More on 3D Printing for a complete beginner

[philipy]

Something like this?

http://www.aniwaa.com/product/3d-printe ... p-x350pro/

Can't really help much with the comparative merits of one machine vs another, although I did notice that the layer size is 0.02mm whereas mine is 0.1mm, so fine detail would be much better.. The build volume is about 40% bigger in all directions, but at £6500 its almost 10x the cost of mine! As I said, go up in size and you get to maga-money - at least it would be for me.

[big-ted]

Guys, is this the printer you are using?

http://robox.cel-uk.com/

I might be able to get one through work for projects as we need to make boxes to house PCB's, etc - can it do stuff like that as the plastic boxes need to be durable?

Cheers,

Tom

Why on Earth would you buy a 3D printer to print plastic boxes? Plenty of off the shelf enclosures available for next to nothing. You'd have to print a LOT of boxes to pay for the printer, and there are more cost effective ways of making boxes in such large volumes. If this is a creative justification to buy the printer so you can make train bits, however, I tip my hat to you...

[JMORG]

We use a Cel Robox in our medical division to create disposable, custom jigs for implants.
I also have a Robox and made a full boxcab on it! Currently making faux bridge sides for a group member.

[tom_tom_go]

I do like the Cel Robox but it just is not big enough for what I need it for (at work anyway).

Starting to play around with Sketch Up and 3D Builder, leaning more towards 3D Builder so far...

[philipy]

Well, I promised some input on using ABS rather than PLA, and I must say that after a couple of goes, I think I prefer ABS. It is more like HIPS than PLA is to work with. HIPS filament is available, so maybe I'll get some in due course and see how that compares, but that's for another day.

I'm soldiering on with a station building, in between replacing a (real) shed roof, gardening, shopping, visitors, and all the other things that get in the way of modelling.

Thinking about what else could usefully be printed, and in the same vein as the gutters, ridge tiles came up as a suitable candidate, particularly the fancy Victorian/Edwardian ones.

I have had a go at two options, firstly a relatively simple cockscomb type. It wasn't difficult to draw and I printed one off as a test piece, which was succesful. I then multiplied it up on the drawing, to see how three would look, and printed that.

triple cockscombe.jpg (129.85 KiB) Viewed 6125 times

That also looked pretty good, so I looked on Google for something a bit fancier and found a picture of a reclaimed one with a sort of fleur-de-lys decoration.

2014-11-03_0006.jpg (161.36 KiB) Viewed 6125 times

The drawing geometry took a little bit of thought but it wasn't too difficult. Again I did a one off test print,

single fleur.jpg (117.67 KiB) Viewed 6125 times

...then multiplied it up 9 times to get a length of ridge slightly longer than I will need. I have to say that I am pretty pleased with it. I've just run a file over to remove odd bits, and it still needs some wet and dry, but other than that its not too bad, I think. I still have to print another one, since I have two roofs to do.

P7210004.JPG (1019.37 KiB) Viewed 6125 times

Coming back to the PLA vs ABS, the white test prints are in PLA and the brown 'production' version is in ABS.

[Peter Butler]

Those are most impressive... you should go into business.

[philipy]

I've been exploring fine detail, just to see what I can do.

Decided to have a go at a cast iron fireplace for the waiting room.
The black one is the finished item, but difficult to photograph. The white one shows the detail from a test print part way through, just to see if it was worth continuing with.

P7250004.JPG (510.6 KiB) Viewed 6587 times

P7250006.JPG (454.05 KiB) Viewed 6587 times

[SimonWood]

Top notch! Terrific example of how to push the boundaries with this technology...

[markoteal]

SUPERB - and I've seen no-one else doing anything like that!

[LNR]

Astounding, you're on a roll Philip.
Grant.

[River Lin]

Hi Philip.
One thing that stands out for me is how much like cast iron 3d printing looks. My wife has just bought a cast iron skillet and the surface looks identical.
David.

[Lonsdaler]

You've produced some amazing items in a relatively short time Philip. As others have said, it makes me want one!

[philipy]

Latest updates, but firstly, thanks for all the nice comments, folks.

I have to admit that I enjoy 'playing' and I get most of my pleasure in model railways in building things, not actually operating, so this 3D printer I saw from the outset as being a new thing to play with, as much as anything else.

Earlier, I showed the 3d printed cast iron fireplace, which I intended to have in the waiting room of my WIP station building. Then my 'playing' head got involved and the result was....

Ummm...


Did you know that it is possible to print a fire???

First, the fireplace from before but now in situ:

DSC_0002 post.jpg (275.45 KiB) Viewed 6325 times

And then with the fire lit:

DSC_0013 post.jpg (263.37 KiB) Viewed 6325 times

OK, the technical details: The 'fire' is a printed block of transparent PLA with a cavity in the bottom big enough to take 2 x3mm LED's. Unfortunately I forgot to take a piccy of the printed block before I installed it, but the drawing for it looks like this:

fire.png (60.39 KiB) Viewed 6325 times

Now, the spikes are just random extruded triangles but that print is only about 20mm across the face and the printer isn't happy with all those spikes at that resolution, so it kind of mashes down into a sort of random uneveness, which is what I was after.
As I said, there is an aperture underneath for 2 LED's. I got orange and yellow random flickering ( NOT flashing) types and put one of each side by side in the space, switched it on and Hey Presto! Actually, to begin with it was little too bright but some random very small dabs of black paint both simulated coal and took the edge off the brightness. The grate bars at the front are just 3 small strips of Plasticard.

The still photos don't do justice to the flickering effect. This is a bit pale because my wife's iphone got a bit swamped by the light levels, but it shows the effect. The colours are really closer to the still photo above.

[video] https://youtu.be/x6ku9a5Zwg8 [/video]


I haven't only been playing with fire though... Obviously the passengers waiting by the roaring fire need to see what they are doing, so, Let there be Light...

Based on an official drawing of a Suggs "Littleton" design:

DSC_0005 post.jpg (295.87 KiB) Viewed 6325 times

and then with the lamp lit:

DSC_0008 post.jpg (285.83 KiB) Viewed 6325 times

The lamp body printed as one piece with a cavity in the bottom, big enough to take an 8mm LED with the base rim filed off.

[markoteal]

Its true - you are a wizard!

[Lonsdaler]

I am in complete awe! Those are wonderful detail additions. I hope you have a plan in mind to ensure they are visible in the finished station building?

[philipy]

I hope you have a plan in mind to ensure they are visible in the finished station building?

Hopefully. The station is about 12" off the ground and the building faces out, so should be visible through two windows and a half glazed door.

[Peter Butler]

Stunning effect Philip, the flickering is so realistic in your video clip...

[River Lin]

That fire is so spot on.
David.

[LNR]

Absolutely amazing Philip. The machine is obviously very capable, but your thought processes appear to have no limits ("did you know you can print a fire")
Grant.

[SimonWood]

Your fire has blown my mind.

As Grant says, your thinking process respects no limit! What a superb result. It's something I would have thought difficult enough to model, but wouldn't having even imagined trying to print!