Fractal knew exactly what they were doing when they published these files. The Venn diagram describing the raspberry pi and 3d printing communities is probably pretty close to a circle.
I have RPI3B for 6 or 7 years and now I'm considering a printer. But it's understandable, people who have some free time, electronics with GPIO but without mechanical parts gets boring and sometimes I need a stuff like RPI camera mount (when camera attached to cardboard box by wires is not enough). Also Arduino projects without boxes for sensors, Arduino and battery are getting messy.
@@oliverer3 Not a lot run their printers of a Pi400 though ;) I am still super happy about that choice, even if it was back then driven by the Pi shortage and Pi400s were the only available and halfway reasonable option.
You can print PETG on the smooth PEI sheet, but you need to use a little glue stick to form a layer to make it easier (possible) to remove. If you don't the PETG can bond to the PEI coating and it can come away as you remove the print, destroying that side of the build plate. ... And yes, this is a warning coming from experience 😔
If you read the datasheet (info page on the Prusa website) for PETG, it tells you exactly this. They recommend using a textured sheet, which I always have and have never had issues.
@@dsfs17987 Companies do not release prototype plans often, even less with detailed instructions, most of the time the community has to come up with alternative designs. If it's so easy to draw something like that you're very welcome to contribute to the community xD Even if it's low effort or easy, in my opinion, this sets a good example for other companies, it's more about the message than these 3D files.
@@Markfps it is a "fake" message when they post something overly complex like this anyone who does 3d printing, as I said, should be able to design something much easier to print and assemble than this contraption, this is suitable only for youtube hipsters and youtube "content creators"
@@dsfs17987 Complex lmao, it's really not that bad. It was originally made for a trade show prop and wasn't meant to be released, they saw people want it, so they at most quickly cleaned it up and made a very nice guide for it. They also could have released nothing. No need to be so negative about it.
Just a warning: you are not supposed to print PETG on the smooth PEI steel sheet on the Prusa. I’ve ruined one by doing it, but you can use glue to prevent the PETG from pulling off the PEI. I just used the textured sheet to be safe.
FYI when using heat set inserts, set the iron to a temp just above the printing temperature of the filament (around 220C for PLA) otherwise the plastic melts extremely quickly, deforms, and is very hard to align.
There's a slicer option that, when printing multiple objects on the same build plate, can help you minimize stringing even further (and slightly decrease print time): In Orca Slicer, it's in: "Others > Special Mode > Print sequence > By Object" In Prusa Slicer, it's in: "Print Settings > Output Options > Complete individual objects". This will make the printer fully print an object before moving onto the next one. The downside is that each object will take more space on the build plate so that the extruder has sufficient clearance, so you might have to do multiple plates. The upside is that this eliminates a lot of travel moves, so there are fewer opportunities for stringing, and there's a bit of time saved as well.
Yeah; never tried that before but I think that could've saved this print (along with more drying of filament, selecting the right profile on the PrusaSlicer-for V0 instead of normal PETG, and maybe adjusting supports a bit).
You have to be very careful when using this option and how the build it's layout. items that are two close together will cause the print head to hit them when starting the next object.
@@Twin_Flyer depending on your printer setup you can insert a beeep a pause and a home in between objects so you can do them one by one but not have to reload a file every time.
Oh man, that's so cool that you went through the process! I was just looking at the instructions today like ehhhhh not sure I want to dive in. Gotta find somebody to cut me some walnut - and an acrylic window.
It's easier to use the "Place on face" tool (F shortcut) in the left toolbar in PrusaSlicer instead of manually rotating the object to rotate it into the correct printing orientation. Also, "snug" would have probably been a better support type. It's easier to remove for long straight bridges. Organic supports is great for models with many small contact points, for organic shapes like busts and figures. It also looks like your filament was very wet. The PETG V0 is even more hygroscopic than regular PETG. It should be dried before each use (it's written on the product page). If the filament is dry it will not be stringy. Prusament PETG V0 also has its own filament profile in PrusaSlicer. It's different from the regular Prusament PETG profile. You're also using the wrong type of heat-set insert. The ones you used are for injection molding. It works but it's not optimal. The ones for pressing in with a soldering iron typically have a sort of spiral-knurled outer surface.
