Flower-Class Corvette by king derelict - FINISHED - Bensworx Virtual Kit - 1/48 - a log for the less gifted

[king derelict]

21 hours ago, CDW said:

Wow, what a marathon to print that piece!

The ant at the bottom of your control panel looks like he is observing the process while lying on his back, 🙂

I think the ant died of boredom waiting for the print to finish. I missed the ant in the photos; we seem to be finding one or two a day at present. The hot and wet days I suppose. The pest guy sprayed and they are turning up dead now and hopefully will go away.

Alan

[yvesvidal]

Allan, make sure that the rollers of the Y axis (Main axis protruding in the front) are tight. There is a way to adjust them. 

Without the rubber rollers tight the bed can rock and move and will never be flat/horizontal.

 

Yves

[king derelict]

1 hour ago, yvesvidal said:

Allan, make sure that the rollers of the Y axis (Main axis protruding in the front) are tight. There is a way to adjust them. 

Without the rubber rollers tight the bed can rock and move and will never be flat/horizontal.

 

Yves

Thanks Yves

I will look at that. I feel like I shouldn't get leveling issues from one print to the next. There has to be some flex or freedom somewhere that can be locked down.

Alan

[king derelict]

This morning the completed hull section #7 was waiting for me. 

 

I launched the print of hull section #8 and was disappointed to find that the level had shifted and the print at the front right corner was not sticking because the nozzle was too far from the bed. It took eight or nine attempts before a good looking start was achieved. Unfortunately after a couple of hours I noticed that the right side of the print was deformed and raised up from the bed. I could see light under the bowed section so it wasn't going to be rectified by a bit of putty so I stopped the print and restarted it with a slower initial speed. 

The support piece which was printing in the middle of the bed was perfect which confirms my thoughts that the level accuracy is more acute out at the edges of the bed. 

I haven't developed a theory on why the right side got deformed other than it looks like the brim was lifting from the bed and resulted in warping. The learning curve remains at quite a gradient. 

Alan

 

 

[CDW]

1 hour ago, king derelict said:

I think the ant died of boredom waiting for the print to finish. I missed the ant in the photos; we seem to be finding one or two a day at present. The hot and wet days I suppose. The pest guy sprayed and they are turning up dead now and hopefully will go away.

Alan

Welcome to Florida. Insects are everywhere and the rain makes them even more active.

[yvesvidal]

12 hours ago, king derelict said:

I haven't developed a theory on why the right side got deformed other than it looks like the brim was lifting from the bed and resulted in warping. The learning curve remains at quite a gradient. 

Alan

 

Alan, I wonder if your bed is getting to the right temperature (60 degrees). If you have access to one of these remote thermometer (they use them to "welcome" you at the doctor office), you may want to check the temperature of the bed in various locations. A drop in temperature will cause the print to unstick. Did you get another glass bed?

 

Yves

[yvesvidal]

Also, the designer of the kit had a mistake in the stack files. I noticed him and he quickly sent an update that you should be able to download (or he may have already embedded it into the complete list of software). If you do not see it, just request it from Benjamin. 

 

 

On the right side is the corrected stack.

 

Yves 

 

 

[king derelict]

On 8/8/2021 at 8:35 AM, yvesvidal said:

Also, the designer of the kit had a mistake in the stack files. I noticed him and he quickly sent an update that you should be able to download (or he may have already embedded it into the complete list of software). If you do not see it, just request it from Benjamin. 

 

 

On the right side is the corrected stack.

 

Yves 

 

 

Thanks Yves

I checked the stack files and it looks like the one on the right so I think I'm good

Alan 

[king derelict]

On 8/8/2021 at 8:30 AM, yvesvidal said:

 

Alan, I wonder if your bed is getting to the right temperature (60 degrees). If you have access to one of these remote thermometer (they use them to "welcome" you at the doctor office), you may want to check the temperature of the bed in various locations. A drop in temperature will cause the print to unstick. Did you get another glass bed?

 

Yves

Thanks Yves,

I was wondering bout temperature variability across the bed. I'm tending to let the bed soak in preheat for a while before starting a print to try to ensure an even temperature across the bed.

I've ordered the flexible magnetic bed print surface as recommended by Craig

Alan

[king derelict]

The later attempt at hull section #8 with a slower initial speed completed yesterday afternoon with a good result. The build supports can be seen in the photo and were easily removed.

 

 

However the slicer elected to put a support right down the ridder post and fiddling with the angle at which a support is invoked failed to remove it so I let it print. It may prove interesting to remove but that's what drills are for if necessary. 

Today I was able to print the first part of the stern without any adjustments to the bed which confirms my private theory that smaller prints nearer the centre of the bed are less susceptible to levelling problems. 

The second part of the stern has begun, also without any adjustments prior to print and the first spool of filament is nearing its end.

Three more large hull sections to complete but today has been almost restful as the printer works well within its abilities (and mine)

Thanks to checking in

Alan

[mtaylor]

They do make IF digital readout thermometers.  I wonder if that would help let you check different parts of the bed to see how close the temperatures are at various points.  

