The 3D printer thread

[Tinstar]

The Bamboo Labs X1 Carbon came in late today. Easy set up. Here's the requisite 1st print PLA pre-sliced 17-minute benchy along with the splitter from printables.com out of PLA-CF. The splitter lets you run the 4 color AMS plus the 5th side mounted spool. You can't use the side spool and the AMS on the same print. You can run the 5th spool with the press of a button on the screen. I plan on using the 5th spool out of a heated box with TPU since the AMS can't handle TPU.

I'm not super network savvy. I hear there is a concern with the BBL printers sending a lot of non-printer information up stream. I am going to run it on a standalone ssid on the router for updates and then transfer print files from my computer to the printer via sneaker-net. I don't know if that will really help or not. I probably won't run the phone app.. After the updates I put the printer in WLAN mode for what thats worth.

Any ways, it fired right up, no issues. Its stupid fast to the point of being noisy just on the standard speed. There's talk of the PLA plate not wanting to stick. I did put the glue stick on and haven't had any issues with adhesion.

The slicer is pretty straight forward and has some neat features as well.

 

[CarterKraft]

The Bamboo Labs X1 Carbon came in late today. Easy set up. Here's the requisite 1st print PLA pre-sliced 17-minute benchy along with the splitter from printables.com out of PLA-CF. The splitter lets you run the 4 color AMS plus the 5th side mounted spool. You can't use the side spool and the AMS on the same print. You can run the 5th spool with the press of a button on the screen. I plan on using the 5th spool out of a heated box with TPU since the AMS can't handle TPU.

I'm not super network savvy. I hear there is a concern with the BBL printers sending a lot of non-printer information up stream. I am going to run it on a standalone ssid on the router for updates and then transfer print files from my computer to the printer via sneaker-net. I don't know if that will really help or not. I probably won't run the phone app.. After the updates I put the printer in WLAN mode for what thats worth.

Any ways, it fired right up, no issues. Its stupid fast to the point of being noisy just on the standard speed. There's talk of the PLA plate not wanting to stick. I did put the glue stick on and haven't had any issues with adhesion.

The slicer is pretty straight forward and has some neat features as well.

That's bad ass.

 

[CarterKraft]

Make that same bracket thing you just printed. Just start a sketch on one of the planes, draw your rectangle with an arc cut out of it. Then click the extrude button, extrude it out 1/2” or whatever, then you just have to do a secondary sketch on the flat side to make the circles, then extrude them into holes. Tutorials would be a great idea, I’ve always just beat my head against it. The steps to draw something are just like they were for pro/e 20 years ago.

I couldn't figure out how to draw anything, line shape etc. not sure If I was missing tool set or what.
I made a sketch plane and started to do what you described but couldn't figure out how to "make" anything...

I'll look at it again when I have a fresh mind.

 

[CarterKraft]

I'm on the OnShape horse!

You have to be active in the sketch (duh) to get the line tools.

 

[Tinstar]

Great job CarterKraft! I feel for you! I remember those first few months learning Fusion 360.

Well, the land of Bamboo Labs is not all Pixie Dust and Unicorn Farts. I managed to clog the .4 nozzle with PLA-CF yesterday. Last thing I wanted to do was take this printer apart. It was actually fairly easy with the BBL wiki and many, many utube video's on how to do it. Note to self, use the .6 nozzle for CF materials.

So far I've been printing some of the mods for the machine. One of which is this "Bento Box". It sets in an unused corner of the machine and actively filters out VOC's while its printing. The X1 does have a charcoal filter but it only runs for a bit at the end of a print, as I understand it.

It has a couple of small fans that pull air in at the top and down through a HEPA filter and then through a tray of carbon pellets. I hope it works good enough to print ASA in my utility room.

Printing with Polymaker Transparent PETG with a .4 nozzle on the standard BBL settings. 255c, 70c at what looks like about 60 mms on the engineering plate (no glue). I haven't found where there is a specific speed setting in mms. They use a "volume extruded" number.

Here's a link to the BentoBox on printables for those interested. There are many other bentobox designs there.

I managed to get the printer software updated. The latest version lets you access the 5th spool on the side.

 

[Donk]

Any tips to stop this....

Also apparently the auto bed level isn't proof.

ETA: PLA, 60c bed, 210c nozzle

 

[kf4zht]

Looks like the nozzle is too high on the first layer.

There is a really fine line between too high and not sticking and too low and dragging.

 

[Chkn]

Any tips to stop this....

Also apparently the auto bed level isn't proof.

