3D Printing

There is nothing better than 3D printing a part needed for something around the house. With the release of the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 in the late summer of 2020 I was scrambling to find a Yoke and throttle controls. Luckily, I was able to track down the items but they were missing the mounts. With some time in CAD and 3D models from McMaster Carr I was to print some replacement mounts.

The Grabcad link below details the parts.

https://grabcad.com/library/saitek-yoke-mount-1

The print pictured above is of the Canon Lens Hood 18-55 created by StlzZo from Thingiverse. The material used is Atomic Filament Carbon Fiber PETG.

One of the most annoying parts about 3D printing is when the part sticks after hours of printing. The stock Ender 3 ships with a standard hard-surface bed. There is the option to upgrade to a flexible bed which often ensures that the parts stick very well. Often times, the parts will stick too well. In the end, we are left with the dilemma of letting the parts stick to, and often rip the flexible bed, or whether the hard bed should be used and the print monitored closely at all times. Luckily there is a solution! Enter the glass bed. The glass bed made by a host of different companies scattered throughout Amazon and other online retailers. These glass beds are great because they limit the need for constant bed leveling as the glass does not bend much between each side.

On most commercially available glass beds one side is coated in a micro-mesh atop the glass sheet while the other side remains smooth. This is great as the user has the option to using either side depending on what they are printing. When the side with the micro-mesh is used the prints tend to stick much better than if they had to adhere to the smooth side.

Typically, the glass beds go for around ~$20-$30 online which is a pretty reasonable price for the product. However, one does not necessarily need to buy a pre-made glass bed. With access to a glass cutter and the hardware store, glass mirror tiles can be picked up for around 10 dollars for a 5 pack. These mirror tiles work very well as long as they are kept clean before each print. The finish on the bottom side of the print when removed from the mirror tile bed is incredibly smooth while the print is still able to be removed very easily.

Overall, a glass bed is a relatively inexpensive upgrade for your Ender 3 or other 3D printer that will make the hobby more fun, and possibly less expensive in the long run as filament won’t be wasted from failed prints. Thank you for taking the time to read this article and happy printing!

3D printing is an incredibly versatile process. However, getting the correct settings can make a world of difference. Depending on the material you are printing, the bed and extruder temperature will vary. The manufacturer will often times have te best temperature ranges for their product (one would hope).Below I have listed the temperatures that work well for Coex PETG 1.75 filament in varying colors. The table will continue to update as I use more filament. 

Supplier	Filament	Bed Heat (Celsius)	Extruder Heat (Celsius)
Coex	Red PETG	90	240
Coex	Black PETG	90	240
Coex	Blue PETG	90	240
Priline	Black TPU 95A	75	228
Atomic	Black PETG Carbon Fiber Reinforced	90	245-250
Home Depot	Powercare Nylon Weed Wacker Line ** Needs Proper Ventilation	90	255