Anyone fancy a challenge? Note - this is intended to be in the spirit of the printing challenges of old, it's not a request for help us such, which is why I haven't given info about the settings I used. So, this morning I happened upon a random photo of two interlocking cubes on a mendel type printer and thought it looked like an 'interesting' thing to print. Each cube was stood on a corner and apparently printed without support. I had a look on thingiverse but couldn't find the design, although there were a few similar things with larger numbers of interlinked cubes. So moving on from an interesting thing to print to an interesting thing to draw up in CAD, I made a model in OnShape: [attachment 88983 Screenshotfrom2017-01-1521:09:16.png] and then tried to print it. And failed. And tried again. And failed again. And that was pretty much the way the day went. I finally got a successful, but pretty messy print out: [attachment 88984 IMG_9336.JPG] [attachment 88985 IMG_9337.JPG] (Edit: I forgot to mention that I printed at 80% scale of the stl to get the print time more manageable. Not sure if this makes it easier or not.) Most of the stuff I print could best be described as big chunks of plastic that I can screw together, so I'm not much good and this sort of artsy thing. I'm curious as to what settings others would use to print this better, so I thought I'd post it here. The stl is attached, and if you're an OnShape user the model is [cad.onshape.com] Maybe the model can be made easier to print, or maybe it's already pretty easy and I just used the wrong plastic and settings :) If you give it a go post up some pics and tell us how you did it. Be warned though, it can be quite infuriating! https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739162#msg-739162 Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:58:04 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742793#msg-742793 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742793#msg-742793 JamesK General Fri, 27 Jan 2017 11:06:20 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742787#msg-742787 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742787#msg-742787
[attachment 89633 20170127_163624.jpg]

[attachment 89634 20170127_163653.jpg]

[attachment 89635 20170127_164050.jpg]]]> Kolbi General Fri, 27 Jan 2017 10:47:12 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742665#msg-742665 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742665#msg-742665 Your idea with the bigger infill nozzle is interesting. But it will only work, when the outline of the big nozzle is the same. Otherwise it would get in contact with the freshest perimeter layer and push/drag it away.]]> o_lampe General Fri, 27 Jan 2017 03:00:14 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742387#msg-742387 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742387#msg-742387 JamesK General Thu, 26 Jan 2017 07:25:15 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742280#msg-742280 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742280#msg-742280 The worst result was with 1 perimeter @0.125 layer and infill at 22% . I'd set "combine infill every 2 layers" which messed it all up.]]> o_lampe General Thu, 26 Jan 2017 02:37:40 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742091#msg-742091 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,742091#msg-742091
I did a half sized version using nebbian's suggestion of a single perimeter and got a successful print with pla, but I was still having problems with the tips curling that reduced the print quality. I'm pretty sure I need to improve my part cooling setup.]]> JamesK General Wed, 25 Jan 2017 11:04:55 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,741970#msg-741970 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,741970#msg-741970 DjDemonD General Wed, 25 Jan 2017 03:44:37 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,741926#msg-741926 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,741926#msg-741926
It came out wayyyy better than I expected.


]]> n9jcv General Wed, 25 Jan 2017 00:07:06 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,741167#msg-741167 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,741167#msg-741167
Quote
nebbian
Use 1 perimeter.

It stops the warping in its tracks.

Ah, cool - I wouldn't have thought of that. Finding out how others approach the problem and seeing what works is exactly what I was hoping for with this thread :)]]> JamesK General Sun, 22 Jan 2017 12:32:45 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,741116#msg-741116 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,741116#msg-741116
The crucial one is this:

Use 1 perimeter.

It stops the warping in its tracks.

You can use infill, but keep it light. Also be careful how many top and bottom surfaces you use, the fewer the better.]]> nebbian General Sun, 22 Jan 2017 10:10:18 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739665#msg-739665 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739665#msg-739665
I'm still putting together the full writeup of how the effector goes together, but it involves modifying a cheap hotend (quite a lot), printing out a couple of pieces, and screwing it all together. It uses my zero offset Z sensor, (with a 2 gram servo and optical end stop) which performs really well. I'm also using a 30mm axial fan for the hotend, and a 30x10 sunon centrifugal fan for the layer cooling. My marvins have never looked so good!

I'll post in the delta forum once I've got all the documentation together.]]> nebbian General Tue, 17 Jan 2017 10:53:30 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739663#msg-739663 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739663#msg-739663
Love the effector that looks superb. How have you made it?]]> DjDemonD General Tue, 17 Jan 2017 10:47:47 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739659#msg-739659 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739659#msg-739659
This is a new effector that I have been designing for the past few months. I'm very happy with the performance.

[attachment 89068 IMG_6272.jpg]]]> nebbian General Tue, 17 Jan 2017 10:42:36 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739653#msg-739653 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739653#msg-739653 JamesK General Tue, 17 Jan 2017 10:30:43 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739651#msg-739651 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739651#msg-739651
Printed at 40% size, in PLA, at 0.2mm layer height on a Kossel Mini, PEI bed, running Repetier on RAMPS.

