Topic: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

Just want to check something...

Can you print http://www.thingiverse.com/download:17746 and see if the CHB Main PCB mounts on that nicely?

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

I have a cupcake. Can you point at the thingy description page, instead of just the stl download?  It's hard to find the page from must the d/l number.

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

Hi,

I thought the download link gets you the STL directly...

Not much description but it is the "InfocastFrame.stl" in Thing : http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5681

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

Madox wrote:

I thought the download link gets you the STL directly...

It does... but then I'd have to be sitting at a computer that can view .stl files, and the .stl file is just a shell anyway.

So... it looks like this is your design, but you don't have a 3D printer?  It's hard to tell from the picture how big it is.  What are the dimensions?

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

It fits the Main PCB approximately 100 x 80 x 40.

I have a 3D Printer, I tried it against the C1 and the Infocast motherboards but I don't have a CHB.  I had to modify cases because of connector differences between C1/Infocast and just want to check against CHB [Even though it looks like it'll fit visually].

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

Ah, OK.  It's probably worth a check.  The CHB has some mechanical differences and it's always easy to get snagged by stuff like that. 

It sounds like it pretty much fills the build platform -- mine anyway, which is effectively 100 x 90 or so.  How long does it take to print?

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

I didn't realize that was one piece. I'm working on an infocast case too and it literally is edge to edge on the cupcake without a raft. I'm having quite a time getting my printer to a state to print something that big acceptably. The pic shows your piece with the long length up. Is that how you printed it?

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

Hi Billy, I printed it in various orientations.

Long length up, with the wider side as the base with supports is my preferred orientation, don't trust Thingiverse preview pics... it just depends how i modelled it.

Does Cupcake do supports?

9 (edited by n6nz 2011-01-25 13:37:26)

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

Well, the question is really 'does skeinforge do supports", and the stock software from Makerbot uses a really old skeinforge (at least the last time I updated....) so anyway on my workbench, no.

I don't have a heated build platform yet (another kit that is still in the box on the workbench), so large prints are a roll of the dice because the probability of a peeled raft is 0 < p < 0.5 with my current system tuning (and printer operating skill).  The build platform is 100 x 100, but you lose some X because of mounting screw heads, so effectively 100mm in Y before you fall off the edge and 90mm in X before you risk crashing into a screw head.  125mm Z.  My daughter did a cookie cutter for her track coach and although the part was under 100mm, the raft was like 102mm in Y, so we had some interesting drizzle off the edge of the platform -- interestingly, that certainly fixes raft peelage.  Ended up with a beautiful print.

@Billy
You may have heard this before, but tune the thermistor tracking!   My first small prints were only so-so successful, and I couldn't do large stuff.  I set out to do a full-up and thorough calibration, expecting a long grind.  First step was to hook up a multi-meter with a thermocouple probe to the print head to adjust the thermistor.  I got the thermistor and thermocouple to track +/- 1C -- which is about as good as you can expect from that hardware, I think.  Anyway, with *just* *that* change, all of a sudden prints started coming out beautiful and reliable using default skeinforge settings.

My other piece of Makerbot wisdom is the Z-axis wobble arrestors and such to kill wobble are a band-aid on the real problem.  First, make sure the Z axis rods are straight.  Then... realize that you are putting an imperial threaded rod into a metric bearing, and there is a huge amount of slop!!  Find some magnet wire or something to wrap in the threads to keep the Z rods centered in the bearings while you tighten them down.  Wobble will be gone.

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

n6nz (eek you're on the wrong side of the Earth too?) :

That's some interesting insight for me thanks.

I never bothered to look up Makerbot limitations, yet I've been hoping my Thingiverse designs can be used by most.

Billy - Maybe you can adapt the idea and make it multiple pieces with screw mounts.  Self tapping screws are great wink  How are you going with your new machine?

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

Self tapping screws are great

Weld-On #16 all the way, baby!

