Making that Bullet Collator

[Dsltech1]

Interesting....I've never tried anything but PLA and PLA composite (the satins), so I'm curious.....what's the story for Petg?

It’s pet with glycol added. Pet is the plastic most water bottles are made out of. It’s claim to fame is it’s supposed to print as easy as pla but have the strength of abs. It’s definitely more for functional prints. It can’t compete with pla as far as aesthetics. Light stringing is the nature of the beast. Most of the time a quick rub will knock it off but a lighter is required occasionally to burn of stubborn bits. Has a higher temp resistance too. I believe it’s in the neighborhood of 170 Fahrenheit but I’m not positive. Strength and temp resistance is what drew me to it.
It prints at a higher temp than pla so some printers aren’t up to the task with stock parts. Overture and esun I was printing 250 first layer and then 240-245 for the rest of the print. Current Petg is 235 and 225. I have a couple cr-10s’. They’re supposed to be able to handle it with the stock hot end. But I read the creality all metal hot end was still lined with ptfe. So I’ve upgraded both with direct drive micro Swiss extruder and hot end.

[nhyrum]

Finally got two of the three parts printed on the pei bed. The die body, once I had it print by itself, printed fine, the drop tube took some slowing down, because for some reason, even though I have the print speed set to 20 mm/s, the infill was printing way faster. But I got my sanded pp bed on and the die insert printing.

Yeah, petg is what soda bottles are made from. It's not as strong, tensile strength wise, as pla, but is tougher, supposedly. I've had stinging and corner warping issues with it, but that was 3 years ago. Cnc kitchen on YouTube has a bunch of great comparison videos, doing tensile strength tests with and against the layers and impact testing. I don't know if he does brand testing, which would be kind of interesting to see. Mostly it's testing print temperatures.

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[GWS]

I made a black Kleenex box out of PLA with a lift off lid. It was gorgeous!......until it warped in the hot car! Talk about a fail! Maybe PETG would work....may have to try that......got a good brand suggestion for PETG black?


Dsltech: Thanks for the enfo.....I appreciate it.

nhyrum: Those parts look great! Good luck on the tall skinny one!

[nhyrum]

I've had decent luck with atomic filament for petg, and I believe chep on YouTube recommends it as well.

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[nhyrum]

The frigging thing fell over again. I've used up just about a whole damn roll trying to get these damn dies to print. I sanded the pp plate with a 180 grit lapping film and cleaned it with alcohol. There are literally only two lines contacting the build plate for the 308 insert. Sliced, I had it at 20mm/s speed for everything and turned the acceleration jerk WAY the hell down (500mm/s^2 to 100) for everything, yet the damned infill is definitely NOT printing at that speed. I'm reminded why I stopped printing this and contemplating buying from the devil to get the daa feed dies. I will try once more, turning the acceleration down by half again, turning the infill down to 5mm/s and use sports for everything over 45°, which will surround the whole thing. I'm also going to flip it over, 180 so it prints the larger, heavier end closer to the end so it's not a huge ass pendulum since my stupid machine doesn't know how to obey the slicer settings...

I don't know what else to do at this point...

Nozzle is 218 and bed is 70. The brim it printed was a bitch to peel off...

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[GWS]

What I don't understand is something must touch the model to knock it over. Got to be calibration of the Ender. What layer height is it set at, and is it really printing at that setting?

Start back at the beginning. Answer the following questions, and verify the answers to yourselfYou've probably answered most of this but I'd have to go back through all your posts to remember....that's me now-a-days)

Media: What are you using? I hope PLA or I have no experience to even offer suggestions. What brand?

Bed leveling. and Z bar leveling: Are they level? Z bar especially could be critical for these skinny tubes?

If you're using the PLA, I've used 70C with lifting....too high for my bed, 65C seems to be perfect for my CR10v2 and PP.

115C seems to be perfect for both the Zyltech Satin and the Overture that I used.....sticks fine but not too hard to remove.

I use infill of 20% on my dies, but have used 17% on other parts with more base. I use 2 walls not 4....I will try 3 next time to see if the hole between inner and outer walls fills in, but not 4. The tube in my mind is too skinny for 4. Have no idea how the printer deals with 4 when there is no room for 4. It might skip walls....see last paragraph...

