I?ve inherited eight 3D printers!

Hi!

I am a design/art teacher with a product design and graphic design background. I'm new to a magnet HS and I have eight 3D printers that have just been brought out of storage after being unused for about two years. I have yet to locate software or even all of the parts for these printers...

I have no experience with 3D printing but extensive CNC experience, strong mechanical aptitude and I'm comfortable with technology. I have been watching lots of videos and reading about our machines. I would appreciate any advice about which machine you think I should start with.

We have four Cubify Cubes. These are discontinued, have problematic reviews and use expensive protprietary spools of filament. Boo.

We have one Form 1+. This one seems really cool but it's expensive to run and sounds like a massive PITA to clean up after.

We have two Solidoodles. These look janky as heck but they have larger platforms and use generic filament.

We have one older Makerbot (plywood model).

Any thoughts on which one I should start working with first? My plan for this year is to keep my students working in 2D for the fall semester (Photoshop/Illustrator/AfterEffects/Premier) and then do 3D modeling (Sketchup/Blender) and 3D printing in the spring semester. I have a few months to tinker and hope to have several machines running before long.

Thanks for any advice anyone is willing to share.

You are correct about the Cubify Cube printers. I didn't recognize the name until I used The Google to discover that it's the 2nd generation 3D systems printer. The 3rd generation version is only slightly better and still used proprietary filament cartridges. There's an entire forum or two dedicated to after-market work-arounds for the 3rd gen, but I've found nothing for the 2nd generation machines. The cartridges can be opened and the filament on the cardboard spools used in other machines.

Recent reviews of the Form 1+ seem to indicate that manufacturer's support has been terminated for that printer, making many current owners extremely unhappy. I also agree with your assessment of expensive to run and difficult to clean. Some reviews of this and other resin type printers would lead one to believe that one is dealing with hazardous chemicals and chemical vapors, along with the high labor of operating and maintaining.

The other machines are not something I can address.

Illustrator is a good vector program, especially for stepping forward to 3D design. Inkscape is a great program, because it is free and provides many of the same features. If your students are not financially well-off and cannot afford Adobe software, Inkscape is a good substitute.

Sketchup is something to avoid for 3D modeling! It is well known for creating non-manifold models which will not print or if they print, many artifacts of failure result. Blender is an amazing piece of free software, but has a tremendously steep learning curve and is not typically used for 3D modeling.

Consider something along the lines of Fusion 360, OnShape, TinkerCAD and my all-time favorite, OpenSCAD. The first three are in order of preference, in that they provide features beyond the 3D modeling world, but are well suited to it. The last one is a text based editor which is akin to coding/programming and is parametric in nature, making for easy modification of models if the code is written well.

I hope you'll post your progress to this forum, so we can assist as needed and share in your successes.

Hi Fred. Thanks for your response.

After googling around a bit, I'm pretty sure I have 3rd Generation Cubes.

Thanks for your suggestions concerning software. I'll avoid Sketchup and look into the other options you mention. Adobe Illustrator is a 2d application. I'm confused that you bring it up in the context of 3D printing. We do have Adobe's Creative Cloud suite in our labs but I don't see the application in 3D printing except perhaps as a stepping stone to understanding artwork that is built using points and lines rather than pixels. Please elaborate.

Search for cube 3 hack and you'll find some of the stuff available to enable generic filament as well as replacing some of the more serious failings like the fragile bowden tube. It's an amazingly good printer if those things are corrected. I had the unfortunate luck to get a good working one and produced some top-quality prints, but then age of the filament set in, the bowden tubes got punctured, etc. It's too much work for my lazy butt to go into the hacks and make it work well again.

Certainly Illustrator and Inkscape are 2D applications, but one can create useful 3D printed models that are nothing more than extrusions of a 2D shape. Most of the 3D applications I've suggested will accept some form of vector image, SVG, DXF, AI, and stretch it vertically to create a model. The sketch based applications such as Fusion 360 and OnShape will do that with ease, while TinkerCAD will as well, but I've not experienced that program sufficiently to advise. Consider that an artistic student can create something complex and attractive in Illustrator/Inkscape, import it to the application, place it on a plane and extrude it. Repeat with other shapes, other planes and one is limited only by one's imagination. Mine is zero.