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

n6nz wrote:

Well, the question is really 'does skeinforge do supports", and the stock software from Makerbot uses a really old skeinforge (at least the last time I updated....) so anyway on my workbench, no.

I now use skeinforge standalone (39) and only use ReplicatorG to do the actual print. It was a hassle, but I'm glad I'm going this route now. It does supports, but they can be quite difficult to remove. I need to do some more fiddling with sizing/temperature to see what I can do about that.

n6nz wrote:

I don't have a heated build platform yet (another kit that is still in the box on the workbench), so large prints are a roll of the dice because the probability of a peeled raft is 0 < p < 0.5 with my current system tuning (and printer operating skill).  The build platform is 100 x 100, but you lose some X because of mounting screw heads, so effectively 100mm in Y before you fall off the edge and 90mm in X before you risk crashing into a screw head.  125mm Z.  My daughter did a cookie cutter for her track coach and although the part was under 100mm, the raft was like 102mm in Y, so we had some interesting drizzle off the edge of the platform -- interestingly, that certainly fixes raft peelage.  Ended up with a beautiful print.

I got a deal on the ultimate kit and it comes with the automated build platform. I ran the automated build exactly one time before I got irritated with it and stole the heating platform for just a regular old heated build platform. The ABP is a total gimmick for trade shows IMO.

I tried another attempt at printing tonight after a bunch of fiddling. No raft so I have a whole 1mm of room of platform left on each side! haha. Unfortunately I screwed around with some stuff to fixup a blob problem on the standoffs, but that ended up causing a bunch of holes elsewhere. I am definitely making progress though and after each build I can make changes to the model so it fits better.

n6nz wrote:

@Billy
You may have heard this before, but tune the thermistor tracking!   My first small prints were only so-so successful, and I couldn't do large stuff.  I set out to do a full-up and thorough calibration, expecting a long grind.  First step was to hook up a multi-meter with a thermocouple probe to the print head to adjust the thermistor.  I got the thermistor and thermocouple to track +/- 1C -- which is about as good as you can expect from that hardware, I think.  Anyway, with *just* *that* change, all of a sudden prints started coming out beautiful and reliable using default skeinforge settings.

+/-1C is way better than I've heard anyone else managing. You should do a tutorial! Geez. Mine is at least +/-3C outtawhack, but that's much better than the +/-15C it was initially! Good to hear that print quality goes up too. I have a new goal. Thanks.

n6nz wrote:

My other piece of Makerbot wisdom is the Z-axis wobble arrestors and such to kill wobble are a band-aid on the real problem.  First, make sure the Z axis rods are straight.  Then... realize that you are putting an imperial threaded rod into a metric bearing, and there is a huge amount of slop!!  Find some magnet wire or something to wrap in the threads to keep the Z rods centered in the bearings while you tighten them down.  Wobble will be gone.

What?? I've never even heard of this. That is ridiculous. Really? Is this some some of crazy anti-binding solution? Geez. I print a couple of the wobble arrestor springs, but was thinking of removing them and doing something else. I was planning on designing a new zstage, but I'll give what you suggest a try.

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

Madox wrote:

Billy - Maybe you can adapt the idea and make it multiple pieces with screw mounts.  Self tapping screws are great wink  How are you going with your new machine?

I originally made it in multiple pieces, but I decided that I just REALLY wanted one piece to be stubborn. Well.. Two pieces. A front and a back.

It's going well, but there is a lot of stuff that is just super annoying on the software side. I'm actually surprised at how sloppy the machine can be setup and still kick out good prints. It's just when you start wanting large dimensional parts when you need good setup.

Re: Anyone with a CHB and a 3D Printer?

Is this some some of crazy anti-binding solution?

Things don't bind if they are all aligned right.  And the Z wobble simply comes from them not being concentric with the bearings. Anything that keeps the rods concentric in the bearings is a win.  Wrapping some solid wire of the right size in the rod threads where they go into the bearing is just a simple shim.