SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — The first mod?

Re: The first mod?

2013-08-02T04:19:40Z

TheBaron wrote:

I put on some magnetized side panels that consist of some leftover plastic lens sheet for overhead florescent lights, some super glue, and a couple dozen flat round magnets from my wargaming hobby.

Ha! That's awesome! I used the same setup and it work great (had a nice diffusion effect on the inside lights), but stuck my SD2 eventually into an Expedit from Ikea, which helped to hide the filament and wires and such.

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-30T08:08:24Z

Welcome to the family TheBaron

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-30T01:01:09Z

my first mod was an enclosure and when I got tired of stuff not sticking glass/hairspray... ill be looking for some ceramic tile within the next few days

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-29T23:08:37Z

Very good point, adrian. Truth be told, I didn't even think I needed the fan thus far. I just added it because it looks cool. When I get back home from the godless north I will option off the header and use my existing on/off setup for a cooling fan on the x axis stepper. Thing gets blisteringly hot. Eventually I'll add a couple relays and a terminal strip so I can get proper power distribution and actually have a power switch for the damn thing.

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-29T08:35:58Z

Yes, the general principle is that you leave the fan switched off for the first 3-4, or even more if you can, layers (its an option in Slic3r for this reason) as it will cause exactly the issues people try so hard to avoid: It will cool your bed, and cause your filament to rapidly cool and thus contract, and thus, warp/lift off the bed...

You also want to try and focus the airflow to just below the extruder nozzle and no more.. and it doesn't actually need to be that powerful - a 30mm fan at 70% still achieves the results you are looking for in running a fan for printing... going up to 40mm or 50mm fans @ 100% is basically overkill, and introduces more hassles than it otherwise solves...

This is the biggest reason to use the G-Code controlled fan - you can PWM run it... and not just have 100% all the time and you can autoconfigure it to not turn on for the first X-layers...

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-28T20:50:17Z

I have everything set up so it will be easy to swap it over to the board control eventually. I still have a bit of new product silliness where I don't want to start making any permanent changes to it yet. Right now it's rigged to a separate switch and 12v power supply. Switch is magnetized to the back of the case so it can be easily removed or repositioned.

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-28T20:45:58Z

Why not hook the fan to the fan header of your board? If you just got it you should have a new board. Then you have gcode control over it (I think) and can turn it in on and off depending on layer size and such.

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-28T20:44:23Z

One thing I did notice is that I pretty much have to run with my new fancy fan mod turned off if I want the bed to stick. I have breathing problems in humid environments, so my house is about 68F and very dry at all times. With no top on my enclosure yet, it was just sucking cool air and blowing it onto the extruder.

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-28T20:36:41Z

Okay, I'll definitely try bumping the bed temp up a bit.

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-28T20:21:22Z

Update!

My solidoodle3 came in on Thursday, and honestly when I opened the box I was a bit underwhelmed. Bare, greasy steel abound. That said, out of the box it required minimal leveling to get it up and running and I successfully printed a little frog. After that, the modifications began.

I added a fan mount using lawsy's bracket (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:30828) and the thinner solidoodle fan duct (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:39462), put on a robax glass bed, and added the spool crutch (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:62312) so I didn't have to worry about my spool holder drooping. As I type this, I am printing a tension nut filament guide (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:117621). I put on some magnetized side panels that consist of some leftover plastic lens sheet for overhead florescent lights, some super glue, and a couple dozen flat round magnets from my wargaming hobby.

The filament I am using is the sainsmart stuff off of amazon. No problems with it feeding or printing thus far. I have been running into problems with parts coming loose partway during the print, but I increased the temperatures and things seem to stick a little better. Running the extruder at 210 and the bed at 115.

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-24T13:49:42Z

Well, the machine is coming in tomorrow so I shall have time to try out these mods. Today I will pick up the ceramic glass I plan to be using along with some hairspray and a couple other things. I have some plexiglass kicking around that I'll use with some magnets as a temporary enclosure. Already have a 40mm fan and a spare 12v power supply to circulate air around the head once I have something that can print a bracket. This is all assuming that it works out of the box, of course. I keep reading horror stories about them coming broken and it worries me a little.

Eventually I'll use the router here at work and make the thing a fancy shiny box with a hinged door and that sort of thing. That can wait, though. Can't put the horse before the cart.

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-24T11:07:10Z

I do not have an enclosure yet, I just got the printer. I do have a fan on the tiny motor that moves the print head left and right, but I'll re-orient it so it does not suck in outside air and blow it over the print. I'll also look around for some material to make an enclosure with.

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-24T11:05:06Z

*adds to list of things to try when usps hurries up and gives him his damn plastic* Thank you for all the help! Did the brim make a difference? And the .3, does that slow down the speed?

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-24T11:04:52Z

ITman: Do you have an enclosure yet? Number one reason for lifting is rapid cooling of the plastic in the middle layers (the middle shrinks while the bottom stays hot). If you have fans or non-ideal environment (cold or too much airflow) then your fighting the symptom first, not the cause. Hairspray, slurries, and first layer extrusion methods are all mechanical aids to the real cause of the problem which is the plastic cooling down too fast.

Re: The first mod?

2013-07-24T10:58:02Z

There is something you can do in Slic3r. Under " print setting" look for "skirt and brim". The brim will print a layer surrounding the object to help hold it down. I have mine set at 3mm. In "layers and perimeters" I have my first layer set at .3. You can also set the first layer to print hotter than the rest. That will be in "fillament" settings.