3D PRINTING

I've needed to make some really small parts for work. Got a 0.2mm nozzle for the Bambu.
Holy hell the detail is amazing. It will print down to 0.06mm z resolution. That's so tiny you can even see the transition lines on dones etc.
Here is a part at 0.12mm Z, nothing special there.. except there's no lines visible at all.
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Can tab for scale.
The inner walls are 1mm thick. Since the lines are so tiny there's 5 per wall at even that size so it's plenty strong.
Also the above print is after zero fiddling or adjusting. Set the nozzle size, picked Z height, generic ABS settings and boom.
This printer runs circles around our Ulimaker.
 
Speaking of running circles around the ultimaker, I've got this going on right now.

Note the crazy speed?
This is two very large parts, 275g total.
At 0.2mm spacing the Ultimaker would take 23 hrs.
The Bambu X1c is doing it in 11 at only 0.12mm res. At 0.2 it would have been 5.5hrs.

Meanwhile when the spool runs out halfway through it will auto switch to the next and keep trucking while I sleep.

If you want to save time both in print speed and headache, this thing is worth every penny.
 
Putting this thing to good use :lol:
This will go on the bathroom at the robotics building....
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A zoom in to see the quality. Was printed upside down on a PEI sheet so the top has a consistent textured finish.
Almost impossible to tell this was fdm printed.
PETG BTW.
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Had printed a couple similar maze puzzles last year and my nephews liked them at Christmas, so going to give them this one this year. Me being cheap, and apparently teaching them gambling as well, I'll put $100 inside it and give them a choice of trying for the $100 (within a given time limit) or taking an easy $20. If they decide to go for the $100, the $20 option is gone. I put it together and took it apart a few times, could probably do it all in 5 minutes, BUT putting it together is a HUGE advantage. I am thinking an hour would be a fair number that would hopefully let me keep my $100 🤣.


EDIT: an hour is WAY too long. My 8 year old got it his first time in about 10-15, and after some practice he has gotten down to 2:45. He of course wanted to make it a competition, I got it apart in 1:45 and messed up a fair bit on the last one. Once you somewhat know the pattern it is fairly easy.
 

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My oldest is in 5th grade and had to make a balloon car. He briefly experimented with a Lego based car with a straw out the back, we figured out that was going to be a very tough task to get one to go 5m (goal) or 10m (bonus). I did some googling, there isn't much to be found but I found one a guy built for a NASA contest, his used 2 liter bottles and two balloons, we are limited to one balloon. I had the genius idea to use a fluorescent light bulb cover (less than $4 shipped on Amazon). My son drew everything on Tinkercad, with my guidance of course, on measurements, what should go where, etc, but he did 98% of the drawing. We still need to make something to keep the balloon from rubbing the back wheels, but preliminary tests show it will easily do 5m, but based on math it should go about 50 ft on the current wheels. We may print larger wheels to get more distance.

The air pushes the piston forward, which has a fishing line tied to it that is wrapped around the rear axle.
 

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My oldest is in 5th grade and had to make a balloon car. He briefly experimented with a Lego based car with a straw out the back, we figured out that was going to be a very tough task to get one to go 5m (goal) or 10m (bonus). I did some googling, there isn't much to be found but I found one a guy built for a NASA contest, his used 2 liter bottles and two balloons, we are limited to one balloon. I had the genius idea to use a fluorescent light bulb cover (less than $4 shipped on Amazon). My son drew everything on Tinkercad, with my guidance of course, on measurements, what should go where, etc, but he did 98% of the drawing. We still need to make something to keep the balloon from rubbing the back wheels, but preliminary tests show it will easily do 5m, but based on math it should go about 50 ft on the current wheels. We may print larger wheels to get more distance.

The air pushes the piston forward, which has a fishing line tied to it that is wrapped around the rear axle.
Build a pulley system and fill the balloon with water, and use the water weight to power the car.
 
Build a pulley system and fill the balloon with water, and use the water weight to power the car.

