'70 Challenger / Cuda

[GreenBar0n]

Being that this is @XLR8's 3D printed Challenger Cuda thread, I can only stay on topic by restating that the instructions call for printing this model in PLA.

I have PETG, and I am probably using it for different reasons than most of you all. Case in point:


All the white parts are PETG, the olive drab is PLA matte. Even though PETG is stronger, in the pic one of the white ankle joints broke, so I printed the ankles in olive drab. The fine details are what I'm going for. Are my layer lines unacceptable?

The QIDI Plus 4 uses smaller notched belts to drive the hotend, so it's able to print in finer resolution than most 3D printers, at this moment in history (everyone will be doing it soon and better too).

[GoMachV]

The QIDI Plus 4 uses smaller notched belts to drive the hotend, so it's able to print in finer resolution than most 3D printers, at this moment in history (everyone will be doing it soon and better too).

And I'm derailing the thread again
But just wanted to say, it's an interesting topic. I wouldn't think that there would be impulses caused by belt cogs but never really considered it. My newest router has a rack and pinion bed. I had originally worried about it's precision, but found it was totally unwarranted and is much more precise than my old ball drive and belt drive machines. Apparently large CNC machines use rack and pinion as well. Never knew that either

[GreenBar0n]

Rack and pinion is silky smooth, very predictable.

The layer lines in particular was what was advertised to be improved with the smaller belt notches on the Plus 4, the layer height 0.08mm is not special, and all the software/firmware is the same as the rest of them.

[XLR8]

... and unfortunately, I'll continue to derail this thread.

The F100 pickup is only my second RC project using a printer so I'm still learning.
One feature in Bambu Studio that I've started using with this project is adaptive layers.
Parts on the left were printed with uniform layer heights (0.2) and were laying flat to the build plate.
Those on the right were printed using the adaptive layers (0.06 min) and smooth features and were angled from the plate.

It's a substantial improvement so I've been going back and re-printing some parts.

[XLR8]

The details for the parts I was working with, are what PETG was not looking as good compared to PLA for. Be that moisture, or whatever you want to attribute that to, I didn't require strength for that project, just the level of detail. PLA was better in that case.

Again, it may linked with both experience, calibration and settings.
All my recent prints are actually PETG for many reason : it stands much better the heat than PLA, it provide strength closer to nylon than I expectd (I have a 44B chassis running with PETG prints without a single broken parts), and for the details, once calibrated it provides far enough details for what I do. Now that's where it becomes tricky : details means fine parts, and they are the ones that are going to be issues with PLA in case of direct sunlight, unless in clear color (not even speaking about being stored in a car a sunny day) : bigger PLA parts with thick walls may not have so much issue with heat as there is a lot to heat before it deforms much, but for smaller parts, that may be).
That said, it may totally depends as well where you are living : I'm living near Lyon in France, and during summer, days are 40°C are quite a few. during those days :
- temperatures in a car under direct sunlight can get over 60°C
- temperatures in a garage with a metal roof can reach about 55°C
- temperatures in a home are generally not an issue as we can reduce the light flow
For people living in the North of that area in Europe, it may not be an issue, and the number of days in those conditions are fewer. But I often remind the experience of one guy at the club who was very happy to show his printed car (PLA) during the winter, and who went unhappy few months later and showed a superb melted bent printed car during the summer (the printed car was in the real car the previous day, under direct sunlight).

At the end, yes, PETG is definitely more difficult to print than PLA, in particular because it tends to stick to the nozzle, resulting often in a mess when there is adhesion issue because it drags elements failing over the rest of the print. But this should not happen when it is perfectly calibrated. Further, PETG tends to be shiny, and that doesn't help for the details as well, but most often than not, they are there.

Some great info, thanks again!!

Lacking experience printing PTEG, I'd probably just used the default settings. What settings have you found work best for PTEG on your Bambu printers?

[silvertriple]

Again, it may linked with both experience, calibration and settings.
All my recent prints are actually PETG for many reason : it stands much better the heat than PLA, it provide strength closer to nylon than I expectd (I have a 44B chassis running with PETG prints without a single broken parts), and for the details, once calibrated it provides far enough details for what I do. Now that's where it becomes tricky : details means fine parts, and they are the ones that are going to be issues with PLA in case of direct sunlight, unless in clear color (not even speaking about being stored in a car a sunny day) : bigger PLA parts with thick walls may not have so much issue with heat as there is a lot to heat before it deforms much, but for smaller parts, that may be).
That said, it may totally depends as well where you are living : I'm living near Lyon in France, and during summer, days are 40°C are quite a few. during those days :
- temperatures in a car under direct sunlight can get over 60°C
- temperatures in a garage with a metal roof can reach about 55°C
- temperatures in a home are generally not an issue as we can reduce the light flow
For people living in the North of that area in Europe, it may not be an issue, and the number of days in those conditions are fewer. But I often remind the experience of one guy at the club who was very happy to show his printed car (PLA) during the winter, and who went unhappy few months later and showed a superb melted bent printed car during the summer (the printed car was in the real car the previous day, under direct sunlight).

