Garden Railway Forum

Trevor Thompson wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 3:22 pm

ge_rik wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 11:14 am

Trevor Thompson wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:51 am ........ - no need to level the bed.

Does it have auto bed levelling?

Rik

It effectively self levels. The way it does this is by using a raft to create a level bed for every print. In practice I have been able to print without using a raft and without any levelling issues. Having said that I usually use a raft for large prints in ABS. I know it uses some filament to keep creating a raft for each print - but there is no need to level the bed.

Trevor

Nifty!

Rik

I am now down to the business end of my search and the Ender3 V2 is now the front runner and will most likely be ordered shortly when they become available in Aust.

To expand on my original use for a 3D printer, my wife made a comment along the line of "could you use it to make buildings?" that got me thinking so I went searching for examples of what others had done (why reinvent the wheel) and came across these tutorials of how to do brick wall using tinkercad which I have downloaded and had a "tinker" with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTiNQbUEOkI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPA_lhL0SjY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs7Z31eqFFo

They are off this site that has electronics as well so a bit of an attraction for me.
http://www.penguintutor.com/projects.php

GAP wrote: ↑Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:18 am I am now down to the business end of my search and the Ender3 V2 is now the front runner and will most likely be ordered shortly when they become available in Aust.

To expand on my original use for a 3D printer, my wife made a comment along the line of "could you use it to make buildings?" that got me thinking so I went searching for examples of what others had done (why reinvent the wheel) and came across these tutorials of how to do brick wall using tinkercad which I have downloaded and had a "tinker" with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTiNQbUEOkI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPA_lhL0SjY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs7Z31eqFFo

They are off this site that has electronics as well so a bit of an attraction for me.
http://www.penguintutor.com/projects.php

GAP wrote: ↑Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:18 am
To expand on my original use for a 3D printer, my wife made a comment along the line of "could you use it to make buildings?" that got me thinking so I went searching for examples of what others had done

That sounds as though you haven't seen Trevor's threads on his complete buildings? ( and/or bogie coaches) plus Rik, Steve and I, and others, have written about printing wagons either complete or as 'kits', and various components fro vehicles and accessories. The possible uses are really mostly limited by an individuals imagination and drawing skills.

Apart from track and groundwork and people everything in this photo was 3 D printed, and designed my me in Sketchup make 2016. That includes the loco, wagons, and the bridge.

As Peter says - there is loads of information in the 3 D printing section!

Trevor

I did look at the 3D printing section but found that I may be out of my league with what is in there till I get familiar with Tinkercad and a real live 3D printer.

I have a Linux based computer in my shed so "Tinkercad" will not run on it the alternative evidently is "Blender" has any one used it?

I do have a windows laptop that I can use if it does not work out.

You will find Blender very difficult to use. Well I did. Look at my thread on making individual resin printed people, to get an idea of how complicated it is. So that isn't where I would start your particular journey!

Tinkercad isn't one I have used but there are quite a few modellers on this forum using it successfully to create impressive models.

Since you have started to learn to use it stick with it - it will take you where you want to go as far as I can see.

Which printer - choose whatever you fancy - particularly bearing in mind local availability, and the ability to buy spare parts. It is like everything else - you start with something that is low cost in case it doesn't develop the way you think it will. Later you might want something more expensive!

You will only get so far until you can actually print things out.

Trevor

GAP wrote: ↑Sat Sep 04, 2021 8:48 am the alternative evidently is "Blender" has any one used it?

I do have a windows laptop that I can use if it does not work out.

Don't even think about using Blender, certainly not at this stage. The only person I know who has any sort of real working knowledge of it is "Metalmuncher" but I don't think even he uses it for the basic drawing of a discrete object, it is more for manipulating things produced in other software. It is professionally used to produce sophisticated CGI animations, which gives some idea of it's sophisication and complexity and lack of intuitive functions.
However I should say that Trevor and I have used it succesfully to pose 3d printable figures created in 'Makehuman', following a tutorial video from Metalmuncher.

Like Trevor, I use Sketchup, I tried Tinkercad and didn't get on with it.

Advice noted "Blender" now out of consideration.

If you were to go for sketch up you need to find a copy of the 2016 version. That is the last one which was a stand alone app which was located on your computer. After that it became internet based, and lost functionality. That online version seems to have been abandoned.

Trevor Thompson wrote: ↑Sat Sep 04, 2021 9:02 pm If you were to go for sketch up you need to find a copy of the 2016 version. That is the last one which was a stand alone app which was located on your computer. After that it became internet based, and lost functionality. That online version seems to have been abandoned.

I am 'tinkering' with Tinkercad (used by Rik) and have found out that it is web based and this morning I successfully logged in to it on my linux computer.
Evidently as it is web based and I am using Firefox it works.
Digging deeper the information I was working off was out dated like a lot of the reviews for printers I found.

So for the moment I will keep using Tinkercad and take small steps towards more functional CAD programs.

Thanks to you all for the help and advice I am sure there will other requests for help in the future.

GAP wrote: ↑Sun Sep 05, 2021 12:49 am

Trevor Thompson wrote: ↑Sat Sep 04, 2021 9:02 pm If you were to go for sketch up you need to find a copy of the 2016 version. That is the last one which was a stand alone app which was located on your computer. After that it became internet based, and lost functionality. That online version seems to have been abandoned.

I am 'tinkering' with Tinkercad (used by Rik) and have found out that it is web based and this morning I successfully logged in to it on my linux computer.
Evidently as it is web based and I am using Firefox it works.
Digging deeper the information I was working off was out dated like a lot of the reviews for printers I found.

So for the moment I will keep using Tinkercad and take small steps towards more functional CAD programs.

Thanks to you all for the help and advice I am sure there will other requests for help in the future.

I am not sure you will need anything more functionable than Tinkercad. The things I have done with it never cease to amaze me. From a 16mm scale working loco and tender, including wheels, sand pots, linkages, body, chassis etc etc, to a piece that I reproduced for my wife's wheelchair as part of the swing out for the leg wore away and this was a great replacement for it.

My transition to the dark side is now complete, I just bought a Creality Ender3 V2 3D printer.

I have started "tinkering" with Tinkercad and successfully imported an STL file from Thingaverse and following a tutorial have the start of a brick wall.

So the world of 3D printing is now mine to control

GAP wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:36 pm
So the world of 3D printing is now mine to control

Nope... The world of 3D printing is now in control of you! - It IS addictive.

Well done though.

philipy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 07, 2021 6:16 am

GAP wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:36 pm
So the world of 3D printing is now mine to control

Nope... The world of 3D printing is now in control of you! - It IS addictive.

Well done though.

Took me long enough to paraphrase SWMBO

Welcome to the Dark Side .......
Rik

I am not completely over on the dark side,I have yet to master Tinkercad, but I did manage to download some stl files for bogies and couplers into it from Thingaverse.
Once I master that, the universe (forget the galaxy) is mine.

You're going to love it.

Tinkercad is very simple is that most things are made up from a circle, a circle hole, a rectangle or a rectangle hole or a combination there of, there isn't much left after that.

The Ender is nigh!!!
My printer has been dispatched and is in transit hopefully it will be before the weekend.
Then the question will fly thick and fast.

GAP wrote: ↑Mon Sep 13, 2021 9:37 pm The Ender is nigh!!!
My printer has been dispatched and is in transit hopefully it will be before the weekend.
Then the question will fly thick and fast.

Only one (question)? ........
You'll be lucky.

Rik