LnoTAm0eT9oEuG8syn5CqLjOMOkbb8IqrFnJHZ4ym-3E3cxI4TEaDp72OJoAUkK1u6-TbLG5C0A/s1600/20141124_070740.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">waffle pattern of the support structure</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The support structure is designed to print just enough surface to support the layer above. It is also designed so that it will separate easily from the rest of the print.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9f5T96U-7R-00-I1h92meJljZH9IkMgXrQYGzKqrEJ3MCwNlzpDtsZ6GYhpPLC-RORwlkblEticGeG8KwBbgflX70M7dzd0dvwz2F_0vId8DdA2RznGZI8GaJO9e_F8xIiCiK8b_-9M_/s1600/20141125_065321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9f5T96U-7R-00-I1h92meJljZH9IkMgXrQYGzKqrEJ3MCwNlzpDtsZ6GYhpPLC-RORwlkblEticGeG8KwBbgflX70M7dzd0dvwz2F_0vId8DdA2RznGZI8GaJO9e_F8xIiCiK8b_-9M_/s1600/20141125_065321.jpg" height="189" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finished print with support</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuyw8SdJO5Er715FdaY7sO9XqcH-VIzjY5YyuSXh9JD_NUXRJ-BENo3XFMtvCJTcNLSl9ie-Mwx3k8slcPEEFSbap8tnN0qpLHWq9xARDDqP0RqSPHmC0adlJtDpasr42Hv5d4HRLVDBJ/s1600/20141125_065338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuyw8SdJO5Er715FdaY7sO9XqcH-VIzjY5YyuSXh9JD_NUXRJ-BENo3XFMtvCJTcNLSl9ie-Mwx3k8slcPEEFSbap8tnN0qpLHWq9xARDDqP0RqSPHmC0adlJtDpasr42Hv5d4HRLVDBJ/s1600/20141125_065338.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">close up of support</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The support did a great job of keeping the layers above nice and flat. I tried to peel the support off by hand but I couldn't. So I started by carefully pushing a razor blade in along the edge of the support line. Then I tried to remove the layer by hand again. Not quite. Finally I used a chisel blade on my x-acto knife and slipped it in between the support and print along both sides. That popped the support off.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOkIV43krSCin8-UQDN5Z45Jak0o4AdaiZEoEnH6SG-o2O2q6J1B5aqoqv3n_Cf4jQ0HqNuKyRYRZgCv13bEVF2Wc2Z13Y5SJWnTulm9mxrf_W8QDnHuZ4wz3C7N6HpMFiecw49G-eIWa/s1600/20141125_080032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOkIV43krSCin8-UQDN5Z45Jak0o4AdaiZEoEnH6SG-o2O2q6J1B5aqoqv3n_Cf4jQ0HqNuKyRYRZgCv13bEVF2Wc2Z13Y5SJWnTulm9mxrf_W8QDnHuZ4wz3C7N6HpMFiecw49G-eIWa/s1600/20141125_080032.jpg" height="195" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwGxwWKZcYwEAXBPZRTMlzoAH9UA8ofe1CD-R-AuxYB4BMmvbcZfuoUmB8nM_5GbNgNyXbFTaoYE4XIw2Q6O39x67ukiy6kEIhSJbPHxlNvHpHifgGKlD8AqCNNvpBmy3dl4Ln02VA41w/s1600/20141125_080218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwGxwWKZcYwEAXBPZRTMlzoAH9UA8ofe1CD-R-AuxYB4BMmvbcZfuoUmB8nM_5GbNgNyXbFTaoYE4XIw2Q6O39x67ukiy6kEIhSJbPHxlNvHpHifgGKlD8AqCNNvpBmy3dl4Ln02VA41w/s1600/20141125_080218.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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The bottom surface is a little hairy looking where the support was but that's ok as it is the bottom of the piece. I used a file to knock down some of the high spots. More importantly, the sides of the piece are nice and clean.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rToU5OLTkAww1MMcQcjRTNXGvlDcLreYVdn30B3qSdGph6bM4ACkOxaa-3RCf0PYKpGCgjtFiUV0yBQcTsWqPfXqbLEqiEsg10knsA6kGwmhB4xP9VITcdDfE_0FKZywJAQtvSyQYwjt/s1600/20141125_080418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rToU5OLTkAww1MMcQcjRTNXGvlDcLreYVdn30B3qSdGph6bM4ACkOxaa-3RCf0PYKpGCgjtFiUV0yBQcTsWqPfXqbLEqiEsg10knsA6kGwmhB4xP9VITcdDfE_0FKZywJAQtvSyQYwjt/s1600/20141125_080418.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">support removed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2BD7J-Ex-R108QcYlbmxJAWhw-d2adWuQDKHh7CrGmaODqdI4nCCaaYyOZFvrvvQD40aKKok7EL236gdNPmQ9j46nMZgIQnEAq1-_ZefrywoskiJ4RDltvs1A2ED6vWXYyH3wDQ9Ozrs/s1600/20141125_095122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2BD7J-Ex-R108QcYlbmxJAWhw-d2adWuQDKHh7CrGmaODqdI4nCCaaYyOZFvrvvQD40aKKok7EL236gdNPmQ9j46nMZgIQnEAq1-_ZefrywoskiJ4RDltvs1A2ED6vWXYyH3wDQ9Ozrs/s1600/20141125_095122.jpg" height="186" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nice clean bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-2432487824098579652014-11-22T19:40:00.003-08:002014-11-28T14:35:19.838-08:00Raven Skull<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOR9ZynFCsmmBymkgBM-qiaSaM8rOlNsfKhcze6FzQ6G42X2iYKd4e707lfWVMybM2358UdUXn29yalAXIGhYPH17Wtb1-dDdNoAwtAVlloNcH8gOTxyHncMLE2myXDFTSqk9pSu69Ge_4/s1600/20141122_184121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOR9ZynFCsmmBymkgBM-qiaSaM8rOlNsfKhcze6FzQ6G42X2iYKd4e707lfWVMybM2358UdUXn29yalAXIGhYPH17Wtb1-dDdNoAwtAVlloNcH8gOTxyHncMLE2myXDFTSqk9pSu69Ge_4/s1600/20141122_184121.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<h3>
Summary: 3D Kitbash models are amazing! UM2 print quality is unbelievable on the high quality defaults.</h3>
While browsing Thingiverse one day I came across this amazing <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:289987" target="_blank">raven skull</a> model. It is from the <a href="http://3dkitbash.com/index.php?page=boneheads" target="_blank">Boneheads</a> collection by <a href="http://3dkitbash.com/" target="_blank">3D Kitbash</a>. The Kitbash models are really well designed. First, the surface detail in the model is impressive. Where most models have smooth surfaces, the Boneheads seem to have a subtle surface texture in the model which breaks up the print lines and makes the final print look like bone and not plastic. Also, the models are designed in multiple parts to avoid bad overhangs, odd flat spots from the print bed, or the need for supports. The parts assemble with pins that are printed from a separate file, no glue is needed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIw63lVwgMgsA80Jr7wrzp6vvIcPPBdx2bKqlJvWY60O80Pnbs6FoJycgtRe7eAM2wkU8iAjkliwHFnaFXtCPlXTUw4saNSr6BuI0Lr6IVVYolwddM84lMtxB__jcDVqJjrF8ECqpX0mHL/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-22+21.52.39.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIw63lVwgMgsA80Jr7wrzp6vvIcPPBdx2bKqlJvWY60O80Pnbs6FoJycgtRe7eAM2wkU8iAjkliwHFnaFXtCPlXTUw4saNSr6BuI0Lr6IVVYolwddM84lMtxB__jcDVqJjrF8ECqpX0mHL/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-22+21.52.39.