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Thread: Jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon

  1. Back To Top    #61

    Re: Jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon

    ok i have a scanner too but it's just a flatbed 2D household document scanner (currently a HP M477-something all-in-one printer + fax + scanner). For the mouse pad, i just scanned it and got a nice email of a 600 dpi surface/picture. Then imported this picture as a material for use in the cad drawing and there it is....
    Click image for larger version. 

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  2. Back To Top    #62

    Re: Jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon

    So - thank you guys for even letting me know there was a printing vendor, Shapeways.
    It looks like they actually use a higher-tech print method even for their cheapest options...
    For example, for this I selected the "Versatile Plastic" (I believe that's Nylon) which sounds like it has properties that would work fine for this application... but even with that they use a process called laser SLS:
    Click image for larger version. 

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    $34 is for white... surprised black jumps it up to $42, but white is probably better for initial inspection at any rate... however I don't know I'd want to buy this twice since that would be $76. Hmm...
    The gamble is - did I get it right, or will there be tweaks needed?

    And I'm still interested, if I bought my OWN printer, what do you think the actual material consumption cost would be to print it myself?
    I imagine they are charging some premium here above and beyond what a DIY print job would cost.

    Is the standard filament similar to this nylon? Maybe my thoughts on needing (or even wanting) ABS are maybe misplaced?

    EDIT:
    One more thought on this - I saw in that article for reducing print costs, that the layout was important. Here I just put them side-by-side...

    ...technically they DO fit inside each other of course - the connector inside the cup - but I'd hate to have something happen and it shows up with the connector bonded to the cup.
    I was thinking maybe I could put three or four tiny spheres above the surface of the cup, below the surface of the connector, just touching each - the intent being to print them stacked like that, and then (hopefully) they'd break away easily. Is that foolish or wise to try to pull off?
    Last edited by geolemon; 06-01-2020 at 09:31 AM.

  3. Back To Top    #63
    Owner BigAl205's Avatar
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    Re: Jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon

    Laser SLS is a completely different type of printing than the standard filament style. It lifts the print up similar to resin-style printers, except it uses a laser to melt/adhere layers of powdered plastic.

  4. Back To Top    #64

    Re: Jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon

    So that's the problem... I'm not sure how the costs compare.
    I was hoping that the Shapeways estimate would at least give me a clue as to the cost of materials, but this is a whole different technology, plus I expect they have a premium for their services and profit margins.

    And do you think that if I modeled up the stack with tiny spheres, that would work to reduce the contract-print costs, like the article advised? My fear is, if bonded too solidly, it's pretty inaccessible to me - that surface where the connector doesn't quite touch down (once magnets are installed) on the inside of the cup. I don't want them stuck together permanently like little spot welds.

  5. Back To Top    #65

    Re: Jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon

    @geolemon, somewhere in the slicing software we can set the price and weight of a roll of filament. After slicing it knows how much (weight/volume) the print uses and can estimate the material cost. The prices of filament went up a lot recently and some favorite ones may not be in stock (use alternate brands, but all higher prices lately). A casual look/guess is maybe $2+ of material if it's solid and has some support here and there. Of course there are many different types/materials and prices of filaments but maybe that looks like a $2+ range. Usually we like less/fewer support because it's faster and cleaner to print, and less support pieces to rip out later post process. But if we need it there, then just let it be there (material price/cost of support pieces is somewhat negligible... fraction only)

    We can buy nylon filaments too. All the "better" materials are more troublesome to print. PLA or PLA+ is the easiest, but sometimes may need a reprint, but is easier to be successful.

    The outsourced SLS method is of course done without support since it's layers (very clean pieces). Putting the solids side by side (as in your picture) 0.5 or 1.0 mm apart will be fine for home or outsourced.

  6. Back To Top    #66

    Re: Jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon

    Wow, $8 or 12 for the coloring at shapeways. But I think it's because they are counting it as 2 separate pieces (4 or 6 each). Normally their natural nylon is white or off white color and then they dye the color. That also means it may not be the same twice on different days. The color intensity will be different depending on how long they soak/dye it.

  7. Back To Top    #67
    Owner BigAl205's Avatar
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    Re: Jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon

    If you send me the file, I'll slice it and see what I can figure out

  8. Back To Top    #68

    Re: Jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon

    Again this is my totally amateur Tinkercad default "Export", so let me know if there's anything lacking with this and maybe there's another way I can export it:

    ...actually it's not letting me attach the .zip file for the OBJ format or the .stl file for the STL format. Are those blocked? I was trying to use the "Attachments" link on the "Advanced" editor.

  9. Back To Top    #69

    Re: Jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon

    Hmmm might be low $1 range. Pretend it's a $20 spool for 1 kg filament. These days $25 or $28 a roll. Anyways with $20 it's $0.02 per gram. PLA density is 1.24 gm per cm3. ABS or nylon is less dense but usually costs more. That shapeways pix said 41.21 cm3. Pretend/add 10% for support pieces if we print it ourselves. That comes out to low $1 range maybe.

  10. Back To Top    #70
    Owner BigAl205's Avatar
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    Re: Jumping on the 3D printer bandwagon

    I'd have to manually add permission to upload the extension...more trouble than it's worth. I PMed you my email

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