3D Printers

[Hurricane]

Thinking that others on here will find this interesting.
The Bambu Lab X1C comes with a camera so that you can monitor it printing whilst you are away.
That camera can also be set to record a timelapse of the printing.
This is a plastic bolt with the correct thread (M12 - IIRC)

And this is the lid of a box lid I made from a parametric design to hold all my USB nicknacks

This is the finished job

 

[Refueler]

I only have Ender 3 Pro and another Repetier Direct feed printer. But set up reasonably - the results can be impressive :

3 versions of Vulcan Bomber :

Albatross :

Fantasy WW1 :

C130 Hercules :

They and many others I have are all flying RC models ....

 

[DavidJ]

Oh dear!
I can feel another hobby coming on

 

[Hurricane]

Oh dear!
I can feel another hobby coming on

For me, the biggest kick that I get is making something from scratch.
There are loads of models out there that people have designed.
For me, its an engineering challenge.
Years ago, this hobby was getting a 3D printer to work.
Now, it is just a tool that does exactly what you ask it to do - working to 0.1 of a millimetre.

 

[DavidJ]

I’m keen to get into this Mike, but the £750 version

Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer​

is more in line with my budget.
Maybe an unfair question but could the components that you’ve made be done on a lesser machine
I’m looking at
https://uk.store.bambulab.com/produ...UGHwgZtgEZt1K34lgP5rMQtEYiDh-rphoCA5YQAvD_BwE

 

[Hurricane]

Yes, I believe that is the same machine as mine but without all the "bells and whistles".
I believe things like no camera.
Also a simpler controller on the front.
That said, I don't actually touch my more expensive one - only to load the filament and remove the print.
Most things are done within the Bambu Studio application that runs on your computer.
So the P1S should do everything that mine does.
I'm pretty sure that it uses the same actual printing technology.
I think Bambu Labs developed the P1 for those printing houses that don't need the posh control panels.

It seems that you are thinking of the one with an AMS (the multi colour printer).
I'm not sure about multi coloured prints - they take a long time as it has to reload the filament every time it changes colour.
But colour does work and produces nice prints at the end.
However the AMS comes into its own if you have a print and not much filament on the roll to print your job.
You simply load a new roll of the same filament into another slot and in th settings tell the printer to switch rolls when it runs out.

By the way, Bambu Studio is something else. Download it and play with it. It is an amazing piece of software - shows Open Source Software at its best.
Competing companies using Open Source Code, sharing ideas between them - the winners are us.

Three of us from SCM have the same printer - @John100156 (I hope John doesn't mind me saying) and a tech guy who lives in the marina.
We are all learning together so you might like to join in.
John previously used Fusion but I think he is starting to like FreeCAD - well, thats what he said in an to me email this evening!!

Now that I'm starting to get my head round FreeCAD, I like it myself.
I think I said earlier that FreeCAD is about to launch its final Version 1.0 - we have all been testing the Beta release and I expect the full version before the end of the month.
There are a couple of really good changes to the 2D sketcher.
Auto dimensions and auto constraints on the fly but the big one for me is the ability for it to handle multiple solids within the Part Design Workbench (an experimental switch enables that option).
Think of FreeCAD as a workshop with multiple workbenches where you can do your work.
You can take your project from one workbench to another and use the tools on that specific workbench.
In my opinion, the workbench to start on is called the Part Design (note not the Part workbench) - just create a Body (not a Part) in the Part Design and have a go.
I can point you in the direction of useful Youtube videos.
Thats how John and I work together - we exchange ideas and links to Youtube videos.

Let me know what you think.

 

[John100156]

Mike, of course I don't mind you mentioning me.

I have now chosen FreeCAD as my preferred software, it works really well with Bambu Studio.

I created 3 folders: 1) the initial folder to hold the FreeCAD design models in a file with an .FCStd extension, then 2) the selected parts/bodies/sketches exported to a file with an .stl extension which imports well into Bambu Studio and 3) the third folder holds the Bambu Studio Project files once printed in a file with a .3mf extension.

I must say it is good fun learning all this, been through three reels of filament already, only problem is, everyone that sees it wants some form of box/gear/bracket/gadget/toy printed and I have 12 grandkids, or is it 13 I have lost count....!

 

[Refueler]

Just for those browsing this thread ...

The Bambu printers are fab machines - not cheap - an example of paying for the sophisticated operation.

But in reality - there are many other machines out there from basic to WOW - can it really do that ??? Many of which are less price.

I am not trying to say my printers are as good as the Bambu - that would be silly .... but what I will say is that my Ender 3 Pro sits in the mid range of home capable machines but at good price.
The trick to good prints - is a combination of the printer and the software (Slicer) to GCODE the item for printing. Choice of a Slicer program can make or break a print. That is why I have 3 Slicer programs installed ... Cura - Repetier and Simplify3D ....
I have run through many others but those 3 just about span the jobs for me.