Layer height? I use 12mm and baby step down just a tad to make the PLA squish on first layer just a little. Too much squeeze and I have scraped the layer under....and caused all sorts of hell. Mine 1st layer looks just a little flat on top...not all the way flat.

Is your bench/table solid? Maybe vibration in that could cause bed release and falling. In my minds eye too hot a bed may not let the first layers totally harden? Just grasping at straws here.....

What about your heating/cooling system in your room? Could it be blowing on your model? Or what about fans set too high on your nozzle setup?

Last (maybe the most important) question: You keep talking about "literally two lines touching the bed". That's why I posted a close-up of mine. On that you can see two inside and two outside with a space between using 2 layers. I've heard that when a printer gets a command it can't follow, it skips it. I've had that happen to me when I was trying to print an inclined hole in the center of one of my special thin proximity tubes, and the thing just refused to print where it didn't think it could. Maybe 2 walls is the limit!.....maybe not even 3 would work, and you are trying to get 4 walls and the part is too thin for that, I don't know........that'd be the first thing to try, if it was me.

[nhyrum]

i think whats doing it is when the bed jerks back and forth, the inertia is making it loosen over time.

Im using sunlu silk pla, ive never had issues with the print head hitting things, and with leveling the bed to z axis during the bed leveling process, im not sure what you mean by z bar leveling. I level the bed before every print with a sheet of paper, or at least verify its still level.

ive tried 65, but 70 just seemed to work better.

20 % infill

1.2mm layer height, and my first layer squish is set during leveling, and i also always verify that the first layer is adhering by running my fingernail across it as it goes. usually just the skirt though, i try not to touch the actual part.

the printer is sitting on an old oaken dresser. its not wobbly and pretty stout.

even though in cura its set to have part cooling at 100%, the cooling fan doesnt come on(i didnt have any issues with it on other prints) but if i do into the settings while its going, i can manually turn it on. the dresser the machine is on is in a bit of a cubby hole, so i dont BELIEVE any air is getting blown directly on it

yes, there are only two lines of the 308 insert that are the bottom layer for the 308 insert. Ive included a snapshot of cura showing it.

[TylerR]

i think whats doing it is when the bed jerks back and forth, the inertia is making it loosen over time.

Im using sunlu silk pla, ive never had issues with the print head hitting things, and with leveling the bed to z axis during the bed leveling process, im not sure what you mean by z bar leveling. I level the bed before every print with a sheet of paper, or at least verify its still level.

ive tried 65, but 70 just seemed to work better.

20 % infill

1.2mm layer height, and my first layer squish is set during leveling, and i also always verify that the first layer is adhering by running my fingernail across it as it goes. usually just the skirt though, i try not to touch the actual part.

the printer is sitting on an old oaken dresser. its not wobbly and pretty stout.

even though in cura its set to have part cooling at 100%, the cooling fan doesnt come on(i didnt have any issues with it on other prints) but if i do into the settings while its going, i can manually turn it on. the dresser the machine is on is in a bit of a cubby hole, so i dont BELIEVE any air is getting blown directly on it

yes, there are only two lines of the 308 insert that are the bottom layer for the 308 insert. Ive included a snapshot of cura showing it.

I have no experience with petg, but I do not have issues with pla+. If you have tried with a brim and it is still getting knocked off, then I would guess at some point the printer is making contact, or like you said, the rapid movement of the bed is causing it. Slowing down the bed travel speed would be the only resolve I can think of there. I am running mine on Ender 5's so no x/y bed movement is involved.

Based on everything you have said, I think using a good brim and slowing down bed travel is the answer. And maybe using pla instead of petg.

[nhyrum]

I have no experience with petg, but I do not have issues with pla+. If you have tried with a brim and it is still getting knocked off, then I would guess at some point the printer is making contact, or like you said, the rapid movement of the bed is causing it. Slowing down the bed travel speed would be the only resolve I can think of there. I am running mine on Ender 5's so no x/y bed movement is involved.

Based on everything you have said, I think using a good brim and slowing down bed travel is the answer. And maybe using pla instead of petg.

I was printing these with silk pla, and this was with a brim.

