New 3D printer

[Woz]

Bought a new printer and after a few days faffing and two failed test prints I got it working-

28mm test Rook



Even the writing on the top came out.




Then decided to try one of my models for a 2nd test print. 1/16 scale Vickers HMG (about 71 mm long).




Bloody amazing for a printer that cost a little over £400 ($500) including shipping from China (though I did get hit with £36 import duty). Still my first printer cost £800 three years ago.

These are printed at 0.05mm, once I get everything dialed in I should be able to go down to 0.01mm.

As it prints an entire layer at a time then adding more models won't increase the build time. So the Vickers HMG took 64min's, if I filled the build plate with five more they'll still only take 64 min's.

What Next?
www.thingiverse.com/thing:2218911


W

[Paimon]

Terrain seems like it would be one of the better options for 3d printing. You don't need to get the high resolution for faces. But can still make some really cool things.

[RedCuffs]

So what scale is that Vickers?
Or, to make it easier to visualise, how many mm is it in length ?

And what the largest thing you can make with your machine ?
Y'know, length, depth, height.

[Woz]

Jul 2, 2017 18:10:50 GMT -5 RedCuffs said:

So what scale is that Vickers?
Or, to make it easier to visualise, how many mm is it in length ?

And what the largest thing you can make with your machine ?
Y'know, length, depth, height.

".....1/16 scale Vickers HMG (about 71 mm long)..."

The build plate isnt that big 120x70x200mm just about enough for 9 smurfs-

[RedCuffs]

OK, and what about running costs?
Like how much does the material cost ?
And can your printer use different types of material ?
Or differing qualities ?

I've never seen a 3D printer but obviously many of the parts must be quite highly tuned precision components.
How reliable are they (like your previous model and your current model) during reasonably prolonged operation.
Do any of the parts get clogged up with the material used ?
Im thinking of how an airbrush gets clogged up sometimes no matter how careful you try to be.
Is there much routine maintainence required ?

And how hard is it to make or get the programs to make exactly what you want ?

Sorry for the amount of questions mate but I'm quite interested in where this level of tech I going to go.

[Woz]

Jul 3, 2017 1:58:16 GMT -5 RedCuffs said:

OK, and what about running costs?
Like how much does the material cost ?
And can your printer use different types of material ?
Or differing qualities ?

I've never seen a 3D printer but obviously many of the parts must be quite highly tuned precision components.
How reliable are they (like your previous model and your current model) during reasonably prolonged operation.
Do any of the parts get clogged up with the material used ?
Im thinking of how an airbrush gets clogged up sometimes no matter how careful you try to be.
Is there much routine maintainence required ?

And how hard is it to make or get the programs to make exactly what you want ?

Sorry for the amount of questions mate but I'm quite interested in where this level of tech I going to go.

Only had this DLP printer for a few days so can't say about reliability (it is a Beta model so there may be problems).
Resin costs about £50 a bottle. One bottle could do about 350-450 spacemarine sized figures. Could be more if you hollow the figures out (also depends of failure rate).


My FDM printer I've had for three years. It gets the occasional jam which means taking the nozzle off and cleaning it, which isnt hard to do.
The filament is £15-£25 and can build about ten rhino sized vehicles if you design it right. Parts wise I've spent about £50 on replacement parts. I have to say that my FDM printer isnt in the best place. It is in a damp room and can go unused for weeks then I'll print almost none stop for a week then leave it again.

Software- I had no CAD experience so downloaded Openscad, watch a few you tube videos and started printing my first part within a few hours.

[RedCuffs]

Tanks Woz,
OK, last question, I promise, until i think up some more anyway.

When you say "dialling in" I'm guessing that'll make it make finer, more detailed things ?
Is it a computer program process ?
Or is it a machine settings thing ?
Or both ?

OK I lied ... this is the last question.
How easy or hard is it to construct models of your own design ?

[Woz]

Jul 3, 2017 14:37:25 GMT -5 RedCuffs said:

Tanks Woz,
OK, last question, I promise, until i think up some more anyway.

When you say "dialling in" I'm guessing that'll make it make finer, more detailed things ?
Is it a computer program process ?
Or is it a machine settings thing ?
Or both ?

A computer program process. It's a case of fine tuning the software to the printer and the types of resin used. Every printer is slightly different but there are loads of resins and they all need different cure times.

Jul 3, 2017 14:37:25 GMT -5 RedCuffs said:

OK I lied ... this is the last question.
How easy or hard is it to construct models of your own design ?

