The Process
Today, I will be walking you guys through my process of how I 3D printed my slug! I utilized the “Articulated Slug with Shortened Tentacles” file on Thingiverse by DnDLoreMaker.
Slug from Thingiverse
I first chose to use the Prusa 3D printer to make my first iteration of my slugs. I scaled my slugs to 2″ in the y direction and multiplied them by 5 to try and print them all at once. (This was a mistake) When I came back the next day, the incomplete slug was sitting inside the failed part bin. There must have been some kind of an issue with the printing overnight. Additionally, I realized that the slugs were too small — because these joints also do bend to a certain extent, I realized that the size of the slugs can be increased by a little bit.
My Failed Prusa Attempt
The next attempt was on the Bambu Studio Slicer and their X1 carbon printer (FDM) to make 4 of my slugs. I imported the .stl file and multiplied my slugs by 4 again. I scaled them to 65 mm and adjusted the layer height to 0.15 mm, wall density to 1mm, and infill density to 15%.
I came back after dinner to check on the progress of the slugs, and found all 4 of them perfectly printed. I placed them inside my gumballs, and they fit very nicely this time.
Bamboo Slugs in Gumballs
Next is print was on the LavishPetrel FormLabs and Tough 1500 Resin V1 material. I duplicated the slug (just in case one of them fails) and scaled them to have the same size as the other slugs: 65 mm in the y direction. I also automatically oriented and created supports for my slugs.
Oriented and Supported Slugs
I ran the machine at 6:30 AM and returned in the afternoon to see that my slugs were printed and waiting for me to wash and cure them. After those steps, I cut the support resins off. In this process, one of the slugs snapped in half, but thankfully, I printed 2 slugs, and the other one survived.
before cutting off the support
Snapped Slug 🙁
Survived Slug:)
I now have 4 slugs printed using the FDM method (Bamboo) and 1 slug printed using the SLA method (Formlabs).
My clean work space after working:
Reflection
The most difficult thing for me for this assignment was the patients part of the project. It was quite anxiety-inducing not knowing if my parts would fail or not after the first initial error. However, the overall experience was rewarding in a sense that I am now open to a new method of creating anything I want now. I have already used the 3D printer to print one of my friend’s gifts this week!
Next time, however, if I need multiple iterations of something, I would start by testing one first, so the time it takes to examine whether its size/feasibility is good is shorter. This would make the iterative process more efficient.
Cost Estimate
Materials:
- White PLA $13.99/spool (ELEGOO) x 0.03 = $0.4197
- Resin $157/L (FormLabs) x 0.05 = $7.85
- Labor $36/hr (ZipRecruiter) x 3 = $108.00
- 3D Printer Access/Rental $50 (TXRX) = $50
TOTAL: $166.27
