Little did I know, when Cathy Lewis of 3D Systems asked me for a favor, that it would result in one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Cathy Lewis was speaking at a conference on 3D printing organized by Homeland Security and asked me if I would be willing to bring my Cube 3D printer to demonstrate it. I was more than happy to do so.
During the conference Cathy introduced me to Lynda Mann of YouthQuest, who spoke of their desire to use 3D printing to inspire and motivate at-risk young people. To make a long story short, I ended up volunteering to teach 3D printing to some cadets from Class 40 at the Freestate Challenge Academy located on the the grounds of the Edgewood / Aberdeen Proving Grounds.
It was an amazing experience that I enjoyed immensely. The cadets, as you will see in the video at the end of the YouthQuest story in the link in this article really took to 3D design and printing in a huge way. There is no need to write much more. Steve Pendlebury, who shot and edited the video, has done a great job of telling the story of Class 40 and the effects of 3D Printing on the lives of the Cadets.
To read about the life changing experience for both cadets and teacher please check out Steve's article on the YouthQuest web site. The video is at the bottom of the article.
Why 3D Printing Is a Great Teaching Tool for At-Risk Youth
This class was the first of many classes to be expanded around the country in the future. And, I am SO happy to be a part of it.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The Care and Feeding of the Cube 3D Printer (Video)
I've been wanting to create some better videos about the Cube 3D printer, itself. This is the first attempt in that direction.
I have received a number of emails from users that have described this or that issue they've had with their Cube printer. Some have had clogged heads and others have asked about the using the CubeStick glue to best effect. This video covers the following topics...
Setting the Head Gap
Nothing will clog a 3D printer faster than when the print jet is hitting the print bed. Yet, we need a very small gap to ensure that the first layer of filament is properly laid down on the print bed. A TWO STEP process for setting the gap is demonstrated along with the paper I've found that works the best for me.
Applying CubeStick
One of the most challenging thing for me, when going to the new 2nd Generation Cube from the 1st Generation Cube was the different behaviors of the two different glues. The first generation Cube used a heat activated glue and, frankly, was a LOT easier to use both before, during and after the print job.
I found that I was having a LOT of trouble getting parts to stick immediately after I'd cleaned the print bed. And, I didn't realize that by trying to solve the problem by applying thicker coats of glue only resulted in transferring glue to the little rubber cap over the print jet... essentially gluing the flowing filament to the cap and not the bed.
Finding the proper gap helped. But, finding a more reliable system for applying the CubeStick was the real solution.
A Tip When Changing Cartridges
For a long time, I created some problems for myself because I did not understand the correct timing for pulling on the filament when removing it to change cartridges. When the Cube team explained the steps of the process that the Cube takes when removing filament, I came up with a visual clue for myself that allowed me to more easily go with the flow when removing filament. The result is no more instances of broken filament inside the print jet!
The Correct Way to Insert the Cartridge
While teaching a 3D printing class at Freestate Challenge Academy, we had two different instances where the little metal contacts in the cartridge slot were broken as the student loaded cartridges. From this experience, we learned two things. (1) The correct process for inserting the cartridge and (2) how to solder in replacement contacts. We will show the latter later. But, for now, this video demonstrates the SAFE way to insert new cartridges to avoid the potential for breaking the contacts.
The Video...
This is the first of the videos that I hope to bring you regarding the Cube 3D Printer, itself. As will be clear, I do not write a script. So, you will hear some obvious errors... such as when I talk about lowering the head when I really mean the bed. But, I'm trusting that the information is useful enough that you will forgive my slips here and there. I have to do these videos and tutorials in the limited time that I have to do them. So, perfection is NOT an option. :)
I have made the difficult decision to use the YouTube "Monetize" option to help offset the costs of the investment required to bring a higher quality of videos to you. I know that it's annoying. But, hopefully you will find some of the products and services advertised useful enough to click on at least some the ads.
That investment, by the way, included a new Panasonic HC-X920 video camera and new LED 100WA-56 / LED 200WA-56 lights. I mention this because these products have only recently been introduced and some of my fellow members of the DPReview forums have expressed an interest in seeing how well they perform.
If you have the bandwidth, try viewing the video in HD 1080p, to see why I feel that investment was well worth it. I love this combination!
Well... with that said... here is my first 2nd Generation Cube video!
I have received a number of emails from users that have described this or that issue they've had with their Cube printer. Some have had clogged heads and others have asked about the using the CubeStick glue to best effect. This video covers the following topics...
Setting the Head Gap
Nothing will clog a 3D printer faster than when the print jet is hitting the print bed. Yet, we need a very small gap to ensure that the first layer of filament is properly laid down on the print bed. A TWO STEP process for setting the gap is demonstrated along with the paper I've found that works the best for me.
Applying CubeStick
One of the most challenging thing for me, when going to the new 2nd Generation Cube from the 1st Generation Cube was the different behaviors of the two different glues. The first generation Cube used a heat activated glue and, frankly, was a LOT easier to use both before, during and after the print job.
I found that I was having a LOT of trouble getting parts to stick immediately after I'd cleaned the print bed. And, I didn't realize that by trying to solve the problem by applying thicker coats of glue only resulted in transferring glue to the little rubber cap over the print jet... essentially gluing the flowing filament to the cap and not the bed.
Finding the proper gap helped. But, finding a more reliable system for applying the CubeStick was the real solution.
A Tip When Changing Cartridges
For a long time, I created some problems for myself because I did not understand the correct timing for pulling on the filament when removing it to change cartridges. When the Cube team explained the steps of the process that the Cube takes when removing filament, I came up with a visual clue for myself that allowed me to more easily go with the flow when removing filament. The result is no more instances of broken filament inside the print jet!
The Correct Way to Insert the Cartridge
While teaching a 3D printing class at Freestate Challenge Academy, we had two different instances where the little metal contacts in the cartridge slot were broken as the student loaded cartridges. From this experience, we learned two things. (1) The correct process for inserting the cartridge and (2) how to solder in replacement contacts. We will show the latter later. But, for now, this video demonstrates the SAFE way to insert new cartridges to avoid the potential for breaking the contacts.
The Video...
This is the first of the videos that I hope to bring you regarding the Cube 3D Printer, itself. As will be clear, I do not write a script. So, you will hear some obvious errors... such as when I talk about lowering the head when I really mean the bed. But, I'm trusting that the information is useful enough that you will forgive my slips here and there. I have to do these videos and tutorials in the limited time that I have to do them. So, perfection is NOT an option. :)
I have made the difficult decision to use the YouTube "Monetize" option to help offset the costs of the investment required to bring a higher quality of videos to you. I know that it's annoying. But, hopefully you will find some of the products and services advertised useful enough to click on at least some the ads.
That investment, by the way, included a new Panasonic HC-X920 video camera and new LED 100WA-56 / LED 200WA-56 lights. I mention this because these products have only recently been introduced and some of my fellow members of the DPReview forums have expressed an interest in seeing how well they perform.
If you have the bandwidth, try viewing the video in HD 1080p, to see why I feel that investment was well worth it. I love this combination!
Well... with that said... here is my first 2nd Generation Cube video!
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