I just ordered some new lights so that I can create some new videos that will, hopefully, enhance your user experience with the 2nd Generation Cube.
Some of the topics that I know I want to cover deal with the Cubify options and how they affect your print job. Another would be some observations about the CubeStick glue. And, of course, we'll deal with clearing filament flow errors that all extrusion 3D printer users see from time to time.
As you can imagine, I often have people contacting me with some problem they've experienced. More often than not, these problems could have been avoided or at least minimized by taking some care in how the filament, cartridges and the Cube are handled.
In fact, I've victimized myself by not realizing that there is a way to insert the cartridge that puts less stress on the small contacts in the Cube. It turns out that the cartridge should be carefully ROTATED into place. If we shove it straight back, without rotating, we can jam the cartridge into the little metal clips, stressing them to the point of potential failure. OK. Drop the potential. I now know that shoving the cartridge straight back can result in actual failure. Not fun.
I know because after 30+ cartridges, I just did that very thing. Haste makes waste.... sigh...
Fortunately, it's an easy fix for me because I have the proper equipment and experience *. So, I should not be down long. But, you can bet I will be a LOT more careful in the future when it comes to loading a cartridge.
There are some video ideas that might be helpful; but, present some risk that should be stressed. Things like how to open up the Cube to replace the contact switch falls into that category. While I can show this operation I hesitate to do so unless the viewer is full informed of the potential consequences. Opening up the machine probably completely voids the warranty. And, it's possible to damage the board if the wrong solder or soldering iron is used. But, even so, I might be convinced to show some of these things as long as people realize they follow suit at their own risk. I want to be helpful... not sued. LOL!
The best way for me to know what would be most helpful for you is to hear from you. So, please feel free to chime in and offer suggestions. :)
* The proper tool is a very fine miniature soldering iron that is suitable for removing and replacing surface mount parts. De-Solder wick is also helpful.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Avoiding the Tug-o-War When Unloading the Filament
If you have changed a cartridge in the 2nd Generation Cube, you've probably noticed that it can be pretty difficult to pull the filament back out of the head. Chances are, if you have experienced this, the cartridge you are trying to change was PLA.
PLA melts at a different temperature than ABS plastic. And, that means that it also solidifies at a lower temperature than ABS. And, THAT means that if the material is not thoroughly heated before having the mechanism back it out, it could cool too soon and break... causing a real clogging issue.
So, the unload strategy for the Cube when using PLA is to first drive the filament DOWN into the heating tip, bring the temperature up and only then reverse the gears to start backing the PLA UP and out.
But, the current LCD message we get does not accurately reflect that timing reality.
It tells us to pull NOW... putting us into a tug of war with the Cube.
My fight with the filament gear has been almost comical as I've dutifully followed the message to pull up on the filament while the filament gear is obviously trying to eat the filament! Not one to avoid a fight, I've even tried using some pliers to exert my will over the seemingly recalcitrant Cube... to no avail!
Now I know what is really happening and why.
It's simply a messaging and timing issue. Instead of immediately pulling, we can relax for a few minutes and let the Cube do its thing. We need to be "one with the Cube". And, that means that we should wait a bit before trying to pull the filament out of the print head.
But, how long? Since the message on the LCD tell us to pull up right away, we need some clues as to when we should actually begin pulling up on the filament.
Sharpie to the Rescue!
What I now do is to make a little mark with a Sharpie on the filament just above the line where the filament enters the head. I then follow the direction of the mark to give me the clue as to when the filament is finally being reversed back out of the head. At first, it will be lowered into the filament channel for that extra heating we mentioned. But, once the heating step is completed, you'll see the mark rising up and back out of the filament channel.
That is the time to start pulling.
3D Systems has been great about changing the user messages on the LCD to make the operation of the Cube ever easier for users. Hopefully, we will see changes to the message concerning unloading so that we can simply wait for the appropriate message to tell us exactly when it's the right time to pull without fighting what is happening internally. That is the beauty of the Firmware update process.