ETA: PLA, 60c bed, 210c nozzle

I have had good success with the bed at 60c and the nozzle at 200c for PLA. Also you want to move the nozzle to the 4 corners of the bed and adjust the bed manually. Once those are "level" then use the auto level feature for the fine tune adjustments.

 

[Donk]

Got fed up with bits paper and went with a dti instead

 

[PAToyota]

Sketchup has been really fucked by getting sold off to Trimble, the "solid tools" I needed to get the model ready for 3d printing are a "paid upgrade" now.

I've got the last version of the forever license (SU 2021, I think?) and refuse to go to the subscription shit. I have Fusion360, but only the free version. WhyTF can't they just let you keep a version that works for you and use it for however long you want? No, you have to subscribe and keep updating shit even if you aren't using the new features or if you're using an older 3D printer or other CNC that really doesn't benefit from the new features.

 

[CarterKraft]

Onshape is promising but subject to the same bullshit.

I need to force myself to use FreeCAD

 

[Tinstar]

Got fed up with bits paper and went with a dti instead

Auto bed level is a bit of a mis-nomer. Auto bed level only gives you an overall picture of how level or flat the bed is. None of them are perfect. The software then adjusts for the lack of flatness. You still have to adjust you Z offset. My Z offsets generally range from -0.2 to -0.35 on a totally stock machine.

Here is how to get it right. 3D Printer Calibration. The more of his pages you can go through and complete the easier printing will be for you. Looks like your E-Steps maybe off as well. Original size nozzle and software?

While you're at it, wash those greasy pizza fingers with Dawn dish soap every time before you handle the printer. Wash the bed with that Dawn dish soap while you're at it. Dry with paper towels.

Is your ABL working properly?

Have you adjusted your "V" wheels?

What filament and are you using and are you using anything to help with bed adhesion?

Any one of these things can screw you on the first layer.

Some of this calibration stuff is a pain at first but well worth it.

Don't give up. First layer tuning is like a gatekeeper on a trail.

 

[Donk]

Auto bed level is a bit of a mis-nomer. Auto bed level only gives you an overall picture of how level or flat the bed is. None of them are perfect. The software then adjusts for the lack of flatness. You still have to adjust you Z offset. My Z offsets generally range from -0.2 to -0.35 on a totally stock machine.

Here is how to get it right. 3D Printer Calibration. The more of his pages you can go through and complete the easier printing will be for you. Looks like your E-Steps maybe off as well. Original size nozzle and software?

While you're at it, wash those greasy pizza fingers with Dawn dish soap every time before you handle the printer. Wash the bed with that Dawn dish soap while you're at it. Dry with paper towels.

Is your ABL working properly?

Have you adjusted your "V" wheels?

What filament and are you using and are you using anything to help with bed adhesion?

Any one of these things can screw you on the first layer.

Some of this calibration stuff is a pain at first but well worth it.

Don't give up. First layer tuning is like a gatekeeper on a trail.

I was just coming here to post my result after some 23hrs of printing.....

Cheers for the tips, I'll go through that 👍

ETA: 0.4mm nozzle size. Stock firmware on the printer and using Prusa slicer

 

[Tinstar]

Nice! That model is intricate enough to be hard to print.

 

[Donk]

Nice! That model is intricate enough to be hard to print.

It was quite a useful learning experience TBH. It's not perfect by any stretch but I now have a much more level bed and were I to do the print again I'd do an internal brim to help support some of the tiny bits.

 

[granitestatedestroyer]

ETA: 0.4mm nozzle size. Stock firmware on the printer and using Prusa slicer

did you just install the probe onto the printer and not update the formware?

 

[Donk]

did youbjust install the probe onto the printer and not update the formware?

Nope, probe is factory fitted.

 

[CarterKraft]

Onshape is working great!

gonna attempt to make some shit for my cnc plasma I never started building...
edit: just actually measured the printer and that isn't gonna work as designed

 

[CarterKraft]

Onshape is working great!

gonna attempt to make some shit for my cnc plasma I never started building...
edit: just actually measured the printer and that isn't gonna work as designed

I sliced it down the middleish and printed in two pieces. The holes line up perfectly but the diameter is too small .585" instead of .625"
The overall width appears to be spot on.

Is there something I need to look for specifically about the hole diameters in Cura, of rather not have to draw all my shit oversized if it's a setting I can adjust.

 

[CarterKraft]

Googling around it seems like I should just oversize the holes based on the measured difference from desired.
in this case it looks like 1mm. No harm in this application for a loose hole really.

 

[Clemson13]

Googling around it seems like I should just oversize the holes based on the measured difference from desired.
in this case it looks like 1mm. No harm in this application for a loose hole really.

