3D Modeling; The Future

[ToniBabelony]

The Borg rack xD

 

Cool to see though. Maybe that motivates me for later to continue when I have a more decent computer to do 3D rendering. Now it's a bit of a pain to render over an integrated graphics card. I'd like to invest in a small rig that will do rendering and 3D modelling more smoothly, as well as be able to support more than one external screen (I work on three screens and two different systems at the same time while making dirty pictures).

[Darklighter]

On 4/14/2016 at 5:10 AM, Kabutoni said:

On topic to the OLO printer, I've just backed down from my pledge. They have enough backers to make this happen, plus the wait will be too long for me. Feedback to the general public as well is too little to make this interesting any more. Count in the 'investment' as being too risky and the money better spent elsewhere, I think this is not worth my time any more.

Good decision! 😄 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/olo3d/olo-the-first-ever-smartphone-3d-printer/updates

 

 

At this time, my first choice for a 3D printer would be the Anycubic Photon: 

 

 

[gavino200]

Sort of a sideline question here. I have some pieces from Shapeways that I'm getting ready to paint. They seem to be slightly oily? Is this normal. Is there any special way to treat the 3D print before priming? Soap and water?

 

Also, if I wanted to start thinking about designing my own pieces to have printed, what software programs would I need? 

 

Thanks.

[Kiha66]

4 minutes ago, gavino200 said:

Sort of a sideline question here. I have some pieces from Shapeways that I'm getting ready to paint. They seem to be slightly oily? Is this normal. Is there any special way to treat the 3D print before priming? Soap and water?

 

Also, if I wanted to start thinking about designing my own pieces to have printed, what software programs would I need? 

 

Thanks.

 

Yep, They have wax on them from the printing process.  I usually wash mine in an ultrasonic cleaner with warm slightly soapy water.  Some people use simple green or bestine to clean them too, although you'll need to limit the exposure to those chemicals.  After the wax is gone they should have a milky appearance and are ready for priming and then painting.  

For software I cant recommend Fusion 360 hard enough.  Its free if you are using it for personal use, yet is professional grade software with a lot of support and tutorials to help you get proficient in its use.  I've been using this video series to help me get more comfortable with all the tool available in the software. 

 

[gavino200]

5 minutes ago, Kiha66 said:

I usually wash mine in an ultrasonic cleaner.....

 

 

I'm so jealous. I've been thinking about getting one of those for a while now. What model do you have? Would you buy it again?

[Kiha66]

26 minutes ago, gavino200 said:

I'm so jealous. I've been thinking about getting one of those for a while now. What model do you have? Would you buy it again?

 

I actually got a cheap one as a gift for the mother, and then borrow it whenever I need it!  Its been a few years now but its worked very well.  Could be a great Christmas present for the wife, that you can borrow occasionally for hobby work too.  This one is long enough to fit entire locomotive shells while still being small enough to tuck away in a cupboard afterwards.  I usually just use warm water with some dish soap for cleaning (both jewelry and train parts), and diluted rubbing alcohol for stripping troublesome paint.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DKDAVW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[cteno4]

Gavin grab one, even a cheap 20-50watt one for $20-30 as it’s a really handy tool! I have had a cheap old I think 30watt from harbor freight that’s done great work to clean out truck and gears and such as well as blast softened paint out of crevices when stripping parts.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-Ultrasonic-Cleaner-Bath-For-Cleaning-Glasses-Jewelry-Circuit-Board-30W-50W/264024533201?epid=12018773899&hash=item3d7916a8d1:g:DR8AAOSwMxJb2m85

 

these have small tanks so if you fill it with the cleaning solution of choice for a job, not a lot of waste (can always pour it back into a bottle to reuse). You can also fill it with water and float condiment containers (ie save those from takeaway dinners) with tiny parts and your cleaning solutions. Need only a tiny bit then. You loose a bit of power from the transition into the little cup, but for most things it’s worked great. Get a fine tea ball and you can pop small parts to easily plop in the bath and recover and rinse w.o having to fish parts out.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tea-Ball-Spice-Strainer-Mesh-Infuser-Filter-Stainless-Steel-Herbal-New-CB/311401623849?hash=item4880fbb129%3Ag%3AzicAAOSwLVZVo24m&LH_BIN=1

 

A year or two ago I got a 1.5l larger one that is I think 60-80w and also has a heater for things that need more power and for bigger stuff. Lurked ebay auctions and like $40.

