Cellular Lamp / Week of Aug 28 to Sept 10 2012

For this weeks contest, Gulf and I decided on the Cellular Lamp as the challenge. Since I proposed the object, I will be posting the competition.

The Thingiverse page is here: [www.thingiverse.com]
The cellularThing_optimizedForMakerbot.stl file will be used, as it has been slightly optimized for RepRap style 3D printers.

Since this object is so large, I propose that we print it at 75% scale, which would put it at a reasonable amount of plastic and print time. I have yet to print this, but when I do I will edit this post to include a picture of my print.

Please use this file instead:
[www.thingiverse.com]
It is pre-scaled to 75% and run through netfabb, so it should not have any errors.

Good luck!

Edit: I have changed the deadline to two weeks, especially considering this is a difficult print. Please share any thoughts on this.

Edit 2: Here is a crappy photo of my print, I will try to get a better one up later.


This was printed using Slic3r and the following settings:
; layer_height = 0.2
; perimeters = 2
; solid_layers = 4
; fill_density = 0
; perimeter_speed = 50
; infill_speed = 50
; travel_speed = 130
; scale = 1
; nozzle_diameter = 0.35
; filament_diameter = 2.9
; extrusion_multiplier = 1
; single wall width = 0.49mm
; first layer single wall width = 0.60mm

Total actual print time was 3 hours, 57 minutes, 52 seconds. Using Diamond Age kiwi green PLA and a 0.4 mm J-Head hotend.

Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2012 09:52PM by NewPerfection.

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OMG ! Bridging !

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Most of my technical comments should be correct, but is THIS one ?
Anyway, as a rule of thumb, always double check what people write.

maybe its a good idea to stretch the time limit a bit for competitions. eg 2 weeks

i just finished printing the competion thing from 2 weeks ago due to time limits. a week can be a very small time when you have to do some tinkering for right settings

Weedz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> maybe its a good idea to stretch the time limit a
> bit for competitions. eg 2 weeks
>
> i just finished printing the competion thing from
> 2 weeks ago due to time limits. a week can be a
> very small time when you have to do some tinkering
> for right settings

This is probably a good idea. It might encourage more competition. Does anyone else agree?

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I agree, I also have finished previous competition pieces after the one week deadline.

Hi all,

I really enjoy this segment. Just to see how well some of you can print with your machines. Anyway, everytime I look at a file I run it through netfabb to check it for errors and this file (the lamp) comes up with errors as well. Do you ignore these and just print the object or do you have other ways you fix the errors with, as I can not clean it up using netfabb?

Regards
Jan

I was able to clean up the file using the free version of netfabb. I will create a new thing on Thingiverse with the cleaned, 75% scaled version, and update my original post.

Generally files will print ok even if the STL is not perfect, you just need to check the resulting gcode to make sure nothing funky is happening.

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Agreed with the 2 weeks change - might let me finally participate sometimes

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Most of my technical comments should be correct, but is THIS one ?
Anyway, as a rule of thumb, always double check what people write.

I updated my initial post with a picture and printing information. I think the two week deadline will stand.

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Help improve the RepRap wiki! Just click "Edit" in the top-right corner of the page and start typing. Anyone can edit the wiki!

Looks like a great challenge!

2 weeks is a good time-scale especially this time of the year.

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[richrap.blogspot.com]

NewPerf, is the instruction on thingiverse "Print with 3 shells and zero infill" a requirement for the competition or just general advice ?

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Most of my technical comments should be correct, but is THIS one ?
Anyway, as a rule of thumb, always double check what people write.

Just general advice. I actually printed it with two shells and zero infill. I will make a note of that.

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Here's my take of it. It's not the best of quality as I was hoping to be but at least it didn't fail. There was one section where the bridging was failing, causing it to blob all over the place and I was debating to bail on the print. Although, after a few layers, it seemed to correct itself and I figured I just touch it up later with some sanding and acetone welding/smoothing. Going back to fine tune my bridging calibration.



Slic3r Settings:

; layer_height = .2
; perimeters = 3
; solid_layers = 3
; fill_density = 0
; perimeter_speed = 35
; infill_speed = 40
; travel_speed = 130
; scale = 1
; nozzle_diameter = 0.25
; filament_diameter = 2.73
; extrusion_multiplier = 1
; single wall width = 0.26mm

Machine: Printrbot LC+
Print time:6 hours, 39 minutes
Material: Makerbot's Natural ABS
Hotend: Ubis Hot End

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2012 02:52PM by gyronictonic.

That's not too bad considering how difficult of a print this is. I hope we get some more competition in here!

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I've tried three times so far and had three failures.
The first two got knocked loose, the third one stayed stuck on the bed but suffered a massive shift in the X axis, presumably when the nozzle was obstructed by one of the bridges as it curled up.
I might give it another go but any suggestions for tweaks to the gcode would be gratefully received.

; generated by Slic3r 0.9.2 on 2012-09-01 at 12:43:29
; layer_height = 0.1
; perimeters = 2
; solid_layers = 3
; fill_density = 0
; perimeter_speed = 40
; infill_speed = 50
; travel_speed = 130
; scale = 1
; nozzle_diameter = 0.5
; filament_diameter = 2.7
; extrusion_multiplier = 0.8
; single wall width = 0.49mm
; first layer single wall width = 0.40mm

If you are printing PLA you will most likely need a fan blowing over the print to stop the curling. I use a PVA solution on my heated bed, which makes everything stick really well.

