Gamebody IG11 3D print action figure kit

[Nm1cciola]

So I just got back into 3D printing been away a year from it due to being frustrated with my print and all the hassle it was to fix a whole host issues. Long story short didn’t want it to be an expensive paper weight so I went back to it with some help and here I am at with this IG11 figure(Link). So I already printed the shoulder joints and everything for this figure but I am having a hell of a time attaching the said figure joints together. Is there any way to attach them aside from heating b/c friction and pushing aren’t working. Your advice is welcome.

 

[basementdweller]

I can't speak for the accuracy of Gambody or the specific artists ability to design functioning joints, but having watched the short vid on the site they are indeed supposed to be push-fit and friction joints.

Generally holes come out smaller than they are supposed to on 3D printers so a good design accounts for that. That means very little though since no two printers will print exactly the same. The printer needs to be squared, trammed and calibrated for accuracy (e-stepping, x-y and skew) at the very least. Furthermore you need to calibrate every roll of filament you print and set up a specific profile with it's average diameter as it will affect extrusion width and result in over- or under extrusion if not done. Over extrusion will definitely lead to joints not fitting if we assume they are properly designed.

If you've got the hardware covered I suggest printing a single perimeter cube (no infill, bottom or top), measure all the sides and compare that average against your setting for extrusion width in your slicer. Divide expected with measured average and you have your extrusion multiplier to compensate and get the perfect flow for said filament. It's a bit of a chore to balance everything, but save for the filament being crappy (looks like you are having some inconsistent extrusions which can be indicative of filament that fluctuates a lot in diameter) it should then produce close to perfect physical models in terms of dimensional accuracy.

Personally I wouldn't care about the joints and glue everything in place posed the way I like it. PLA will deform and stretch and it will eventually not hold any pose anyway. Just sand the ones you've already printed till they fit. PLA does not really behave like say pvc , but is prone to permanently deforming when heated so I am not sure you can rely on heat to fix it. Maybe with hot water at around 60C it will get soft enough without deforming too much? I've only ever heated PLA in order to smooth and bend it so I am guessing.

Good luck man. A printer is a lot of work, but it's also the greatest thing since internet if you always dreamed of making stuff.*

Spoiler

* Well it's inadvertently become a "mostly useless trinket"tm delivery system, but it can be used for great things too

 

[Nm1cciola]

Thank you @basementdweller this printer was huge bitch to figure out I just lost patience with it then I had a friend take look at it and basically after watch CHEP videos on this things we figured out it was the Z axis and the gantry needed to be tightened leveled as well as the belts than came figuring out the flow rate as calibrating the excursion all of which I neglected to really look at when I first got this printer. I recently upgraded to CURA 4.4 and used CHEP profile (LINK). I think this might come down to design error but I may have to still fiddle with this.