Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: Ben Framed on August 01, 2022, 04:56:21 pm

Title: 3-D Printing
Post by: Ben Framed on August 01, 2022, 04:56:21 pm
Beemaster2 (Jim), recently posted a fine example of a wax press he made by using the 3-D method. I have seen videos of other beekeepers products, made at home by the 3-D method.

Are there other members here which use 3-D printers to aid in their beekeeping? I will include guest. If you are a guest please feel free to join us here at Beemaster and join in the conversation.

Are there others here who use 3-D printers for other purposes as well?

Phillip




Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 01, 2022, 08:08:50 pm
Here are some pictures of a honey gate that I designed and printed. The original gate constantly leaks around the threads. They were too short to bee able to add a second O ring so I made this. I can either print the handle and seal pieces or use the original ones. I haven?t decided yet.
I also made new nuts for it , the original one would slip if you tightened it too much.









Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 01, 2022, 08:10:38 pm
Here is the nut for it:



Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: The15thMember on August 01, 2022, 08:25:40 pm
What did your 3D printer cost you, Jim? 
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: Bill Murray on August 01, 2022, 08:28:29 pm
It will be interesting to see if that one leaks or not.
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: Ben Framed on August 01, 2022, 10:35:50 pm
Jim I a m amazed how nice these parts look!

Phillip
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: gww on August 01, 2022, 11:15:54 pm
My brother has the printer but I am sure the design portion is a little time consuming.
Cheers
gww
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 02, 2022, 04:02:03 am
What did your 3D printer cost you, Jim? 
It was my birthday present, about $650 for this one. You can get cheaper/smaller ones.  My nephew is an expert on 3d printers and he recommended my wife get this one. He used to build fighting robots using 3d printers for all of the plastic parts.

Jim Altmiller there
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 02, 2022, 04:04:27 am
It will be interesting to see if that one leaks or not.
I will have to sand and smooth out the end with the hole to make it leak proof.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 02, 2022, 04:08:23 am
My brother has the printer but I am sure the design portion is a little time consuming.
Cheers
gww
It took 33 hours to print. It took a lot longer to figure out how it get the different angles and shapes. It was fun learning how to design it.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: Michael Bush on August 02, 2022, 06:55:07 am
I'd love get the files for the honey gate.  My son has a 3D printer now.  So far we've just made toys...
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 02, 2022, 08:16:25 am
Michael,
I?ll send you a copy.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: Acebird on August 02, 2022, 03:41:47 pm
What did your 3D printer cost you, Jim?
Also the cost of the plastic.
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: gww on August 02, 2022, 03:51:26 pm
My brothers was about $1100 and he told me the cost of the stuff he prints with but I can't remember but know he does not just use one kind.  I helped him mate it wireless to his lap top cause I am better then him with that kind of stuff which is funny cause I am not tech savvy.
Cheers
gww
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 02, 2022, 06:39:40 pm
Ace,
The plastic costs about $23 a 1000 gram roll.
GWW,
Did you hook up a Rasberry Pi to his printer?
I ordered one and a camera that goes with it. The camera came but they back ordered the Rasberry Pi and then canceled it. As soon as I get a few extra bucks I?m going to re order it. The Rasberry Pi  has WiFi built in.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: gww on August 02, 2022, 07:16:36 pm
Jim
I don't think he got anything but the printer.  He may have got a builder program other then what came with the machine.  He has gotten different hardness type printing material but to be honest, over two days we just learned how to get it to work from his lap top, transferred a few free pre-designs from the internet and built a couple easy things with the program and once he got those moves down, I was out. 

I think he has messed with it quite a bit since my involvement.  I think he bought a cheap caliper to help with his designs.  He has made stuff for other family members but I only really helped or watched while figuring the transferring of info between different programs and his printer. 

He wanted one for years but I did not have enough imagination to figure out how to make it useful for me to want one.  Some day I am going to see if it will print some arrow nochs strong enough to use.  I tried while trying to make it work but did not figure it out on them but some other toy but can go back now that we know how.  Course I may never get off my butt and fire the cross bow any more to need them.  Time will tell.  I have talked so little about it with him lately that he may have bought cameras and other things that help him do stuff that I don't even know about.
Cheers
gww

Ps  Pretty sure it is this printer or at least this brand.    QIDI X-MAX, LARGE SIZE 3D PRINTER
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 02, 2022, 10:52:52 pm
GWW,
I use Fusion 360 for designing. I really like it. There are tons of training videos for it.
Check out Thingiverse.com and see if someone has already designed the arrow nocks that you want to make.
I use digital calibers for designing. They?re more accurate and it helps your design match what you are trying to put it on. 
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: gww on August 02, 2022, 11:29:40 pm
Off of Thingiverse.com, the noch was the first thing I tried but I ended up being successful on a little plane and just did not go back after it printed.  My little brother had already caste a few for me and so we were mostly just leaning how to do stuff at the time.  However, every since I found the noch, I have been intending to  eventually try a few.

