3d Printers South Africa

[saor]

Came out OK, but I printed it flat with a brim, which looks rather untidy once removed.

Can always split parts and glue together if the design is tricky. So maybe like this...print that small piece flat and then print the bulk of it also on the flat with all the detail in the Z direction.

(Arrows indicate facing up direction on build plate.)

 

[B-1]

Came out OK, but I printed it flat with a brim, which looks rather untidy once removed.

If you want to make some stuff closer to commercial products you will need to post process things. It depends on the filaments you use but with PLA wet sanding, some filler, colour paint coat and a clear coat usually gets me a solid finished product.

 

[xrapidx]

Not too worried about looks - as long as its functional - don't think it'll last that long anyway with the heating of the frother.

Had to change the design slightly anyway, besides the screw at the bottom - nothing holds it it to the frother, and my wife doesn't want me gluing it to the metal - so I've increased the height a little, and made it clip over the top.

Next time I'll print it upside down with tree supports, won't be too difficult to sand the top down.

 

[callisto]

Newb here... where can I find a Prusa i3 mk3 locally? New or used? Seen nothing on gumtree/olx/fb matkety

 

[jd.vdm]

Just a quick question: what is the going rate printing for someone else? I own a printer and at the moment enjoy printing stuff either from the Web or own designs, but was wondering what to charge if someone were to ask to print for them.

 

[xrapidx]

Thought this was too easy, I've run into an issue.

1.)
The nozzle seems to hit the print - I occasionally hear something when working - and now saw it first hand - it seems to the higher the print goes, the more the chance of it happening, it hit the print hard enough today, after 8 hours, to break it.

2.) May or may not be related - the back right of the heat bed (without print bed) seems be about 2-3mm higher than the other corners (with springs fully compressed) ... not 100% sure what's causing it. If I check the bed with a metal ruler, it looks 100% flat.

And now, for the life of me - after discovering the above to issues, I'm struggling my ass off to get decent prints - something always goes wrong - levelling the bed has also become a mission, every time I go round - it seems to loose its position again... either too close, or too far... tried heated and not heated levelling...

Giving up for the evening, leaving it to print a benchy to see how it comes out (just failed a temp tower - because it got knocked over) - might end up disassembling the entire printer and re-assembling if I can't figure it out.

 

[howardb]

Thought this was too easy, I've run into an issue.

1.)
The nozzle seems to hit the print - I occasionally hear something when working - and now saw it first hand - it seems to the higher the print goes, the more the chance of it happening, it hit the print hard enough today, after 8 hours, to break it.

2.) May or may not be related - the back right of the heat bed (without print bed) seems be about 2-3mm higher than the other corners (with springs fully compressed) ... not 100% sure what's causing it. If I check the bed with a metal ruler, it looks 100% flat.

And now, for the life of me - after discovering the above to issues, I'm struggling my ass off to get decent prints - something always goes wrong - levelling the bed has also become a mission, every time I go round - it seems to loose its position again... either too close, or too far... tried heated and not heated levelling...

Giving up for the evening, leaving it to print a benchy to see how it comes out (just failed a temp tower - because it got knocked over) - might end up disassembling the entire printer and re-assembling if I can't figure it out.

That sounds like the frame is not entirely square, or the X gantry is slipping g do you have dual Z motors?
Is your retraction setting good/high enough? If too low, this sometimes causes the nozzle to not lift enough and hit part of the print on the travel movements.

The springs should not be fully compressed, you may have to adjust the Z stop switch or add a small clip to the bar where it hits the switch, to raise the bed slightly. Will try to find what I used and post shortly. Bed springs are now about halfway in my case after adding the clip. Just check if your Z switch plate can be adjusted first though.

EDIT:
Used this one: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2845489

 

[xrapidx]

That sounds like the frame is not entirely square, or the X gantry is slipping g do you have dual Z motors?
Is your retraction setting good/high enough? If too low, this sometimes causes the nozzle to not lift enough and hit part of the print on the travel movements.

The springs should not be fully compressed, you may have to adjust the Z stop switch or add a small clip to the bar where it hits the switch, to raise the bed slightly. Will try to find what I used and post shortly. Bed springs are now about halfway in my case after adding the clip. Just check if your Z switch plate can be adjusted first though.

EDIT:
Used this one: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2845489

I tightened and loosened everything where necessary, and put the original spring's back... Seems to be levelling a bit better.

Now I'm dealing with qualify issues.

I'll have to check the retraction settings, bit of a pain because I'll only know long into a print if its a problem

 

[Nevar]

Temp looks a bit high on the print hence the droops.

