My 3D printing journey - now under new ownership!

[TB]

While I have the thread titled "my", by all means, feel free to share what you're working on printing, what you're considering working on, what 3D printer you're interested in buying or any questions you might have. I'm literally just getting into this so I'm learning as I go but I'm more than happy to assist!

The printer I decided on was the Ender 3, specifically the Sain Smart variant, it appears. What difference there might be between it and the original Creality, I don't know besides not having their logo. I'm not going to go into assembly and calibration detail as there are countless tutorials out there except to say that there is one in particular that was fantastic:



Specifically with these files. Following those instructions made short work of leveling the bed:

On to the test print! Unfortunately, they don't include enough filament to finish but there's enough to let me know if was working properly and be able to show the kids and coworkers how it did:

I'm blown away at how good that came out. I've got high expectations for my future prints after seeing that.

- - - - -

I have some pretty lofty plans for this printer. I'm going to start off easy, then scale up. Once I reveal my first real print job, you'll likely be able to guess where I'm going with it but for now, it stays under wraps but that cat will be busting out of its bag soon enough.

Stay tuned!

THINGS I'VE PRINTED​

1. Beep Silencer
2. AR15 Sights (quality test print)
3. Raiders of the Lost Arc Fertility Idol
4. T-800
5. Earth Element Stone from The Fifth Element
6. Batarang with terrible stand
7. Sponge holder
8. Soap dispenser base
9. Fan guard
10. Filament guide
11. Spool holder

 

[Castrol96]

Interesting

I've been considering buying an Ender 3

 

[PzR Slim]

Be very interested to follow this. There is a DIY platform mover project that I'm hoping to start soon and that calls for a lot of 3D printed parts. I've never done any 3D printing before so your experiences will be invaluable.

 

[kikie]

Can you 3D print the internals of a DIY H-shifter or sequential shifter for sim racing?

 

[TB]

First real print is to tone down the VERY annoying chirp when you're navigating the menu system with the Beep Silencer.

While it doesn't mute it completely, this 8 minute print does drop it from 93 decibels down to 79db and removes the shrill pitch. The fan is still running at 65 db while operating but as that's a constant, it's not NEARLY as bad as the beep.

 

[Robin]

Your already 3D printing parts for your 3D printer

Looking forward to seeing what you make 👍, I've thought about maybe getting one for years but I don't think I would get much use out of it.

 

[TB]

Interesting

I've been considering buying an Ender 3

So far I'm incredibly impressed. The little complaints I might have seem to have already been addressed by the pretty large following this printer has. Don't like how something is laid out? Print an upgraded piece!

Be very interested to follow this. There is a DIY platform mover project that I'm hoping to start soon and that calls for a lot of 3D printed parts. I've never done any 3D printing before so your experiences will be invaluable.

If in involves enough pieces, you're likely much better off with your own printer than paying someone else to do it. I'm not sure how difficult deisgning pieces from scratch is as I've only been downloading existing files but the printing itself couldn't be much easier.

Can you 3D print the internals of a DIY H-shifter or sequential shifter for sim racing?

Um... probably not!

Your already 3D printing parts for your 3D printer

Admittedly it does feel a little wrong to be modifying it already but all of the changes I've seen people make haven't involved physically changing the printer in any way, only adjusting things like a cover for the speaker.

Looking forward to seeing what you make 👍, I've thought about maybe getting one for years but I don't think I would get much use out of it.

I've got the next thing queued up but it's not for me and will answer what the different resolutions will look like as the 25% of a dog I posted earlier came out fantastic at it's highest resolution. Now to see what it looks like at it's lowest. And for good measure one in the middle.

 

[Robin]

I've got the next thing queued up but it's not for me and will answer what the different resolutions will look like as the 25% of a dog I posted earlier came out fantastic at it's highest resolution. Now to see what it looks like at it's lowest.

?

 

[TB]

?

Not quite.

Edit: I cancelled that print. I was having what I assume are temperature issues. Restarting.

Edit edit: Going much better now with the temps up:

 

[TB]

I've got the next thing queued up but it's not for me and will answer what the different resolutions will look like

I wanted to have both pieces printed but was again having issues with the second one so stopped for the night. Here is the half that did finish.

It's the rear sight for an AR15 printed at .4 resolution instead of the .1 that the dog was and the future .2 for the front sight.

All in all, it's not bad but for what I want, I'll be sticking with better quality and having to live with the crazy print times. It will be that much less sanding to smooth it out anyway.

 

[kikie]

It will be that much less sanding to smooth it out anyway.

