The Dremel Digilab 3D45 is their 3rd generation fully-enclosed turn-key 3D printer. I have been running a loaned test sample for over 450 hours and have printed over 180 objects.
I previously talked about the specs and features of the Dremel Digilab 3D45 in my first impressions review, so I’m just going to skip ahead to the meat of the review.
First off I’ll talk about using the online software to print an object, then I’ll share some of my experiences testing the printer and show off some more of the features, Finally I’ll finish off with a summary including what I think the strengths and weaknesses of the printer are.
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Printing Using Dremel’s Online Software
I mainly used the online software while testing this printer. I did install the Cura Ultimaker-based software that came on the included USB drive, but I only really needed it once to fix an issue with a model that I couldn’t fix in the online software.
Most of the time, I think using Dremel’s online software is sufficient — plus if you don’t use the online software, you miss out one of the features that make this printer really cool: the ability to check up on it from anywhere.
Let me take you through my typical workflow for printing an object using the online software.
The screen you see above is the what you get after you upload the STL (print file) to the website. You have three choices: Repair, Layout, or Slice.
The “Repair” option fixes some common issues with files. It’ll move the object to the center of the build plate, rotate it if need be to fit on the build plate, and even shrink it if it is too big.
I ended up using this option regularly because many of the models I downloaded weren’t centered properly and ended up being 10 feet off the build plate or partially below it.
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The “Layout” option shows you a virtual print bed and the object in relation. For this particular object I should have run it through the “Repair” option first, because it isn’t actually resting on the bed and it isn’t centered. You can still fix those problems in this layout dialog though.
This screen allows you to move, rotate, and scale the object as well as copying or adding more objects to print.
Once you’re satisfied you can either save and exit back to the main screen or “save and slice” which brings you to the next step.
The “slicing’ dialog gives you several options on how to print the model. The most important step is choosing the proper material and resolution from the drop-down menu shown.
It’s important to note that the temperature profile of the material isn’t chosen here like it is with many printers, it’s chosen when you load the filament into the printer. So if you choose nylon here, and you have PLA loaded into the printer, the printer will heat up the nozzle and bed to the correct temperatures for PLA, not nylon.
The reason that you choose the material here is that Dremel has created several material/resolution profiles that are tuned for their printer. For instance, Draft (PLA) and Draft (Nylon) will have different settings for things like infill and number of perimeters. You still have the option to tweak most of the slicing parameters to your liking.
You’ll notice that there are three tabs: Simple, Advanced, and Expert. For most prints, the Simple mode will suffice, but if you need access to more advanced options you can chose the Advanced tab. If you like editing all the parameters in a text box, Expert would be your choice.
You can click “Slice” and the software will prepare the model for printing and bring you back to the main screen, or you can pick “Slice & toolpath preview” which will allow you to check that there are no surprises before you print.
In the preview window you can view the print layer by layer, as well as all of the relevant build information, such as estimated print time, and print the object.
Once you’re started the print you can leave the printer and monitor it from anywhere you have internet service. Above, I’m watching a print on my phone from a grocery store parking lot.
The quality of the image isn’t the greatest, but it’s good enough to see if there’s a problem so you can stop the print if it’s going wrong.
When the print is done you’ll receive an email with a photo of the finished object.
Preparing the Build Plate
In the first impressions post, I mentioned that I was having problems with getting nylon filament to stick to the bed. Since that post I have also tried getting ABS to stick to the print bed with less than satisfying results. ABS is a notoriously finicky material to print because it tend to shrink as it cools, so this wasn’t really a surprise.
Not only that, but I was finding that sometimes on larger PLA prints the corners would start lifting off the build plate as well.
Part of the reason I was having problems with adhesion had to do with not preparing the build plate properly. I was putting on a thin layer of glue, as both the quick start guide and the printer itself directed in its own quick start guide.
After talking to the Product Manager, he told me that rather than following the instructions that came with the printer, I should be putting a much thicker layer on the build platform:
You want a layer that’s fairly substantial to help parts stick… The purple color that the glue stick leaves behind should be pretty dark if you do this properly.