Standard Template Library :-) Yeah, but STL file is really almost too stupid. It's basically 80 bytes of nothing, maybe file magic for format recognition, number of triangles and then linear list of normal and three vertices forming a triangle. There's no information about solid objects, vertices are not shared by triangles, nothing at all. Actually there are optional 2 bytes that may encode color and their presence depends on file size.
This isn't exclusive to PETG, it even affects PLA. Let PLA lie around long enough and you'll get stringing and other issues if you don't dry it. Just doesn't happen as fast as with PETG or Nylon.
@@SaHaRaSquad Yeah, but unless you live in a humid environment it takes a LONG time. Can be years. Some brands will still be fine 5 years later in a dry environment.
Yeah, any time I print with PETG, I go ahead and throw it in my filament dryer for a few hours first. Takes no time at all for it to get stringy like this.
@@benwyattjr Mine is kept in a plastic tub with lots of desiccant. That said I don't print much these days and prefer pla so I haven't used it recently enough to trust it.
The little 'winglets' that pop off on the sides would sag on the first couple layers though, if there were no supports. I guess if you print it on the side, you mean?
@@Level2Jeff No, if your cooling is good enough like on the P1S or Mk4, it'll print those fine. I just printed them and while there is an ever-so-slight bit of droop, it is not enough to affect the fitment of the slats. Also, there is a setting in the slicer called "make overhangs printable" and while not always great, it's perfect in this case - it alters the 90deg joint to a 45 deg which again won't affect the fitment of the bars.
@@Level2Jeff Even if the 'winglets' as you call them have a poor print finish, they are on an occluded surface so you won't see them in the completed case. I was actually a little worried because fillets off the print-bed don't always print cleanly and that _is_ the exposed surface that you'll see. But your prints look fine, at least through the camera and my monitor.
@@Level2Jeff I just printed them today on my P1S, I rotated them 45° so they sit in an 45° angle on the build plate, and i used a small brim just to make Sure it wont tip over. Printed perfectly fine
I'm happy that Fractal released the files, but I don't have a 3D printer (nor do I expect to get one any time soon), so I'd rather just buy a pre-made one from Fractal with nicer materials. Still cool though, but no wood grain now.
Top 3 things to help your printing with PETG 1. Dry your filament; PETG sucks up water like nylon you have to print right after drying or you will run into boiling water problems after a couple days. 2. Don't print PETG directly on PEI/PEX/PEY, due to the nature of the chemical bonds it sticks way too well to these build surfaces, use gluestick to act as a release agent 3. Run a temperature tower for the filament, you need to know where the failure point of the filament is and which gives you the best surface finish. Orca slicer has built in calibration features just for this. Just be happy you aren't doing this on a glass build plate (with a heater taped to it) and having it shatter when trying to remove a stuck on part.
STL is "my surfaces are made out of these triangles". G-code gives specific instructions for each subsystem of a CNC machine, whether that's a printer, lathe or mill. People used to program G-code by hand, big milling machines often still allow editing of the G-code at the console.
"G-code gives specific instructions for each subsystem of a CNC machine" No, that's M-code. G-code is positioning only, the machine wouldn't know what to do if you just fed it G-code.
PETG gets really stringy when it has absorbed moisture. Surface finish also gets worse; the moisture that has absorbed into the filament evaporates and causes tiny bubbles to appear..
I especially enjoyed seeing how you decided to print the small front bars on the super fast printer and the entire bed full of parts on the slow one. If you'd done it the other way around they'd probably have finished at the same time 😛
STL stands for Stereolithography. The name of the tech and it is basically a bunch of triangle vertices. Thankfully only the geekiest of us deal with that.
