Moment of Inspiration - Over 220 Licenses Purchased By YouthQuest Since 2013

As a not-for-profit, we have to account for all of our assets and purchases.  It's my job to purchase Moment of Inspiration licenses used by our 3D ThinkLink Lab, training sites, mentors and teachers.  As I purchased the first licenses for 2018, it dawned on me that since 2013 we have purchased over 220 licenses for our 3D ThinkLink Lab initiative.  

PURCHASED... not Free.

Two events, today,  prompted me to write this post.  The first, as I related was the purchase of 6 more MOI3D licenses.  The second was an email from a Cubify Design user asking me how to accomplish a task which had him stumped.  I had created some Cubify Invent/Design tutorials many years ago that had introduced him to the product and though he had become very proficient, he still ran in a wall on the task he was trying to accomplish.

I wasn't a lot of help to him, since I'd long ago switched to MOI3D.  But, I decided to see how long it would take me to accomplish his task in MOI3D.  It took just under 4 minutes from scratch.  The actual task took little more than 15 seconds.  The rest of the time was building the base models with which to test the task operation.

Why Not Switch to Free?

We all know the expression, "Put your money where your mouth is" and we have done just that.  We have evaluated every free 3D design application we come across.  And yet, we stick with Moment of Inspiration.  There are several reasons:

• Intuitive Workflow
• Very Quick and Easy to Learn
• Very Powerful
• Very Fast Design Times 

Intuitive Workflow

Sites using YouthQuests' 3D Thinklink Lab curriculum teach at-risk young people of a wide range of ages and very short attention spans.  We need an interface that very quickly gets out of the way so the students can get on with design and printing.  The faster they can go from vision to concrete reality the better.  In the hundreds of students we've served, we have not had a single one that could not quickly grasp the interfacc and be designing in no time.  The interface lends itself to our "Noun" and "Verb" approach to learning MOI3D.

Very Quick and Easy to Learn

"Easy" in the context in which we work would be useless if MOI3D weren't also "Quick" to learn.  We have very little time to teaach them.  Consider the following:

• Only the students on the autistic-spectrum at Phillips schools have more than 5 months of instruction in MOI3D.   

•  Youth ChalleNGe sites have two new "Cadet Classes" a year.  So, they have a very limited time (Less than 5 months) to learn 3D design and printing in just 32 sessions. (One session per week with some multi-session Saturdays.)

• A Boy and Girls Club offered 2 weeks of instruction for 3 hours a day to 8 -16 year multicultural students.

• Horizons Hampton Roads teaches student in grade 6-7 in two weeks in their summer school program.

The bottom line is that NO students have more than 32 lessons of MOI3D instruction.  Yet, they are quickly able to accomplish some very complex designs.  This is a design by a female student, having just 2 weeks of lessons (3 hours per day), from Afghanistan that spoke very little English.  Her younger sister, who spoke excellent English, had to translate everything.

Castle created in Two Week Class

It's brilliant.

One of the things that makes this possible is that MOI3D provides instant interactive help via prompts specific to each noun or verb the student is trying to use.  This not only makes it easy to learn; but, allows students to forge ahead fearlessly.  Even though we might not have reached a formal lesson on that function, they can easily walk themselves through it using the prompts to help them.

Very Powerful

Many "free" applications are designed to be easy entry level solutions.  But, quickly become difficult when trying to accomplish complex designs.  MOI3D, on the other hand, is VERY powerful.  Now, I don't believe any of our students (or teachers, including me) have reached this level of sophistication; but, it is a really quick demonstration of how far one can go with using MOI3D.

While we may never reach the level of competence of the person that created the car, as demonstrated in the above video, MOI3D can go as far as we can achieve.  We have plenty of headroom to grow our skills.  And, THAT is well worth the cost.

Very Fast Design Times 

But, perhaps the most compelling reason for sticking with MOI3D is just how fast we can complete 3D printing projects.  Students rarely have more that 45 minutes to hear a lesson, envision a design and finish it for printing.  While the following design won't print all that well on an FDM printer, it does demonstrate  how a very complex looking design can be completed in a very short time.  This design, except for the wrapped text, took under 8 minutes.  The wrapped text was an afterthought to show how easily text can be wrapped in MOI3D.

A Design Completed in Under 8 Minutes on the Fly

I had no idea where I was going when I started the above design, so much of the time was conceptualization.