I use an extension to Inkscape called Inkscape to OpenSCAD converter, which takes an SVG within Inkscape and creates an OpenSCAD file with the thickness specified in the converter. It's a clunky bit of software, but reasonably stable and works well. Once opened in OpenSCAD, additional actions can be taken to accomplish the desired model.

If you had not mentioned in your post the Adobe stuff, I would have not considered to add it to the dissertation, but then something valuable would have been missed.

If you have younger students, there is also a mash-up of OpenSCAD and Scratch coding language, a GUI bundle called BlockSCAD which makes creating models as easy as drag and drop. It's probably good for the 6-10 year old set as the older crowd would do better with the previously mentioned applications.

I am a member of a local makerspace which is hosted by the local library. If you have a local makerspace in your area, you may have some resources there as well. Most of us maker types (tinkerers from the old times) are more than happy to assist others.

Thanks, Fred. I appreciate your explanations and wisdom.

Fusion 360 is free for Hobbyist and Schools

Here is a link on how to activate it.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/suppo...usion-360.html

Fusion360 is an amazingly powerful program and to have it available free is equally amazing. I've had it for a couple of years and it does expire for hobbyists, but all one has to do is renew! It's even free for lower gross income small businesses, which is again an amazing attribute for such a capable piece of software. Many users advance from 3D printing to CNC routing and machining and the program generates tool paths and g-code too, still at no cost. Did I mention I'm amazed?

Fusion 360 is free for Hobbyist, Schools and small businesses.

Yes! I did forget to mention that the license is Yearly and renewable.

Nice. Excellent info. Thanks, fellas.

As someone who's brain resuses to work in 2d, I would be inclined to get them started on openscad and start thinking and designing in 3d.
Particularly any non-artistic pupils.

Printer wise - start with the makerbot replicator. Great machine, easy to fix and uses all standard parts.
Plus MASSIVE user base. I've currently got my klic-n-print (rep clone) extruders stripped for modifying with ptfe tube for flexible materials.
good machine, shouldn't be much wrong with it.

Sell the form1 and use the money to get a cr10 kit - or similiar.
You should be able to still get $3-400 for it.

found a video of a solidoodle from 2013 ! In 3d printer terms it's an antique lol
but looked fairly simple and shouldn't be that hard to get them working.

The 1st and 2nd gen cubes are decent machines: https://www.3dsystems.com/shop/support/cube/faq
They've been hacked for using standard filament right from the get-go: https://hackaday.com/2013/04/26/cube...bulk-filament/

Someone at your school was way ahead of the curve and has left you an interesting legacy. :-)

But start with the makerbot.

Thanks for the response, Aardvark.

My Cubes are 3rd generation. I?ve seen a different hack for using open spoils online that uses a firmware update that prevents the machine from to the RFID chip in the spools.

Thanks for addressing my original question. I had a hunch the Makerbot might be a good machine to start with.

My students are pretty creative/artistic. They are enrolled in a magnet art program that they applied to.

I?ll check out openscad soon. I?ll be keeping them pretty busy with Photoshop & Illustrator for the next few months so I have time to get these machines up and running while also trying different software solutions for modeling.

have a butchers at tinkercad: https://www.tinkercad.com/#/
it's by the same company that make autocad - so excellent going forward into commercial designing.

Have you actually plugged any of the machines in and switched them on ?

Adding in another recommendation for Fusion 360!

Aardvark I have not plugged anything in yet. My room is chaotic with supplies and materials everywhere. We just got all of the computers networked today. I?ll start plugging 3D printers in lasted this week (assuming I can find their power supplies, lol).

Tinkercad sounds good. I didn?t realize it is an Autodesk product. I used to spend a lot of time in Autocad (about 15 years ago!)

llama, thanks for weighing in. Fusion360 seems popular.

