FDM PLA 3D printing - with a model making inclination

[Dave Ward]

maybe next time, Dave, leave the centre frame intact and cut just off-centre?

Maybe, but I was concerned to get almost a symmetrical part, that is, all I had to do was mirror the part to produce a whole. It obviously only would work on a symmetrical form. Certainly something to try with a suitable subject
I've been playing with PETG - I had difficulty in getting the first layer to stick - bed temperature at 70C, fans at 50%, nozzle 240C. I eventually turned off the auto level & depended on my manual levelling, and this seems to work. Although I've still yet to print a big part - I wonder whether it's actually worth all the messing around.........................
Dave

[Neil Merryweather]

I've never had much success with it, Dave , and I don't really see the point to be honest

[JR]

Bet you have hrs of fun looking a drawings on the net considering what to print next Dave .
That figure looks really neat .

[Dave Ward]

nd I don't really see the point to be honest

I only bought a 500g reel - I think I'll quietly forget about it - just too much hassle for a theoretical advantage
Dave

[stillp]

What is the theoretical advantage?
Pete

[Neil Merryweather]

What is the theoretical advantage?
Pete

It's more robust for every day or practical applications,not really relevant for model making. I think it's more heat resistant - it certainly prints at a higher temperature

[Gary MacKenzie]

What is the theoretical advantage?
Pete

explanation from one of the better YouTubers.

[Dave Ward]

What is the theoretical advantage?
Pete

Stronger than PLA..............
Dave

[Dave Ward]

I've been printing some models that are taking long times to print - one is just about finished, and it has taken just over 18 hours to print, the output of number of models isn't large, but hopefully better in quality.
Whilst the printer has been busy, I've been searching the 'net for further subjects - I've found loads of 1/1800 ship models, but they aren't detailed enough to upscale - however, there are a lot of wargaming models at 28mm scale, which you can generally upscale to 1/35, you can find some beauties, like the Vickers 'Independant', the Fiat 2000 & a Sherman BARV
I did find onr that Jakko mentioned recently - the Terrapin

I've just sliced it & it's telling me that it will take 19 hours to print - I'll have to go back & see if I can tweak a few settings to reduce that time..........................
Dave

[Dave Ward]

After 18 hours of printing - a bust! It was a 100mm high Phalanx CIWS - the main body is OK, but the barrels of the 20mm vulcan cannon are just too small to FDM print - it's not apparent until you remove all the supports - I'll have another look tomorrow, to see if I can salvage it, nut not too optimistic :sad:
Dave

[Gary MacKenzie]

Can you use Microsoft 3d Builder or your slicer to cut the barrels into a separate file and print them vertically?

[Dave Ward]

This is how the Phalanx appeared after printing......................

Virtually covered with support material - this was carefully prised off - revealing

I stopped cleaning it up when I realised the barrel was beyond redemption. I'm going to try & find a replacement barrel cluster, print that ( but not in such fine detail ) & do a bit of transplant surgery. I'm reluctant to discard 18 hours printer time!
On a more successful note, I looked at printing another ship model, split down the middle - It would be impossible to FDM print normally. due to all the overhangs & undercuts.
This is the Orient in 1/350 - French Flagship of Admiral Brueys at the Battle of the Nile 1798. She was destroyed by a magazine explosion. They say that renaming a ship is unlucky - her previous name was Sans-Culotte! ( she was also famous as part of the subject of ' the boy stood on the burning deck ' poem )

One rather macabre fact is that a coffin was made from part of the mainmast of the Orient & presented to Lord Nelson & he was interred in it, inside the sarcophagus in St Paul's Cathedral.
I have printed the masts, but they need a lot of careful clean up - then, of course, how to do any rigging or even sails............
Dave

[Dave Ward]

A couple of prints from the Monoprice

Goalkeeper CIWS - Dutch equivalent of Phalanx

Australian 3" mortar carrier in 1/35 - locally produced in WWII - then handed to Nationalist China.
Yellow filament - the Sunlu printer didn't like this, I tried it on the Monoprice with the same settings & it worked! Not very good filament, though, it doesn't seem to give a great deal of detail & strings a lot

The next print on the Sunlu is the longest I've done so far - It predicted just under 20 hrs, but it took 10 minutes under 24!!
It took 84m of filament ( meaning cost was < £4 ). I was getting nervous around the 22 hour mark, as I thought I may not have enough filament on the spool. You can pause the print & change filament, but it's not something I like doing!. I think I've got about 5m left on the spool.
Like a housebrick made of Lego! A lot of supports - all to be carefully removed!
Several hours later..................





British Mk.I Terrapin 4t amphibious lorry in 1/35, upscaled from 1/56. Not very successful, used on operations in the Scheldt Estuary in 1944. It had two engines each driving one side ( it was a skid steerer ) - if one engine stalled, then it could only circle. It was very tall, which made disembarking difficult, if not dangerous, and on land, the drivers' central position gave poor visibilty. The load area was divided in two, making carriege of large sized loads difficult - the US DUKW was far more flexible in its use.
Two white wheels? A case of brainfade - I only printed 6 wheels at first, only realising my mistake after changing filament in the Monoprice..................
Looks like the grandaddy of the Stalwart!
Dave

[Dave Ward]

In case you're wondering - things don't always work out.....................
I'd started this print & the first layers went down OK, I went about my usual morning routine, when I heard an unusual noise from the printer, just enough to attract my attention

The print came adrift from the build plate - this was 1 hour into a 9 hour print, luckily I was there & caught it after a few minutes!
I think what happened was that the print warped at one corner, enough for the print head to catch & pull the print off, of course the printer doesn't know this & continues through the motions!
One of the reasons I don't like printing overnight - I've done it,, but there's always the chance that the print will fall off, seconds after you close the bedroom door - then you find 8 hours of plastic wool piled up.
I've resliced the print, turning it through 45 degrees, and used some glue stick ( I use Pritt stick ) - I don't usually need this, but belt & braces. It's 2 hours into it at the moment & it's looking good. It's a weird print anyway. It's not a model that hasn't been injection moulded, but I don't fancy paying £50 for an example - It will be revealed in due course
Dave -

[Neil Merryweather]

In case you're wondering - things don't always work out.....................
I'd started this print & the first layers went down OK, I went about my usual morning routine, when I heard an unusual noise from the printer, just enough to attract my attention
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1206584[/ATTACH]
The print came adrift from the build plate - this was 1 hour into a 9 hour print, luckily I was there & caught it after a few minutes!
I think what happened was that the print warped at one corner, enough for the print head to catch & pull the print off, of course the printer doesn't know this & continues through the motions!
One of the reasons I don't like printing overnight - I've done it,, but there's always the chance that the print will fall off, seconds after you close the bedroom door - then you find 8 hours of plastic wool piled up.
I've resliced the print, turning it through 45 degrees, and used some glue stick ( I use Pritt stick ) - I don't usually need this, but belt & braces. It's 2 hours into it at the moment & it's looking good. It's a weird print anyway. It's not a model that hasn't been injection moulded, but I don't fancy paying £50 for an example - It will be revealed in due course
Dave -

Very familiar, Dave-I've had many a pile of plastic wool in my time....