Prusa XL 3D Printer

[awake]

Prusa XL, solid choice for pattern making with its 14"x14"x14" print area. Competitive pricing and notable improvements make it a worthwhile consideration. I want to suggest you to use enclosure for Prusa XL to get expected results.View attachment 153426

Uhh ... I hope I am wrong, but too often I have seen someone join a forum, only to post (as their very first and sometimes only post) a link to a custom product. Surely that brand new poster has no vested interested ... right? Surely we should not use the word "schilling" in such a situation ... right?

Again, I hope that I am wrong in the assumptions to which I have leapt!

 

[John Ethan]

Uhh ... I hope I am wrong, but too often I have seen someone join a forum, only to post (as their very first and sometimes only post) a link to a custom product. Surely that brand new poster has no vested interested ... right? Surely we should not use the word "schilling" in such a situation ... right?

Again, I hope that I am wrong in the assumptions to which I have leapt!

No, Bro I'm just giving a suggestion here and nothing else than that. If I,m providing a link then it must be helpful for people to understand the product easily. Every time I provide information I do research for it and that is why I used to provide a link of top 3 brands for further info.
Best regards!

 

[awake]

I'm glad to be mistaken. We'll be glad to have you join in the wide-ranging discussions on this forum.

 

[vk7krj]

I'm pleased to report my XL has finally arrived!
And it certainly hasn't disappointed me. I changed my order to the 5 head model, which delayed it somewhat, but it is now up & running in it's home-made enclosure.
My first print (other than the test print) was a box for the tools that came with it. And it was really nice to NOT have to sit there and do the 17 filament changes required for it (a 3 colour print). Just set it going and come back in the morning.
At the start of each print, it is fascinating to sit and watch it do the bed-levelling- 132 separate points across the bed, with no input from the operator needed.
As I don't want to have to load & unload 5 filaments each time I use it, the next step is to rat an old food dryer I don't use any more, and fit the guts of it to the enclosure so it can run 24/7 and keep the humidity under control. It does get quite humid here sometimes, and it can badly affect the pla filament if I don't take care of it.

 

[GreenTwin]

I get updates from Prusa from time to time concerning new developments/methods using the Prusa XL multi-material/multi-head 3D printer.
The 3D printing hobby is getting really impressive, with some fantastic new trends, as follows:

1. Prusa's 3D model download page had some impressive models that can be downloaded and printed.
You can also open models in a 3D online viewer, and pan/tilt/zoom right on the screen.
The models that are beginning to appear on the share page are ever increasingly sophisticated, and the offerings will continue to get better with time in my opinion. There are already some fantastic offerings available.
The XL's 14" cubed print area really opens up a lot of possibilities for printing larger objects, such as a 1-piece pattern for the V-8 engine block. Optionally, you can print multiple small parts located all over the printbed, at the same time.

2. Prusa's XL printer is capable of printing multiple materials on the same model, which can give some interesting advantages such as printing the supports in a different material than the part itself, thus allowing low adhesion between the support and part, to allow the support to break off cleanly without leaving any marks on the printed part. Look closely at the first image, and you will see a crankshaft imbedded in the support material.

3. Multiple colors within the same part (you can do this with a single-head printer by changing the filament color during a print, making sure not to interrupt the continuity of the filament as it is being fed into the print head).

4. The implications of being able to use some of these pre-made 3D models as a starting point for building model engines cannot be understated.
I really think this is where the hobby is going, and the possibilities are mind boggling given that I think we are at the beginning of the 3D printing/3D modeling era.
When you consider that these models, such as the V-8 engine print, could be used in a lost PLA casting process, then things get very interesting very fast, especially considering that some have proven the lost-PLA method with superb results using gray iron.

Here are a few items I found today.
Note the engine crankshaft that is imbedded in the supports that can be cleanly removed, since they are a different material with a very low adhesion value.

 

[GreenTwin]

More downloadables from the Prusa site.
Note: I am not shilling for Prusa, and have no connections to that company, but I do notice that not only does Prusa make nice 3D printers, they also offer a large number of what I call "spin-off" printable items, many of which could be used in this hobby, as well as some good technical support.

.

