Lucky Resistor
Menu
  • Home
  • Learn
    • Learn C++
    • Product Photography for Electronics
      • Required Equipment and Software
    • Soldering for Show
  • Projects
  • Libraries
  • Applications
  • Shop
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Stay Informed
  •  
Menu

How to Print the Turntable Platform

Posted on 2021-04-05 by Lucky Resistor

When I wrote part 3 of the pet feeder series, I did not expect the light transmission issues of this part. Now, I have two solutions with new revisions of the part.

  • Solution 1: Epoxy Filled Slots
    • The Print
    • Adding Epoxy to the Slots
  • Solution 2: Infill Adjustments without Slots
    • The Print
    • Using PrusaSlicer
    • Using Another Slicer
  • Downloads
  • Conclusion
  • More Posts

Solution 1: Epoxy Filled Slots

This is the superior solution with the best results, but it requires you to fill four tiny slots in the print with coloured epoxy or any other food-safe opaque material.

The Print

This is a print with two materials. The first four layers are printed in transparent PLA and the rest is printed with opaque PLA, ideally black.

  • File: LR2051-407B.stl
  • Prusa Slicer File: LR2051-407B.3mf
  • Materials:
    • up to 0.8mm: PLA Transparent (Fillamentum PLA Crystal Clear)
    • from 0.8mm: PLA Completely Opaque (Prusament Galaxy Black)
  • Layer height: 0.2 mm
  • Print bed: As smooth as possible.
  • Supports: No supports required.
  • Difficulty: Hard
  • Filament: 108g
  • Print Duration: ~8h
  • Temperature:
    • For the transparent layers, as high as possible. E.g. 230-240ºC
    • Use the default temperature for the rest of the print.
  • Use a smaller line width for the first layer, e.g. 0.3mm.

You find a slicer file for PrusaSlicer in the GitHub repository. Look in the new directory slicer-files. This file contains a filament change command at the correct height, has adjustments for the infill but contains no temperature adjustments. Best to use the tune menu on the printer and manually increase the temperature for the first layers.

Adding Epoxy to the Slots

After the print, use Kapton tape to cover the areas around the slots. The tape shall especially protect the areas of the sensors if you accidentally spill epoxy on the surface. You can use another type of tape, but make sure epoxy does not stick on it. Cover all other surfaces with plastic foil and e.g. painters tape.

Now, put the part on some kind of socket and level the surface as good as possible. Place it in a way you can keep the part in this position until the epoxy is cured.

Mix epoxy with a low viscosity and add black colour to it. I used resin L and hardener L from R&G which is food safe. Not all combinations of epoxy are suitable for very thin layers and may not cure completely. Make sure the type of epoxy you use will cure in thin layers!

Next, use a syringe with a thin needle to fill all slots until the surface of the epoxy is perfectly flush with the surface. You can watch the following video where you see the whole process.

All pauses are cut in the video. I wait a few minutes after adding the initial amount of epoxy, then check if I have to add more.

If you are happy with the results, let it cure. Make sure no dust will fall on the epoxy. Cover the part with cardboard or a foil, but make sure it does not touch the resin.

Wait at least the duration given by the manufacturer for complete curing before you even poke it! If you poke it too early, you will get a dent in the flat shiny surface. Keep some of the used epoxy in a separate cup and poke it there first. 😄 Curing epoxy completely, in small layers like this, can take days or even weeks. Some types of epoxy can be cured in a “hot-curing” process at 40-50ºC for a couple of hours to get better results. You can use the printer-bed of your 3d-printer for this task.

Solution 2: Infill Adjustments without Slots

This solution is a compromise and will give you passable sensor results. It requires a complex 3d-print preparation, but uses no slots and requires no epoxy.

The Print

This is a print with two materials. The first four layers are printed in transparent PLA and the rest is printed with opaque PLA, ideally black.

  • File: LR2051-407E.stl
  • Prusa Slicer File: LR2051-407E.3mf
  • Materials:
    • up to 0.8mm: PLA Transparent (Fillamentum PLA Crystal Clear)
    • from 0.8mm: PLA Completely Opaque (Prusament Galaxy Black)
  • Layer height: 0.2 mm
  • Print bed: As smooth as possible.
  • Supports: No supports required.
  • Difficulty: Hard
  • Filament: 108g
  • Print Duration: ~8h
  • Temperature:
    • For the transparent layers, as high as possible. E.g. 230-240ºC
    • Use the default temperature for the rest of the print.
  • Use a smaller line width for the first layer, e.g. 0.3mm.

