3D printing Thread.

So, I just tried printing metal filled PLA - Frosted Bronze. It has a high percentage of actual metal particles; 40%. I simply loaded it in place of my PLA and used my normal PLA settings. Came out very nice and is more bright than maybe in the picture. My wife really likes it. I'll tinker with the settings and make a profile for the best metal settings.

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htperry said:
So, I just tried printing metal filled PLA - Frosted Bronze. It has a high percentage of actual metal particles; 40%. I simply loaded it in place of my PLA and used my normal PLA settings. Came out very nice and is more bright than maybe in the picture. My wife really likes it. I'll tinker with the settings and make a profile for the best metal settings.

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Is it noticeably more rigid/strong than if you had used regular PLA?
 
If you start to run metal you need to upgrade the filler tube, nozzle.

Joe, yes and no. Depends on the application.
 
drypowder said:
Is it noticeably more rigid/strong than if you had used regular PLA?
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I don't know. I didn't try to break it. I think the appeal is more appearance maybe. There are companies that print metals, like SS and I recently read an article that stated certain 3D printed stainless steel is stronger somehow.

The bronze metal was about $38/kg. I only bought 500 grams. They sent me a sample of Marble to try, too.

I'm ready to setup one head for carbon fiber print only. That's my ultimate goal.
 
Djstorm100 said:
If you start to run metal you need to upgrade the filler tube, nozzle.

Joe, yes and no. Depends on the application.
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I've bought the necessary hardware for running metal and carbon fiber. It's all going very well. I've got several hundred hours of runtime now and feel very good about this printer doing what I need.
 
I ordered some exotics from proto pasta and a micro swiss 300c hot end assembly so I can print said exotics. Really looking forward to playing with those.

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Checking out mag pouches at thingiverse.

Surprised there aren't more competition mag pouch designs.

This one seems decent, but it's Glock mag specific since there's no tensioner. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1409768
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What do you guys think of the Anet A8? It's a PRUSA I3 build kit, so you're basically trading some time to save some money. Could be a good learning experience, and it seems it will print using PLA and ABS, though the bed is kinda small. I suppose the bed can be upgraded? And I guess you can print an enclosure for ABS printing?
 
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Save you self the headache and buy a machine that is ready to go.

Printing a enclosure would take to much time. Better to get a box and put it over the machine..seriously lol.
 
htperry said:
I've bought the necessary hardware for running metal and carbon fiber. It's all going very well. I've got several hundred hours of runtime now and feel very good about this printer doing what I need.
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Sweet, didn't know or not. On one of the FB groups a guy killed his machine because he didn't upgrade the nozzle. Almost burned his house down.
 
Being a bronze metal appearance, I wanted a bit of heft to it. I used high infill for strong parts, and decided to try it on here for some weight.

It came out good. The razor stubble on the side of face and nose is "support" stubble I need to clean off. I torn off the supports while still stuck to the bed for the picture.

This is the size of a baseball, btw.

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^ I see so many people printing these sorts of figurines/trinkets/assorted useless crap. Why is that? Why not print more functional things? Maybe what I see as useless is actually stuff parents print off for their kids?
 
drypowder said:
^ I see so many people printing these sorts of figurines/trinkets/assorted useless crap. Why is that? Why not print more functional things? Maybe what I see as useless is actually stuff parents print off for their kids?
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I just got my printer Friday and I've been printing trinkets and such for a couple reasons.

One, it helps me learn the printer and want to do and not to do. Get a feel for things if you will. Secondly, they(printer and trinkits) are super cool in my kids eyes. Daughter being 11 is questioning the cad/computer side of it and how it works. My twin 5 yo boys think the toys are awesome. They went to church Sunday talking about it.


Now, I guess the next question is what do you consider useful? (Not meant to be taken negatively)

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drypowder said:
^ I see so many people printing these sorts of figurines/trinkets/assorted useless crap. Why is that? Why not print more functional things? Maybe what I see as useless is actually stuff parents print off for their kids?
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Ask my wife - she surfs thingiverse and asks me to print all kind of brick n brack. She's the one that found the bronze filament on Amazon and had me print this obelisk. Happy wife, happy life.

