Threejacks Posted March 16, 2016 Report Share Posted March 16, 2016 Ordered a Micro 3d Printer that should be here by friday:) And I got in at the end of the kickstarter for Winterdale 2 from this company; http://www.printablescenery.com/ Not sure what to expect on it though,,the people at the model making site told me that the Micro3d should be able to do all prints but not much else. Has anyone tried any of this stuff with their printers? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threejacks Posted March 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 Machine arrived yesterday and ive already got a couple brick walls printed.The first one I had the fill setting to low and it ended up too soft in the middle area,plus I had resolution low and its very grainy. The second one however ended up much better by just bringing both settings up one notch. Since the Micro strongly recommends using PLA,I can see that cleaning and smoothing the prints is going to be a substantial job.Checking the net there are several different ways of smoothing PLA prints but most all of them are using chemicals,use some rather harsh stuff and can remove wanted detail.Im having some success just spraying a sandable automotive primer on the second print,the paint actually has bondo in it and seems to fill fairly well,,may need multiple coats though. The printer itself was super easy to set up and get to printing,very nice little bot!.One thing I would recommend though is to use the overhead feed port instead of the tube feed from under the print deck,,that was too hard to feed and seemed to bind up when printing thus stopping extrusion.I just made a simple rack to hold the spool out of 1/4" soft copper and its working fine. If anyone has any tips for working with PLA prints I would love to hear them:) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 I have the same machine,and have really enjoyed it. I tend to work with 3d prints as masters for casting, though. I'll print a piece, finish it with drywall spackle and sanding and primer and more sanding, and then make a mold of it. I'll cast a bunch in plaster, and then carve it up, add weathering, details, and the like, and then make another mold for the final casting. I think planning on straight-up printing a bunch of terrain for finishing would be too laborious for me. Post pics of what you've done! I'm excited to see how those files turned out. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threejacks Posted March 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 Yeah,some of the Winterdale buildings will take weeks to print all the pieces,lol. Plus,ive just spent the last hour and a half trying to figure out why the filament stops feeding right after starting a print.I chose to try the new "tough ink stuff,,,not sure that was a good idea as its rather inconsistant in diameter and seems to stop feeding when a thinner port of if gets into the feed gear..ive pulled out two sections now with flat spots on them. I should have one of the ruined walls done in a few days,auto primer does seem to fill alot of the grain when using the medium setting:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 I ended up finding that the PLA I got from Amazon was much less temperamental than the filament that came with the printer. Top feed is definitely a necessity. A good top-feed spool was the first thing I printed. If you're interested, here's a breakdown of the process I use. Again, I stick with pretty flat geometrical shapes, as it makes them easier to smooth out. The detail is added by carving into plaster later: http://www.ordofanaticus.com/index.php?/topic/20065-jims-terrain-project-log/?p=312657 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threejacks Posted March 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 I ended up finding that the PLA I got from Amazon was much less temperamental than the filament that came with the printer. Top feed is definitely a necessity. A good top-feed spool was the first thing I printed. If you're interested, here's a breakdown of the process I use. Again, I stick with pretty flat geometrical shapes, as it makes them easier to smooth out. The detail is added by carving into plaster later: http://www.ordofanaticus.com/index.php?/topic/20065-jims-terrain-project-log/?p=312657 Wow,,thats some crazy work there! I havent made molds in years,and when I did it was using the latex molding rubber stuff on rocks to make model RR scenery,,and that was just for plaster.Are you using one of those acrylic molding kits to make those? Also,figured out what my issue with the filament not feeding in,,the stuff on the roll binds up now and then.So i unraveled like 30` of it and rerolled it on there,heh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 I havent made molds in years,and when I did it was using the latex molding rubber stuff on rocks to make model RR scenery,,and that was just for plaster.Are you using one of those acrylic molding kits to make those? Silicone molds (Mold Max 14-NV) and polyurethane resin (Smooth Cast 320). I get everything from Smooth-On. Also,figured out what my issue with the filament not feeding in,,the stuff on the roll binds up now and then.So i unraveled like 30` of it and rerolled it on there,heh. Same! If the filament binds it ends up pulling the print head out of alignment. I loosely coil some around the spindle I use, and that seems to work fine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threejacks Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Did a couple of the small wall sections from the Winterdale set painted up. http://www.ordofanaticus.com/index.php?