I'm down here at sudoroom trying to get the printer to connect to
Pronterface on my Mac but I can't get it working. The printer PC is
currently occupied by someone doing email. Has anyone done it on a Mac yet?
Maybe Mac OS 10.7 is incompatible or something.
On Thu, Aug 8, 2013 at 12:08 PM, Hol Gaskill <hol(a)gaskill.com> wrote:
hey dan,
i printed the threads about half a millimeter small then chased them with
a 1/8" pipe tap to clean them up and they fit up very tight! the model
actually has 45 degree thread profile instead of 60 degrees like american
pipe and screw threads, just for printability. since this is a strainer,
it's ok to have little gaps, but if it were anything where i'd be worried
about leaks, would definitely opt for some pipe dope on the threads.
haven't fielded it yet but it did screw onto a 1/8NPT hose barb quite
nicely! If anyone is interested in learning how to model screw or pipe
threads, PM me.
you need the dimensions -
http://machiningproducts.com/html/NPT-Thread-Dimensions.html then in
solidworks, you draw a circle with same diameter as the pipe OD (which is
bigger than the nominal size since for plumbing it's what's on the inside
that counts) at the face you'll be penetrating with threads, and draw a
helix from there (EX1) . for pipe threads, the helix should be tapered 1
degree 47 minutes, but i just use 1.75 degree. then perpendicular to the
plane of that circle, you draw the tooth profile (EX2) and use the Swept
Cut tool to scoop out the tooth profile along the path of the helix you
just created.
i have an extra 4-40 tap/drill that I'll bring into the sudo shop, which
is the finest I have on hand.
i found kisslicer put some weird geometry into previously empty space of
the build but overall it worked ok.
as to the toolchain for using the 3d printer, the steps are basically:
1- create a cad model with geometry that is printable
2- export to .stl format, which is basically a list of triangular faces
that define the surface
3- use a slicing utility to create the stacks of (2D cross-section)
toolpaths that the extruder will follow and save as g-code
4- import g-code to printer host software, connect to printer, check that
the Z axis won't collide with the table, and print!
cheers,
hol
Aug 8, 2013 11:42:38 AM, dan(a)danfinlay.com wrote:
That looks nice, Hol! How is the threading holding up? I've defaulted to
just make holes too small then tap it with self-tapping plastic screws, but
I needed much finer teeth. If it gives you trouble you could try just
tapping the plastic with the final piece, if it seems too brittle, just
heat up the threaded piece first! 200C should do ;)
---Marina: Documentation is probably worthy of a
project, since it's not
really a community resource unless the community can
figure out how to use
it. What I said to Hol could be enough for someone willing to do some
research on their own, or familiar with the general concept.
Here's a very brief expansion that could be
pasted on the wiki to get the
self-driven learners started (I really don't know
if I have wiki access,
it's been a while, just humor me here):
Steps to using the 3D printer:
1. Convert your 3D model (.stl, ...) to machine-instructions, or
'.gcode'
using KisSlicer. Our KisSlicer is currently calibrated for our
Type A Machines printer using 1.75mm PLA, its print bed size, and its
nozzle diameter. Hang on to that .gcode file!
2. To control the printer itself, and send the
gcode instructions to the
printer, we use Pronterface. Once the printer is powered
on and connected,
Pronterface will give you the ability to heat up the nozzle, move any of
the motors (don't push plastic through a cold nozzle or raise the bed past
where it's touching the nozzle!), and even send a series of instructions to
the printer straight off a .gcode file. And that's all that's involved
software-wise!
Hardware Troubleshooting:
The nozzle can jam! That plastic is only being pushed through the hot
tube of
metal by a pretty small motor, so if there's a little resistance in
the hot-end, it's easy for the extruder's motor to slip, gradually
shredding up the plastic in that spot and certainly not printing.
Before you start printing, it's a good idea to
heat up the hot end (PLA
melts at 185C, some people like to print a little hotter
for smoother flow)
and then extrude some plastic, to make sure it's coming out. We've had
some jams with this hot-end before, and if you have trouble, you might want
to clear it:
To clear out the hot-end: Just heat up the hot
end, reverse the extruder
until you can pull out the plastic filament thread, and
then push something
like a pin through, as long as it is narrower than the hot end tip. Last I
checked there was a very thin alan wrench on the desk, and it worked great
once I angled it so it could go in there.
Other problems can vary dramatically. A keen eye
and a practical mind
can figure out lots of them! They can include:
-Small plastic bits interfering with the pulleys
and the timing belts,
making for weird lumps in the shape.-Stepper motors slip and
will just
click without moving if they are experiencing too much resistance for the
current they're being supplied, something might be in the way!
And more! Please contribute to this list as you
encounter problems with
our printer and solve them.
Good luck!-Dan
-Dan
On Aug 7, 2013, at 9:35 PM, Marina Kukso
marina.kukso(a)gmail.com> wrote:
thank you guys!
is the 3d printer available for anyone to use now? do we need new
documentation for
those who'd like to use it?
- marina
On Wed, Aug 7, 2013 at 7:15 PM, Hol Gaskill hol(a)gaskill.com> wrote:
OK didn't turn out perfect but I have some results to use in refining the
model for printability.
Thanks again, dan!
Aug 7, 2013 04:03:24 PM, somniac(a)me.com
wrote:
I've done it! Here's the
rundown:
>Previously your host software
was probably "Repetier-Host", which was a
nice little suite with the slicer and host software in one package. Now
things are a little different:
>First you'll use KISSlicer
to slice an .stl model into your .gcode file,
then you'll open PronterFace, where you can load that .gcode file and tell
the printer to print it. It's actually fairly similar, all the same
general functions, just in two pieces of software.
>Good luck!
-Dan
>On Aug 7, 2013, at 11:24 AM, Hol Gaskill hol(a)gaskill.com>
wrote:
>> Hi Folks,
>>
>> Who has used the 3D printer since
the host computer was re-imaged or
knows where to find documentation on how to use it posted somewhere? I
used the old one frequently but it was in a windows environment, tried to
show someone how to use it the other day and was dumbfounded. Trying to
print out some intake strainers to keep pumps from sucking in duckweed.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Hol
>>
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