3-D printer

[Dubar]

I'd strongly recommend having a look at some of the CAD programs out there and seeing which one clicks for you, Carl. It'd be no good having a printer if the only stuff you can print is whatever you can find for free on the internet.

BINGO!!!

Last century, 1970-76, I was a draftsman, paper and pencil. Had 4 years of drafting in school prior to that. The design & machine shop I worked at had a huge contract with NASA so I got to draw, make (part of my apprenticeship was spending 1 year in the machine shop), and see how stuff is made, goes together, and works.

I've been bitten by the 3D bug too, and have tried a couple of software programs to see how difficult it is to draw something that a 3D printer can make. I also model in O-scale trains and have lots of need for this type of thing.

Let's just say it's been a dismal failure so far. Maybe I'm just too old, or have attention deficit, but I find it very hard to draw more than a box. As much as I'd like to give it a go I don't think I have enough time left on this planet, I'd rather be playing with my hobbies with what I have.

But if someone has the time to learn how to draw using one of the 3D programs, go for it. I feel 3D drawing/printing is an upcoming area that could be very lucrative.

Until we get the Star Trek Replicator, 3D printing will be the nearest thing to it.

[wibblywobbly]

How does Openscad work? Here is a 'very' brief run down...


//always end a command line with ;
//translate([x axis position, y axis position, z axis position]) eg translate([0,11,0]); positions the shape
//rotate([around x, around y, around z]) eg rotate([0,90,0]);
//cube([x length,y length, z height],center=true); eg cube([10,20,30]);
//cylinder(x length,radius, radius,center=true); eg cylinder(20, 10, 10); (note there are no square brackets on a cylinder command
All commands in Openscad can be found by clicking on Cheat in the Help menu at the top.

//************************
module object() // name of the module
{ //start point of the module

$fn=100; // tells openscad how smooth to make curves within the module

difference() // difference keeps the first line shape and deletes all shapes in subsequent lines
{

union() //anything inside union { } is treated as one shape/line
{ //start union
cube([42,24,26],center=true);
rotate([0,90,0])translate([0,11,0])cylinder(42,13,13,center=true);
rotate([0,90,0])translate([0,-11,0])cylinder(42,13,13,center=true);
} //end union

// union ended with } , so remove following lines from shape
translate([0,0,6])cube([55,40,26],center=true);
translate([0,0,2])cube([55,24,26],center=true);
rotate([0,90,0])translate([0,12.5,0])cylinder(43,11,11,center=true);
rotate([0,90,0])translate([0,-12.5,0])cylinder(43,11,11,center=true);
} // ends the difference, so shape created, and shapes removed from it

} //ends the module

//***************
object(); // press F5 to display the designed part, then F6 to render it, then click on STL to create an STL file that can be printed

[RobW]

Dubar - download DesignSpark (free) and then look for SpaceClaim tutorials & help. Once you've figured out the planes you can draw the shape, extrude, draw on the "side" plane and cut. I'd struggle with the coding approach, but once you've got your head around the approach the buttons are easier.

A method that may well work for some is to sketch out what you want on paper & dimension. Then think how the object can be made from shapes/stretched sketches (ie a circle is stretched/extruded to make a cylinder), either by adding or removing material. Also think about symmetry: most road wheels are usually built up of repeated sections.

I was trained in technical drawing as a student in the early 90's, then used older 2d CAD tools and have been working with 3D engineering computer simulation for the best part of 20 years. The tools are becoming easier to use, but the mind set is still the hardest bit to get used to.

[Dubar]

RobW, will do. Thanks!

[MajorMagnuM]

As you will already realise from previous discussions, 3D printing is 90% CAD knowledge and 10% printer ownership.

I use You Tube as my guide. I originally bought a self assembly printer back in the early days, 3 years ago, it worked really well. I then bought a Kossel style printer that was really fast, high quality prints, but they are a challenge (for me at least) to set up properly via the software, the build size is a bit restrictive for 16th scale use. After much research I recently bought a CR-10. Huge build plate, it comes fully assembled, programmed, and configured, just two parts to bolt together, and that's it, you can print. It produces very high quality prints, and is very easy to use. They are selling like hot cakes, and are now the 'standard' to which other printers are compared.

If you bought one, no one would say OMG what did you buy one of those for?

its astonishing how these have moved on in two years, since i last looked

[971wright]

Hi I'm the same 50 years of using drawings some very complex when you have aircraft drawings using X y and Z planes is easy but writing in code baffles me. so using a cad programme that you can draw is easier for me .


regards pete

[wibblywobbly]

It's weird, I have tried Blender, and most of the other visual CAD programs, but just can't get my head around all of the mouse clicks and menu options etc. I find Openscad easy to use as it's one line of code, I can enter measurements as accurately as I want them to be, and change them to my hearts content to make parts line up, and then type in the next line. No mouse clicks, no menu's, it's what I typed and job done.

I never did anything remotely connected to technical drawing during my career, and it was a long haul to 'think' of a part in Openscad. I now look at something and my brain is automatically creating the shapes and manipulation that I need in order to create it.

Horses for courses I guess?

The other side of the coin, is that it's one thing to design a part, but another to print it, hence as time has gone by I instinctively know how to design something that I know will print cleanly, and that will use a minimum of filament. I wasted tons of the stuff in the early days.