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 part model</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I have wanted to print this model ever since I got the UM2 set up. But I wanted to wait until I was sure the machine was up to the task. My prints have been turning out really nice so I decided to give it a try. I was pretty sure it would print fine, I just didn't know how good the print quality would be. I loaded up the model in Cura and selected the high quality print setting at 215°C. A little over 6 hours later, the print was done. I realized after the fact I probably could have gotten away with a lower infill and saved some time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXJatzW7TlttTc8ThrP4rp0ZRejAC8bl9l1bt5SOAFy7BcYxu9WiHrFMsPitEH7-PPG2aSUtIvk3KuszDwwtTQ7u4BWt6-qL8CVYdm4eq-aVdcgHAvN9hILyFcPny1bWG9bdhGQrj3LUQ/s1600/20141122_142032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXJatzW7TlttTc8ThrP4rp0ZRejAC8bl9l1bt5SOAFy7BcYxu9WiHrFMsPitEH7-PPG2aSUtIvk3KuszDwwtTQ7u4BWt6-qL8CVYdm4eq-aVdcgHAvN9hILyFcPny1bWG9bdhGQrj3LUQ/s1600/20141122_142032.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hot off the printer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The print was nearly flawless. I never expected the UM2 to print this well; the layers are almost invisible. The tip of the beak was a little melted and there were a few blobs on some of the worst overhangs. But everything else was perfect. Both issues were easily fixed with an x-acto knife and a small file.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwLcpN-D9mn9F6EWx2RG-t7BpxNGei67Gkcne0NTZk4JimSG9TTg9ZVfUQ3_QuuTQNdlDHmyvBRSfR5w9WCfJ_JrSpWRyi4VNxtpkGXk6iFEJFdPuVC71Z3POyxABysD9Bwyz70TRFImx/s1600/20141122_142417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwLcpN-D9mn9F6EWx2RG-t7BpxNGei67Gkcne0NTZk4JimSG9TTg9ZVfUQ3_QuuTQNdlDHmyvBRSfR5w9WCfJ_JrSpWRyi4VNxtpkGXk6iFEJFdPuVC71Z3POyxABysD9Bwyz70TRFImx/s1600/20141122_142417.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">slight melting at beak tip</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xFtpLh7_cFkA-6SlI5xR72cJYRhI2zl9srVKIYQYMkoA24ejufcI7-NRBBNkvaZzVPs1dQLxa1GYZ84162CNFbKuRIFLLGv6H63pkI19NlIlGeZR6dBZji2mRYHRo_VtyTWHxW7Ph2-X/s1600/20141122_142352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xFtpLh7_cFkA-6SlI5xR72cJYRhI2zl9srVKIYQYMkoA24ejufcI7-NRBBNkvaZzVPs1dQLxa1GYZ84162CNFbKuRIFLLGv6H63pkI19NlIlGeZR6dBZji2mRYHRo_VtyTWHxW7Ph2-X/s1600/20141122_142352.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">small blobs on the overhangs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Next I printed the pins and assembled the skull. The pins held the skull together tight, but there was a little play in the parts and the joint was too visible for my liking. So I added some cyanoacrylate glue and held the parts together to close the gap. My printer leaves about a 0.5 mm lip around the base of any prints. I needed to remove the lip around the seam of the skull. I used a <u>new</u> blade on my x-acto knife and carefully cut away the bulk of the lip. Then using the edge of the blade, I scraped the remaining seam down to the surface of the skull. By following the grain of the layers, the scraped area blended nicely with the rest of the print. It is more obvious in the pictures; in person it is hardly noticeable.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsx3ne1dLhl1d49svU3r2xDbzF1_DcFHGpEPJPvkhegI3WfhLLb5lrgn5X_UmgOhUEB_MzGnRwO6n-jBmctBVLCaEjPxJqfyjEYntTRkqPf1D4fzI_vNUooGhYnmZyehfoJieVaqn-NAC/s1600/20141122_192105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsx3ne1dLhl1d49svU3r2xDbzF1_DcFHGpEPJPvkhegI3WfhLLb5lrgn5X_UmgOhUEB_MzGnRwO6n-jBmctBVLCaEjPxJqfyjEYntTRkqPf1D4fzI_vNUooGhYnmZyehfoJieVaqn-NAC/s1600/20141122_192105.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">top seam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFzqOezSWZo_0zIgsGgRCZuTDeI5PrpHhByvobwSVbCvSPmp3XgAHnneGBPumBAeA58EPsxZ5bBNNMJ_OYhLppl6e0tjwhTxCfG4kFFA7Eh7gL_zpyyyS321QiaHDnB5jmllYi0leJt5Y/s1600/20141122_192053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFzqOezSWZo_0zIgsGgRCZuTDeI5PrpHhByvobwSVbCvSPmp3XgAHnneGBPumBAeA58EPsxZ5bBNNMJ_OYhLppl6e0tjwhTxCfG4kFFA7Eh7gL_zpyyyS321QiaHDnB5jmllYi0leJt5Y/s1600/20141122_192053.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">right seam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhOKVlkiOTWQO_TeLnIf1OvjIL42wBpS3M9_ySCE6W3oCvU9VLMjawJzupj5dH-JtXM_RhajkdeOD6Z9ASjdHUyBA8FL-fK9_ha3r-ZB3OQrcsIjzdRxKKruLJNxRoP2sIB7XRJABfDqG/s1600/20141122_192032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhOKVlkiOTWQO_TeLnIf1OvjIL42wBpS3M9_ySCE6W3oCvU9VLMjawJzupj5dH-JtXM_RhajkdeOD6Z9ASjdHUyBA8FL-fK9_ha3r-ZB3OQrcsIjzdRxKKruLJNxRoP2sIB7XRJABfDqG/s1600/20141122_192032.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">left seam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The raven skull is one of the few free models from 3D Kitbash. There are several other equally awesome models available for sale on their website. With all of the free 3D models available I never thought I would pay for a model. But I am so happy with this one, I just may have to drop a few bucks for some of the other models. This print will likely be the flagship of my collection. But first, you just know I am going to print the <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:504351" target="_blank">wall mount</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_-n7As3NIhqEensUY-ZmbimZNSl4Y__FcmipSxSQ3ISUNBPMLSVdh7NxGYoNoqXY7iktLwxFlob1Y_2Vlmv8TSqT-o9FRQQ2AtPRvVT4z3oT4D7sn4wPVrayLQRjpFeQQ6ZA7QgkbNS9/s1600/20141122_184044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_-n7As3NIhqEensUY-ZmbimZNSl4Y__FcmipSxSQ3ISUNBPMLSVdh7NxGYoNoqXY7iktLwxFlob1Y_2Vlmv8TSqT-o9FRQQ2AtPRvVT4z3oT4D7sn4wPVrayLQRjpFeQQ6ZA7QgkbNS9/s1600/20141122_184044.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-73166938312249074262014-11-20T16:46:00.002-08:002014-11-20T16:46:16.287-08:00Replacement Nuts<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SvRFpwe5kqsM2_tQnb8L6XYz4SHPvWjAQxDEXXNqA_r8zH_HTKrCaFvAkMzqUyI2a3dH1mBN_K1kqL3U3dGNfu-GSVgUsLqNsOvIk9R5M9lg-iwC8jQhyOTgmTfvJnnrygHmpsfMufLV/s1600/20141120_174434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SvRFpwe5kqsM2_tQnb8L6XYz4SHPvWjAQxDEXXNqA_r8zH_HTKrCaFvAkMzqUyI2a3dH1mBN_K1kqL3U3dGNfu-GSVgUsLqNsOvIk9R5M9lg-iwC8jQhyOTgmTfvJnnrygHmpsfMufLV/s1600/20141120_174434.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cracked nut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Summary: Using 3D printing to fix things around the house.</h3>
