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- #41
@sxwatson the air intake cover for the snorkel will fit in my printer. I can see how long total it will take to print out if you want one. Let me know.
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Just an FYI. PLA is not UV tolerant. Nor is ABS for that matter, but we printed some sample parts at work and left them outside for a couple of days. Not good.
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- #43
I didn't know that. Well thank you for that. I will have to see if there is any solution for that.
Painting ABS helps.
You can also "smooth" the finish of ABS by dipping the part in acetone. But if you have a hole in the wall of your part it will ruin the part.
You can also "smooth" the finish of ABS by dipping the part in acetone. But if you have a hole in the wall of your part it will ruin the part.
One of the biggest issues with the style machine you purchased is air temp. Your machine is tall and narrow and not enclosed. Large prints have to go up and away from the heated platform (assuming you have a heated platform)and not out. That means you don't have the option to print in ABS. (at least not large ABS prints) ABS needs to be in a sealed heated enclosure and stay around 110-130 degrees ambient temp. Melted ABS plastic is REALLY bad to breath so you really want the machine sealed up for your health and not just for the added heat barrier. A cold draft going through an ABS print will crack it. That issue becomes a lot worse the further from the heated platform you get. ABS hates cold temps and will start to crack more and more the further it gets from the heated bed. PLA couldn't care less if it's 1" or 12" from the platform. cold air doesn't bother PLA in the slightest. That is why it's the choice filament for most 3D print guys. The issue with that is that PLA is not good for most production applications. It's really only good for prototyping and indoor cool weather conditions. It also breaks down quickly and becomes brittle and tends to shrink over time where ABS doesn't start doing that for 20 plus years. This is why you see ABS as one of the primary plastics in the automotive industry. There are plastics out there that can handle drafts and low bed temps in extended print times like nylon and polycarbonate BUT those are stupid expensive. You can't make consumer products at anything close to affordable using the exotic plastics. ABS is really the only option to make large 3D printed products at a price point that will sell. There are of course very specific and unique demands/applications for carbon fiber, polycarbonate, nylon, etc. where there is a market for production parts but that is not the norm. I have made some medical pieces for a medical supply/repair company using high end plastics and was able to make a profit but that was due to the high end nature of what the parts were being used for and used on. 3D printing random cool stuff for personal use on a desktop machine is actually pretty easy. Making them durable, marketable, and affordable is an entirely different thing. the gap between the two ends of that spectrum is where I had to do a LOT of learning and failing.
You can buy UV tolerant ABS and PLA. Most of the "PRO" grade stuff is 100% UV tolerant and very heat tolerant but not cheap.
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- #47
Wow thanks for that! I definitely just ordered the printer to screw around on and I figured I could make smallish parts for the Land Cruiser. I have a ton to learn before getting anywhere near selling anything. Also, it would seem I would need a different printer.
What about the Metal 3D printers? Do they produce a more durable product? I could see making interior parts for the Land Cruiser with metal 3D printing over plastic. I would assume it would hold up to UV, heat and last longer???
That depends on what you mean by "Metal" 3D printers. There are quite a few types of "metal" plastic filaments out there. They use ground up metal powder and add it to liquid plastic and cool and extrude that into filament. The filament looks like metal but is 50% or more plastic and held together by the plastic since the metal is just a powder. Looks awesome but is structurally a joke. Then there are actual metal 3D printers that are like a welder/hot glue gun combo on steroids. They are literally extruding liquid metal into a form. Those are extremely expensive and would need to make 1000's of parts before they came close to paying for themselves. I don't see someone being profitable enough within the 80 series world or even Landcruiser world as a whole to make enough parts in actual metal to be able to pay for the investment on the machine. I looked into this option in depth but in the end decided to just go with a machinist for all of my metal parts. WAY less expensive to machine a part out of a solid piece of metal with a CNC machine (and about 1/10 the amount of time) then 3D printing it. A machined part also looks way better than a metal 3D printed parts. It's a cool idea but not cost effective in a small market and not time effective in a large market. The metal 3D printer is really only useful for a metal guy making mock up prototypes that are structurally sound and can be functionally used for testing. Beyond that, they serve no purpose.
After reading about laser metal 3d printers I see the problem is cost. It is interesting that some metal parts are now being printed with Metal 3D printers vs being made on a CNC machine. They said the cost has come down but not like the plastic 3d printers.
I am wanting a 3D Food printer. Just buy powdered food product and print your food. I like prime rib and tri-tip so I will be buying bulk beef powder
. Hopefully it will run on 12v and is portable and fits in the back of the 80.
I am wanting a 3D Food printer. Just buy powdered food product and print your food. I like prime rib and tri-tip so I will be buying bulk beef powder
. Hopefully it will run on 12v and is portable and fits in the back of the 80.If the part is extremely complicated and would require a 5axis machine and many hours of machining then the metal 3D printer can be less expensive but for the average machined part it is much less expensive and much quicker to machine the part. I have a feeling that within a couple years the speed of metal printers will get close to what can be done with a CNC and the cost of the metal printers will come way down. At that point, machinists need to start worrying about their jobs. My Father-in-law has been a machcinist for almost 50 years but the good news is that he is retiring next year and getting out of the profession at the right time.After reading about laser metal 3d printers I see the problem is cost. It is interesting that some metal parts are now being printed with Metal 3D printers vs being made on a CNC machine. They said the cost has come down but not like the plastic 3d printers.
