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3d printing software and extras


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I finally splurged and ordered a 3d printer. It is quite shocking how quickly they have dropped in price over the last decade! Even MORE shocking is how expensive some software is. I mean damn, autoCad is subscription only (total bullshit bizz model imho) and costs $210 a month! I mean shit man, thats more than 1/3 my mortgage and its rental software! Then theres the cloud based crap that is absolutely not an option, as my internet sucks AND I find it in poor taste to require me use some server's computing to complete my tasks. What are you guys using? Am I just shit out of luck, as Im unwilling to rent software, rely on internet for its use, or spend more on it each year than my car cost to outright buy?My drafting experience ended WAY before people started using computers. Im no stranger to blueprinting and drafting on tables, but this 'new' computer drafting is something I never learned. It would be nice to use this printer as an excuse to slowly teach myself drafting (thus helping justify expenses), but it will NEVER become more than a hobby and I cant invest in it as a business owner would.

Any suggestions on where I should start? Im not into stealing software and Im not a fan of borrowing (trials), unless I am genuinely evaluating it to purchase. I really havent much plans or ideas on wtf I'll use the printer for, I just wanted one and now one is on order. From what I understand (which isnt much), theres a lot of neat projects that smarter people are sharing with us pencil pushers.  Again, any advice would be great!

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Woohoo! 3D printing is a super fun hobby. What kind of printer did you end up getting, if you don't mind me asking? I have a 1st gen SeeMeCNC Artemis, and a couple custom builds. I've been eyeing that Prusa Mini though, and my mother is actually gonna be getting one in soon! Kinda jelly. 😋

If cloud based isn't an option (I've heard OnShape is pretty good), then I highly recommend Autodesk Fusion 360! There's a free license for hobbyists. Lots of good tutorials, and it's really a great software. I like it a lot, especially for the price of free. 😁

Edited by redfoxdude
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I read that AutoDesk Fusion IS cloudbased? Its their autocad that isnt, but its a damn rental model and stupid expensive.  I ended up with a creatality cr10 v3 or some shit. I have to wait a month for it as I chose the newer version with titan head. I dont know jack shit about it, but i do see a TON of threads about necessary mods for the previous cr10's. I'd imagine its some knockoff but I do admire when a company listens to the public and makes those 'mods' become standard on new versions. Its supposed to be able to handle more materials? Like I said, I don't know jack shit, but i do know that a larger bed would make multi parts faster.  I'd imagine I'll make the plastic suppliers really happy as I waste and screw up enough of it.

Edited by ShanesPlanet
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Oh, no, Fusion can be had as a local program, though there is a super crappy limited cloud version, too. You can work on your projects from either the local program or the cloud program, which is kinda neat I guess? I found the cloud version to lack tons of features, so I don't use it really. Fusion does backup all your stuff to the cloud, though. And the Creality CR-10 series had been pretty popular, seems like a fun machine, especially if you're a tinkerer, haha!

Edited by redfoxdude
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I didnt know that about the fusion. I looked at it first as it sounded like it fit the needs. I'll have to look at it again. My internet is total shit, tis why I really try hard not to rely on it to use hardware.  I've already got a few ideas in mind. Im a drummer and like to bang on electric guitar. Hell, between those 2 and the euc, I could probably spend years trying to make useful boxes and holders and shit. Building in 3d and having it around for random ideas and projects, sounds like fun to me... At the very least, It'll keep me away from other evils... :)

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Any suggestions on brand of filament, or are they all similar in quality across brands? Is it a 'get what you pay for' , or 'get robbed if you pay more' type thing? I'd imagine a roll of pla is standard. I'd also like a wood type filament and perhaps something a little more flexible. Again, total novice and I'm just trying to get a grasp on materials for basic tasks but not total crap. I'm downloading fusion now, I'll give it a go..