Today I noticed one of the nuts was missing from our floor mop. Upon closer inspection it became apparent that the other nut was broken. I could easily have grabbed a pair nuts from my shop and used those as replacements, but where's the fun in that?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHDZDUcA7ic4egZwkHHCpDq8czVK4ANFivoNUkL05J4kIyQGbyTU9K-iPDYBMyQs-CIMtinXnI4bgjw_mooRMXv-H6832-tf3zTOHK2ITp8SKEuqg8nzEed8BusDUPBqfqVeXvFTv0-U1/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-20+18.35.10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHDZDUcA7ic4egZwkHHCpDq8czVK4ANFivoNUkL05J4kIyQGbyTU9K-iPDYBMyQs-CIMtinXnI4bgjw_mooRMXv-H6832-tf3zTOHK2ITp8SKEuqg8nzEed8BusDUPBqfqVeXvFTv0-U1/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-20+18.35.10.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I quickly designed a replacement in 123D Design. I changed a few measurements to try and make the new nuts stronger. Then I printed out a pair on the UM2 at normal quality.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUGUI9P7Kk6RfBoromR-c4OjOyy908kchGmt5rCspIpiG_hl67HL10oqCyW0wXSLGJ7RSGeMsMs23cch0JmX2DJDaRX_oJv9foAeG3J8V3j1BvUPasZ-qhx1Vpb3AlNpe7Onq9ieqpl0v/s1600/20141120_190300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUGUI9P7Kk6RfBoromR-c4OjOyy908kchGmt5rCspIpiG_hl67HL10oqCyW0wXSLGJ7RSGeMsMs23cch0JmX2DJDaRX_oJv9foAeG3J8V3j1BvUPasZ-qhx1Vpb3AlNpe7Onq9ieqpl0v/s1600/20141120_190300.jpg" height="142" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
What do you know, they fit! There were a few design challenges. I tried to size the hole so the screws would cut threads into the nuts. The size of the screw hole was critical. Too small and the nut would crack. Too large and the threads wouldn't catch. I also added a chamfer at the bottom of the hole to make it easy to start. I guess I got it right because the screw is on nice and tight without cracking. I needed pliers to screw it on the first time, but after that I could do it by hand. I also needed to make the nut strong. I meant to print it solid but I forgot. But luckily it looks like the 20% infill was sufficient.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpplxlfZ6rEqpyoGrgB2JD84Nqk-GXNWGk69tKg83R7H5VRlruRdpR_oalftUWg5KNt09aPq0luEeCTxbzw9mJ2qLnbYtb3FxZtOlsc_l7kuxhP5LJg4a2e_fzOSgA61APOB3TRn9KL68a/s1600/20141120_192035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpplxlfZ6rEqpyoGrgB2JD84Nqk-GXNWGk69tKg83R7H5VRlruRdpR_oalftUWg5KNt09aPq0luEeCTxbzw9mJ2qLnbYtb3FxZtOlsc_l7kuxhP5LJg4a2e_fzOSgA61APOB3TRn9KL68a/s1600/20141120_192035.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">problem solved</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The new nuts work perfectly. And as a bonus, the print lines give the nuts a no-slip texture! Maybe this wasn't the most practical solution but the blue plastic knobs look much nicer than a pair of steel hex nuts. And who wants to use a wrench on their mop anyway? I wonder what else needs fixing around the house?...<br />
<br />
The files are available on <a href="https://www.youmagine.com/designs/thumb-nuts" target="_blank">YouMagine</a> and <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:556403" target="_blank">Thingiverse</a>.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-40629434725396197992014-11-20T09:12:00.001-08:002014-11-20T09:12:08.106-08:00Printing Multiple Files at Once<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKbqbMAlumU7vhcSsWr4-aT9UBDk_se5Z4tLAmVHpgo0TX1rgqXPIv5UHtU7T4wh-yvWtz0ykHnZ3j6snfhq5HdRHERLbJ5ogPSqVY-RbZeoqhuv4NOUdanw6RPUDHbSCEi1uiG6C5sor/s1600/20141120_111717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKbqbMAlumU7vhcSsWr4-aT9UBDk_se5Z4tLAmVHpgo0TX1rgqXPIv5UHtU7T4wh-yvWtz0ykHnZ3j6snfhq5HdRHERLbJ5ogPSqVY-RbZeoqhuv4NOUdanw6RPUDHbSCEi1uiG6C5sor/s1600/20141120_111717.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 files printed at same time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
Summary: Print multiple files at once for ease and better quality.</h3>
I have always wanted to get an old Spirograph set for my kids. But then I discovered this <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:252162" target="_blank">41 piece Spirograph set</a> on Thingiverse. Why buy when you can print? Looks like a nice Christmas present I can make for the kids. There are a lot of parts to this set, so I decided to print several gears at once. Printing multiple parts at once is not only easier, it can also result in nicer prints because each layer has plenty of time to cool before the next layer is printed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgTDsvG-tXVW807RJMzNOW8anV709UUUgWFhmYl-5Z8jjtDUXBjrLBzKT4HOjRBBThT1wbth6HQl3YMK5xnUDPP9WBUL37xkSbsbt1aEy7CkXvuPCXO4uXAmGHcp6bSK8XTYTERWUYWsY/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-20+09.10.53.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgTDsvG-tXVW807RJMzNOW8anV709UUUgWFhmYl-5Z8jjtDUXBjrLBzKT4HOjRBBThT1wbth6HQl3YMK5xnUDPP9WBUL37xkSbsbt1aEy7CkXvuPCXO4uXAmGHcp6bSK8XTYTERWUYWsY/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-20+09.10.53.png" height="199" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
To print multiple parts you just keep loading model files. Cura will automatically space the parts out for you. Select the "print all at once" option under the tools tab to for better print quality. Otherwise you will just be printing one model at a time and you won't get the benefit of letting each layer cool. Then just save the file to the SD card and print as you normally would.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWATysyQkBVaTx4h4Gok9RVyQ8NgJnB6wnRkD_ZeEc7iuy6IYDvWgWxYAqARobdpW6elnJ-HxcDQAV9nF6awGASx5AVBPc-AYcoMIWoxBV5evQ0ggcPvH7mU7jRhJ7u3ZD7GMyC14CQj9/s1600/20141120_112827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWATysyQkBVaTx4h4Gok9RVyQ8NgJnB6wnRkD_ZeEc7iuy6IYDvWgWxYAqARobdpW6elnJ-HxcDQAV9nF6awGASx5AVBPc-AYcoMIWoxBV5evQ0ggcPvH7mU7jRhJ7u3ZD7GMyC14CQj9/s1600/20141120_112827.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I printed these at 220°C with the normal quality defaults and they came out great. The teeth mesh perfectly. The one downside to printing multiple parts is you can get stringing between the parts. There was no stringing on this print. I'm going to wait until I have some more colors of PLA before I finish the set to make it a little more colorful. Six parts of the Spirograph done, 35 more to go!Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-30791286161369816092014-11-19T12:12:00.001-08:002014-11-19T12:12:10.428-08:00Steam Train Whistle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7gR1xMhGRVC0yPGHgwbi-bnb4shYVQn4zYzWB33qC0lhPdLGwtPRe3CaJNV1Pgpi2ttsF3A5hyphenhyphen4OrgpJu-WLoTW9Eb0M7SY-_FOMnsoaCWmgCTTSuXORJvuL2EKguA2qO9kP2mjIfVAw/s1600/20141119_141851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7gR1xMhGRVC0yPGHgwbi-bnb4shYVQn4zYzWB33qC0lhPdLGwtPRe3CaJNV1Pgpi2ttsF3A5hyphenhyphen4OrgpJu-WLoTW9Eb0M7SY-_FOMnsoaCWmgCTTSuXORJvuL2EKguA2qO9kP2mjIfVAw/s1600/20141119_141851.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3>