Well the rules are pretty vague, but the very first rule is "must be powered by balloons". That's beside the point that what you are suggesting would end up busting balloons and spilling water all over my house and at school during the testing and running processes 🤣
 
Sounds to me like you just need a bigger balloon.
Also, for those who want a tune stuck in their head the rest of the day

 
Sounds to me like you just need a bigger balloon.
Also, for those who want a tune stuck in their head the rest of the day



Bigger balloon? You mean for the Lego based version? I think the issue was the wheel spun freely, but not freely enough. Plus the balloon would rub the wheels and cause it to stop. From what I have seen it would be tough to get one to go more than about 30 ft. A balloon will easily push the piston in this to the end, I have had thoughts about adding another tube to get more length, but I think the single will be enough and allow for a little leakage.
 
Bigger balloon? You mean for the Lego based version? I think the issue was the wheel spun freely, but not freely enough. Plus the balloon would rub the wheels and cause it to stop. From what I have seen it would be tough to get one to go more than about 30 ft. A balloon will easily push the piston in this to the end, I have had thoughts about adding another tube to get more length, but I think the single will be enough and allow for a little leakage.
I'm assuming you're just using air blowing out to propel it forward like in the video. The more air that is in the balloon the longer it will go. The straw diameter sets the flow rate. Avoid wheel rub by changing where the wheels are relative to balloon. You didn't give any kind of specs or restrictions on that. I mean that dude just used popsicle sticks for the chassis.
 
I'm assuming you're just using air blowing out to propel it forward like in the video. The more air that is in the balloon the longer it will go. The straw diameter sets the flow rate. Avoid wheel rub by changing where the wheels are relative to balloon. You didn't give any kind of specs or restrictions on that. I mean that dude just used popsicle sticks for the chassis.

But his only went what, maybe 15 feet? Why would I go back to a lesser design when I already have something that I know will go 15 feet, and still have lots of air left in the balloon?
 
But his only went what, maybe 15 feet? Why would I go back to a lesser design when I already have something that I know will go 15 feet, and still have lots of air left in the balloon?
Its just a different way to solve the problem, and whether the lesson is on physics or engineering.
 
Its just a different way to solve the problem, and whether the lesson is on physics or engineering.
At some point in later elementary school, our project assignment was to build a water powered car. I built this tall-ass thing with a string pulley to the axle and a 3 liter bottle (remember those?!!?!?!) full of water with a string tied to it. Wind the string around the axle until the bottle is up, release the bottle, the car goes. Everybody else had some messy, water spilling wheel or a water balloon. Should have been a physics lesson for everyone, but instead it was a lesson in teachers-are-petty-biotches-and-don't-like-it-when-a-student-outsmarts-their-rules so I was disqualified since I was using "gravity" instead of "water". Of course I asked what makes a water wheel turn, and they refused to answer. :shaking:
 
Its just a different way to solve the problem, and whether the lesson is on physics or engineering.

The lesson at school is physics, but the lesson at home is engineering. He actually has to assemble it at school, so it can't necessarily be glued together. Which I can't figure out how they intend to accomplish that, seems so many people would use hot glue to assemble stuff like this.
 
Which I can't figure out how they intend to accomplish that, seems so many people would use hot glue to assemble stuff like this.
Well there are these ABS plastic toy parts designed to snap together for easy assembly into lots of different shapes... :D
 
At some point in later elementary school, our project assignment was to build a water powered car. I built this tall-ass thing with a string pulley to the axle and a 3 liter bottle (remember those?!!?!?!) full of water with a string tied to it. Wind the string around the axle until the bottle is up, release the bottle, the car goes. Everybody else had some messy, water spilling wheel or a water balloon. Should have been a physics lesson for everyone, but instead it was a lesson in teachers-are-petty-biotches-and-don't-like-it-when-a-student-outsmarts-their-rules so I was disqualified since I was using "gravity" instead of "water". Of course I asked what makes a water wheel turn, and they refused to answer. :shaking:

Well in their defense, I kind of agree with them, you didn't use water, you could have used a brick just the same as water. In my sons rules it doesn't say in the rules it must be air powered, but it says in the summary something about 'as air rushes backwards it pushes the car forwards' so I didn't want to take the chance of stretching the balloon and essentially doing a rubber band car. There seems to be some leakage to address, but it will go about 20 feet on 4" wheels, with the piston only having travelled about 1/3 the distance. We run out of floorspace for testing at around that point. I am printing 6" wheels to see how it does with them. On hardwood floor sometimes it will actually spin the wheels a little bit before it gets traction, hoping the 6" might lessen that, plus get more distance per revolution. The leakage is the biggest issue currently, but even with that, it should still easily make the bonus 32' mark.
 
