================================
Some objects I printed
================================
:CreationDate: 2009-09-07 15:32:20
:Id: HW/makerbot/printed-objects
:tags: - hardware
- 3dPrint
The round 12-sided die
======================
A friend of mine, member of my D&D group, asked me, as soon as he
discovered that I would get a 3-D printer: «can you print me the
intersection of three cylinders?»
New, the resulting object is not exactly easy to visualize, but it's a
12-sided solid, where each side would be a square, were it flat; in
fact, the sides are curved.
Obviously there is no way to print an object similar to a sphere on
the CupCake: we would need some support material. What we can do,
instead, is to print a half-sphere; we print it twice, we glue the
halves together, and we get a sphere.
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_0980' alt="half-die, from an edge" %]
Half of the die, seen from an edge
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_0981' alt="half-die, from above" %]
Half of the die, seen from above
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_0982' alt="half-die, from the side" %]
Half of the die, seen from the side
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_0983' alt="half-die, from the side and
edge" %]
Half of the die, seen from the side, looking at an edge
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_0984' alt="half-die, upside-down" %]
Half of the die, upside-down. It rolls well enough, after a little sanding
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_0985' alt="half-die, from the top" %]
Half of the die, seen from the top: it's a very good approximation of
a circle
[% END %]
Sadly, the two halves have warped a bit during printing, and it will
not be easy to glue them in such a way as to keep them "round".
The benchmark piece
===================
Just to try it out, I printed `the RepRap benchmark piece
<http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:968>`_.
First problem: the raft wasn't sticking to the build base; solved by
keeping the extruder nearer to the base.
I discovered immediately afterwards that the build base was not
precisely horizontal; I don't know whether the plastic build base is
distorted, or the translation axes are somehow misaligned (hard to
believe).
After about forty minutes of printing, I notice that the model is
distorted; it happens quite often, but this time it's warping the
build base! In fact, I soon had to abort the print: the base had
detached from the wooden support that holds it to the Y stage, and the
extruded filaments were going every which way.
Results:
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_0992' alt="half the benchmark piece" %]
This is all I could print before having to abort.
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_0993' alt="warped piece" %]
See how bent it is.
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_0995' alt="warped piece, from the side" %]
From the side it's even more noticeable.
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_0997' alt="warped base, from the side" %]
And this is how much my build base has bent…
[% END %]
To do for next time:
* check the orthogonality of the base
* use the bolted build base, instead of the one held with double-sided tape
Bolted build base
=================
Seeing the (little) reliability of the taped build base, I started
using the bolted one. To make it more robust, I used both wooden
plates (by drilling the holes in one of them).
[% INCLUDE 'image.tt' pic='img_1020' alt="bolted base, for above" %]
[% INCLUDE 'image.tt' pic='img_1021' alt="bolted base, from the side"
%]
The whistle
===========
Using the new build base, I printed `the whistle
<http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1046>`_ (I actually used `the
cleaned version <http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1048>`_ ).
It came out pretty well, but it does not actually whistle…
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_1017' alt="the whistle" %]
A bit of excess filaments, but it printed.
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_1018' alt="the mouth of the whistle" %]
As you can see, there's a lot of "ooze", especially on the inside.
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_1019' alt="the inside of the whistle" %]
You can just see the "pea".
[% END %]
I should maybe study the effects of the "comb" and "oozebane" settings
in ``skeinforge``\ …
The "printruder"
================
Since the whistle came out well enough, I tried a "hard piece": the
"`printruder <http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:958>`_", which is the
support part of the extruder, in a printable version.
I have to say that it feels like magic, seeing a printer producing its
own replacement pieces!
How did it print? Surprisingly well! I noticed almost no distortion /
warping, even with such large pieces.
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_1016' alt="the pieces of the printruder" %]
Ensemble: all the pieces of the printruder.
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_1009' alt="idler bracket" %]
Idler bracket. The "bridges" above the central hole are very thin, and
protrude a bit, but it's not a problem: there is plenty of space, and
the load is toward the opposite side.
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_1011' alt="motor bracket" %]
Motor bracket
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_1012' alt="motor bracket" %]
As you can see, there are a few "blobs", but nothing a little knife
work can't cure.
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_1013' alt="the filament hole" %]
The motor bracket includes the hole for the ABS filament: the
alignment is perfect.
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_1014' alt="the base plate" %]
Printruder base plate: I didn't even have to file the dovetail slide.
[% END %]
[% WRAPPER 'figure.tt' pic='img_1015' alt="insulator retainer" %]
The easy part: the support for the insulator and the "hot" part of the
extruder.
[% END %]
After printing, I cleaned the holes with a drill; I cleaned the
filament hole by hand, with a drill bit, to avoid breaking the plastic
around it.
Now I only have to buy the required bolts and bearing, and try to use
it.