Summary: My first print with custom settings. Use the pause function to correct minor errors during a print.</h3>
<br />
Since before I got my 3D printer, I have wanted to print this <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:77183/#instructions" target="_blank">steam train whistle</a> from Thingiverse. I thought it would be cool to print something functional, even if its only function is making noise!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUD_18v-6P6tozxn5hW-AjiDYRc2be1eoRPR2LWXw90vLwzxI_GjbfySJtUz6N6viac6Cl9xnmcYtUtbFtTXvhHNhtAibxEFWWWmMkd8cO0C2xNe2NfxpWYSL0Kmou-k2LQg8LFmVfVsv/s1600/20141119_081738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUD_18v-6P6tozxn5hW-AjiDYRc2be1eoRPR2LWXw90vLwzxI_GjbfySJtUz6N6viac6Cl9xnmcYtUtbFtTXvhHNhtAibxEFWWWmMkd8cO0C2xNe2NfxpWYSL0Kmou-k2LQg8LFmVfVsv/s1600/20141119_081738.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first try</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My <a href="http://ultimaker2prints.blogspot.com/2014/11/dont-over-tighten-material-feeder.html" target="_blank">first attempt</a> didn't turn out so well because the filament feeder was skipping.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaeYzR7ByYDgSdqs_pY-cT-jXXhUGP-MPHpBlpYV-qvQZC6rXyq9tXKty0gl8U1tdMrJsTZjL7vhTja2gylp92AtZyeGcR2zVi8-7GdsdNGF0Bt86-8sAIVBlrD9VM8daaHUk_ZDtB6wc/s1600/20141119_142821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaeYzR7ByYDgSdqs_pY-cT-jXXhUGP-MPHpBlpYV-qvQZC6rXyq9tXKty0gl8U1tdMrJsTZjL7vhTja2gylp92AtZyeGcR2zVi8-7GdsdNGF0Bt86-8sAIVBlrD9VM8daaHUk_ZDtB6wc/s1600/20141119_142821.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">second try</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I tried again after "fixing" the problem only to have the feeder start skipping again and ruin another print. I was feeling cocky after a successful print so I had upped the printer speed to 80 mm/s. That's still a conservative speed for the UM2 but maybe that was the reason for the skipping? Rather than repeat the print at 50 mm/s, I ended up disassembling the filament feeder and performing an <a href="http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/10-the" target="_blank">Atomic Clean</a> on the print head. While feeding the filament back into the bowden tube I noticed that unless the curve of the filament matched the curve of the tube, the filament would bind firmly in the tube. The deep pits in the filament from the feeder probably didn't help either. So I cut off any filament that had been through the feeder already, made sure the filament was uncoiling cleanly and following the curve of the bowden tube, and fed it back into the filament feeder.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV-uDXsNhFbXKYxk38JA0EHPP282Uw7HU4PZoWBR7Ael6hRAiu2WoT5sHR74QZ5Df2jV6bQt0A49HxDgIEWElkDKA3K1nJ-WB6cLSMciCQuXz16NqRbwVkcPli-5gef8De1mspXe0hsZZ/s1600/20141119_132308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV-uDXsNhFbXKYxk38JA0EHPP282Uw7HU4PZoWBR7Ael6hRAiu2WoT5sHR74QZ5Df2jV6bQt0A49HxDgIEWElkDKA3K1nJ-WB6cLSMciCQuXz16NqRbwVkcPli-5gef8De1mspXe0hsZZ/s1600/20141119_132308.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stray filament</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Bingo, that did the trick. The PLA seemed to be flowing smoothly so I set up the whistle print again, this time at 50 mm/s. About a third of the way through the print I noticed a piece of PLA had been pulled out of place and was sticking up in the middle of the whistle chamber. I was worried that this might affect the sound of the whistle so I paused the print. To pause a print, just go to tune < pause printing with the navigation button on the printer. A pause also moves the print head out of the way. With the print paused I was able to cut off the piece of stray filament. Hit "unpause" and the print picks up where it left off with no visible sign of the interruption.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DHLI_b2e779bT_22kw2ajzQ943QvQCt7mo183yCUz9Uw_gurnIz_9RfU72Q_vhxxcVb9FhBwL5jl4KDYoCtT07Bc-8Vg_WKyc2yzKravgCdFFhpMi6_StHCBhTny_P_No4qMNBz_o5Zz/s1600/20141119_141851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DHLI_b2e779bT_22kw2ajzQ943QvQCt7mo183yCUz9Uw_gurnIz_9RfU72Q_vhxxcVb9FhBwL5jl4KDYoCtT07Bc-8Vg_WKyc2yzKravgCdFFhpMi6_StHCBhTny_P_No4qMNBz_o5Zz/s1600/20141119_141851.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">third time's a charm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
About an hour later the print finished. I didn't hear or see the feeder skip once during the entire print. The whistle looks great and sounds just as good. And it is loud. The kids should love it...my wife will hate it.<br />
<br />
<i>I used the full settings and made some adjustments as recommended by the whistle designer. The final print settings were as follows.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>220°C</i><br />
<i>0.25 mm layer height</i><br />
<i>0.75 mm bottom/top layer</i><br />
<i>25% infill</i><br />
<i>0.8 shell</i><br />
<i>0.3 mm initial layer</i><br />
<i>50 mm/s print speed</i><br />