For petg, its wise to up the retraction speed and the retraction length if ur printing at the temps ur printing at, you can also lower the temp a smidge so the petg isn’t so gooey, it may produce weaker parts (but from experience its still stronger than pla) ur using a direct drive so the changes in retraction will be minimal, hope this helps for next time
For the printing: -ajust z offset for Petg a little so it isn't that hard to remove afterward. It always sticks really well. -print petg from a drybox and dry it beforehand -always tune new filaments for good looking and accurate prints
If i may give a couple printing tips: 1) When arranging a plate. Try to keep the big items in the center and not the sides/corners. Bed-heating is not uniform with the outer sides often being a bit colder. So lift-off tends to be a bigger risk there. When your plate is full of stuff, bump up the plate temperature by a couple degrees. 2) Always use a 3D-Printing gluestick like say Magigoo, Dimafix, 3Dlack or whatnot. By default they improve adhesion for even PLA, but more importantly they provide a separation layer so that stuff like PETG, ABS and TPU doesn't try to fuse with the PEI sheet and damage it during peel. It also means less wear of the sheet which is a nice little extra. Ain't like its messy either as its water soluble. A wet cloth wipes it off fairly easily off the plate and prints. AND 3) Don't underestimate your printer's ability to deal with Overhangs and Bridges. Unless its very thin or on the outside it can often just push through and do the job with just a few supports. It might not look great from the underside, but you won't be looking at that once its build. So its often best to just manually paint on supports and key points and save on a lot of trouble.
When you print PETG place the parts far apart and in Bambu Studio/Orca slicer use Print by Object instead of by Layer. I am sure Prusa Slicer there would be similar settings. It helps to reduce stringing as you are preventing travel between parts on the bed. I use it for TPU which is also very stringy. The limitation is that you can't fill the plate as the print head's need clearance on the x-y axis to do this. Alternately, you can tweak PETG flow rate and pressure advance. For stringing issues, The retraction amount also needs to be adjusted along with print temperature. There is a proportionate relationship between temparature and flow ratio. The higher the print temps the higher flow rates can be achieved. The higher flow rate, you can do faster printing. But faster printing comes with quality penalities. Typically the flow rate value hovers around 0.98 in Bambu studio for PETG. You also need to check the maximum volumetric flow rate also. The value of PETG for me is that it is easier to sand and finish than PLA. Also PETG has slightly better mechanical properties and temparature stability.
On a textured PEI sheet I have never had a problem with PETG sticking too well, in fact it's my go to surface for it, but on smooth or glass always use gluestick or hairspray. I find a light spray of hairspray gives the best smooth finish, you can even get almost a frosted glass look if you get it perfect. Looks great if the surface is a feature.
I always use DERUC 3D Printer Bed Adhesive -Glue Stick on the PEI sheet. Apply it in up and down layers overlapping each other, then left and right to totally cover the plate. Soaking in hot water after printing also loosens the bond between the glue and the print. 100% prints every time, and no scraper required.
Looks like you got a lot of great tips on the print already! One thing I always do with PETG (especially when I open a new package) is put it in my filament drier. That tends to eliminate the stringy prints for me at least. Thanks for sharing the good and the bad along the way. Can't wait to print a few of these for myself.
A couple tips for PETG,. Make sure you dry it out first, even if it is fresh out of the package. You can use a smooth plate, but you need to use liquid glue or some alternative to prevent it from adhering too much. It is easier to remove the print if you pull it off at around 40-45C. Once it cools off completely it becomes harder. Make sure you protect your print from unwanted airflow. Rapid cooling can cause it to shrink and warp. That Bambu printer would probably work better for it given the environment. And for the stringing, it could be the retraction speed, but I don't know for sure. It could also just be the wet filament.