I just got the tube finished, printed upside down, and it actually looks pretty good on 95%. There was an odd issue about 3/8 inch up, as printed, at the top of the large taper it looked like a good amount of the support stuck to the part, so it took some cleaning, and the holes for the bearings had a bit of a flat spot. At least it made it through the whole print. Oddly, I thought the spring hooks would have caused the biggest problem, but they actually look great. I'm now debating if I want to try printing a 9mm die set... If I do, I'll probably get something like wolfbite or magigloop, print it right side up with support. I think that was the last part I needed for the feeder

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[GWS]

That's just weird....my red 9mm (closeup pictures above) insert hole is bigger than .308......so how come you don't have more thickness in the walls of the tube???? and it has 2 inside and 2 more outside walls. Maybe you could send TylerR the .stl you are using? Maybe something's up with that particular file....I've never printed the .308 one, but I have a .45, .38, 9mm, and .40 that printed and stuck down just fine.

Wondering about the outside diameter of the .308 tube? Is it smaller than all the others?

I just sliced the .308 tube on my slicer and took a snap shot of it upside down:



Below definitely different design, the .9mm version:



Maybe TylerR can decipher it....I can't.

[TylerR]

That's just weird....my red 9mm (closeup pictures above) insert hole is bigger than .308......so how come you don't have more thickness in the walls of the tube???? and it has 2 inside and 2 more outside walls. Maybe you could send TylerR the .stl you are using? Maybe something's up with that particular file....I've never printed the .308 one, but I have a .45, .38, 9mm, and .40 that printed and stuck down just fine.

Wondering about the outside diameter of the .308 tube? Is it smaller than all the others?

I just posted a new version of the .308 insert with slightly less beveled radius on the end. This should give more surface area on the printer.

[M500]

I just posted a new version of the .308 insert with slightly less beveled radius on the end. This should give more surface area on the printer.

I see that's not all you just posted. Care to comment on the 300mm?

[GWS]

Looks like he's been busy making more to stick with...for more than just the .308. Looks good.....where else do you get this quick of a reaction to improve a product...free or otherwise? I sliced the .308 again and just went down to layer one.....and this is what I found.....



bet it works better for everybody. Noticed 9mm is changed too....I think he's right, the bevel probably doesn't have to be that big....it just has to catch and center the case going in. Thanks TylerR....

[TylerR]

I see that's not all you just posted. Care to comment on the 300mm?

shhhhhhh.......you weren't supposed to see that

mktacop requested something to fit on his 300mm bed printer, so I whipped it up. Now we have a 230, 300 and 350mm size. lol
I will put a disclaimer in to say I have not printed it out or tested it myself, but I believe it is solid. I was going to wait till it was vetted before I announced it but looks like the cat is out of the bag.

[mktacop]

Since the cat is out of the bag…..

The “mid-sized” main body is underway. Simplify says the print will be 58 hours, so it will be a couple of days until it’s done and I can show anything.


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[M500]

Sorry TylerR. Didn't mean to ruin the surprise. Had I known you were going to design this, I probably would have bought a smaller printer.

[TylerR]

Sorry TylerR. Didn't mean to ruin the surprise. Had I known you were going to design this, I probably would have bought a smaller printer.

No worries, just understand it is untested at this point. I don't plan this stuff out, it just happens. Blame mktacop.

[AR-Bossman]

Wow, this thing just keeps going and going. Cool stuff guys.

[GWS]

Hi Bossman! Good to "hear" your voice. This party is a record, I think. I am amazed that CastBoolits has allowed it.

TylerR! So what's going to be the "official" name of this "Just Right" collator.....and what's the Diameter, vs. the other two? Looks like you are going to busy for a while making parts for it.......If it wasn't for M500 I wouldn't have even noticed! Sneaky Pete ought to be your nickname.

[TylerR]

Hi Bossman! Good to "hear" your voice. This party is a record, I think. I am amazed that CastBoolits has allowed it.

TylerR! So what's going to be the "official" name of this "Just Right" collator.....and what's the Diameter, vs. the other two? Looks like you are going to busy for a while making parts for it.......If it wasn't for M500 I wouldn't have even noticed! Sneaky Pete ought to be your nickname.

I think you just named it. Standard, Mongo, and Just Right.

It is designed to fit on a 300mm bed. I don't plan to really make any special parts for it. I generated the two pistol brass plates for mktacop, and will probably do the rifle brass ones. That's about it. It takes the same ramp as Mongo if anyone is wondering.