When downloading files from commercial such as 3Dlab and 3Daero etc. - you often find that they provide GCode print files already created for one or two of those. Simplify3D and Cura being common.

A person can easily set up a good print shop for about 300 quid .. as example Creality who produce the Ender series are a leading brand on market ...

https://store.creality.com/collections/ender-series-3d-printer?spm=..index.products_display_nav_1.1

Even my Repetier machine at just over 100 quid produces very good prints - just needs to test what Slicer suits the item required.

Like many things in life - there is no one stop solution - but there are many that are as close as you can get.

 

[DavidJ]

Yes, I believe that is the same machine as mine but without all the "bells and whistles".
I believe things like no camera.
Also a simpler controller on the front.
That said, I don't actually touch my more expensive one - only to load the filament and remove the print.
Most things are done within the Bambu Studio application that runs on your computer.
So the P1S should do everything that mine does.
I'm pretty sure that it uses the same actual printing technology.
I think Bambu Labs developed the P1 for those printing houses that don't need the posh control panels.

It seems that you are thinking of the one with an AMS (the multi colour printer).
I'm not sure about multi coloured prints - they take a long time as it has to reload the filament every time it changes colour.
But colour does work and produces nice prints at the end.
However the AMS comes into its own if you have a print and not much filament on the roll to print your job.
You simply load a new roll of the same filament into another slot and in th settings tell the printer to switch rolls when it runs out.

By the way, Bambu Studio is something else. Download it and play with it. It is an amazing piece of software - shows Open Source Software at its best.
Competing companies using Open Source Code, sharing ideas between them - the winners are us.

Three of us from SCM have the same printer - @John100156 (I hope John doesn't mind me saying) and a tech guy who lives in the marina.
We are all learning together so you might like to join in.
John previously used Fusion but I think he is starting to like FreeCAD - well, thats what he said in an to me email this evening!!

Now that I'm starting to get my head round FreeCAD, I like it myself.
I think I said earlier that FreeCAD is about to launch its final Version 1.0 - we have all been testing the Beta release and I expect the full version before the end of the month.
There are a couple of really good changes to the 2D sketcher.
Auto dimensions and auto constraints on the fly but the big one for me is the ability for it to handle multiple solids within the Part Design Workbench (an experimental switch enables that option).
Think of FreeCAD as a workshop with multiple workbenches where you can do your work.
You can take your project from one workbench to another and use the tools on that specific workbench.
In my opinion, the workbench to start on is called the Part Design (note not the Part workbench) - just create a Body (not a Part) in the Part Design and have a go.
I can point you in the direction of useful Youtube videos.
Thats how John and I work together - we exchange ideas and links to Youtube videos.

Let me know what you think.

Many thanks Mike for your really comprehensive reply
I’ve got a birthday coming up in a month so that’s got that sorted.
I need now to understand the Bambu range but from your description the model I outlined seems a good starting point to look at the additional features and probably add to my notional budget.
I’ve used autoCAD extensively for home building projects so keen to look at FreeCAD. Words like ‘Open Source Code’ frighten me a bit but I think we are working at a higher level than that.
Many thanks again, learning begins!

 

[jakew009]

I’m keen to get into this Mike, but the £750 version

Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer​

is more in line with my budget.
Maybe an unfair question but could the components that you’ve made be done on a lesser machine
I’m looking at
https://uk.store.bambulab.com/produ...UGHwgZtgEZt1K34lgP5rMQtEYiDh-rphoCA5YQAvD_BwE

We originally bought a X1C to test against the Prusas we used to run and now have a whole farm of P1S’s printing parts for our products. The Prusas long went on eBay.

The X1C has basically zero benefit over the P1S. Mechanically they are both identical.

- the P1S doesn’t have the LiDAR sensor but it’s unreliable and most people end up disabling it
- the X1C has a better camera but who cares
- the X1C has a better screen but you’ll never use it
- the P1S was the second generation and they improved lots of things on it. For instance taking the hot end apart is much easier on the P1S as they used much bigger connectors after realising the ones on the X1C were too fiddly.

 

[DavidJ]

We originally bought a X1C to test against the Prusas we used to run and now have a whole farm of P1S’s printing parts for our products. The Prusas long went on eBay.

The X1C has basically zero benefit over the P1S. Mechanically they are both identical.

- the P1S doesn’t have the LiDAR sensor but it’s unreliable and most people end up disabling it
- the X1C has a better camera but who cares
- the X1C has a better screen but you’ll never use it
- the P1S was the second generation and they improved lots of things on it. For instance taking the hot end apart is much easier on the P1S as they used much bigger connectors after realising the ones on the X1C were too fiddly.

