148 replies to this topic

[Hunter]

 

are you selling

I probably will. I have a bunch of them laying around. I was going to sell them cheap because they're not flawless, but they're still functional. I'm talking close 20 bucks for the big ones (4"x4"x1") and buyer pays shipping from the US.

What are you looking for? If my design prints well tomorrow I'll have a quick method to make custom designs.

 

well in 1 month i will need a semi large order

 

 

are you selling

I probably will. I have a bunch of them laying around. I was going to sell them cheap because they're not flawless, but they're still functional. I'm talking close 20 bucks for the big ones (4"x4"x1") and buyer pays shipping from the US.

What are you looking for? If my design prints well tomorrow I'll have a quick method to make custom designs.

 

well in 1 month i will need a semi large order

like 4 nest and outworlds

[Pyrosmog]

I'm also open to helping model/print custom setups or even selling prints of my models. I love to see other people's ideas and as an engineer I've had a decent amount of practice with cad software. So let me know if you have cool ideas for formicarium designs. I'm currently working on designing a bigger/better version of my cylindrical setup that will have the ability to swap in and out the habitats and outworlds. All I need is a good piece of glass now. 

[T.C.]

@Pyrosong them nests are great.

To everyone else, if you guys just like designing them and exploring designs, then you could likely sell them for just enough that you guys aren't losing anything but aren't making much. Then they'll go like hot cakes. Win win for everyone.

[starcraftjunkie]

are you selling

I probably will. I have a bunch of them laying around. I was going to sell them cheap because they're not flawless, but they're still functional. I'm talking close 20 bucks for the big ones (4"x4"x1") and buyer pays shipping from the US.
What are you looking for? If my design prints well tomorrow I'll have a quick method to make custom designs.

well in 1 month i will need a semi large order

are you selling

I probably will. I have a bunch of them laying around. I was going to sell them cheap because they're not flawless, but they're still functional. I'm talking close 20 bucks for the big ones (4"x4"x1") and buyer pays shipping from the US.
What are you looking for? If my design prints well tomorrow I'll have a quick method to make custom designs.

well in 1 month i will need a semi large order
like 4 nest and outworlds

I sent you a message.

I'm also open to helping model/print custom setups or even selling prints of my models. I love to see other people's ideas and as an engineer I've had a decent amount of practice with cad software. So let me know if you have cool ideas for formicarium designs. I'm currently working on designing a bigger/better version of my cylindrical setup that will have the ability to swap in and out the habitats and outworlds. All I need is a good piece of glass now.

Same here. I've been using AutoCAD for my engineering degree for a while now. I have some ideas for pretty cool designs, but my printer doesn't have the build space for it.

@Pyrosong them nests are great.
To everyone else, if you guys just like designing them and exploring designs, then you could likely sell them for just enough that you guys aren't losing anything but aren't making much. Then they'll go like hot cakes. Win win for everyone.

That's what I was thinking too. If I can make enough to buy more filament and then a little extra to save up for a better printer I'd be happy. I figured at around 20 bucks, the stuff I'd sell is pretty much the same as the stuff AC sells for 50+ bucks. The difference is that mine won't look as fancy. I figured most people don't care about that as much though.

[Pyrosmog]

Ya that's what I was thinking enough for filament and printer use etc. My printer can print 300mm x 300mm x 400mm (11.8 x 11.8 x 17 in) so I can print pretty large things. I've mostly been playing with building parts that fit inside other acrylic/glass containers to achieve unique designs.  Feel free to message me if you have cool ideas or want to try and print something.

[Hunter]

Ya that's what I was thinking enough for filament and printer use etc. My printer can print 300mm x 300mm x 400mm (11.8 x 11.8 x 17 in) so I can print pretty large things. I've mostly been playing with building parts that fit inside other acrylic/glass containers to achieve unique designs.  Feel free to message me if you have cool ideas or want to try and print something.

what type of printer you use

[Pyrosmog]

Its a Creality CR-10.

[starcraftjunkie]

Finally, after much trial and error, I have a system to finally print my designs. I had to go through a lot of hoops, it's not as easy as dropping a file into my printers software because more often than not, it'll try and fix issues such as micro holes or something like that and think that the volume of the object is actually the opposite it's supposed to be. Thus it'll print supports in the ant chambers and leave the walls hollow.

 

My next design will focus on smaller nests that are modular, that way I can sell them to the public because they'll be my own design.

 

Here is a quick test design I created in preparation for a tetra colony.

 

 

[starcraftjunkie]

Finished an order for someone, need to recut some of the plastic, but here is the general idea.

 

 

[noebl1]

Nice!  Can you tweak the top layer infill %?  Looks like it's a bit low (hence the gaps).  But overall not bad at all!  Congrats on the customers

[starcraftjunkie]

Nice!  Can you tweak the top layer infill %?  Looks like it's a bit low (hence the gaps).  But overall not bad at all!  Congrats on the customers

 

You mean on the large one? That was a spare one I was using to cut the plastic top. I fixed the model recently to be able to print on my printer with infill so it doesn't have the gaps and dropping. I originally had to print it hollow because the broken model was printed with negative volume and filled the chambers with support

[Hunter]

[starcraftjunkie]

Here is one of my new test designs, I have two newer ones other than this that are printing right now. Will update it when they're done.\

 

For this design, I need to tweek some of the small gaps. I didn't anticipate it to be so small, I wanted it to be like the larger chambers.

