Evolution of a Blog

This blog has evolved as I have as a maker. It starts at the beginning of my journey where I began to re-tread my tires in the useful lore of micro electronics and the open-source software that can drive them. While building solutions around micro-electronics are still an occasional topic my more recent focus has been on the 3D Printing side of making.

Friday, March 20, 2015

Calibrating for Dimensional Accuracy

Next phase of calibration ... making sure that parts fit!   First test was the 20mm cube.  I think it looks great on the bed.   This is an ABS print and you can see how stuck it is on the DR-4.  In fairness I have probably smushed the first layer a little more than is needed and may adjust the build platform down a smidge.   One of the nice things about FR-4 is that it seems to be forgiving on the first layer being overly tight.   Of course this leaves a ridge of plastic that is not always appropriate!

Anyway.   The important thing about the 20mm cube is whether it has been printed as a 20mm cude.   Measuring this one shows 19.90 and 19.96 with a height of 9.94.   I think that I am pretty happy with those dimensions.

On to the thin wall test.   First pass not looking so hot as I think that a .4mm thin wall test should measure at 0.4mm!

Tried "outline/perimiter shell" setting of one (in Simplify 3D) and things got worse!

I have paused on this task for a while.   My printer is producing output that is dimensionally stable to itself and I am happy with that for now.

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