In the meantime, the Sharpie is my friend. :)
PLA melts at a different temperature than ABS plastic. And, that means that it also solidifies at a lower temperature than ABS. And, THAT means that if the material is not thoroughly heated before having the mechanism back it out, it could cool too soon and break... causing a real clogging issue.
So, the unload strategy for the Cube when using PLA is to first drive the filament DOWN into the heating tip, bring the temperature up and only then reverse the gears to start backing the PLA UP and out.
But, the current LCD message we get does not accurately reflect that timing reality.
It tells us to pull NOW... putting us into a tug of war with the Cube.
My fight with the filament gear has been almost comical as I've dutifully followed the message to pull up on the filament while the filament gear is obviously trying to eat the filament! Not one to avoid a fight, I've even tried using some pliers to exert my will over the seemingly recalcitrant Cube... to no avail!
Now I know what is really happening and why.
It's simply a messaging and timing issue. Instead of immediately pulling, we can relax for a few minutes and let the Cube do its thing. We need to be "one with the Cube". And, that means that we should wait a bit before trying to pull the filament out of the print head.
But, how long? Since the message on the LCD tell us to pull up right away, we need some clues as to when we should actually begin pulling up on the filament.
Sharpie to the Rescue!
What I now do is to make a little mark with a Sharpie on the filament just above the line where the filament enters the head. I then follow the direction of the mark to give me the clue as to when the filament is finally being reversed back out of the head. At first, it will be lowered into the filament channel for that extra heating we mentioned. But, once the heating step is completed, you'll see the mark rising up and back out of the filament channel.
That is the time to start pulling.
3D Systems has been great about changing the user messages on the LCD to make the operation of the Cube ever easier for users. Hopefully, we will see changes to the message concerning unloading so that we can simply wait for the appropriate message to tell us exactly when it's the right time to pull without fighting what is happening internally. That is the beauty of the Firmware update process.
In the meantime, the Sharpie is my friend. :)
Sunday, May 5, 2013
When a Raft Makes Sense to a Raft Hater
I hate rafts and supports and avoid them as fervently as I can. In fact, you could say that I'm a bit rabid about the topic.
To be honest, of hundreds of objects I've printed with the Cube printer, the number that required supports could be counted on one hand that had lost a couple of fingers. In fact, I think it was only one... when I first got the 1st generation Cube.
But, recently, I have run into some designs that just would NOT stick to the table for the length of time they needed to remain attached. Of course, I blamed it entirely on the glue and made my feelings known to the Cubify design team.
Then it dawned on me that while there might be some potential for a stickier long lasting glue, the real issue just might be my adament refusal to consider using a raft. So, I decided to test that theory and reprint one of my non-raft failures with a raft.
Ooops! Duh... that worked like a charm.
I think I know why. I was trying to print 8 beam-like objects that were 130mm x 10mm x 6mm. The adhesion had to work with the 6mm edge. The length offered more than a little opportunity for warping. So, I cut pentagonal holes along the length hoping to help mitigate that potential. While it helped, it probably didn't take enough stress off to completely stop warping.
You would think that a perfectly flat surface would adhere better than waffle surface. But, upon reflection, I can see why that might not be accurate. A raft probably offers more surface area for adhesion because the glue, which has some depth of its own, has the opportunity to ooz up into the seams between the first layer of lines of the raft and wrap around the filament adding a bit more grip vertically as well as under the filament. The actual area is probably considerably bigger than offered by the flat side alone.
Whatever the reason, one can't argue with the results. So, I've decided to be a bit more flexible about my no raft rule. When you need it, you need it... sigh....
To be honest, of hundreds of objects I've printed with the Cube printer, the number that required supports could be counted on one hand that had lost a couple of fingers. In fact, I think it was only one... when I first got the 1st generation Cube.