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@richgain - I'm having almost exactly the same results, first two times, looks identical to your pictures. (Nice Brown PLA BTW)

I pumped up the BRIM to 2.6mm and added PVA solution and the third is sticking, but I can see I'm printing way too fast (80mm/sec and 260mm travel speed) and trying to do it without an external fan with PLA is not going very well.

And the X axis has just skipped on the last 5mm of the print! damn. it was just about acceptable until that. I'll let it finish.

It's finished now 3Hours 6mins, I think it needs to be 5+ hours for a decent print.

I'm using some concentric infill, maybe that's not a good idea after all.

Anyone know how to make Slic3r 0.9.1 do each island completely then move on, on older versions you just set Perimeters to 10+ and that did it. With V0.9.1 it jumps around all over the place for each section in the layer, my fast travel moves are crashing into each island...

At 0.3mm layer height my Gcode is over 17MB, that's not a good sign.

This is a tricky one...

I'll try to post a picture and have another go, slower, with lift on the Z axis and maybe an external fan, or two... or three...

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[richrap.blogspot.com]

I tried to print it several times also richrap 4th time was the charm for me. I used three loops with zero infill.
The best advice is to use Kisslicer, I have used several versions of Slic3r and since switching never looked back, it handles everything much better. I am still using the free version after several months and a couple pounds of PLA, and some ABS and PC and hands down the best slicer out there.

It printed just fine for me the first time using Slic3r, no brim. Total print time was close to 4 hours. I do have two 40 mm fans blowing over the hotend and print though, which helps with the curling problem.

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@newperfection - I'm using my new ducted fan on full power but even that didn't seem to stop the bridges from curling up.

@gulf - I tried Kisslicer a while back and liked the look of it but the output seemed incompatible with Repetier Host, which I use for all my printing now. I might go back and give it another try to see if that's been sorted out.

@richrap - glad it's not just me. Perhaps printing more slowly would help me too.

i have been using it with repetier all along i did have to tweak something to get the display to work properly, i can take a look and l will let you know.
The other advice seems spot on with what my experiences are with complicated prints. Slow down, then go slower qnd use a lot of air across the part to speed phase transformation. I have had good luck running the heated bed @ about 60 C measured at the edge, its about 70 in the middle acording to my infared tempgun. Seems to keep the prints anchored rather well without any loops to keep it anchored.

richgain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @newperfection - I'm using my new ducted fan on
> full power but even that didn't seem to stop the
> bridges from curling up.
>
> @gulf - I tried Kisslicer a while back and liked
> the look of it but the output seemed incompatible
> with Repetier Host, which I use for all my
> printing now. I might go back and give it another
> try to see if that's been sorted out.
>
> @richrap - glad it's not just me. Perhaps printing
> more slowly would help me too.

I use KISSlicer with repetier host all the time, what wat the issue?
I did add code in the KISSlicer extra code window to wait for the Hotend to reach temperature, but that was it.

Polygonhell Wrote:
> I use KISSlicer with repetier host all the time, what was the issue?

I don't want to hijack this competition thread so I've posted here to continue the discussion.

Cheers
richgain

Not going to lie, I really struggled with the overhangs on this one. I printed it on a prototype of an as yet unnamed new machine a friend and I are working on. But here is my stab at it, print is straight off the machine:



My slic3r settings for ABS, printed with a fan @230degrees. I had a lift turned on between travel moves to prevent the problems of nozzle collisions Richgain is having (I didn't try it without)
; layer_height = 0.2
; perimeters = 2
; solid_layers = 4
; fill_density = 0
; nozzle_diameter = 0.3
; filament_diameter = 1.75
; extrusion_multiplier = 1
; perimeter_speed = 30
; infill_speed = 50
; travel_speed = 150
; scale = 1
; single wall width = 0.40mm

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2012 07:30AM by rhysjones.

rhysjones, that looks fantastic! I'm blown away.

My attempts from a few days ago (the problems I was talking about above) -



Not sticking


With Brim and PVA - ok, but printed too fast and no cooling. X skipped at top last 5mm or so.

It's still welded to my Printbed, 2 days later!

I'll try again.

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[richrap.blogspot.com]

@rhysjones - Wow! love the colour and the quality looks superb.
What version of slic3r? Apparently, lift is broken on the latest version (0.9.2).
How much did you lift the nozzle by?

@richrap - frustrating innit?

richgain

@richgain Its black Makerbot abs, but it appears dark blue under bright lights, I think I lucked out on the photo. I'm using Slic3r 0.72b and I guessed at a lift of 0.2mm. I only did that one print, so I'm not sure if I actually need it.

I tried upgrading to a newer version of slic3r but for some reason the print quality got worse for me, I'm 99% sure it was in part due to them reversing the order the perimeters are printed. I hacked a newer version of Slic3r manually to fix it and it still looks worse to me. The newer versions of Slic3r don't really have any features I want, so I thought I'd leave well alone!

Here is my attempt. Filament decided to jam at the last 10% or so, but it's mostly finished.



Struggling a little with big overhangs, might be a symptom of using a large nozzle with a small layer height.



; layer_height = 0.15
; perimeters = 2
; solid_layers = 4
; fill_density = 0
; perimeter_speed = 65
; infill_speed = 100
; travel_speed = 200
; scale = 1
; nozzle_diameter = 0.489
; filament_diameter = 2.9
; extrusion_multiplier = 1

Perseverance pays off.
Reduced speed to 20, used Z lift with moves and printed in plain ABS.
Just finished in time!




richgain