1 Topic by Photog

  • Photog
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-11-26
  • Posts: 199

Topic: bit the bullet

getting a solidoodle 3 hopefully arriving soon. It's the only one with a big enough build volume for what I wanted that's under $1,000. have some questions:



  • How bad is the smell with ABS.. In other words can I leave it on and printing in my kitchen which is where my computer is or will my wife flip out.

  • Since it does not support SD card yet is  there any way to mod it to support SD card for I can just leave the printing in my garage to print?

  • If no SD card capabilities, how practical would it to buy a 50' USB cord and run it from my kitchen to the garage to print out things? Is that even possible?

  • A lot of reviews I have been reading say it's impossible to get a print with it that doesn't warp. Is this still true with the current revisions?

  • Does the SD3 come with a spool holder like the SD2? Doesn't show in the pictures or say in description.

  • How is the print quality vs the SD1 original. I was going to order the SD1 way back when it first rolled out but thought that the print quality looked bad. The SD3 looks a lot better but what are your true experiences?

  • This printer can do ABS or PLA but what is easier with it? I wanted to originally do PLA because it's a "green" plastic and part of the products I will be printing and selling I wanted to be all "green" about it if you know what I mean by "green" but if it's easier to get good looking prints with ABS I will go that route and order a ton of filament now.

  • Are there any "must do" modifications that I should do as soon as I get the SD3 in the mail, so I can order supplies for those mods now?

  • Is the 8x8x8 build volume for real or do prints look bad when getting near that size? I have something I want to print out that is about 7x6x6 and it would be nice to have a good quality print for it.

My SD3:  Clear plexiglass case, case heater, X axis stabilizer, Z axis stabilizer, thumb screws, filament guide, heatsinks on all motors, extruder fan, controller fan, heatsinks on motherboard, Y rod pillow block, USB and Power on/off switch, fully calibrated including trimpot tuning. Am I missing anything?

2 Reply by Brad

  • Brad
  • Brad
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-08-07
  • Posts: 656

Re: bit the bullet

I have my printer in a living room and no one else in my family ever complains about smell. I don't smell anything while its printing. They do complain about the noise though tongue

Brad's Website

3 Reply by adrian (edited by adrian 2013-11-27 01:01:06)

  • adrian
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Canberra, Australia
  • Registered: 2013-01-15
  • Posts: 1,623

Re: bit the bullet

Brad wrote:

They do complain about the noise though tongue

The families told you before - You need to go outside when you want to get all excited about owning a 3D printer Brad tongue
<heel-clicks>

Photog wrote:

getting a solidoodle 3 hopefully arriving soon. It's the only one with a big enough build volume for what I wanted that's under $1,000. have some questions:



  • How bad is the smell with ABS.. In other words can I leave it on and printing in my kitchen which is where my computer is or will my wife flip out.

  • Since it does not support SD card yet is  there any way to mod it to support SD card for I can just leave the printing in my garage to print?

  • If no SD card capabilities, how practical would it to buy a 50' USB cord and run it from my kitchen to the garage to print out things? Is that even possible?

  • A lot of reviews I have been reading say it's impossible to get a print with it that doesn't warp. Is this still true with the current revisions?

  • Does the SD3 come with a spool holder like the SD2? Doesn't show in the pictures or say in description.

  • How is the print quality vs the SD1 original. I was going to order the SD1 way back when it first rolled out but thought that the print quality looked bad. The SD3 looks a lot better but what are your true experiences?

  • This printer can do ABS or PLA but what is easier with it? I wanted to originally do PLA because it's a "green" plastic and part of the products I will be printing and selling I wanted to be all "green" about it if you know what I mean by "green" but if it's easier to get good looking prints with ABS I will go that route and order a ton of filament now.

  • Are there any "must do" modifications that I should do as soon as I get the SD3 in the mail, so I can order supplies for those mods now?

  • Is the 8x8x8 build volume for real or do prints look bad when getting near that size? I have something I want to print out that is about 7x6x6 and it would be nice to have a good quality print for it.

in order:
* Personally not at all. ABS sensitivity is more about your own chemical sensitivity - if you are more sensitive, it will annoy you. Most are fine with it. My printers operate in my study with me next to them mostly.
* Not easily.
* I have a 20meter (60') USB cable connecting my printers. Its a special one that has a repeater/amplified to overcome USB's usual 5m(15') distance limitation. It works fine - even have another hub connected at the end of it. The Solidoodle WONT work properly though until you connect external power as the voltage unless you use a Powered USB hub connected to the printer side of the USB cable (to take it back to 5V).
* No; theres no inherent problem - a lot depends on the ambient environment you place your printer in, but can be effectively combated in most situations with the use of an enclosure. The issue a physics issue and effects any and all FDM printers, not the Solidoodles specifically. Just others tend to use glass beds which exhibit *slightly* better performance compared to the Alu bed in regards to the warping.
* Yes
* I'd say its better, but regardless of the Solidoodle, there is room for small tweaks that pay off with large improvements to quality. Its all a personal taste thing I guess rather than objective.
* ABS is what the SD has in mind when it leaves the factory, and the quality of finished parts is easier to achieve with ABS, but it will work fine with PLA but is probably best left till after you've confidently used ABS. PLA is also much more brittle than ABS, not UV stable and has its own unique issues (i.e, there is a learning curve regardless of Material... but ABS is more popular on a Solidoodle)
* You will be told many. At the end of the day - I would suggest living with it stock for a few weeks, get a feel for your unique printer (they are all different... just like children wink ) and then determine what areas need immeadiate attention versus a long term upgrade plan. It's easy to often run down upgrade paths that aren't of large value to the printer you are applying them to whilst missing obvious tweaks that would help far more..
* 7.99" would be fair, but otherwise its pretty linear. Specific printers might have differing issues with cable-loom placement, belts, mods that limit travel etc. But bog-stock, with an upright cable loom, the 7.99" is good quality. That last .01" I'll take away on the basis its the further perimeters that can be run and thus the dimensions have a good chance of being off in regards to that last .01"..

