3D Printing

chillyspoon

Do any of you use 3D printing in your woodworking?

boomdocker

I've used mine to make an idle wheel for my old belt sander, if that counts..

chillyspoon

Yeah, that's exactly the kind of thing I was thinking of - I only recently got mine so I've made a couple of dowel centre finders, and an jig that turns a small flat metal square into one that can run along an edge. I've got a little sanding block in progress at the moment.

..Brian..

I've used mine to make adaptors so all my tools fit onto the same fitting on my shop vac hose, worth every penny just for that alone!

Calahonda52

Interesting post- thank you.

Can you post some on what sort of hardware & software is required and some indicative costs of the printer/software and the consumables.
:

What sort of PC is required?

Thanks

chillyspoon

You can get started with a decent enough printer for a couple of hundred euro. Here are a couple solid examples:

• AnyCubic i3 Mega: https://www.anycubic.com/products/anycubic-i3-mega
• Creality Ender 3: https://www.creality3dofficial.com/products/creality-ender-3-pro-3d-printer
• Original Prusa Mini: https://www.prusa3d.com/original-prusa-mini/

Seriously, seriously good software is available for free and any home computer is plenty enough to get started, Windows and Mac for those below (and Linux with some tweakage or virtualization).

• Fusion 360 for CAD (as long as you respect non-commercial use): https://www.autodesk.eu/products/fusion-360/
• PrusaSlicer (can work with all of the above, not just Prusa printers) for slicing: https://www.prusa3d.com/prusaslicer/
• MeshMixer when you get to the point of wanting to adjust models manually: http://www.meshmixer.com/download.html

Also, a massive community freely sharing models that are already tried and tested:

• https://www.thingiverse.com/
• http://cults3d.com/

Here are the sanding blocks I did this week, one flush-sided and one bow sander:

Calahonda52

Thanks Chilly, as always.

So how big are the items you show above, I see some physical limits on printers such as 150 mm cubed?

Are you FDM or SLP/DLP?

chillyspoon

Calahonda52 wrote: »

So how big are the items you show above, I see some physical limits on printers such as 150 mm cubed?

Are you FDM or SLP/DLP?

To give some scale to the photo, the bow sander is about 135mm long.

FDM's the option for me; it's easier for beginners in terms of materials handling and process, cheaper in terms of material costs, and usually the machine too, and at the DIY FDM level tends to produce tougher workpieces, subject to filament choice - resin machines tend to use harder/more brittle plastics but with the benefit of a better finish.

I say DIY level because when you get into big money all kinds of fancy technologies become available, e.g. imagine a polycarbonate filament with a single continuous strand of carbon fibre through it, the engineering possibilities become very interesting at that (thousands of euro) level!

Both of those sanders are the bog standard, cheap PLA filament from Prusa and they're working great so far! https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/prusament/712-prusament-pla-galaxy-silver-1kg.html

Even at the DIY level tougher filaments are available, poly carbonate, carbon fibre flecked etc. and all of the orange components you can see on every Prusa printer are printed with their own PETG filament.

Capacities of the above printers:

• AnyCubic Mega: 210x210x205
• Creality Ender 3 Pro: 220x220x250
• Prusa Mini: 180×180×180

I'm really interested in seeing how I can integrate the tech into woodwork - perhaps a year from now I'll say that I don't use it that much and that it was harder to integrate than I thought, or maybe I'll be using PETG butterflies and polycarbonate click together panel joints; who knows

Calahonda52

Or even carbon fibre 6" nails

chillyspoon

Calahonda52 wrote: »

Or even carbon fibre 6" nails

boomdocker

To narrow it further , I wouldn't look any further than Creality
I have had a few printers, currently using the Creality CR10 - and it's been faultless
A few of my mates have the Ender 3 - same

Calahonda52

How strong is the stuff when it is cooked.
Would gorilla glue stick to the surface
Could you make domino tenons?

chillyspoon

There are multiple types of plastic used, so it's a case of "depends", literally whole series of videos on youtube are dedicated to investigating the different material strengths and optimisation techniques, e.g this list from Thomas Sanladerer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcQHbaVeD7I&list=PLDJMid0lOOYl8TZJV9xHznKFq5yA5ZTi2&index=41 and this one from Stefan of CNC Kitchen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIv507btE08&list=PLEOQTmIWJ_rncRcWmjQIvMKFAeM071CXM

I wouldn't see value in making dominoes with a 3D printer for three main reasons,

1) Cost and 2) Strength - in order to achieve the right level of strength you'd be needing expensive filament which is trickier to print and
3) Time; 3D printing is slow - you could make your own dominos with a table saw and router table, way, way faster (which also rolls into cost effectiveness too as time is money!)

Calahonda52

Thanks as always
I was thinking about hardwood tenon substitutes for the dominos.

Great links for more YouTube while herself watches netflix!

chillyspoon

Stanley Bailey 4 1/2 for scale.

I love a bit of era contrast, my father made the blade from a piece of 1880s Sheffield tool steel.

Works great but a metal sole would be the icing on the cake.



The model: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3415274

chillyspoon

Some more photos and a bit of info:

https://www.chillyspoon.com/blog/2020/7/29/3d-printing-a-block-plane

TheW1zard

I have a 2d drawing of a boat in cad. Plan and side and front elevation.
Is there anywhere that would model it in 3d and then print?
If so where and how much!?

Its got planks so a good bit of detail.

Cheers!

chillyspoon

Yeah, there are definitely companies (and sole traders) out there doing that kind of work. Avoid any that offer instant quotes through an online form because that's basically impossible for something bespoke and it doesn't inspire confidence!

It'll definitely cost extra to have the boat re-modelled from a 2D hard copy, and that could add up quickly in terms of labour hours but sounds worth it for a boat that's close to your heart!

Make sure they have a phone number and give them a call, here are a couple of examples, with Irish phone numbers:

• https://3dprintingireland.com/
• https://weprint.ie/store/3d-printing-service-ireland

TheW1zard

chillyspoon wrote: »

Yeah, there are definitely companies (and sole traders) out there doing that kind of work. Avoid any that offer instant quotes through an online form because that's basically impossible for something bespoke and it doesn't inspire confidence!

It'll definitely cost extra to have the boat re-modelled from a 2D hard copy, and that could add up quickly in terms of labour hours but sounds worth it for a boat that's close to your heart!

Make sure they have a phone number and give them a call, here are a couple of examples, with Irish phone numbers:

• https://3dprintingireland.com/
• https://weprint.ie/store/3d-printing-service-ireland

Thanks a mill, have the soft copy. Ill check those out! Would love to have a model for it :-)