#148

Alright party people, what am I going to be printing my Neotrellis and Norns shield case in: PETG or PLA?

#149

I would run PLA until you get familiar with the printer. Let me know if you have success with the neotrellis case, I want to run one but my filament supply is too low for experiments right now.

#150

I typically only print function things. I can’t recommend gravity sketch enough. It’s a really pleasant experience, most of the time I spend on my quest is in gravity sketch.

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#151

“Measure twice, cut once” is a wonderful adage that I have often ignored – like tonight when I missed a stud I was screwing into by about 2 cm. The specialty bolt I was using had to be retrieved so I ended up cutting a hole into the drywall so I could get it out.

Now onto the part about 3d printing. I quickly designed and printed out this nice grid to help patch the hole:

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It is about 0.8mm thick. I carefully removed a little bit of drywall with a razor blade so it sits flush. I’ve patched over the hole now and it seems like it’ll work as intended.

3 Likes
#152

That’s a great idea!

I tend to use a bit of that fabric tape and then just spackle the hell out of it for a couple of days…

1 Like
#153

I think I’ve shared these elsewhere but now they are in this thread … !

made at school last fall for an upcoming show

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andrew c. s., 2019
mirror scan, 13 x 10 x 2”
3D scan, poplar, CNC machine

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andrew c. s., 2019
time path worm 2, 8 x 6 x 4”
3D scan, bézier curve, 3D printer

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andrew c. s., 2019
time path worm 1, 6 x 6 x 4”
3D scan, bézier curve, 3D printer

8 Likes
#154

About CNC: does anyone here own a “Shaper Origin” or has ever tried one?

I came across an ad today on Instagram and so I watched a lot of their videos, I’m speechless…

This machine seems completely amazing, especially with its “Workstation” as a complement.
If anyone has any experience with this machine, I would like to have your opinion. Apparently, they just started selling these machines in EU.

Feel free to move this post to the “woodworking” thread if you think it belongs there instead of here.

1 Like
#155

I’d seen that before but have been a bit dubious. As far as I can tell you are still physically moving the router, so there are probably accuracy issues with that.

The biggest thing that put me off, though, was that the videos I had seen relied on their special tape being on the material, which they would use for tracking position. And from memory it was, obviously, not cheap…

1 Like
#156

As far as I understand you follow the path but the exact position of the router is adjusted electronically in real time.

Yes, having to buy the special tape (16€ per 45m roll) is not that great :-/ I wonder if it can be delicately removed and re-used :slight_smile:

2 Likes
#157

I haven’t used the Shaper myself, butI believe that the person moves the router to generally the right place, and then the device mechanically adjusts internally according to the tracking strips to maintain precision.

2 Likes
#158

big fan of the shaper. I have some friends who use them professionally and I think it’s a brilliant option when compared to the cost & bulk of a gantry system. I have no doubts about the accuracy of the system they use, I’ve seen it do really (really) precise cuts.

it’s worth noting that it’s really limited to flat cuts (or vertical cuts using the workstation or a similar jig), so it’s not really a replacement for 3D milling/carving in any way. I think a given cut is limited to a given depth, so you can’t even vary depth slightly across a cut, so it’s much more like a standard router in that way.

if you’re typically cutting flat wood stock and want to do more complex shapes (or do extremely precise cutouts) then I think it’s the best tool available today. some people also do brass and aluminium milling with them as well, but it seems like those materials are a little less forgiving and it might not be the absolute best way to get super clean finishes.

1 Like
#159

Thanks for this review !

Glad to read that this machine is very precise and really used by professionals too (that it’s not only a marketing thing). Considering the price, I don’t want to buy a “toy” if I decide to get one someday.

Yes I’m more into cutting flat wood than 3d milling. The fact that its only limits are set by the “Shaper tape” and not by the size of a gantry system is a huge plus in my opinion. + all the other features like svg import, etc… I hope I can try one soon, now that’s it’s sold in Europe. I want to see if it’s as easy to use as it seems.

I’ve looked at all the projects posted in the “Shaper Hub”, many interesting things… The downside is the need to buy and stock the “domino tape” perhaps, but…

But I also would like to cut and engrave aluminum sometimes, Eurorack panels for example, if it’s not really good for that it’s a bit problematic but this downside might be compensated by all the great things already possible with wood.

#160

I think engraving would be a much safer bet, depending on what level of complexity you’re looking for. I wouldn’t rely on it for meaningful milling of metals, but if you’re taking a flat sheet of ~2mm thick aluminum and cutting a panel to size and then engraving on top of it, it should be able to handle that. it could also probably handle cutting holes in that panel as well (but maybe using a drill press would be cleaner, idk).

keep in mind that while gantry systems are limited by their size, the shaper can have some issues if you’re not careful on longer workspaces. there’s an involved scanning procedure and you need to work to get multiple perspectives on the workspace (defined by the shaper tape) and take care not to distort the tape when laying it down (or you’ll introduce drift across your intended cut).

all that said, if you’re careful you can work on entire 4x8 sheets of plywood and the cost difference between the shaper and a good 4x8 gantry system will buy you a lot of shaper tape.