<i>all other settings were default</i>Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-44249250411046856542014-11-19T08:21:00.002-08:002014-11-19T08:21:16.335-08:00Don't Over-tighten the Material Feeder!!!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F_nnFeZ2-Og/VGy4EYy_cfI/AAAAAAAAXQw/amElG32H2GM/s1600/20141119_102057" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F_nnFeZ2-Og/VGy4EYy_cfI/AAAAAAAAXQw/amElG32H2GM/s1600/20141119_102057" height="206" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is what happens when feeder tension is too high<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Summary: Over-tightening the material feeder will cause the filament to slip and will lead to under extrusion.</h3>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sAh0Nol7VfL4nWfVL2eokk-M4TAtPn_JCPgAraB_9OiSaB4coe4jLBvjYR5w2XuSCTQ40atmwouGlVYECb82DozmxHmOwtEIt3WQidS0qF5egDRSFf__QfYcXO3T8s05ELF4AxOsARAD/s1600/20141118_065917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sAh0Nol7VfL4nWfVL2eokk-M4TAtPn_JCPgAraB_9OiSaB4coe4jLBvjYR5w2XuSCTQ40atmwouGlVYECb82DozmxHmOwtEIt3WQidS0qF5egDRSFf__QfYcXO3T8s05ELF4AxOsARAD/s1600/20141118_065917.jpg" height="255" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yesterday morning I made the nice print pictured above with the normal quality settings. That evening I tried to make some more prints. They did not look good.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1LNZhAGe6nPxPdOP_t7NI99H3dzTSRAHUcosOQ9brQS55cGpNzqNZBHWoNlbDQlZWL1XY3TEKAgyoD4bXeJbKzzwK-RG3oriUB0vwmnZXrZeEKcd7QynGk-aFqHGdT_Z53I_wfAPOAO_/s1600/20141119_081721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1LNZhAGe6nPxPdOP_t7NI99H3dzTSRAHUcosOQ9brQS55cGpNzqNZBHWoNlbDQlZWL1XY3TEKAgyoD4bXeJbKzzwK-RG3oriUB0vwmnZXrZeEKcd7QynGk-aFqHGdT_Z53I_wfAPOAO_/s1600/20141119_081721.jpg" height="252" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multirotor helicopter foot. WTF!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The picture above was the result of a normal quality print. Looks like under extrusion again. I was already printing at 220°C so I didn't think temperature was the issue. It was a model that I designed from scratch so I thought maybe the problem was with my model. I downloaded a popular <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:77183" target="_blank">whistle model</a> from Thingiverse and tried again. This time I used the full settings so I could change the layer height, number of layers, and infill as directed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntdJZ8HSlhDFcTdnm_AiwkNDev4zdXpR3Hud3AfUPK2CVxd1ooyE1wTgfhZ_ThYLjkRMkmcLPv76VgQHfr1N-WhP7uyo8rESXYryI2hNUML5f5BClH3sRn02qaGA4tbe6Q1GYA7bTZlG9/s1600/20141119_081738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntdJZ8HSlhDFcTdnm_AiwkNDev4zdXpR3Hud3AfUPK2CVxd1ooyE1wTgfhZ_ThYLjkRMkmcLPv76VgQHfr1N-WhP7uyo8rESXYryI2hNUML5f5BClH3sRn02qaGA4tbe6Q1GYA7bTZlG9/s1600/20141119_081738.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not even close</td></tr>
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As it was printing I could hear some clicking coming from the material feeder as the knurled wheel slipped on the filament. I thought the tension on the material feeder might not be high enough so I tightened it until the indicator was on the center line. No improvement. I canceled the print after about 30 minutes; the layers were a mess.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzwFMco3wPsBMEIKYs-ggNWLW62N0gEwGH5z5rxejgSB6LeJa055CT7V1ycePSg-PhVUay4jrxu_8V3mOVNCTh9yHfzECnOXy8fmIk4GxswgXEQ1Nr-ZrfP4Q80_Xyuhr_TcAf1s32lEl/s1600/20141119_090515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzwFMco3wPsBMEIKYs-ggNWLW62N0gEwGH5z5rxejgSB6LeJa055CT7V1ycePSg-PhVUay4jrxu_8V3mOVNCTh9yHfzECnOXy8fmIk4GxswgXEQ1Nr-ZrfP4Q80_Xyuhr_TcAf1s32lEl/s1600/20141119_090515.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">reducing resistance on spool</td></tr>
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I thought the nozzle might be clogged but before I tore it down I decided to check the <a href="http://umforum.ultimaker.com/" target="_blank">UM forum</a> again and search the under extrusion posts. I noticed that under extrusion can occur when the coils on the filament spool have trouble unwinding. This seemed particularly common with <a href="https://www.ultimaker.com/products/pla-ultimate-blue" target="_blank">Ultimate-Blue PLA</a> as it seems stiffer than some other brands. So I removed the spool, unwound a bunch of coils, and tried to straighten the filament as best I could. Then I tried printing the multirotor foot again.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNasMUGTh-1Ol-RbPT9cbHsFseWTyWSkj7USgvuCLlEkMSdgqoMtiN5pptqS68sCPogAN8u-Cb6nRuXEOT1YagY1HhdV1pfheKqqWyhKhQb039-miCr5tlC9VWLKIZ3DJQLPbRFxkThIQf/s1600/20141119_100445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNasMUGTh-1Ol-RbPT9cbHsFseWTyWSkj7USgvuCLlEkMSdgqoMtiN5pptqS68sCPogAN8u-Cb6nRuXEOT1YagY1HhdV1pfheKqqWyhKhQb039-miCr5tlC9VWLKIZ3DJQLPbRFxkThIQf/s1600/20141119_100445.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">proper tension setting on the feeder</td></tr>
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<br />
With the machine back facing me, I noticed the material feeder slipping about every 5 seconds. With the better view I could see how too much tension (rather than not enough) could lead to the slipping I was seeing. So I backed off the tension until the slipping stopped. The material started feeding just fine, no more slipping.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AEI3ihGLxo_BQkbCA9BiGUpvwyyO5hTafe6xTDmji99C86t-CM81kEkp-ICzLGO4sEGiMbidZBwBee9uvwLQK-WJy3jdV7whVL5oxeP8J6MFK1xJwFYq7p036xdbxi96IznpEd6EW31L/s1600/20141119_101958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AEI3ihGLxo_BQkbCA9BiGUpvwyyO5hTafe6xTDmji99C86t-CM81kEkp-ICzLGO4sEGiMbidZBwBee9uvwLQK-WJy3jdV7whVL5oxeP8J6MFK1xJwFYq7p036xdbxi96IznpEd6EW31L/s1600/20141119_101958.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">that's better</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The foot printed perfectly. Thinking back, I believe the first thing I did to combat under extrusion was increase the tension on the material feeder when I should have been increasing the temperature. Keep in mind there are two different versions of the material feeder for the UM2. There is an older version which apparently had some problems and needs to be adjusted to about the middle setting. And there is the new version which I have which likes to be set towards the top. This setting is much more critical than I expected and I wonder how many under extrusion problems are a result of improper tension on the material feeder. Check this first as it can save you the trouble of cleaning your print head!Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-77009668620517822302014-11-18T06:36:00.002-08:002014-11-18T06:36:36.652-08:00Printing from 2D Images<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBGq6Fy3zJyz1burGtPtbBnkewNV6lIKiMCH4IoQfH7Btp7VY1cF1OBuZE0YCF5G_D3x_6FI5g9A4SXg5Ju0e3N2yLRnkKFy7Lk-_4AiKwy3ptLN-A_lUR24UJ9EJh84JvxJKEPdY0sqF/s1600/TCI_Keychain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBGq6Fy3zJyz1burGtPtbBnkewNV6lIKiMCH4IoQfH7Btp7VY1cF1OBuZE0YCF5G_D3x_6FI5g9A4SXg5Ju0e3N2yLRnkKFy7Lk-_4AiKwy3ptLN-A_lUR24UJ9EJh84JvxJKEPdY0sqF/s1600/TCI_Keychain.png" height="273" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">test image</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