/gallery/album/161-m3dwalls/ They came out OK,I guess,I did the broken section with a higher resolution and better fill as the intact section was too soft in the middle with only low fill(it was the first piece I did and I was anxious to see how it would turn out so I wanted it done,heh) Clean up on PLA is a pain and I can see I will need to do top resolution on many of these prints to make them presentable.Though the "grainy" look can be much more acceptable on the brick items I think. I tried the main wall section of the war cottage on med/high resolution and unfortunatly after watching it like a hawk last Sunday all day with no probs,it even made it through the night without a problem.But while I was at work Monday the filament must have been twisted when it came off the roll because I came home to it printing 1/2 an inch above the work with nothing feeding...bummed out.Ive got a sealed bearing filament roll holder on the way and I plan to fab a mount for it to sit above the machine,,this should eliminate all chanced of binding. Really,the finish wasnt looking good on the work anyway,and there were some screwed up surface things going on,almost seemed like it was making supports were they werent needed.Gonna ask over the Printable scenery forums before I run that one again. Ive been reading up on some other filaments to try out.The Wood filaments are very interesting as many say you can easily sand it,though I gather it is rather brittle.I may pick up a roll to try it out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Nice work! It looks good! PLA is a pain to sand. I recommend priming it a couple of times to fill the crevices, and then sand the primer down. Primer is a heck of a lot easier to sand than PLA. Repeat as needed. I'm pretty sure they even have some thicker primers developed specifically for that purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threejacks Posted March 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Nice work! It looks good! PLA is a pain to sand. I recommend priming it a couple of times to fill the crevices, and then sand the primer down. Primer is a heck of a lot easier to sand than PLA. Repeat as needed. I'm pretty sure they even have some thicker primers developed specifically for that purpose. Yeah,thats why I used an auto body primer with bondo in it,though the stuff is pretty harsh and takes a while to cure.Makes the house smell like a body shop,lol. I got my bearing roll holder now and have the main floor wall section to the Tavern printing now,,3 more days to go lol!,im doing max resolution on this one. I did read about using Mod-Podge for a filler,the person that reported using it said it worked quite well though they didnt mention any fine sanding afterwards so im not sure that will go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threejacks Posted March 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2016 Just finsished up an 84 hour print on the small Tavern wall section from the Winterdale prints.I used max resolution,50 microns I think it is,along with near solid fill.It turned out pretty good but I do have some minor curling on the building corners,I can deal with that.Overall the texture is not much different than the low texture prints I did,as in I still need to deal with lines and all that. I ordered some XTC-3d from Smooth-on,was talking about it with Brian and ive read about others using it online,so hopefully that cleans this up real well.Ill post up pics when ive got a prime coat on this:) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted April 1, 2016 Report Share Posted April 1, 2016 I did read about using Mod-Podge for a filler,the person that reported using it said it worked quite well though they didnt mention any fine sanding afterwards so im not sure that will go. Mod Podge (at least the matte) says that it's sandable. I did a bit of sanding after using it to seal my VSG, but I was going for a fairly rough appearance there anyhow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threejacks Posted April 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2016 Got the XTC-3D stuff from smooth-on today and tried it out on one of the pieces to this Tavern im working on.Right away I can see that its not really what im looking for in a filler.Sure it does create a very hard and workable surface but it will need at least one more coat,probably two.And when you have to work with a 2 part product using disposable brushes and containers,this stuff is not very hobby friendly. Were is the results im getting with Mod Podge are very favorable,though it does require 4-5 coats but its very much like working with white glue,cleaning up with water and no disposable supplies needed.Plus the price on Mod Podge is under 10.00 for enough to do many buildings in 28mm were the Smooth on stuff was about 50.00 w/shipping,though its probably enough to do more pieces im sure,just not alot more with the extra