Question about 3D printing large objects

Huang

Jr Member
Hello all,

I have a question about 3D printing large objects, for example an Iron Man Helmet file, or forearm.

If you have a large print bed which can fit the entire piece, is it better to slice up into parts and then print individually, or just print the entire part in 1 go?

Assuming the amount of support filament wasted doesn't matter, and the printer remains properly calibrated, does the two options change anything with the final print?

Thanks for reading!
 
Removing support tends to leave a rough surface. Printing separate pieces may also allow you to orient the surfaces so that you get a better finish. If a print fails, printing multiple parts means you don't have to start over.
 
Agree with tiga. Orientation makes a big difference when finishing the parts. Printing in the vertical orientation as much as possible helps with the clean up and keeping smooth edges or rounded surfaces. For printing a helmet, I always try to orient the parts so that they are 'face down', meaning it prints front of the helme to the back. Printing it flat, even at the highest resolution, leaves are layered ridge to form the arcs.
 
There are definitely some tasks for which I find myself wishing I had a bigger print bed because joining multiple seams can be a hassle, especially if you're using something like ABS which can warp slightly over long distances. I printed a Dredd helmet the other day in something like 8 smaller parts, and while the surface finish can be made nicer by orienting the parts intelligently, I would have much preferred trying to get the helmet to pop out as a single piece, or multiple larger parts. Joining those smaller sections at the seams was a pain, and the curves never quite felt like they lined up right, so it required a lot of bondo and sanding to level out. Personal preference, I guess.
 
Totally agree with Ein on this one. Warping can cause much bigger issues when trying to align parts.
 
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There are definitely some tasks for which I find myself wishing I had a bigger print bed because joining multiple seams can be a hassle, especially if you're using something like ABS which can warp slightly over long distances. I printed a Dredd helmet the other day in something like 8 smaller parts, and while the surface finish can be made nicer by orienting the parts intelligently, I would have much preferred trying to get the helmet to pop out as a single piece, or multiple larger parts. Joining those smaller sections at the seams was a pain, and the curves never quite felt like they lined up right, so it required a lot of bondo and sanding to level out. Personal preference, I guess.

Thanks for letting me know about that. I was trying to avoid printing in sections and I guess you sealed the deal.
 
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