Simplify3D User Forum

mushoo wrote: Yes, that will work - but only for the very, very top layer. I'm pretty sure Cura's will do it for any 'top' layer/area (IE, a space that doesn't get built upon on the next layer/layers). IE, if I was printing a ziggurat, all the flat, ceiling-facing surfaces would be ironed, not just the very top of the model.

afaik cura does it for the very top only but we have expert to confirm, I'm not really a cura user. neotko can surely say what cura does exactly and his manual is surely detailed

Cura's ironing does it for *any* "top" surface. So if you print a staircase, it will iron the top of each step.

arhi wrote:

mushoo wrote: Yes, that will work - but only for the very, very top layer. I'm pretty sure Cura's will do it for any 'top' layer/area (IE, a space that doesn't get built upon on the next layer/layers). IE, if I was printing a ziggurat, all the flat, ceiling-facing surfaces would be ironed, not just the very top of the model.

afaik cura does it for the very top only but we have expert to confirm, I'm not really a cura user. neotko can surely say what cura does exactly and his manual is surely detailed

Yeah the problem with Cura version that the developers made it's that you can't choose the top layer that you want it, you get it on all last top layers, and that's not precise. With my method, you just need to adjust the speed and angle of the layer you want.

The main issue ATM with S3D 4.0 is that if you make a phantom process (I call them like that because they overprint, or don't on a printed area) is that if the sanding process doesn't have perimeters, S3D 4.0 doesn't print it, and that's quite problematic to control the sanding only on the inside, or with a full effect touching the previously printed perimeters. One trick to make it work on S4D is to make the nozzle size very small, that's how I though of the 2.0 version that does work on 4.0 and also you can do it without loosing print time, but ofc is less 'sanded/ironed'.

For me atm, when I need to use this I use the 3.x version, until s3d guys fix that process without perimeters don't get infill or top/bottom layers (quite weird bug, but is there). I did mail them 4 days after the release about it and after a few auto-answers I got a 'we will forward this'. The typical answers you get when you contact S3D support team (at least that has been my experience since I bough this almost 3 years ago)

Why spend time "ironing"? Instead spend time getting your profile setup right and no "ironing" is needed. I see ironing as a bad work around for bad profile setup.

jfkansas wrote:Why spend time "ironing"? Instead spend time getting your profile setup right and no "ironing" is needed. I see ironing as a bad work around for bad profile setup.

it depends on the filament, I was for e.g. using it for natural pla to get more transparency for the leds below, before that I was using a hotair gun to do the same but with hotair it's easy to overheat and bend the plastic .. some other plastics can probbly also benefit from remelting the edges, just like what we use with ABS and acetone vapor bath.. we remelt the surface to get it to smooth out..

jfkansas wrote:Why spend time "ironing"? Instead spend time getting your profile setup right and no "ironing" is needed. I see ironing as a bad work around for bad profile setup.

Well the idea is to have a smooth flat surface. You can’t hide the directional lines of the orint without some sanding, and imo is better time saved if a machine does it for me XD

Also you can do both if you want. One doesn’t remove the other

arhi wrote:

jfkansas wrote:Why spend time "ironing"? Instead spend time getting your profile setup right and no "ironing" is needed. I see ironing as a bad work around for bad profile setup.

it depends on the filament, I was for e.g. using it for natural pla to get more transparency for the leds below, before that I was using a hotair gun to do the same but with hotair it's easy to overheat and bend the plastic .. some other plastics can probbly also benefit from remelting the edges, just like what we use with ABS and acetone vapor bath.. we remelt the surface to get it to smooth out..

Well I wish my method where that good. But isn’t. It just scratches on the reverse angle the last layer (or the one you want) in order to smooth it to the touch. But basically it just scratches it. Ofc, heat and speed must be under control to avoid overheating it.

neotko wrote:

arhi wrote:I was for e.g. using it for natural pla to get more transparency for the leds below

Well I wish my method where that good. But isn’t. It just scratches on the reverse angle the last layer (or the one you want) in order to smooth it to the touch. But basically it just scratches it. Ofc, heat and speed must be under control to avoid overheating it.

well I did use this system way before I heard about your ironing method and before Cura implemented it with skeinforge on an old modified rapman some 7-8 years ago, you could find it on archive of the bfb forum. if you do it slowly and with head that has the flat tip you do exactly as I explained - remelted top. if you do it with natural PLA you get more transparent top, different materials behave differently (PC will also be more transparent). as for the just rubbing the top layer with the head I do agree that properly calibrated printer don't have a need for that, but not all printers can be fully calibrated so that system of course still have merit..

I REALLY miss the ironing (aka neosanding) option in Cura that I used on every print to greatly increase final print surface quality. Could we please get this added to S3D? I think the entire printing community would love to have this option as it makes such a huge difference in final print quality.

Thanks!

+1 Must have for me