Tooling & Tips for 3d printing.

1. Printer model

Creality Ender-3 model.

Ender3

2. Tips

3. Enhancements

Table 1. Enhancements
Category Tested Notes

Filament

x

Roller Guide

Noise and smoothness

x

IMPORTANT: MUST HAVE for noise reduction: Noise goes from "noisy dental care room" to "tower PC loud FAN"

Motors Dampers

Nozzle

x

Head

Head Fan

40x40 fan cooler

Fan resize adaptors 60 to 40

Silence & Quality Mod

Fan

x

Noctua 40x10

Camera Mount

/

Basic model

Arm model

Flexible model

Nuts

/

Nuts

4. Software

4.1. Drawing

4.1.1. OpenSCAD

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openscad/releases
$ sudo apt-get install openscad

4.1.2. SDF Python

SDF Python

4.2. Printing

4.2.1. Cura

Cura engine is probably best tool for slicing.

Massive defect is that Cura holds of and breaks any USB devices while open and constantly scanning for 3D printers.

Workaround ?

4.2.2. Repetier

Repetier Host is nice, includes Cura (although it looks using Cura directly gives better results).

4.2.3. OctoPrint

Find link here:

5. Material

SUNLU wires (from Amazon), is good and last years when well packaged in safe.

Table 2. Materials
Type T°C Nozzle T°C Plate Speed Options Comments

PLA+ Gray/Green

210°C

50°C

60mm/s

EASY

PLA+ Carbon Fiber

215°C

40°C

60mm/s

GOOD FINISH, not so STRONG

PETG+ White/Red

240°C

80°C

60mm/s

Enable coasting

Reduced infill speed to 40mm/s

VERY GOOD FINISH

TPU Transparent

210°C

40°C

25mm/s

Flexible!

6. How-to

Generally, steps are as follows:

  • identify part you want to print with it’s keywords

  • measure your part specifics using digital measuring calliper

  • search thingiverse or other site for parts keywords, add parametric keyword to find SCAD (if any)

  • usually, people sharing parts only share STL.
    STL is fine if you have exact part measures you seek, but a pain if you want to customize the part.
    Nevertheless, STL often give good advice on part specifics.
    In a wonderful world, people would provide source code, and be using open source and open format …​

  • OpenSCAD is suitable for programmatic parts creation with basic parts
    With few experience, pretty advanced figures can be built, without having to learn fancy CAD UI click-odrome

  • design/program your part with boolean 3D operations

  • render STL from openSCAD

  • open in Cura, fine tune specifics for your plastic wire (PETG, PLA, etc), and render GCode
    Cura although gives an approximate duration and wire consumption.

  • start printing to USB plugged printer

  • enjoy printed custom part

7. G-Code tips

Extrude a few (used when changing wire)
G92 E0 ; set the current filament position to E=0
G1 E50 F200 ; extrude 50mm of filament at speed 200mm/min

8. 3D Printing

8.1. Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry allows to scan objects in 3D using photo shots.

9. Models

Best place to find model is Thingiverse.

Find few of my models under:

9.1. COVID-19

9.1.1. Face Shield

These parts are meant to be created using OpenSCAD, from human-readable primitives like spheres, cubes or cylinders.

Prototype Build Model #2

Model #1 Model #3 Model #4

9.1.2. Face Mask

Face Mask Buckle Face Mask Buckle With Angle

9.1.3. Keychain

This is a funny project to create a very randomized COVID figure.

Each refresh in OpenSCAD will generate a distinct figure such as below:

Keychain COVID

9.1.4. Drawing 3D

To follow-up on useless random testing, below is 3D generated volumes:

COVID 3D COVID 3D

9.2. Desk Tools

Laptop stand

Laptop Stand

VESA 100mm spacer

VESA Spacer

Cable cleanups

Shape U Shape O Shape E

Shape X-8 Shape X-6

9.3. Duplo/Lego compatible parts

Duplo block lib and many SCAD are based from Thingiverse search.
The lib itself was not modified much, and additional SCAD added.
Below are custom things.

