My Flashforge Printer Journey.

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Trevor Thompson
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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by Trevor Thompson » Fri Jan 01, 2021 8:42 am

FWLR wrote: ↑Thu Dec 31, 2020 10:43 am When you have got a file for printing, do you put it on a usb card and will wifi be ok also. Do you put all of the files into the machine and then let it get on with it, or is the more to do with them. I guess there maybe some slight tweaking maybe.

Sorry for the questions, but learning guys..... :roll: :roll:
Simon sends his print files to the printer via the wifi. I transfer files using a USB stick. Both work, and there is nothing wrong with using a USB stick.

Now lets assume you want to print one of the files which we have shared on the forum. Lets take the oil drum as an example. You download the file from the forum. The filename takes the form of "Name.stl". The ".stl" is the important bit to note. That is a file which needs to be sliced in your slicing software.

So you need to download the slicing software from the Flashforge website ' the leaflet which came with the printer gives details - but it is easy to find. The software is called "Flashprint".

Next post in a minute.

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by Trevor Thompson » Fri Jan 01, 2021 9:14 am

So that barrel:

Opening the flashprint software, you get this screen"
Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 08.43.57.png
Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 08.43.57.png (412.02 KiB) Viewed 4170 times
Click the top left button marked "load" and find the file you have downloaded "Barrel.stl". double click on it and this appears:
Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 08.45.33.png
Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 08.45.33.png (394.56 KiB) Viewed 4170 times
We can play with the positioning, the size and the orientation of the barrel - but it is fine for this purpose as it is. Now click supports (middle button at the top), and then autosupports:
Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 08.45.57.png
Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 08.45.57.png (397.95 KiB) Viewed 4170 times
You can see supports added to the outside to hold up the top rim, in green. Click back and then Print:
Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 08.46.24.png
Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 08.46.24.png (379.15 KiB) Viewed 4170 times
You get this message. click OK. you get this message:
Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 08.46.40.png
Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 08.46.40.png (376 KiB) Viewed 4170 times
It is easy to save it on the desktop where you can find it.

All this will have generated a file called "Barrel.gx". That is the file to put onto the USB stick and take to the printer. I will let you take the stick to the printer and press print on the printers screen. Insert the usb stick and click on the screen over the usb icon. then click on the file name icon. It should now print. Go get a cup of tea!

Carefully take the barrel off the print bed by gently sending it. Put it back in the machine, cleaned, and find something else to print.

Just a few pointers now. If you put the usb stick in and then turn the power on my machine cant recognise the USB stick. So turn the power on press print and then insert the usb stick - in case they all behave the same way.

Dont mess with the print settings - use the ones shown on the screenshots for now. When you have gained some experience you can experiment, try no supports, try no raft. Try adding a brim instead of a raft. Don't try changing the settings YET. I know you will waste some filament in the supports and the raft - but it looks more than it actually is. Ignore that waste. Experimenting by the way will make waste!

When you have this working try other files from thingiverse or the forum.

So deal with each object one at a time. I treat the usb stick as a transport device, and delete files that I have printed. I keep the ".gx" files on the computer filed away in case I want them again in the future.

Hope this helps

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by FWLR » Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:01 am

Thank you Trevor and Simon.

Thanks Trevor for your explanation on how to get files to print. I did get to finally print another reel holder. It was pure luck and dead jammy on my side. I tried to load something from the Flashforge site, but my Mac wouldn't let me because it was a file that Safari doesn't support. But I did manage to load Flashprint and somehow I managed to print the holder.




It is a brilliant machine, but then again I haven't seen another one to compare, so it's just my thought on it. I have yet to find any problems of course with it being brand new and it is a VERY big learning curve for me. One day I will be able to produce my own files and also be able to share anything I do to other members who do 3D printing and of course to other members who would like something printing free of charge , but pay for postage, I am not that rich.... :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by FWLR » Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:04 am

Another video of the Reel Holder.


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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by FWLR » Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:15 am

The last one. It took 2hrs and 15 minutes to print and 10m of filament. The print didn't have any supports or anything else, well I couldn't see any. There was how ever some stringing come from the nozzle, I am thinking it was because after the little test print of the box, the printed when it heated up for the next job just extruded a tiny bit before it started. Maybe the other members can enlighten me on that. It didn't interfere with the print of the reel holder, so it mustn't be that much of a problem. The next problem will be in getting it to print another job for me.... :lol: :lol: It is a little bit noisy, but I guess it is because it's new, I don't know. There is some grease that came with it, is it for the guides for the printer bed and the extruder :?:





I hope the rest of my journey can be has exciting as this one, I am guessing it won't.

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by Trevor Thompson » Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:43 am

Oh I think you have lots of excitement to come!

The bolder you get the more it will deliver.

Have fun

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by SimonWood » Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:05 pm

I get a bit of stringing sometimes, sometimes not, not sure what the pattern is but I tend not to worry about it because it's not excessive and it's easy to clean up.

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by FWLR » Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:25 pm

Thanks guys. I still can't download the Flashprint app from their site. Safari still keeps on saying there is no app to open it. Though when I downloaded the Happy 3D app, it opened with Flashprint, very weird. How did you guys get it to load for you...

