RoboDerby Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Admittedly, I have a lot to learn in regards to building my own robots, even more to learn in order to create ones that move. But I would like to start thinking about getting my feet wet in 3D printing. I have no experience with 3D printing, nor do I have any knowledge of CAD. Any suggestions on good 3D printers that I could learn with, but also will be capable of quality production once I have developed some skills? Also, is there a particular software that I might be able to start with that doesn’t necessarily require knowledge of Cad, but that might help a beginner start building better knowledge and skills in this regard? I intend to research these topics further, but wondered if anyone here might be willing to weigh in. Thanks to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 CAD first, printer second. Design Spark Mechanical is free and is relatively easy to use. There are tutorials on line that will guide you through the early stages. See if you can get along with it before you think about a printer. There are plenty of good quality printers that can be had for about $300. The market changes by the week so wait until you're sure you want to commit. Fusion printing (layers of plastic) is easiest to work with but I've started looking in earnest at resin printers; they produce amazing quality but they are smelly and messy. I would recommend anyone to try 3D printing. It isn't half as difficult as people would have you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboDerby Posted July 16, 2019 Author Share Posted July 16, 2019 Thanks for a starting point Brian. Much appreciated. I will check out Design Spark and start looking at fusion vs resin. One more thing that you might be able to help me with. I currently only have an older MacBook Pro. I will likely update to a better computer. But when doing my initial research, it was quite confusing as to what features would be ideal to run the software in terms of number of cores, processor speed, etc. It seems that designing in 3D and rendering in 3D have differing requirements and I’m not exactly sure which direction to go. If you can help me fill in that blank with your thoughts, I might have a pretty good starting point in regards to piecing things together enough to get off the ground with the learning process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 I don't think a high powered computer is needed. There's no rendering. Check here: https://designspark.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/212000945-How-do-I-know-the-exact-hardware-and-software-specifications-for-DS-Mechanical- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboDerby Posted July 16, 2019 Author Share Posted July 16, 2019 Perfect. Thanks Brian. That answers my question. I figured 3D design was the primary task and wasn’t sure how much rendering would be involved in the process. I think I get the gist of the difference between the two, but I wasn’t entirely sure that I was correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robothut Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 There are a lot of free 3d CAD type programs out there. I still use Design Spark mechanical but there are real basic ones like Tinker CAD and others that let you grab pre made shapes from a library and just stick them together, change the scale and add holes, things like that. I have seen some impressive things made that way. If your goal is to custom build like Brian and I are doing then yes learn CAD first. But if you like to make things in plastic then you might enjoy having a 3d printer even if you do not learn CAD as there are so many free STL files out there just waiting to be printed. I would say that 90% of all the people 3d printing these days do not know how to design in CAD at all, they just like making things. Good 3d printers in the $200 buck range are out there now. yes there is a learning curve, but it is fun if you like making things and fixing things. And there are so many MODs and upgrades for every 3d printer you can think of , as well as groups and chats on how to do it. Jump in the Water is fine ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboDerby Posted July 19, 2019 Author Share Posted July 19, 2019 9 minutes ago, robothut said: There are a lot of free 3d CAD type programs out there. I still use Design Spark mechanical but there are real basic ones like Tinker CAD and others that let you grab pre made shapes from a library and just stick them together, change the scale and add holes, things like that. I have seen some impressive things made that way. If you goal is to custom build like Brian and I are doing then yes learn CAD first. But if you like to make things in plastic then you might enjoy having a 3d printer even if you do not learn CAD as there are so many free STL files out there just waiting to be printed. I would say that 90% of all the people 3d printing these days do not know how to design in CAD at all, they just like making things. Good 3d printers in the $200 buck range are out there now. yes there is a learning curve, but it is fun if you like making things and fixing things. And there are so many MODs and upgrades for every 3d printer you can think of , as well as groups and chats on how to do it. Jump in the Water is fine ! Thanks John. Now that I have input from both of the masters, I already feel more confident about eventually joining you guys in the pool. Lol. It is no secret that I am a huge fan of the work that you and Brian have been doing. You can bet that the first thing I will do once I have purchased a 3D printer is to head over to Thingverse and start making my own builds of robots from the files that you