This one took about 2.5 hours at 100um. Increasing resolution to 50um might take about 5 to 6 hours.

This is one of the differences between SLA and FDM printing. With an FDM printer, obviously this would be printed best with the tire lying flat on its side with the print nozzle adding one layer at a time at the top. On a SLA printer, each layer of resin gets cured and gets stuck to the bottom of the vat. The printer then uses a method of lifting the build plate with a tilt to peel the print off the bottom of the VAT after each layer cures. If there is a large flat surface anywhere in the print, the bond to the vat might be greater than the strength of the part. The part could break or detach from the build plate during a peel, leaving part or all of the print still stuck to the bottom of the vat. This is the reason you see a lot SLA parts printed at an angle with lots of supports.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...fd2cb4c247.jpg

It would be awesome to print 1/16 tank crews. The ones on ebay cost $30 to $50 each.

Crew would be great but that takes some artistry to draw right. Been trying to get some crew made for the LCM3 & most I know here pass on drawing figures.

For fun, my first foray into this 3D printing. Making Nebelwerfer wheels as the ones that came with the uppers I didn't really like. Know nothing about doing this but starting to understand the basics... :-)

3D printed tires and wheels


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...c40a5a60dc.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...0e1f9100c0.jpg

There are so many types of 3D printing these days in support of all aspects of industry it boggles the mind. I have a small 3D printer and I really need to get off my hands and learn to use it and some CAD.packages I have. I think I'm leery that I might not have the patience!

Different types of printing is described well here: https://all3dp.com/1/types-of-3d-printers-3d-printing-technology/

I was fascinated by the 3D sand printing: revolutionary for foundry work...

Jerry

I really think that the next step for our hobby is for more of us to get into resin printers. The fdm printers are fine for large items and turrets and little trucks, but for the really serious detail work the fdm just can't compare to the resin printers. I'm planning to buy a resin printer on Black Friday, and its main purpose will be to print tires and figures. If we can come up with an STL file for a decent driver figure for all these little trucks we'll be way ahead of the game.

There are a lot of models on the web though free models usually not very detailed. Maybe buy one of these https://free3d.com/3d-model/british-...gged-5379.html and just modify it to make different figures?

The resin printers are so messy though. I remember stereolithography from 20 years ago. I thought FDM would displace this stuff. But the quality isn't there.

Steve

What do you all think of this?

https://www.xyzprinting.com/eshop/us_en/product/Nobel10

Steve

I like the auto refill feature, but it doesn't say if it has Auto leveling. I just ordered the creality LD - 001 and it should be here in about 2 weeks. I think I'm about to embark on a whole different education.

OK, sports fans, this is a new resin printer, the creality LD-001

Attachment 2263022

After much frustration and the pulling of about 40% of my hair, I now have a file in the printer that will print two tires at once. I'm using ExPatTanker's design for the tire. I also plan to try tail lights like the ones I just put on my Q60.

Attachment 2263023

These were done on the CR-10 FDM printer, so I think it will at least be interesting to get a side-by-side comparison between FDM and SLA. Filament vs UV, so to speak. The tail lights are also ExPatTanker's fine design. I'm thinking about mirrors. Mirrors of several types to cover a range of the new trucks. I need some help with design, though. Any takers? At the least you'll get some better mirrors from the resin printer. Those (as well as tail lights) I can send anywhere for the cost of a Christmas Card.

And driver's, guys. I need a file for a driver figure, even if it's headless and we get the head from verlinden. Naturally anyone that helps will get drivers, as will everybody else and his brother if they need 'em. You guys know me.

I can knock up some WW2 mirrors - they are a bit of round glass on a stick afterall, and the stick would need to be fine wire anyway so that simplfies the problem ;)

Have you looked into those many youtube vids showing how to take a bunch of photo's and stich them into a 3D object? I might have a bash at that next year, but I just don't have the space inside to do it at the moment...

I love that you guys are taking the lead on this printing stuff, I am proud of myself for finally learning to solder and I just bought a quality desoldering iron! Aint youtube great??? lol

Cruiser, I think I bought your Hooben T-55A off Ebay. And if so I can vouch for the fact nothing is soldered....all crimps. :) When I'm done everything will be soldered and fixed.

Great stuff guys!

I've just got FDM, but will get SLA sooner or later. I'd like SLS too, but none of these are very good for functional mechanical parts, but great for all the little details. I'm just designing/printing some fixup parts for my Henglong Jagdpanther right now. The mantlet and connection to the airsoft gun broke almost immediately.... Anybody have any info on hopping up the airsoft guns? I'd like more punch out of my 88...

I think the ultimate would be SLM, and I could print parts in brass.

