3DPrinting

Hey folks,

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I'm printing PETG (https://kingroon.com/collections/petg-filament?) on my Neptune 3 Plus. It's sort of like it starts (almost) ok, sticks to the plate just fine, then a few layers up it seems to almost have inconsistent extrusion (or maybe even trouble pulling the filament?) leading to holes, etc. till the model just falls apart. See linked photos for about where I give up each time.

I'm printing with Cura and 240C printing, 90C on the build plate. 45mm/s (I've gone down from 60mm/s). Retraction on, no z-hop. 60% fan, though I've tried it with 20% and 100% fan as well.

The filament is in a dryer at 55C. Funny enough I printed basically perfectly (without drying, straight out of the bag) with default settings the first time I printed. The second time and on, have had this problem... and have had it in the dryer.

Any ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Edit: In case its useful, I'm printing this piece: https://file.io/D9jxYq4KOrL7 which is a small remix of a piece from https://www.printables.com/model/130507-bolt-action-pen-for-pilot-g2-cartridges

So I've been exploring the fabulous word of additive manufacturing for a few months now with my company's 3D printer - a Prusa Mk4 - that we employees are welcome to use for our own personal use when it's not busy printing tooling for work of course.

I've gotten really good at squeezing the most performance out of that thing: some of the functional parts I made with it at scales that are pushing the boundaries of what regular PLA out of a 0.4-mm nozzle can be coaxed into becoming, I'm properly proud of.

And I'm having a lot of fun finding ways to overcome the limitations of FDM. I don't really want a more precise printer: half the fun is witnessing a part that shouldn't exist come out of a printer that doesn't really have any right to be this good. Pushing the envelope... It's the spirit of hacking in the world of 3D printing and I love it!

But now I'm wanting a printer of my own. The company's printer is fine and all but when it's doing work-related things, I can't use it. And I have to wait to go back to work the next day to print something I modeled the evening before.

So I'm on the market for a good fast FDM printer that can print prints with different filaments at the same time, because I'd like to experiment with stretchy materials but keep using rigid and cheap materials for the supports, and also to play with colors. And I think I want a core XY printer because I've run into problems with big heavy prints with the company's bed slinger.

And finally, something that's really important for me: I want something as open source as possible that doesn't phone home, and ideally not made in China.

Money is not tight. The kids are out of the house and I have a well-paid job. I set my budget to 5k - dollars or euros.

So with those requirements in mind, from what I read, the best option for me is to stick with Prusa: it's more expensive for what it does but it's not sketchy Chinese spyware. Also, I know the brand already and I've been nothing but happy with it so far.

And in the Prusa line, I'm tempted by the XL with an the bells and whistles - namely 5 heads and an enclosure.

But here's the thing: I hear this machine has problems. Is it true? Would you have a better suggestion? Possibly another brand that I should consider?

For tabletop miniatures I prefer to use a flexible resin to avoid small details breaking off when removing supports or when a mini falls off the table. So far I've used Ameralabs TGM-7 but now that my current bottle is almost empty I'm thinking about looking into alternatives. At over 75€ per liter, TGM-7 is really expensive compared to other resins.

Amazon recommended me RESIONE TH72 as an alternative and there are others on the market like Sunlu Standard Plus. So far I couldn't find a good comparison between them. Do any of you have experience with any of those or other recommendations?

I saw a 3d printer using plastic pellets instead of filament.

Is this a good idea? Because I never saw anyone doing this.

Seller says "in this way it won't run out of filament" but I have the impression of imprecise extrusions (machine was fitted with a big 0.8mm nozzle)

I've been resin printing for maybe a month. I've noticed that on all of the resins that I've got, and all of the profiles I've downloaded for them, the lift speed is usually at least 3 to 4 mm. However, when listening to my printer operate, I can tell that it is fully separating the print within the first millimeter or so. I've changed almost all of my resin profiles to only lift 1 mm, cutting each layer time down like 2 seconds, and absolutely zero change in any quality whatsoever. Am I just lucky with my printer configuration, or my fep is especially tight? Or why else would such a large distance be commonly recommended?

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Wouldn't you know it, I've been messing with the current release candidate for FreeCAD lately. Just now, I used it to make this.

