Failure analysis

[Jeff Van Epps]

What causes this? I saw when I clicked Print it said "Supports: Off" and wondered about it.

It's Android Man. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:276373

Replicator Mini. Makerware Desktop 3.2.0.11.

[2pooped2care]

Too much of an overhang without a support. Supports in makerbot desktop sux.

[Jeff Van Epps]

 

Is this where people get into running different "slicers"? Where do I get started with that?

[Robert Nee]

You should first try turning on supports on the settings screen. Trying to print this type of object with supports off will be problematic.

[lassi kinnunen]

on a 5th gen.. currently afaik nowhere.

now what you might do is try to use the supports function.

if that doesn't feel good, use something like meshmixer to generate support structures into the stl.

[Jeff Van Epps]

Haha, it's the other settings menu, no wonder I didn't see it before. There's a nice checkbox for Supports. Not sure why it's off, or why they let you turn it off, since clearly things don't work when it's off. Poking around, there's a Profile dropdown with choices "Low", "Standard", "High" - low/standard/high what? Well it doesn't really matter since even though the Low/High choices look available, they really aren't - the dialog refuses to let you select them. Oh, Profile is apparently the same thing as Resolution - up by Resolution there is also the same 3 choices and the non-Standard ones are in fact visibly disabled there. Clearly designed by UX professionals :-)  Thanks, I'll give it a try.

[Robert Nee]

Depending on what you are printing you may not need them.  If the object has no overhangs you can leave this setting off.  If you can avoid supports by reorienting the object then do that otherwise turn it on.  For example, rather than trying to print an inverted cone with supports it'd better to flip it over for printing.  Sometimes they're unavoidable though.

Rob

[Jeff Van Epps]

How are you all removing the supports? 

[Ryan Carlyle]

Tweezers, needle-nose pliers, side-cutters, Dremel. This is why people say Makerware/Desktop supports suck.

[Jeff Van Epps]

How does one remove supports created by other software? Same tools?

I found that the ones under the Android's arms could be twisted enough that they would eventually snap in the right place. By then it was time to go to work so I haven't tackled the rest.

[Christopher M.]

Well... you have a 5th gen Makerbot so you are kinda stuck to the Desktop app.

If you would have a Rep 2 or some other 3D printer you could use Simplify 3D.

The supports simplify3d creates are amazingly easy to remove. You can just break them away with your hands. If you have pliers you are done in no time.

[Jeff Van Epps]

He's supposed to have two distinct legs under his torso. Instead there's an apparently solid mass that I can't find a purchase on. Might just start tapping it with a hammer.

There's also a layer covering the writing on his chest. It it's a support, I don't know what it would be supporting. I don't know why it's there. I'm trying to basically shave it off with the knife.

Guess I should limit myself to only printing models which don't need supports.

[Jetguy]

Look up and you'll see what the support is supporting. Hint, the 90 lip overhang on the head.

Gcode preview would let you know what you were about to print for future objects.

[Jetguy]

[Ryan Carlyle]

1) You can make a custom profile in Makerbot Desktop to dramatically scale back the density and aggressive placement of the supports. Strongly recommended.

2) You can use Meshmixer to select where you want supports, then re-export the STL for printing in Makerbot Desktop. Meshmixer supports are way better.