coats needed. The Smooth on product certainly makes a very hard shell finish and is probably a bit overkill for just hobby use.I can see it being needed if a print is going to be used as a moving component or some other high use item exposed to friction or other stresses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Agrado Posted May 4, 2016 Report Share Posted May 4, 2016 Mod Podge (at least the matte) says that it's sandable. I did a bit of sanding after using it to seal my VSG, but I was going for a fairly rough appearance there anyhow. (Used to work at Micheals). All types of Mod Podge are sandable. I own a lulzbot Taz 5 and was curious how your Mirco 3d held up with fine detail stuff and the overall "flashing" (not sure what the technical 3d printing term is, but unwanted material bits that hang off your finished piece is what I mean). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threejacks Posted May 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 (Used to work at Micheals). All types of Mod Podge are sandable. I own a lulzbot Taz 5 and was curious how your Mirco 3d held up with fine detail stuff and the overall "flashing" (not sure what the technical 3d printing term is, but unwanted material bits that hang off your finished piece is what I mean). I think you are speaking of the supports that many prints use(or recommend using),yeah clean up is a huge part of prints for sure,especially for dorks like me that decide to start my 3d printing hobby with "Tough Ink",,the stuff thats is indeed tough but also very soft and hard to clean up. As far as the Micro`s fine detail setting,,I think its ok for what im doing,,brick and wood building surfaces.I believe the top setting is 100 micron,the med is 200 and the lowest is 300.I did one top rez print and couldnt tell much difference between that and the med setting,,but since the machine can take days to do a print I dont think ill be using the high rez setting again,lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threejacks Posted May 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 Pics of Winterdale Tavern progress http://www.ordofanaticus.com/index.php?/gallery/album/165-winterdale-tavern-3d-project/?view_style=large Note that the windows in the second floor pieces are supposed to be a lattice work frame window though it didnt turn out at all in most all cases due to the support structures and the streamers from the Tough Ink I was using.So to remedy I purchased a sheet of dollhouse lattice online and am cutting out those parts of the prints and setting that in. Plus the two main roof sections are of different ink,,the black is standard PLA.Also it didnt print straight and I will be sawing off the end that joins with the other section to straighten it up.The corners of the Black roof sections also lifted do I will need to reshape with green stuff or putty.I think in the end it will be acceptable. I probably wont glue the second floor to the main floor or glue the roofs to their structures below as that will allow the piece to be used in skirmish were the building could actually be occupied per room or story. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 I see what you mean about those windows, but the rest of it looks pretty awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted May 26, 2016 Report Share Posted May 26, 2016 Looks like the company that did the sculpts is having another kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/printablescenery/apocalypse-ruins-modular-gaming-ruins-for-rpg-and Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threejacks Posted June 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 Looks like the company that did the sculpts is having another kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/printablescenery/apocalypse-ruins-modular-gaming-ruins-for-rpg-and Yeah,I havent hopped in yet but im thinking ill do the Stone ruin pack:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threejacks Posted September 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2016 OK,,finally got the Inn finished, Added the pics to my gallery here http://www.ordofanaticus.com/index.php?/gallery/album/165-winterdale-tavern-3d-project/ I kinda rushed through to get it done and off the build table,so didnt spend alot of time on the upper floor and rough beyound just removing excess strand(which is a bitch with the tough ink).Anyhow,I would say its usable on the table but certainly not great quality when viewed close up.I ended up using the Doll house latice sheet to replace the lattice windows,I think I will need to do this with all of them as the only alternative is to print at super high res(takes days,lol) and even then its not that great. I learned a ton from this print/build and will be moving forward with only standard PLA then smoothing with 2-3 coats of Modpodge,its certainly not going to give a quality type model finish but makes for some presentable and very hardy terrain pieces. Starting the Winderdale Caslte wall sections now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted September 17, 2016 Report Share Posted September 17, 2016 Definitely looks fine for tabletop purposes. Nice work! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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