This is why we stick with Moment of Inspiration, preferring it to any of the "Free" applications we could use.

A 30 trial for MOI3D can be downloaded from:  

http://moi3d.com/download.htm

UPDATED: 2/17/2018

After writing this I ran across a wonderful tutorial on MOI and Nurbs that compares the surfaces created by creating in Nurbs (MOI3D) and Polygons (3DS Max).  Both are great for different types of outcomes.  But, in this case (precision 3D printing) Arrimus 3D demonstrates how precise Nurbs can be.  It's quite interesting.  Most of the time, Arrimus 3D, because he creates game assets, etc. works in 3DS Max or Z-Brush and is terrific.  Visits his YouTube Channel to see some beautiful work.

EVERYONE is a Novice at Some Level With a New 3D Printer

I often hear people apologize as they ask a question with something like "I'm new to 3D printing and this is my first 3D printer."

Little do they know that no matter how many 3D printers one might have used in the past, they are still novices at some level when faced with a new 3D printer.  While past experience helps, it is no guarantee that we can instantly get the best prints out of our latest purchase.

I was recently reminded of this when one of the teachers to whom we had provided a Micro 3D printer, called to report that it was "broken" and wouldn't work.  Picking up the printer to find out what was wrong and possibly return it for repair, I found that the printer was working perfectly.

Yet, this was a person who had used the Cube 3D printers for several years!

The Cube 3D printers, with which they were familiar used a magnet to hold the print table in place.  And, it also required the application of a liquid glue on the glass print table.

The Micro, on the other hand, secures the table by sliding the back of the table into a full-length slot and then moving it forward to lock two tabs in the front of the plate into place.  And, the plate is covered with a sheet of BuildTak.  No glue is required.

I didn't have time to check the printer over when I picked it up and dropped off a replacement.  Now that I have had the time to check the "broken" printer out, I'm surprised I haven't gotten a call to report that the replacement is broken!

The first thing I noticed was that the plate was backwards.  It wasn't fully inserted and locked.  The second thing I found was that the build plate was covered in glue!  Apparently, having experience with the Cube needing glue, when an object didn't stick due to a too large gap, they thought the problem could be fixed by a liberal application of glue!

I have no idea whether they actually tried to print on a backwards plate; but, that isn't what is important in this situation.  They did what they knew to do based on their past experience. 

It was not all their fault that past experience that led they astray. A larger share of the fault was mine, as the training director, in not being better at communicating the differences between the two 3D printers.

Fortunately, our guiding principle in our 3D design and printing program is "Your Failures Are Not Final".  This turns out to be a great learning opportunity for both me and our teachers.  We were so excited by our new program for our teachers that we focused on providing them with a printer without focusing enough on every facet of its operation.  That won't happen in the future.

Even though I am considered an "expert" when it comes to the Cube series of printers, there was much to learn with my first Micro printer.  But, every stumble, came new understanding about how to make the most of everything the Micro offered.

And, it won't be any different for me when I finally get take delivery of the M3D Pro.  I will be a Pro novice... just like everybody else  That's just the nature of 3D printers.  Just as I had to learn how to use all of my other 3D printers and work within their realm, so too, I expect to have to go through a learning curve to get the most out of the Pro.

So, what does this mean for you?

I understand what it feels like to be a novice with a new 3D printer.  I've shared the bewilderment that every new 3D printer owner feels.  And, I don't want to ever lose that perspective as I gain more and more experience with both the Micro and the Pro.

By helping out our teacher I gained valuable insight about my own responsibilities to ALL of our teachers.  Over the past 4-5 years of my Cube focused blog, I've received hundreds of help requests.  And, while I've been able to help the majority of them, I learned from every one of them as I sought for answers that I didn't immediately know.

The novice experience is immensely valuable to the growth of those who desire to be experts.  Sometime we know what NOT to do to the point that we miss out on some very cool potential. 

When I say that I am committed to helping new users of both Micro and Pro it is based on the fact that I need to learn and grow and I have found that so-called newbies have a lot to contribute to that growth.

Series: Colorizing 3D Prints #13 - Non-Smear Coating That Glues PLA!

This is a huge deal for me.  I have looked for years for an effective glue for PLA.  Up to this point, clear fingernail polish was about the best I could find.