Parts

Duplo-Copter Lego Keychain

Duplo marble cyclone ramp Duplo marble bridge Duplo marble pylon

Interesting

9.4. Ender 3 parts

GoPro Hero 5 session mount

GoPro Hero 5 session mount v1 GoPro Hero 5 session mount v2

9.5. House stuff

Pole 7m

Adpator clip for 7m pole Adpator mount for 7m pole

This is an adaptor between a 3.6m sprayer pole and a 3.6m swimming pool pole, making the full pol at about 7m !

Water

Water plates water plates

Car devices

9.6. Kite Wind Part

Kite Attach

9.7. Lego compatible parts

Lego block lib is based on Thingiverse search.
The lib itself was modified to avoid printing defects, and additional SCAD added.
Below are custom things.

9.7.1. Parts

Lego Boost are great, as-is, or when programmed through bluetooth dongle using python lib.
The only mistake from Lego is usage of AAA batteries :-(

Below shows a custom print to replace the 6 AAA by a single LiPo battery.
LiPo battery is a 2S 800mAh, enough for few days of kid playing, while recharging in 30min and obvisouly avoid waste generated by the few AAA sets that are required every few weeks…​
Note that recharcheable AAA batteries were tested, without success because voltage is too low, even fully charged.

Left: originial
Mid: 3D model
Right:printed model, with LiPo in place

Lego Boost Move Hub Battery Holder

9.8. Repairing stuff

9.8.1. Rack Hinge

Rack Hinge repair

9.8.2. Kitchen sink

Kitchen sink plug repair

9.8.3. Fish Tank Things

FishTank Neon Reflector Clip FishTank Neon Reflector Clip

9.8.4. Garden

Garden Sprayer Hook

9.8.5. Watch

Watch Band

9.9. Storage

9.9.1. wine-glass-holder

Wine glass holder Wine glass holder

9.10. Swimmming Pool Printed parts

Facts:

Intex (or any brand) swimming pool requires lots of water connections.
Switching from water filtering mode to water vacuum mode, of different tube diameter is not fast and easy when using commercial parts.

Below is an attempt to create parts that allow for flexible diameter of tubes, and different angles, without difficulties, and lot cheaper than buying tones of parts (which might not exist anyway)

Parts should be printed in PETG for durability in Chlorine water.

Swimming Pool

9.10.1. Cleaning

Vacuum

Connection Clamp Vacuum Vacuum

9.10.2. Cover

Clip to hook top cover on swimming pool frame.

Cover Clip

9.10.3. Inlets / Outlets - Cap

Caps for Inlet/Outlet

Intex Filter cap Intex inlet cap Intex inlet cap

Cap adaptors to plug various diameters tools

Intex inlet adaptor Intex inlet adaptor

Various diameters tools

Intex inlet adaptor to hose Intex inlet adaptor to hose

Intex Outlet with angle 65 Intex Outlet with angle 90 Intex Inlet/Outlet 38mm plug

Photo example

Printed Parts Mounted Parts

9.10.4. Resources

Here are few ressources which inspired for above designs:

9.11. Xiaomi Aqara

Xiaomi Aqara Zigbee Sensors are good sensors.

Minimized size factor has drawback to use CR2450 or CR2032 has battaries.
These batteries have short lifespan (~3-12 months).

Changing batteries every short is not good for earth, and ends up costly!

CR123A is a 3.3v battery:
- sized 1/2 AA battery,
- with x5-10 times energy vs CR2450, so should last more than year
- with low autodrain,
- has a rechargeable flavor,
- costs usualy same price vs CR2450/CR2032

CR123A is a good option to save planet/money while not making the sensor too big.
Design

The CR123A patch can be printed in PLA or PETG.
It includes a nut to plug a custom wall mount.

Xiaomi Aqara Motion Sensor on CR123A

Xiaomi Aqara Motion Sensor on CR123A Xiaomi Aqara Motion Sensor on CR123A

9.12. Cats

This is a set of cat models.

Models are not to 3D print, but may contain parts to print.

Cat Tree Model 1

Cat Tree Model 2

9.13. Others

Drill
Tooling

Corner Brackets

Marble run

Marble run

RC Cars

Mecanum wheels

Meccano Junior

Meccano Jr parts