I posted a video of fusion 360 that can be used to draw a part. It will create a .stl file. There was a program called 123D Design (same software company) . It's not supported but both have tons of tutorials on you tube. There is an archived copy of the download somewhere.

But the process is this:
Create a CAD file (file extension varies with program)
Export it as a 3D model (commonly .stl)
Slice the file to create agcode file. (the instructions to run the printer)
Load the gcode into the printer directly (sd Card) or use a PC connected by USB

Now if you want to send a file to a printing company, then you only go as far as the .stl file and upload to one of the printing sites. It will slice it and give you a cost to produce.

 

I watched a video recently of one that works in concrete. The US Army wants to use it to build barracks.

 

This makes a lot of sense. I'll have to keep doing more research, but this may be the route I go. Good point on how much it may cost given the constraints of most (affordable) 3D printers.

 

The concept I drew has a 3x6 inlet and uses a 2 inch id hose and is 6 inches from inlet to exit. That would fit on a typical home machine. 12x12 home units are showing up now under $400

 

I'm printing this now. It's in two pieces because it's too big for my build surface.

 

i dont think im going to be able to resist getting one of these things

 

I start in ProgeCAD which is an commercial version of IntelliCad that looks and feels like AutoCad. Once I have the widget figured out, I .dxf it over to Fusion 360 and extrude the bits. (I'm new at Fusion, so it takes a bit. But there's lot of help on the web. Once I've got the prototype, I save it as an .stl file and load it to Slic3r, which is old but works well, slice it and then send it to my printer. Edit, repeat as necessary, and share on Thingiverse.

Best,
Jerry

 

Here's some of the math behind this.
I ran the file for the sample duct through shapeways (an online 3d printing service) least expensive option would be $90 for one duct so $180 for a pair.

I can print two for about $8 in filament. That savings would pay for over half of my big printer. There are plenty of free software choices too..

 

Public Facebook stream of the printer printing this thing. About an hour left to go.https://www.facebook.com/GDGeorge/videos/10158098315486407/ This will be a seven hour print when all is said and done.




-Jerry

 

This whole rage of 3D printing is a great thing for inventors and tinkerers. Yes Vikingtrad3r these gadgets are awesome and one belongs in your garage as well! Just beware that the cheaper ones have cheaper control systems. Spend a bit more and get much nicer prints. I have an Arduino Mega Controlling the one I have. It was a real PIA as the whole device came as a kit, my Son took one look and gave it to me. Once built it is great. I will be upgrading the controller on mine to a newer, faster and more powerful controller that will produce even "Finer" work than most controllers are capable of printing. The higher end units have better control of the Stepper motors used in these gadgets. The better controllers make a much more "finished" looking product. I would also suggest that for your first you buy one pre-assembled, my kit was a bit overwhelming at first and getting it configured was even worse.

I have a 200mm by 200mm by 185 mm heated bed and have been learning to use the darn thing. I was trained in AutoCad so the software is not an issue for me. I am using Fusion 360 as well.

The PLA used in most projects will melt if exposed to Acetone or other strong chemicals. I have not tried it with gasoline yet. There are other materials you can print with but the PLA seems to be the least expensive. PLA also does not do well around much heat. It warps and reshapes itself when exposed to heat. The hardness of the material is probably not suitable for suspension rubber parts. It is great for making repair parts with like we have seen above. Just remember about the solvents and heat and you should be good to go. The less expensive printers leave lines between layers and can be seen with the naked eye. You can take a paper towel with some Acetone and wipe it and make the surface smooth, just don't leave any excess acetone on the PLA.

In my house there are three separate 3D printers ties to a central controller in a empty room. My son is printing magazines for his Glock and loves it. There are so many pre-designed parts out there. I am printing Flying Model Aircraft, they have the design all finished and you simply slice it and start printing the parts. Some of the airplanes at 90+ inches wing spans and they are printed piece by piece and when done with all the pieces you glue them together. There are some incredible flying machines out there that were "printed". You can see for yourself at: 3DLabPrint. My printer is big enough to work on building the aircraft, I am going to start one soon. It will take a few days to print all the parts I need. The bigger the bed surface the bigger the projects you can make.

I am printing a new bracket for my Yamaha Motorcycle to mount a European Faring on my Bike. I even printed out the side brackets. If the plastic is not strong enough I will use it as a mold and cast one from aluminum in my garage. The possibilities are unlimited with one of these printers. That is of course as long as you have a big enough area to print. This will help me from having to weld a bracket on the frame and make permanent changes to the Bike.

They now have printers that print in metal, similar process just in metal. I watched them build an entire frame for a car from the ground up.

I would love to have a small 3D milling system, they too have come down in price to where you can buy a complete 3D cnc (wood and Softer Aluminum) milling machine for a little over $300 and it comes with the Cutter and a 5500 mw Laser for burning designs onto other materials.

