36 replies to this topic

[mairandeddy]

That is just amazing SleepyS2k!    And to think it's a domestic printer....     Nearly there eh?

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[B1N9S]

Interesting results Sleepy.  Please don't take this the wrong way, but I was expecting the finish to be far better, rather than needing to be filed, etc.  I guess this is not as easy as it may first appear.

Could you do a full walkthrough on the process Sleepy ?  Are you an expert at it, or a novice ?

mairandeddy, on 08 March 2013 - 02:07 PM, said:

That is just amazing SleepyS2k!    And to think it's a domestic printer.... Nearly there eh?

Yes, I agree.  Like I said Sleepy I am not knocking your work, I think it's amazing that this tech is available at home and equally amazed that you have managed to produce that wheel.

[La modz]

3d printing is next level wow

[SleepyS2k]

B1N9S, on 14 March 2013 - 01:16 AM, said:

Interesting results Sleepy.  Please don't take this the wrong way, but I was expecting the finish to be far better, rather than needing to be filed, etc.  I guess this is not as easy as it may first appear.

Could you do a full walkthrough on the process Sleepy ?  Are you an expert at it, or a novice ?

mairandeddy, on 08 March 2013 - 02:07 PM, said:

That is just amazing SleepyS2k!    And to think it's a domestic printer.... Nearly there eh?

Yes, I agree.  Like I said Sleepy I am not knocking your work, I think it's amazing that this tech is available at home and equally amazed that you have managed to produce that wheel.

I am by no means an expert. if you look at what the Makerbot Replicator 2 can do, it can do some amazing things. But one of the greatest factors that set printers apart is printing resolution. This printer has a decent priting resolution, but not the best in the market either. If i decided to print out a 4" diameter wheel, it would look much better. But since the scale on my wheel is so small, it needs a printer with a higher resolution to print smoother. My wheel was only 25mm in diameter. i think the lug nuts were 1mm diameter for example. If you watch how a 3D printer works, you can see the reason why it can't be completely smooth everywhere.

Process is simple, create a 3D Cad image and load it into the printer. the hard part is creating a design that your printer is capable of (which we saw wa sa problem here, and the reason why i had to go to a 2nd design). On the 2nd design, notice i didn't curve any of the spoke edges like i did in the first design because it would be pointless--the printer wouldn't be capable of creating that fine of details.

My plans are to create resin replicas though, so it might be wise (for me and anyone else with resolution limitations), to create the design thicker than you wanted, in order for the printer to extrude correctly. Then once a successful piece is created, just shave it down to the correct thickness before making a mold of it.

Anyhow, i'm on to my 3rd print soon. For some reason i used the wrong measurement and a 25mm wheel is too small for what i want. I am printing a 27mm wheel soon and will go from there. Once it is created, i will use bondo or milliput along with an array of fine files to perfect the shape before i make a mold and create resin copies.

[mairandeddy]

^ so what you're saying is that the smaller the original in relation to the 'print', the more 'pixellated' the image is....

[SleepyS2k]

mairandeddy, on 14 March 2013 - 01:12 PM, said:

^ so what you're saying is that the smaller the original in relation to the 'print', the more 'pixellated' the image is....

When you design something in CAD, you design in in a 3D space with exact measurements. I designed my wheel to be 25mm in diameter so that it will print out 25mm in diameter. So i guess the relation is 1:1.  I can create a lot of detail in CAD by zooming in, but it would be pointless because the limitation isn't CAD, it's the printer.

The makerbot replicator 2 has a resolution of up to 100 microns (says the website). So i thought it could handle my first design, but as you can see i was wrong. You don't only have to take into account resolution, but also the way the printer works and how it builds a part. There's a chance it could be done better, but i'm not sure. I am brand new to this and so is my friend who printed it out for me.

I don't know if i'm explaining it any better....to me it seems like a pretty simple concept. If the part i wanted to print was bigger, it would have smoother transitions, but since it was small, the transitions are rougher.

I guess another way to explain it is it's like a circle on a computer. If you have a set resolution on a computer monitor and draw a tiny circle, the circle could potentially be composed of 4 pixels in a diamond shape. But as you make a larger circle (on the same computer), the circumference of the circle is composed of more points so the circle looks smoother and more round. Same concept with the 3D printer. If i had a printer that printed to the 0.000000000000000000001 millimeter, then i'm sure it would look exactly like the CAD drawing, but the limitation is the printer.

Edited by SleepyS2k, 14 March 2013 - 04:47 PM.

[mairandeddy]

^ Thanks for the expo Sleepy!    It makes more sense now!

[SleepyS2k]

final (corrected) version before molding for resin copies:

[B1N9S]

Thanks for taking the time to give us that explaination Sleepy, appreciated.  Keep going, it's looking good.

[Simone.m]

I can't believe, it's amazing!

[Nocky]

Wow! Good explanation! The resolution issue could be sold by using a CNC machine which removes material but would probably cost a lot more.

[SleepyS2k]

here's a resin copy i made after smoothening out the surfaces: