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3D Printing - who has mastered this?

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I recently jumped into the 3d printing waters. Bought a Bambu P1S and a Einstar 2 3d scanner. I've been printing lots of stuff from other makers and did have a friend help me out in the Solidworks area with designing an enclosure for my Valentine One Remote Audio module. Long ago, I cut a hole in my dash for the module. It looked way unfinished with the module just shoved in the hole. I took his design and modified it so that the bezel had more meat to it and had smoother lines. I relied on AI to help me source ASA that would match the dash of the 2002 Excursion. I don't drive the truck that often so lets just say I didn't remember that it has a two tone interior. AI picked a light tan that matches the door panels but not the dash. LOL

I have a long way to go on mastering Solidworks.

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Scorch said:
I'm thinking about getting one. There's always some small part I wish I could create out of thin air for a bike, helmet, misc project. Right now, I'm wanting to make an H-shaped plastic bracket that would allow different windscreens to bolt onto bikes that don't have a specific model available, like a universal mount.

Is there a thread devoted to 3D printing projects here? Or are there any gurus here I could consult with? DFW_Warrior, have any advice?


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That H-bracket sounds like a perfect use case for a printer. Most universal mounts are bulky, so being able to spec your own for a specific bike is a game changer. If you haven't checked it out yet, look into PETG or ASA for those parts—PLA will just melt or warp the first time the bike sits in the sun.
 
TwinSpar said:
I recently jumped into the 3d printing waters. Bought a Bambu P1S and a Einstar 2 3d scanner. I've been printing lots of stuff from other makers and did have a friend help me out in the Solidworks area with designing an enclosure for my Valentine One Remote Audio module. Long ago, I cut a hole in my dash for the module. It looked way unfinished with the module just shoved in the hole. I took his design and modified it so that the bezel had more meat to it and had smoother lines. I relied on AI to help me source ASA that would match the dash of the 2002 Excursion. I don't drive the truck that often so lets just say I didn't remember that it has a two tone interior. AI picked a light tan that matches the door panels but not the dash. LOL

I have a long way to go on mastering Solidworks.

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A loooong time ago when I started Solidworks, the best advice I got was to try to model parts in the way you would machine or fabricate it. Lathe (revolve), mill (cut), 3d printer (extrude) and combinations of all

Draw the plane - either extrude (build) or cut (remove) in a straight line, a revolve, or a path (loft).

Like any other thing in life, the more you use it, the more proficient you become. The there is a lot of online content

Just FYI Solidsworks makers license if pretty cheap

 
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You got some pretty good advice.

Started Solidworks with version '98, moved from ProEngineer running on UNIX. What a revolution that was. Company went to Inventor in about 2013. I still prefer Solidworks. Maker's version is only about $50 a year.
 
one Wolf said:
You got some pretty good advice.

Started Solidworks with version '98, moved from ProEngineer running on UNIX. What a revolution that was. Company went to Inventor in about 2013. I still prefer Solidworks. Maker's version is only about $50 a year.
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I started with lead (blue, F, H2), Leroy lettering sets, elipse templates, compass, eraser shield etc. Moved onto Autocad LT and finally got on SW circa 2012. 2d to 3d took some learning. Although, I was doing isometric drawing in the 2d package.

When I was first doing exp prototypes circa 80s/90s, it was most efficient to machine/build the apparatus, and see if it worked before making a drawing package. That process has been definitely been reversed
 
FE_Rex said:
A loooong time ago when I started Solidworks, the best advice I got was to try to model parts in the way you would machine or fabricate it. Lathe (revolve), mill (cut), 3d printer (extrude) and combinations of all

Draw the plane - either extrude (build) or cut (remove) in a straight line, a revolve, or a path (loft).

Like any other thing in life, the more you use it, the more proficient you become. The there is a lot of online content

Just FYI Solidsworks makers license if pretty cheap

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Thanks for the guidance on design process! That makes sense! Btw... I have the maker version
 
FE_Rex said:
I started with lead (blue, F, H2), Leroy lettering sets, elipse templates, compass, eraser shield etc.
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I still have all my manual tools and templates. I'm waiting for the big digital/AI world to crash. Then I can work for 7 figures because I'm the only one left with the stuff. Or maybe I just don't throw things out that I should have by now.
 
