Received My Machine Today

[narrowminded]

OK.  Ordered a refurb Lenovo T-430.  Don't have a delivery time yet so I don't know when I'll get to print.   I've got plenty of other stuff to work on so it's OK.  Not really but I'll pretend.

[MK]

T-430 is a decent machine even by today's standards so it should work.

[narrowminded]

T-430 is a decent machine even by today's standards so it should work.

I'm one of several associates who've purchased approximately 10 of these machines over the last 10(?) years and we've always had good results.  Always Lenovo T series, the rugged, rugged ones.  It was one of those fellows who knew the supplier and made the brand and series specific recommendation.  The one I've got is a T-60 that I've had for quite a while now.  I was the lucky one among the buyers of these who had a hard drive crash but... that happens.   I like the T series for the durability of the hardware but would never spend the $1,000 or so it would take for a new one.  This one is a refurb T-430, SSD drive, Windows 10 PRO, 14" screen, and with a "like new" rating.  Shipped right at $200.  I can't get anything close, any brand or any sale, that will better serve my needs.  At least that's my story this far.

[MK]

When I was in Big Pharma that's what they had for every employee.  All T series.  I went through a whole bunch of model upgrades with my career there.  Every 2-3 years I get a newer model without even me asking.  Sometimes it was a pain to switch!  If I had one word: indestructible.  A true workhorse.

[narrowminded]

When I was in Big Pharma that's what they had for every employee.  All T series.  I went through a whole bunch of model upgrades with my career there.  Every 2-3 years I get a newer model without even me asking.  Sometimes it was a pain to switch!  If I had one word: indestructible.  A true workhorse.

That fits the description of how these come available from that supplier.  Big companies who automatically update every couple of years.  Also why it's always the latest Windows "PRO" OS.  They do arrive as described with a one year warranty and we have always bought the "like new" condition.  And they are like new when you receive them.  They also sell lesser rated ones but it's not that much less and I figure why risk it.  It's already a pretty good deal as far as I'm concerned and for my relatively easy service it's an easy call. 

[Chris333]

So after getting one bad spot on a print I tried ChiTuBox again. This time I had to log in just to download it. When downloaded it came with an installer so it appears in my add/remove programs this time. The program opened without asking me to sign in (before it wouldn't). It lets you add supports and save as an .stl (for this you need to sign in).

Anyways when I sliced it in the Photon slicer I could see the one spot that keeps Fu#*ing up on me. When I sliced it in ChiTuBox I did not see anything wrong. Printing the ChiTuBox file right now so we'll know in about 5 hours if it worked.

[narrowminded]

Computer is here!  The moment of truth is near.

I will hate this, setting this up, but it will be worth it.  We'll find out if my drawing is any good.  I have a lot of .008" to .015" dimensions.  A mine tipper car that I suspect will be a very tough test as they are delicate!  We'll see.  If I have any success I can attribute it to all that ALL of you guys have done and posted about.  It gives me a good head start.  For example, I already went through the whole machine and tightened everything up.  The only real loose screws were in the hinge lid, of all things.

Hopefully I'll have something to report tonight.   I have great hopes.

[DKS]

Computer is here!  The moment of truth is near.

Keep going!...

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=41722.75

[narrowminded]

Did my first print, just the base of a tipper chassis, using the automatic supports, standard settings except the off time at 6.5 seconds and base at 80 seconds, slices at .05, and time at 10 seconds.  I can probably drop the 80 seconds but figured I'd go the extra time in light of some of the horror stories.  It did pretty much as expected and all seems to be functioning properly.  I just wanted to see if everything was functioning and the chassis without any structure is very shallow, about 1 1/2 hour cycle time.  All good but the auto supports had only supported one of the axle bearing blocks.  So that means one was good, the frame was good, but the three other bearing blocks were a deformed glob.  Nothing I didn't expect. 

Running now is my version of supports and on a full chassis, all settings the same as that seemed to work good.  I have great hopes.  And if this works I'll load the file I'm putting together now with multiples of 10 or twelve.  These things are tiny.  


And the stink really is not bad, almost not noticeable.  Worst is the 99% alcohol.  What's in the catch pan I'm putting outside to evaporate.  The wash jars have lids.   Later.

[rodsup9000]

   Good to here you are up and running, finally. 

[Chris333]

If you plan to pop axels into them I had to go .024" wider than the actual axles to get it right. And even then switching to grey resin made them too tight.

[narrowminded]

If you plan to pop axels into t 8)hem I had to go .024" wider than the actual axles to get it right. And even then switching to grey resin made them too tight.

Based on one of your earlier posts I had already added about .010" to the drawing, making the theoretical clearance about .015" and as it is, I will want to add a little more.  Axles are that loose on most trucks anyway.  And I know this fit and action because... I just put my first one together!  It all went GREAT!  No unsticking of the base, no broken supports, acceptable details as far as I can tell at this point and on such a small car.  I still haven't gotten primer on it but will yet tonight.  I'm not kidding about just getting the first one together and I'm HAPPY!  Thanks all and especially Mark for sending me the scrap material samples that put me over the top.  More to come.

On that unit one of the axles was just dragging a little and the other rolled very freely but had almost no play.  I used a toothpick to burnish it a little and it's now rolling freely.  Another .010" more will be perfect.  And that falls right in with your discovery of .024".  I'll also want to add a little clearance to the tipper pivot pins and about .003" to the coupler pin hole.  It printed the hole for a .010"/ .015" coupler pin.  It's just a little tight on the .015" pin but I was able to just use a pin to free it up, no drill required. 

I am totally happy with the whole thing as this is the first I've done a drawing for 3D printing, new machine, and a material that's acceptable, it seems.  I just couldn't accept FUD as a running material so never got into it.  This is a whole different deal for me.

Now I've got a 12 piece group in the printer right now.  Time to shoot some paint on one of these and see what there is to see.

[Chris333]

Pics or it didn't happen 

[peteski]

Pics or it didn't happen 

Or at least show us the CAD drawing (screen capture would do).

[narrowminded]

Or at least show us the CAD drawing (screen capture would do).

I got you a refrigerator capture instead.    BTW, that was done with Sketchup and with zero experience.  It is adequate, per the other thread, and easy to learn for folks who might want to do some 3D printing.  I had that drawing basically done the first day I used it.  I do have massive experience using 2D cadd and I wasn't completely unfamiliar with 3D so I wasn't totally green going in but it was really pretty intuitive once you got going.  Four basic tutorials and you're drawing stuff.  There are more in depth tutorials, a few I looked at and will probably go through them and view some later.  They are pretty easy and clear.

This ones for you and some more for everybody else.  They are my trademark crappy phone shots

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