have so generously shared on the site. However, I most certainly will be learning CAD as I would very much like to contribute to the community here with my own unique designs and robots. You both are a huge inspiration to me and I look forward to hopefully earning your stamp of approval on my work sometime in the not so distant future. Though, no doubt I will seek further guidance as I progress regarding other related skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboDerby Posted August 3, 2019 Author Share Posted August 3, 2019 So it begins. Happy to report that I have purchased a refurbished computer with the necessary Windows OS to run Designspark Mechanical and I have downloaded the software itself. Still plenty to learn. But, I’m on my way now with the first two achievements unlocked in my journey to someday be able to create my own 3D printed robots. Now to start binge watching some tutorials. Thanks John and Brian for the advice, encouragement and inspiration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBODUDE Posted August 3, 2019 Share Posted August 3, 2019 Awesome!!!! You are on your way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboDerby Posted August 3, 2019 Author Share Posted August 3, 2019 6 minutes ago, ROBODUDE said: Awesome!!!! You are on your way Thanks Robodude! Hope to impress you all... and myself someday with some original creations. Though, lord knows I may have some questions for John and Brian along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golddalek Posted August 4, 2019 Share Posted August 4, 2019 Sweet looking computer....I use Blender myself. There is no good or bad CAD program: the right program is the one you enjoy using. I also haven't purchased a 3D machine yet, although I may in the Fall- after my move out of state is complete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboDerby Posted August 4, 2019 Author Share Posted August 4, 2019 28 minutes ago, Golddalek said: Sweet looking computer....I use Blender myself. There is no good or bad CAD program: the right program is the one you enjoy using. I also haven't purchased a 3D machine yet, although I may in the Fall- after my move out of state is complete. Same here regarding the printer. I’m going to do as Brian suggested and get a grasp of the software first. Judging by the tutorials that I have watched so far, this might not take as long as I expected. I still have to do some learning in regards to basic mechanical design as well. But after that I hope to create a couple of complete projects using the software after which I will be ready to purchase a printer, hopefully in 2-3 months. This will likely be a Prusa i3 Mk4. But I’ll probably get some input on this first before coming to a final decision on the model. Once I have printed a couple of projects, I may extend my studies to programming. But, currently I am focused on creating designs that are more mechanical in nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golddalek Posted August 4, 2019 Share Posted August 4, 2019 John Rigg seems to like the Prusa Mk3, (then again he likes a lot of machines :p) I seen his videos of modifications to his 3D printer....so I'm leaning towards that. Plus it seems to have a good build area. I don't know about your machine of choice, Prusa Mk4. I assume any newer model probably has improvements from previous ones or at least lessons learned.,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboDerby Posted August 4, 2019 Author Share Posted August 4, 2019 3 minutes ago, Golddalek said: I don't know about your machine of choice, Prusa Mk4. My mistake. I was actually referring to the Mk3. Though there may be a Mk4 by the time I get around to picking one up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robothut Posted August 4, 2019 Share Posted August 4, 2019 Yes I just put linear rails on my MK3 bed "Y axes" just to get rid of the sloppy and noisy rod bearings. The rod bearings work fine but since the heated bed is a flat PCB type it acks like a sounding board for any sounds. Adding a insulation sheet to the bottom of the PCB heat bed helps in reducing the sounds as well. I have done this as well and the printer is so quite now I forget that it is running just a few feet from me. If you can not afford a Prusa i3 MK3 kit or built printer there are some printers out there in the $200 to $400 range that do a fantastic job. Or you can buy a china clone of the MK3 but the reviews of the clones is mixed. Some have great printers they say and some have problem printers, so that is kind of a coin toss. If I had the extra money I would buy one of the clone kits just for the fun of seeing for my self what you get. As I like to build kits and tinker with things. But then again I have 9 printers right now so if one is crap or down its no big deal. I do try and use the same printer for all the parts in a robot project as I have found that some printers have a very slight scale difference and if your mechanical parts require a tight scale just do all the parts on the same printer. Mostly for me its the delta printers that seem to be a bit different in print scale. The Artillery/Evnovo* Sidewinder X1 2019 Version 3d printer is in the $400 buck range and looks to be very good. The TEVO® Tarantula Pro 3D Printer Kit is a round $220 bucks and a very good printer. There are printers as low as $150 bucks but they normally will requite a bit of modification or tinkering to get good results, and if your all about learning how this 3d printer stuff works then that is not a bad way to go. But if your ready to just start making things then its better to spend a little more money and get a machine that will work out of the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now