Shapeways: New FUD Prices In Effect

[Chris333]

Anyone following the "Ready to Paint" finish supposedly coming to FUD?

What does this mean. They clean the parts for us? How do they do it.

[peteski]

What does this mean. They clean the parts for us? How do they do it.

Good question.  They always removed the wax supports from FUD and FXD printouts, but as we know some residue was left behind.  Maybe they give it an extra cleaning cycle in a stronger solvent?  But to me that would still not be enough. The fuzz also needs to be removed for it to be ready-to-paint.

[Chris333]

Yeah it is no big deal to soak the parts for a few hours before using. And yes a lot of parts need sanding. Like when I do a loco cab all the parts around the windows need cleaned up. Prime and sand, prime and sand, get happy with it and paint.

[dcutting]

I'd appreciate the pre-cleaning... I really hate having to work with all of these nasty chemicals just to clean one part.

[Lemosteam]

A couple questions for the designers from a customer-

I've noticed that the FXD prices also changed on some products I've been following- is that site wide, or just a coincidence?

Site wide- but many designers (like me) are struggling to validate the price delta.  Single parts and multiple parts on sprues generally went down while multi-part models (no sprues) went WAAY up.  SW is now charging $1 per loose part...  Many of us are redesigning our parts to add sprues to try to lower the cost.

Also, I've read on a couple threads that there had been some dimension issues with longer objects (for instance, a roofwalk or underframe) that Shapeways was working to resolve. Have they found an answer? I have been looking at some replacement roofs, and want to be sure before I spend as much for a roof as I spent on the car, that they will fit without modification.

I have been desperately trying to contact the person I was working with on this subject, to improve tolerance capability on all parts, but especially parts of 100mm+.  At the beginning of April, he told me the changes would be implemented by 4/15, but I have not been able to confirm since then with several emails going unanswered.

More generally, is FXD worth the extra cost?

Depends, smooth surfaces really don't need FXD, lots of small details like rivets, tubing etc. really need FXD IMHO.

I've always been a bit perplexed by Shapeways naming the materials "backwards"- ultra should be "more better" than extreme.

And thanks to all of you who are making these detail parts and products available.

Speaking just for myself, you are welcome!

Tom D

@thomasjmdavis , responses above in Red

[thomasjmdavis]

@Lemosteam - thanks very much, exactly the info I was looking for. 

On the pricing thing, I can understand, especially with very small parts (N scale details being prime examples) that individual parts (vs on a sprue) would be a major pain to keep track of and result in higher costs per piece.  I have enough trouble keeping track of horns and bells and grabirons on my workbench, so must be a headache in a manufacturing environment. 

[Chris333]

So how do you know how your item will be printed? I drew something pretty flat, but either way you flip it will need support material. But I want it printed the way I drew it. It's uploaded now, but I don't want to order till I know how it will print.

[Lemosteam]

So how do you know how your item will be printed? I drew something pretty flat, but either way you flip it will need support material. But I want it printed the way I drew it. It's uploaded now, but I don't want to order till I know how it will print.

@Chris333 , go to the 3D tools link, change the material to FUD, and click on the support material link. Eventually the 3D will show the green (machine space) red (wax support) and your design atop that.  This is a visual representation of the pre-calculated "least expensive orientation". This will show you the print orientation of all future orders.

Last week they claimed that the user orientation tool would be available this week...

[Chris333]

@Chris333 , go to the 3D tools link, change the material to FUD, and click on the support material link. Eventually the 3D will show the green (machine space) red (wax support) and your design atop that.  This is a visual representation of the pre-calculated "least expensive orientation". This will show you the print orientation of all future orders.

Last week they claimed that the user orientation tool would be available this week...

Thanks. Glad I waited, they showed everything stood up on it's end so it was printing like 3" tall instead of 3/8".

[peteski]

Thanks. Glad I waited, they showed everything stood up on it's end so it was printing like 3" tall instead of 3/8".

 

But it also takes the least amount of area on the table leaving room for bunch of other printouts. 

[Chris333]

I could have sworn they wanted the print height to be as low as possible, but oh well. I'll wait a week. I'd rather pay for support fill than spend a week trying to sand it down before I toss it in the trash.

[Lemosteam]

But it also takes the least amount of area on the table leaving room for bunch of other printouts. 

And that, my friend is exactly why they don't give a rats  about the best orientation, AND why it will cost more if the design uses much machine space.