Author Topic: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?  (Read 1698 times)

Bogie

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Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« on: April 04, 2022, 12:55:23 PM »
Was at Microcenter the other day, and the Ender 3 Pros were priced at $200... Almost impulse purchased one.
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RocketMan

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2022, 01:01:21 PM »
Was at Microcenter the other day, and the Ender 3 Pros were priced at $200... Almost impulse purchased one.

I have one of those Ender 3 Pros.  It's a good machine, and quality add-ons to improve its performance are not very expensive.
If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

dogmush

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2022, 01:04:34 PM »
I have 4.  There can be a steep learning curve (especially on lower priced printers and freeware to run them) but they are handy, and pretty fun to have as a hobby.

I have made a bunch of stuff for the house, some gifts, neat knick-knacks, and several functioning firearms receivers.  They are useful impulse purchases.

Nick1911

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2022, 01:05:49 PM »
I have a couple.

Good for some things.  I'm almost excursively creating my own stl's via freeCAD.

dogmush

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2022, 01:15:30 PM »
I'm bougie.  I paid for Fusion360, but the CAM package is handy for other things I do.

bedlamite

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2022, 01:16:32 PM »
Got 2 of them. At $200 I would have picked it up. I need to get better at cad.
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Bogie

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2022, 01:24:27 PM »
Okay - looks like I'll grab one.
 
What else will I need? What do you folks who I trust (gigglesnort...) recommend?
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dogmush

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2022, 01:40:55 PM »
The Ender 3 has a HUGE support base.

For starters get a couple rolls of mid-price PLA.  You don't need to get $40/roll Protopasta, bud avoid the cheapest chinese filament on Amazon.  Bad filament can be very frustrating to print with.

You will need a slicing program to convert your 3d model files to gcode the printer will run.  Last I checked Ender's were shipping with "CrealitySlicer" which is a Creality skin on a freeware slicer called Cura.  Cura is available here: https://ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura  and is better than the shitty skinned version that comes with an ender.

You will want a quality microSD card to transfer gcode from the computer to the printer.  The no brand one that comes with the printer is *expletive deleted*it.  Back up all the drivers on it and never use it again.

Obviously you need a computer, but until you get into CAD, the requirements are really low.  Anything that effectively surfs the web right now can slice.  If you want to start designing your own stuff, the computer requirements depend on the CAD package you use.  FreeCAD is, IIRC, not that bad on hardware requirements.

Then hit up Thingiverse for some models to print out.  https://www.thingiverse.com/  After you've gotten some the basics down and it's printing reliably you can look at mods or changes to fix issues with your particular setup.

If you want to get on some lists, you can hit up DEFCAD, or Ctrl Pew

zxcvbob

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2022, 02:11:32 PM »
Several friends have the resin type for making little scale model tanks and figures for war games.  My pastor has one that uses filament; he makes trinkets and kids' small toys and not sure what else.
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RocketMan

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2022, 02:25:32 PM »
Some upgrades I would recommend are a glass bed and better bed leveling springs.  You can get the Creality glass bed made for that printer on Amazon for under $19.  There are quite a few bed leveling spring kits out there that will work nicely.  Amazon has some quality kits for under $10.
Also, get an automatic bed leveling touch sensor.  The unit made for the Ender 3 Pro by Creality runs about $40 on Amazon.
If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

Nick1911

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2022, 02:48:24 PM »
Okay - looks like I'll grab one.
 
What else will I need? What do you folks who I trust (gigglesnort...) recommend?

What do you want to do with it?

dogmush

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2022, 03:18:55 PM »
Some upgrades I would recommend are a glass bed and better bed leveling springs.  You can get the Creality glass bed made for that printer on Amazon for under $19.  There are quite a few bed leveling spring kits out there that will work nicely.  Amazon has some quality kits for under $10.
Also, get an automatic bed leveling touch sensor.  The unit made for the Ender 3 Pro by Creality runs about $40 on Amazon.

Those are not bad suggestions, and I have done most of them, but I recommend printing at least a roll of filament in stuff before changing anything so that you get a feel for what changes you need.

Creality is also pretty bad about IP theft and crap knock-offs.  If you buy accessories from them, make sure it's a real thing, and not a stolen design.  a real deal BL touch sensor isn't much more than the knock-offs.

RocketMan

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2022, 03:50:17 PM »
I purchased my BL Touch sensor directly from Creality.  It's the real deal so far as I can tell.
As far a printing a bunch of stuff before adding upgrades, that is a good suggestion.  Getting a feel for what your new printer can do before you make any changes is a good idea.

I also configured a Raspberry Pi 3b+ with Octoprint to oversee my printer.  I use it to change printer settings and upload projects to it.  I have a camera on the printer that connects through Octoprint.  It allows me to monitor the printer remotely if I have to leave the room to do other things.
If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

dogmush

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #13 on: April 04, 2022, 04:23:23 PM »
Yeah, me too. RasPi with Octoprint on 3 of them, glass beds, auto-leveling, new spool holder on the Q5 and CR6, wire management on the CR-10S Pro, Z-axis sync kit.  Hell my Anet-A8 is to a stock A8 what Darth Vader is to Anakin.  But with the exception of the A8 (which I went down several rabbit holes on) I always get a feel for the new printer to see what it needs, what I might want, and what is someone else's good idea fairy.