Love Jeff's videos. I think the most interesting thing about this video is that he is NOT using an rPi running OctoPrint to control some of his printers. :)
Well done! My motto has always been "if things are going smoothly you have obviously overlooked something!" Thanks for showing us the warts too! (dang screws!) I wonder if there's a jig for installing the inserts? I have a couple for woodworking in different sizes but the scale is vastly different. In wood, the darn things always want to go in crooked. The jig keeps them perpendicular.
STL: Officially it stands for "Stereolithography" (because it was developed for a series of commercial SLA printers in the mid to late 80's), unofficially it can also be said to stand for "structured triangle language/layout/some other relevant 'l' word" because in it's original form (ASCII STL) it literally just listed triangles one after the other by vertex coordinates. Binary STL does the same thing, but more compactly and in a not human readable fashion.
Releasing the 3d printable files is exactly what I wanted them to do so I'm very happy about that. Now I'm thinking of what to use for the front grill since wood has gotten so expensive now. Maybe I'll just wrap the printed grill parts with some wood-looking vinyl film or maybe carbon fiber, hmm! There are a lot of fun vinyl films that look pretty realistic :D
Once you learn to nail it, PETG is so good you won't want to go back to PLA. To the point of the smooth surface, I've had PETG pull chunks out of a glass bed.
So I'm seeing your attempt with the PETG. Something I learned the hard way is to use glue on the bed, that way it's more easy to remove the PETG . Also it won't damage the bed and easy to clean off. Other than that the print looks really amazing.
Just a protip on the filament stuck on the build plate. If you use a shaving razor blade you can scrape it off easier with it. Also for petg to prevent the stringing you need to completely dry the filament before using.
Hey Jeff, when you print PETG you should really use a satin powder coated sheet for the build surface but if you don't have one spread normal everyday school gluestick glue over the build surface before every print. Be generous with it and you won't have to worry about destroying your PEI sheet. Also, keep PETG dry and if you don't have a heated chamber consider printing it from a drybox.
Another release agent that works well (kept my smooth build surface from disintegrating faster than it did because I didn't keep up with applications while mass printing frames for Covid face shields) is Windex. Apparently there is some unpublished additive in specifically Windex that helps release PETG from the smooth PEI surface when the sheet cools down. The Windex residue creates a super thin, uniform layer that you don't always get with gluestick. YMMV
Printed upside-down for max amount of supports, in PETG using a base profile for max stringy-ness, on a smooth sheet w/o gluestick for max bed destruction. Welp, you live and learn. I hope you did learn from this.
Thanks for bringing this up, I didnt know they had released it, you should try some PLA Wood for the front bars, you can also use transparent PETG for the side panel.
I'm sure someone already said something, but you might look for the "contact z distance" in prusa slicer for the supports, increasing this can make them a lot more break-away friendly. Also I highly recommend the input shaper slicing settings, almost cuts the print time in half (~40% faster depending on geometry) and the quality is still very good. Love the videos as always!!! Really cool to see you diving into the printing world too 😊
Filament needs dried, and I highly recommend the textured plate for PETG. I print a TON of Prusament Jet Black PETG and have printed some junction boxes with their PETG V0 that came out flawless.
the last part with the glue brought me back memories about the ventilation part.. I had loctite super glue and thought they meant like have a window open or something... then I accidently had a my head over the place where I glued, and it was like someone hit my nose as hard as they could :O I later found out that your eyelids could be glued together just by the fumes :O Also had it come on my gloves, and they started to melt on my hand, so i got burned lol. So now I am very careful using super glue :) Nice case anyway.
I think next time you use organic support, you should add some small z-hop to your travel moves. Organic support is more prone to being knocked over as the nozzle moves across the print.
for the threaded inserts, your soldering should only be 10-20 degrees warmer than the temperature it was printed at, its a lot easier to get them in straight, and will generally be less messy/oozy
I discovered a trick to printing in mid air. Print your object at a slight angle and not flat on the surface. You may need supports on the bottom but thats all.