Don't sand it. I like it the way it is.

 

[TB]

Don't sand it. I like it the way it is.

I won't be doing anything to that one. It's for a coworker and I'm using it to see the difference in print resolutions.

Like I mentioned, .4 is nowhere near good enough for what I want my real prints to look like.

 

[sesselpupser]

It's the rear sight for an AR15

Is the front sight going to be a thumbs up or a finger gun?

 

[TB]

Is the front sight going to be a thumbs up or a finger gun?

Finger.

 

[TB]

Ignoring the subject matter, the second piece of the sight has FINALLY finished. The quality is immensely better at .2 than it is at .4 but, again, I'd rather the printer take the time to make it look good than me having to smooth things out later so I'll be sticking with .1 for my stuff.

Thingiverse link

I'm feeling more confident now so I have MY print "sliced" and should start printing tomorrow after work so I can watch it. I'm incredibly nervous as right out of the gate I'm looking at a print time of about 3 days (two halves at a day and a half each) and will be using about half of a 1 kilo roll of filament.

My future prints likely won't be much better time-wise.

 

[TB]

Printing a calibration test print before I start my first big print.

Then the guessing game as to what it is can begin! I'll be posting pictures of the progress. Feel free to chime in if you have any ideas as to what it is.

Hopefully all goes well...

 

[AOS-]

Finger.

A finger and a hole. I like where this is going.

 

[TB]

Then the guessing game as to what it is can begin! I'll be posting pictures of the progress. Feel free to chime in if you have any ideas as to what it is.

And so it starts. Layer one of 604:

20 minutes in:



One hour:



No guesses yet?

 

[IfAndOr]

any ideas as to what it is.

Hmm, a Deadpool model perhaps? Or something similar.

Looks big anyway!

 

[TB]

Hmm, a Deadpool model perhaps? Or something similar.

Looks big anyway!

Surprisingly not Deadpool.

Good guess, though!

And it is a rather ambitious first print. Hence my concern!

Edit: I should point out that once you know what it is, EVERYONE has at some point in their life seen one. Not terribly helpful, is it?

 

[IfAndOr]

Surprisingly not Deadpool.

I expect that'll be on the to do list though.

It's going to be interesting watching it form anyway.

It's hard to tell the scale from the photo, what sort of size will it be?

 

[TB]

Two hours in. Maybe a different angle will help.



I have two spots lifting but I'm going to let it ride for now. Hope I don't end up regretting that decision.

I expect that'll be on the to do list though.

I can neither confirm nor deny.

It's hard to tell the scale from the photo, what sort of size will it be?

So I dont give tooooo much away, the print bed is about 9 inches square. Do with that what you will.

Edit: After two and a half hours, it's finally done with it's base layer. Things will start picking up a lot now.

Edit edit: Three hours:



You can see the spot where it's still lifted. Sounds like a bit of Bondo will take care of the gap.

On the HUGE plus side, layers are now taking about three minutes instead of 25. On layer 15 of 604.

Once, twice, three times an edit: The progress bar finally has a tiny little sliver done! It's the little things.



Edit Four: Four hours:



And don't worry. I won't be like this for all my prints. Promise.

Five hours:



Six hours, on layer 75:

 

[TB]

Woke up to go to the bathroom, nine and a half hours into the print, still going well:

 

[IfAndOr]

Woke up to go to the bathroom,

You mean that in your nervousness and anticipation you could get to sleep!?

Very interesting.

My brain thinks it's a human head and face, but that's the same brain that thinks it sees a face on the surface of Mars. I can't persuade it otherwise at the moment.

"Everyone has seen one". No, still don't know.

 

[Famine]

 

[daan]

Woke up to go to the bathroom,

You used the wrong webcam there...

 

[Robin]

It's Australia?

 

[TB]

My brain thinks it's a human head and face, but that's the same brain that thinks it sees a face on the surface of Mars. I can't persuade it otherwise at the moment.

Big hint - Let your brain run with that face thing.

"Everyone has seen one". No, still don't know.

You WILL know it when you see it.

I can assure you it is not.

You used the wrong webcam there...

That blunder has been corrected.

It's Australia?

It is not a land mass of any kind.

 

[IfAndOr]

Let your brain run with that face thing.

Then maybe?

Spoiler

I think @Famine might need to visit a doctor to show them his er... equipment!

 

[TB]

Then maybe?

Negative. Again, you're more or less on the right track.

I think @Famine might need to visit a doctor to show them his er... equipment!

Yours doesn't look like... whatever Famine is looking at?