I neglected to add Meshmixer to my list of suggested 3D modeling software. It's also an Autodesk program and well suited for organic modeling. Those with an artistic bent as opposed to an engineering tilt will find it useful. There are features within Meshmixer that make it worth learning, as an accessory to the more complex previously noted packages. I'm fond of opening a model simply to use the dimensions feature, or to slice with a plane, or run a manifold check.

actually more important than designing software is a good slicer.
I would recommend simplify3d. Not sure of they have an educational discount - most companies do - but it will make getting anything out of the printers sooooo much easier than trying to use slic3r, or modern cura (old cura easy to use) or any of the other alternatives out there.

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Does Simplify3D offer an education discount for teachers or administrators?Yes, we currently offer several different educational discount programs for faculty or organizations that are teaching 3D printing to others. Please review our Education page for more details. Once you are ready to place your order, please select the "Education programs" option on our Contact Form and include details about how you will be using the software in your organization, and how many licenses you would need to purchase. Please contact us prior to placing your order, as this discount cannot be applied after the purchase has been submitted.

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that answers that question :-)
Also the makerbot uses x3g files NOT gcode. And simplify3d makes that a non-issue. You just pick x3g from a menu and carry on as normal.

The makerbot should use a standard 3 pin kettle power lead. Assuming my flashforge replica is accurate :-)

I would also return the machine to factory specs and go through the 'introduction' process. where the printer talks you through setting itself up.
I loved that bit :-)

Damn shame you're in the states. I'd love to come and play.

Makerbot does not seem happy. I posted over in the Makerbot forum but it's all crickets over there... Any ideas?
Attachment 11841

should be ahard reset button at the back by the power switch.
try holding that down for a while

Oh nice! I?ll look for that when I get into work. Thank you!

No result resetting when powering on or once the Makerbot is already on. Oh well.

check the connections to the motherboard.
The lcd screens are only about $10 - but could be the board.

Do any of the other printers have similiar screen ? Might be worth trying one if they do.

If the machine has a USB port (B type, typical of printers), what would happen if a computer is connected to the printer? Wouldn't it be possible to communicate using something like Pronterface or Octoprint (OctoPi)? At the very least, it can tell you if the board is working and the display is bad.

good point, yes has usb connection.
what you want is makerware.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/6b...4.0.14_x64.exe
that version is much better for the older machines than the current one.

Ooops, I missed the last two posts. Good suggestion. I'll try it on Monday. I have a box with eleventeen billion A/B USB cords in it.

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Originally Posted by fred_dot_u

If the machine has a USB port (B type, typical of printers), what would happen if a computer is connected to the printer? Wouldn't it be possible to communicate using something like Pronterface or Octoprint (OctoPi)? At the very least, it can tell you if the board is working and the display is bad.

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I am disappointed to report that Makerware does not seem to recognize my Makerbot.

I am thrilled to report that I got one of the Solidoodles to be recognized by my computer and successfully extruded 100mm of blue PLA.

Onward!

Let the pigeons loose! Huzzah and hoorah, even!

Seriously, that's good news. Thanks for passing it on to the forum.

When you connect the Makerbot to the computer, does a new port or device appear in the device manager? This would indicate at least that the FTDI device is talking to the PC (if Makerbots are so equipped). If so equipped and no port assigned, that's not such good news.

I successfully printed Benchy the boat on two Solidoodles this morning in ABS. I?m thrilled and relieved. I?ll start trying to refine my print quality this week.

MakerBot appears to be dead. MakerBot tech support suggested a firmware update to try flashing the Replicator with but it didn?t work. They said they could not provide any further support on such an old machine.

This is fun!

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Originally Posted by matthewkphx

MakerBot appears to be dead.

This is fun!

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If the primary components (steppers, hot end, heat bed, etc) appear to be in good shape, you might get away with replacing the controller board with something more contemporary and flashing the required values into the firmware. Advanced 3D printer repair 601.

try Flashprint - it's what I've switched to for my rep pro clone.
http://www.flashforge.com/flashprint/
So much better than makerware and so far the on;y other slicer i've successfully done dual; extrusion with other than makerware.
But flash print is way way better and easier to use than flashprint :-)
Also chek com port baud speeds.
you want 115200 as the set speed.

New makerware doesn't really talk to older printers.
The fact that the older machines are infinitely better then the current models, probably has something to do with it :-)

Benchy lol
hate that boat.
Print something useful :-)