Got my first 3D printer

[mc281]

I know nothing about 3d printing. How do you go about designing such a part. Do you have ave to have design knowledge first

It's a bit like learning to ride a bike.... The more you do it, the easier it gets. I didn't start until I was 70 and really enjoyed the challenge. I now design stuff I need in Tinkercad and print using Astroprint Android Apps also using Chromebook online.
I load the G-Code files, adjust temperatures, monitor temperature, and watch progress using a Beagle Camera link via WiFi.

 

[h-magic]

I bought my first one last month. Not new to 3d printing (professionally trained on £250k SLA at my old workplace, but have been using CR10s and Bambulab X1c at work for the last year)

I had ordered an Ender 3 v2, but my colleague suggested the Bambu P1S (around £600) so cancelled the ender and bought the Bambu. Just plug and play and immensely capable. Haven't stopped printing tools and gadgets! The quality is outstanding and the speed is just lightening.

1. Tracksaw parallel guide using 2040 extrusion
View attachment 165909
View attachment 165910

2. Various threaded knobs
View attachment 165911View attachment 165913

3. Vacuum Flexi hose for my drill press (this is really good)
View attachment 165912

4. And the best thing I have done for workshop organisation. Caps for used tin cans.
View attachment 165914

View attachment 165915
View attachment 165916



I'm a design engineer using cad for 12 years (switched to Onshape from SOLIDWORKS at work and at home a couple of months ago), so cad part isn't hard.

So, if you have any questions on Cad, I'd be happy to help!

Enjoy your new gadget

The quality of them prints, outdo the creality 3D printer I see.
Much more smoother and uniformed.

 

[Fidget]

I bought my first one last month. Not new to 3d printing (professionally trained on £250k SLA at my old workplace, but have been using CR10s and Bambulab X1c at work for the last year)

I had ordered an Ender 3 v2, but my colleague suggested the Bambu P1S (around £600) so cancelled the ender and bought the Bambu. Just plug and play and immensely capable. Haven't stopped printing tools and gadgets! The quality is outstanding and the speed is just lightening.

1. Tracksaw parallel guide using 2040 extrusion
View attachment 165909
View attachment 165910

2. Various threaded knobs
View attachment 165911View attachment 165913

3. Vacuum Flexi hose for my drill press (this is really good)
View attachment 165912

4. And the best thing I have done for workshop organisation. Caps for used tin cans.
View attachment 165914

View attachment 165915
View attachment 165916



I'm a design engineer using cad for 12 years (switched to Onshape from SOLIDWORKS at work and at home a couple of months ago), so cad part isn't hard.

So, if you have any questions on Cad, I'd be happy to help!

Enjoy your new gadget

Very nice work

How's the workbench build coming on?

 

[bp122]

I know nothing about 3d printing. How do you go about designing such a part. Do you have ave to have design knowledge first

The design knowledge is basically problem solving, like many other creative endeavours like woodworking or metalworking.

Some designers (not me) are also blessed with an artistic touch, who can make the design look nice with proportions and lines and curves.

CAD, which is essential for designing a 3d printed part, is just a tool. The more you use it, the more options in it make sense and become second nature. For example, if you start with the basic shapes and use "extrude" command, you can make blocks, cylinders and wedges etc. As you get more advanced, you tinker with chamfers, fillets, gussets / ribs, lofts, shells etc.

Best way to learn how to make functional parts is to observe most injection moulded parts, they are very well designed for strength using least material possible. So copy attributes such as ribs or channels or flares and flanges to impart strength.
Tons of YouTube videos show how to add these features on cad for whatever software you have access to.

Learn it, try it, fail, fix and succeed!

 

[bp122]

Very nice work

How's the workbench build coming on?

Ah, @Fidget , you know just what to say, don't you.

Stagnated over the last year due to work. But maybe end of this year (amazing how I promised myself the same, two years ago when I sought your help )

 

[sploo]

I know nothing about 3d printing. How do you go about designing such a part. Do you have ave to have design knowledge first

There's a problem solving element, but (speaking as someone with no formal design training or experience) I find that one of the most important factors is thinking in terms of how you're going to print a part. Anything with unsupported overhangs requires support, so if you can create a part that doesn't require supporting it makes life easier. Sometimes I'll design something then split it into two or more parts so that they can be printed separately and then glued together.

Sketchup is perfectly fine, but a "proper" CAD package will make life easier (albeit sometimes with a steeping learning curve) as they're better suited to designing complex parts.

 

[sploo]

A couple of examples of what I was waffling on about in my previous post...

I wanted to make a couple of hooks for tools. The first having a simple 90 degree bend, so I this was the hook:

It was however designed to be printed in this orientation (below). Partly this was because it didn't require any support material, but also for the two reasons that the main curve of the hook ends up really smooth (which it wouldn't be if the hook had been printed with the bottom on the build plate), and also because prints are usually weaker across layer lines (so this orientation should make the hook stronger).

The next tool had a non 90 degree bend, but I wanted the handle to end up vertical, so the hook needed to be at an angle (yea I know it's not vertical in the photo ):

To make printing easier, the angled hook was cropped/cut at the end so it could also be printed flat on the build plate (bottom left image in the photo below):

 

[paulrbarnard]

A couple of examples of what I was waffling on about in my previous post...

I wanted to make a couple of hooks for tools. The first having a simple 90 degree bend, so I this was the hook:

View attachment 165979

It was however designed to be printed in this orientation (below). Partly this was because it didn't require any support material, but also for the two reasons that the main curve of the hook ends up really smooth (which it wouldn't be if the hook had been printed with the bottom on the build plate), and also because prints are usually weaker across layer lines (so this orientation should make the hook stronger).

View attachment 165980

The next tool had a non 90 degree bend, but I wanted the handle to end up vertical, so the hook needed to be at an angle (yea I know it's not vertical in the photo ):

View attachment 165981

To make printing easier, the angled hook was cropped/cut at the end so it could also be printed flat on the build plate (bottom left image in the photo below):

View attachment 165982

Most of my design considerations are made on exactly those two factors
1 orientation of the layers for strength
2 minimise need for supports.

Some times the two are mutually exclusive

 

[sploo]

Most of my design considerations are made on exactly those two factors
1 orientation of the layers for strength
2 minimise need for supports.

Some times the two are mutually exclusive

Indeed.

The worst I find is when someone asks me to print something that was clearly not designed with 3D printing in mind. Often there are all sorts of weird overhangs and shapes that make printing a complete nightmare.

Resin's a different kettle of fish too; where a "good" model for FDM can often be bad for SLA resin. We just need a universal, super fast, super strong, high resolution printing process... that's cheap

 

[paulrbarnard]

Indeed.

The worst I find is when someone asks me to print something that was clearly not designed with 3D printing in mind. Often there are all sorts of weird overhangs and shapes that make printing a complete nightmare.

Resin's a different kettle of fish too; where a "good" model for FDM can often be bad for SLA resin. We just need a universal, super fast, super strong, high resolution printing process... that's cheap

Laser metal fusion is the future

 

[Jarno]

At work, we direct 3d print tungsten, not particularly cheap, or light Strong though.