4 Reply by ITman496

  • ITman496
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-07-16
  • Posts: 288

Re: bit the bullet

Just to restate a point that adrian made, an enclosure is the best thing I did for my printer.  I couldn't get anything to stick properly without warping, and after I got it, suddenly I couldn't get parts off, they were adhered so well.

So I'd get pieces to make a door/enclosure at some point.

Also, print some thumb screws to adjust the bed height.  Using an allan key is not fun at all..

5 Reply by Photog

  • Photog
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-11-26
  • Posts: 199

Re: bit the bullet

thanks guys.

any tips on making a really good enclosure ??

My SD3:  Clear plexiglass case, case heater, X axis stabilizer, Z axis stabilizer, thumb screws, filament guide, heatsinks on all motors, extruder fan, controller fan, heatsinks on motherboard, Y rod pillow block, USB and Power on/off switch, fully calibrated including trimpot tuning. Am I missing anything?

6 Reply by Stevos758

  • Stevos758
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-22
  • Posts: 502

Re: bit the bullet

Yes. you can go this route.
http://www.soliforum.com/topic/4476/my- … ight-case/

http://i.imgur.com/rbd2nUV.jpg

or buy a 12" party tray off amazon
http://www.soliforum.com/topic/3647/sli … arty-tray/

And Plexiglas sides held on by magnets/tape/or 3d printed parts. Search the forums for "Enclosure" You should get a good idea.

I ran the Plexiglass held on with a combination of magnets and 3d printed parts with the party tray until I decided I wanted the full climate controlled enclosure with carbon filter.

Website - http://rippsgaragetech.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ripps-Ga … 3131469591
E3D V6 Bulldog XL mounts! http://www.filastruder.com/products/e3dv6-bulldog-mount

7 Reply by Photog

  • Photog
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-11-26
  • Posts: 199

Re: bit the bullet

I think I'm going to go the route of just cutting plexiglass and mounting it to the sides with magnets. I can get some cut tonight in an hour or two for cheap with a coupon I have for lowes, if someone can quickly tell me what size I will need them to cut to fit the SD3.

I found someone with the forum search who cut them 11x11 with the SD2 but I'm sure I will need bigger for SD3? Can someone measure for me...

My SD3:  Clear plexiglass case, case heater, X axis stabilizer, Z axis stabilizer, thumb screws, filament guide, heatsinks on all motors, extruder fan, controller fan, heatsinks on motherboard, Y rod pillow block, USB and Power on/off switch, fully calibrated including trimpot tuning. Am I missing anything?

8 Reply by ITman496

  • ITman496
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-07-16
  • Posts: 288

Re: bit the bullet

I have an SD2 so my panels were smaller, but here is what I did.

I got double sided foam tape, and stuck the side panels on the sides. On the right side I used two layers, so the panel was high enough to dodge that one random screw that sticks out on the Y axis.

I had purchased 4 11x14 panels and trimmed them so I had 4 11x11 panels and 4 11x3 panels.

The two side panels mounted, I got some foam stick on strip (door seal stuff?) and made a square on the top of the machine and on the front.  Then I stuck some magnets on the right side of the front, and on the plexi-door's front side.  Then I used aluminum tape to make a hinge, and it worked great.  For the top I made a 5 sided shape with the 11x3 pieces, 11x11 panel, and aluminum tape.  It sits on the foam door seal stuff on the top side of the machine to form an airtight(ish) enclosure.  Printer works great and seems to be able to hold a ~50c ambient internal temp from the bed heat alone.  (probably not accurate and closer to 40c but hey it fixed the warping)

My method was probably the most roundabout way you could do it, but I had to do it with things laying around.  There are probably better ways!

9 Reply by Claghorn

  • Claghorn
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Delray Beach, FL
  • Registered: 2012-10-22
  • Posts: 730

Re: bit the bullet

As long as we are showing off cases, I used foamboard, weatherstripping, magnets and a few printed parts:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:176053

The foamboard is easy to cut to the right size, and the plastic clips just push on, so no permanent mods are made to the solidoodle itself.

Claghorn's Website

10 Reply by ITman496

  • ITman496
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-07-16
  • Posts: 288

Re: bit the bullet

This is a picture of mine.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/3d%20prints/IMG_20131128_182609_383.jpg