X1Glider said:
I still have all my manual tools and templates. I'm waiting for the big digital/AI world to crash. Then I can work for 7 figures because I'm the only one left with the stuff. Or maybe I just don't throw things out that I should have by now.
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Kinda like the guys who still know how to program in COBOL? :D
 
FE_Rex said:
I started with lead (blue, F, H2), Leroy lettering sets, elipse templates, compass, eraser shield etc. Moved onto Autocad LT and finally got on SW circa 2012. 2d to 3d took some learning. Although, I was doing isometric drawing in the 2d package.

When I was first doing exp prototypes circa 80s/90s, it was most efficient to machine/build the apparatus, and see if it worked before making a drawing package. That process has been definitely been reversed
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If we're really going back, took mechanical drawing in the 8th grade, 1965. Used a drafting machine in the 1970s. As an engineer, began using AutoCad Ver 2.x in about 1985. Then a horrible experience with Versacad in the early '90s. In and out of IT a couple of times and still have my COBOL column scale ruler.

Modern technology is pretty incredible and very reliable these days.
 
FE_Rex said:
What about Fortran with numbered 5081’s ?????
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Don't know about that, but I recall a couple of years ago there were some companies paying big bucks to get some experienced Cobol programmers in because they were still using their really old applications.
 
I know what it is, just don't know of anyone paying well to those who know it these days.
 
I needed to rehang cabinet doors but we wanted to use a different style of hinge. I made a jig to drill the cabinet doors as well as the cabinet frames. Then, come to find out, our cabinet frames are not square, so I needed a way to square thing up while keeping hinges all looking symmetrical. So…. Shims of varying thickness were drawn up in no time flat and printed.

I’m telling you, for folks that can figure out the designing AND printing, these things are a very powerful tool to have in the tool box.
 

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DFW_Warrior said:
I’m telling you, for folks that can figure out the designing AND printing, these things are a very powerful tool to have in the tool box.
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I justified the cost of the 3D printer last week with this myself. Also, working on justifying the next 3D printer. :D

Wife came to me and said that one of the caps for the rocker on the porch rocking chairs went missing. Water is getting in and when she rocks rusty water is coming out and staining our porch. Took me no time at all to design and print a new cap that looks almost the same and has a nice tight friction fit. Wife is happy and I get to keep printing stuff with minimal eyerolling from her. :D

Jigs are nice for cabinet work. I didn't have the printer but the money spent on the Kreg jig for our handles and knobs was worth every penny. I gotta tell you, drilling that first hole in our brand new cabinets was super stressful, but knowing I had the jig and that at worst, all the handles/knobs would at least be consistently wrong made it easier. They all came out great though.
 
Yup.... loving to have the ability to design in 3D and make things with the printer is fantastic. The wife now comes to me with ideas of things to make. Our ice maker did not come with a ice scoop holder so I designed up something simple. The bottom is slotted to allow for water drainage and I designed in holes on the back so that rare earth magnets can be pressed in (no glue needed).

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Nothing to report on printing, but I finally got my Raise 3D Pro 2 running again. A few months ago it had an upset and pretty much encapsulated the left print head. It was so bad, I had to replace the one print head, and the related heater rod and temp probe. I also upgraded the printer with a magnetic double sided PEI sheet. While leveling the build-plate with the PEI system, I found that the original removable build plate could be installed such that it was not level - which likely lead to the upset. Should be good with the new build surface system. I should really ditch this printer and get a Bambu H2D, but having hard time justifying doing it.

New PEI system - magnetic sheet stuck on build plate and then flex PEI surface sticks to magnetic sheet. FUBARed print head and thermocouple shown

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Old build plate system - fouled out red thumbscrews could to jack-up one side of plate if you weren't careful

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