[king derelict]

This is still in progress. With the end of the spool of filament approaching I moved to printing the small hull sections of #9 and then I was able to squeeze four of the hull section connectors out of the remaining filament. The good news for me was that all these pieces were produced without making any alterations to the bed level screws.

I changed spools and started hull section #6 and got the first layers down without problem but for some reason the left front edge of the brim lifted from the bed and distorted the upper section of the print.

I abandoned the print, wiped down the bed with alcohol and started a new print. We are two hours in and it looks good. We will find out in 27 hours time! Now that we are clear of things like prop shafts and rudder posts I have turned the support structure elements off in the slicer. 

Thanks for checking in

Alan

 

[Tony Hunt]

Great to see the dogged persistence starting to pay off!

 

I wonder how the bed is heated - is it from the centre?  If that was the case you may get different temperatures out toward the edges, particularly as the ambient temperature changes.

 

 

[king derelict]

Hi Tony

I had the bed off the machine when I changed the levelling springs and forgot to look at the heater element. The sensor is in the centre so its entirely possible that the corners are cooler. The bed is magnetic so steel and should conduct reasonably well. I'm tending let the bed soak for a while after the panel tells me it has reached temperature to try to let it even out. Part of my voodoo developing to achieve a good print.

I may be wrong but I think this project is challenging the printer a bit. I think printing small stuff in the centre of the bed is comparatively easy but working at the edges requires a greater levelling accuracy and tighter control in retaining it. Its been a steep learning curve but I'm hoping I am learning where the sensitivity is and how to deal with it.

I think I am doing better not using the paper feeler gauge but using a test print and tweaking the screws relative to teh results.

Thanks for the interest

Alan

[mtaylor]

If you think the adjustment screws are "moving" from vibration, next time you get them locked in after adjusting the table, brush a bit of fingernail polish on the screw/thread joint.  If it moves,, the polish will be cracked.

[Veszett Roka]

2 hours ago, mtaylor said:

If you think the adjustment screws are "moving" from vibration, next time you get them locked in after adjusting the table, brush a bit of fingernail polish on the screw/thread joint.  If it moves,, the polish will be cracked.

 

Also nail polish is good for secure screws from movement. Back in old times I've secured tape recorder's head azimuth adjusting screws with red nail polish.

[yvesvidal]

9 hours ago, king derelict said:

 

Alan,

 

I am so happy you are making good progress with the hull. All the other parts, with perhaps an exception with the stack, are easier to print. Especially the decks and cabins. That little cat is cute...is that the one provided with the printer?

 

Yves

[king derelict]

21 hours ago, mtaylor said:

If you think the adjustment screws are "moving" from vibration, next time you get them locked in after adjusting the table, brush a bit of fingernail polish on the screw/thread joint.  If it moves,, the polish will be cracked.

Thanks Mark

That is a good idea

Alan

[king derelict]

18 hours ago, Veszett Roka said:

 

Also nail polish is good for secure screws from movement. Back in old times I've secured tape recorder's head azimuth adjusting screws with red nail polish.

Thanks Veszett. I remember adjusting tape heads. A lost skill along with setting record deck tracking weights😄

Alan

[king derelict]

14 hours ago, yvesvidal said:

 

Alan,

 

I am so happy you are making good progress with the hull. All the other parts, with perhaps an exception with the stack, are easier to print. Especially the decks and cabins. That little cat is cute...is that the one provided with the printer?

 

Yves

Thank you Yves,

It is feeling a lot better now that the strike rate of producing good parts has improved. The cat is indeed the test piece that comes with the printer. I had just a handful of filament left on the spool and didn't think there was enough for another hull connector so I thought I would see how it came out. It is small and prints in the centre of teh bed and just came out well with no adjustments. I'm looking forward to getting past the hull pieces.

Alan

[king derelict]

This morning brought a disappointment. I checked the printer when I got up knowing it would still be running. It was but it wasn't printing anything. The filament had snapped during the night so a potentially good print had to be scrapped. This spool of filament doesn't seem to be as well wound as the last one and i have found the filament feeding from under other coils as I have checked throughout the day. I have been assisting it to try to reduce the drag but its going to have to fend for itself overnight. It still has 15 hours to run to finish hull section #6

Alan

[yvesvidal]

Alan,

 

Where is the spool holder installed on your printer? Did you place it as much as possible to the left top? 

Do you have the small brass eyelet guiding the filament into the feeder?

I just cannot explain why the filament would snap like this, coming out of a fresh and new spool.

Unfortunately, this printer does not detect the lack of filament, as other and more sophisticated printers do. I wish they could retrofit this nice and important feature in the Ender-3.

 

Yves

[king derelict]

13 hours ago, yvesvidal said:

Alan,

 

Where is the spool holder installed on your printer? Did you place it as much as possible to the left top? 

Do you have the small brass eyelet guiding the filament into the feeder?

I just cannot explain why the filament would snap like this, coming out of a fresh and new spool.