Summary: Super easy way to make 3D prints from 2D images.</h3>
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I went back and re-read the Cura manual last night and I was surprised to learn that you can easily make 3D prints from 2D images! Just select the image to print, tell Cura how thick and how large to make the print, and go.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuriqe06ahNIUb8K0YHSN_BEPxXhMMyejxSxg2nx45IKHhiLXav-Rfi0XAZjZTZRDJrQS6yNpk4GJS4_SjYX3eW8rWBGWepYuUC2ly9kOaKA9WwoVYvGA7SfuH6LAMVC04p-1yaj0Geec/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-18+09.21.45.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuriqe06ahNIUb8K0YHSN_BEPxXhMMyejxSxg2nx45IKHhiLXav-Rfi0XAZjZTZRDJrQS6yNpk4GJS4_SjYX3eW8rWBGWepYuUC2ly9kOaKA9WwoVYvGA7SfuH6LAMVC04p-1yaj0Geec/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-18+09.21.45.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">setting print dimensions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I went to File < Load model file... and selected a .png image of my company logo (same exact file as above). That opens a dialog box where you set the print dimensions. I selected a 1 mm base layer, 2 mm extrusions for the image (height), and a 40 mm width. The depth will automatically scale with the width setting, and vice versa. Once you click OK, Cura converts the image to a .stl file. I chose the normal quality print setting and saved the gcode to the SD card.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJHHWb1M0H08-0YaEX6d_p2zAWYMkSmy-oM3FbGNJgSClbsfnIGhX2HvLYBMpy4vtxvMEaanjTg9CG18V7puQsrPwdv-E3Gi3_9GhR_vVqG74BJBsOo7MfFhftF1UHPWWj4RVnyjh2o84/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-18+09.27.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJHHWb1M0H08-0YaEX6d_p2zAWYMkSmy-oM3FbGNJgSClbsfnIGhX2HvLYBMpy4vtxvMEaanjTg9CG18V7puQsrPwdv-E3Gi3_9GhR_vVqG74BJBsOo7MfFhftF1UHPWWj4RVnyjh2o84/s1600/Screenshot+2014-11-18+09.27.42.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">converted image</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I printed this without glue and I had no problem with adhesion. The file took 28 minutes to print and came out great. This was too easy. I have a feeling I am going to be melting a lot of plastic printing all sorts of 2D images.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorfLidAesU1wVVcxue2tbV4gGqVuGW-FZtlDBuVBBhlYzDbSjmVhseCDguanwg3P8DUnwkbUpuf0ThyphenhyphenJ9VJ-3EiUxX4vPZSuOK1LhIuqDuyLxLr60VAhg0rKes9JCSuUeCc0PZ08Agio7/s1600/20141118_065917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorfLidAesU1wVVcxue2tbV4gGqVuGW-FZtlDBuVBBhlYzDbSjmVhseCDguanwg3P8DUnwkbUpuf0ThyphenhyphenJ9VJ-3EiUxX4vPZSuOK1LhIuqDuyLxLr60VAhg0rKes9JCSuUeCc0PZ08Agio7/s1600/20141118_065917.jpg" height="255" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finished print</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-5737331627109320282014-11-18T06:16:00.002-08:002014-11-20T16:18:22.203-08:00Printing Airgun Targets<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bl7Z2Mmv0p2AX80ffu3qBZg58uKI8D1XCZoMm-y9cDjQfS-oxYI1vyohkf9GeQQhiCbFmhBAkd47G2KLq5BRKwuaQcBsZHJpY1ky7HfE2j5sO4K-89x7J56INGpQnuRtmTBgwPE6scvp/s1600/20141117_201746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bl7Z2Mmv0p2AX80ffu3qBZg58uKI8D1XCZoMm-y9cDjQfS-oxYI1vyohkf9GeQQhiCbFmhBAkd47G2KLq5BRKwuaQcBsZHJpY1ky7HfE2j5sO4K-89x7J56INGpQnuRtmTBgwPE6scvp/s1600/20141117_201746.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">printed target in blue</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Summary: First print of original design. Low quality print setting needs work!</h3>
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If you read <a href="http://myfavoritestripper.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my other blog</a>, you will see that I love shooting airguns. One of my favorite targets are <a href="http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Daisy_Shatterblast_4_target_stakes_and_8_breakable_target_disks/244" target="_blank">Daisy Shatterblast disks</a>. They are biodegradable plastic disks that explode into pieces when you shoot them; much more fun than punching paper. Last weekend as I was shooting, I managed to hit one of the stakes that holds the disks and broke it. No big deal, I can always print a new one I thought. Then it occurred to me, Shatterblast targets are biodegradable. PLA is biodegradable. Why not print my own disks in PLA? I tend to shy away from shooting the Shatteblast disks because I have to mail order them and once you add shipping, they get a little pricey. Especially considering that you can only shoot them once. So my supply is limited. If I can print my own, I can get more disks any time I want.<br />
