Large 3D Printing

Does the Dallas Makerspace have 3D printers capable of printing 610mmx610mmx610mm prints? Preferably out of a cheap substance like PLA?

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That’s a ‘no go’ on using PLA. Will defer to @Team_3D_Fab on the print dimensions for machines like Bubba.

ABS is the filament in use at DMS and it’s cheap.

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Bubba is 20"x9"x9" (500x225x225)

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We do not have a 3D printer with that kind of print volume. However there is a members project they are setting up for others to use that may reach that volume. Also you can check out 3D Fabs Wiki Page for more details

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We have an 18x18x18 pla printer for member to use, contact em for a time to show you how it works and your in business.

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You might want to rethink your plan unless the part you are printing is very spindly or irregularly shaped. Note that printing something approaching a 610mm (24") cube would have print times measured in weeks and would use several kg of plastic if at all dense.

ABS is somewhere around 1.07 grams/cm^3

Assuming just 5% of the volume requested is plastic:

61 X 61 X 61 X 1.07/1000 X 5% = 12.1 kg, or about 25 lbs of plastic.

This would be > 12 spools of plastic @ $15-20 per spool (Inland filament at MicroCenter runs $15-20 per 1 KG spool) A single spool of plastic might take 70 hours (a swag) or more to print. 800 hours is well over a month.

1.8mm PLA and ABS filament are about the same price per KG. If you slice your model into more manageable sizes and print in ABS, you can then fuse the pieces back together using acetone as a solvent/welding agent.

Would making the part layer by layer on the MultiCAM CNC wood router and gluing up the part 2" or so at a time be an option? Depending on the complexity, this would likely be much faster, even factoring in taking the class first.

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Thank you for the heads up! I definitely won’t be utilizing the full 610mm height. More so wanting to create certain 600mm diameter discs that are fairly thin with specific hole patterns on them.

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Awesome! This printer is at this location correct?

1825 Monetary Ln, # 104
Carrollton, Texas 75006

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Yes, it is What is it you are planning on printing?

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I am trying to print out a disc that has rectangular shaped slots on the outer edge to accept bar magnets, and also has a custom inner hole connection to slide onto a motor of mine. Thinking of making it 0.5" thick or so. 18" is definitley in the range of size I could make work! I work down the road on Valwood so I definitely will stop by this week or next!

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Hey Tanner, just to be clear, you do need to be a member of DMS to use the equipment. Just want to make sure you caught that part of Max’s post.

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18” disk x 0.5” tall x 15% infill means around 400-500 grams of plastic. Definitely worth buying your own spool for $20 vs using DMS plastic @ $0.10/gram. DMS printers are free for Members to use with your own plastic.

Also note that DMS requires on-site presence while printing, and that’ll be a LONG print (swagging 20+ hours, KISSSlicer can tell you more accurately once you have the model built).

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Yes sir. Definitely will stop by and check out what all getting a membership entails!

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Oh geez! If I wind up printing something like that and staying there that long I will for sure bring my own spools!

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It’s easy to join up!
from https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Main_Page
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Come by for Saturday’s tour…(or schedule with Max for 3D-specific plans). :+1:

I’m reading that the open tours start at 10am on Saturdays, do I need to make a reservation or just show up and hop in with other people?

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Just show up & hop in with others. We try to keep the door open and keep folks strategically placed to help you into the building, through the waiver signing, and on to a full-site tour.

Just come by Saturday at 10am. We are in a transition phase as we used to do tours on Thursdays at 7pm. So if you want to come by tonight I know we will have a member covering any stragglers.

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Hello Again Max,

Has that 18"x18"x18" printer been fired up yet?

I would humbly suggest making the wheel by cutting / subtractive methods. Plenty of the woodshop tools are capable of plastic cuts.

Printing is best reserved for complex 3d shapes such as action figures and the like.

I have in the past used ovens and presses to create large flat thick sheets of plastic that I cut to shape. Often I’ll just use recycled type 2 or 4 plastic. Soda bottle caps