I am wanting a 3D Food printer. Just buy powdered food product and print your food. I like prime rib and tri-tip so I will be buying bulk beef powder
Thanks for the offer. I have a Robo3D R1 and I'm pretty sure it will fit. Before I attempt I should put my snorkel on first though...
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- #53
By the way, I found stuff called smooth-on which is basically an epoxy coating for 3D prints. It should probably take care of the UV damage, and be a little more heat resistant.
air filter adapter for the cabin air intake under the cowl on an 80
- Thread starter
- #55
@EricG that's been worked on by someone else a whole ago, but I do wonder what it will take to make one.
Yea, I looked up that thread earlier today - looks like it's been stalled for awhile.
How about black headlight lens covers that have two circular holes?Give the 80 series a face lift without having to do body work. I think this is something that would really interest people. Please consider it.
@bhicks Have you done any cupholders in PETG?
If so, how did they hold up, inside a vehicle in summer?
It's extremely humid here (in Haiti) and there's not a reliable way to remove / keep moisture out of my filament, but PETG (soda pop bottle plastic) absorbs very little moisture and warps a lot less than ABS. The color selection of PETG is very limited, and I haven't tried painting it, but I've been very pleased with the results. PLA got brittle very fast here, while PETG hasn't. The PETG did "relax" a little over time on some parts that were initially a very tight fit, but I expected some of that from plastic. I'd like to try Nylon, but I've heard it also absorbs a noticeable amount of moisture.
I'm getting an 80 very soon, which plastic parts do I need to be very careful with?
If so, how did they hold up, inside a vehicle in summer?
It's extremely humid here (in Haiti) and there's not a reliable way to remove / keep moisture out of my filament, but PETG (soda pop bottle plastic) absorbs very little moisture and warps a lot less than ABS. The color selection of PETG is very limited, and I haven't tried painting it, but I've been very pleased with the results. PLA got brittle very fast here, while PETG hasn't. The PETG did "relax" a little over time on some parts that were initially a very tight fit, but I expected some of that from plastic. I'd like to try Nylon, but I've heard it also absorbs a noticeable amount of moisture.
I'm getting an 80 very soon, which plastic parts do I need to be very careful with?
I have printed PETG on a few applications but not cup holders. The plastic isn't cheap and when your printing a 27 hour cup holder and using over a pound of plastic you end up spending a LOT on plastic. ABS is really the only affordable option for long prints for consumer applications. PLA just can't handle the heat. Nylon has no issue with heat and is very tough but also expensive and can't accept paint. PETG also doesn't like to be painted. It can take paint but it tends to peel and flake off over time where ABS bonds to paint really well. With PETG I would have to find a filament that is the exact color match which isn't going to happen with the limited color pallet on the market.
In regards to moisture; make sure you keep all open filament sealed up in a zip lock bag when not in use. Also keep the little paper bag of desiccants in the bag with it. this will greatly help. If you can get some vaccum bags instead of regular ziplock bags and use your household vacuum to suck the air out, then you can just about completely eliminate moisture issues. Don't get air tight travel bags for compressing clothing for traveling. Those require a manual force to "push" air out. Those are NOT very effective at removing the air from the bag. They need to be vacuum bags.
Thanks for the advice on removing the moisture. I imagine with all the filament you're consuming, that you likely buy enough to get a discount. I got my PETG from Microcenter.com, and have been very pleased with it for $15 / kg.
Regarding color availability and painting ABS or PETG: For "dying" vinyl they sell a spray on primer to prep the surface before you spray the "vinyl dye" on. I use quotes because when I used the stuff several years ago to repaint the door panels of my Mustang, it was recommended to use the vinyl dye prep then the dye, but both products came in spray paint cans and applied just like spray paint, I'm not sure why it wasn't just called "vinyl spray paint". Have you considered trying "vinyl dye" instead of other paints, with 3D printed materials?
I never saw much difference between spray paint and "vinyl dye" except that the dye was slightly thinner and more translucent. I haven't had a way to try this since "vinyl dye" isn't available in Haiti and I don't have a way to have aerosols shipped in.
Regarding color availability and painting ABS or PETG: For "dying" vinyl they sell a spray on primer to prep the surface before you spray the "vinyl dye" on. I use quotes because when I used the stuff several years ago to repaint the door panels of my Mustang, it was recommended to use the vinyl dye prep then the dye, but both products came in spray paint cans and applied just like spray paint, I'm not sure why it wasn't just called "vinyl spray paint". Have you considered trying "vinyl dye" instead of other paints, with 3D printed materials?
I never saw much difference between spray paint and "vinyl dye" except that the dye was slightly thinner and more translucent. I haven't had a way to try this since "vinyl dye" isn't available in Haiti and I don't have a way to have aerosols shipped in.