Octoprint and a camera are pretty great, especially since it lets me quit moving SD cards around, just drag, drop, print.  But you can get started and get a feel for the printer before you go there.  On the bright side, once you have the printer dialed in you can print your own Pi cases and camera mounts.

bedlamite

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2022, 05:12:09 PM »
You will need a slicing program to convert your 3d model files to gcode the printer will run.  Last I checked Ender's were shipping with "CrealitySlicer" which is a Creality skin on a freeware slicer called Cura.  Cura is available here: https://ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura  and is better than the shitty skinned version that comes with an ender.


Another one worth checking out is ideamaker:  https://www.ideamaker.io/download.html
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zahc

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #15 on: April 04, 2022, 05:46:24 PM »
I have an artillery X1. It's fine. They are all about the same. I use it often.
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RocketMan

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #16 on: April 04, 2022, 05:53:34 PM »
Octoprint and a camera are pretty great, especially since it lets me quit moving SD cards around, just drag, drop, print.  But you can get started and get a feel for the printer before you go there.  On the bright side, once you have the printer dialed in you can print your own Pi cases and camera mounts.

All of this, for sure.  I just wish I had more time to work with my printer.
If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

Bogie

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #17 on: April 05, 2022, 12:46:51 AM »
Well, I'd like to be able to crank out a few car parts...
 
"I need a radio knob for my 1974 Buick - what do you mean they aren't available?"
 
And a few Glock mags, and a lower or three...
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K Frame

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #18 on: April 05, 2022, 07:31:00 AM »
My printer is actually 4D...

It has height, width, and depth, and it takes time to print something out.
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RoadKingLarry

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #19 on: April 05, 2022, 09:25:55 AM »
Time is just a construct of the white, cismale patriarchy, you misogynist bigot.
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HankB

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #20 on: April 06, 2022, 03:39:55 PM »
Since there seems to be a strength limit to the polymers currently offered for home-type 3D printers, it seems that there's an opportunity for someone to put out parts kits for .22 or .380 Glocks, along with matching CAD files. Maybe the printed frames would hold up when used with cartridges having lower recoil than 9mm.
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dogmush

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #21 on: April 07, 2022, 06:33:56 AM »
They hold up pretty well with 9mm and .45.


AJ Dual

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #22 on: April 07, 2022, 10:20:55 AM »
Well, I'd like to be able to crank out a few car parts...
 
"I need a radio knob for my 1974 Buick - what do you mean they aren't available?"
 
And a few Glock mags, and a lower or three...

Ender 3 pro owner here.  My personal upgrade/favorite is to use a glass build plate and generic hair spray on it for trouble-free adhesion, without too much adhesion. The hair spray works great as both an adhesive, and a release.

I did try printing PETG on bare clean glass, and that stuck so damn hard it tore chunks out of the glass.

You will want an enclosure around your printer if you want to print ABS etc. air currents, drafts etc. will cause layer separations and warpage if the printer isn't kept cozy, about 90-100F. I just bought the Creality "tent" enclosure for $80, rather than try to fab something on my own. But even a big cardboard box will work. Keeping the printer warm has other benefits, the build plate heater, and the nozzle/hotend don't have to work as hard, and won't cycle as often.

PLA will do fine in the open air. 

Light use car parts should be no problem. Stuff like knobs etc. 3D printing is perfect. And of course you can use 3D prints as mold positives to cast more durable things in aluminum. Just make the 3D printed positive a few percent bigger for metal shrinkage. (I think you've got machine tools so could even clean up a casting?) You can even do thin mold positives with light minimal infill in PLA, and just let the molten metal burn it out directly when you pour.

Menendez/Extendez Glock mags work pretty well. I've printed several. Getting springs for them from the Glock store or Wolff is hit or miss because of everything being crazy, but you can always wind your own out of music wire. Some of mine are going strong after hundreds of rounds, some, the feed lips blew off just sitting on my work bench unloaded. I just printed a new one and reused the spring, baseplate and follower. 

https://youtu.be/HLw6Yb9d1fA

I mainly use them in my "Mac Daddy" build that uses a MAC upper and bolt, AR FCG, where the lower is 3D printed and uses Glock mags.

https://imgur.com/r/firearms/ReK8Rus

Most of the AR lower files floating around are pretty good. The main weakness is the buffer tube tower and threads, and various designs address it in different ways. You might want anti-roll pins for the FCG, but hell, like everything else, if they egg out on you, just print another.

I've printed and done AR builds on a "U-Bolt Vanguard" that uses a 1" U-bolt from the hardware store to reinforce the buffer tube tower, and there's newer designs out there with other reinforcements for the buffer tower. 

I've also 3D printed a .32ACP VZ61 Scorpion lower receiver that uses a parts kit upper and bolt, Scorpion mags, and an AR FCG. It runs well.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Uvbuo24BWEg

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dogmush

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #23 on: April 07, 2022, 10:35:07 AM »
Huh.

We've printed pretty much the same guns.

I ran my first MacDaddy to destruction, but it took a while. Second is still going.  I need to print the receiver I have the file for that uses a Mac upper and has a vertical rail for a folding brace.

I have one of the various G19 frames printed as well, and they work well.  Rails are easy to make.

AJ Dual

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Re: Any of youse guys have a 3D printer?
« Reply #24 on: April 07, 2022, 10:38:41 AM »
Huh.

We've printed pretty much the same guns.

I ran my first MacDaddy to destruction, but it took a while. Second is still going.  I need to print the receiver I have the file for that uses a Mac upper and has a vertical rail for a folding brace.

Did it fail at the front trunnion pin just under the chamber/barrel? That's where mine always crack. I've got limited CAD ability so I've been waiting on someone to drop a file where it's reinforced or thickened there.
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