Hi RodFWLR wrote: ↑Sat Nov 21, 2020 10:06 am It looks as if it may need to be done like a kit build. But fantastic effort though, but a bit wasteful on material. If and when I do get a printer I would need to be so careful in not having too much waste I am thinking.
Is it normal to get a lot of waste and when you do. Do you make a lot of adjustments to the program to get less..
It's one of the challenges of designing your own stuff for 3D printing, trying to workout the best way to draw the design so it will print successfully. Because printers build up the object in layers from the base, you either have to try and avoid overhangs or tell the slicing program to put in supports. The supports are then thrown away after it has printed. The supports are usually quite thin and so don't use up too much filament.
Also, to help the object stick to the print bed, you can add a brim around it which is removed and thrown away after printing. The wider the brim the better it sticks. I left the brims on some of the parts of the beam engine kit I sent you. If an object doesn't stick to the bed properly then it will move during printing and so the part is ruined. The size of the brim can be reduced or a part can be printed without a brim, but it's a risk you take. Reduce the size of brim to cut down on waste, but then risk having the part ruined because it hasn't stuck.
It's all part of the fun....
Rik