I designed and started printing a basic tank track within a few hours of downloading the software. Until then I had no CAD experience.


After the track I designed and printed this (it's orange because that was the free filament that came with my printer)-

[RedCuffs]

I sit here stunned.
That this complexity and detail is possible after only a few hours.
Thanks for indulging me Woz

[Woz]

Downloaded of these www.thingiverse.com/thing:2218911and printed it out.


Still on the print bed-



Needs cleaning up but not bad for a quick print.

[cheminhaler]

That's mad ; just print a new army.

There was a shapeways shop that specialised in marine shoulder pads with printed designs on them, either terminator or power armour. There might be demand for primaris sized pads soon.

[RedCuffs]

So this little lady is 28mm I'm guessing ?

So the "grade of detail" (sorry, don't know the proper term) that can be adjusted by "dialing in" ...
Would that be the factor that dictates those diagonal lines we can see highlighted on the side of the weapon ?
What "dialled in grade" has this been made at ?

And are those lines only visible in the picture due to the camera flash or can you actually see them with the naked eye ?

I know I promised "no more questions" ... yeah ... y'know ...

Doh !!! ... here's another one ...
How much of it is attached to the print bed ?
I'm just wondering how much work the clean up will be.

[Woz]

Jul 5, 2017 4:42:58 GMT -5 RedCuffs said:

So this little lady is 28mm I'm guessing ?

So the "grade of detail" (sorry, don't know the proper term) that can be adjusted by "dialing in" ...
Would that be the factor that dictates those diagonal lines we can see highlighted on the side of the weapon ?
What "dialled in grade" has this been made at ?

And are those lines only visible in the picture due to the camera flash or can you actually see them with the naked eye ?

I know I promised "no more questions" ... yeah ... y'know ...

Doh !!! ... here's another one ...
How much of it is attached to the print bed ?
I'm just wondering how much work the clean up will be.

This was just a quick test print just to see how it'll turn out as I'm using the test resin that came with the printer. The base and supports were all auto generated so they could be finer. The amount of support needed depends on the model and the angle of the model on the print bed (you angel the model to help hide the print lines). Also when you do manual supports you can set the size so they can be a fine as 0.2mm where it joins the model.

I've got some better resin (UK sourced) in gray so once I get that I can start working on the settings to get more detail

[Paimon]

Hero Forge now sells their digital print file in addition to printed models.

[Woz]

Jul 10, 2017 18:14:28 GMT -5 Paimon said:

Hero Forge now sells their digital print file in addition to printed models.

Nice, their models are printed by Shapeways

"We’re thrilled to have manufacturing and shipping handled by one of the leading names in 3D printing, Shapeways Inc"

I think 3D printing is going to make a huge impact on this type of gaming.

[Woz]

Another test piece-



10mm test cube.

The cross hairs in the middle of the hole are 0.5mm thick.

Still got some way to go before it's tuned in but it's a good start.

[Rolling Thunder]

Ooh, very nice. When you get it dialled in, would you mind doing some test prints for me, for, well, whatever compensation you think suitable?

[emptyhat]

I like the test cube but will it stab you?

[treadiculous]

any others in the south east of UK tempted to pool our resource to get one?

and thanks for your comprehensive run down, one of the best reviews of 3D printers I've come across.

[cheminhaler]

Maybe in the future, but then again in the future we'll be paupers eating pigeons raw.

I have Soul Drinker symbols ; 3D printed from Shapeways. Very, very expensive stuff but worth it for me (nearly went mad hand painting chalices on shoulder pads) - symbols to go on vehicles and another sprue of shoulder pad icons, designed to fit onto SM pads.

[cheminhaler]

Sorry to keep hijacking the thread but this is just too awesome for words:





Admittedly I was sceptical at first but they fit onto shoulder pads perfectly.

[that1guy]

moar! !!!MOAR!!!...er, ahem.... uh, I mean.  I am going to tell the Inquisition on you.

[Woz]

Printed some 1/100 scale Staghounds (Flames of War). The pics are zoomed up a bit,the hulls are 53mm long.-



Printed at 0.1mm layers as thats good enough for the table top. This printer can go down to 0.035mm and some people have got it down to 0.01mm. These were printed straight off Thingiverse.
They're not as detailed as the ones from Battlefront Miniatures (though I could've remodeled them in Blender and added detail) but at about 50p each and very little work on my part I'm not complaining.