How to fit nuts and bolts into 3d printed parts with heat

Here is a short video showing the process of fitting a nut and threaded rod into a 3d printed part that doesn't fit. Basically the nut is heated and melted into the part.
The is no problem that can not be solved by applying some force to it :-)



Thnx Kris S for sharing it!

Read More

How to heat press metal inserts into ABS 3d printed objects with simple DIY tool

Steve Graber presents great way to insert metal parts (in his case metal nut-serts) into 3d printed ABS object (it would work with PLA and other probably).
He uses hot end mounted on a drill press which heats the metal part which is then melted in the 3d printed part by pressing it downwards.
The parts looks almost like commercially produced. The fused metal inserts are probably very strongly bonded into plastic around them.
So Steve hacked and merged a hot end and a drill press to create a new tool!

Here is his explanation of the process and his contraption:




Here is the hot end mounted on the drill press:

Thnx Steve!

Read More

Cross screw drive for a build plate

Nicholas Seward designed this cross screw drive system that moves XY axis on a 3d printing build plate. He did it as a kind of defensive patenting by putting it in public domain.
Similar systems based on  crossed splines are used on Mod-t and Tekma 3d printers. Both comapnies are trying to get patents on this type of cinematics. Patents are a bad bad thing, so thank you Nicholas for thinking about the community.

Nicholas writes:

Both Tekma3D and New Matter both came out with printers that use crossed splines to drive the x and y of their printers. They both are in the process of trying to acquire a patent on the technology.

Being the open source hippie that I am, here is a system that is functionally the same but should give a wide berth to the patents.

To be clear, I don't think this kind of system is very good. I think it is fun to watch.
If the system has opposing racks as shown, one screw should be left handed and the other should be right handed. If all the racks face the same way, like the MOD-T, then you can use two left handed screws. The system is driven just like a CoreXY system.

Read More