3D Printing Help

Cooper648

Cooper648

Member
I have a question that has been on my mind for a while now. If I buy a rep-rap 3D printer, or any printer with a small build grid and I want to print, lets say a full scale ironman helmet, it would be to big to print the full object, so could I slice or cut the helmet into smaller pieces with a program and then print the pieces and glue them together to construct the full helmet? Also could someone recommend me a good 3D modeling program or CAD software that could do this? Thank you!
 
Hi there

I looked into 3D printing a lot recently and was considering getting one of these from reprap

http://www.reprapcentral.com/Mendel/RepRap-Laser-Cut-Mondo-Kit/flypage.tpl.html

With a print area that big it'll do a full helmet in one, and for a 3D printer of that size it's pretty cost effective.


As for 3D programs, I use Rhino 3D as it has a great range of formats you can save your files as. I haven't had it for long, so I'm still getting my head around some of it, but I've found it to be quite user friendly.


*edit* damn slow refresh!
 
This reprap printer your looking at is very nice. Kinda expensive though, im looking for something in the $100 - $500 range but im starting to think there isnt a good one for that price with a large build grid. Ill be checking out rhino 3D also soon.
 
I would wait on that printer until they have ironed out all the bugs.

Are you up for putting one together and calibrating everything yourself? For around $600 you can get this: V2 Linear Prusa Kit with Gregs & .35mm Nozzle

you just have to put it together, get a power supply (a PC supply will work) and cut about $30 worth of metal.

I'm ordering one at the end of the week.
 
I've done a little research on the Maki and it seems good for a beginner like me even if it has a bug or 2. The one your talking about is a little advanced for me by thank you for the suggestion.
 
As to the original post, you can cut up a 3d object and print it in pieces and glue it together. Shouldn't be a problem. You just have to cut your 3D object up in 3D modeling software. Whether it's Rhino, Solidworks, pro-e, 3ds max, Maya, Inventor, et al, you should be able to hack up an object to get it into pieces that will fit your printing plate.
 
Hi again

I forgot to say this in my ealier post.

Always check the print definition before buying if possible, while the price might be good, there might be a lot more finishing work later on. Ask the company your buying from for a sample or close up pic of a sample made by the printer your interested in. If they try to talk you out of it the printer probably isn't as good as they say it is.

I looked long and hard for a kit printer that could match some of the big boys out there for quality. The reason I chose the printer in my other post is the fact it's accurate to 0.01mm with a choice of a .5 or .25mm head (good choices for coverage and detail), plus the enormous print area makes for a lot of bang for your buck.


*edit* Damn this is a busy thread!
 
Last edited:
Good advice, I'll do a little digging to find out how precise it is. Man people on the RPF are so nice! Thank you for being nice to a beginner.
 
Hey no prob, I'm pretty new to prop making myself. I just happen to like engineering and technology and knew a thing or two about the subject.

The print area for the one I linked by the way is:

H=18 x W=12 x H=11 inches and can print a Vader helmet in one go....lovely :thumbsup
 
Prop making has been a dream of mine for a while now, I have worked on a few helmeted but they pretty much failed because I couldn't get them to look the exact way I wanted them too, I hope 3D printing helps make it easier as I am learning CAD and 3D modeling.
 
cboath said:
As to the original post, you can cut up a 3d object and print it in pieces and glue it together. Shouldn't be a problem. You just have to cut your 3D object up in 3D modeling software.
Click to expand...

I do exactly this with projects for my DIY cnc machine. I model in Rhino and use the "wirecut" command to slice it where needed.
 
Canobi said:
is the fact it's accurate to 0.01mm with a choice of a .5 or .25mm head (good choices for coverage and detail)
Click to expand...

The .01mm accuracy is a 'placement' accuracy nothing to do with the print resolution... And I personally highly doubt the machine as constructed will actually hold that accuracy repeatably... With a .5mm head the best accuracy you can expect is well, .5mm, same with a .25mm head the best possible accuracy is .25mm... Neither head will produce anywhere near 0.01mm accuracy...

I doesn't matter if the steppers and machine can hold a 0.01mm accuracy of moment if the print head can't print that small... Print a .25mm line, move over or even up .05mm and print again and you are not going to get a .30mm part you are going to get a stacked mess, of two .25mm lines...
 
I know it's out of the price range but for a starting price of $1,499.00, this looks like one of the best machines I've seen;

www.x-object.com
www.x-object.com

The video of the toy being repaired is a little surreal, but the process and resolution for the home user does look good.
 
exoray said:
The .01mm accuracy is a 'placement' accuracy nothing to do with the print resolution... And I personally highly doubt the machine as constructed will actually hold that accuracy repeatably... With a .5mm head the best accuracy you can expect is well, .5mm, same with a .25mm head the best possible accuracy is .25mm... Neither head will produce anywhere near 0.01mm accuracy...

I doesn't matter if the steppers and machine can hold a 0.01mm accuracy of moment if the print head can't print that small... Print a .25mm line, move over or even up .05mm and print again and you are not going to get a .30mm part you are going to get a stacked mess, of two .25mm lines...
Click to expand...

Oops! Thanks for clearing that up exoray, I must of miss read it. Sorry all.
 
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