I can't get my new SLA printer to print. Hmmm, kinda like my boomerang won't come back. The problem is somewhere in the software (most likely operator error) but I get everything to work like it should until I put the USB bar back in the printer. It shows the file I just downloaded, no problem, but when i hit print it tells me to get bent (it tells me that simply by refusing to do anything at all). The only thing that will print is the test print that's built in, but I really have very little use for a bunch of cubes with holes in them. BUT, the print quality on the test print is superb. Light years ahead of filament printers. Another advantage is this - if I want to print a tire on my FDM printer (CR10) it will take about four hours. If I add another tire to the print it will take about 8 hours, and longer for every tire I add. In the SLA printer it takes about four and a half hours to print one tire, but if I add seven more tires and print eight at once it takes ... about four and a half hours. That's because it prints an entire layer at once, instead of traveling around and putting down filament.

So since I can't get the resin to go I guess i'll try a new trick on the CR10 and see if I can scale up some jerry cans for my 1/6 Hetzer. ;)

Maybe you are supposed to zero the "Z" before printing? I'm thinking about an SLA and in researching I recall that was necessary before printing. The detail with resin is supposed to be far better so I'm curious about your results and what you think. I'm not too happy with small detail parts on my Flash Forge FDM, but larger parts are great.

Crius
Is there a cal or z-zero process like nick suggest? I wouldn't think it would do check prints if something is out of alignment but who knows. Also can you check that the USB port is properly connected to motherboard? I wouldn't think it could be disconnected - but it sounds like its not seeing/recognizing your file or usb stick. Its the correct file format (.STL) correct? Does it need to be run through a slicer program first? Can you save the file type to a different format (in CURA, or simplify3D) and get it to work? Hopefully Creality have support for it!

Just guessing on these.
Hope you get it going soon,
B

Hey Guys, thanks for the replies.

The Z zero is set when you level the bed, and seems to be OK as the test print ran fine. The USB bar seems to be reading OK when it's in the printer so I think things are connected OK. The software is called 3D Creator and I can import an stl file (the same file I use in my creality FDM printer) and I can add support and preview and slice it and export it to the USB bar and when i put the USB bar back in the printer the file shows up on the screen as ready to print. That's where stuff goes kerblewie. What's supposed to happen - hit print, screen comes up for light settings, set for 75 seconds first layer, 10 seconds thereafter. Hit print, screen goes to in print mode and printer prints. What's actually happening - the first time I hit print after downloading the screen goes to "preparing file for printing" and then does nothing. I let it sit as long as two hours and nothing changes. If I then hit Home it goes home and i can then hit print and it shows the file again. I hit print and this time it shows the light setting screen, as it should, but after setting and hitting print it just does nothing. I'm totally at my wits end. If i can't solve this issue it will have to go back. The good news is that if i do have to send it back I'll stop fartin' around and get the peopoly kit for $1,200. More than twice as much, but tried and true and plenty of support for stuff like this current snafu. And all the reviews are raves and it's said to be a high quality, excellent performing machine. I know part of my problem is that this LD-001 printer is brand new from creality. cura doesn't even recognize it, but then, cura doesn't recognize any resin printer, as far as I know.

So if anyone else has ideas i'd love to hear them. I've tried different methods for exporting to the USB bar, and exporting from different folders, and they all act the same. There's a guy on youtube that has one and he's using a beta software package and i'm hoping he'll share. I'll keep y'all posted. I know a lot of guys are watching this to see how it goes before taking the leap into resin themselves, so i really hope i can get things sorted. Oh yeah, on the test print the quality is light years ahead of my FDM printer, You can barely detect the layer lines and little or no clean up is required. It's frustrating in many ways, but one is that i can't wait to see what kind of results I get with small parts, like tail light buckets for trucks, which i happen to need right now. Then there's truck drivers, and the list goes on.

Gary,
Sorry to hear still no love from this thing. You will love the resin printer if you can get it going. There is nothing better for detail parts. The Moai is a nice machine. Personally I would get the Form2. Its a bit more - but they are industry standard for the resin printers. But the Moai should be great too.

You mention this: "cura doesn't even recognize it, but then, cura doesn't recognize any resin printer" - I wonder if the printer is waiting for some kind of G-code or move command code to say "go", and that Cura is not adding it? Its like post processing CNC G-code, after the machining program is written it has to be translated (post-processed) for the specific machine controller.

Is Creality support available? Surely being in China they are not closed for holidays? One other review of this machine mentioned some issues that tech support had to resolve.

Would like to see you make some stuff with this machine.

Frustrating for sure...
B

Gary
One other thought. Take the test print file and open it in a text editor like Notepad. Look at the beginning code of the program. Compare this to the code of your part you are trying to make. The g-code may be different. You just want the few preparatory commands not the printing part. Its a stretch I know - but I've done this with CNC programs and it works.
B

Cura is for FDM printers only, it can not create instruction files for any other method of printing.

Jesus Christ, Gary, I did not know the existence of the resin printers until I read it from you. I am amazed... I have to save and to get one some day and now I can forget about the filament printers. It opens an entire new world for me.

Make sure there are no spaces in the file name of the file you're trying to print.