At the end, yes, PETG is definitely more difficult to print than PLA, in particular because it tends to stick to the nozzle, resulting often in a mess when there is adhesion issue because it drags elements failing over the rest of the print. But this should not happen when it is perfectly calibrated. Further, PETG tends to be shiny, and that doesn't help for the details as well, but most often than not, they are there.

Some great info, thanks again!!

Lacking experience printing PTEG, I'd probably just used the default settings. What settings have you found work best for PTEG on your Bambu printers?
[/quote]

So far, I mainly used some Sunlu PETG with the generic settings provided in Bambu Studio. I just did calibration to make sure I have proper results for each roll of filament. It happens I do forget to do when changing the roll for the same filament/same color, and in some case it works well, in some other another calibration is needed...

[XLR8]

Again, it may linked with both experience, calibration and settings.
All my recent prints are actually PETG for many reason : it stands much better the heat than PLA, it provide strength closer to nylon than I expectd (I have a 44B chassis running with PETG prints without a single broken parts), and for the details, once calibrated it provides far enough details for what I do. Now that's where it becomes tricky : details means fine parts, and they are the ones that are going to be issues with PLA in case of direct sunlight, unless in clear color (not even speaking about being stored in a car a sunny day) : bigger PLA parts with thick walls may not have so much issue with heat as there is a lot to heat before it deforms much, but for smaller parts, that may be).
That said, it may totally depends as well where you are living : I'm living near Lyon in France, and during summer, days are 40°C are quite a few. during those days :
- temperatures in a car under direct sunlight can get over 60°C
- temperatures in a garage with a metal roof can reach about 55°C
- temperatures in a home are generally not an issue as we can reduce the light flow
For people living in the North of that area in Europe, it may not be an issue, and the number of days in those conditions are fewer. But I often remind the experience of one guy at the club who was very happy to show his printed car (PLA) during the winter, and who went unhappy few months later and showed a superb melted bent printed car during the summer (the printed car was in the real car the previous day, under direct sunlight).

At the end, yes, PETG is definitely more difficult to print than PLA, in particular because it tends to stick to the nozzle, resulting often in a mess when there is adhesion issue because it drags elements failing over the rest of the print. But this should not happen when it is perfectly calibrated. Further, PETG tends to be shiny, and that doesn't help for the details as well, but most often than not, they are there.

Some great info, thanks again!!

Lacking experience printing PTEG, I'd probably just used the default settings. What settings have you found work best for PTEG on your Bambu printers?

So far, I mainly used some Sunlu PETG with the generic settings provided in Bambu Studio. I just did calibration to make sure I have proper results for each roll of filament. It happens I do forget to do when changing the roll for the same filament/same color, and in some case it works well, in some other another calibration is needed...
[/quote]

So, you're calibrating to each filament roll or does each PTEG manufacturer provide calibration recommendations for their brand of PTEG?
Sorry for the dumb questions; this is all new to me. I was only aware of the need to "calibrate" for dimensional accuracy. Maybe there's an instructional youtube video you can recommend? Thanks.

[silvertriple]

So, you're calibrating to each filament roll or does each PTEG manufacturer provide calibration recommendations for their brand of PTEG?
Sorry for the dumb questions; this is all new to me. I was only aware of the need to "calibrate" for dimensional accuracy. Maybe there's an instructional youtube video you can recommend? Thanks.

As per my own experience, generic profile is perfect regarding temperature. What really needs calibration is flow rate and pressure advance, and those vary generally with the additives used in the filament : different colors often means different properties, and some are actually more difficult to print than others (color additives are different). Basically for filament combination type/color I do a calibration and keep it, until it requires to be changed (not necessarily every single roll : when they arrived in a batch, they don't need, most of the time they don't need reclaibration if same supplier / type / color, but it happens the formulation change, and then recalibration is needed).
Note as well that if you use a non hardened nozzle, you will have to recalibrate more frequently, because the nozzle diameter increase when the nozzle wears... (And it is highly suggested to redo the calibration when you change nozzle anyway).

That said, I do not calibrate as often than I was doing on the Creality Ender 5+ with the Bambulab printers, but they are clearly more reliable, both (and I used hardened nozzle on both).

[XLR8]

For this model and the Subaru Impreza by Casadio,

https://youmagine.com/designs/1713ec98-35fa-4601-9032-bff7966fd1c3#top

I really appreciate that they've created an inner (unibody) structure.



They're not just an empty body shell covering a nondescript touring car chassis.
While I was building static models as a kid in the 1960's, I always favored those with highly detailed underpinnings. I guess some things never change.