All posts by VickyTGAW

3D Printing

Painters Tape for the Wanhao!

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The last full printing day before Maker Faire Nova, I went to start a print on the Wanhao and the whole machine shut down.  The LCD Panel went black, the steppers turned off, the works.

Anomaly?

I turned the machine off and on and tried again– same result.

I turned the machine off and on and then went to Quick Settings->Preheat PLA— same result, the machine died.

I figured the worse, but I did a quick Google search and the very first link I pulled up was a discussion on Thingiverse about how the motherboard can’t always handle the load of the heated bed.

Hmm….  Worth an experiment.

I turned the machine back on and I tried just heating up the Extruder.  The machine kept running.

Well if the 3D Printing Dieties were trying to stop me from printing on that Wanhao, there is something they don’t know:

I actually kinda like printing on Painter’s Tape!  🙂

I know, I know.  I’m in the vast minority.

  • I fancy how fast I can start and remove prints (not waiting for the bed to heat up and cool down).
  • I also like how if my first layer is a little too close and the print wants to  be stubborn coming off, I have the freedom of just using the BuildTak Spatula to rip the tape to remove my object.
  • Finally, for things were I want the top layer and bottom layer to be similar in appearance (like dice or spinning PokeStops), I find the Painter’s Tape to have a better match than the shiny gloss that comes with a heated bed— particularly a glass heated bed.

The things I wanted to print didn’t need a heated bed, so I resliced with no heat and the show went on!
3D Printing - Painter's Tape on the Wanhao

3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Slicing

What I Have in the Works for #MakerFaireNova

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At the time of publishing this video, I have about 8 days left until Maker Faire Nova on March 19, 2017. More information about the event and tickets can be purchased at http://nova.makerfaire.com/

For my third time participating, I am focusing on 3D prints with embedded elements. With the help of my MakerGear M2, the Wanhao Duplicator i3, and my ever trusty Simplify3D, here’s what I got brewing:

Embedded Prints Within Prints

  • Glowing Anglerfish
  • Multi-colored Gyro Cube
  • Giant Spinning PokeStop*

*I may have attached it differently had I seen Joel Telling’s 200mm bridge first over at 3D Printing Nerd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL0nWJ__PNM : )

Embedded Mirrors

  • The mirrored candleholder
  • A mirrored vase*

*The mirrored vase can also be seen on A Pyro Design’s channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IL3q7-osqE

Embedded Nuts

  • Taphandles (as seen in my last video)
  • WIP – Rhododendron Drawer Pulls

Embedded Sand!

  • Standing Cancer Ribbons
  • A dramatic 131 gram difference with Rockledge Mansion Christmas Ornaments

Embedded Split Rings

  • Work In Progress – A long chain of “Kinetic Houndstooth”. What I’m doing with that…. Phew, to be determined.

Embedded Corks

  • A Wine Holder…Made of Old Wine Corks! : )

Embedded Magnets

3D Modeling, 3D Printing, Slicing

Embedding Nuts for WORKING Tap Handles!

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For this video, I get to share a fun project I did for a new brewery called Heroic Aleworks! You can find them at http://www.heroicaleworks.com

The owners of Heroic Aleworks, don’t just consider themselves brewers, but nerds as well! As a great compliment to their very geeky tasting room (they even have a bathroom painted like a tardis), they have 3D Printed Tap Handles.

This is a great illustration of the “rapid product development” 3D Printing is touted for. They approached me on a Tuesday and we had working Tap Handles by Friday!

To make the tap handles functional, we embedded a standard 3/8″ nut into the print itself to screw onto the keg hardware and that’s where the project got fun!

This video talks about how thinking about the printing orientation ahead of time impacted the design, particularly with the consideration of the hole for the nut.

Nut Animation - Step3

It also goes over my multiple processes in Simplify 3D and my custom starting and end scripts (same old, same old– very similar to what was used for embedding mirrors and the multi colored Gyro Cube).

Design Notes:
Final Dimensions for my Hole for 3/8″ Nut – 15mm x 17.8mm x 9mm
Final Dimensions for Octagon Hole for Bolt – 11mm Diameter

Custom Ending Script for my processes:
G91 ; relative mode
G1 Z100 ; lift 100mm

Custom Starting Script for Third Process
G90 ; absolute mode

Custom Starting Script for Final Process (After Color Change)
G92 E0 ; zero extruder
G1 E25 F225 ; purge nozzle
G92 E0 ; zero extruder
G90 ; absolute mode

Thanks for watching!

Press

My Maker Coin on 3D Printing Industry

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3D Benchy is arguably one of the most well known prints out there and it is commonly used for calibration and testing out a printer’s capabilities.  It is no surprise that 3D Printing Industry did an article on the Jolly 3D Printing Torture Test.

The 3D Benchy ‘torture test’ that pushes 3D printers to the limit

And at the very end of the article, my “From Failure Comes Knowledge” makes a cameo (along with some great tips from Joel Telling)

 

3D Modeling

My Model at CES!!!

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Well a hat tip to the impressively, eagle-eyed Joel Telling for noticing this. One of my models, the Spinning PokeStop Ornament, was one of the showcase prints at a booth at CES. I’m not sure if they followed the attribution clause of my Creative Commons Licensing…. but I’m still excited that a model of mine was used.

3D Printing, Slicing

Wishing You Many Fails in 2017!

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When we are pushing the limits, we are going to encounter fails. But through failure comes knowledge and at times, it even brings about extra creativity. On that note, I hope 2017 brings you many fails!

In December, I did a last minute contribution to the A Pyro Design Maker Coin Holiday Tree. In my coin, I wanted to celebrate the failures that comes along with learning 3D Printing. I call it, “From Failure Comes Knowledge“. This video details the inspirations behind the coin, a little taste of the modeling in Blender, and the [embarrassing] two fails I had printing it.

The From Failure Comes Knowledge Coin on Thingiverse:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1936616/

Check the makers who have already made the coin!

Jim at Another 3D Printing Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgXpTIrI0KK8_wXMcHLA1fw

Matt at How I Do It https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJTkCgyQbUU2kpiwhrbLK_A

And of course, Travis and Heather at A Pyro Design
https://www.youtube.com/c/Apyrodesign

Other Models Mentioned in the Video:
The famous 3D Benchy
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:763622

Drooloop Flowers http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:240158
Furry Vase http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1800503
Furry Christmas Tree http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1941557

Thank you so much for watching. Have a fantastic 2017!