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I took some measurements from one of the disks and went to work in <a href="http://apps.123dapp.com/design/" target="_blank">123D Design</a>. The design is simple, just a bunch of extruded circles. It only took a few minutes to draft the design. Once the model was complete I saved the .stl file on my computer and loaded it into Cura. I don't need these things to look nice considering I am just going to break them, so I printed at the low quality setting. It took about 17 minutes. I also tried printing without glue for the first time. The print stuck just fine and I think I would have had a hard time removing the print without damaging it if I had used glue.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJnP8Gxy7XsDqVVTXRPb_LST1dIu4efs3HmQheXW6OGQR9O9-p1SJMpfIt1JecbglS32NjAjjZDCod51KIZ5_cKlBndf56cB54N12AGQqqE1kQl9Yw0ADs7Zt2NooeMR64LOswUG1bCA8/s1600/20141117_201516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJnP8Gxy7XsDqVVTXRPb_LST1dIu4efs3HmQheXW6OGQR9O9-p1SJMpfIt1JecbglS32NjAjjZDCod51KIZ5_cKlBndf56cB54N12AGQqqE1kQl9Yw0ADs7Zt2NooeMR64LOswUG1bCA8/s1600/20141117_201516.jpg" height="309" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">low quality print</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Low quality? They weren't kidding. The top layer wasn't nearly complete and there was so little material that the disk is flexible. I am going to have to ask on the <a href="http://umforum.ultimaker.com/" target="_blank">UM forum</a> if this is normal or if I should expect better results from the low quality setting. Based on this, the LQ setting looks pretty useless. Let's try that again at the normal quality setting. The normal quality print took 46 minutes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMsc6ZkFGjgi9hpGMa2n_rmaLtEREUpkFecBvuIpOVjsziNteQ3KvjBpPH8wr5hCegCOPSOBQGsMEUyLEqVGdzZYkq9Q8Z6u3BrIyqtTkaXvaMOsy3Wy_4zTve8bOzSWB0j7daiaUd0Zf/s1600/20141117_201550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMsc6ZkFGjgi9hpGMa2n_rmaLtEREUpkFecBvuIpOVjsziNteQ3KvjBpPH8wr5hCegCOPSOBQGsMEUyLEqVGdzZYkq9Q8Z6u3BrIyqtTkaXvaMOsy3Wy_4zTve8bOzSWB0j7daiaUd0Zf/s1600/20141117_201550.jpg" height="271" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">normal quality print</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now that's better. The normal quality print came out great. The dimensions are spot on and the disk fit perfectly in the target stake (see first photo). But how does it work as a target? I reluctantly shot the printed target with my Crosman 1400 .22 air rifle at 3 pumps. The pellet punched a nice hole in the disk but the disk did not shatter the way the Shatterblast targets do.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehj-kZuAVF0GG60whp0bHXEawj-0A9PtLbNDAVa5GiO1dNaYjymBhoBTBE_mrQ1d6m-4DVLe5blPMSwy36gHXsZ3DhqvRtoSDR1fzzSm-XCAA5WfeqbhyYiV2RMGDngZLcN9iIzMuP3wR/s1600/20141117_202451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehj-kZuAVF0GG60whp0bHXEawj-0A9PtLbNDAVa5GiO1dNaYjymBhoBTBE_mrQ1d6m-4DVLe5blPMSwy36gHXsZ3DhqvRtoSDR1fzzSm-XCAA5WfeqbhyYiV2RMGDngZLcN9iIzMuP3wR/s1600/20141117_202451.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">both targets shot with same rifle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Hmmmm. Despite the brittle nature of PLA, it holds up better than I expected. It could be because of the 20% infill. It looks like the infill lattice almost acted as a frame to isolate the impact from the shot. Perhaps if I printed it with 100% infill the disk will shatter? But that would take too much material and take too long to print. Not going to try it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiXngLVGdUIJyj7NXGpVqEM9LhcgKltTJJCZeCnU-DESkMJFbr2CahQQc_3twHV6FbtAvxSiMbDuaVUoF_MBPZMml3FscEGW3veRala6ePMQA8Kff5FKi4C1t4cBbwZvPwW1FmqZLLHlt/s1600/20141117_202528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiXngLVGdUIJyj7NXGpVqEM9LhcgKltTJJCZeCnU-DESkMJFbr2CahQQc_3twHV6FbtAvxSiMbDuaVUoF_MBPZMml3FscEGW3veRala6ePMQA8Kff5FKi4C1t4cBbwZvPwW1FmqZLLHlt/s1600/20141117_202528.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rear view of hole</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This was a fun little experiment but I don't think 3D printing is an efficient way to make breakable targets. Maybe I can make targets that can withstand an airgun shot without damage? Perhaps with ABS? Then 3D printing might make sense for targets. But that's a project for another day.Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2080242440153662173.post-9599837132177715992014-11-16T11:38:00.002-08:002014-11-17T03:31:13.476-08:00Replicating the Test Print<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4MjQV4fk-7SNxfjxlrXSq8P11VTk_wbDTozZXEU5ypxagJs61d1tHxhz3qU0omJZCwvFUc9vpEVfGCXqaDXFUNZntUq6fyqaw7JEAviJt7tGu1w8JaHHCqpcwZ1jjQ_9bK7iNnhgh-LD/s1600/20141115_113240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4MjQV4fk-7SNxfjxlrXSq8P11VTk_wbDTozZXEU5ypxagJs61d1tHxhz3qU0omJZCwvFUc9vpEVfGCXqaDXFUNZntUq6fyqaw7JEAviJt7tGu1w8JaHHCqpcwZ1jjQ_9bK7iNnhgh-LD/s1600/20141115_113240.jpg" height="366" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">factory test print</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
Summary: My attempts to replicate the factory test print. Correct nozzle temperature is the key.</h3>
I've had my fill of printing robots for now. It is a really tough model to print well so I end up chasing "problems" that are more a fault of the model design than the machine. The UM2 comes with a test part that was printed on your machine during the QA process. If everything is working as it is supposed to, you should be able to print the test file and have it come out as good as the one that came with your machine. I decided to print the test model to see if I could match the quality of the factory print. If I can, I know my machine is working properly.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwgV1L4vAnfWkzcT0lBBs8Xkuy87s7Xuy565nrcuoNHdythbUbkMItul_dZ5kGNUyHJFpCapZFKGGqJnIK6W5FnZ8YL75AvGZFJO_nnbqqvkmEmnsVXDVT_PcZsONS8asAsMNGhaeQd4r/s1600/20141115_113222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwgV1L4vAnfWkzcT0lBBs8Xkuy87s7Xuy565nrcuoNHdythbUbkMItul_dZ5kGNUyHJFpCapZFKGGqJnIK6W5FnZ8YL75AvGZFJO_nnbqqvkmEmnsVXDVT_PcZsONS8asAsMNGhaeQd4r/s1600/20141115_113222.jpg" height="309" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">factory print - top view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KynVj2TpfQvMhb8uyHu8WAhvw9rqA0r-IvON69eM2z-lufhkYzYlwBiSjzRodUUZPceRl-yPMmbUXi469JBNblb4mRWpbjNX73wC18HDqG_6Pzs7F37kgG6kYLLBxU9u0g2-1hRLiXXl/s1600/20141115_113301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KynVj2TpfQvMhb8uyHu8WAhvw9rqA0r-IvON69eM2z-lufhkYzYlwBiSjzRodUUZPceRl-yPMmbUXi469JBNblb4mRWpbjNX73wC18HDqG_6Pzs7F37kgG6kYLLBxU9u0g2-1hRLiXXl/s1600/20141115_113301.jpg" height="262" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">factory print - back view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I loaded the test model from the SD card and printed it at 220°C. The print was great except for the top layer. It was not completely filled in. The columns seemed to be a little rougher than the factory print as well.