Analysis paralysis

Ok my brain has stopped working........again :-) This print is gaping when it moves from one level to another. There is a section that used to have supports but found I could print without them in  this spot.

This one in ASA didn't suffer from this problem at all!

Some materials have no issue with it. Others like my GITD Blue and white are having trouble transitioning from one level to another.

Ratty supports also an issue here but not on every print.

When it starts to get into the area where I no longer use supports right near my thumb in the picture, it starts to have trouble. My theory is that the temp is not right even though I've used it before with success. I am using some troublesome white I have that is ok for some things and would normally just blame it but it happened to some glow in the dark filament as well and sometimes you can see where it started to happen on other materials but fixed itself after one layer.

Here's where it didn't print properly and came away with little force.

The house hold gods are not happy! Must appease them.

I will try going back to supports if only to force it to lay down more filament in those areas and try and fix itself and I am trying cooler and later hotter temps to try and eliminate those as issues well.

So........I'm suffering from analysis paralysis and grasping at straws rather than working the problem, well I am working the problem but.................

Anyone have this problem in the past who could solve this problem?

Please no random Tourrettes I'm gunna shout any random thing as an answer.

Cooridinate systems in 3d software

If you've ever imported a model into another 3d software application and your model has been 

unceremoniously flipped in another orientation I hope this Dummies guide will help explain why.

Left Handed Coordination

Firstly there are two basic coordinate orientations The Left Handed and the Right Handed system.

The most common by far... is the left handed system.

Thumb "Z" Pointer finger "Y" Middle finger "X"

Right Handed Coordination

Where it gets more complicated is when they start changing the  "Z" and "Y" around and this is where the problems start.

Here are several examples of different "Z" orientations.

You'll also notice they are always coloured R G B as well.

Blender has the "Z" up "Y" depth version

Blender has the "Z" up "Y" depth version

3ds Max has the "Z" up "Y" depth version
Click to see bigger version

3ds Max has the "Z" up "Y" depth version

Fusion 360 has the "Z" Depth and "Y" up version
Click for bigger version

Fusion 360 has the "Z" Depth and "Y" up version

Meshmixer has the "Z" Depth and "Y" up version
Click for larger version

Meshmixer has the "Z" Depth and "Y" up version

Autodesks' Maya also uses the "Z" Depth version and the term Z Depth has more than one meaning.

It is this orientation where we get our calculations for determining how we might set the visual falloff in 3d software where things blur as they are further away from the viewer.

Funnily enough 3ds Max also call this procedure "Z Depth" as well, despite it being in the "Y orientation in Max"

So if you make the "maker coin" in Meshmixer as it is presented in the picture and import it into Fusion it should retain its orientation, but if you import it into Blender or 3ds Max it will probably spin the coin to match its original orientation. This confusingly wont be the case with all software. I made the coin in 3ds Max lying down as you see it in meshmixer, so it hasn't re orientated the coin to suit the program it has reoriented the coordinate system to suit the coin.....

You should find that both Blender and 3ds Max along with some other programs, keep everything as you probably intended and will flip your coin to the orientation you made it in.

Blender

Meshmixer

Fusion360

So if your model is not in the same position you first modelled it in then it is the program you imported into that has a different coordination system to blame.

In Blender and 3ds Max it is very easy to change this orientation. The other programs could also be able to do this but I've never had the need to do this in them.

When exporting in the OBJ format in 3ds Max you get the option to set the "Z" "Y" orientation. This might also be available in other formats like FBX so check before picking your format. Off hand I don't know and I'm too lazy too check :-)

Click to see bigger version

Oh Dear........

Oh Dear, weren't the first words I said when I saw this at 10:30pm.....

I thought that the cable coming from the heated bed had crashed into the cooling fan at the rear of the printer.

Closer examination showed a surprising culprit, my belt tensioner I designed and made so I didnt have to struggle with taking it on and off, it had broken where the adjusting screw met the sliding tensioner.

An early print in pla before I had the thing dialed in.

Luck or good planning on my part meant I had a spare grey one in abs laying around, so its back together already.

HOWEVER!!

Stupidly I had spotted a small anomaly earlier with the print and I wrote off as something attributed to the design or just the way is was laying things down at this point and ignored it................dumb arse!

So now I'm not sure if its a design issue or print shift but the coin holders don't fit into the base and have large gaps around them when placed in the base and the 5 cent coins want to fall forward and all over the floor. Since they were booleaned out of the base they should be a tight fit but instead are really loose.

So....do I keep going and redesign the base and reprint or spit the dummy and move on to other things?

I think I can lean them back another 5 degrees and maybe sit them further into the centre of the base which might help. Need cooking off time I think.

Uke Hangers

Back Left 2 x Glow in the dark Blue
Back Right 2 x Green
Middle 2 x Balck
Front 2 x White

Click to view larger size

Uke Hanger Strenght test

http://lukethier.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/ukulele-hanger-strength-test.html

Heres the link to my uke hanger strenght test page

CoreXY Build - update 11

Spent a few hours getting things ready for final wire up. I got some cable management and put it on the cables that I was happy I knew where they were being routed. If you enlarge the picture by clicking on it you can clearly see the drylin bearings I'm trying on the X carriage.

A short pice of filament to test the drive gears location etc. Anyone know if you can print tpu (Flexible filament) etc with a bowden setup?

I'll need some cable ties to hold everything to the frame later.

Started to test out tentative places to locate the LCD.

I understand Tech2c didn't have one, but I run my printers from octoprint and don't like to tether my laptop or hump it around from place to place. So having the convenience to do things on and to the printer without a laptop or even octoprint is indispensable to me.

I'm thinking of adapting the ramps holder to accomodate the raspberry pi that runs octopi so it can be mounted on top or near the ramps...................but I've backed the Re-ARM for RAMPS, simple 32-bit upgrade which has ethernet access and I'm not sure what kind of impact that will have on using octopi if the printer can be directly hooked up to my network It may mean I can just run everything from Simplify3d or any one of the other slicers out there.

I got some cork flooring tiles to insulate the bed

I used some small squares cut from offcuts of the 3M heat resistant double sided sheets I use to stick the PEI to the aluminium hot plate.

Click any picture to enlarge

CoreXY Build - update 10

I posted some of this on 3d printing Australia's Face book page but will include it here for posterity :-)

Another "Give yourself an uppercut" day lol spent the morning wiring up the proximity switch. Attached it to the ramps and soldered in some pins for power that weren't on my models board but had the attachment points to do so.....................nothing! Checked everything a dozen times, still nothing.
A frustrating hour later I'm going into kitchen to make coffee and I walk past my power supply!!!! just sitting where I'd left it.... hahahahahhaha needs power you idiot!! attached power supply and hey presto little light on the proximity switch comes on when a metal object is brought near.
I really need to lower the dose hahahaa reads 3.47v if I'm doing the test right. Good enough lol

What threw me was having the board plugged into the computer and the screen lit up, made me completely forget I wasn't providing power to the board where it was needed. So engrossed in getting the wiring correct and as a novice electronic guy distracted my thinking completely. Trying not to kill myself with 240v and not producing the "Magic smoke" on the board. :-)

Today the stepper motors arrived and I have been fitting them along with a few other bits and pieces.

It really is a rats nest of wires ;-)

It's Thursday the 1st of December and I'll be slowly get the printer ready to run over the next few days. The littlest of things need doing, like lining up the drive gear on the extruder so it meshes with the filament. I also need to reduce the length of the bowden tube as it seems way too long.