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3D Printing with Verbatim Polypropylene: Initial Impressions Review

Polypropylene (PP) is a material that is used in a variety of applications like packaging, automotive industry, furniture, et cetera. For use in 3D printing however, it is not nearly as popular as PLA, ABS or PETG.  This might be because PP filament is not readily available at most resellers. Also, it is difficult to find information online about requirements for the printer and process settings which would be needed for a successful print.

In this article I will share my 3D printing experiences with the 1.75 mm PP filament made by Verbatim and hope to shed some light on how to print this material on a typical 3D printer (heated bed required!). Continue reading “3D Printing with Verbatim Polypropylene: Initial Impressions Review”

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Slic3r Prusa Edition Variable Layer Height

Stepped surfaces in 3D prints have been around since the dawn of 3D printing using the FDM process. The question is how to get rid of the unattractive steps them without drastically increasing print time. In this article I will cover a new feature in the Slic3r Prusa Edition that will allow you to tackle this problem in an interesting way. This also works for 3D printers which are not made by Prusa. I will test the feature with my Flashforge Dreamer. Continue reading “Slic3r Prusa Edition Variable Layer Height”

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Dobot Magician First Impressions Review

Dobot Magician First Impressions

Dobot has recently released the second version of their robotic arm. The Dobot Magician can actually be considered a learning platform for robotics, programming and manufacturing methods for makers. It includes end effectors for pick and place operations, 3D printing and laser engraving. It is positioned as a robotic arm for educational purposes, light industrial use and hobby projects at home. Continue reading “Dobot Magician First Impressions Review”

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Z-Wave: Controlling Light with a motion sensor

Fibaro Motion Sensor

 

Z-wave modules offer great flexibility and a relatively inexpensive way for automating just about anything in your home, from lights to the garage door. In this article the installation process for a light operated by a motion sensor is covered. This is one of the most basic applications of Z-wave automation and might be a good project to if you are considering to start with Z-wave. Continue reading “Z-Wave: Controlling Light with a motion sensor”

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Dual Nozzle X and Y offset calibration on Flashforge Dreamer

When using a dual extrusion printer it is important to calibrate the distance between the nozzles in X and Y direction. A properly calibrated printer will produce parts without a visible shift between sections printed with the left and the right extruder. In this article I wil discuss the use of a calibration program to find the offset between the nozzles on the Flashforge Dreamer.

Continue reading “Dual Nozzle X and Y offset calibration on Flashforge Dreamer”

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Controlling S&P inline duct fan with a Qubino ZMNHAD1 Flush 1 Relay switch

This is a short guide on how to install an inline duct fan and a z-wave enabled switch to control the fan.

Introduction

Any bathroom benefits from proper ventilation, which helps to prevent mold and excessive humidity levels. For my bathroom I decided to use an inline fan, which is typically less noisy than a ceiling mounted version. Trading in a humid environment for a noisy one did not seem like a good plan. Continue reading “Controlling S&P inline duct fan with a Qubino ZMNHAD1 Flush 1 Relay switch”

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Slic3r settings for dual extrusion prints on Flashforge Dreamer

As anyone who owns a 3D printer knows, it may take some of trial and error to obtain good print results. This is especially the case for dual material prints. The Flashforge Dreamer supports dual material printing out of the box. However, I have noticed it can be hard to print parts without color mixing due to oozing extruders that wipe themselves clean on the edges of the part. In this article I will describe a method to use dual extrusion with Slic3r, which significantly improves print quality. Continue reading “Slic3r settings for dual extrusion prints on Flashforge Dreamer”

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Slic3r G-code for dual extrusion printing on the Flashforge Dreamer

In this article the complete configuration of Slic3r for use with the Flashforge Dreamer is discussed.

Slic3r is a great freeware program for slicing your prints and includes numerous options to tweak print settings to your liking. However, in order to work with the Flashforge Dreamer it needs to be configured to output G-code that the dreamer understands. Also custom G-code can be added at the start and end of each program automatically, so files generated by Slic3r can be used directly on the printer without any modifications. Continue reading “Slic3r G-code for dual extrusion printing on the Flashforge Dreamer”

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Flashprint advanced print settings by editing the default.cfg configuration file

Flashforge supplies its printers with their own slicing program called Flashprint. It is compatible with the Flashforge Dreamer, Creator Pro, Finder and Guider 3D printers. The software is easy to use and contains most of the features required for everyday use. However, programs like Slic3r and Simplify3D offer more advanced options for situations where the standard settings do not deliver the desired print quality.

If you do not want to invest time in setting up or buying a different slicing program there is also a way to change quite a lot of advanced settings within Flashforge’s own Flashprint program. Continue reading “Flashprint advanced print settings by editing the default.cfg configuration file”