Of course I bought Simplify3d software straight off the bat. Ordered my FlashForge 3d Printer Creator Pro from Amazon, PRINTinZ Zebra Printer Plate and a whole lots of Hatchbox PLA filament.
So I know you can't hold my hand and everyone has a steep learning curve but has anyone got any tips or suggestions or knowledge to make this 56 year old life easier.
I come from the Landscape Design Industry but I am a real newbie to 3D Printing.
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AlastairBKA
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2016 7:28 pm
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CompoundCarl
- Posts: 2005
- Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:23 am
Re: Newbie to FlashForge 3 Creator Pro
Start with some simple shapes like a basic 20mm cube. Calibrate and adjust your settings until that works really well. Then move on to more complex parts.
Too many people try to start right away with a very complex part, and it makes it much more difficult to figure out what's going wrong
Too many people try to start right away with a very complex part, and it makes it much more difficult to figure out what's going wrong
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magicwiser
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Wed May 13, 2015 11:35 am
Re: Newbie to FlashForge 3 Creator Pro
The biggest mistake I made was being too excited to start printing things so I didn't properly level my build plate. That caused lots of frustration later down the road. S3D has an amazing bed leveling wizard under the tools menu. Use it two or three times in a row until everything is perfect. However, that requires connecting your printer to your computer which is kinda tricky if you have windows 7 or above (I can post directions later today if need be).
The other thing I have come to realize is that 3D printing is a lot more of an art than a science. I find that I am tweaking my print setting for almost every print. In the beginning I printed lots of things multiple times just to see how different settings work out. Now a year later I am a bit more confident but every once in awhile I still have to reprint things so don't expect magic over night. Luckily for me it is very much a hobby so I just enjoy the ride! I'm sure you will too.
Lastly, I have found this forum to be incredibly helpful and friendly. I highly recommend keeping a close eye on it because you will learn all kinds of things.
EDIT: Here is a link to another post that explains how to connect your FlashForge Pro to a windows machine in case you need it.
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3724&p=16408#p16408
The other thing I have come to realize is that 3D printing is a lot more of an art than a science. I find that I am tweaking my print setting for almost every print. In the beginning I printed lots of things multiple times just to see how different settings work out. Now a year later I am a bit more confident but every once in awhile I still have to reprint things so don't expect magic over night. Luckily for me it is very much a hobby so I just enjoy the ride! I'm sure you will too.
Lastly, I have found this forum to be incredibly helpful and friendly. I highly recommend keeping a close eye on it because you will learn all kinds of things.
EDIT: Here is a link to another post that explains how to connect your FlashForge Pro to a windows machine in case you need it.
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3724&p=16408#p16408
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AlastairBKA
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2016 7:28 pm
Re: Newbie to FlashForge 3 Creator Pro
Thank you for all your help. I disabled drivers in Windows 10 good tip 
Re: Newbie to FlashForge 3 Creator Pro
Try printing the same items with different settings and then compare the process and output models. You'll learn things like what the difference between 0.1mm and 0.3mm layer does to your print time and what the final model looks like. Try some models that are designed to take stress. Print them with different infill percentages, layer heights, and orientations and then put stress on them to see how your settings affect the strength of the printed piece.
Re: Newbie to FlashForge 3 Creator Pro
Having recently bought the same printer (and being not too far behind your age), here's what I would advise.
Get yourself a bent 3in stainless steel scraper with a chisel edge. I find them so much easier to use than the straight ones PrintinZ show on their web site and the handle doesn't bash into the plate either which is nice.
Sign up to Thingiverse.com (free) and download some update parts for your printer. The first part your will need is a spool holder (x2) suitable for your Hatchbox PLA (they won't fit on the supplied holders). The next most essential part is a filament tube standoff which will prevent your filament from tangling around the spool holders (and potentially ruining a print). Also useful are the plate levelling knobs and the filament tubes to wiring harness clip. You will probably have to print a spacer to accommodate your Zebra Plate Z-axis adjustment. If you can't find one specifically for Zebra Plates, you can download one for borosilicate glass from Thingiverse and use S3D to scale it in Z only to 4.5mm height. That will obviously have to be printed before you can use your Zebra Plate otherwise you will crash the extruders into it.
