pops92
Established Member
Today I printed a featherboard for my Record BS300 works great. I have also fitted adapters to all my power tools. So much stuff to make in the workshop. Really great bit of kit.
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8.A New toy
- Thread starter pops92
- Start date
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More info as we do not know what this bit of kit is!
3D Printer?
shed9
establiSHED member
A tad random......
sploo
Somewhat extinguished member
Anet A8 maybe?
Still waiting to know what type of 3D printer it is?
pops92
Established Member
Can we have some more info with regards to the printer you used and some details about how you go about making something like that featherboard, I am sure there are many of us who would have something that they would like to make if they had the knowledge. People need to remember that there are a lot of us older generation around here who grew up when the only way to print something was on a typewriter, they looked like this!
pops92
Established Member
Hope video works attached. This is a 3d printer making another featherboard for guys router. I got the printer at Xmas this year and just can't stop making stuff. I have now fitted dust extraction adaptors to all my kit in the garage.
The printer I have is a Creality Ender 3 v2 cost around 180 but vary a lot in price. There are so many makes to choose from. They look easy to use but they aren't .
Video won't work so here's a photo. Printing this now 6.5 hrs.
The printer I have is a Creality Ender 3 v2 cost around 180 but vary a lot in price. There are so many makes to choose from. They look easy to use but they aren't .
Video won't work so here's a photo. Printing this now 6.5 hrs.
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pops92
Established Member
To make the above you need a something to produce it. One of the easy (cad) computer aided drawing softwares is Tinkercad. Once you have designed it you then need to put on another piece of software they call a Splicer. This will make the design into layers soo the printer can understand it and produce it. Layer by layer or slice by splice. Each layer is approximately .2 thick coming out of a .4mm nozzle.
Photos shown are items I have made with it.
Photos shown are items I have made with it.
Inspector
Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
If I might make a suggestion re the planer/thicknesser adaptor. Make one that fits the end of the hose and leave off that black adaptor that is reducing the diameter and restricting the airflow. If you can also lengthen the conical portion it will also help.
Pete
Pete
pops92
Established Member
Thanks for that.But this is how I use on all my adapters and its OK for me.
Given youre now an experienced 3D printer. Whats your assessment of the one you have ?. I sure would like to get one, but theres no many choices now, and its hard to judge whats worth it for basic printouts.
Every time I look into this, theres the basic, then folk say Oh you must make sure it has this, or that or t'other, so its hard to be able to judge what good the basic one like you have is any good.
I wouldnt have a problem spending £200, but I know theres different filaments, some can be used and some cant. Still a bit of a minefield for me knowing whats what.
Thanks for the info @pops92 , how good are these printers in the quality of the finished product and is there any cleanup required like when something is taken out of a sand mold?
This sounds like something that a company I worked for in the eighties used to make prototype parts except they were in a form of paper mache and it was the size of a container but it worked on layers. How well do the layers adhere to the previous layer and are they visible in the finished product?
I assume the drawing needs to be a 3d model, not 2D so what formats can the Splicer software accept because 3d CAD can be expensive, but I suppose it depends on what you are trying to make.
This sounds like something that a company I worked for in the eighties used to make prototype parts except they were in a form of paper mache and it was the size of a container but it worked on layers. How well do the layers adhere to the previous layer and are they visible in the finished product?
I assume the drawing needs to be a 3d model, not 2D so what formats can the Splicer software accept because 3d CAD can be expensive, but I suppose it depends on what you are trying to make.
sploo
Somewhat extinguished member
I too have an Ender 3 v2 with a number of mods (though not quite as many by the looks of pops92's photo). It's a great budget machine.
You can use free CAD tools such as SketchUp Make (with a plugin to export to STL format) to make your objects (though plenty of designs are available from Thingiverse and others).
Slicing software for FDM printers is readily available; Cura is great, and completely free.
I use PLA filament (and some PLA+). It can be brittle, and doesn't stand up to heat that well, but I've rarely found it a problem. Other filaments such as PETG or ABS are a bit more difficult to print, and the budget printers won't generally do the most "difficult" filaments as the hot end can't safely get to a high enough temperature.
Layers will be visible in FDM prints; though can be pretty smooth with small layer heights. A bit of sanding and filling (or painting) can make things look good (I recently printed some large "trumpet" ports for a loudspeaker design). Layer adhesion is good (assuming no problems with a print).
If you want (almost) no visible layer lines straight from the machine you need to start looking at resin printers; but they're generally more suited to aesthetic models rather than mechanical parts (as the resin tends to be very brittle once cured).
Clean up is generally related to the necessity of supports; if it can be printed with a flat surface on the build plate and no need for extra supporting material then almost no clean up is possible. Complex objects with overhangs will require supports; with associated sanding afterwards.
You can use free CAD tools such as SketchUp Make (with a plugin to export to STL format) to make your objects (though plenty of designs are available from Thingiverse and others).
Slicing software for FDM printers is readily available; Cura is great, and completely free.
I use PLA filament (and some PLA+). It can be brittle, and doesn't stand up to heat that well, but I've rarely found it a problem. Other filaments such as PETG or ABS are a bit more difficult to print, and the budget printers won't generally do the most "difficult" filaments as the hot end can't safely get to a high enough temperature.
Layers will be visible in FDM prints; though can be pretty smooth with small layer heights. A bit of sanding and filling (or painting) can make things look good (I recently printed some large "trumpet" ports for a loudspeaker design). Layer adhesion is good (assuming no problems with a print).
If you want (almost) no visible layer lines straight from the machine you need to start looking at resin printers; but they're generally more suited to aesthetic models rather than mechanical parts (as the resin tends to be very brittle once cured).
Clean up is generally related to the necessity of supports; if it can be printed with a flat surface on the build plate and no need for extra supporting material then almost no clean up is possible. Complex objects with overhangs will require supports; with associated sanding afterwards.
Lard
Established Member
Thats my exact thoughts too! I’d love to get one.
I would also like to ask a question in regard to that feather board…..for an application like that, do all filaments possess enough ‘tension’ or ‘spring’ or did you have to chose a specific one for that purpose? I’m just thinking that in that situation a rigid plastic would simply snap if any backward force is applied.
Jacob
Pint of bass, porkpie, and packet of crisps please
I make feather boards from offcuts and the band saw. 5 minutes from start to finish.
sploo
Somewhat extinguished member
My $0.02 would be that PLA featherboard fingers would likely fail after a while - it's not great under that sort of load. Some other filament types might fare better.
Jacob
Pint of bass, porkpie, and packet of crisps please
Wood is good. My feather-boards have lasted for years.
Yes Jacob, as can everyone else here. We're talking about 3D printed ones so try to stay on topic, there's a good chap
