I’d like to 3D print letter stamps for clay with a specific font. I’m starting with TinkerCAD, and should be able to get something serviceable soon, but I don’t see any beginning classes on 3D printing, and I know a lot of potters, like myself and the person who asked here last month about cookie cutters, are interested in learning how to make this sort of thing.
Does anybody do a series of basics classes for 3D printing? How to use the machines, filament basics, basic troubleshooting, etc.? There’s a ton of them for laser and ceramics, and I’d really like to get started with 3D printing for my ceramics practice (and eventually for many other things).
I’m sure I could make the letter stamps another way, but the 3D printed custom font ones you can buy online for $50+ are pretty great, but usually they’re just one letter set (like all capital letters), and I’d like to make my own so I can get the punctuation without having to spend another $50 hahaha
I want to learn in front of the machines I would be using instead of watching online videos - as many of you are, I’m someone who learns by doing! As I’m posting this, Talk’s suggesting I check out similar posts from 2015 and 2022, but I assume those are out of date.
Absolutely will take the online class first, but also am lazy to start if there’s no potential outcome hahaha, I’m not about to try to use one of those if I don’t know what I’m doing!
Everyone has their own preferred software such as blender, Solidworks, fusion 360, or Rhino. Full versions of blender and solidworks are available to DMS members.
In terms of classes, intro classes to blender and solidworks have been taught recently taught at the space. I think for more artistic purposes, blender would be a good option. Furthermore, stampmaking was covered in the blender class when I took it.
there is the CAD side of this and it sounds like based on your objectives tinkercad is a good choice
basics of 3d printing, regardless of printer. We currently do not have a basics of 3d printing class, standalone. It is baked into the online PolyPrinter class.
our advanced printer class, post PolyPrinter, is the Bambu. It is machine side and does not focus on the basic principles of 3d printing
Here is what I propose
If u can get 4 to 6 potters that are interested in basics of 3d printing with a Bambu machine side so u can touch it, we will do a session for the group. It won’t cover CAD.
OK no problem, I’ll round some people up!!! cc @Elizursini
Grateful for the offer and now that I know what the other classes might be called ("PolyPrinter”) I can keep a better eye out - appreciate the response!
One last question - the Ceramics 101 class is online, and it covers the space, what goes where, policies, etc. - is the PolyPrinter class the same kind or is it specific to the printer itself and not the 3D area, policies and procedures?
I made my own stamp four or so years ago, have not been active with 3-D printing much since. Mine was fairly simple, a letter in a square. The square is 10mm x 10mm for reference. A couple things to keep in mind, the poly printers have a realistic resolution of maybe 1mm, anything smaller isn’t going to be very crisp so lots of small letters isn’t going to work out well. Simple shapes are ok, larger the better. I had a free year of fusion 360 and after a month or two of figuring out how to use it found it super flexible and could design pretty complex shapes, solid works is similar but unless you are familiar with CAD software there is a learning curve. In many situations the laser cutter is probably better for finer detailed stamps.
If we were in the market for 1000lbs of clay for it from Trinity (special formulation), he’d probably teach a class in it. It’s incredibly inefficient - the clay has to be a perfect consistency to work in the machine and he’s had trouble with it drying out inside the printer.
I’d been thinking about this. It’d be hard to teach as a class, because this video skips over just how long it takes the plaster to dry. And the plaster has to completely dry before you move on to the next step. (Just ask @Nathan_Jones )
The video answered my question – how do you set those registration bumps? By taking ForEver… But, then it’ll work. She’s got a whole series of videos on making slip molds.