Using PrusaSlicer

You find a slicer file for PrusaSlicer in the GitHub repository. Look in the new directory slicer-files. This file contains a filament change command at the correct height, has adjustments for the infill but contains no temperature adjustments. Best to use the tune menu on the printer and manually increase the temperature for the first layers.

Using Another Slicer

If you can not use the prepared slicer file, you have to make sure the infill orientation is set correctly around the four sensor areas in the first four transparent layers.

Here you can see the round patches in the second layer where the infill is printed at a different angle.

  • Compartment 1: 117º
  • Compartment 2: 189º
  • Compartment 3: 261º
  • Compartment 4: 333º
  • Position Sensor: 149º

In PrusaSlicer, I added four cylinders 40x40x0.8mm with the adjustments to the part. The important part is between the LED and phototransistor. The printed lines should be at a 45º angle to the line between these two elements.

Downloads

All required files are in the following GitHub repository:

Git Repository

Creative Commons Licence
Pet Feeder by Lucky Resistor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://luckyresistor.me.

Conclusion

Hopefully this post gave you enough information to successfully print the turntable platform. If you have any questions, missed information, or simply want to provide feedback, feel free to comment below. 😄

 

More Posts

Build a Sustainable Refillable Active Coal Filter

Build a Sustainable Refillable Active Coal Filter

If you ever used air filters to keep smells, fumes and dust at a low level in your workshop, you for sure came in contact with these expensive throwaway active coal filters. While throwing-away the ...
Read More
Large Update to the Circle Pattern Generator

Large Update to the Circle Pattern Generator

Today I published a significant update to the circle pattern generator. Version 1.4.1 of the application is available for macOS and Windows for download. This new version adds various shapes, rotations, colours and a generator ...
Read More
Candlelight Emulation – Complexity with Layering

Candlelight Emulation – Complexity with Layering

In this blog post I explain the microcontroller firmware that emulates candlelight in more detail. You can apply the explained techniques in similar situations to get organic effects on CPU and RAM-limited platforms. I will ...
Read More
Extreme Integers – Doom from Below

Extreme Integers – Doom from Below

As a beginner or immediate C++ programmer, you heard never mixing unsigned and signed integer types or avoiding unsigned integers at all. There was also this talk about undefined behaviour. Yet, in embedded software development, ...
Read More
The 3D Printed Modular Lantern

The 3D Printed Modular Lantern

I designed a very modular 19th-century-style lantern. You can print it in its simplest form as a simple candlelight to put on a table or a shelf. By printing additional elements, you create a wonderful ...
Read More
Update to the Storage Boxes System

Update to the Storage Boxes System

Last week I sent all subscribers a small update to my storage boxes system. There are new split boxes for the tall boxes (LR2052-300C-S) and a new extensive PDF catalogue with a great overview, but ...
Read More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Stay Updated

Join me on Mastodon!

Top Posts & Pages

  • Storage Boxes System for 3D Print
  • Event-based Firmware (Part 1/2)
  • Build a 3D Printer Enclosure
  • Yet Another Filament Filter
  • Circle Pattern Generator
  • Circle Pattern Generator
  • Real Time Counter and Integer Overflow
  • Projects
  • Logic Gates Puzzle 11
  • Units of Measurements for Safe C++ Variables

Latest Posts

  • Better Bridging with Slicer Guides2023-02-04
  • Stronger 3D Printed Parts with Vertical Perimeter Linking2023-02-02
  • Logic Gates Puzzle 1012023-02-02
  • Candlelight Emulation – Complexity with Layering2023-02-01
  • Three Ways to Integrate LED Light Into the Modular Lantern2023-01-29
  • The 3D Printed Modular Lantern2023-01-17
  • Rail Grid Alternatives and More Interesting Updates2022-12-09
  • Large Update to the Circle Pattern Generator2022-11-10

Categories

  • 3D Printing
  • Build
  • Common
  • Fail
  • Fun
  • Learn
  • Projects
  • Puzzle
  • Recommendations
  • Request for Comments
  • Review
  • Software
Copyright (c)2022 by Lucky Resistor. All rights reserved.
 

Loading Comments...