what printing/resolution speed to expect?

[alexhurz]

Hello there!
I ve been reading this section with great interest for a little while now.
I ve ordered my shapeoko yesterday and was planning to add a 3D printing functionality too.
Could someone who made it please tell me what speed and resolution are to be expected? (i m thinking of doing a bowden extruder, 0.35mm nozzle...) Also i m not sure what changes are to be made for the Z axis. People are talking about getting a longer slide but looks unclear to me (cf Alan Davidson)
Basically is the switch worth or should i get another machine...
Thanks a lot. Great forum! Hail to Edward!

[cvoinescu]

The switch is worth it. You'll be able to build objects 100mm tall, which is not as much as some other machines. However, if you raise the frame of the machine, you can get about 120mm without any modifications, and more if you replace the Z rail with a longer piece of MakerSlide. The resolution is roughly the same as many other 3D printers (slightly better in some cases). What layer size you can achieve depends on your nozzle too. The machine is very fast, but it gets a little wobble in the YZ plane when stopped or started suddenly in the Y direction. That can be addresses with firmware settings. A Bowden extruder should reduce that a lot, too, because there's much less mass on the carriage. One advantage of the ShapeOko being so sturdy is that it holds adjustment well. I've levelled mine once, and it's still level after being moved around and transported in the trunk of my car several times. The only disadvantage as a 3D printer is the noise: because it has more mass to move than machines designed as 3D printers, the motors make more noise.

[alexhurz]

thanks Cvoinescu for the info!
i've ordered the pieces today...we'll see

[SnapFracturePop]

I've got mine moving at 90-120mm/sec with a .35mm nozzle. If I wasn't having unrelated issues with my extruder, i think that speed would be about right. The only issue is that the printhead bounces a little bit on sharp turns. With a Bowden you probably won't have as much of an issue with that unless you lengthen the Z slide too much.

[alexhurz]

hey SnapFracturePop, thanks for your input!
your shark looks great! can't wait to join the club!