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYO0fwQmHlqOAREQjgMJp2KVK9hOi_iYWiKJCxibdYoPR-EIQxyd1tIfeSAI-EwBuzJRGb2sliTCHrsryrTpSI1cuUbKkvPBbZoMmY04Gctwx9utgWGe27Uq9kuUqWtUVJkui50ZcgfH0S/s1600/20141115_113010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYO0fwQmHlqOAREQjgMJp2KVK9hOi_iYWiKJCxibdYoPR-EIQxyd1tIfeSAI-EwBuzJRGb2sliTCHrsryrTpSI1cuUbKkvPBbZoMmY04Gctwx9utgWGe27Uq9kuUqWtUVJkui50ZcgfH0S/s1600/20141115_113010.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">220°C top view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpHDdKwLlc-0QEbhIRaIGdEZ4DGw2CbOlDeX9ZAOHSli_w_peALinx-KjiMFK05qwtS0BVO2sfH8-1vNBno3vnbNT0Gmg3nSbsT-pRJuZRkcwIQ_C86ooxUTQoyj0imQVSVP1gfkWcmxT/s1600/20141115_113050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpHDdKwLlc-0QEbhIRaIGdEZ4DGw2CbOlDeX9ZAOHSli_w_peALinx-KjiMFK05qwtS0BVO2sfH8-1vNBno3vnbNT0Gmg3nSbsT-pRJuZRkcwIQ_C86ooxUTQoyj0imQVSVP1gfkWcmxT/s1600/20141115_113050.jpg" height="288" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">220°C front view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpFfP-NAPqjdiQad68xX2DZapQgKobzDIGG_3cm2LXWC9_DW7FcUjHHDDGbbgFFdm_I4EV7C1OxWsk3bmhZsuQc1JcCdvB_Ts0sYKc9IkspdbWeIONqivyHTnMiDExoklLn9PrFMXb8Ew/s1600/20141115_113029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpFfP-NAPqjdiQad68xX2DZapQgKobzDIGG_3cm2LXWC9_DW7FcUjHHDDGbbgFFdm_I4EV7C1OxWsk3bmhZsuQc1JcCdvB_Ts0sYKc9IkspdbWeIONqivyHTnMiDExoklLn9PrFMXb8Ew/s1600/20141115_113029.jpg" height="273" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">220°C back view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Then I realized that the factory print might have been printed at 210°C since that is how the printer arrived. So I changed the nozzle temperature back to 210°C and tried again. I didn't think it would help and I was right.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqf24CgKRsShyphenhyphenGZKjTK4ZMUDCOwdXrkHRv60eUu-79IjNxhrd4lWlySrkGXlzzvu24IfhkxbTYOkk2ZVPLSSlcz0m4Ra5NeouSWSnm7IatU54tq2aiVXgEsjhr2EIuLchrmy_lEIikuY4/s1600/20141115_113143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqf24CgKRsShyphenhyphenGZKjTK4ZMUDCOwdXrkHRv60eUu-79IjNxhrd4lWlySrkGXlzzvu24IfhkxbTYOkk2ZVPLSSlcz0m4Ra5NeouSWSnm7IatU54tq2aiVXgEsjhr2EIuLchrmy_lEIikuY4/s1600/20141115_113143.jpg" height="314" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">210°C top view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK33DRGD1EDVyJoYS3DR7UKrzRwb7S2G5zrnmve75QNMvZTQz1JIb3L_mBt-9fFp8N0Il3rQCpXalCi-rm13ZuOCOtvvIRiEXRBYTvP24cv7-t3i771KN-QDovavG6r_LLZ8lRWcTpW7jf/s1600/20141115_113114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK33DRGD1EDVyJoYS3DR7UKrzRwb7S2G5zrnmve75QNMvZTQz1JIb3L_mBt-9fFp8N0Il3rQCpXalCi-rm13ZuOCOtvvIRiEXRBYTvP24cv7-t3i771KN-QDovavG6r_LLZ8lRWcTpW7jf/s1600/20141115_113114.jpg" height="264" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">210°C front view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_H-C8qAqP_g99QtCmpRxIcYS_LlPjxjIqU9QmyAYpjc7RpEJTYhFHLJhBUjHK4moGnhC3aari6QBxILbC7_VJrlqfhZVH1aPtYNThzgRBta1WGsGhTd2-AXyOOp3BN6JFLPXSxPs9vRE/s1600/20141115_113158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_H-C8qAqP_g99QtCmpRxIcYS_LlPjxjIqU9QmyAYpjc7RpEJTYhFHLJhBUjHK4moGnhC3aari6QBxILbC7_VJrlqfhZVH1aPtYNThzgRBta1WGsGhTd2-AXyOOp3BN6JFLPXSxPs9vRE/s1600/20141115_113158.jpg" height="289" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">210°C back view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The back turned out fine. The columns are about the same as the 220°C print. But the top is even worse. Am I still having under extrusion problems even at 220°C? I raised the nozzle temperature to 225°C and tried again.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm2pmYZ7UxNrMFN66O0qENSd8A51lIQmmqb0Vb50_Rq_9HZlt2R2iCGJpFdRFXVPLWb_6fQdv-hGj-uOTtvm94u_bC2NSVpT6Pm0UJOLu0ttPYhkzy4w-iSMql3j0LqU9vWqfWnJ6uY6i/s1600/20141115_211111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm2pmYZ7UxNrMFN66O0qENSd8A51lIQmmqb0Vb50_Rq_9HZlt2R2iCGJpFdRFXVPLWb_6fQdv-hGj-uOTtvm94u_bC2NSVpT6Pm0UJOLu0ttPYhkzy4w-iSMql3j0LqU9vWqfWnJ6uY6i/s1600/20141115_211111.jpg" height="295" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my test print @ 225°C</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Bingo. The columns are great. The layers are a little more visible in my print but the surface is pretty smooth. The back surface of my print is better than the factory print. And the top surfaces are nearly identical. My print has a small hole in bottom of the circular well but I bet if I printed it again it might come out OK. I am satisfied that my printer is tuned in. Time to start printing some interesting stuff.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWvQjHIP6JCjdElCOIAhC4AVtCzvyGimFQWsoRr-rBBPoxRoOmEF-CmTj8OeCdwKYYIBOReLPTrUD26nbjJ7Mzkln-dmhqqMYljraWLgKtvzcoACgDmmsR8-jKQB5ZrEsGYjg7K4KLUhm/s1600/20141115_211151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWvQjHIP6JCjdElCOIAhC4AVtCzvyGimFQWsoRr-rBBPoxRoOmEF-CmTj8OeCdwKYYIBOReLPTrUD26nbjJ7Mzkln-dmhqqMYljraWLgKtvzcoACgDmmsR8-jKQB5ZrEsGYjg7K4KLUhm/s1600/20141115_211151.jpg" height="163" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">factory (L) v. my print (R)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYL9YzYNAeJdLOz0r-FiBB-XaYbUpvzprsewTsxs-CpwpDc7Odz-VcVw_7RfEzpDy1ZTqi1HYQUeIqvt0EXnHrMYKsVIjL8tLDjV1GCgILhatpZwi064NkkwQ6G8xmTVqndXA-7zmR7YJ/s1600/20141115_211214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYL9YzYNAeJdLOz0r-FiBB-XaYbUpvzprsewTsxs-CpwpDc7Odz-VcVw_7RfEzpDy1ZTqi1HYQUeIqvt0EXnHrMYKsVIjL8tLDjV1GCgILhatpZwi064NkkwQ6G8xmTVqndXA-7zmR7YJ/s1600/20141115_211214.jpg" height="158" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">factory (L) v. my print (R)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLOSFDfdr-cfuKtfbJEaYBcALGu2pq-geIEa98qZAEFRyt7bFL5Ga3szHHB0WUT0ekeTyoPt5x8Y5xU4fzGAV4rXrJHim0Hgdv-8YvwO3OpWpMkOub88wV5HaktzyBeM6RY67YJS7uAw-/s1600/20141115_211234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLOSFDfdr-cfuKtfbJEaYBcALGu2pq-geIEa98qZAEFRyt7bFL5Ga3szHHB0WUT0ekeTyoPt5x8Y5xU4fzGAV4rXrJHim0Hgdv-8YvwO3OpWpMkOub88wV5HaktzyBeM6RY67YJS7uAw-/s1600/20141115_211234.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">factory (L) v. my print (R)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Entomophilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09953584069626334847noreply@blogger.com0