What I found to work was to cover the plate in overlapping stripes of glue in one direction, then reapply the glue in overlapping stripes in the perpendicular direction. And if I am printing ABS I’ll go over the print area a third time, because I’ve still had a few issues with ABS prints not sticking.
Once I started following the Product Manager’s suggestion, I was getting much better adhesion with nylon filament, and I experienced fewer failed prints.
Heated Bed Uniformity
In troubleshooting the problem with prints adhering to the build plate, I wanted to take a look at how evenly the build plate heated. Several types of materials require a certain temperature to stick to the build plate, and if some areas aren’t getting hot enough the material won’t stick in those areas.
Above is a thermal image of the build plate when set to be heated to 60°C. You’ll notice the highest temperature areas are measured to be 50°C (122°F), and around the perimeter the temperature is about 42°C (109°F).
I’m not as interested in the absolute temperatures, as I’m sure there’s probably some emissivity issues with reading the temperature of glass and I know the Seek thermal imaging camera I’m using reads a little low. What the photo above tells me is that as long as you keep the print in the center of the build plate, the temperature is pretty even.
More About Build Plate Adherence
Even with proper build plate preparation, you can still have issues with prints not sticking. That’s when you use a feature called a “brim.”
A brim is a border that you print around the object to give the material more surface area to stick to the build plate. It also pushes the “edge” of the print out beyond the edge of the object, so as the filament cools it has to pull against the middle of the base rather than the edge, making it harder to pull away from the build plate.
In this image, you can see the white sections in the upper left and lower right corners where the nylon filament puled away from the build plate. If I hadn’t used a brim, the corners would have been able to lift off the build plate completely.
It’s possible that the print could have warped enough to pull the entire print off the plate, and I would have had a mess like in the following photo.
I was able to take care of all of my print sticking issues using some combination of more glue and printing with a brim.
In fact, the Product Manager told me that they were probably going to make using a brim the default setting when using nylon filament. As for ABS, they don’t have an official profile for that material, as they instead recommend that you use their ECO-ABS filament, which is actually a special blend of PLA.
Changing Filament
One cool feature the 3D45 has is that you can pause printing and resume at another time. What this allows you to do is change the filament in the middle of a print.
I can think of two reasons to change filament: you might want to change colors, or you might run out of filament before the print is finished. The latter is what I show in the video above.
The printer does have a filament detector, and will tell you when it’s out of filament. I noticed that it didn’t hold the bed temperature while it’s on this screen, so you might want to monitor your print more closely if you are low on filament, otherwise the part may pop off the bed.
Very Long Prints
One thing you get (or at least should get) when you buy an expensive institutional printer like this is reliability. You want to be able to trust that when you start a long print, the printer isn’t going to screw it up 16 hours in.
I’ve never had this kind of reliability before. On my current 3D printer, I get itchy trying to print something that will take longer than 4 or 5 hours. This is because about every 20 hours or so the print head will drift and print a layer that’s not in line with the previous layer.
With my 3D printer, I’m not sure whether it’s an electronics issue, a stepper issue, or a physical bump like a wire getting caught or the print head crashing into the print. I’ve had much better luck since I’ve replaced the power supply, but it still happens every once in a while.
For the 400+ hours I’ve used the Digilab, I haven’t had one hiccup. Yes, I’ve had prints not stick to the build plate and ruin the print, but not one layer has ever been misaligned.
This Tardis print was the longest object I have ever 3D printed before, with the next-largest object being at most 1/4 the size. The printer took over 50 hours to complete this print, and it pulled it off perfectly.
Other Example Prints
I was able to successfully print with all the recommended filament types (PLA, ECO-ABS, Nylon, and PET-G), as well as some other types (Flexible and ABS).
ECO-ABS is just Dremel’s name for a special blend of PLA that doesn’t actually contain ABS, so it’s really not interesting that the printer can handle it.
I printed these My Hero Acedemia character cookie cutters for my daughter in PET-G filament. I ended up printing about 10 different cookie cutters.