Well in their defense, I kind of agree with them, you didn't use water, you could have used a brick just the same as water.
Uh, I definitely did use water. The waterwheel jockeys coulda used sand, does that make theirs wrong too? Both are simply converting water weight into rotation, mine was just much more efficient about it.

Anyway, sounds like you are getting the design dialed in. Do you have any lubrication for the piston? If not, that could help with leakage, but make sure it’s not too tacky.
 
Anyway, sounds like you are getting the design dialed in. Do you have any lubrication for the piston? If not, that could help with leakage, but make sure it’s not too tacky.

I was trying to avoid adding any lube as I didn't want it to be messy when he assembles it at school, but ended up adding a little Vaseline to the piston. I figure Vaseline can be wiped on clothes without much worry. It did help. We will test it this afternoon outside and see what kind of distance it will do. He made some 'antennae' for it to keep the balloon from rubbing the wheels and slowing it down.

I won't call it a huge issue, but the plastic tubes both have minor dents in them which obviously cause issues. The 2nd one I purchased is worse than the 1st. I just ordered another last night to see if it is better. $4 shipped is worth the risk, and they come in a nice long box I can use for shipping HMMWV rear curtains or other stuff.
 
I was trying to avoid adding any lube as I didn't want it to be messy when he assembles it at school, but ended up adding a little Vaseline to the piston. I figure Vaseline can be wiped on clothes without much worry. It did help. We will test it this afternoon outside and see what kind of distance it will do. He made some 'antennae' for it to keep the balloon from rubbing the wheels and slowing it down.
Another good option is one of the dry bike chain lubes.
I won't call it a huge issue, but the plastic tubes both have minor dents in them which obviously cause issues. The 2nd one I purchased is worse than the 1st. I just ordered another last night to see if it is better. $4 shipped is worth the risk, and they come in a nice long box I can use for shipping HMMWV rear curtains or other stuff.
Shoulda used DOM instead of Poop Pipe, duh!
 
Another good option is one of the dry bike chain lubes.
or graphite powder like everyone uses for pinwdood derby. Maybe itst he same thing?

It comes with the added bonus that one overzealous "poof" of the bottle from a 10 year old results in silver powder remnants that will be a legacy well past your son's tenure there.
 
My son drew this for his teacher. Her name is on the eraser, which is removable (pencil is hollow). I gave him the idea to add the pen tip from a cheap pen so it can actually be used to write with. Turned out AWESOME, I think his teacher will be getting the coolest Christmas gift!

They did testing of the balloon cars on Friday, a church friend that is a teacher said she figured his went around 60 feet, but I am not sure if I believe it went THAT far. She showed us a video, it rolled a long way after the balloon was deflated. Needless to say, it went WAY further than any other, she said about 10 feet was as far as most of them went, the final run will be Tuesday I think.
 

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Friday at work I had a print finish at the very end of the day. I yanked it off, changed nozzle to another size, started another and ran out the door.
This afternoon I swung by the lab to check on it to find this gem:
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For those not familiar, the Ultimaker head has a flip-down front cover that exposes the two hot ends. Given there was nothing on the plate, I suspect either the cover didn't close completely and the nozzle was blocked by the silicone cover or filament built up on the nozzle instead of the glass (which would be very unusual) and started a backup.

Either way this this has a couple hundred grams of ABS compressed everywhere.
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One thing is for sure - gotta give credit to that extruder, which is a Bowden style pushing the heavier ga 2.85mm dia filament probably 2.5 feet away from the hot end. It's no slouch!
It only stopped bc the thermal regulator finally realized the measured temp wasn't right.....
 
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