I’ll also point out that the shaper doesn’t need shaper tape where it’s cutting, but it needs it around where it is cutting, so for smaller workspaces you can easily create jigs or borders that have shaper tape permanently applied and so long as the shaper has a good view of that tape it can orient itself. it’s a good way to save on tape and get working more quickly.

2 Likes
#161

Great advice, thank you. Yes for the “Shaper tape”, it’s not really for the price of the roll, but I don’t want not to be able to use the machine if the tape is “out of stock”, it’s just a matter of stocking a few rolls I guess :wink: But if it is not cut during machining, it might be possible to create a fixed guide like you suggest or perhaps even re-use it if it is not damaged or distorted. I understand its critical importance in the process.

Regarding aluminum I will try to ask their sales department too, maybe they will agree to post a demo and we will see…

#162

I’ll also just point out that the official workstation would work great for any uniform sheet of aluminum of a reasonable size and you’d never need to use shaper tape at all.

1 Like
#163

Ah, good to know !
There’s something else I’m wondering: How much does it handle “human error”, prevents accidents etc ? The machine can “auto-correct” the exact position of the router, that’s its concept, but what happens if by accident I suddenly push the machine and the drill goes out of its path, way more than it can correct, of if it falls, does it stops spinning or ? Hehe, I probably need to watch all their tutorials. At the moment this hand-held CNC seems so “new“ and amazing to me that it also brings up a lot of questions ^^

#164

the machine moves the spindle within a given range, so it can only correct within that range. if it detects the machine moving outside of its ability to correct, it’ll retract the spindle and stop cutting.

now, I’ve never tested it, but I imagine that if you suddenly slip and push the machine way out of its path, there’s a tiny bit of lag in that retraction and you’d probably get a slightly messed up edge. the whole kit is decently heavy though, so it doesn’t seem like much of a risk most of the time.

now, if you’ve ever done a bunch of hardwood routing in a day, you know that pushing a router around for hours isn’t super fun and the experience with this thing is pretty similar (albeit with required razor focus compared to a totally freehand router). the shaper is also not the most powerful router, so a lot of people wind up using the shaper to create jigs for repetitive tasks that they can then use a higher-powered machine hand machine on.

#165

Thanks for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate :wink:

Oh yes, I really need to take this into consideration and find what I really want to do with a CNC, wether it’s occasional cuttings in plywood - MDF for creating custom studio furniture (like I did yesterday with more common tools) or more complex things like the projects displayed on the Shaper hub… I’ve never used a router but that’s an important point you’re mentioning here.

Sometimes I need some custom studio furniture like a stand to put my guitar pedals and other devices on, or a cables holder, I need a way to make it as fast as possible. But I also want to be able to prototype a Eurorack panel or create a sandwich enclosure for some small electronic device. I need to estimate the pros and cons.

You’re right, I’ve just watched a video in which they mention that too, at least it stops at some point :slight_smile: They also mention that if you are not moving fast enough the edges of the wood will burn a little (like wood cut with a laser).

I guess I really need to try one of these machines to see if I’m comfortable working with it. Export from Illustrator or Fusion is something that will make my work easier but maybe I should also try to work with a small gantry CNC and understand the full “do and don’t” before ? I need to think about that.

1 Like
#166

see, this is where I think the shaper is pretty excellent. if production speed isn’t a big deal, it’s just about the best prototyping tool you could imagine. it can do some stuff just within onboard ui too, without resorting to to creating .svg files first (laying down basic shapes, tracing hand-drawn shapes, etc.) which is super unique compared to a normal gantry system.

it’s going to be good for things that aren’t too large or where speed isn’t a primary need or where you want to be able to change your mind part of the way through.

this happens in a normal router, or a cnc, or really any cutter that spins. speeds and feeds is a big deal in this kind of work and while shoving the shaper around won’t be as precise as calculating an exact feed rate for your gantry cnc, it also doesn’t require calculating the exact feed rate for your gantry cnc, so I count that as a win.

1 Like
#167

Ive been wanting to find someone with access to a 3D printer to talk about designing a tool to turn knobs that are snarled in cabling or otherwise hard to turn with regular fingers…

I’ve got a few 2hp modules that have little knobs and are surrounded by other modules and cables which make it challenging to twist them. I’m thinking that it could be like a short pencil with a funnel-shaped opening at one end to put over the knob. The funnel could allow it to grab knobs of a small range of diameters.

This has got to be a pretty straightforward thing to make, or so I imagine. If done right it could even become a product of some kind… I can’t possibly be the only person who has wanted something like this…

Just throwing it out there in case anyone would be interested…

Thanks!

1 Like