3D Printers. Who's got one?

Can PLA handle a constant fluid temperature of 250F?

http://reprap.org/wiki/PLA

No way.

Polycarbonate might work, that's what we use for those kinds of applications up to 230F. Or so.

We use ULTEM or PPSF for high temp fluids, they are very challenging.

I ordered a Robo3d on Kickstarter. Still waiting for it to be delivered. Have high hopes for these guys. We will see.... For less than $700, it was worth and dont know how to model the risk. Of course I have no need for it and don't know how to create models... It was an impulse buy...

For modeling software I have been using openscad. I enjoy the flexibility and simplicity of it, as a programmer.

You write little functions (called modules) which draw shapes using 3d primitives or extruded 2d shapes. And then each module acts as a "group" which can be then be positioned, oriented, subtracted from others. It's clever.

Another filament extruder: http://www.3ders.org/articles/20130619-the-fastest-filament-extrusion-bot-on-kickstarter.html

Don't know if you guys follow the industry but Stratasys just bought MakerBot for $400 million in stock. Not bad for a company with revenue of $13.5 million.

Here's my latest glob which I will upload to thing inverse and grabcad. Thule makes end caps for their bars for $10, but they are black. I wanted some light colored ones so I wouldn't brain myself. Ran them in an FDM machine and then smoothed them.

This is my latest little self project. My wife and I have both hit our heads on the [extended] Thule bars on my Outback wagon. The caps they sell are black: I wanted some "hi-viz" versions.

Modeled the outside, then the inside, then made a final design. Build time of the models was between 12 and 53 minutes so I had four iterations done in half a day and all four made that afternoon. I'm planning on putting the model up on Thingiverse and/or Grabcad.


Ran two through our smoothing station and left the other two plain to see how they hold up to extended UV exposure.

So, anybody building triple clamps?

Anyone building a Morgan?

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20130...-reprap-morgan-3d-printer-and-its-design.html

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Interesing. I'm leaning toward a delta/Rostock.

Yeah I've been also. And I'm thinking for my next printer I want to have multiple extruders with support printing so I can do more shapes with overhang.

Can't remember if this price comparison has been posted http://www.3ders.org/pricecompare/3dprinters/

I always wondered "Why don't these systems have heated build chambers?" as that makes an imense difference in part quality and strength. Answer: Stratasys has a patent on it.

This is significant in that MakerBot can now build a relatively low-cost ABS system with support and a heated build chamber. When or what they build and how much it will cost remains to be seen.

A few days ago I switched from 3mm to 1.75mm filament. I'm disappointed.

I'd been having feed issues with the 3mm, after experimenting I found that most of the issues were positional related to the alignment of the bowden tube and extruder. It was finicky and so I thought 1.75mm would improve it.

Indeed, with 1.75mm I can run a simple guide rather than using the bowden tube. However, I have had to slow my printing down by 50% because the 1.75mm doesn't have enough stiffness to run without kinking up after the knurled bolt.

So I'll be going back to 3mm. On the plus side I did learn a bit because I had to partially disassemble the hotend to change the PTFE tube for the different filament size. And in the process I found that one of the plate screws was loose, so perhaps when I switch back to 3mm it won't be so finicky.

I've ordered a PLA spool so I will try that out soon. Yesterday I was trying to print out some of the Morgan arms in ABS and the damn edges were lifting up no matter what I tried.

Today I will pick up some acetone and wipe down the bed's PE Tape. But I'm also hoping that PLA will fare better with large parts. Usually I have success with adding a brim but my PE Tape is pretty worn and that no longer works.

garandman,

Have you taken ownership of that kickstarter parts finisher yet? Just curious.

Are you building the parts solid? Can you build them with sparse interiors? That will help with the curling along with better adhesion.

Haven't seen it yet.

I did the acetone/abs solution as a glue, along with a healthy brim. Success!

Has anyone tried the acetone vapor to finish a piece yet?

I did, should be posted here a few pages back or you can look on my blog at dorkpunch.com, think it was in April sometime.

Thanks I think im going to give it a try tonight.

Start with some practice pieces. Thickness makes a difference- thin parts get soft REAL fast. Thicker parts you can "soak" for longer but they get spongey too. The longer the part is in the tank the longer it will take to set back up but once it does its just as hard as the original part, maybe even stronger. Have fun, and post your results!