Haven't posted these here before, but a few things over the years on my Rostock Max V2. Mostly PLA, some ABS, recently some PETG, but man it's stringy.
I used Simplify3D quite a bit for ease of use, but honestly get much better prints on the old MatterControl software. Looking into a large volume SLA printer now.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/okBEgi1PJ2s4jrfq7
I've done quite a few bearing and seal setting tools on various engines.
cool mount for the surface roughness meter!
The quality of my prints has fallen off a bit. Don't know if it's wear in the machine (can't imagine it) or just some way that I've worked myself into a bunch of settings that conspire to kill my surface finish.
I tend to be a little impatient and I usually make functional parts, so I don't spend a lot of time with optimization to get good finishes.
Peteg though, it just takes a lot of fiddling.
I too use S2D, but I'm beginning to think I need to go back to Cura and start using that again.
Jim;Originally Posted by jcolley
How the heck did you do the degree wheel? Really trick.
V/r
Iverson
Gents;
How about battery trays? I have a drawing for a machined aluminum tray with precise dimensions. Is there a possibility?
V/r
Iverson
To have any kind of structural integrity for holding heavy stuff, I usually start with a wall thickness no less than 1/8". From there you get into some esoterics about whether features need supports and if the layers are going the right way for some features. other than that, a battery box is not a big deal as long as the printer is large enough.
It was a large wheel from Summit (I think), I just make adapters for the crank noses for whatever engine I needed. Those V10s don't need to be degreed for stock builds, but verifying PTV clearance on 4 race cams is a major PITA, especially with variable timing.
The one pic of the little blue ring and the large gear was a test for limiting travel on the cam phasor for the intake cam.
CV gaskets
You know those little CV gaskets that are quite expensive for what they are? they can be 3D printed for pennies.
PLA v Epoxy
Okay chemical engineers.....
Would PLA survive exposure to epoxy while being covered in glass ?
Yes. I've used epoxy to smooth PLA before making a mold.
Mike Beauchamp
RF95 Prototype 2
Get your FIA rain lights here:
www.gyrodynamics.net/product/cartek-fia-rain-light/
I recently stumbled across the "Gridfinity" system by Zack Freedman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra_9zU-mnl8
and gave it shot in organizing that one toolbox drawer that we all have: the one that is the "junk drawer" that holds all the stuff that doesn't fall into one of the main tool categories. I was going to modify the 42mm grid system for an exact fit in my Harbor Fright drawer but the standard grid fit almost perfectly. I spent way too much time designing boxes for specific tools but I'm really happy with the result. The challenge is resisting the urge to do the rest of the drawers.
.
Mike Beauchamp
RF95 Prototype 2
Get your FIA rain lights here:
www.gyrodynamics.net/product/cartek-fia-rain-light/
This is pretty cool. Have you shared any of your new models?
I haven't but I sure could. I'm afraid my custom boxes might have a VERY narrow audience...
Mike Beauchamp
RF95 Prototype 2
Get your FIA rain lights here:
www.gyrodynamics.net/product/cartek-fia-rain-light/
Well yeah, but you're talking to it! Dooo eeet, mon!I haven't but I sure could. I'm afraid my custom boxes might have a VERY narrow audience...
Stan Clayton
Stohr Cars
Looking at the drawer you setup I question of the baseplate/grid is actually necessary.
Or does it take up depth we could otherwise put to better use..
I figured the grid just came with the Hobo Freight tool box. Mike?
Stan Clayton
Stohr Cars
The grid is part of the gridfinity system (get it?) and is 3d printed. The individual compartments snap into the grid so they don't move around (laterally or vertically). You could go without it but then you would just have a bunch of boxes sliding around. The bottom of each box touches the bottom of the drawer so you don't lose any space. I'm chasing rally cars around the woods this weekend but I'll take pics of how they assemble when I get home.
Mike Beauchamp
RF95 Prototype 2
Get your FIA rain lights here:
www.gyrodynamics.net/product/cartek-fia-rain-light/
watch the gridfinity youtube that Mike posted in his original post on this topic. It explains everything.
"Gridfinity" system by Zack Freedman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra_9zU-mnl8
I've recently gone down this rabbit hole. Have found a variety of boxes that work well.
Found it's easiest to start with boxes and then adjust to specific tool designs later.
One of the handiest models is for AA and AAA batteries. They hold more than I need in a weekend.
Open the drawer and instantly know how many batteries I have. Sure beats finding the baggies and packages.
"I'm only planning on doing 2 drawers."
I used the filled boxes and extruded out the shapes I needed to fit some of the larger tools. Rabbit hole doesn't begin to describe it. I recently bought a large-format (VERY large format) printer and can now print the entire grid for the smaller HF drawer in one piece (probably two pieces for a standard tool box drawer) so I may go back and revise my scheme.
Mike Beauchamp
RF95 Prototype 2
Get your FIA rain lights here:
www.gyrodynamics.net/product/cartek-fia-rain-light/
Which printer did you buy?
I've got the Ender S1 Pro with the add-on controller (makes a huge difference).
Decent size but grids (largest 5x5) are lots of pieces.
CR-10 S5. 500x500x500 build cube, almost 20"! My Ender 3 can sit completely within the build plate, thing is huge.
If anyone needs something big printed I'm looking for excuses to use it.
Mike Beauchamp
RF95 Prototype 2
Get your FIA rain lights here:
www.gyrodynamics.net/product/cartek-fia-rain-light/
Add a Sonic Pad to it. https://www.creality.com/products/creality-sonic-pad
Lots of features AND prints much faster.
i guess it's time for me to go back to the drawing board
been tinkering on cleaning some things up on my C2 restomod.
I'm considering buying a Prusia XL, 14 X 14 X14 build volume. I'll need to build an enclosure for it, but with multiple toolheads and the high quality extruders they use I'm sure it will be heads and tails above my Qidi x-max.
I've long though that a big enough printer bed, coupled with a suitable interlocking part design, could provide some wonderful ability to print out molds for new bodywork, much easier and more accurate than more typical mold construction methods...
A friend of mine started on a low end printer then bought a Prusa. He was so impressed be bought a second one. He figures it is about as close to set and forget it printing as you can get. I know i find myself adjusting my Ender about once a week. Even at its best there always seems to be something.
Chris Livengood, enjoying underpriced ferrous whizzy bits that I hacked out in my tool shed since 1999.
The real way to get that done is with a 4x8 shopbot with a slab of high density modeling foam - but not particularly cheap. You could do a complete set of fenders at a time, or a hood/deck/front valance. For a formula car or sports racer you'd slice the body and then glue the foam chunks together. Unfortunately I couldn't find a current price on the stuff but 4x8x1 is likely well over $1k/sheet
My Qidi is acceptable - for the most part. The standard hotends with a Capricorn tube work OK, but I worry about long prints with ABS and the tube melting and clogging (got.a 12 hr one going now). I bought their all-metal hot end and it leaks like a sieve. You need a separate power supply/controller setup so you can work on the thing on the bench, otherwise it has to be done on top of the printer, and that's a PITA. Otherwise, once it cools you cant's effectively work on it.
The Qidi produces decent functional prints at .4 to 1.0 nozzle sizes, but getting a really nice surface finish can be a challenge. Small stuff with a .1 or .2 nozzle is fiddly. The fact that it has an enclosure and a heavy cubic frame really helps, but the cheap extruder is the limitation, both in quality and speed. I cant push it to more than 70mm/s. There's a user group on FB that has adapted high quality extruders to the machine, and that's OK, I just want to be able to buy one as a kit. I didn't buy a printer to spend all my time modding it.
Most of the printers work OK with PLA but if you are using PETG, ABS, Nylon, or filled materials they take a lot more tuning.
I recently added the Sonic Pad to my Ender 3 S1 Pro.
Does a much better job at controlling the printing. Quieter, faster (60%), with a web interface, camera feed and more
They are what they are. Have less than $500 invested. The Prusa I'd choose would likely be the XL - but that is $2k.
I think the Enders are great to learn with. I'm still learning.
They have certainly put more people into the 3d market, consuming supplies, etc. and others like Prusa should be thanking them.
A year ago I would never have considered spending $2k on a printer. $350 felt like a gamble - I took it.
Now, my mind has 'adjusted' and I am considering more...
We have a 4x8x2 Shopbot that we have used for making Dauntless & Stohr, and customer patterns from which to pull molds since 2008. While this technique is capable of much greater accuracy and speed than the old-school handmade body bucks, it is still a time- and materials-intensive process. The process also requires some expertise in true 3D modelling, which itself has a long and expensive learning curve. The bottom line is that there really are no easy, affordable, and quick shortcuts.