I do really like how the existence of 3D printers has so quickly resulted in many entirely open designs coming to the public space. A couple decades ago this likely would've only been described in a fraction of the detail in a design patent.
In my experience it's important to clean the smooth PEI sheet with 95%+ isopropyl alcohol before *every* PLA print. Skipping this step leads to reduced bed adhesion which causes tall objects (like your missing tree support) to be more likely to pop off the bed as they get taller.
Don't print petg on the smooth plate. Use a textured plate. It really releases a lot better on the textured plate. I know because I've ruined smooth plates printing petg on them. As for the stringiness, you just have to play around until you find the right settings, but you could print out a tower to find the right settings and save said settings as a preset... you probably already know this. Just in case others new to this may not.
Just so you know petg V0 is not more heat resistant than normal petg. However it is certified UL certified to extinguish itself when it burns. Now in general that is not a requirement for a computer enclosure usually they don't set themselves on fire. Getting hot yes but until you reach a temperature where a material starts a fire is way higher than the temperature needed to deform it. So in general ABS which should keep its form up to 100°C would be more useful.
Jeff, the insert holes shouldn't be set to the width of the knurl, but rather the step that is less than the knurl. That way the knurls have some plastic to lock into.
I use petg on the Prusa i3. Set your retraction settings. ALSO, I use Crocodile Cloth wipes from home depot when printing with petg. Petg likes to STICK!
Recommended temperatures for the filaments are written on the boxes and having a quick look that first petg filament prints between 220-240. The standard petg profile prints at 250 so that is why it was so stringy. Next time try printing at about 230 👍. Also check out paint on supports so you can pick where to put supports.
This is probably the best advice when it comes to reducing the stringing on PETG. Dehydrating for future prints is for sure a good idea but shouldn’t be an issue on a fresh pack from Prusa like you had. Lowering the temps to around 230 (230-240 seems to be the happy area for most Prusament PETG in my experience but can always do a temp tower first to make sure you get the best results).
All that stringing makes me believe you got some bad case of wet filament... PETG is very hydrophylic so you really need to keep it in a dry box.. several boxes out there that you can make from fancy ones with humidity displays and heat pads to simple ones with just sillica beads
On a cosmetic piece and I know supports are inevitable I chose orientation basted on the aesthetics. The slide-in cover would look better (and probably slid in easier) if printed on it's edge to match the layer lines of the case. Probably with a brim for stability.
PETG is irritatingly hygroscopic, so it usually needs drying, sometimes even right out of the vacuum bag. Retraction settings and lower temperature can help, too. I've had the worst stringing with recycled PETG versus virgin PETG.
I have never experienced any issues with PETG... ever. I've never even tried another type of filament... never touched PLA. It's funny how it just works for me on the first go from my first printer a year or two ago and still works mint for me. Sometimes things are just up to chance I suppose, because a LOT of people have issues with PETG I have never encountered or even seen or thought could happen lol. (I've never even had stringing issues.)
Hi Jeff, I just checked my Prusa Slicer settings and I see there is a special setting for PETG VO. Changing the setting might also have reduced the stringing you experienced. And also the downward draft is a definite NO NO. Thanks for sharing your experience.
@@Level2Jeff Have a look at some other videos on youtube maybe from CNC Kitchen or ModBot, they are very different, the ones you purchased are for injection moulding, so they are not good for inserting, the design is very different, on a side note, I purchased the same ones as you many years back when I first got into 3D printing :)
@@Level2JeffThe ones made for heat setting have self centering features and tend to end up more straight and even with the surface. Not much difference in terms of strength but bottom line they're just much more pleasant to use.
@@oliverer3 Ah, so that would've helped a bit in terms of not melting in slightly off-center. Looks like they hold a slight bit different too. Will order a set!