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Some of the more expensive filaments are definitely of significantly higher quality. That said, I've had a decent experience with Hatchbox, eSUN, and Inland filaments, as far as the lower end of the spectrum. Going too cheap can definitely bite you in the butt with filament.
Costing a little more, I really like Prusament a lot, probably my favorite filament I've used, but Amazon has been sold out or price gauging, otherwise you have to get it from the source in Prague. I also really like Atomic Filament. All the filament I've been referring to are PLAs or PETGs. PLA is a pretty nice material to work with for sure. I usually stick with PLA unless I need more durability or temperature resistance, and then I'll use PETG.
I've tried SainSmart wood filament that turned out okay, but I only had a sample. I also got decent results with SainSmart TPU, but it really needs to be kept super dry.

Edited by redfoxdude
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What are you planning on printing?  As @redfoxdude stated, hatchbox, esun, are good. For PLA I've had some pretty good experience with Amazon Basics as well. For PETG, 3D Hero for me was good, Xyltech was also not bad, and once again Amazon Basics PETG did pretty well too. Prusament is definitely going to be more higher end, so until you have your machine dialed in it would be a waste IMO haha. PolyAlchemy Elixir for those gorgeous shiny prints.

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The quality of many of the filaments is all over the place right now because of Covid.   SUNLU Plus was on of my favorites. Now many of the SUNLU rolls are simply unusable. I refuse to buy SUNLU again in the next 5 years.

The best all around filament that I have found is eSun Pro plus. 

Inland is just rebranded less than perfect eSun.  The biggest difference that I have found is color matching. 

Hatchbox is good when strength is not as important.

In normal times, there are many good filaments. 

Edited by RockyTop
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  • 1 month later...

Just got my printer and this is going to be fun! I printed a few bullshit trinkets and have been learning the software. I can tell you this: I cannot seem to get the PETG to work at all. The pla works like a charm. I havent tried the Nylon yet. There are quiet a few setting in this software that Im still not quite sure of. IN time... lots of time that is! I can definitely see how a nerd can waste their life away on one of these machines. Even random bullshit is fun.DSCN7952.thumb.JPG.209242bffbb6e87217c289143c9d66f9.JPG

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Very stringy and likes to make a big mess. I think I am getting it dialed in, as I did manage to make a coin from it. However, my latest creation was in pla and I managed to get it to stick so well, a chunk of glass came up with it when i removed it. I knew this would be a learning experience, so Im not surprised at all. I did order a few colors of Pla+ as it just seems to print very easily. I guess I'll need to flip this glass over and try some more. Inevitable, I'll have to find a new base as I can imagine this glass wont last long either.

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They send a putty knife with the kit. I have not found a use for it. I use a razor blade scraper on glass. I just find a corner and slide it under. I also clean the glass with the scraper. Most cleaners leave residues. 
 

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6 hours ago, RockyTop said:

They send a putty knife with the kit. I have not found a use for it. I use a razor blade scraper on glass. I just find a corner and slide it under. I also clean the glass with the scraper. Most cleaners leave residues. 
 

I got a putty knife too. I think I'll use it next time I paint or plaster... Once I flipped over to the smooth glass, its been good so far. Have to run the bed hot for petg. Odd how 5 degrees makes such a difference. Rubbing alcohol doesnt seem to be leaving much. I just grab a paper towel and wipe. Razor blade isnt really needed if i let bed cool. Im sure papertowels will leave dust and will bite me eventually. Any general rule to go by when it comes to infill and structure?

1 hour ago, davinche said:

PETG is a little stringier than PLA. You have to print it a lot slower. On my ender3, I can print PLA at ~70mm/s, but for PETG, I slow it down to 20-25.

My petg seems to do fine at anything under 60mm/s, I am having good luck with it at 100mms, but thats just pushing out rough trinkets. Im about to run a batch of BS trinkets in petg at 120mm/s, just to see wtf happens. The trinkets look better hairy anyhow. Its still mostly experiments for now. Fun stuff.

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I am addicted to Fusion 360 for design and Simplify3D as slicer. For me it is an unbeatable combination. One might say that S3D is a little outdated in some areas (profile management, printer management, etc.), but the slicing results are just excellent, imho...

Regarding PETG and speed: it is mostly about retraction speed, amount, coasting and temperature - play with it in steps of 5 degrees. If you have a bowden extruder, a really good tube (like the blue Capricorn tube) can significantly improve printing performance, too.

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  • 6 months later...

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