I got annoyed at having to search through all these multipacks of files to find a Gridfinity bin in the size I want. So I decided the hell with it, and made a parametric configurable FreeCAD model that creates bins or you, in any size (within reason) and also with a configurable number of fixed dividers in the bargain.

My main intent was, of course, to use these to organize oodles and oodles of pocketknives. You'll never be able to guess why. But if you have a use for it, knock yourself out.

I had new progressive lenses made, but the old ones are still fine and don’t have a scratch. They’re just a bit weak at near distance, but otherwise perfectly serviceable.

So I made new frames for them because I don’t like to throw away things that work.

All assembled, the frames weigh 3.5 grams, and 14 grams with the lenses mounted.

This was printed with a Prusa Mk4 and regular PLA at 0.15 mm layer height. The hinges use simple 10x1 pins - and I worked my magic to print the holes horizontally to the final dimension with interference fit, so no reaming or drilling is necessary. These glasses are straight out of the printer with zero rework.

I think they look pretty good as they are. If anybody notices they’re 3D-printed, I’ll say I’m gunning for that particular style 🙂

The front of the frames prints in 11 minutes and both temples in 12 minutes. I could break and make a new pair every day for the rest of my life and it would still be faster and cheaper than going to Specsavers only once.

I been printing for 9 years. I used to buy bulk filament from monoprice . Sometimes their deals were unbeatable. I went in today to find out they don't have filament anymore. I guess it was not profitable anymore? Maybe they don't stock as much .

Anyway..just an observation.

Hello 3d printing community! I am looking to join the ranks and purchase my first 3d printer. Specifically I am looking at the a1 mini.

My use case is mostly functional, housing for electronics, hooks and jigs, that sort of thing, so I don't think I need the ams kit although the multicolor printing and support beams of different materials sounds nifty, I also hear bambu printers are really good with supports.

My biggest questions to the community are, is this a good choice? What filament should I start with? And I live in a dryer climate, is a filament dryer something I should definitely invest in, and if so what is a decent and decently cheap one you'd recommend?

Thank you for taking the time to read (and hopefully reply to) my post.

Dice holder for kiddo. Stl https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2573080

So I was just wondering what is, in your opinion the best Resin printer to get that just works like how Bambu printers in the FDM space just seem to work.

Or

Just what resin printer would you recommend purchasing?

I have a mars 3 and looking to upgrade to maybe a Saturn 4 ultra because I want a bigger build plate and auto leveling seems nice so it’s one less step I need to do.

Hell yeah

I'm using an ender 3 with a 0.4mm nozzle

I've designed a 3D printable sharpening angle jig for your chisel and planer knife. Works with those cheap triangle shaped blade holders you can find almost anywhere for cheap. Check it out if you're got a 3D printer.

This one's a real reach. Mo' obsure, mo' better.

I got annoyed by my BRS Replicant (clone) showing up with very swanky channel milled handles, but no latch. Yes, it came with a little ballistic nylon belt pouch and no, even I of all people am not a big enough nerd to actually wear it that way.

So I made this, which is a little friction fit dingus you can print out of TPU that fits quite snugly over the bite handle and holds the knife shut, but you can slip it over the end of the safe handle with your pinky easily.

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Senior Airman Devon Word, a conventional munitions crew chief from the U.S. Air Force’s 48th Munitions Squadron, solved a perennial ammunition handling issue faced by the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, U.K., which often saw 20 mm rounds jamming while moving from the replenisher table to the ammunition loader. The frequent  jamming makes manual intervention necessary, with “15 minutes of troubleshooting per jam” required which “may also cause injury to the operator.”

In fiscal year 2023, according to the press release, there were 319 operations resulting in an average of 957 instances of jams using the replenisher table. These accounted for approximately 798 man-hours due to the need for at least four personnel during operations.

Word developed a specially designed 3D-printed insert that addressed the old design issue causing the stoppages – a gap between the rounds and the top of the replenisher table. The unit-level innovation could save the 48th FW and U.S. Air Force over 750 man-hours annually, the unit said.

...

Sorry for the potato quality picture. I really thought we were over this since I tune the vref, but I guess not.

Do you guys have any idea why my info would look like this but all the walls on the printer are fine? I assume if it was a clog nozzle it would be inconsistent.