PET-G is pretty much the same stuff water bottles are made from. It is one of the more food safe filaments — although for applications like a cookie cutter, where there is very short contact, most filaments should be okay. I read about lead concerns lead due to the brass nozzle, but I think the same logic applies. If you were making drinking cups on the other hand…
This jigsaw insert I designed for the new see-through and stackable Dewalt accessory cases is printed in nylon filament.
This holder in a Craftsman accessory box, featuring the same dovetail mounting system as the Dewalt boxes, was an experiment to try and make a single holder for different tool diameters, but it didn’t work out very well.
The point is that I printed it in flexible filament, which the printer handled easily.
I designed a replacement handle for a Milwaukee parts organizer box and printed it in PLA. Can you tell which organizers handle was factory-made, and which one was 3D-printed?
The red Packout bin insert and middle-section cups are printed in ABS. I can’t remember if the black cup is made from PLA or ECO-ABS.
To wrap up the examples, here are a couple of Daleks (Doctor Who enemies) printed in different colors of PLA. I included them to try and show how much detail you can get from this printer.
Note that the printer can only handle one color at a time, and so each of the different colored parts were printed separately and then snapped together for the final models.
Customer Support
Stuart really wanted me to try out Dremel’s Customer Service, but I wasn’t so keen on the idea. Since they touted their support in their press release: “Accompanied by the Dremel brand’s world-class customer support,” and given that Dremel 3D printers are also marketed towards educators and educational institutions like libraries with many casual users, he felt it was only fair that I suffer.
To test the customer support I printed a fidget spinner with nylon, following their directions. I knew this would fail and unfortunately something that most people are going to encounter if they try to print nylon.
*Note: This all occurred between 2:30 and 3pm CST on a non-holiday weekday.
I called up the Dremel support page from within the online software. But first, I tried the online chat. As my daughter tells me, “dad, nobody uses voice anymore, duh.” Above is what happened during my short session. Let’s just say it wasn’t very productive.
They weren’t going to thwart me so easily, so I called the number on the Dremel support page using my cell phone. I got through to an automated message which started telling me about an offer that might interest me, and I got cut off.
I tried calling again on my land line and for some reason I didn’t hear the promotion this time, but I did get put on hold. After 8 minutes I got to talk to a person.
I told the support person I was trying to print something in nylon and the print didn’t stick to the bed. She asked me for more information, so I told her it started off okay and then came off in the middle of the print.
Then she asked me several questions: Did I level the build surface? Did I use glue? What was I printing? Before I could answer the last question, she added that nylon was a really hard material to print with and little trinkets didn’t work well.
I told her it was a fidget spinner. Then she said to try printing it in PLA or if I really wanted to use nylon I should try more glue. Finally she told me that if I was having problems with printing in general they could send me information about calibrating my printer. At that point I got cut off again.
The last option on the contact page was email. I sent off an email Wednesday afternoon and got a response Thursday morning. It turns out it was the same person that I had talked to over the phone and she gave me the same advice, and included some other tips like lowering the print speed and altering the retract settings.
The takeaway: It wasn’t as painful as I was expecting and I eventually got steered in the right direction to use more glue. At no point was I told to use a brim, which was pretty disappointing. I’m also puzzled that I was told you can’t print “trinkets” with nylon, as I have successfully printed these types of objects with this printer using nylon
I’m not impressed by their “world class support,” it just seemed average.
Summary
As the stats above show, I used this printer quite a bit in 3+ months.
To wrap up this review I’ll go over a short list of what I feel are the 3D45’s strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Very easy to set up and use
- Very dependable with good print quality
- Online software is powerful, easy to use, and lets you see and stop prints from anywhere.
Weaknesses
- Expensive
- Won’t hold standard filament spools, but you can use them with the filament door removed.
If this were a sub-$1000-level printer I don’t think I’d have any trouble recommending it, but with a retail price of $1800 and the best sale price running around $1400, it’s more expensive than many other capable printers.
On the other hand, if you work in an institution like a school, library, or a business, and are looking for an easy to use and trouble-free printer, the Dremel Digilab 3D45 would be a fine solution.
List Price: $1799
Sale Price: $1599 (as of the time of this posting)
Buy Now (via Amazon)
Thank you very much to Dremel for loaning us this test sample.