Stan Clayton
Stohr Cars
The first thing I did with my Ender 3 V2 was add a direct drive extruder. Micro Swiss I think it was. It runs like a champ. My issue is almost always bed leveling. I built out a dedicated work space for the thing and that has helped a lot, but it still moves around. I print almost exclusively with .5 these days. It works well for me. For larger prints I have considered larger ends, I just never get there since the Ender doesn't have the work space really.
Chris Livengood, enjoying underpriced ferrous whizzy bits that I hacked out in my tool shed since 1999.
I don't know what Sonic Pad is, but I ran OctoPrint on mine for a while. I got tired of messing with it so I went back to the stock control.
I traded old PC parts at the start of the pandemic for my Ender 3 v2. Later I changed the hot end, extended Z, and changed Y to a linear rails. This took care of all the issues with it that aren't related to the constantly changing bed height.
Chris Livengood, enjoying underpriced ferrous whizzy bits that I hacked out in my tool shed since 1999.
For all those on the prusa train you might want to re-think your choices these days especially if going to a larger format printer. They are the apple of the printer world yes they work well but man are they overpriced.
If going larger format look into the Bambu labs X1C or a Voron.
If you really want dream large and go large format
Take at look at these guys. They have amazing technology and doing amazing things in the aviation/military fields
https://www.thermwood.com/brochures/LSAM_AP_HR.pdf
Not sure if that is a criticism or an endorsement. I ran a five year study of the cost of Apple vs Android (of various hardware makers) at my last company and despite the higher upfront cost we found significant long terms savings in Apple products. This was for cell phones. The conclusion was that support costs and hardware failures were far lower with Apple products. This didn't even include lost work time which would have further made Apple products the better choice financially.
Chris Livengood, enjoying underpriced ferrous whizzy bits that I hacked out in my tool shed since 1999.
Prusa is a solid pick, but after talking to & working with a couple really sharp 3D Printer guys, if you can afford one & fit what you need, the Bambu X1 Carbon truly is set & forget. Bambu was apparently started by the same people who made DJI drones big time. My friend has 2 for his business, and is buying another. This printer has all the hop-ups out of the box, and can print carbon fiber right away... and it is FAST.
https://us.store.bambulab.com/products/x1-carbon-combo
https://youtu.be/Awi8RA48egQ
~Matt Clark| RTJ-02 FV #92 | My YouTube Onboard Videos (helmet cam)
Chris - have you swapped bed springs for silicone spacers yet? Those are huge - no resonance to loosen them up.
Remember, just like on our spring perches they need sufficient pre-load to keep from backing off.
I made a device that allows me to put a dial indicator in where the extruder goes on the carriage. Then I run the leveling program, and I can get it to a half-thou across the build surface. there's more variance in the build surface due to getting the decal to lay flat with no bubbles, than there is in my leveling process. Then I replace the indicator with the extruder, set z with paper/friction, and fine tune with z-offset. I used to have to do that in the slicer but Qidi now offers live Z adjustment at .02mm/step with a firmware upgrade.
Some build plates aren't flat, especially when hot, and that causes people a lot of headaches. you'd have to build a fixture with a power supply, heat it up, and then flycut it to get it flat if you have that problem - or buy new parts.
We used a lot of big printers when I worked for the USMC. Had one large enough to print a replacement road wheel for a british tracked snow vehicle.
That looks like a Qidi x-max with a much better extruder and the Prusa multi-material jig.
To me, the Prusas are very much like an apple product, especially if you buy them assembled (but hey, if you can assemble a van diemen you ought to be able to handle a printer). I buy Apple products because I had PCs from the pre-windows days (majorly user unfriendly) got Apples when I moved to the west coast and loved them. Transitioned back to PCs at my wife's insistence, and the Apple commercial was true in our household "I'm a repairman in my own home!!). After a couple of generations of desktop PCs and multiple component and OS failures I went back to Apples and never had a major problem since. Had PCs at work due to the Navy's idiocy with IT and it was nothing but grief. Had to stay with PCs for the AIM though, and they're still a PITA, just not as big a one as they used to be.
the user support base for Prusa is pretty amazing too.
Qidi has great technical support, very responsive, but their all-metal hotend was not thought through very well.
You might have to scroll a bit:
Mike Beauchamp
RF95 Prototype 2
Get your FIA rain lights here:
www.gyrodynamics.net/product/cartek-fia-rain-light/
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