@@Level2Jeff Jeff, if you want any tips for future 3D printing related stuff, you can PM on Printables bud, happy to help, I design 3D Printers and Printer Upgrades, so I have pretty good knowledge on the subject :)
u have some retraction to do on the petg :P and when printing petg, have some glue/hairspray or like magicgoo on the bed so the petg will release alot easier without destroying the bed if u are unlucky
The ideal heat set machine is the Nukit Heat Set Insert Press by Naomi Wu. Straight and right depth every time. It's her only source of income since being intimidated by the government over there. Consider purchasing that one.
The trick with printing PETG on smooth PEI is to never clean the build plate. 😂 if I ever wipe it down with IPA, I follow it up with wiping my hands over the build area, or not removing slight dust that have settled etc. I’ve had very good results that way, and except for stringing I’ve found PETG to be a lot more reliable than any other material. Stringing is also very easy to remove, just apply a heat gun and it’ll disappear. TPU though is even worse when it comes to adhesion to PEI, you need to apply chalk powder to have any hope of that ever coming loose.
Stringy prints are a results of wet filament. Dry it in a filament dryer for about 6 hours in 50c and you should be good to go. Play with retraction if it is still stringing. PETG is tricky. Use elmers glue stick to help with easier removal. Clean it off every print and apply new coat for easy removal. its ok to flex the plate a bit to get a flat pry tool under.
get some 3DLac. it both simultaneously makes things stick to the bed better, so they don't pop off before you want them to, and makes them easier to take off afterwards. Either way, it would give your build plate some mercy.
It's probably already been mentioned, but use hair spray on your build plate when using PETG. Makes the release a lot easier. But the best advice, don't print PETG :)
Kudos to Fractal, but it's obvious that it was designed without 3d print in mind. Also threaded inserts are too much (luxury) for such small design - 3d printed bore holes will be enough. I think, there will be tons of mods in a while, which should fix those issues. Already thinking about mods (vesa mount). I'll probably fire up Onshape and do some modding on it ;)
If I had a 3d printer... I would put also also air filter, maybe some dash of RGB lights and put my VPN Pi and display on the shelf front and center. Baby North is beyond adorably cute.
Its funny: I actually just ordered a Bambu (I've been hesitatnt to get back into FDM printing as I hated the experience in the past, and much prefer resin printers) because I *really* wanted to print Chris Borge's Ball Vice - I think this might be a good first print project to get my feet wet before taking on that beast. Cheers!
I would print it with PLA and possibly add some black paint. It will never be outside, because it is a RPi which stands in my office or the Hobby-room.
I'm surprised that Jeff, Mr. Raspberry Pi himself, hasn't done an OctoPi setup for both his MK4 and his Ender. Yes, the MK4 has the local PrusaLink connection, but it is a "It just works" implementation of a printserver, or you could use the PrusaConnect cloud service for the MK4 (dead easy to setup, but relies on "other people's computers" if that is a concern). I prefer having the extra functions (like spoolmanager) of OctoPrint. The Ender needs an OctoPi setup...
16:36 its "goopy" because its not dry enough and your temp is too high it seems you are cooking the petg. also petg needs faster and longer retractions. for the mk4 id go with 2.5 mm retraction at 50mms. then a temp tower to check the properties of the filament. then a test pattern for flowrate and then finally a kfactor calibration. if you skip these steps u might get defects. always dry the filament, even it came in a vacuum sealed bag with silica in it. it can be much better if dried properly. then store in a regulated sealed box. :) welcome to the fdm familiy
Ha, thanks! I just bought a Creality filament dryer, will try it next time I print on the PETG V0 (along with Prusa's correct settings for the V0, which are different than normal PETG!).
Awesome video. Mind me asking if you have instructions on how you have the remote "on" feature setup for your 3D printer? I have a P1S as well and could help integrating a similar functionality.
PETG, you'll probably need to dry that filament. Also, invest in a heat gun, with a little bit of stringing, you can just melt away the wisps. What you have tho is a little overboard on stringing which tells me it needs to be dried.