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Dstrbdmedic167 said:
One, it helps me learn the printer and want to do and not to do. Get a feel for things if you will.
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That's how my wife started having me print things. When I first got the printer, I told her to look around thingiverse, that it would help me learn. She's not outgrown it. As a matter of fact, now she wants me to 3D model her ideas and make original trinkets. Doesn't matter to me. My useful stuff are mostly drone parts.
 
htperry said:
Ask my wife - she surfs thingiverse and asks me to print all kind of brick n brack. She's the one that found the bronze filament on Amazon and had me print this obelisk. Happy wife, happy life.
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Good point. I was thinking kids, but makes sense the wives would be asking for stuff that I would consider useless.
 
drypowder said:
^ I see so many people printing these sorts of figurines/trinkets/assorted useless crap. Why is that? Why not print more functional things? Maybe what I see as useless is actually stuff parents print off for their kids?
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When learning, printing a variety of things is about learning the settings, filament personality and variables interaction and what went wrong when there's a failure. I have a cardboard box full of "useless" crap. I think maybe your interest may one day lead to you having a 3D printer to print your own useless crap. ;)
 
Dstrbdmedic167 said:
Now, I guess the next question is what do you consider useful?
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Mag pouches, primer flip trays, reloading equipment parts (e.g., primer chutes and the many plastic parts on many progressive presses), scope lever (@Djstorm100 has done this), etc. - I'm sure we could brainstorm lots of firearms-related uses.

And of course the same would be true for lots of other hobbies.
 
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drypowder said:
Mag pouches, primer flip trays, reloading equipment parts (e.g., primer chutes and the many plastic parts on many progressive presses), scope lever (@Djstorm100 has done this), etc. - I'm sure we could brainstorm lots of firearms-related uses.

And of course the same would be true for lots of other hobbies.
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All great examples that I will get to soon enough. I'm also teaching myself cad so what better way to learn the jump I'm and being able to test what you created. I made myself a maker coin with my logo that would be cool items to giveaway etc etc. I'm just getting started.

I agree that I bet you find yourself with your own soon enough.

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htperry said:
Being a bronze metal appearance, I wanted a bit of heft to it. I used high infill for strong parts, and decided to try it on here for some weight.

It came out good. The razor stubble on the side of face and nose is "support" stubble I need to clean off. I torn off the supports while still stuck to the bed for the picture.

This is the size of a baseball, btw.
]
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Have you seen this video?
 
Have you seen much of a strength increase? Part vs part I've seen the most change from infill shape change (honeycomb vs 45 degree off set line).

Glad you guys got printers because now I have more people to interact with lol.
 
Djstorm100 said:
Have you seen much of a strength increase? Part vs part I've seen the most change from infill shape change (honeycomb vs 45 degree off set line).
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Because I'm making drone parts, they need real strength and to be no heavier than necessary. I've intentionally broken a lot of parts in testing. I change the fill pattern and density. Also, I notice a difference when I model a part as to the order I combine the objects. I'm learning a lot about strength in weak materials. It's much different than machining billet.
 
htperry said:
Because I'm making drone parts, they need real strength and to be no heavier than necessary. I've intentionally broken a lot of parts in testing. I change the fill pattern and density. Also, I notice a difference when I model a part as to the order I combine the objects. I'm learning a lot about strength in weak materials. It's much different than machining billet.
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Very cool! What do you mean by "when I model a part as to order I combine the objects", sorry not fully understanding this.
 
Djstorm100 said:
Very cool! What do you mean by "when I model a part as to order I combine the objects", sorry not fully understanding this.
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I use TinkerCAD. When building a model by combining objects like squares, rounds or triangles as solid or void, it seems to make a difference in how the STL file renders in S3D. Two parts may look the same, but something about how the STL renders is different internally and impacts the strength. I can't say exactly why, only that it's something I've noticed. I've also noticed a difference in how I orient the part on the build surface, too.
 
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These drone landing gear are too strong for me to break with my girly hands. They are airweight, very rigid and strong. The finish is actually better than it looks in the picture, under LED lights. I have the retract setting almost right. This is a full set of carbon fiber clip-on landing gear for a DJI Spark.

I'm very pleased with this 3D Solutech carbon fiber filament.

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htperry said:
These drone landing gear are too strong for me to break with my girly hands. They are airweight, very rigid and strong. The finish is actually better than it looks in the picture, under LED lights. I have the retract setting almost right. This is a full set of carbon fiber clip-on landing gear for a DJI Spark.

I'm very pleased with this 3D Solutech carbon fiber filament.

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Nice! I've got some proto pasta on the way I'm lookinbg forward to trying.

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Just got notice my micro swiss complete hot End is out for delivery. I'm almost as excited for this as I was the 1000rds of 223 and 1500 round and 9mm that showed up yesterday.

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BTW, without some empirical testing, these carbon fiber parts feel no more rigid, no stronger and are the exact same weight as the plain PLA.
 
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