Check your machine thoroughly. Pay particular attention to the extruder nozzles being the same height. There is a 0.2mm feeler supplied with the printer that should give you a good idea if you have a feel for the sort of thing. Don't ignore any slight differences. Even 0.1mm can cause marks on the top surface. If one is higher (which, from what I've read, it usually is), you can makeshift a shim with one or more layers of tin foil. Use a 9mm wrench to remove the offending extruder nozzle and put the foil in place before replacing it. Tiniest amounts make a difference!
A few more small points that might save your some aggravation: I can never get the filament unload to work on mine. It just won't come out despite me pulling as hard as I dare to (and pressing the release lever). So, all I do it cut the filament, run filament load until it empties the extruder and then feed in the replacement behind it. Who needs an unload function?
The door hinges have stainless steel screws in the middle that adjust their tension so the door stays up when you open it. I didn't realise that for the first few days! You will want to leave the door open (and the top off) when printing PLA.
Finally, keep your opened filament in air-tight containers with desiccant when not in use. This will stop the plastic absorbing moisture which can cause printing problems. Some people use cake tins from a dollar store which work well. I use zippered freezer bags because I like to see the filament. I also happen to have a shop-vac parked beside my filament cabinet so I can quickly get a reasonable vacuum seal on them too. Don't be tempted to use your mouth! Zip-Loc brand bags don't come in appropriate sizes unfortunately, but here in Canada I found that London Drugs own brand does.
I hope that helps. I'm sure you will have a lot of fun with it. If you have any questions, there are plenty of knowledgeable and friendly people here that will be happy to answer.
Get yourself a bent 3in stainless steel scraper with a chisel edge. I find them so much easier to use than the straight ones PrintinZ show on their web site and the handle doesn't bash into the plate either which is nice.
Sign up to Thingiverse.com (free) and download some update parts for your printer. The first part your will need is a spool holder (x2) suitable for your Hatchbox PLA (they won't fit on the supplied holders). The next most essential part is a filament tube standoff which will prevent your filament from tangling around the spool holders (and potentially ruining a print). Also useful are the plate levelling knobs and the filament tubes to wiring harness clip. You will probably have to print a spacer to accommodate your Zebra Plate Z-axis adjustment. If you can't find one specifically for Zebra Plates, you can download one for borosilicate glass from Thingiverse and use S3D to scale it in Z only to 4.5mm height. That will obviously have to be printed before you can use your Zebra Plate otherwise you will crash the extruders into it.
Check your machine thoroughly. Pay particular attention to the extruder nozzles being the same height. There is a 0.2mm feeler supplied with the printer that should give you a good idea if you have a feel for the sort of thing. Don't ignore any slight differences. Even 0.1mm can cause marks on the top surface. If one is higher (which, from what I've read, it usually is), you can makeshift a shim with one or more layers of tin foil. Use a 9mm wrench to remove the offending extruder nozzle and put the foil in place before replacing it. Tiniest amounts make a difference!
A few more small points that might save your some aggravation: I can never get the filament unload to work on mine. It just won't come out despite me pulling as hard as I dare to (and pressing the release lever). So, all I do it cut the filament, run filament load until it empties the extruder and then feed in the replacement behind it. Who needs an unload function?
The door hinges have stainless steel screws in the middle that adjust their tension so the door stays up when you open it. I didn't realise that for the first few days! You will want to leave the door open (and the top off) when printing PLA.
Finally, keep your opened filament in air-tight containers with desiccant when not in use. This will stop the plastic absorbing moisture which can cause printing problems. Some people use cake tins from a dollar store which work well. I use zippered freezer bags because I like to see the filament. I also happen to have a shop-vac parked beside my filament cabinet so I can quickly get a reasonable vacuum seal on them too. Don't be tempted to use your mouth! Zip-Loc brand bags don't come in appropriate sizes unfortunately, but here in Canada I found that London Drugs own brand does.
I hope that helps. I'm sure you will have a lot of fun with it. If you have any questions, there are plenty of knowledgeable and friendly people here that will be happy to answer.