Unfortunately, this printer does not detect the lack of filament, as other and more sophisticated printers do. I wish they could retrofit this nice and important feature in the Ender-3.

 

Yves

Hi Yves

The spool holder is next to the screws securing the vertical pillars on the left hand side. The brass eyelet is in place. There is an all metal upgrade available for the extruder along with a better Bowden tube. I'm considering it at some point.

In this case I'm thinking that the filament is badly wound onto the spool. It didn't look as neat as the last spool and after it broke I noticed it was feeding the filament from under some of the coils. I rectified that but after starting the last print I noticed that it was still spooling off teh reel from under coils. I unwrapped several yards and cleared it and i hope that fixes it.

Thanks for the help again. It is invaluable

Alan

[king derelict]

I checked the print before going to bed last night and the filament was dragging hard as it came off teh reel. I unwound several yards of it onto the floor and found the filament was wrapped under several coils which I released and then wound it all carefully back onto teh reel.

The printer was still happily chugging away when I woke up this morning and the filament was spooling off the reel with little drag. The ptint successfully completed this afternoon.

Hull section #5 was sliced and started. To my huge delight the initial layers went down well onto the print bed and the section is developing. We have thunderstorms banging around the area so, with 23 hours still to go and 6 hours invested I am really hoping we don't have a power interruption tonight.

Happy Weekend everyone

Alan

 

[Old Collingwood]

1 hour ago, king derelict said:

I checked the print before going to bed last night and the filament was dragging hard as it came off teh reel. I unwound several yards of it onto the floor and found the filament was wrapped under several coils which I released and then wound it all carefully back onto teh reel.

The printer was still happily chugging away when I woke up this morning and the filament was spooling off the reel with little drag. The ptint successfully completed this afternoon.

Hull section #5 was sliced and started. To my huge delight the initial layers went down well onto the print bed and the section is developing. We have thunderstorms banging around the area so, with 23 hours still to go and 6 hours invested I am really hoping we don't have a power interruption tonight.

Happy Weekend everyone

Alan

 

Its looking great Alan  - you are killing it now  and some great work coming out.

 

OC.

[yvesvidal]

9 hours ago, king derelict said:

The printer was still happily chugging away when I woke up this morning and the filament was spooling off the reel with little drag. The ptint successfully completed this afternoon.

 

YEAH !!!!!!!! The Cat is Happy !!!

 

Yves

[king derelict]

20 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

Its looking great Alan  - you are killing it now  and some great work coming out.

 

OC.

Thank You OC, It was very disappointing at first finding that the machine set up is so critical. I suppose its obvious in retrospect; its building layers 0.2mm at a time and needs to be precise where it puts them. Its also only a $200 hobby machine so its not as sophisticated as the top end machines but now that I am getting regularly successful prints I am very happy with the printer and pleased that I decided to embark on this journey.

Alan

[king derelict]

12 hours ago, yvesvidal said:

 

YEAH !!!!!!!! The Cat is Happy !!!

 

Yves

Thanks Yves

The shipyard superintendent cat saw hull section 5 come out this evening so another happy dance. One more hull section!

Alan

[Old Collingwood]

25 minutes ago, king derelict said:

Thank You OC, It was very disappointing at first finding that the machine set up is so critical. I suppose its obvious in retrospect; its building layers 0.2mm at a time and needs to be precise where it puts them. Its also only a $200 hobby machine so its not as sophisticated as the top end machines but now that I am getting regularly successful prints I am very happy with the printer and pleased that I decided to embark on this journey.

Alan

Good to know Alan.

 

OC.

[king derelict]

I didn't get much time for anything constructive in the last few days. I spent Sunday installing a Blink camera system for a friend. A happy time working around the edges of a bougainvillea placing one of the cameras. Monday was spent aligning her expectations with what the system actually does. yesterday was the day for the doctor.

So between the real world rubbish I got the last hull section printed without problems. The bed seems to have stayed stable throughout the last several prints and it has been a real delight to set the machine in motion and watch a print develop. 

I had already printed four of the hull couplers to use up the end of the last reel of filament so I started on the remaining four and three printed nicely although the brim was a little ragged on the last two. The voodooo was wearing off!

It looked like the nozzle gap had opened up a touch on the rear corners and the filament was not adhering to the plate very well.

I ran the test print which confirmed my suspicions and I adjusted the back levelling screws. Unfortunately I got my "Leftie Loosie; Rightie tightie" confused and went the wrong way making things progressively worse. Once I realized my mistake it was very easy to bring the bed back into alignment. 

I like the bed levelling test piece rather than checking the gap and adjusting. I find it much easier to watch the print and adjust the screws relative to the results. 

After a successful test print I started the last hull coupler and a few hours later it completed successfully. So I have at last got all the pieces to assemble the hull - and learnt a lot about the intricacies of using the printer too.

I now need to trim the brims and start putting things together. this may be a little while with the Geisenau on the work table. I will start printing the deck pieces in the meantime.

Completing the hull prints feels like a major milestone has been achieved.

Thanks for checking in

Alan