Good place to create then get a 3D model printed?

[Rob_B]

Hi everyone,

I'd like a small custom model to be 3D printed and wondered what the best way to go about it is? I'm not interested in my own printer so need to create a plan then get it printed, I've seen a few places online will give quotes but I've no plan so don't get one what it would cost!

Is there a good 3D package to create the model that's simple enough for a total n00b such as myself ?

Then does anyone have recommendations for a decent place to get it printed?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Rob

[DDY]

Depends on what your objective is.

3D printing, or CAM to be more general, as a manufacturing process is nuanced and may require more than a simple 3D sketch depending on what you're trying to achieve.

For example, the typical additive 3D printing process will make something by building it layer after layer. This has implications on things such as the finished item's strength, external finish and the requirement for temporary supports. Again, depending on what you're trying to achieve, these nuances may be unimportant or game changing. You can still produce a basic 3D or even 2D paper sketch and have someone else build from scratch, advise or adapt your model to be more conducive to 3D additive, or what ever CAM technique, but again, depends on your objective.

In other words, it's going to be very difficult to recommend anything without knowing more about what you're trying to achieve - so, spill the beans

[g8ina]

Ill latch onto this, cuz Im also after some 3D printed stuff. Mine is a headshell for a hifi turntable.

[Jonatron]

I've done some basic 3d modelling as a beginner with https://www.tinkercad.com/ , and then got it printed with https://www.shapeways.com/ . Had good results and it didn't take long, but I was only making small simple replacement parts [ a cuboid with holes - very simple ]. I also did something slightly more complicated and printed it at a hackspace, which took much more time, because printing services can get expensive for slightly bigger prints.

[Spreadie]

Depends on what your objective is.

3D printing, or CAM to be more general, as a manufacturing process is nuanced and may require more than a simple 3D sketch depending on what you're trying to achieve.

For example, the typical additive 3D printing process will make something by building it layer after layer. This has implications on things such as the finished item's strength, external finish and the requirement for temporary supports. Again, depending on what you're trying to achieve, these nuances may be unimportant or game changing. You can still produce a basic 3D or even 2D paper sketch and have someone else build from scratch, advise or adapt your model to be more conducive to 3D additive, or what ever CAM technique, but again, depends on your objective.

In other words, it's going to be very difficult to recommend anything without knowing more about what you're trying to achieve - so, spill the beans

As long as the modelling software is well supported, it shouldn't matter - he can just export it to what slicing program he fancies and go from there.

[Rob_B]

Thanks all, I'm wanting a small version of this:

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ykuy3XXBpdw/maxresdefault.jpg

Probably under 6 inches, and if easy enough even smaller version(s)

I genuinely have no idea if it's simple but I doubt it

I'll look into tinker ad thanks Jonatron!

Rob

[Spreadie]

Exactly that or something similar?

Smaller is easy, because the models can be scaled in the slicing prog.

A quick scan through thingiverse brought up these:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1660543
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:897973
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:273799
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2586186
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:646788

Yeggi is another popular source for designs - https://www.yeggi.com/q/rowing+boat/

Just download and print (or send to whomever will be printing)

I'd do it, but it'll be a while before I finish rebuilding and recalibrating my printer.

[DDY]

As long as the modelling software is well supported, it shouldn't matter - he can just export it to what slicing program he fancies and go from there.

Even in this case - of a boat, I'd say it does mater.

Take for example the bench plank, thing, inside the boat.

In this design here;

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2586186

The benches are solid blocks right down to the hull, this is conducive to the typical additive 3D printing techniques because it allows the layers to be built from the bottom of the boat upwards.

However, in this design;

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1660543

The benches are planks without anything under them. This presents additional challenges, because it can't be layered up.

One solution may be to print the boat upside down - but the top of the boat will be flat if no supports are added.

Another solution may be to either design in supports, or have the 3D slicer automatically add them. But then, think about whether there will be enough room to get a tool under the bench plank to remove the supports.

Yet another solution, may be to design the bench plank and the hull separately for manual assembly. e.g. glue them together.

Or, we could use a non-typical 3D additive techniques, such as stereolithography resin - which is a bit more expensive, but not prohibitively so.


Another design consideration would be the printing material.

PLA is not great for smooth curved parts, such as the hull of a boat. PLA printed by the typical layered additive technique will result in roughness between the laminations and will be especially prominent in heavily curved parts. ABS on the other hand, will have the same roughness but can be acetone vapour smoothed after printing. Or, of course there are other smoother techniques e.g. stereolithography resin... whether this matters or not depends on the objective, i.e. how pretty you want it to be!


In this case, I'd recommend a professional service of the likes form Shapeways, because the boat's curvy-ness would be an aesthetic challenge.

Sketching a 3D model of a curvy boat isn't the easiest thing to cut your CAD teeth on, for this I would suggest a 'simple' tool like Tinkercad over similar tools like Sketchup, mainly because I think it's easier to generate strange 3D shapes, like eggs, and hulls of boats.

Or just take your pick of existing 3D models as per Spreadie's post above

[Rob_B]

Those links are great thanks Spreadie!

