REVIEW: Sunhokey Improved Prusa i3 3D printer

Post the first chunk of your gcode and we can probably tell you something useful if you havent sorted it yet

 

You mean for infill? I like the linear one for fast prints. Honeycomb for stuff that has to be strong. Most of my combat superstructure is honeycomb, 40% infill. Keep in mind that even the linear infill is pretty strong at 40%.

 

I tend to print with 20-25% infill.

 

Generally you print with infill so you can bridge the top layers without problem.
For some larger things you could fill them, sure. Smaller things like turret covers don't really have much void space between the perimeters and it doesn't much matter what your infill % is as you won't have much space to fill with infill or foam.

But for most things I look at it like this: If a thingamijiggy gets shot enough to get knocked off its probably fairly damaged.. and I can just print a new thingamajiggy, then I will have nice new undamaged thingamijiggys.

 

Like Nick said, no infill generally causes issues with the top looking like crap, especially when it's a broad area to cross. Printing over open air (no support) is called bridging, and most printers can do a cm or two between solid objects without a lot of drama. But. The tops of SS pieces are not so pretty when this is attempted

For my Invincible superstructure pieces, I am printing just the sidewalls of the structure, then printing a top piece with all the details, splinter shields, etc, that gets welded onto the wall piece, which could be filled with foam if desired.

 

I did that for a couple of sections of the QE superstructure, but for Invincible, I wanted the splinter shields and supports for the boat rack, etc to be printed on top, so I did it walls and top piece like you did with the Russian predread turrets. I had to print the boat rack separately, but that's easy enough.

 

Pla tends to be brittle. I print most everything in ABS at 240c,
105-110c bed temp.
20-25% infill,
3 perimeters typically,
5 layers top and bottom

If i dont like how a part turns out i'll adjust my settings towards ones I believe will address whatever problem I have.

Have you made calibration prints and such?

Its hard to offer advice without seeing any of the problems you have, if you post some pics and the settings youve used in the prints that youre having trouble with we can probably offer more specific thoughts.

 

Abs will warp as the upper layers cool. Your results are typical. You can combat it by enclosing the printer, also dont pop warm parts off, let everything cool in the bed -helps a small amount.

 

In slicer there is a setting called 'Brim'. It adds a one-layer thick brim around the bottom of your objects which helps it to stay firmly on the printbed. Start with 5mm of Brim and if necessary for large prints go to 10mm. For simple stuff like the motor mount, 5mm should be plenty.

 

you can also add circular 'pads' to any sharp corners that you can later cut off.

http://www.ctheroux.com/preventing-warping-when-printing-3d-abs-objects/

I have used this technique with success.

 

the acetone + abs puck? You need some good ventilation at least, unless you like the smell of acetone while you're doing this. And the nice shiny bottom of your prints gets whatever color your puck was stuck to it. And it doesn't work 100% either - your first layer will stick, but its no guarantee against the power of the upper layers cooling.