Giant 3D printed Uzebox emblem
Posted: Tue May 31, 2022 4:25 am
I've tried printing the Uzebox emblem in the past, but the layer lines have always ruined it for me, no matter how thin of a layer height I used.
I finally figured out how to build custom supports using Blender, which require pliers to remove, but hold very strong and give a much nicer surface finish that the default supports in PrusaSlicer, so this morning I gave it another go at 0.2mm layer height (Uzebox Portable for scale):
The only post processing I did was removing the supports. The faint concentric lines you can see on the reflective surface are from the model itself.
If anyone else is interested I've attached the .3mf and .gcode for a Prusa MK3S+.
As is, it needs to be printed with a 0.2mm layer height, without rescaling (that's what the custom support is designed to work with). Even with the custom support on the bottom, it still requires you to enable supports everywhere for the top overhang. It looks like it might benefit from another custom support for the top overhang, but that would almost double the printing time. Maybe someone who knows more about PrusaSlicer could change the setting for the generated supports to be tighter and they would get a slightly better finish on the top overhang, but as-is it's not too bad.
It prints vertically and uses the entire 210mm of printing height on the MK3S+
If the model is to be rescaled, or printed at a different layer height, first move the sub-part of the logo down 0.2mm, do the rescaling, and then move that sub-part back up 0.2mm. If you look closely in the slicer, the logo is floating above its support stand, but that's what makes it have a strong attachment that you can still removable with pliers. Don't bend the support off, crush it with the corner of the pliers until it separates from the model.
If I ever do a version with custom supports for the top, I think I would put a backplate behind the logo for the top support to jut out of, and then place little "toothpicks" 1 extrusion width wide connecting the back of the logo in various places to the backplate, just to keep the long fingers from wobbling a tiny bit while printing.
I was thinking it might be nice to embed some magnets inside while it's printing in order to attach it to flat screws on a wall, but I haven't tried embedding anything in a 3D print yet. If you're going to mount it to the wall, the support stand is on the right side of the logo, and according to the STL file, it should be tilted upward at a 25 degree angle. I'm planning on just using 3M command strips to stick it on my wall.
If anyone else prints one, I'd love to see it!
I finally figured out how to build custom supports using Blender, which require pliers to remove, but hold very strong and give a much nicer surface finish that the default supports in PrusaSlicer, so this morning I gave it another go at 0.2mm layer height (Uzebox Portable for scale):
The only post processing I did was removing the supports. The faint concentric lines you can see on the reflective surface are from the model itself.
If anyone else is interested I've attached the .3mf and .gcode for a Prusa MK3S+.
As is, it needs to be printed with a 0.2mm layer height, without rescaling (that's what the custom support is designed to work with). Even with the custom support on the bottom, it still requires you to enable supports everywhere for the top overhang. It looks like it might benefit from another custom support for the top overhang, but that would almost double the printing time. Maybe someone who knows more about PrusaSlicer could change the setting for the generated supports to be tighter and they would get a slightly better finish on the top overhang, but as-is it's not too bad.
It prints vertically and uses the entire 210mm of printing height on the MK3S+
If the model is to be rescaled, or printed at a different layer height, first move the sub-part of the logo down 0.2mm, do the rescaling, and then move that sub-part back up 0.2mm. If you look closely in the slicer, the logo is floating above its support stand, but that's what makes it have a strong attachment that you can still removable with pliers. Don't bend the support off, crush it with the corner of the pliers until it separates from the model.
If I ever do a version with custom supports for the top, I think I would put a backplate behind the logo for the top support to jut out of, and then place little "toothpicks" 1 extrusion width wide connecting the back of the logo in various places to the backplate, just to keep the long fingers from wobbling a tiny bit while printing.
I was thinking it might be nice to embed some magnets inside while it's printing in order to attach it to flat screws on a wall, but I haven't tried embedding anything in a 3D print yet. If you're going to mount it to the wall, the support stand is on the right side of the logo, and according to the STL file, it should be tilted upward at a 25 degree angle. I'm planning on just using 3M command strips to stick it on my wall.
If anyone else prints one, I'd love to see it!