Nathan
Couple of questions as I’ve never really thought much about getting into 3d printing. thinking I could just have someone make them. like the online machine shops you find now days.
but I bet eventually I’ll have one just like one day I’ll have an NC mill.
so to that end.
1) how does the device work with other CAD software – if you said I might have missed it. But do you have to use the dremel software on your machine or can you run this though other software with as good results. I’m always leary of Brand Specific software as it’s often left to wither when the new product comes out.
2) How long is the calibration process and if it stays in the same spot how often would you have to do a calibration?
3) do you plan on painting your TARDIS model and does the door open and close?
Thank you for your time it’s interesting
Benjamen
1) I only talked about the slicing/printing software — the software used to communicate with the printer: which there is the online software and the customized Cura Ultimaker software. To that end, I’m not sure if you could use another package. The USB port doesn’t work yet and the printer only communicated over a network. The other part of that is you would have to figure out all your own parameters if you didn’t use one of the recommended ones.
As for CAD, as long as you can export it into something the printer software can understand (STL files for instance) it should be fine. I use Fusion360 and openSCAD, but I’ve used TinkerCad and Sketchup before to design.
2) I’m not sure what you mean by calibration. For this printer there is the initial setup and then there is the bed leveling which takes 1-2 minutes and doesn’t need to be done very often. I’d do it maybe once a week and I hardly ever had to do an adjustment. There’s not much else you should need to do. I’d recommend printing an object of known size like a calibration cube and checking the dimensions, but the Dremel was and should be spot on.
3) No, I’m not that talented. It is a jewelry box for my daughter. The doors can open and there are drawers inside. See more photos here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:35167
Nathan
paint can be decals man. models need decals, just sayin’
Great and thanks again. My work gives me autoCAD ______ it updates on it’s own. But I’ve gotten to where I use Draftsight at home, free to cheap (I decided a while ago to pay for it) and I like using my machine vs my work laptop. I don’t like having personal projects on the work machine.
I like it better than sketchup but cost again.
Evadman
That jigsaw blade holder looks awesome
John
Nice review. I do believe whether you spend $1800 or $200, there will always be setbacks and quirks with most any 3D printer. The technology for the average user isn’t 100% autonomous yet. Next 5-10 years will be great though.
I have an Ender 3 Pro and it’s been a rollercoaster ride. It does make remarkable quality prints, but Creality uses very inexpensive parts on these printers and owner upgrades or minor repairs are to be expected. But the printer gets better and better.
I’ve made about 70 parts with it mainly for my wood shop and a few parts for the printer itself. 3D printers are an incredibly useful tool. I’m not interested in chess boards or figurines, but shop jigs and brackets and so much more are a joy to find the files for, print and implement into daily shop work.
ktash
It looks like it will be fun and I’ll probably get one, but not until the prices come down significantly. Between that and a Domino, I’d rather have the domino, not that I’m getting that either. Maybe when the patent runs out on the Domino. If I did this for a job rather than a hobby, both things would be a good investment.
Great thing, I appreciate the reporting.
Poli_nerd
When you say “online software” are you referring to a cloud based service or are you connecting to your printer via your network/using a web browser to control the printer ?
Benjamen
Cloud based service.
Misio
What you can do with 3D printer?
– Print another 3D printer
LOL
Benjamen
You know, I’ve always meant to make a RepRap — a printer that you can print most of the parts on another 3D printer — but I never got around to it.
I still have my first 3D printer sitting on the shelf collecting dust. It was really small and really flawed. I could cannibalize the electronics for a RepRap.
TonyT
Josef Prusa of course got his start working on (and improving) the RepRap project, and his printers still use a lot of 3D printed parts (as do Lulzbot TAZ printers).
Since I work with automated systems for a living I was skeptical about this approach at first, but building my kit Prusa helped me see the advantages (such as being able to make and improve complex parts, make modifications easier, and provide a test bed for Prusa)
TonyT
I like your jigsaw blade holder, and have been considering making something similar. Is the file available?
Also, what are the part numbers for the Dewalt and Craftsman cases? Are they available without bits (like the Bosch Custom Case series)?