 

[xrapidx]

Temp looks a bit high on the print hence the droops.

Also thought so - retrying at 190 - weird thing is - before I started picking up issues, it printed fine at 200.

Think my better half (the house dragon) - is ready to kill me - been in the office for two days

 

[neoprema]

Also thought so - retrying at 190 - weird thing is - before I started picking up issues, it printed fine at 200.

Think my better half (the house dragon) - is ready to kill me - been in the office for two days

I think you're more inclined to be killed for calling them a dragon

 

[howardb]

I tightened and loosened everything where necessary, and put the original spring's back... Seems to be levelling a bit better.

Now I'm dealing with qualify issues.

I'll have to check the retraction settings, bit of a pain because I'll only know long into a print if its a problem

That also looks like some over-extrusion; maybe calibrate the e-steps on the extruder.
Is your cooling fan working correctly after the maintenance?

 

[howardb]

Also thought so - retrying at 190 - weird thing is - before I started picking up issues, it printed fine at 200.

Think my better half (the house dragon) - is ready to kill me - been in the office for two days

This is how it goes with 3D printing... Will print perfectly, turn off for a bit, and boom - everything is different for no apparent reason.

I would also suggest printing a temp tower for that filament roll, just to check.

 

[xrapidx]

Its gotten a lot better after rechecking everything, still doing some funny things though - going to try the e-step calibration now.

This was at 190

 

[xrapidx]

This is how it goes with 3D printing... Will print perfectly, turn off for a bit, and boom - everything is different for no apparent reason.

I would also suggest printing a temp tower for that filament roll, just to check.

The temp tower kept getting knocked over, even with glue I rebuilt the printer last night, goes surprisingly quick once you've done it twice.

Everything seems a 100% square.... I realised I need more "specialised" tools - like a smaller ruler, and smaller square.

I also learnt that the screen cleaner I was using to clean the bed was a bad idea, it has an anti fogger in which probably caused all my adhesion issues. (the temp tower is for the first time printing with nothing but a clean bed to see how it goes).

I've also downloaded V-slot covers for the printer, and edited them to include .5cm measurements, should help with seeing if the x-gantry goes off balance.

EDIT: temp tower finished - not knocked over, and no adhesive, that's a first

 

[howardb]

The temp tower kept getting knocked over, even with glue I rebuilt the printer last night, goes surprisingly quick once you've done it twice.

Everything seems a 100% square.... I realised I need more "specialised" tools - like a smaller ruler, and smaller square.

I also learnt that the screen cleaner I was using to clean the bed was a bad idea, it has an anti fogger in which probably caused all my adhesion issues. (the temp tower is for the first time printing with nothing but a clean bed to see how it goes).

I've also downloaded V-slot covers for the printer, and edited them to include .5cm measurements, should help with seeing if the x-gantry goes off balance.

Great.
Which bed do you have. I use 99% IPA to clean mine, once a week was with warm water and sunlight, then IPA again once dried.

 

[xrapidx]

Great.
Which bed do you have. I use 99% IPA to clean mine, once a week was with warm water and sunlight, then IPA again once dried.

The glass bed that came with the printer, I haven't been able to find IPA - apparently sold out in various places because of Covid. Thought the screen cleaner was a good idea because it was 70% alcohol.

 

[BouncyNinja]

The glass bed that came with the printer, I haven't been able to find IPA - apparently sold out in various places because of Covid. Thought the screen cleaner was a good idea because it was 70% alcohol.

IPA 99.7% (Isopropyl Alcohol), 5 Litre

IPA 99.7% (Isopropyl Alcohol), 5 Litre. Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) is 99.7% alcohol and is used for cleaning of printing surfaces and resin prints and other general items.

www.3dprintingstore.co.za

 

[howardb]

The glass bed that came with the printer, I haven't been able to find IPA - apparently sold out in various places because of Covid. Thought the screen cleaner was a good idea because it was 70% alcohol.

My local Dischem had a small 100ml and 250ml bottles on the shelf; maybe try your local pharmacy

 

[xrapidx]

My local Dischem had a small 100ml and 250ml bottles on the shelf; maybe try your local pharmacy

I've tried all the pharmacies (incl Dischem and Clicks) around me - I'm sure I'll find some eventually.

IPA 99.7% (Isopropyl Alcohol), 5 Litre

IPA 99.7% (Isopropyl Alcohol), 5 Litre. Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) is 99.7% alcohol and is used for cleaning of printing surfaces and resin prints and other general items.

www.3dprintingstore.co.za

Thanks, I might order online if I need to order something else.