But, recently, I have run into some designs that just would NOT stick to the table for the length of time they needed to remain attached. Of course, I blamed it entirely on the glue and made my feelings known to the Cubify design team.
Then it dawned on me that while there might be some potential for a stickier long lasting glue, the real issue just might be my adament refusal to consider using a raft. So, I decided to test that theory and reprint one of my non-raft failures with a raft.
Ooops! Duh... that worked like a charm.
I think I know why. I was trying to print 8 beam-like objects that were 130mm x 10mm x 6mm. The adhesion had to work with the 6mm edge. The length offered more than a little opportunity for warping. So, I cut pentagonal holes along the length hoping to help mitigate that potential. While it helped, it probably didn't take enough stress off to completely stop warping.
You would think that a perfectly flat surface would adhere better than waffle surface. But, upon reflection, I can see why that might not be accurate. A raft probably offers more surface area for adhesion because the glue, which has some depth of its own, has the opportunity to ooz up into the seams between the first layer of lines of the raft and wrap around the filament adding a bit more grip vertically as well as under the filament. The actual area is probably considerably bigger than offered by the flat side alone.
Whatever the reason, one can't argue with the results. So, I've decided to be a bit more flexible about my no raft rule. When you need it, you need it... sigh....
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Significance of Staples Carrying the Cube
I've been traveling for the last few days and so I was quite surprised to get a phone call this morning alerting me the fact that Staples will be carrying the Cube 3D printer online and in select stores.
Checking in to the Cubify Blog, I found this article.that makes the announcement.
This is a HUGELY significant development along the path toward bringing 3D printers into homes and offices as mainstream productivity tools. For the first time, as far as I know, someone will be able to walk into a store and actually SEE the printed output from a 3D printer. Prior to this, potential buyers had to rely on images or attend a special showing at an event to get any idea about the capabilities of the Cube.
While I do not believe that this is going to push the Cube designers any harder than they has pushed themselves, it's bound to have an impact on improvements and feature improvement. Having worked for a video game company whose product was sold in major stores, I know, firsthand, that store buyers can be very vocal about things they'd like to see for their customers. Numbers mean something.
It also means that designers hoping to sell their designs on Cubify should see a major boost in the sales potential for their designs.
I should be able to gauge the impact, at least on a rudimentary level, by closely monitoring the traffic on this blog. I can tell you that the increase in traffic was significant when the 2nd Generation Cube was announced earlier this year. It was as if a light switch had been turned on! I expect to see an equally big boost based on Staples showing an all new spotlight on the Cube and home/office 3D printing.
It only keeps getting better! :)
Checking in to the Cubify Blog, I found this article.that makes the announcement.
This is a HUGELY significant development along the path toward bringing 3D printers into homes and offices as mainstream productivity tools. For the first time, as far as I know, someone will be able to walk into a store and actually SEE the printed output from a 3D printer. Prior to this, potential buyers had to rely on images or attend a special showing at an event to get any idea about the capabilities of the Cube.
While I do not believe that this is going to push the Cube designers any harder than they has pushed themselves, it's bound to have an impact on improvements and feature improvement. Having worked for a video game company whose product was sold in major stores, I know, firsthand, that store buyers can be very vocal about things they'd like to see for their customers. Numbers mean something.
It also means that designers hoping to sell their designs on Cubify should see a major boost in the sales potential for their designs.
I should be able to gauge the impact, at least on a rudimentary level, by closely monitoring the traffic on this blog. I can tell you that the increase in traffic was significant when the 2nd Generation Cube was announced earlier this year. It was as if a light switch had been turned on! I expect to see an equally big boost based on Staples showing an all new spotlight on the Cube and home/office 3D printing.
It only keeps getting better! :)
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Updated Cubify Client Software Available
As I started my Cube Client this evening, an alert popped up stating that a new version of the Cubify Client software was available. Based on past experience, no time was wasted on downloading and installing the new update.