Benjamen
Just for you: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3341387
Okay, I’ve been meaning to publish it anyway, you just kicked me in the butt :>)
The cases aren’t available without bits, as far as I’m aware but you can pick up the Craftsman cases for $8 with some junk insert or drill bits. I was really hoping they’d be clearancing them out for less than $5 now that the holiday season is over.
The jigsaw insert should work in the old tough cases, the new clear ones, and the new craftsman ones. I’ve included a few links in the thing, but here they are anyway because I can get away with spamming the comments.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-MAXFIT-Steel-Screwdriving-Set-55-Piece-Set-DWAMF55/305845722
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-24-Pack-Screwdriver-Bit/1000595537
The inserts will also work in the larger craftsman cases too: https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-60-Piece-Screwdriver-Bit-Set/1000595059
The smaller cases will snap into the larger case. I really like the system, I need to post about it soon.
TonyT
Thanks a lot!
I just bought a large Bosch custom case ($6) and would like to compare
TonyT
I went to Lowe’s yesterday, and bought the small $8 Craftsman case. So now I need to do some printing…
Lowe’s had the large Dewalt case with tools for $25, so HD is better for that, but if you prefer yellow, they had some good deals on the smaller cases (solid color, double sided), for under $10, such as the 37 piece screwdriving set and 14 piece drill sets.
But the best deal right now is to get a larger bit set with multiple cases such as these:
2 small cases for $15: https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-82-Piece-Screwdriver-Bit-Set/1000649971
4 small cases for $25: https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-100-Piece-Screwdriver-Bit-Set/1000216973
I really like the clear lid, so I went with Craftsman; still have to decide if I will standardize on Craftsman/Dewalt, on Bosch Custom Case, or use a mix. Bosch doesn’t stack, and doesn’t have double sided with clear lids, but it’s slightly larger and maybe a bit tougher.
I am also intrigued by the Craftsman Versastack / TStak (thinking about it vs Ridgid, ToughSystem, or a tool chest; Packout availability is too limited and price is too $$ for me).
Finally, Lowe’s sells a Bosch jigsaw blade kit in a case (unfortunately not a clear case), but I want to house the blades I already have: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bosch-18-Pack-T-shank-Jigsaw-Blade-Set/1000048597
TonyT
Oops, meant Bosch blade kit is not in a custom case as far as I can tell (it’s a clear case)
TonyT
A little more followed: some of the Milwaukee cases, including my Red Helix 23 piece hex shank drill set, can be re-arrange BUT it looks to be a bit more work (basically the holders pop into a circle which let’s them rotate)
I’ll think I’ll send tick to both Bosch and Craftsman right now, since I like aspects of both. The Bosch cases are clearly designed to be quickly reconfigured, unlike the others.
ktash
Though I’m not ready for a 3-D printer, there are times when I’d love to have custom made/printed parts. Is there a reliable company/person that will make them for you? Or a list of such?
TonyT
There are plenty, but I haven’t used any. My recommendation would be to look around for somebody local first. I suspect that a lot of the big providers are oriented towards professional use (e.g. 3D Hubs IIRC went from consumer to professional orientation).
Also, don’t forget about friends with 3D printers, libraries (I believe some have 3D printers) or other such community resources, and maker spaces.
ktash
Some good ideas, Tony. I’ll check those other resources first.
Benjamen
Watch for a post soon!
Altan
Well done Benjamin!
I really liked the black rack for jigsaw blades, I have plenty of these cases for different tool accessories, unfortunately with the DeWALT original plastic racks I have a problem, when I want to place two larger size of tool accessories next to each other sometimes there is not enough space and I have to leave some gaps between the two, would you please tell me about the quality of it? Is it strong enough like the DeWALT original ones? I have some original plastic racks for jigsaw blades for DeWALT accessory cases, but it is too much waste of space, I took them from Black and Decker Piranha jigsaw blade sets, here is the link
https://www.tooled-up.com/black-decker-x88300-piranha-8-piece-hi-tech-metal-wood-t-shank-jigsaw-blade-set/prod/241467/
Thanks for the post.
Benjamen
Are you asking if the clear front Craftsman and Dewalt cases are as strong as the original Dewalt toughcases?