I don't remember which program for designing and it may have been fusion as it sounds a bit familiar.  Since you typed it, I can find it again if I ever need to so thanks.
Cheers
gww
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 03, 2022, 04:02:12 am
GWW,
No need to find out. That?s just the program that I like and use. It is really powerful.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: gww on August 03, 2022, 11:53:42 am
I was thinking more that now that I know you like it, if my brother mentions some problem with what he is using, I could now find it here and turn him onto it to try.
Cheers
gww
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 03, 2022, 12:59:35 pm
GWW,
Sounds good, give him my number.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: gww on August 03, 2022, 02:33:05 pm
Jim
Thanks
gww
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on September 02, 2022, 09:06:54 am
Here?s an update.
I finished making the slide cap and the arm mechanism for the Honey Gate Valve.
I may make some adjustments if I decide to print them again.

Here is the slide cap:


Here is the the arm, it has a heavy spring and a large set screw for adjusting the tension on the cap.
It is sitting next to the original.


Here is the completed valve.


I had to hand sand the two mating services to make them seal. Not sure if they are smooth enough to fully seal yet. They are pretty lose.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: yes2matt on September 02, 2022, 09:46:44 am
Jim
I don't think he got anything but the printer.  He may have got a builder program other then what came with the machine.  He has gotten different hardness type printing material but to be honest, over two days we just learned how to get it to work from his lap top, transferred a few free pre-designs from the internet and built a couple easy things with the program and once he got those moves down, I was out. 

I think he has messed with it quite a bit since my involvement.  I think he bought a cheap caliper to help with his designs.  He has made stuff for other family members but I only really helped or watched while figuring the transferring of info between different programs and his printer. 

He wanted one for years but I did not have enough imagination to figure out how to make it useful for me to want one.  Some day I am going to see if it will print some arrow nochs strong enough to use.  I tried while trying to make it work but did not figure it out on them but some other toy but can go back now that we know how.  Course I may never get off my butt and fire the cross bow any more to need them.  Time will tell.  I have talked so little about it with him lately that he may have bought cameras and other things that help him do stuff that I don't even know about.
Cheers
gww

Ps  Pretty sure it is this printer or at least this brand.    QIDI X-MAX, LARGE SIZE 3D PRINTER

Man be careful about anything critical like arrow nocks. I print with ABS and it is nowhere anything even close to strong enough for that. Only you might be able to print the nock, use something like the 2-part silicone to make a mold and then cast them in epoxy.  But you could just buy/unglue an existing nock and make a mold from that would be faster.   but the silicone for the mold probably will cost as much as the nocks (not counting the printer! ha!) or the resin!
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: gww on September 02, 2022, 10:58:57 am
yesmat
My brother made me enough to get by with casting and epoxy.  Still have not tried printing and it was only on my mind to try it cause I had seen a design while setting up the printer.
Cheers
gww
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: Acebird on September 03, 2022, 09:21:10 am

I had to hand sand the two mating services to make them seal. Not sure if they are smooth enough to fully seal yet. They are pretty lose.
Jim Altmiller
I would use a smooth file between the arm and the blue part until the blue part was even.  Then you can mount sand paper to the blue part and get the red cap to match the blue part.  It is a lapping process to get two surfaces to match.  You can use a door shim to adjust the space  between the blue part and the arm.  It is going to be a pain to keep the teeth of the file clean.  May have to start with a coarse file.
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on September 04, 2022, 11:49:46 pm
Here is a 1 inch hose to bucket connector I just designed this evening. It is for filling frame feeders quickly with a one inch hose and a five gallon bucket of sugar water.



Here is the nut that I?m printing right now.



Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on September 13, 2022, 04:08:33 pm
Here are pictures of my latest design. It is designed to work with the previous 1 inch hose connection. It is for being able to control the flow of sugar water from a large container.



This picture was taken from the computer screen. I designed it on Fusion 360.



Here is a cut away view of it. Sugar water comes from the left side.



I?m using an old garden hose handle to open and close the valve.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: Ben Framed on September 14, 2022, 09:17:25 am
Amazingly good job Jim!! Very impressive.

Phillip
Title: Re: 3-D Printing
Post by: BeeMaster2 on September 17, 2022, 09:50:42 am
Here a a photo of the final product.



It took 4 prints to get it to work.



The first, red one was too short for the spring assembly, the second one, beige one, I changed the filament type and the temperature was too low and the lever arm separated. The third one, black and probably beige also, when I adjusted the height, it changed the thickness of the center port and it failed. Every time you adjust something you have to check what else changed.
Jim Altmiller