DDY I see your point on the seats, I'd never really thought of that.

I guess I'll have a go making something myself although I'm not holding out much hope then perhaps give in and see if I can find a design from someone else!

Thanks for the help everyone

[Spreadie]

Even in this case - of a boat, I'd say it does mater.

Take for example the bench plank, thing, inside the boat.

In this design here;

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2586186

The benches are solid blocks right down to the hull, this is conducive to the typical additive 3D printing techniques because it allows the layers to be built from the bottom of the boat upwards.

However, in this design;

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1660543

The benches are planks without anything under them. This presents additional challenges, because it can't be layered up.

One solution may be to print the boat upside down - but the top of the boat will be flat if no supports are added.

Another solution may be to either design in supports, or have the 3D slicer automatically add them. But then, think about whether there will be enough room to get a tool under the bench plank to remove the supports.

Yet another solution, may be to design the bench plank and the hull separately for manual assembly. e.g. glue them together.

Or, we could use a non-typical 3D additive techniques, such as stereolithography resin - which is a bit more expensive, but not prohibitively so.


Another design consideration would be the printing material.

PLA is not great for smooth curved parts, such as the hull of a boat. PLA printed by the typical layered additive technique will result in roughness between the laminations and will be especially prominent in heavily curved parts. ABS on the other hand, will have the same roughness but can be acetone vapour smoothed after printing. Or, of course there are other smoother techniques e.g. stereolithography resin... whether this matters or not depends on the objective, i.e. how pretty you want it to be!


In this case, I'd recommend a professional service of the likes form Shapeways, because the boat's curvy-ness would be an aesthetic challenge.

Sketching a 3D model of a curvy boat isn't the easiest thing to cut your CAD teeth on, for this I would suggest a 'simple' tool like Tinkercad over similar tools like Sketchup, mainly because I think it's easier to generate strange 3D shapes, like eggs, and hulls of boats.

Or just take your pick of existing 3D models as per Spreadie's post above

Most modern slicers give you the option of supports and will add them for you - takes a while cleaning up the model afterwards but they usually work.

You can often reduce the need for supports but splitting the design and printing the two halves separately.

[DanceswithUnix]

Is this a static model or are you hoping to float it?

The original boat isn't honed from a single piece of wood, I would suggest doing the model the same way. Print a hull, print seats, either bond them together or if it is a desk ornament it might be cool to leave them removable. You won't be printing the oars as part of a single print, so oars and seats would be a second print job.

The only easy way to print as a single item would be with a two material printer so it can include water soluble supports where you can just drop the print in a sink rather than having to dig bits of plastic off. I don't personally know anyone with a printer that can do that, so I would design around it.

That is on par with the hardest design I have yet to model and print. That's a slightly eccentric shaped air intake pipe for the engine of my kit car, curved with a bellows section reducing from 85mm to 70mm ID and with two take offs for crank case vent hoses to plug into. That has to be a single part so it is airtight against the vacuum it tends to run at, and is printed in a flexible material. Second attempt just came off the printer, not tried it for fit yet. It took me two days of youtube watching to work out how to do draw it, so don't give up and hopefully it will all fall into place.

I use FreeCad for my designs. It isn't the simplest to get into, but there are lots of youtube videos on how to use it.

Edit: Thinking about it, this is almost more like sculpture than cad so I wonder if Blender would work better. I never got anywhere with Blender so I can't really say, but perhaps someone on here has?

Ill latch onto this, cuz Im also after some 3D printed stuff. Mine is a headshell for a hifi turntable.

In some ways that will be a simpler design, partly as you can decide what it looks like. My printed air hose looks nothing like the original part, as I can pull tricks that the original couldn't use like hollow walls instead of ribbing for strength. A model of a boat has to look like the boat.

[DDY]

... easier to generate strange 3D shapes, like eggs, and hulls of boats [on Tinkercad]

I had lunch at my desk today and a bit of time to waste, so I had a look at what cool shape generators Tinkercad has.

Turns out there's an actual boat hull shape generator

[DanceswithUnix]

This looks interesting.

http://delftship.net/DELFTship/index...delftship-free

[Rob_B]

That's awesome DDY! I've registered and am playing around in there now.

Good find DWU, I'm taking a look at that.

For info I'm not wanting it to float, my intention is to paint it the same as one of the boats in my rowing club and just have it around the house. Printing separately could work if i could get the scaling/fit correct. If it can be scaled then I'd also be interested to see if it could be shrunk for keychains or something like that

[DanceswithUnix]

If it can be scaled then I'd also be interested to see if it could be shrunk for keychains or something like that

When you have a 3D design you have to put it through a program called a slicer which turns it into gcode commands that the printer can recognise. At that point, you can give a scale factor.

As for getting separately printed parts to fit, a set of small files and some sand paper tend to fix that as long as they start off close enough

[Rob_B]

Well, I now have an empty shell of a boat that's similar, no internals. I'm playing around with it to rescale as its 15mm long at the moment

EDIT: No I don't, it looks like a wreck on the bottom of the ocean floor, its full of holes and mishaped pieces. Weird, it looks ok in shapeways (but size is too small) I need to spend some time on this