I don’t think the clear plastic is as flexible as the original yellow plastic. That type of clear plastic tends to be more brittle. I’d feel safer dropping one of the old cases off a ladder onto concrete than the new clear ones.
I could be wrong. I really don’t want to do a destructive comparison as I’m using them.
TonyT
I won’t do any drop tests either, but I’ll say my Bosch Custom (solid blue) feels more robust than my clear lid Craftsman.
Altan
No, I meant the black plastic rack that you created with that 3D printer for jigsaw blades, I have the all type of these cases, I know they can break if I drop them, you are right that the previous versions are more reliable about dropping. But I liked the new ones also, my aim is to get these cases in different colours. I don’t mind if it is DeWALT or Craftsman, soon probably we will see same cases in grey for Porter Cable accessory sets also, I have some of these plastic insert racks in grey colour which fits all of these sets.
Benjamen
How strong the rack is really depends on how you print it and what material you use.
I used PLA with 25% infill which seems sufficient, if you really wanted something strong you could use Nylon with 5 perimeter layers and 100% fill.
The only durability issue I can see with this holder is that after some time the blades may get looser as you remove and replace them wearing away material. A material like Nylon might help with that kind of abrasion. Or maybe a flexible filament.
Altan
Thanks for the information.
Altan
You can fit 20 Jigsaw blades in one rack and mine just accepts 4! 5 times more.
The second set of Craftsman accessory set (which is almost twice bigger than the first one) is nice, I have seen the photos of them a lot, there is one bigger than that as well and I don’t know if is it available yet… The same with DeWALT versions also, the DeWALT version of this case with this size and the larger size seems to me that are not available yet. Please let me know if you have any information about it. Craftsman versions are not available in the UK.
TonyT
The large DeWalt and large Craftsman cases are available in the US (I saw both at Lowe’s), but are considerably more expensive, since they come with a lot more bits 🙂
The large Craftsman case also says its “Versastack compatible”, so it should somehow mount to the VersaStack (TStak too?), maybe like Milwaukee’s 1/2 size PackOut cases.
Benjamen
There are three sizes of Versastack cases. See my Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/BmjPFb1AugW/
Are you saying you’ve seen the largest of the three boxes that clicks into the VersaStack/T-Stack system? Can you find a link. I didn’t think they are out yet.
TonyT
No, I wasn’t clear enough.
Actually, I think see four sizes in your pictures.
The very top box looks the same size as the smaller, $8 box (with bits) that I bought.
The second box down looks the same as the larger Craftsman bit set box (with bits) with clear top and removable innards that Stuart linked to (currently $20) – that’s what I called the large Craftsman case.
I’m pretty sure I didn’t see the third box down that’s the full width, and looks a bit like a Packout slim organizer. I did see a full width box with clear top and deep removable trays, and some two drawer units.
Altan
Yes, I meant the third one, the largest one, I have just seen the photos online, but never seen anyone selling them, and also the second one, which is almost twice bigger than the small one, Craftsman is not available in the UK and even the DeWALT ones,
I have seen DeWALT ones with green colour as well. It seems they are not available yet. The craftsman one TonyT mentioned for 20 USD, for me if I buy it from eBay from a seller who I doubt would do delivery to UK would probably cost 50 GBP.
Altan
Hi Benjamen,
I wonder if you could make some of these black plastic racks for SDS+ drill bits to fit the X large toughcase from DWHT70265 set, I have some of these racks for SDS+ drill bits for smaller cases like :
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Piranha-Strongbox-Masonry-Piece-Drill/dp/B00CDKHDQ4/ref=pd_day0_hl_60_9?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00CDKHDQ4&pd_rd_r=b83b3c4b-74f5-11e9-a8fa-272ce9613f26&pd_rd_w=ioAEm&pd_rd_wg=9tcbL&pf_rd_p=92d624bb-a334-423e-8722-8024dd09667f&pf_rd_r=W6B1F1ZHW4Z8YJRAB3PA&psc=1&refRID=W6B1F1ZHW4Z8YJRAB3PA
and
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dewalt-DT7935QZ-Plus-Drill-10-Piece/dp/B0013LENB2
The first case can accommodate 8 (2 x 4) SDS+ drill bits only in 110mm length and the second one can accommodate 10 (2 x 5) SDS+ drill bits up to length of 160mm, but the extra large case from DWHT70265 set can accommodate up to 12 (2 x 6) SDS+ drill bits and up to the length of 210mm, which DeWALT or any other brands of SBD have not made any plastic racks for SDS+ drill bits for these type of toughcases, this would be good to keep longer SDS+ drill bits organised.