 

well worth the investment and great for degreasing printed parts like this. Also always amazed how much crap blasts out a set of engine truck parts that looked pretty clean! Definitely a good tool for you! No fingers can be lost!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[gavino200]

Thanks guys. I think I'll pick one up as a stocking stuffer. I don't really want to get a cheap one that I'll replace later. I'd rather get a decent sized one that I'll keep.

[cteno4]

For the vast majority of things the little 600ml does great and 30/50 Watts is plenty. I just got a bigger ones as maybe 3 times a year it’s handy, but not on train stuff. My old little harbor freight one has held up like 15 years now.

 

jeff

 

ps you can promise to clean your wife’s jewelry with it as well!

[gavino200]

I ordered an Ultrasonic cleaner. Looking forward to using it. I already have one of those tee bag thingys Jeff. You sold me on that a while ago but I haven't used it yet.

 

I broke a few small items while gently cleaning them. Fortunately I was able to glue them with thin CA. But I was amazed how brittle they were, while many of the pieces are extremely strong. The pieces were, three swivel chairs with thin "stalks", and an office desk with thin legs. I'm guessing that a weakness of 3D printing is exactly this kind of structure. In order to 3D print a thin straight vertical pole, the printer is essentially just adding tiny blob upon tiny blob to make a column, sort of like a stalagmite. It's like a laminated column. On of these actually broke in a second place while I was carefully hold it during the gluing process at the original brake. Anyone dealt with this problem? Solutions? I tried "painting" these parts with some thin CA to give a bit of extra strength. We'll see it it helps. 

 

 

[cteno4]

You will love it. It’s quite handy to clean stuff like this to paint or to clean gears, wheels, etc. I usually so soapy water, then plain water, then 70 or 50% isopropanol to dry things. Stripping paint also works well. A few years ago I was soaking Kato containers to make mr Kato some JRM containers (couldn’t give him Tomix containers!) and in a rush and the paint was not coming out of the nooks and crannies even when using the pointy make up brushes and I popped them in the ultrasonic bath and boom all the paint all popped out of all the grooves, was way cool and saved the day to get them done in time!  The print wax can be pretty sticky as well

 

Yep you got it that can be the issue with 3D printing. Depends on the type of printing/material and direction of printing the part. Fine pieces can be very brittle. I have to try the new fine detail at shapeways using a spray uv polymer to see how that compares to the All liquid print they use to use.

 

interesitng idea using ca as a strengthening layer. May smooth over some of the rough print surface. Will be interested to hear your results. They use ca as a strengthener and finish surface on wood pens to stabilize and seal the wood well. It buffs out well.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[maihama eki]

Late to this discussion...

 

The oil on the surface of Shapeways 3D fine detail plastic prints may be oil from the oil bath/ultrasonic cleaning process they use to clean off the support wax material.  They follow this with a water bath ultrasonic clean too, but I often get pieces with an oily texture - parts with cavities are especially prone and may have some of the support wax material remaining as well.

 

As others recommended, I use warm soapy water (Dawn dish detergent in the water) in a small cheap ultrasonic cleaner that I bought from Amazon.  You can watch the oil come off the parts like a cloud in the solution.  If the parts are robust enough, I might also lightly brush them with a soapy toothbrush.  The toothbrush scrub is also useful for taking off some of the fuzz that is common on the surfaces that were in contact with the support wax.  I will often follow with a pure water bath in ultrasonic to rinse them well.  Be sure to let them dry thoroughly before painting.

 

Before painting, the pieces should have a white dry almost chalky surface appearance.  If they still look translucent or wet - they may not be clean and paint will not adhere properly.

 

The Shapeways fine detail plastic is brittle compared to polystyrene.  I have broken many pieces.  Depending on the piece, I might try to glue it with CA or just trash it.  Anything that looks fragile - I buy more than I need assuming that I will break some.