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Patmc's Robo3D prints and tips

Discussion in 'Show and Tell' started by patmc, Jun 27, 2013.

  1. patmc

    patmc New Member

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    I'll be posting pictures of some of my more interesting prints done on my Robo3D printer... as well as any hints and tips I pick up along the way.
     
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  2. patmc

    patmc New Member

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    Some items that I would add to the recommended purchase list would be:
     
  3. patmc

    patmc New Member

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    This is a link to the photo set on Flickr of my 3D print of a Star Wars TIE Interceptor. I don't know if there is a better way to view my descriptions of the images, but I have additional info on them if you click on the individual pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/38927969@N02/sets/72157634343738158/

    After speaking with the Robo guy while I was down there picking up some new filament yesterday... they recommended that I change the "retraction" setting in my Slicer configuration in Repetier to "3". I ran a new test print over night last night, and the whispy "strings" of plastic that I've run into when the print head is crossing large gaps... seems a whole lot better now.
     
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  4. patmc

    patmc New Member

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  5. Printed Solid

    Printed Solid Volunteer Admin
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    +1 for the flapwheels
     
  6. pclabtech

    pclabtech Active Member

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    Sorry Pat, I am not that ambitious yet ;)
     
  7. patmc

    patmc New Member

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    I've wanted to find a way to smooth PLA plastic for a while now, as I really don't want to mess around with the finicky ABS plastic and acetone. A while back I got to thinking about it, and figured a heat gun might be a way to do it. I finally got around to trying it yesterday, and I'm pretty encouraged by the initial results:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/38927969@N02/sets/72157634559532369/

    The Yoda figure I was using, was a cast off part from the Robo3D guys, who were nice enough to donate it to the cause. :) Thanks guys!

    So, if anyone wants to try this themselves... I went down to Harbor Freight, and bought their cheapo heat gun:
    http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-watt-dual-temperature-heat-gun-572-1112-96289.html
    ...along with their heat gun accessory kit:
    http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-heat-gun-accessory-kit-68695.html

    If you look at the image of the accessory kit, the attachment I used, was the "fan" attachment, in the upper right of the picture. It makes the stream of hot air move in more of a controllable line. I used the low (572 degree) setting, and kept the gun moving in a back and forth sweeping motion... to avoid building up too much heat too quickly. Slowly but surely, the plastic started to look at little "wet" and shiny as the plastic began to melt. I had the piece on the ground in my driveway, so getting a low angle, shooting up into Yoda's face to melt the under-side of his face was a bit tricky. I am going to have to figure out a way to mount the piece on some sort of heat resistant pole to make that easier.

    I did run into a little bit of an issue when I got to his ears, as they started to droop a little bit. The plastic was obviously very pliable, so I was able to push it back into shape. I ended up putting the piece on his back, so the ears were on the ground, so they didn't droop as much. I think going forward, I might try to find some fire rocks to use as support material so the drooping on thin areas won't be as bad.

    I am going to download the Yoda STL file, and will play with how it's printed a bit too. I will try printing it with 2 or 3 shells and see if the extra material still melts the same, and whether it provides more support or not.
     
  8. Rex Dart

    Rex Dart New Member

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    Is that your model? Is it anywhere I might download it?
     
  9. patmc

    patmc New Member

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    Hi Rex. Not mine... I don't have nearly that kind of talent when it comes to 3D design software... LOL! I downloaded it from Thingiverse.com . Just do a search for it there. If you have any trouble finding it, I can try to get the item number for you.

    One piece of advice if you are going to print that one yourself... print it with the heat bed on if you have one. Mine warped a bit, so when I tried to put the two halves together, it was a bit rounded on the bottoms, and I had to use some super glue to put them together. The fins on the TIE are a bit fragile as well, so be careful once you print it. I've broken them more than once. Lots of super glue on that model... LOL!

    Good luck with it... it is an impressive piece to show off to people!
     

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