Ironically, I wasn't actually looking for a glue for PLA when I came across one that works.  I was looking for a clear coat for prints that have been colorized using alcohol marker ink.  And, I suspected that I would find it in the form of a glue.  I was right.

The great news is that it can be found in grocery store, hardware stores and places like Target or Walmart.  It's called Loctite GO2 All-Purpose Glue.

Loctite GO2 Glue

But, the added benefit was that Loctite GO2 also bonds PLA.  Here are my 3 test samples.

Loctite GO2 As Clear Coat & Glue

The samples are (1) a 'swatch' of Tough 3D Ink that has been painted with both Spectrum Noir and Sharpie alcohol ink using the eBrush airbrush, (2) Tough 3D Ink glued to Premium PLA and (3) 2 pieces of standard PLA.  In each case the glue worked as I had hoped.

Sample 1: Loctite GO2 does not smear alcohol ink and is flexible

The Tough PLA color did not run and the material remains as flexible as it was before coating.  I applied the glue by pouring it onto the item and smoothing with an artists brush.  The brush was cleaned with alcohol after the application.  What can't be conveyed by an image is the interesting feel of the coating after it's dry.  It has a rubberized feel to it that provides some non-slip 'grip' that is interesting.

The glue dried crystal clear.  So, it does make for a great top coat to protect the alcohol inks.

Sample 3: Loctite GO2 joined different materials.

The simulated wax seal is M3D's Tough 3D Ink and the simulated coin is M3D's Premium PLA.  The bond does take a while to set (30 minutes) and was fully cured in 24 hours.  I was able to accelerate that by putting all the test pieces in a food dehydrator for a few hours.

Sample 3: Loctite GO2 joined two PLA pieces.

This is really a big find for me.  None of the normal cements designed for plastic models ever worked all that well when used with PLA.  So, in the past, I usually turned to clear fingernail polish.  It worked; but, never seemed to be a great solution.  The cool thing about Loctite GO2 is that the glue, itself, is flexible after it cures.  So, while the bond is tight, there is some capability for give at the point of connection.

The bond can be broken if too stressed, so if you are planning to build a large 3D printed PLA bridge, I'd make sure the glue was liberally applied.  While not a completely perfect solution, it works better than anything else I have tried.

If you have a glue that works with PLA, I'd love to hear about it. 

Food Dehydrator - The Go To Filament, Paint & Glue Drying System

Anyone that prints with PLA and Tough 3D Ink needs to understand that moisture in the ambient air tries to degrade and destroy these filaments. That's why filament is shipped in sealed bags with dry packs.  Once we open the bags, the filament begins acting like a sponge soaking up the moisture in the air,  That;s why I do not like buying large reels of filament.  In fact, the filament reels chosen by M3D are a perfect size in my area, which is the moisture laden mid-Atlantic.

A few months ago I went on a quest to attack this issue.  I came up with storage bins in which I can put drying agents along with the filament.  But, the most significant discovery was that an ordinary food dehydrator can be used to draw the moisture out of our filaments.

After trying several, the one that I finally settled on as my favorite is the Presto Digital Dehydrator that can be purchased through Kohl's, Walmart and any number of similar stores.

Presto Digital Food Dehydrator

I prefer the digital version because I can more precisely set the temperature and running time.

But, now I have found an additional way to use this product with my 3D prints... for drying paint and curing glue!

While I spray aerosol paints outside and let them dry a bit before bringing them into the house, it is nice to be able to select a nice even temperature for the bulk of the curing time.  Most aerosol paint directions say the paint will dry to touch within an hour and be fully cured in 24 hours.  Using the food dehydrator ensures that will be the case no mater how moist the ambient air.

But, another application that has become important for is curing glue.  As I have been testing clear coat candidates for the alcohol markers, it is clear glue that seems to offer the most promise.  In fact, Loctite GO2 All-Purpose glue does not seem to smear alcohol marker colors and, as an added benefit seems to perform as an effective glue with Tough 3D Ink.  The jury is still out on standard PLA.

And, that jury is the food dehydrator.  I joined two pieces of PLA with Loctite GO2 and am letting it cure for at least 24 hours.  That should give it the proper time and proper environment to work its best.  I also have a 'swatch' of alcohol marker painted ABS-R running through the same drying cycle.  So, in 24 hours we should have some results to report.

