Separate material for support using dual extrusion.

[sds2k]

I am new to 3D printing and to this form. I just got a PowerSpec 3Dpro printer and I am using ReplicatorG to open the .stl files and print. So far I have been able to print a few small things with a somewhat less than exciting level of success but the reason for this post is that I am not able to figure out how to use the 2nd head on the printer. What I would like to do is load the PLA into the right head and load some water solvable material in the left head. When printing I would like it to use the PLA for the model and use the water solvable material as the support structure. I was thinking that this would be self explanatory when I got into the software but the only setting that I can find is one that gives me the option to print from either the left or the right head. Nothing that allows printing from both heads nor any options. Can anyone help with this? I was thinking that this is probably something real easy that I am overlooking or something. Any help would be great. Thanks.

[awerby]

You can get PVA filament, which is water soluble. Some people have reported success with using it in dual-extruder machines, others say they've had problems getting it to stick to the other material being printed. You may have to find another piece of software to make this happen, though, if ReplicatorG doesn't support support material.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[sds2k]

I already have the water soluble filament. I am trying to print a model using the water soluble filament as the support material and the PLA as the model material. I can't figure out how to use both even though I have a dual head printer. ReplicatorG has the option to use either the left or the right head but no options to use both. I did notice that it has a way to merge two .stl files for dual extrusion but I have no idea how I would go about making an .stl file for just the support material of a model.

As you said, maybe I need to try using a different software. Do you know of one that will do what I am trying to do? It seems to me that this would be pretty standard. Why have a dual extruder if you can only use one head at a time. I feel like I am missing something.

[GOC]

- I'm not too familiar with dual extrusion, but I do know that the Repetier-Host software allows you to set each stl file to a specific extruder. I model the support manually for a majority of my models, so this wouldn't be too different from my normal routine. I do my work in PTC Creo and model each part in reference to each other within an assembly. This allows me to dimension support gaps with offset values and design the support more effectively for removal.

[sds2k]

I was able to get this figured out last night. I think it was just a software issue. ReplicatorG just does not make it easy to control the extruders separately. I downloaded Makerware from Makerbot and it had all the options that I needed to solve my problem. My prints are looking better using Makerware also. Go Figure. O well, thanks for the input guys.

[awerby]

If you get the PLA and PVA to play together nicely, could you report back with some details of how that happened? Adhesion, temperature, speed, software, and machine-specific issues all seem to play a part, and I'm sure I'm not the only one to wonder how to make this work.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[-willy-]

Another software to try (granted you said you resolved the issue) would be Cura. It is a dummed down version of Repetier-Host. Yet Cura still allows expert mode and a better interface than Repetier -Host. Yes I have both.

[venicebeacher]

I was able to get this figured out last night. I think it was just a software issue. ReplicatorG just does not make it easy to control the extruders separately. I downloaded Makerware from Makerbot and it had all the options that I needed to solve my problem. My prints are looking better using Makerware also. Go Figure. O well, thanks for the input guys.

Hi sds2k,

I know this post is a couple of years old now but I just got the monoprice dual extrusion printer myself and am having the same issue. It seems like the firmware on the printer is incompatible with the current version of makerware. I also found some articles that said that I can damage the printer with the wrong dual-extrusion file, so I am hesitant...

Does Makerware still work for you? which version of makerware are you using, and which version of the firmware do you have on your printer?

Thanks much!