My first attempt at cutting out a building with my laser

Keep us posted as right now I need to recreate something. Next issue is to get what I need scanned.

400.00 with shipping to my door/Arizona

4-6 week production time.

Expandable

Duel extruder  100.00 extra

I mentioned that I was on several forums and was going to mention his product so tell him Vic told you to contact him for info.

Reach Jake through the website his email is down

Just curious....if one could provide an .iges file as well as a .pdf file of a given part would any of you be interested in fabricating the part(s) if I were to pay for material and.....? I could also provide a .step file if need be.

Thanks,

Ken

what is the item you need made?

We're stealing the laser thread but it seems we are actually talking all about the same kinds of issues, IE technology modeling.

You MUST read all of the specs about laser cutting and or 3d printing.  Remember that ads are written by marketing folks!  A 3d printer has size constraints IE build area, that is misleading as what you print is cubic, that is the bigger an item is it grows in all three directions, this means the bigger an item is the longer it will takes to print by very large numbers!  The printing mechanisim on most home style 3d printers creates the object using a nozzle that is not unlike a hot glue gun.  So the detail is limited by the HOLE in the nozzle, and the speed at which the head moves back and forth.

From the Makerbot manual:

Print Technology: Fused Filament Fabrication

Build Volume: 11.2 L x 6.0 W x 6.1 H in[28.5 x 15.3 x 15.5 cm]

High 100 microns [0.0039 in]  so called highest detail

Standard 200 microns [0.0078 in]

Low 300 microns [0.0118 in]

Positioning Precision: XY: 11 microns [0.0004 in]; Z: 2.5 microns [0.0001 in]

Filament Diameter: 1.75 mm [0.069 in]

Nozzle Diameter: 0.4 mm [0.015 in]  the hole in the nozzle!

Notice it states all of the different resolutions it can print however the HOLE in the nozzle is the same for all of them.  It gets so called more detail by tugging on the plastic like pulling taffy to get a finer line NOT neccessariy detail.  IE you can print a small board say 1/8th inch by 1/8th inch BUT you can't print woodgrain types of detail.

Speed wise it ain't no rocket ship!  The roof vents I printed are about the diameter of a dime and just a little taller.  I print them 4 up and they take about 40 minutes to print.  The boiler is about 1 1/2 inch diameter and about 3 1/2 inchs long, it took just about 1 1/2 hours to print.  But that is OK because while it was building the parts I was doing other modeling projects.  The laser cutting is much faster, I can cut items 10 x 12 inches in just a few minutes depending on how many finished parts there are.  Laser cutting is usually timed by the inch, 3d printing is timed by cube,

I know its confusing but if you can go to a store that carries these types of machines and watch a demo, it makes all the difference.  You can also just go to YouTube and watch them doing their magic.  Russ

Great thread with a lot of info and thoughts....!!

Alan

"I would like to pick your brain from time to time please."  Now that maybe 'slim pickens' but sure!   Been making more machine shop stuff and I'll post pix later.  My laser took a dump so nothing there.  The problem was not the fault of the laser but the operator AGAIN!  I should have read the Chinese docs better!    Russ

OK Here's the assortment:

Hearth and hood for the smithy:

Assorted smithy tools:

And windows for the Machine Shop:

I just got the box Vic. The portals look great! Thanks!

Matterform scanner 'should' start shipping in a month or two.  Russ

http://www.matterform.net/scanner

Oh jeez! Now i have to get a 3D printer and a 3D scanner to be cool... darn. I was just settling into the idea of getting the printer some day. Now I have to start agonizing over getting the scanner too. The $400 just turned into a grand really fast. I could get the 400 discussion over to my way of thinking, but the 1000 dollar discussion is a whole new thing.

Were all these done with a 0.4mm nozzle?  I've got a 0.7 and a 0.2 and the .7 is no where as nice as those and I haven't quite figured out how to use the 0.2 yet.  The feed rate for the 0.2 is fubar and only prints air.  

The estimated time for the object to print I've been working on with the .7 is 5 hours with the .2 it's 28 hours.  Not a big deal except after about 4 hours the material rod tends to jam in the pusher.

What do you use for your CAM/printer software?  The conversion from CAD files into g-code with the basic software that came with my printer could't fix non manifold holes in the mesh.  But, so far netfabb basic has fixed every file I've tried.

Cubify Invent, they have a free trial download, and online tutorials,  However there is better tuts at Cubifyfans/blog.  The objects come out ready to print, no other software used.  I am active on several 3D forums and I get the same issues over and over.  Please don't think that you need to be a computer wiz to use a 3D printer. 

http://cubify.com/products/cubify_invent/index.aspx

Also the scanners are very much 'bleeding edge' at the moment.  None of the under a grand scanners work well.  I use the Invent software to design what I need.  The scanner has way more issues than I need to try and work thourgh right now.,  I will try and get it running this summer, but not right now.

The .4 nozzle is what came with the MakerBot, I have NO mods and run all of the default settings.  I do not use MakerBot filament as it is way to expensive.  I use Toybuilderlabs filament and I also buy their specials/closeouts.  Not affiliated just a cust.

http://toybuilderlabs.com/

And moderators if I'm breaking the rules with these links just let me know and I'll stop.  Thanks.  Russ

I have a few new pictures of a scratch round house in HO scale but can be scaled up.

Nice job.  Are you going to do your own windows or . . . . Russ

Yes on the windows.

This is the prototype to see how it fits.

I may put a second level of windows and red and green lights in each entrance controlled by reed switches.

I am still waiting for delivery of the 3D printer to make windows and doors for it.

Have you tried to make plastic buildings with your printer yet?

vicsrc,

Here's an actual steamer roundhouse plan that I found on the web. It may help you with some details or ideas.

"Have you tried to make plastic buildings with your printer yet?"  The only structure so far has been several outhouses!    My buildings are mostly done on the cnc machine with a few accents from the 3d machine. Next project is the machine shop, should have pix next week.  Russ