Series: Colorizing 3D Prints #12 - Colorizing with Chalkboard Paint

Before talking about a project that was a LOT of fun, I have to tell you where I got the idea.

Cathy Parlitsis of Stamps and Scrapbooks is a person that creates wonderful mixed media and paper crafting tutorials and videos.  Her site and YouTube channel are well worth exploring.

I came across this video, where Cathy re-purposed some candy canes and blackboard ornaments to create some very cool food identifiers for a pot-luck dinner.

Working on the principle that no cool idea should go unappropriated, the idea came to me that a great 3D printed craft project that would involve colorizing 3D prints might be a personalized mini-chalkboard.

My first attempt involved creating and printing all the elements... chalkboard area and personalized hanging frame in a single printed object.   But, of course, since I am masking challenged, that turned out to be more trouble than expected with the chalkboard paint finding its way into unwanted areas.

3D Printed Chalkboard - First Draft

I was able to clean it up a bit; but, clearly there had to be a better way to do this project.  Plus, after proving that the chalkboard paint would work on a PLA surface, I really wanted to make the design to be more personal for the person for whom it was intended.

So, the design was broken into two pieces.  The first piece, the chalkboard, was beveled to fit into the back of the second piece, the frame, which was expanded to make room for a name..

Inlay Trick #1 - Bevel Inlay Edges

While the chalkboard piece is inserted from the back, it is still essentially an inlay.  Inlay is another way to put two different color prints together.  The inlaid piece must fit into the host piece and there are some tricks to making it work more easily.  The 3rd Gen Cube on which this project was printed has some differences in the size of borders and holes from the specified design when printed.  We can make allowances for that; but, by beveling the inside and outside matching edges we know that the piece will fit even if our compensation estimates are off.  If the edges are straight and we miscalculate by even .1mm, we might have to reprint the object. The beveled edge gives us a little margin for error.

Beveled Edges Widen the Margin of Error in Fit

Inlay Trick #2 - Resize (Expand) the inlay object when using it to cut the inlay channel or hole.

The trick in making sure the insert fits correctly is to use the inlay object to define the hole or channel into which it will be inserted.  But, first, we resized the chalkboard by 1mm in the X and W directions.    We do this because, typically, holes get slightly smaller and pegs (inserted objects) get slightly larger when 3D printed.  Resizing the chalkboard ensures that the design of the hole will be 1mm bigger all around.  But, when printed the opening of the hole will actually be a bit smaller.

After the hole is cut, we return the chalkboard to its original size for printing.  I added 1mm to both the height and the width.

Then we print each object separately.  With an independent chalkboard, colorizing it with chalkboard paint is easy and requires no mask.

For now, the frame remains uncolored.  But, should we desire to add some color, it would be a lot easier than with a single design.

Once the paint dries, the pieces are taped or glued together.  Since we may want to colorize the frames, for now it is taped.  But, because, this was printed in PLA, clear fingernail polish would be the glue of choice when we turn to that option.  Here is the result.

Mini-Chalkboard Colorized with Chalkboard Paint

It's easy and fun.  Of course, I had to make two, with two granddaughters.

One single style black board and 2 new style chalkboards

The new two-piece style is better in every way.  There is no danger of paint slipping under the masking as can be seen in the top sample.  Names are added to the Master Design just before the object is saved for printing, allowing each one to be personalized with a unique name.

It can be hung using a suction cop attachment on a window or a small stand could be printed to hold it on a desk.  In any case, I know they are going to be surprised and pleased the next time we see them!

Thank you Cathy!!  I loved your original idea and it turned out to translate very well to 3D printing!

Watermark Your 3D Prints

The only reason for the title of this post is to pretend that the content of the post is actually based on a sane idea.  But, I can assure you that the genesis of the idea behind this article was simply serendipity and nutty curiosity.

There is a reason why I named this blog IdeaRoom3D.  I wanted to focus on new ways we can use 3D printing in every aspect of our lives. And, I mean it when I say that "Any room can be an "Idea Room" with the addition of a 3D printer."  Ideas are what 3D printing is all about.

It's just that some ideas are crazier than others.  And, this is one of them.

I've always been of the opinion that USING a 3D printer for even the simplest of tasks is a LOT more rewarding than tinkering with a 3D printer.  But, sometimes, to be able to expand what you can do, it becomes necessary to play around with the 3D printing process itself.