What’s a LiDAR sensor?
I’m on a learning curve but I’ll try not to bombard with basic questions.

 

[jakew009]

What’s a LiDAR sensor?
I’m on a learning curve but I’ll try not to bombard with basic questions.

Bambu Lab micro lidar introduction and methods for distinguishing versions(single red or dual red)

Basically the printer needs to calibrate how much plastic comes out of the nozzle for each ‘turn’ of the cog that feeds the plastic.


The LiDAR scanner can 3D scan the line if filament the nozzle lays down and check it’s dimensions.

However the reality is it doesn’t work very well and it takes no effort to calibrate manually. When the sensor starts to play up it actually makes the calibration worse.

 

[Hurricane]

We originally bought a X1C to test against the Prusas we used to run and now have a whole farm of P1S’s printing parts for our products. The Prusas long went on eBay.

The X1C has basically zero benefit over the P1S. Mechanically they are both identical.

- the P1S doesn’t have the LiDAR sensor but it’s unreliable and most people end up disabling it
- the X1C has a better camera but who cares
- the X1C has a better screen but you’ll never use it
- the P1S was the second generation and they improved lots of things on it. For instance taking the hot end apart is much easier on the P1S as they used much bigger connectors after realising the ones on the X1C were too fiddly.

I don't disagree with any of your comments on the P1S vs the X1C.
Being an absolute novice, I don't regret buying the more expensive model though.

But really interesting that you have chosen Bambu over Prusa.
I believe that the Bambu is way quicker than the Prusa which I suspect affected your decision.

 

[Hurricane]

Bambu Lab micro lidar introduction and methods for distinguishing versions(single red or dual red)

Basically the printer needs to calibrate how much plastic comes out of the nozzle for each ‘turn’ of the cog that feeds the plastic.


The LiDAR scanner can 3D scan the line if filament the nozzle lays down and check it’s dimensions.

However the reality is it doesn’t work very well and it takes no effort to calibrate manually. When the sensor starts to play up it actually makes the calibration worse.

Interesting 99% of the time I'm using defaults so I've never thought of disabling the LIDAR

 

[vas]

if you are into opensource s/w (sorry I'm not!) have a look at Blender3D as well.

 

[Hurricane]

if you are into opensource s/w (sorry I'm not!) have a look at Blender3D as well.

Blender is a step too far - my brain hurts enough with this stuff anyway. I want to be able to sleep at night!!!
What don't you like about Open Source?
I would have thought it was right up your street (so to speak).

 

[petem]

This is a little off topic but we have a local "Hackspace" with a Laser cutter, CNC milling machines, 3D printers etc. It's an excellent way to access all type of kit for those without the money or space to build their own workshop. They're also a friendly bunch very willing to help out.

This is the Cheltenham "space" Cheltenham Hackspace but there's lots around the country.

 

[jakew009]

What don't you like about Open Source?
I would have thought it was right up your street (so to speak).

Way off topic, but as someone who uses CAD software all day long (and pays for license fees that get used by other people in the company), and also as someone who likes open source software, Freecad is pretty rubbish in reality.

The EDA (PCB design) software we use is called KiCAD, which is open source, and it's really good, at a level where lots of commercial companies are using it and it's getting commercial sponsoring (from the likes of CERN in Geneva). If they would just fix the library management stuff Altium would be running scared (and they charge 5 grand a seat per year). There is not much of a productivity gain working in Altium vs KiCAD.

However, comparing Freecad to say Fusion360 or Solidworks is just chalk and cheese. Something that takes 30 seconds in Fusion takes twice as long in Freecad and if you are not careful to name your parts correctly, the whole model will blow up (google topological naming problem).

You will likely realise once you start trying to draw more complex stuff in Freecad, or models with hundreds / thousands of parts. I'd focus your effort on learning a tool that will grow with you (and I promise you will keep modelling more and more complex things as you learn).

I know it's all a bit chicken and egg (Freecad can't really improve unless people use it), but at the moment it's falling further behind (especially as Autodesk et all are busy adding AI stuff in that saves enormous amounts of time).

Edit: Blender is another good example of where the open source tool is actually better than most of the paid for offerings and is used extensively in industry.

 

[Refueler]

Have to say that most 3D print people who draw up own designs I know - use Blender or Fusion360.

 

[jakew009]

Have to say that most 3D print people who draw up own designs I know - use Blender or Fusion360.

Which is fun in itself, because industry uses Solidworks, Inventor, Autocad, Catia etc

Fusion is popular in 3d printing circles because it was given away for free for a long time when everything else was vastly more expensive. It's gaining commercial traction though as they are investing so much in it.