Best regards,
Chris

 

Chris, you can now get Carbon Fiber filament (I believe it's PETG) For sure more expensive but the reviews I've seen for it point to superior strength and heat resistance.

You will need to change to a larger nozzle (1 mm I believe) to accommodate the fibers in the filament. Once I figure out how to use Fusion 360, I'll probably invest in a roll and start printing parts that I need.

 

Currently working on key fob. Below is a low quality test print of the bottom half. Still need to figure out buttons for the top half. Aligning holes and supports for the pcb almost right.

 

Very cool thread guys thanks to everyone who has shared, i'm becoming very intrigued by 3D printers. Going to have to add one to my shop purchse wishlist.

 

When you buy a 3D printer be sure to get tech support with it. They don't have very good instructions (IF ANY) and are sometimes more of PIA than some realize. I spend a lot of time reading others experiences and learning from their experiences. It is the only way for me. My son the Computer wiz told me "You need to learn how to make it work". The next time his car breaks guess what kind of response he will get?

The higher end control systems will make the better "more-finished" looking products as they no longer leave stacking marks or lines. My Arduino based control system is a real PIA if you don't speak Arduino and know how to program in it. I have had to learn a lot to be able to use the 3d printer.

I saw on a show where Jay Leno was talking about the 3D printing of a complete aluminum frame for a car. The difference was that they were printing with metal and could actually make a complete frame this way. Strong and Light weight.

Another Tip, Use a good sized UPS your power is "iffy", if the printer's power gets interrupted the part is usually junk and you will have wasted a lot of time and plastic. I have a UPS system for the printer and a UPS system on my FIOS box.

A really good smooth printing controller will cost you as much as a good printer, this is why so many people think there has to be lines in the final product. The better controllers have better control of the stepper motors among other benefits but they are worth it if you do a lot of important printing.

Take a look at the Smoothie board and the others listed in this article: https://all3dp.com/2/5-fantastic-3d-...roller-boards/

If you are going to buy one be sure to get the biggest heated bed you can get. A lot of the small mono price units are "tiny" compared to My Folger Tech Prusa i3 printer. Also be aware that a lot of these printers come as kits which you have to assemble and set up to use. It took me several hours to assemble the one I have as it was a box with hundreds of pieces in it. Get one with a bed leveler on it to save time! I found that I spend a good deal of time waiting for things to heat up and cool down, I would prefer a 24 volt heated bed as you can get it hot faster.

We are still in the "infancy" of 3D printing, I am sure the advances will make them easier to use.

Best regards,
Chris

 

Which vendor is this image from?

 

Printed out a tool to hold the valves closed when checking runner volume today. Worked out well.

There is the tool

All 180cc

 

Printed these for my desk at work. haven't seen them in a while
Printed as two parts then filled with bar top epoxy

 

Hi all, i've been subbed to this thread and I've always been interested in 3d printing.

Would anyone hear be able to recommend a simple (as simple as can be...for a 3d printer) that my 11 year old daughter may be able to operate after a sit down with me to sort through it? I would love for the the size and media capacity for the recommended 3d printers here to be able to create a fairly smooth finished part, and also to be able to process a feedstock that can maybe range from the hard rubber to the super hard abs style plastic.

one part i want (my daughter to make) to make right away is the updated end pieces for the cargo shade retainers that do not allow the shade to slip underneath the guide rail!

Thanks all for the recommendations!

 

another thing, if you guys have any great video links to 'lessons' you watched to learn the craft of 3d printing could you put them up here? Cheers, VT

 

Just my thoughts on a printer. I have two. and they approach extrusion from different ways
My Monoprice select is a direct drive, meaning the extruder drive and the hot end are together. This is good for pretty much all filaments. Filaments like TPU which is rubberlike. It also supports PLA out of the box. But PTEG or ABS would require upgrading the hotend to an all metal unit, as the stock end will not support the higher temps.
My Geeetech A10M is a dual filament mixing using bowden tubes. Bowden tubes have the drive mounted separately from the extruder and the filament is pushed through a tube. The advantage is you move the extruder drive away from the hot end and it's heat. The disadvantage is soft filaments like TPU don't really play well with bowdens.

The Geeetech has better quality and the advantage of multi-color or blended color extrusion. Also a bigger build surface and All metal hot end.

Either one can be up and running in under an hour. But the Monoprice really needs some mods added to make it print well.

As far as getting started. There are plenty of software for free to design and slice.

The following are my very personal opinions:
Fusion 360 - Incredible 3d design software and there is a free hobbyist license option but takes awhile to learn
123D Design simple to learn but not as powerful as fusion 360. It was originally intended for hobbyist and is no longer updated but there is an archived install copy posted online Tons of tutorials out there for it.
(Both of these are made by the same company)

Slicers (turns the design into commands for the printer to understand)
Cura - My favorite, supports both of my printers by simply selecting them during setup no manual defining of the printer required. Can create the gcode file for transfer to an SD card so the printer runs independently.
Repetier host - can slice and control the printer over USB.