This week’s selection is a fun Caution Sign by PrusaPrinters contributor Scottw86.
Maryland-based Scottw86 is a 3D printer operator and 3D modeler, having contributed several unusual designs to the PrusaPrinters repository, including a camera mount, miniature milk crate and an “Articulated Kiwi”.
His latest two posted works are quite telling. The first was a handy sign that one might place beside an operating 3D printer:
But then a few days later, Scottw86 posted a modified version, which is probably a much more truthful indication of printer activity, as seen at top.
All desktop 3D printer operators will eventually admit they produce a lot more spaghetti than they expected. Spaghetti occurs when a print’s adhesion to the build plate fails. It is then pushed of the build surface and there’s no structure for the extrusion to land upon, hence spaghetti. Usually you’ll lose some valuable filament, but in the worst cases you could damage your 3D printer if the extrusions gum up the hot end.
TIP: If this happens, never try to pull a lump of plastic off the hot end unless it is warmed up: you may inadvertently pull off some critical wiring at the same time.
The Caution Sign is made from only three easily printed parts: front, back and brace to keep them at the appropriate angle.
You might be wondering how the two colors are achieved on this print. It’s actually easily done by pausing the print job just as the lettering begins to be extruded. Then a quick spool swap will enable the remainder of the print — lettering only — to appear in a second color. The only catch is that you have to carefully watch the print for the correct moment to start the swap.
This maneuver can be accomplished on any FFF 3D printer, but some systems have a way to do it more automatically. Prusa Research, for example, has a way to do so in PrusaSlicer. The “Color Change” feature inserts a pause into the GCODE so that the machine will automatically stop at the level you specify. This makes it extremely easy to get the swap done correctly, and you don’t even have to pay attention.
Via Reddit and PrusaPrinters
