I recently acquired a MakerBot Replicator 3D printer. It works sorta like a hot glue gun mounted to a CNC mill. It uses either PLA or ABS plastic and lays down layers from .27mm to .05mm thick. It took me a good week and a half to get it really dialed in but now that its up and running well I am very impressed with it! We have a $65k ProJet Printer at work and the parts that come off of the $2k Replicator really are pretty good and the parts are much stronger. I haven't made much with it so far but am looking for ideas on things to print.
we do a lot of reverse engineering at my work, how large of parts can you do? and, how close are the measurements?
It can do 8.9"x5.7"x5.9" so pretty big. The accuracy really depends on how much you want to mess with it. Its not as simple as loading a model and hitting the "go" button. It does take some playing around to get it right but I've had pretty good luck getting +/-.005" using .1mm layers.
Do you have to bathe it in some chemical to remove the "break away" portions? What kind of files are required for you to do it, I use solidworks at my work.
There is no secondary support material so you either have to print it with break away supports (software generated) or make sure your print has no vertical overhangs over 45º (I have done angles greater than 45 but its tricky).
Thread made it 3-1/2 hours without someone wanting some plastic man love, that's better than I expected.... Does anyone happen to have a 3D model of a Subaru? Preferably a 07 WRX wagon but any will do. If anyone has a 3D file they would like to see printed send me the file as an .STL and I'll see what I can do. MakerBot gave me the printer and bunch of filament so I'm just looking for something interesting to print.
The models on the site aren't free to download and I don't feel like paying $150 for a subscription, sorry guys.
Few people on here might like one of these.... http://www.instructables.com/id/Two-Part-Raspberry-Pi-Case/step2/Get-the-CAD-files/
huh, I've actually got a handful of downloads left on that site; I had to buy something on there for work a few months back. I'm thinking maybe the BRZ http://3dcadbrowser.com/preview.aspx?modelcode=59095 Pretty sure these aren't going to be plug-and-play (or plug-and-print) though... for 3D printing the model needs to be "watertight' - hard to tell from the wireframe, but it could be that things like the wheels aren't even connected to the body... all the interior stuff would be nice to see, but you can't really print a transparent windshield, so that's a bunch of extra detail that needs to be deleted or dealt with somehow. Or maybe delete the windshield and let it print the interior? Depends on the scale I guess. We are looking at getting a makerBot at work, I definitely have a couple pieces I would like to get a test print of.
Could you make shift knobs or something of the like with it? I think that'd be pretty cool. They could even be dildo shaped for those on here that might want one.
Looks like super cool stuff...as far as I can tell via the Greek explanation. It also appears that I am late to the dildo party.
The model would need some modification to make it "watertight" and if the interior was filled that would make it much easier to make. The overhand of the roof would make the interior hard to print. I have some friends who do work in 3DS Max and Maya so I could get them to help prep the model for printing. They BRZ would be a fun one. If you have a model you would like a test print of or want to see it in action let me know. Shift knob would be easy enough, anyone know what thread size the Stock shift knob has?
12x1.25 A non threaded knob that takes universal inserts also might work. Not sure how pla or abs would hold up to being threaded on and off.
Not well, it has a tendency to get very gummy when trying to tap it as well but I'll see if I can find a threaded steel insert I could press in.
Yes they do, your search skills just suck. :/ Most auto parts stores carry them as well, although those are usually plastic inserts.
They have helicoil or threaded inserts but like I said the plastic gets very gummy when threading so that won't work. I am looking for press in/knurled inserts for plastic.
those suck ass... pressing into plastic is going to give sub-par longevity.... just my 0.02c We cnc plastics from abs to delrin at work most days... in fact I was just drilling and tapping 4-40 holes in delrin today on the HAAS..
The PLA material is a nightmare compared to delrin. I did however find a link to brass thread inserts that use a soldering iron to melt the plastic around the insert to secure it.
yeah I was going to write that having layers melted on top with the printing may make it a little different to work with.. we work with PVC, ABS etc etc
We work primarily with Titanium, PEEK (implantable medical plastic) and aluminum but we do some work with nylon and delrin. The PLA material that comes off the printer is difficult to tap as the layers tend to separate and the plastic has a tendency to melt instead of chip so tapping can be a pain. I have tried printing parts with threads then chasing it with a tap and it seems to work most of the time.
Is that how rough the finish usually is? Reminds me I need to start building my media blasting cabinet before the snow really starts to fall.
I have found that Grabcad.com is a pretty good site for free models. Most of them are available in different file types for different CAD/CAM packages.
Yeah I've been on GrabCAD for a while now and its a good place to find some interesting models. Sorry for the lack of posts, Ive been fighting with the printer a bit. The platform support arms started to warp so I have to wait for the new ones to arrive. My GrabCAD profile: http://grabcad.com/scott.bruins/about
Yea, even on the higher end ones it is pretty rough. My work has a huge Fortus printer we can use for materials cost, but you need to sand it a little to get a decent finish.
