Experimenting with build supports

[narrowminded]

This membrane idea is probably going to fix a problem I recently had with a part I was printing for my sister.  Most of what I've been doing is small enough that this hasn't been an issue I can say I've encountered... until the big round decorative plate I'm printing for my sister.  I'll post a success or failure.  It should do the trick!  Thanks @bbussey ! 

[JeffB]

I've been toying with the membrane support idea as well...  I saw it done on an HOn30 locomotive kit I purchased a while back and tried it on a part I printed for a friend about a month or so ago.  It seemed to work well for that simple part, so I plan to use it for other parts in the future. 

Another tip for avoiding ripples in hollow parts...  If you add cross members to keep things like locomotive cabs from bowing, make those cross members so that they are constant from the base of the structure, to the top of the structure.  You want to have a consistent cross section from bottom to top, with no breaks or significant changes in cross sectional area.  This will ensure consistent pull force on the FEP, minimizing ripples that can be caused by abrupt changes in the pull away force on the FEP.

I also add all my support in the SolidWorks model for each part...  Gave up on auto supports a long time ago.

Same with printing parts at an angle.  Seems to be the way to go if you have parts with large flat surfaces that are parallel with the FEP.  I've seen several of Chris333's HOn30 locomotive prints now.  He prints a lot of his stuff at a 23° angle and they all look great.

JB