What's wrong with my chess pawn model & why so much to print it?

[appliancejunk]

@jesse_s

you should price printing the part locally via 3dhubs.com

Added them to my list of printing services, thanks!

[d12dozr]

@appliancejunk

OK, it’s a solid! I closed the bottom again. Never should have deleted the bottom to start with.Then I highlighted it, made a group and now my Entity Info shows it as a solid and the volume!

Ok, I think you got the concept of wall thickness down, now you need to learn about escape holes. Shapeways plastic is a powder based material, so if you hollow the model, you still have to leave a way for them to remove the unused powder from the inside. If you don’t, their system removes the interior hollow and you pay the price like it’s not hollow. That’s why you should remove, or leave a hole in the bottom.

Here’s one way you could modify your original design to make the model hollow right away, without having to delete the bottom:

Note that if you order via 3D Hubs, you’ll likely be working with an extrusion printer. In that case, a hollow model isn’t helpful at all, and so you don’t need to worry about wall thickness. You will have to worry about overhangs though, like Mac suggests. (See Pg 34 in the 3D printing with SketchUp book)

For more on the different printing processes, it’s helpful to see how each of them work: Video Guide to 3D Printing Technologies – Denali 3D Design

Also, thanks for getting the book!

[appliancejunk]

@d12dozr

Ok, I think you got the concept of wall thickness down

Yeah, this morning I made two models of a 2" cube with a open top. The first one had 1/4" thick wall and the second one had .7mm think walls, the mim. Shapeways said I could have.

Shapeways price on the one with 1/4" walls was $54.44 and the price on the one with the .7mm walls was $16.80

@d12dozr

Shapeways plastic is a powder based material, so if you hollow the model, you still have to leave a way for them to remove the unused powder from the inside. If you don’t, their system removes the interior hollow and you pay the price like it’s not hollow. That’s why you should remove, or leave a hole in the bottom.

Good to know, thanks!

@d12dozr

Here’s one way you could modify your original design to make the model hollow right away, without having to delete the bottom:

Well now that’s what I thought I was doing with my first models when I was simply deleting the bottom. But after having a little more experiance now I think I understand how just deleting the bottom of my previous models was not the same thing as what your showing me now.

I will definitely be playing around with how your showing me to do it now.

@d12dozr

Note that if you order via 3D Hubs, you’ll likely be working with an extrusion printer. In that case, a hollow model isn’t helpful at all, and so you don’t need to worry about wall thickness.

When I decided I wanted to learn how to use SU for 3d printing I had no idea at the time I would also have to learn about 3d printers haha. Sounds silly now, but figured what ever I ended up drawing in 3D could simply be sent to a 3d printer. Now I see there is more to it.

@d12dozr

For more on the different printing processes, it’s helpful to see how each of them work: Video Guide to 3D Printing Technologies – Denali 3D Design

That was great to see. I was most impressed by the first video of a working ball bearing being printed and from the copyright at the end of the video I see it’s 11 years old! Sill very impressive to me.

@d12dozr

Also, thanks for getting the book!

Your welcome and thank you!