How can I print this object?

I have tried multiple placements of these objects and I can't figure out the best way to print these files.
So far it is printing in two parts (The base and the "stem" with the logo on.

but even with support (i am using cura) the logo itself keeps snapping off before the print is finished.
the base is simple
the stem... is 50% success rate, but the logo itself falls off around 10 layers in.

Any advice would be appreciated, Im new to printing and printing thin products is fairly hard!

Are you printing this in ABS ?

If so, you can split the print into different sections, rotate each part to get the best strength for each part, and then join the final parts together with acetone. It really does stick really really well.

You can add a small pin / hole where the parts join to make alignment for glueing easier.

On the same note, I also found that ABS sticks very easily to good old PVC plumbers pipe / conduit using the same method.

Worked really well a few days back when I needed two parts to join with a 50mm pipe / tube between them. Printed the male thread and attached to one part, and then printed the female thread to fit inside the 50mm PVC pipe. Inserted and a few drops of acetone in the tight fit gap and within 2 hours they were inseperable.

not a bad thought, im already using the acetone vapour trick to smooth out my ABS prints.
Im printing in two parts as you can see. How long does acetone take to melt then dry the ABS? just that with the model im making, I have gravity against me when glueing.

Use play-dough or something similar to hold pieces in position while the ABS 'sets'

Melting is very fast. I usually position the 2 parts together, then add a drop of acetone with a syringe - it tends to flow into small gaps quite well.

I find that the ABS tends to set quite well within about 30 minutes, and fully hardened in a few hours. Run some tests with old reject parts - sounds like you may already have some.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2015 05:47PM by DaveOB.

I have PLENTY haha.
my printer currently wont connect to the PC so im unable to calibrate it. lots of broken bits while i wait for my new parts.

Ill give it a go. thanks for the advice.

Hi

Why will it not connect ? Driver ? bootloader ? usb broken ?

Have you tried a different PC / USB cable, etc ?

If the bootloader is damaged but you can see the port connected from within the Arduino IDE, you should be able to reflash the bootloader.

I have no idea, it has not worked since I got it a few weeks ago. The printer can be powered by USB, but the PC doesnt even recognise that any hardware has been put in. I have tried manual driver installs, etc. I have no idea how to reflash a bootloader or anything, im new to 3d printers haha. Im using SD card for transfering files atm.

maybe worth your while to go look at the Arduino forum to search for Drivers Installation and find how to install the drivers correctly.

Or try plug the Arduino into a different PC and see if it downloads and installs drivers.

its a melzi 2.
the "customer support" if you can call it that have said that they think the chip is faulty and are sending a new one. ive got an arduino/ramps combo here, just waiting for some dumont connectors and to figure out how which wire i need to connect my power supply (its not a computer power supply) as it requires 4 inputs instead of the two that melzi has.

then im gonna make a 2nd pc with the new parts the "customer support" sends.

For the Ramps connections, I found this page helpful :

http://reprap.org/wiki/RAMPS1.4

and especially thid pic :

http://reprap.org/wiki/File:Rampswire14.svg

thanks
its more the type of wire tbh. im not sure on what kind I need (im not an electronics type of bloke yet )

Quote
muntahunta
thanks
its more the type of wire tbh. im not sure on what kind I need (im not an electronics type of bloke yet )

You can google for wire gauge.

My understanding is that to drive something like a bed heater, requires a certain Wattage.

Lets say, for example, the bed heater is 200 watts.

So if your supply is 12V, take 200W / 12V = 16.6 amps

If your supply was 24V, take 200W / 24V = 8.3 amps

Note : This assumes that your heater is rated to take 24V.

So the logic is that to power a device which requires a certain wattage, the lower the voltage = higher amps, and higher voltage = lower amps.

This is the same reason why you'll find a lot of PV solar panels are wired in configurations to produce 24V - because the wires that have to be run from the PV panels to the charge controller can be thinner.

Quote
DaveOB
So if your supply is 12V, take 200W / 12V = 16.6 amps

If your supply was 24V, take 200W / 24V = 8.3 amps

Just be sure to understand that increasing voltage from 12 to 24v will not double the amperage drawn. A bed designed for 24v will not need to draw as much because it takes advantage of the higher voltage to do the work.

---

Master Tinkerer

Quote
Montiey
Just be sure to understand that increasing voltage from 12 to 24v will not double the amperage drawn. A bed designed for 24v will not need to draw as much because it takes advantage of the higher voltage to do the work.

That is perfectly correct Montiey. If you are powering, for example, a heated print bed that is designed to use 200W, then increasing the supply voltage from 12V to 24V will decrease the amperage that the new supply voltage needs to deliver to the bed from 16 amps to 8 amps.

So Higher Voltage = less work ( amps ) needed to power the bed.

Note : Do not assume that your bed can handle a 24V supply - make sure and check the specs before considering this.

I am now looking at a mains controlled 220VAC heater for my print bed. At 800W 220V it should draw around 3.6 amps, but has 4 times the heating capacity than the DC heating pads. Higher wattage = faster warm up, and easier to maintain required temperature. My home clothes iron is 800W and gets pretty darm hot in less than 60 seconds. Am planning to use Ramps to control an SSR that in turn controls the 800W unit. My goal is to reduce the 10 minute warm up ( to 85 celcius for ABS ) to less than 1 minute.