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by FWLR » Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:26 pm

By the way, where can I find the barrel file please.

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by SimonWood » Fri Jan 01, 2021 2:22 pm

FWLR wrote: ↑Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:26 pm By the way, where can I find the barrel file please.
In the '3D print files' subforum - look for the thread "Oil Barrel in 16mm scale ".

I printed it without supports, by the way - it seemed to work ok! It seems to me that Flashprints 'Auto Supports' seems to err on the side of caution...

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by FWLR » Fri Jan 01, 2021 3:59 pm

I found it Simon. What do you mean "auto supports" I have done all three of my prints with them mate.
Is it the thickish base. They do seem really thick compared to what I have sent me by Rik with his Beam engine print..

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by SimonWood » Fri Jan 01, 2021 6:01 pm

FWLR wrote: ↑Fri Jan 01, 2021 3:59 pm I found it Simon. What do you mean "auto supports" I have done all three of my prints with them mate.
Is it the thickish base. They do seem really thick compared to what I have sent me by Rik with his Beam engine print..
The 'base' that it prints on is called a raft. The Adventurer 3 is designed to print a raft rather than levelling the build plate. Supports are for any part of a print that 'overhangs'. The printer can't print onto air - so it can print something vertical, or something that eases outwards at up to about 45 degrees. Anything more than that it will want supports which it prints to give something for the overhang to print on top of, but which can then be discarded afterwards. Flashprint offers 'linear' or 'treelike' supports, and can automatically add them or you can do it manually. (I find it useful to get it to add them automatically and then delete the ones I think aren't necessary.) Have a play with the settings - what I did was take a particular model and print it a few times with different configurations.

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by Trevor Thompson » Fri Jan 01, 2021 6:59 pm

Downloading flashprint.

When you try to download it you should get a warning that it is from an unknown source as you say. That warning should also have a link to go to settings where you can temporarily override the safety feature which stops it downloading.

It will then instal flashprint.

Simon i more of an expert with a Mac than I am so I will let him follow up on this advice.

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by SimonWood » Fri Jan 01, 2021 9:06 pm

This should be a direct download to the Mac version of Flashprint 4.5.1. It's not the latest version, but it's the latest I could find on their website!

The issue you are having, Rod, does not sound like what Trevor is describing, because it with Safari not macOS. But if you have the issue Trevor describes, right click on the app in Finder, and choose open. It will then give you the warning he describes but with an option to open it anyway - you may have to put your password in to authorise it (this all depends on your Gatekeeper settings).

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by FWLR » Sat Jan 02, 2021 9:51 am

Thanks Simon, I did get to load that version. It still came up with this...

1D71B112-DD28-43B4-A2F1-9B9A12DC97F3.png
1D71B112-DD28-43B4-A2F1-9B9A12DC97F3.png (694.5 KiB) Viewed 4075 times

So I went to finder and opened it and it put the install pop up onto my screen. Loaded it and it worked....Weird why it wouldn't load earlier. Oh well, I have it now.

I have printed off the barrel, but it had an awful lot of filament on the bottom of it. So I loaded it again and put some linear supports on it. I got this....

DE53F5F1-F644-4A6E-8B6F-FEE55045360B.png
DE53F5F1-F644-4A6E-8B6F-FEE55045360B.png (982.68 KiB) Viewed 4075 times
Why is there supports on the side of the print. :scratch:

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by FWLR » Sat Jan 02, 2021 9:54 am

This is the settings for the supports. No idea if this is correct though.

EDB95E00-7C1E-4C04-8357-BE4473290284.png
EDB95E00-7C1E-4C04-8357-BE4473290284.png (1.1 MiB) Viewed 3171 times

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by SimonWood » Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:10 am

Supports on the side are for the bands round the barrel. In my opinion they are unnecessary.

Those don't look like the default support options. Maybe hit "restore defaults"? Mine are 55 deg overhand threshold and 1.5mm pillar size, 'touch platform only' unchecked.

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by FWLR » Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:35 am

I have put the same in has you have Simon and there are more now. Is that correct.
AEEBD445-B78B-45E3-999C-D0C06711A296.png
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E0DFD45B-4AE9-4580-B96F-94AEC093FF3C.png
E0DFD45B-4AE9-4580-B96F-94AEC093FF3C.png (915.78 KiB) Viewed 3166 times
I don't see why there needs to be supports around the side of the barrel though..

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by FWLR » Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:37 am

Can those be deleted. :?:

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Re: My Flashforge Printer Journey.

Post by SimonWood » Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:45 am

You've now got the same support settings as me.

Personally, I would print the barrel without any supports. But that's only through my own experimentation. As I say, I'd try things out - expect a (good!) few failures and appreciate them as learning opportunities!

I wonder if your barrel is on the bed?
FlashPrint_-__Users_simon_Sync_Documents_3D_Printing_Bug_Box_Bench_fpp_.png
FlashPrint_-__Users_simon_Sync_Documents_3D_Printing_Bug_Box_Bench_fpp_.png (99.68 KiB) Viewed 3160 times
Click on "Move" twice and a pop up for 'Set Position' will come up. The Z position should be 0. A quick way to ensure this is to hit the 'On Platform' button.

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