It should be obvious, from previous posts, that one area of life I intend to explore is using 3D printing for crafting.  The crafting community is both enormous and creative.  And, it's also expansive and widely diverse, making it a perfect community to benefit from personalized 3D designs.

In anticipation of going down one of the craft trails, I obtained a few embossing folder samples from Craftwell, hoping to see if embossing folders can be created by a 3D printer.  (They can... as you will read later.)   These folders were laying next to my M3D Micro.  As I was removing a Tough 3D Ink part from the print table, which was covered with blue painter's tape, I realized that my gap was set at THE perfect value.  The part came off easily; but, the bottom of the part was absolutely smooth!

In fact, the bottom of the part was more smooth than the top with this gap setting.

At that point, my brain, randomly making the connection between the embossing folders and smooth bottom surface, came up with a crazy idea.  What would happen if I embossed the painter's tape and printed at the same gap?  Would it emboss the bottom of the printed piece.

Well, here's the answer...

Effects Using Embossed Painter's Tape

As you can see, the pattern of the embossing folder was transferred to the painter's tape and, in turn, the pattern of the painter's tape was transferred to the bottom of the printed part.

But, the embossed pattern is relatively shallow.  So, the resulting pattern on the printed piece is barely able to be seen unless, as I have done, we spray color ACROSS the printed piece so that the impressions are more easily visible.

Watermarking a printed page is the closest analogy that I could make that would give the idea anything close to a sane rationale.  But, I have to tell you... it WAS fun to see that it actually did work.  And, I am certain that the concept can be expanded with slightly deeper embossing folders.

One of the significant things about the pattern in the printed object is that it is on the underside of the piece.  The tape becomes the support!  There is no drooping caused by lack of support.  I am certain this will come in handy in the future.  

In the meantime, my brain is happy and proud that its crazy idea actually worked.  

Believe me... It's not always that lucky!  :)

Series: Colorizing 3D Prints #11 - Top Coat Success!!!

Update:  I am seeing mixed results and I think it may have to do with how long an object has been drying or the use of a primer.  It's not bad; but, I see some smearing on the piece that was primed.  It could be that the primer does not absorb the dyes as completely as the ABS-R.  We'll keep testing and let you know.

It was absolutely necessary to find a clear top coat that would prevent the alcohol marker dyes from running and perhaps ruin some one's clothes, etc.  So, I have scoured the Internet for possible solutions. Little did I know that the solution was right in the little box that I carry with me when I take a 3D printer on the road.

I do want to thank the Krylon support team for going the extra mile in trying to help me find a suitable Krylon top coat directly over the alcohol markers.  Unfortunately, their experience was the same as mine even when using water-based varnish.

However, that does NOT mean that Krylon or any of the other top coats that I tested cannot be used AFTER a first coat of something else has been applied FIRST.

Remembering that all of our ZCorp Z450 full-color powder printer parts are finished by dipping them in a glue that most of us generically know as "Super Glue", I decided to try to coat a previously painted surfboard with some super glue I had in my workbox.

While I now believe that any "Super Glue" could be used, I tested Loctite's Super Glue Ultra Gel in the mini tube.  It was applied using a Q-tip.

NO SMEARING!!!!

I then waited for it to dry and applied a coat of Tamiya Clear Coat (TS-13) to see if the glue protected the alcohol colors underneath.

NO SMEARING!!!!

Here is the result.

Alcohol Colors Coated With Loctite Super Glue (Gel)

As you can see, the Q-Tip did pick up some residual surface color; but, not enough to cause any smearing whatsoever.  Both Spectrum Noir and Sharpie pens had been used for this colorizing test.  And, neither brand showed any signs of smearing.

While I think I could have stopped at the super glue coat, I decided to try spraying the piece with a top coat that had previously smeared the colors in earlier tests.

As you can see, the surfboard survived BOTH top coats.

I am VERY, VERY happy!

A lot of what I hope to do with 3D printing from a craft point of view comes under the general category of wearable art.  Had I not been able to find a way to prevent the colors from being activated by accident, such as a drink spill, that would ruin a person's clothing, it would have prevented me from using the colorizing methods that I'm enjoying so much and life would be a lot harder.

So, this is a big breakthrough in our colorization tests. A really big breakthrough!