Tools: What do you recommend?  

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

@karl-herbert

Thank you.

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

Posted by: @charles-h13

Tool for today:

I found this little nozzle cleaner essential to keep my nozzles clean.  It is easy to use and keeps my hands away from the heat.  

I wouldn't use those for cleaning nozzles. Those are drill bits and as such will chew away at the ID of the nozzle tip when you use them. Especially if you use them on something soft like brass nozzles. They might be OK for hardened steel nozzles (unless those bits are carbide bits as is common for small drills like that), but there is also the problem that they are fragile and are likely to snap in the nozzle when you use them.

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

@sembazuru

I have sued both for over 2 years and only one has broken.  Still using the first nozzles.  

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

@sembazuru

@charles-h13

My selfmade nozzle brush from 0.5mm nylon strings. Heat the nozzle to 250 degrees C. and brush over it a few times, ready.
Leaves no marks on the nozzle:

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

Supplement: PA6.6 Melting temperature 260 degrees C.

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

Posted by: @charles-h13

Tool for today:

I found this little nozzle cleaner essential to keep my nozzles clean.  It is easy to use and keeps my hands away from the heat.  

Thank you.  I just ordered one.

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

Posted by: @jsw

Posted by: @charles-h13

Tool for today:

I found this little nozzle cleaner essential to keep my nozzles clean.  It is easy to use and keeps my hands away from the heat.  

Thank you.  I just ordered one.

No problem.  I have found it useful this week.  

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

I don´t know if they have already been in this thread - for me it is a must: "Knipex Zangenschlüssel"

They are available in different sizes - for 3D printing i prefere the sizes 125 and 180 mm (overall size of the pliers). Here is one possible link:

https://www.amazon.de/86-03-125-Mini-Zangenschl%C3%BCssel-Schraubenschl%C3%BCssel/dp/B00I8N282O/ref=sr_1_4?adgrpid=76673831968&dchild=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkJzOtMHt6gIVGhd7Ch3AMg-vEAAYASAAEgLg4PD_BwE&hvadid=352766454144&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1000767&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=13468628996648531598&hvtargid=kwd-296440253900&hydadcr=27958_1737062&keywords=knipex+zangenschl%C3%BCssel&qid=1595855613&sr=8-4&tag=googhydr08-21

(And no - I am not working @ Knipex or for them)

Best regards, Clemens

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

@clemens-m

Good precision goods! I often use them too 👍 .

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

@clemens-m

I will add a link for the Knipex 86 03 125 for US users.  I have to agree that Knipex is the way to go with pliers if you can afford them.  

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

Another tool I recommend and use all the time is an infrared thermometer.  I bought this Etekcity Thermometer because it will go to 750C.

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

Posted by: @charles-h13

Another tool I recommend and use all the time is an infrared thermometer.  I bought this Etekcity Thermometer because it will go to 750C.

Here I go again. Amazon needs to give you commission!  🙂

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

@charles-h13

I also use one of these infrared devices, but for checking the printing bed I prefer this solution:

https://www.amazon.de/FLIR-W%C3%A4rmebildkamera-Android-Ger%C3%A4te-USB-C-Version-Silver/dp/B0728C7KNC/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=w%C3%A4rmebildkamera+jagd&qid=1596543016&sr=8-6

https://www.amazon.de/77333-Smartphone-W%C3%A4rmebildkamera-13Megapixel-Marshmallow-Schwarz/dp/B01FFM09AI/ref=sr_1_3?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&dchild=1&keywords=cat+s60&qid=1596543242&sr=8-3

Unfortunately these devices are much more expensive, but they can be used very universally, e.g. to control thermal insulation in house building.

Concerning the accuracy of the measured values, they are certainly inferior to the very expensive professional devices, but I think they are sufficient for 3D printing.

https://www.flir.com/products/t540/

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

@karl-herbert

Great find.  I am going to have to look at one fo these.  FLIR make three of these units.  The USB-C for Android in the FLIR One Gen 3, the FLIR Pro LT, and the FLIR Pro.  It is also available in lightening connector for IOS is the same FLIR One Gen3, the FLIR Pro FR, and FLIR Pro.  There is also a micro USB version of the Pro LT.

Great review, but be careful that you order the right version for your phone.  

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

Posted by: @charles-h13

Ok, I have more tools than I need, but I am interested in what tools you find the most useful in your 3D printing hobby.

I am going to start this off.   

I recommend the Buildtak print surface and the cartoon crazy alternative .  I would not use it to remove prints from the Textured or Smooth PEI surfaces from Prusa.  I bought an extra plain steel sheet to put it on.  I have found it perfect for those tough to stick filaments.  

Which tool do you feel is essential?  

thanks buddy

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

Well, as I said, I ordered the digital thermometer.

As an aside, we have two of the human type digital thermometers, and I did try one of them on the print bed a long time ago, with the expected out of range result.

The thermometer from Amazon (please enjoy your commission check) 😉 came in and I just tried it out prior to the current print.

There's an old saying to the effect of 'If you have a clock, you know what time it is. If you have two clocks, you're never really sure.'

Well, that's what's going on here.

I let the print bed preheat to PLA temperature, 60C. I let it stabilize several minutes before starting the print.

The readout on the I3 was steady at 60C and the bed heater light was, as expected, kind of irregularly flickering as the control circuit was continuously adjusting the heater.

The digital thermometer, however, read consistently in the low-mid 50s, probably averaging 54C across the bed.  Readings across the bed varied as much as maybe 1 degree C, but without a clear gradient from left to right, front to rear, etc.

What I do know is that the print is progressing normally, as PLA prints have since I put this thing together months ago.

I do want to sanity check the digital thermometer.  I know it says it's not for humans, but I did the forehead and the wrist check and they come out to 33.8 on average.  I tested myself with the human thermometer and it's reading 97.3F, which converts to (hmmm is is 5/9 or 9/5?) 🙂 36.3C which is right under the low side of the bell curve for clinical normal.  In other words, the new not-for-humans thermometer is reading roughly 7% low on a human.

A reading of 54C is 10% low for something that is supposed to be 60C.

So, as of now, I don't know.  😉

I want to test the digital thermometer against a few more things.

Back in the Biomed Lab days, the acid test was a mercury thermometer, traceable to a standard, measuring the surface of a distilled water ice cube in a glass of distilled ice water, and I may try that using my laboratory standards of city water ice cubes and ice water out of the tap to see what I get.  I may try measuring the swimming pool water, or a solid object submerged in it, as we have one of those digital pool thermometer which does agree within one degree or so with a cheap bulb thermometer.

I honestly did expect more of a correlation between the measured bed temperature and the indicated bed temperature.

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

Update (it will not let me simply edit my last post).

The remote pool water thermometer is currently saying 78F.  Shooting the surface of the water in the shade with the new toy, I get 25.4C.

This converts to 77.72F, or a fraction of a degree, at most, off.

Carefully trying to shoot right between two closely-spaced clumps of crushed ice in a glass of ice water gives 1.6C.

And, I realized my 'percent' errors above are way off. Those above are relative to 0C, and should be relative to 0K.  Therefore 54 v. 60C would be about a 2% error, or not as bad as I first thought.

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

I am going to add another tool to the list that I think is essential and not optional.  A good ABC fire extinguisher.  

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

Already have them.  One in the garage, the other in the kitchen.  Both steps away from the office.  Have not had to use them and hopefully will not have to.  I have not heard of a 3d printer catching fire, but I have observed a few electronic project meltdowns over the years.

RE: Tools: What do you recommend?

@jsw

I hope so.  I have used one.  If a 3D printer fires, first turn them off or unplug them.