Bench stability.
Maybe this should be titled work surface stability ?
Anyway, the manual says something about sturdy work bench.
While I don't disagree with this (how could I ?) I have been thinking a lot about how quickly accelerating objects tend to shake things around.
I am planning to use an existing bench, not perfectly rigid but it is the best I have available.
I will do the build on a 1/2 sheet (122 or so cm square) of 19 mm plywood that will rest on top of 3 sand tubes, arranged like the math symbol pi.
These are basically sausage shaped tubes filled with sand and each weighs about 30 Kilos, so there will be about 90 kilos of buffer to moderate whatever shaking tendency there is.
Any thoughts on this ? C'mon be critical if you like (-:
Best Answer by 2regburgessearthlink.net:
The sand tube idea was as much about ABSORBING vibration and providing a mass as it was about stability.
RE: Bench stability.
Overkill. Mine is on an Ikea Trotten desk. it works fine.
RE: Bench stability.
I'm interested in this too. I have a 5T XL and 2 MK4s that I have not turned on the input shaping profiles for due to the increased vibration because of speed. I'd like to keep the ability to roll the benches around and I was thinking about how I might dampen the vibration. I have a bunch of paver stones I was thinking of stacking to add weight as you're suggesting. Interested to see others chime in
RE:
Guess my question in a different topic here (it's on a lack table here) is about the same 🙂
I'll try to see what Prusa says and report back perhaps.
XL (5T) / MK4 / MK3S+-MMU3 / MK3S / MK2.5S-MMU2S / Mini / SL1S
RE:
As I mentioned in my other topic:
Prusa seems to agree with you. I asked if it would have impact on the print quality and the reply was "It could and if you have any issues you can then try with the printer on the ground to check. Though it is a stable enough surface to support the printer then it should be fine."
So I guess I'll just keep an eye on print quality then, haven't done much higher prints so far on the XL.
XL (5T) / MK4 / MK3S+-MMU3 / MK3S / MK2.5S-MMU2S / Mini / SL1S
RE: Bench stability.
I built a cheapy low table for my XL from a 4x4 foot sheet of 9/16" plywood; it sits on a piece of carpet with carpet padding on a cement floor in my basement. It is a pretty heavy piece. I put a set of five 15" legs under it (one at each corner and one in the center directly below the printer), but they are the screw-in legs where you attach a bracket to the wood first. I am finding those to be too wobbly with the really fast motions. I believe I am going to return those and try for cutting up a piece of 4x4 and using that for the legs. It'll add more mass, and should also have a much stronger connection to the table.
Though the table will wobble during fast movements using Input Shaper profile, I have yet to have any issue from that. No print quality issues, no detaching prints, etc. I am printing purely with PLA and TPU though. My very first roll of PETG will be shipping from Prusa eventually, so no idea if one would expect worse results with that material.
Brand new to 3D printing and my 5-tool XL is my first 3D Printer!Check out my Multi-Tool fork of PrusaSlicer to mix and match nozzle sizes.
RE: Bench stability.
Since starting this I have watched a Bambu printer in a store running at what (to me) seemed like incredible speed on a very shaky table.
This was at Micro Centre in Cambridge Mass and I was surprised they would DO that.
Reminiscent of comedy shows where the clothes washer walks across the floor on the spin cycle.
I liked the leveling cycle of that printer too - around $700 IIRC
Nowhere near the print volume of the XL, but ......ahh, never mind.
RE: Bench stability.
I am anchoring my table/shelf to the wall to make them more stable an minimize vibrations. Just anchor both rear legs of e.g. IKEA table. It helps a lot. It makes a huge difference in vibrations and printer stability and also effect the print itself. Actually I was able to turn a wiggly plastic shelf into a stable table see the image. I am going to do that with my XL too. Moreover I am just printing anchors fitting to XL's rear extrusions and directly anchoring the printer directly to the wall.
RE: Bench stability.
The sand tube idea was as much about ABSORBING vibration and providing a mass as it was about stability.
RE: Bench stability.
I just had a brainstorm this morning. For those on carpet or other soft surfaces, you may want to try this.
The theory with vibration absorption is very similar to setting up Hi-Fi speakers on carpet. You basically want to couple the (unwanted) low-frequency cabinet vibrations into the wooden subfloor under the carpet. People commonly use metal spikes, appropriately called "carpet spikes." I have a set of these under my KEF Q950s in my home theater room and I am going to try these next. Here's an example of what I am referring to from Amazon. I'm going to give this a shot on my setup.
Just be aware that, by design, these pierce through the weave of the carpet backing and the padding underneath all the way down to the wood. So, absolutely do NOT slide the table with these attached. Lift straight up and move and drop back down. Otherwise, you'll rip your carpet and padding to hell.
Brand new to 3D printing and my 5-tool XL is my first 3D Printer!Check out my Multi-Tool fork of PrusaSlicer to mix and match nozzle sizes.
RE: Bench stability.
I just had a brainstorm this morning. For those on carpet or other soft surfaces, you may want to try this.
The theory with vibration absorption is very similar to setting up Hi-Fi speakers on carpet. You basically want to couple the (unwanted) low-frequency cabinet vibrations into the wooden subfloor under the carpet. People commonly use metal spikes, appropriately called "carpet spikes." I have a set of these under my KEF Q950s in my home theater room and I am going to try these next. Here's an example of what I am referring to from Amazon. I'm going to give this a shot on my setup.
Just be aware that, by design, these pierce through the weave of the carpet backing and the padding underneath all the way down to the wood. So, absolutely do NOT slide the table with these attached. Lift straight up and move and drop back down. Otherwise, you'll rip your carpet and padding to hell.
RE: Bench stability.
I just had a brainstorm this morning. For those on carpet or other soft surfaces, you may want to try this.
The theory with vibration absorption is very similar to setting up Hi-Fi speakers on carpet. You basically want to couple the (unwanted) low-frequency cabinet vibrations into the wooden subfloor under the carpet. People commonly use metal spikes, appropriately called "carpet spikes." I have a set of these under my KEF Q950s in my home theater room and I am going to try these next. Here's an example of what I am referring to from Amazon. I'm going to give this a shot on my setup.
Just be aware that, by design, these pierce through the weave of the carpet backing and the padding underneath all the way down to the wood. So, absolutely do NOT slide the table with these attached. Lift straight up and move and drop back down. Otherwise, you'll rip your carpet and padding to hell.
I think we are talking about a whole different frequency spectrum here.
=======================================================
I am seriously considering a very simple U shaped wall of cement blocks with the sand tubes on top.
Simple to "build" (just stack them) and easy to move.
Simple and easy to change height too, and/or add shelving underneath, just boards across between courses.
No carpentry skills required - hard to beat this formula.
RE: Bench stability.
I think we are talking about a whole different frequency spectrum here.
Probably. I was talking about the fast dense-infill generated vibrations some have referred to. Those are around 1-10 Hz.
Brand new to 3D printing and my 5-tool XL is my first 3D Printer!Check out my Multi-Tool fork of PrusaSlicer to mix and match nozzle sizes.