 

[ajoeiam]

I get updates from Prusa from time to time concerning new developments/methods using the Prusa XL multi-material/multi-head 3D printer.
The 3D printing hobby is getting really impressive, with some fantastic new trends, as follows:

1. Prusa's 3D model download page had some impressive models that can be downloaded and printed.
You can also open models in a 3D online viewer, and pan/tilt/zoom right on the screen.
The models that are beginning to appear on the share page are ever increasingly sophisticated, and the offerings will continue to get better with time in my opinion. There are already some fantastic offerings available.
The XL's 14" cubed print area really opens up a lot of possibilities for printing larger objects, such as a 1-piece pattern for the V-8 engine block. Optionally, you can print multiple small parts located all over the printbed, at the same time.

2. Prusa's XL printer is capable of printing multiple materials on the same model, which can give some interesting advantages such as printing the supports in a different material than the part itself, thus allowing low adhesion between the support and part, to allow the support to break off cleanly without leaving any marks on the printed part. Look closely at the first image, and you will see a crankshaft imbedded in the support material.

3. Multiple colors within the same part (you can do this with a single-head printer by changing the filament color during a print, making sure not to interrupt the continuity of the filament as it is being fed into the print head).

4. The implications of being able to use some of these pre-made 3D models as a starting point for building model engines cannot be understated.
I really think this is where the hobby is going, and the possibilities are mind boggling given that I think we are at the beginning of the 3D printing/3D modeling era.
When you consider that these models, such as the V-8 engine print, could be used in a lost PLA casting process, then things get very interesting very fast, especially considering that some have proven the lost-PLA method with superb results using gray iron.

Here are a few items I found today.
Note the engine crankshaft that is imbedded in the supports that can be cleanly removed, since they are a different material with a very low adhesion value.

Hmmmmmm - - - - so the tool chain gets longer - - - you know making a tool to make another tool that helps me make another tool that enables me to finish my project. The trick seems to be finding the tools that give the maximum buck for the time committed to their learning and use otherwise it might be very possible to lose sight of the reason for wanting to use the 'new' tool (grin!).

 

[GreenTwin]

Luckily 3D modeling programs and printer prices have come way down over the years, and more and more people are embracing these tools.
It was very difficult for me to learn 3D modeling, even though I was very good at 2D CAD.
The difficulty with 3D modeling (in my opinion) is not that 3D modeling is difficult, but rather you are forced you to take a completely different approach/paradigm to designing things.

I really had to learn 3D modeling for work projects; I was getting by with 2D modeling, but was getting projects that were so complex that they required a 3D solution, so I really had no other choice but to learn 3D modeling.
The fact that I can use 3D modeling to solve both work and hobby problems is icing on the cake.

Learning 3D modeling is like driving a car with a manual transmission.
You can look at the stickshift all you want, but to learn how to drive the car, you have to get in and drive it, and stop and start on some large hills. The process can be very frustrating, but well worth the effort in my opinion if you are a serious model engine designer/builder.

Below is one of my work projects, which is a 1,500 horsepower, 5kV aeration blower.

I could make a case for not learning 3D modeling if I did not do foundry work, but I when you start trying to make very complex and accurate patterns and castings, being able to 3D print patterns is a really big deal.

If you are going to go to the trouble of making complicated castings, it really pays to get them accurate, so that when they are machined, they can be assembled and will easily fit together, and the engine will operate well.

3D modeling/3D printing is definitely not for everyone, but it is the future of the hobby I think.
The future is here, now.
You can watch the 3D train go by, or you can jump on it and ride into the future.
.

 

[GreenTwin]

If I ever get a slight break in my workload, I am going to start 3D printing the patterns for this engine, 1/2 scale.
With the effort put into making an accurate 3D model, then a 3D printer allows repetitive accurate pattern making.
A 3D model can also be shared with others, and then they too can make their own patterns, so a design can propagate throughout the hobby, and literally travel round the world.
My intent is to advance this hobby, grow it, and perhaps take it to a new level.
.

 

[lohring.miller]

Don't ignore commercial 3D printing. I think it can replace casting for many projects. I just got 6 model race boat propellers printed in 17-4 PH stainless for $7 each. Investment castings cost around $20 for similar propellers.

Lohring Miller

 

[GreenTwin]

Don't ignore commercial 3D printing. I think it can replace casting for many projects. I just got 6 model race boat propellers printed in 17-4 PH stainless for $7 each. Investment castings cost around $20 for similar propellers.

Lohring Miller

And I have farmed out 3D printing for pattern making too, to a commercial firm that had a high-end printer, and the results were outstanding.
Once you get an engine into a 3D model, there are many options available at that point.
I think more and more options will emerge over time.
The 3D printed sand molds are very interesting, and used a lot commercially for rapid prototype proofing work.
.