Scaling issue?

I just adjust the scaling at my slicer till it's dimensionaly true.

I really ought to make a .25x2x3 block with .25/.5 ish holes in it to print as a scaling calibration tool.

 

[OHV Wildcat]

I end up making a version 1 and a version 2 of damn near every dimensionally-critical part. Most of the time it’s my own HUA failure. Other times it’s a surprising amount of “elephant foot” that causes a hole to shrink a bit.

 

[CarterKraft]

Scaling issue?

I just adjust the scaling at my slicer till it's dimensionaly true.

I really ought to make a .25x2x3 block with .25/.5 ish holes in it to print as a scaling calibration tool.

Wouldn't scaling effect the outer dimension of the plate, that was perfect.

 

[CarterKraft]

I end up making a version 1 and a version 2 of damn near every dimensionally-critical part. Most of the time it’s my own HUA failure. Other times it’s a surprising amount of “elephant foot” that causes a hole to shrink a bit.

Yeah I sort of figured it woudn't be right so I just let it get a few layers down so I could check the fit, glad I did.

 

[OHV Wildcat]

Yeah I sort of figured it woudn't be right so I just let it get a few layers down so I could check the fit, glad I did.

Makes sense. One of the greatest things about 3d printing is the very low prototype revision effort. You figure out quickly that you boneheaded something, or there’s a printing flaw that screws something up, whatever. Then it’s the easiest thing ever in a parametric modeler to tweak a dimension and hit print again, and it does it’s thing while you go watch dumb and dumber or something, and then likely have a workable part.

I’ve always said that a dumb guy doing something for the 10th time is much better than a smart guy doing something for the 1st time. I’m the dumb guy on my modeling stuff, so I get to have a bunch of cheap, easy attempts to catch up to what a smart guy might have innately known, and I didn’t have to set up tool paths or whatever to get there.

 

[krammit]

I end up making a version 1 and a version 2 of damn near every dimensionally-critical part. Most of the time it’s my own HUA failure. Other times it’s a surprising amount of “elephant foot” that causes a hole to shrink a bit.

quick way to get around the elephant foot issue is a deburring tool. i have one sitting by my printer at all times. it's also useful for cleaning up edges if you have to use a brim for build plate adhesion.

 

[CarterKraft]

Makes sense. One of the greatest things about 3d printing is the very low prototype revision effort. You figure out quickly that you boneheaded something, or there’s a printing flaw that screws something up, whatever. Then it’s the easiest thing ever in a parametric modeler to tweak a dimension and hit print again, and it does it’s thing while you go watch dumb and dumber or something, and then likely have a workable part.

I’ve always said that a dumb guy doing something for the 10th time is much better than a smart guy doing something for the 1st time. I’m the dumb guy on my modeling stuff, so I get to have a bunch of cheap, easy attempts to catch up to what a smart guy might have innately known, and I didn’t have to set up tool paths or whatever to get there.

I have come to realize this is how SpaceX is so bad ass. Start with something you think will work, test/refine/repeat.

Nasa would over build a launch pad for 10 years at XXX billion dollars, SpaceX will build 5 in a quarter of the time for a quarter the money.

 

[OHV Wildcat]

I have come to realize this is how SpaceX is so bad ass. Start with something you think will work, test/refine/repeat.

Nasa would over build a launch pad for 10 years at XXX billion dollars, SpaceX will build 5 in a quarter of the time for a quarter the money.

Holy shit, you’re right!!

 

[Tinstar]

I sliced it down the middleish and printed in two pieces. The holes line up perfectly but the diameter is too small .585" instead of .625"
The overall width appears to be spot on.

Is there something I need to look for specifically about the hole diameters in Cura, of rather not have to draw all my shit oversized if it's a setting I can adjust.

Yes, there is a setting in Cura to help with hole size and thread size. Here is the setting. Click on "exclusive" it can affect the OD of the part slightly. Avoid oversizing the holes if you can.

Another option is "Hole Horizontal Expansion" up in the Walls section. You can apply an offset there as well.

 

[CarterKraft]

Yes, there is a setting in Cura to help with hole size and thread size. Here is the setting. Click on "exclusive" it can affect the OD of the part slightly. Avoid oversizing the holes if you can.

Another option is "Hole Horizontal Expansion" up in the Walls section. You can apply an offset there as well.

Thanks! I am trying a FAST/DIRTY test print to try and verify the 1mm oversize fixed the holes. I am learning 60 mm/s for EVERY speed is wee bit fast