[attachment 89067 IMG_6295.jpg]]]> nebbian General Tue, 17 Jan 2017 10:25:59 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739595#msg-739595 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739595#msg-739595
Quote
deckingman
What size are the cubes?

The model was 50mm to a side with 8mm thick beams, but I printed it at 80%, so it should have been 40mm sides with 6.4mm beams. I had lofty plans of making a circle of connected cubes - thank goodness I started with just the two!

I started with PLA thinking it would make for a quick print and I wouldn't have to worry about abs delamination, but I got killed by the overhangs curling up every time. I haven't printed new fan ducts since I converted to dual extruders, so perhaps my part cooling just isn't good enough for this. The successful print was with petg which seems very dimensionally stable during the printing process, but there were some close moments when the second nozzle started hitting the print - I should have taken it off before I started. All I could do during the print was to heat it up to try and soften the impacts :(]]> JamesK General Tue, 17 Jan 2017 07:01:31 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739582#msg-739582 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739582#msg-739582 I've tried to print dc42's hollow_dodecahedron, which is part of his RRF SD-card image. It failed so many times, but one part was near perfect. Don't remember the settings.... :(]]> o_lampe General Tue, 17 Jan 2017 06:22:10 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739568#msg-739568 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739568#msg-739568
I suspect this is a case of shielding the print from the heat of the hot end to limit curling, using powerful fans and I suspect there is an optimum layer height for this type of print, I just don't know what it is and I suspect its material-specific.]]> DjDemonD General Tue, 17 Jan 2017 05:48:11 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739556#msg-739556 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739556#msg-739556
I thought it would be cocky to do 3 cubes, each one a different colour. It was kind of working but it's the overhangs that screw it for me. I just get a build up of filament that gets bigger and bigger until the head hits and knocks it off the bed. What size are the cubes? I made mine 40mm. This was with cheap shite PLA - maybe something more exotic might work - I have some T glass but it's expensive to waste.]]> deckingman General Tue, 17 Jan 2017 04:39:38 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739367#msg-739367 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739367#msg-739367

a trick i use with narrow support area prints is to add support legs in cad, then clip them off when print is completed. done right this will not ad much print time, and clean up should be a quick as well.]]> jamesdanielv General Mon, 16 Jan 2017 12:55:42 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739269#msg-739269 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739269#msg-739269
Quote
dc42
How about printing it flat on the bed, with support material under the corners of the cube that is raised off the bed?

Ah, I hadn't thought of that! Clever. I wonder which of the slicers can auto-generate the best supports for that config in terms both of print success and getting the stuff off afterwards. It turns an over-hang problem into a bridging problem (unless you also support the upper bars), but I prefer bridging to big overhangs every time.]]> JamesK General Mon, 16 Jan 2017 06:57:19 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739241#msg-739241 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739241#msg-739241 DjDemonD General Mon, 16 Jan 2017 04:55:43 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739224#msg-739224 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739224#msg-739224
Quote
dc42
How about printing it flat on the bed, with support material under the corners of the cube that is raised off the bed?

Wouldn't that mean a huge overhand on the cube? IMHO he printed it in pretty much the most efficient manner possible. Any other orientation means bigger overhangs.

Now print a pair of locked icosahedra.]]> anvoice General Mon, 16 Jan 2017 03:31:10 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739220#msg-739220 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739220#msg-739220 dc42 General Mon, 16 Jan 2017 03:22:22 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739164#msg-739164 Re: Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739164#msg-739164 MechaBits General Sun, 15 Jan 2017 22:08:40 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739162#msg-739162 Anyone fancy a challenge? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739162,739162#msg-739162
So, this morning I happened upon a random photo of two interlocking cubes on a mendel type printer and thought it looked like an 'interesting' thing to print. Each cube was stood on a corner and apparently printed without support. I had a look on thingiverse but couldn't find the design, although there were a few similar things with larger numbers of interlinked cubes. So moving on from an interesting thing to print to an interesting thing to draw up in CAD, I made a model in OnShape:

[attachment 88983 Screenshotfrom2017-01-1521:09:16.png]

and then tried to print it. And failed. And tried again. And failed again. And that was pretty much the way the day went. I finally got a successful, but pretty messy print out:

[attachment 88984 IMG_9336.JPG] [attachment 88985 IMG_9337.JPG]

(Edit: I forgot to mention that I printed at 80% scale of the stl to get the print time more manageable. Not sure if this makes it easier or not.)

Most of the stuff I print could best be described as big chunks of plastic that I can screw together, so I'm not much good and this sort of artsy thing. I'm curious as to what settings others would use to print this better, so I thought I'd post it here. The stl is attached, and if you're an OnShape user the model is

[cad.onshape.com]

Maybe the model can be made easier to print, or maybe it's already pretty easy and I just used the wrong plastic and settings :)

If you give it a go post up some pics and tell us how you did it. Be warned though, it can be quite infuriating!]]> JamesK General Sun, 15 Jan 2017 21:28:33 -0500