WITH EVERY UPDATE
Make sure that you go into the Settings dialog to restore your preferences. Each new install resets rafts to ON and Supports to ON. And, 1st Generation Cube owners will have to reselect their printer type.
OBSERVED IMPROVEMENT
Other than the new green splash screen, no changes were immediately obvious. But, it just so happened that the piece that I wanted to print was the perfect piece to demonstrate what I THINK is going to be a hugely popular improvement.
One of the things all of us would like to see is a set of Release Notes for each new version. As far as I know, there are none. So, risking total embarassment if wrong, I'm going to offer an improvement that I believe I see.
No matter which 3D printer you've used, chances are it had issues with small gaps in areas around holes. It is especially prominent when holes are close together or near walls or edges. It is a very common 3D printer behavior.
Whether or not the improvement came in this new version or not, the Cubify Client now seems to have fixed that issue! If what I THINK I see is true, then it also may have ramifications for relatively thin wall construction. Time for some serious testing!
In the meantime, here is an image, albeit poor, of the part that demonstrates what I am seeing.
The hole sizes are 4mm and 3mm. Distance between the holes is 2.75mm and from the holes to the walls is just 1mm. All areas are perfectly and completely filled.
The designed specification for the outer walls in this object are 1mm with inside walls of .5mm. Interestingly, the inexpensive calipers from Harbor Freight measure various spots on the outer walls between .90mm to 1mm and the inner walls from .66m to ,87mm.depending on the orientation.
WITH EVERY UPDATE
Make sure that you go into the Settings dialog to restore your preferences. Each new install resets rafts to ON and Supports to ON. And, 1st Generation Cube owners will have to reselect their printer type.
OBSERVED IMPROVEMENT
Other than the new green splash screen, no changes were immediately obvious. But, it just so happened that the piece that I wanted to print was the perfect piece to demonstrate what I THINK is going to be a hugely popular improvement.
One of the things all of us would like to see is a set of Release Notes for each new version. As far as I know, there are none. So, risking total embarassment if wrong, I'm going to offer an improvement that I believe I see.
No matter which 3D printer you've used, chances are it had issues with small gaps in areas around holes. It is especially prominent when holes are close together or near walls or edges. It is a very common 3D printer behavior.
Whether or not the improvement came in this new version or not, the Cubify Client now seems to have fixed that issue! If what I THINK I see is true, then it also may have ramifications for relatively thin wall construction. Time for some serious testing!
In the meantime, here is an image, albeit poor, of the part that demonstrates what I am seeing.
 |
| Small Holes in Close Proximity |
The designed specification for the outer walls in this object are 1mm with inside walls of .5mm. Interestingly, the inexpensive calipers from Harbor Freight measure various spots on the outer walls between .90mm to 1mm and the inner walls from .66m to ,87mm.depending on the orientation.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
What to Do When the Cube Clogs.
While it is not an every day occurance, when a clog happens it is bound to be disappointing as amply illustraetd by this email I got a few minutes ago...
I know exactly how "D" feels. It's no fun to have to put everything on halt while you attack a clog. But, let me assure you that I don't know anyone with any extrusion 3D printer that doesn't face it at some point.
First, let's look at some potential causes. The first, and foremost, is a print gap that is too small. While a single sheet of paper might not seem very thick, that is just enough gap. Binding the paper as you set the gap can be a potential problem. The second cause can be a plate that wasn't fully seated, so that part of the place touched the print head. And, the last potential cause is an impurity in the filament that causes it not to melt at a particular place in the filament stream. Though, the latter is rare, it can happen.
So then what?
When "D" talks about not being able to discharge the filament, I know what they are seeing because I have recently seen it myself. I hate to say just pull hard. But, that is the only solution that worked for me when it happened. I think that it probably happens when the filament has an impurity. Not only will it not melt to create the object; but, may not be melting enough to release the filament. Pulling hard eventually worked. But, then, as "D" pointed out, the screen didn't move on.
