4 ms·

I print working firearms and firearm parts. I follow the bed levelling method detailed in GP, and I have never had a gun failure due to lack of precision, which

I print working firearms and firearm parts. I follow the bed levelling method detailed in GP, and I have never had a gun failure due to lack of precision, which is critical in firearms. I also do this with Nylon and TPU, zero issues. Sure, ABL is nice, but I'd rather use the budget on a proper hotend and direct drive.

Mashimo 3y ago
> ABL is nice, but I'd rather use the budget on a proper hotend and direct drive. I agree with you, 5 years ago. But now days even cheaper china designed hotends can be decent. And direct drive is de facto standart. ABL is cheap and convenient.
- rpmisms 3y ago
  This is all true, but FOSSCAD world is a little different, and a good hotend makes much more difference than ABL. Microswiss is the minimum. I need perfect extrusion, not perfect alignment along a non-critical axis. For the hobbyist, you are correct.
  - Mashimo 3y ago
    Interesting. I recently saw a video where they used normal Nylon CF and PLA+ for the orca gun system. What makes FOSSCAD so different when it comes to hotend demand? I disagree about the hobbyist comment. You can be a hobbyist and try to print PEEK and ULTEM, or you can be commercial and print nothing but PLA. I would say someone who does it commercially wants to spend less time on bed leveling. the probe I use for ABL is Klicky PCB which cost 20 bucks. You can print it yourself and use a normal switch and magnets and probably get it for 5 bucks. I don't see why this is a either / or discussion. It's so cheap.
    - rpmisms 3y ago
      FOSSCAD is different because we're generally printing parts that function near the end of the filament's capabilities. When I'm printing a lower receiver, I need perfect temperature consistency, because uneven cooling will introduce internal tension to the part, reducing its overall strength slightly. That's not an issue for a coat hook, but it is an issue for a Glock. I also need absolutely perfect extrusion, because a layer shift or missed infill section is a huge deal, not just aesthetically like for a normal print. I'm not saying ABL is bad in any way, simply that I have higher priorities. I have an Ender with it, and it's nice to have for sure. It's just not what I'd prioritize. I'm using "hobbyist" as shorthand for "normal 3d printer user", i.e not printing things that can explode.

Mashimo 3y ago

> ABL is nice, but I'd rather use the budget on a proper hotend and direct drive. I agree with you, 5 years ago. But now days even cheaper china designed hotends can be decent. And direct drive is de facto standart. ABL is cheap and convenient.

rpmisms 3y ago
This is all true, but FOSSCAD world is a little different, and a good hotend makes much more difference than ABL. Microswiss is the minimum. I need perfect extrusion, not perfect alignment along a non-critical axis. For the hobbyist, you are correct.
- Mashimo 3y ago
  Interesting. I recently saw a video where they used normal Nylon CF and PLA+ for the orca gun system. What makes FOSSCAD so different when it comes to hotend demand? I disagree about the hobbyist comment. You can be a hobbyist and try to print PEEK and ULTEM, or you can be commercial and print nothing but PLA. I would say someone who does it commercially wants to spend less time on bed leveling. the probe I use for ABL is Klicky PCB which cost 20 bucks. You can print it yourself and use a normal switch and magnets and probably get it for 5 bucks. I don't see why this is a either / or discussion. It's so cheap.
  - rpmisms 3y ago
    FOSSCAD is different because we're generally printing parts that function near the end of the filament's capabilities. When I'm printing a lower receiver, I need perfect temperature consistency, because uneven cooling will introduce internal tension to the part, reducing its overall strength slightly. That's not an issue for a coat hook, but it is an issue for a Glock. I also need absolutely perfect extrusion, because a layer shift or missed infill section is a huge deal, not just aesthetically like for a normal print. I'm not saying ABL is bad in any way, simply that I have higher priorities. I have an Ender with it, and it's nice to have for sure. It's just not what I'd prioritize. I'm using "hobbyist" as shorthand for "normal 3d printer user", i.e not printing things that can explode.