 

[MegaMyrmex]

Wow that's amazing!

[starcraftjunkie]

Wow that's amazing!

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn't wait to buy my own 3D printer. It is expected to come here tomorrow. I purchased a Monoprice Maker v2 for 250 bucks shipped. It'll have a 8"x8" building surface so I hope to make some mega nests. I've been making some templates for nest designs and it's very easy for me to create stuff now. The quality is much greater than when I started.

 

I've also sent out a few samples to people to test the nests. I'll be awaiting their response and then I'll open a shop that clearly shows everything in an organized fashion.

 

Here are my three recent design. I plan on making more of course!

[noebl1]

@starcraftjunkie I owe you a correction from the other day.  I was having issues with my printer clogging with some new PLA I got this week.  It was really frustrating as I was getting a bit too good at disassembling the hot end assembly to fix it.  Long story short, the temp range on this particular brand of PLA was really high at 215C... a good 20C+ higher than most PLA I print it.  

 

On a side note I just built one of these this week; 3D Filament Dry box.   I used some silicone end caps on the unused lines to help eliminate outside air. Box sits at about 17% humidity (started at 40% ambient room.)

[starcraftjunkie]

@starcraftjunkie I owe you a correction from the other day.  I was having issues with my printer clogging with some new PLA I got this week.  It was really frustrating as I was getting a bit too good at disassembling the hot end assembly to fix it.  Long story short, the temp range on this particular brand of PLA was really high at 215C... a good 20C+ higher than most PLA I print it.  

 

On a side note I just built one of these this week; 3D Filament Dry box.   I used some silicone end caps on the unused lines to help eliminate outside air. Box sits at about 17% humidity (started at 40% ambient room.)

 

Yeah, I tested mine through the extruder and raised the temp until the feeder wasn't stripping. I ended up with temps on the hot end. I honestly believe that my schools printer has a bad temperature gauge and fluctuates.

 

That looks really nice. I live in low humidity, but I might want to build one my self. I'll build one when I get exotic materials and more than just one roll haha. Show me a picture of yours when you're done!

[noebl1]

I'll take some shots in a bit; just pretty ecstatic to be printing again    This all started awhile ago when I was having an issue with first layer printing too thick with PET, which caused the flimsy fan bracket to snap when a small piece of first layer was high enough to catch it.  Then discovered the part I ordered was printed way to weakly with virtually no infill.  This caused me to reprint a new fan shroud, without an existing one (so that was rough print due to all the overhangs but the part at least works).  Then had to calibrate the bed leveling again.  In the midst of debugging, didn't properly tighten the hot end, which caused that to leak and didn't realize until too late.  After resolving all that, just to be literally messed up by PLA with a higher temp than normal.  Oh well, live and learn.

 

I just noticed you got a Monoprice Maker v2 on order, congrats!  A buddy one of mine got the smaller last gen model and says it works really well; he was impressed how well it works out of the box.  8x8" will suit you really well and a great size for formicariums.  I used a 8x8 for a long time and printed a couple formicariums on it; works great for my 4x3" designs I do for small ants.  I initially built this printer which is bigger as was looking to do more with quad copter part printing, but lost interest in that hobby so larger size doesn't help so much right now.

[noebl1]

Finally got it to print, but forgot to calibrate my x/y before I printed (doh), so was a hair small.  At this size, 1% makes a big difference when trying to fit a piece of glass.  Not sure if I'll cut a piece of acrylic or sell it for someone to use after I clean it up (figures, see the cat hair after I take the pic)

Edited by noebl1, December 21 2017 - 2:39 PM.

[starcraftjunkie]

I'll take some shots in a bit; just pretty ecstatic to be printing again    This all started awhile ago when I was having an issue with first layer printing too thick with PET, which caused the flimsy fan bracket to snap when a small piece of first layer was high enough to catch it.  Then discovered the part I ordered was printed way to weakly with virtually no infill.  This caused me to reprint a new fan shroud, without an existing one (so that was rough print due to all the overhangs but the part at least works).  Then had to calibrate the bed leveling again.  In the midst of debugging, didn't properly tighten the hot end, which caused that to leak and didn't realize until too late.  After resolving all that, just to be literally messed up by PLA with a higher temp than normal.  Oh well, live and learn.
 
I just noticed you got a Monoprice Maker v2 on order, congrats!  A buddy one of mine got the smaller last gen model and says it works really well; he was impressed how well it works out of the box.  8x8" will suit you really well and a great size for formicariums.  I used a 8x8 for a long time and printed a couple formicariums on it; works great for my 4x3" designs I do for small ants.  I initially built this printer which is bigger as was looking to do more with quad copter part printing, but lost interest in that hobby so larger size doesn't help so much right now.

I'll have to keep you updated on it then. The package just came, I'm about to bust it open and start doing some mods on it. I'm printing in PLA which I hear prints nice on this printer. Anything higher than ABS ruins the extruder I hear.

I really want to upgrade the board and install my own auto leveler, or at least buy a gauge to level the bed quicker. I also talked to my local glad shop, they might be able to hook me up with a ceramic glass door sheet for cheap to use as a new bed so I don't get warping of the bed.

You should finish it, I wanna see the end product. I'm still coming fused on how your design works exactly.