Thanks
Frank D
I could swear I commented, but probably one of those things where I didn’t quite finish typing …
If the unit were cheaper, it probably would get way more traction.
I’m still new at 3D printing, but have yet to use a glue stick or any kind of adhesive … and I think it would seriously turn me off. I had a couple small things that lifted off / warped … which I corrected with a hotter bed, small berm and hotter initial layer.
What caused the two ” spaghetti ” prints ?
It looks like they were of to a good start.
What was the reason for the MW Packout handle reprint? (top one)
Just design and print practice?
Benjamen
Yeah, I’m not a fan of glue as I stated in my first impressions post, but it’s one more tool that you can use if you need to. If this was my printer I would have purchased a PEI sheet to attach to the build surface.
I actually used some glue on my personal 3D printer with a PEI bed. The bed isn’t flat and has spots where prints don’t stick to the PEI (even with a brim) because of the height difference. If I had mesh bed leveling firmware, it would take care of the issue, but I need to upgrade my control board.
Both prints lifted off the bed after a certain number of layers because the specific filaments I was using warp when they cool.
The red mess of spaghetti was because I was using ABS. If you haven’t tried it already, you’ll know that it can be very finicky to print. Dremel doesn’t have any presets for ABS (only their ECO-ABS witch is basically PLA) and I can’t specifically remember why it failed, but it was probably due to not having the bed hot enough, or enough glue.
The second mess was intentional, I was trying to come up with a reason to talk to the customer support. I basically printed Nylon (as tricky as ABS, maybe more) with the factory settings, something Dremel knows isn’t adequate, but they haven’t fixed the presets yet. If I wanted to I could have printed it correctly.
I purchased a Milwaukee Organizer (not a Packout) from an outlet near me that sells returns and overstocks. Evidently the person that originally bought it broke the handle and returned it. I figured it would be a good test of my modeling skills.
Frank D
Thanks for the quick reply.
So far I have only printed with some entry level PLA. Printer has been sitting idle for a couple months with the holidays. I really need to get back to printing a few things and hopefully step beyond tinkercad too. The latter may have to wait till after my vacation next month.
Makes sense to print a handle if you get a unit without one.
Great job designing it!
I guess, ideally, a 3d printer with camera and some “ smarts “ would be able to recognize that a print is turning to spaghetti and suspend printing.
Sharaiz
Hi, I have recently been having trouble printing Nylon. Besides applying more glue, what print settings did you find resulted in the best Nylon prints?
Benjamen
It depends on your problem, but since you are talking about glue I’m assuming you mean build plate adhesion.
Try using a large brim, at least 10 lines.
Sharaiz
I turned the fan speed to 0, and turned the build plate temp to 80 degrees Celsius. I’m no longer having issues with build plate adhesion. The biggest issue that I’ve had is my prints turning out poorly at higher layers as the layers begin to separate. I’m also having a hard time capturing finer details. My theory is that it’s a cooling issue so I am now attempting to run it at a slower build speed which has seemed to help a bit for some prints. For Nylon, what are the settings you have been running for nozzle temp, build plate temp, print speed, etc?
Benjamen
I’ve been experiencing the same problem with interlayer adhesion. It could be related to the nylon being exposed to humidity in the air. I left mine in the open for a while and that’s supposedly enough for it cause problems.
If you read up about printing nylon, one of the side effects of nylon filament getting wet is not sticking to itself.
I have yet to try drying the roll or purchasing another (it’s not inexpensive). I print primarily in PET-G, which I’ve been really happy with — much easier to print and really strong — although it doesn’t hold details as well as PLA.