3D printing: what do I need to get, to know about, to supply with, etc

[OldEastRR]

After seeing all the neat stuff made by you guys here, I'm ready to say good-bye to styrene fabrication with many pieces and go the printed 3D route. Other than knowing I need to buy a printer, what else do I need to make stuff? I know I need files or drawings or whatnot for the printer to follow, but how do get those? How would I draw up my own designs? Is there any beginner's guide to follow?

[Stephane]

You'll get a lot of different replies to this, and you'll find a good amount by googling for "what do I need for resin 3D printing?", but here's the list stuff I use off the top of my head.  Do note that when possible I try to reuse items instead of buying disposable stuff.

• Nitrile gloves
• A plastic table cloth (you know the ones used to cover tables at parties? I use one of these to cover my work area, so I reuse it every time).
• Two plastic serving trays bought at a dollarstore, I work on these surfaces for cleaning the parts and then removing supports, keeps the mess in one place.  At the end of the day I can wipe it down with one of the paper towels and a bit of alcohol.
• Two sealable containers (about 1 liter capacity).  Best to have them wider than taller. Each of these contain 95% alcohol, i.e. Bath #1 and a cleaner Bath #2.
• 95% isopropyl alcohol, I get these at walmart in 1 liter bottles.
• Two paintbrushes, soft bristles (1/2").  I use these to gently brush the parts while cleaning off resin.
• Tweezers, I use these to hold the parts in the alcohol bath while swishing them around.
• Toilet paper  my daughters needed toilet paper for a school project, and we bought a pack of the really cheap kind.  I've been using the remaining rolls instead of paper towels for wiping pure resin off tools and stuff.
• Blue shop cloth rolls (these I use to finish wipe the tools after washing - I use 2-3 sheets only per print)
• Microfiber cloth for wiping the vat film clear (after cleaning the vat)
• Disposable paint strainer (machine comes with 10, you'll need more eventually)
• Plastic funnel (I put the paint strainers in this, else you get a mess)
• UV light for drying nails (the one I have have 4x 9W bulbs (36W) from amazon).  I duct taped a shoe box with a flap and aluminum foil inside and I put the UV lamp on top of that.
• a solar revolving stand (got this cheap on amazon too).  It just spins the model under the UV light for equal coverage.
• Nippers, sprue cutters and #11 knife for removing supports.

I hope I'm not missing anything, I was just thinking to each step of a print.  Note that I try not to put any uncured resin in the garbage (highly toxic to environment).  So whenever I wipe something off with the paper, I tent to stick it in the garbage and UV light that garbage while doing something else.

As for resources, I suggest Photonsters repository on gitbug (https://github.com/Photonsters/anycubic-photon-docs). That's where I started.

For 3D modeling, I built a n-scale gondola using Tinkercad.  it's super easy to use, especially for simple models (got a thread on it somewhere here).  But my latest model I built using Fusion 360 (free for hobbyists that don't make money over use of the software).  Steeper learning curve, but I'm never going back to tinkercad.  Search for "lars christensen fusion 360 tutorial absolute beginners" on youtube and watch the 1 hour video (in three parts).  Afterwards, whenever I needed to figure something out, I'd just search for "lars fusion 360 thing-I-need-to-know" and got my answers.

This is the model I created in Fusion 360 (HO scale).  All the details actually print! The only problem I have is that it doesn't fit on the build plate and I need to cut it in two.  So far having a bit of problem reassembling both sides together, but I'm close to my final prototype.

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The machine is not as messy as some people make it out to be.  Just have yourself a workflow and keep your work area clean.

[wvgca]

depends on whether you want to go 'filament', relatively low cost ...
or 'resin', higher cost and quality ....

[rodsup9000]

 I think you need to learn some CAD first. Most printer software uses STL files to slice the prints. There is a lot of STL files on the web to start out with. But sooner or later, you're going to want to print something that not available, so that when you have to draw it yourself. I use sketchup Pro 2017 and it's easy for me to use. I have autocad2008, and solidworks2019, but the learning curve so high, that I have't taken the time to learn either one. Veterans can get Soildwork for $20 and that is a great deal.

Here's the list that All3dP has
https://all3dp.com/1/best-free-cad-software-2d-3d-cad-programs-design/

You'll need one that exports STL files for printing.

 What is it that you want out of your printer??? Most of what is seen here TRW has been done with the Anycubic Photon resin printer. The most common printer is the FDM filament printer. It doesn't have near the resolution the Photon has, but they have much larger build areas.

 

[OldEastRR]

I'd only be working in N scale, tho as C855B's posts about the Kelso Station show, I might want to do some large structures someday. Don't think I need a super-jumbo machine. And I'd prefer the finest detail output, whatever raw material that would be. I have a limit of $1K for the whole shebang of everything I'd need, so that figures in.
Main work would be car sides and structure walls. My getting into other kinds of objects depends on how much instruction and experience I can absorb. Obviously I'll be doing a lot of test runs and experimenting with the process, so that should figure into the kind of machine I'd like.

[Chris333]

Why don't you test run with Shapeways first before spending money on a machine.

[OldEastRR]

OK -- using Shapeways I'd have to learn how to make up files for printing, right? Which I'd need to do for myself anyway so that may be a good start. I assume they can provide me with all the info I'd need to use them?

[peteski]

OK -- using Shapeways I'd have to learn how to make up files for printing, right? Which I'd need to do for myself anyway so that may be a good start. I assume they can provide me with all the info I'd need to use them?

Um, no Shapeways will not teach you how to use a CAD program and get good in 3D design - that is something you need to educate yourself on and get good enough to design your items.  Shapeways does provide the specs about what their machines can handle (max. overall dimensions, minimum wall thickness, etc.).

[Chris333]

Yeah if I couldn't figure out how to make a 3D file I would never have used Shapeways or bought my own printer.  I use Sketchup and then Netfab to looks for mistakes. Get less and less mistakes to more I do.

[Jesse6669]

For 3D modeling, I built a n-scale gondola using Tinkercad.  it's super easy to use, especially for simple models (got a thread on it somewhere here).  But my latest model I built using Fusion 360 (free for hobbyists that don't make money over use of the software).  Steeper learning curve, but I'm never going back to tinkercad. 

I started using Tinkercad after (frustratingly) using Blender.. and I have built nearly 100% of my models since using it since;  TinkerCad is just soooooo easy to use and it does what I need.  And it's free.  I can build a full piece of rolling stock or a structure in a session or two (8 hours?).  Mind you, I'm modeling in 1:450 scale, so I don't fuss with a lot of things like rivets, bolt heads, lift rings, etc. etc.  However, I think Tinkercad is very capable of doing N scale or Z scale models, or whatever scale you like really.  That being said, I may try out Fusion 360 -- but why should I?

I did these two 50' plate F boxcars (somewhat loosely based on Gunderson and Greenbrier prototype) in a day, sent to Shapeways and expecting test models in a week (if I had my own printer, I'd have them in hand already I suppose!):
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[Stephane]

TinkerCad is just soooooo easy to use and it does what I need.  And it's free. 

I agree, it was really easy to use, and it's a really place to start.  I'm impressed by the model you've shown, it certainly wouldn't have taken me only 8 hours to build that up! 

What I really like about Fusion 360 is the parametric design.  Every part of the design is relative to another part or controlled by parameters.  So if I want to go back and change the width of a part, everything else built afterwards gets recalculated to fit.

Anyway, whether you use tinkercad or solidworks, blender, or fusion 360, in the end it doesn't matter, so long as it produces what you want!