In that case, press the large start/stop button to go back to the menu. Cut off two or three inches of filament before starting the loading process again.
Here is where the nifty spring wire comes into play. When the Cube heated up, I ran the wire, from the top, into the head and pushed out any melted filament through the nozzle just to clean it out before inserting the filament again.
Once the filament is loaded, be sure to recheck your gap. If it is not perfect, go through a two step process of resetting the gap. First set a ridiculously large gap and save it. Then do the process again. But, this time being careful NOT to raise the table high enough to hit the print head. If the table hits the print head. Start over with a wide gap.
Please let me know if this is confusing to you or if it is helpful. In the meantime, thanks to "D", I'm going to report the fact that filament doesn't always unload easily to the Cube team. I don't like to jump to conclusions unless someone else verifies what I THINK I've seen. And, "D" did just that. THANKS!
That's OK. I'm here to be bothered. I've chosen that role and I enjoy helping.Well... Got the clicking sound this morning and I suppose the darn thing is clogged although I don't get why or what caused it.So, I tried to remove the cartridge so I could see if the filament was still pointy, but the unit does not let me discharge the filament. It stays on the first step the whole time... Just saying to move the tube away...So the filament is still installed...Any suggestions for how to resolve this?I hate to bother you. Just a week old and already. I can already think of some design tweaks for this unit that could help with this, but for now I am stuck...D...
I know exactly how "D" feels. It's no fun to have to put everything on halt while you attack a clog. But, let me assure you that I don't know anyone with any extrusion 3D printer that doesn't face it at some point.
First, let's look at some potential causes. The first, and foremost, is a print gap that is too small. While a single sheet of paper might not seem very thick, that is just enough gap. Binding the paper as you set the gap can be a potential problem. The second cause can be a plate that wasn't fully seated, so that part of the place touched the print head. And, the last potential cause is an impurity in the filament that causes it not to melt at a particular place in the filament stream. Though, the latter is rare, it can happen.
So then what?
When "D" talks about not being able to discharge the filament, I know what they are seeing because I have recently seen it myself. I hate to say just pull hard. But, that is the only solution that worked for me when it happened. I think that it probably happens when the filament has an impurity. Not only will it not melt to create the object; but, may not be melting enough to release the filament. Pulling hard eventually worked. But, then, as "D" pointed out, the screen didn't move on.
In that case, press the large start/stop button to go back to the menu. Cut off two or three inches of filament before starting the loading process again.
Here is where the nifty spring wire comes into play. When the Cube heated up, I ran the wire, from the top, into the head and pushed out any melted filament through the nozzle just to clean it out before inserting the filament again.
Once the filament is loaded, be sure to recheck your gap. If it is not perfect, go through a two step process of resetting the gap. First set a ridiculously large gap and save it. Then do the process again. But, this time being careful NOT to raise the table high enough to hit the print head. If the table hits the print head. Start over with a wide gap.
Please let me know if this is confusing to you or if it is helpful. In the meantime, thanks to "D", I'm going to report the fact that filament doesn't always unload easily to the Cube team. I don't like to jump to conclusions unless someone else verifies what I THINK I've seen. And, "D" did just that. THANKS!
Monday, April 1, 2013
The Quest is Part of the Satisfaction
As you may have noticed, the posts to this blog have been infrequent for a while. That is NOT because my interest in the Cube and 3D printing has waned. Quite the contrary is true.
The reason for the infrequency is that I have been using one or both of my Cube printers on almost a non-stop basis creating prototypes for a device that has been a longtime dream. The Cube has been the focus of a quest and that quest has taken me on a design journey of discovery, insight and, sometimes, perplexing roadblocks.
But, quests are probably at the core of the satisfaction that comes from owning a 3D printer. And, each small step in a design quest has the potential to spawn a new quest at any time.
