3D Printing Stack Exchange
3D Printing Stack Exchange

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5 answers

Should I enclose my 3D Printer?

I have a home built RepRap with all sides open.. Would there be any advantage to enclosing the print area in acrylic?
Matt Clark
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What to do with failed/unwanted 3D prints?

I am planning on getting a 3D printer soon and I was just wondering, what do you do with 3D prints that either failed or were prototypes that you no longer want? I tried looking online but the closest I got was effects on environment, turning prints…
Koppany Horvath
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Would 3d-printed objects outgas in vacuum?

I want to fabricate a sample holder and shadow masks to use in vacuum chambers. The type of printing material is not important to me PLA/ABS/PC-ABS/nylon). I'm worried that 3d printed objects (FDM) would degas under high vacuum. Is that an actual…
Sparkler
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How does one use a heat tower?

I've been asking around on how to choose the right temperature for a given filament. I noticed that with two different brands of pla I have to print at different temperatures, and the manufacturer specifies a broad range of print temperatures. I…
linuxdan
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What are the reasons for my 3D prints having large numbers of strings between parts of a layer?

I am printing a print using PLA on a Prusa i3 printer and an MK8 extruder, at 210 degrees celsius, 60 mm/sec, sliced with slic3r. The print consists of a base, with 4 tower-like projections that then join with a near-vertical overhang slope that…
nanofarad
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Chocolate printing

I have seen lots of printers that print chocolate using a syringe with molten chocolate. But, even cooler, would it be possible to print chocolate using some kind of feed system for continuous chocolate printing, so large objects and for a prolonged…
Dimitri Modderman
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Filament extrudes at an angle

On one of the nozzles on my printer, the filament comes out at a 45 degree angle. It seems that this causes problems with adhesion to the bed and overall quality. What caused this problem? How do I fix it? How do I prevent it from happening in…
Eric Johnson
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Are there any ways to make a 3D print transparent?

I am aware of several "clear" filaments for a ABS or PLA printer. They, however, have a cloudy or frosted glass appearance. I do not believe this is possible to eliminate but I believe it can be reduced. Are there effective ways to make a print…
kaine
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What are the parts that make up a hotend, and what do they do?

My first and only 3D printer is a Printrbot Simple Metal, which has a hotend that doesn't expose any of its internal parts. Easy for beginners, I suppose: "The hotend is that tube that heats up the plastic and deposits it on the print bed." But…
mhelvens
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How to print metal-like parts?

I would like to print parts (e.g. jewellery) for use which I don't want to look or feel like a plastic, but metal-like, so briefly people won't see much difference. Are there any specific type of home-printers that can achieve that? Or it's rather…
kenorb
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Why keep the bed heated after initial layer(s) with PLA (or PETG)?

I'm printing on an Ender 5 with the default flex/magnetic build surface. I read that PLA and PETG may sometimes be printed without any bed heating at all and also that bed heating is the main contributor to the power consumption of a printer. As I…
Oliver Giesen
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3D printing for outdoor use: "What types of filament are most weather resistant?"

I'd like to print modifications for my bird feeder, both to patch over the hail damage from last summer and to try to deter the neighborhood squirrels. I have an FDM printer (and experience with nylon, ABS, and PLA, though don't restrict answers to…
1337joe
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How to set Z-probe boundary limits in firmware when using automatic bed leveling?

In setting up a probe for automatic bed leveling, the limits of the probing area must be entered in the firmware of a 3D printer. When using a sensor, how do you define the bed limits for the sensor in Marlin firmware? E.g. the Marlin (1.1.x)…
0scar
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When should I use a raft, when should I use a brim?

Taken from the answer provided by @EricJohnson, When should I use a raft, and when should I use a brim? What advantages does each have over the other? Raft Brim
Matt Clark
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Can you put PLA parts in your car (in the sun)?

I'm in the process of building my own head unit / stereo prototype for a car, which will have a 3D-printed enclosure. My concern is that cars can get quite hot in the sun, and even more so if you live in hot climates. Some estimations put the…
user10974
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