3d printing parts

[irwit]

Hi all,

 

I'm really interested in printing some parts for space marines,   mainly to help bring the most out of existing kits.  However I'm getting completely lost in terms of where to start. 

 

FFF or SLA

What brand,   what detail to expect,  how easy is the printer to use,    should I just use shapeways or another similar company? 

 

 

I work in 3d apps for many years and use these for my job so creating the assets is fine,   its whats the best route for printing.

 

If anyone has any advice, somewhere to look,   would be hugely appreciated :) 

 

Many thanks!

 

Will 

 

[Bung]

Best would be to look for a dedicated 3d printing forum. 

You would find more help there.

[Exilyth]

If you only need a few parts, you could use a 3d printing service. It can be a bit pricy but is much less hassle than running your own printer.

 

 

If you want your own printer - diy, kit or prebuilt?

 

The printing procedure is similar for most printers:

1. You create a 3d object and save it e.g. in *.STL format.
2. That file is fed to the slicing software, which calculates the layers the printer will have to print.
3. The layers are fed to the actual printing program, which drives the printer

Some printers have a slot for SD cards and require or allow printing a file without connecting the printer to a computer.

 

As for printer types:

• FFF or fused filament fabrication printers use a so called 'hot end' to deposit melted plastic filament onto the printing surface. The thickness of a layer is dictated by the diameter of the nozzle. Material available incluse PLA, which is relatively easy to print in, and ABS, which requires higher temperatures, a heated bed and an enclosure. Also, ABS can give of fumes. FFF printers tend to be cheaper.
• SLA or stereolithographic printers shoot a beam of concentrated light at a photoreactive polymer, which causes this polymer to harden where it is hit. After hardening a layer, the printbed is moved down and the next layer is added. SLA printers can reach higher resolution and accuracy, but tend to be more costly. Also, the polymers used are not the most healthy substances while liquid.
• Powder printers deposit glue into a powder, add another layer of powder and apply more glue and so on. Due to the difficulty and hazards of working with powder, theese tend to be confined to industry models. If you have some >10k monies left over, you can get one that prints in color.
• other: ofc there are other types, but tbh. stuff like e.g. laser sintering of metal powder is overkill for the hobby.

 

Do note that while you can grab a printer and go - all printers require at least some test prints to calibrate & improve accuracy.

 

For a comparision of 3d printers, you can take a look at e.g. https://makezine.com/comparison/3dprinters/

but the best would be asking around at a local makerspace/hackerspace about what experience people had with different makes of printers.

 

 

Further reading:

The rep rap project is a great source for information on 3D printing: https://www.reprap.org/wiki/RepRap

It's a project aiming to build a printer which can print itself, so there's mostly information about that, but information about sites selling filament and/or parts can also be found.

Also has a great forum.

 

Pages from the reprap wiki you should read even if you don't build your own printer:

https://www.reprap.org/wiki/Health_and_Safety

https://www.reprap.org/wiki/Safety - scroll down to 'accidents' section to see why 'printer on fire' is not just some joke.

 

 

 

For 3d models to print, thingiverse is a great address: https://www.thingiverse.com/

Has many parametric (e.g. customizable) models and most of the stuff is under open licenses.

[Grotsmasha]

Having recently purchased an Ender 3 (SLA) I'd recommend spending a few extra bucks and getting a Resin printer, as it produces much more acceptable prints for SM parts. Print lines are noticible in my BEST prints.

 

I've found 3d Printed Tabletop on Youtube immensely helpful.

[Exilyth]

Did you try smoothing print lines with one of the techniques explained e.g. under the following link: https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Smooth-PLA-3D-Prints/ ?

[Fajita Fan]

Anycubic Photons are pretty cheap on amazon, I wish I could use an SLA printer for parts instead of melted plastic.