My Current Quest
A quest usually involves one's passions. As I have mentioned before, I have had a lifelong passion for microscopy. And, being able to capture the microscope images has been a longtime extension of that passion. What has kept me occupied and limited my blog updates is a quest to design and build a device that combines these passions.
The cool thing about this quest is that it combines complexity with the need for incredibly accurate alignment. While the first Cube could do the job of delivering models that would work, it was the 2nd generations Cube that really made the project take off.
2nd Generation Cube's Primary Contribution to the Quest
I have been amazed at the accuracy of the 2nd Generation Cube. Parts fit is now much easier than with earlier 3D printers. The system that I'm designing has more than 10 parts that must fit together well and at least seven of those parts must move with precision if the design is to be successful. Moreover, some features have to be fitted with off-the-shelf items like screws and nuts.
I've come to trust that the 2nd Gen Cube is going to be able to deliver, repeatedly, the same precision with each iteration. This is not only important; but, critical for those of us hoping to design products that others can print on their own 2nd Gen Cubes. And, it's also good news for those that would be ordering the products Cubify.com that will be printed with much larger 3D printers.
The Quest is nearing Completion
While few design quests end with finality, this one is at least nearing the time when a version is mature enough to be released. When that happens I want to share the journey because some perfectly good breakthroughs didn't make it to this product for any number of reasons. But, that does not mean that these design features will not be useful to us in other products. For instance, I learned how to design sliding parts with ratcheting locks. But, the final design no longer needs that feature. I've also learned a lot about parts with springlike give without breaking. Discoveries regarding filament "grain" and part printing orientation were a natural consequence of such an intense design effort. I will share those as well.
Hopefully, by the end of this weeks, we can begin to explore some of the things that came out of this quest so that they might help you in your own future design quests. It's been a lot of fun.
The reason for the infrequency is that I have been using one or both of my Cube printers on almost a non-stop basis creating prototypes for a device that has been a longtime dream. The Cube has been the focus of a quest and that quest has taken me on a design journey of discovery, insight and, sometimes, perplexing roadblocks.
But, quests are probably at the core of the satisfaction that comes from owning a 3D printer. And, each small step in a design quest has the potential to spawn a new quest at any time.
My Current Quest
A quest usually involves one's passions. As I have mentioned before, I have had a lifelong passion for microscopy. And, being able to capture the microscope images has been a longtime extension of that passion. What has kept me occupied and limited my blog updates is a quest to design and build a device that combines these passions.
The cool thing about this quest is that it combines complexity with the need for incredibly accurate alignment. While the first Cube could do the job of delivering models that would work, it was the 2nd generations Cube that really made the project take off.
2nd Generation Cube's Primary Contribution to the Quest
I have been amazed at the accuracy of the 2nd Generation Cube. Parts fit is now much easier than with earlier 3D printers. The system that I'm designing has more than 10 parts that must fit together well and at least seven of those parts must move with precision if the design is to be successful. Moreover, some features have to be fitted with off-the-shelf items like screws and nuts.
I've come to trust that the 2nd Gen Cube is going to be able to deliver, repeatedly, the same precision with each iteration. This is not only important; but, critical for those of us hoping to design products that others can print on their own 2nd Gen Cubes. And, it's also good news for those that would be ordering the products Cubify.com that will be printed with much larger 3D printers.
The Quest is nearing Completion
While few design quests end with finality, this one is at least nearing the time when a version is mature enough to be released. When that happens I want to share the journey because some perfectly good breakthroughs didn't make it to this product for any number of reasons. But, that does not mean that these design features will not be useful to us in other products. For instance, I learned how to design sliding parts with ratcheting locks. But, the final design no longer needs that feature. I've also learned a lot about parts with springlike give without breaking. Discoveries regarding filament "grain" and part printing orientation were a natural consequence of such an intense design effort. I will share those as well.
Hopefully, by the end of this weeks, we can begin to explore some of the things that came out of this quest so that they might help you in your own future design quests. It's been a lot of fun.
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