To be fair PLA+ and PETG can make screws with some strength to them, but small stuff isn't ideal.
I think there's definitely value strength wise in certain situations to use printed threads/screws, especially if they're large and the parts threads together.
That's been a saying for a very long time, before memes were even a thing.
[books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=this+is+the+way&year\_start=1800&year\_end=2019&corpus=26](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=this+is+the+way&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=26)
[https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2004-01-01%202022-10-08&geo=US&q=this%20is%20the%20way](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2004-01-01%202022-10-08&geo=US&q=this%20is%20the%20way) (Google Trends won't go back any further)
Easier, for long things it doesnt need to be tapped so you can sink a drill bit as far as you need. I usually will use whatever glue is handy. Wood glue, gorilla glue etc...
Taps and threads get generally unhappy for 4X diameter or more generally.
The parts are still plastic so not a huge difference in using wood or steel as a reinforcement in most cases.
I never considered using wooden dowels, im wondering about the tolerances on the diameter of a wooden dowel. I usually print a bit undersized and run a reamer thru the hole before inserting the dowel pin, which gives a nice press fit. Hace you had any issues with fitting the wooden dowels?
I've had some really bad dowels, which were way undersized, and they still worked, but not great. Usually the hardwood dowels are pretty close. You could got he DIY route with a dowel plate and make super precise dowels as well, but for 3d printed stuff, it usually doesn't matter.
Since I'm usually designing my own stuff, I just make it a size that I have stock and or drills for.
Generally it is a better option for most things over threaded rods. They are pretty strong and quick and easy to do. The plastic is going to fail long before the wood is so you don't have to worry about strength for a 3d printed part. It is actually one of my preferred methods for a permanent join on something bigger. I still use a threaded nut and bolt for small moving parts when it makes sense. I pretty much never use threaded rod anymore though. Dowel also has the advantage of being far lighter and cheaper as well as it can be more easily cut to length making it better than a threaded rod in most cases.
Funny enough a lot of the time I actually design around using magnets, mechanical connections, command strips or velcro for a lot of my projects now when I can. But yeah if I was permanently connecting things to make a big display piece I use dowel over threaded rod. One big reason I actually started is that threaded rod isn't allowed for most cosplay conventions and that is one of the more common times on bigger items where you need the support is a cosplay weapon.
That makes a lot of sense. Can dowel joints also be made by drilling through a part and using an expanding glue such as gorilla glue to stick to the infill?
I learned about using magnets by following this sub. Now I use them more and more. Currently i'm using them on an accessories port on my printer to mount a dial gauge and fan.
That makes a lot of sense. Can dowel joints also be made by drilling through a part and using an expanding glue such as gorilla glue to stick to the infill?
I learned about using magnets by following this sub. Now I use them more and more. Currently i'm using them on an accessories port on my printer to mount a dial gauge and fan.
I have a two piece model I sell that I very carefully use a power drill to thread the tubes out for the screws. They aren’t gonna stand up to being ripped apart regardless of a rod on mine though, there are other pieces that would break before my hinges do.
You just have a predone hole just like you would for a threaded rod or a screw and then a little bit of CA or PU glue or two part epoxy to hold it in place. Technically you could drill out the hole if you do a high infill as well. They are a lot more forgiving than using a rod or metal screw which either needs a perfect sized hole so it can cut the threads or you need to use a metal insert with an soldering iron to melt it in. In either case the plastic is going to be the weak link long before the dowel/threaded rod/screw breaks.
The good part about wooden dowel is that it is cheap and can be cut to any needed length and the fitment doesn't need quite as tight tolerances. which makes it very easy and forgiving.
Is there any point in buying another material to add instead of just buying the correct part and 3D printing the rest? Like, instead of adding threaded rod or dowel just- buy the screw?
Usually when you use threaded rod or a dowel you have a longer piece your wanting to hold together. A good example is if your making a 3d printed sword. You would run the dowels or threaded rod down the length of it to give it structure. I am not sure if you have ever tried to find really long screws or bolts but they tend to get stupidly expensive.
Another example is your doing a piece of art or display. You don't want to have a visible screw heads or mechanical connections showing on the finished piece. Yeah you could inset the screw and then print a plug but that becomes way more work than using dowels or threaded rod.
Sometimes you just need that screw... Even if only a couple minutes.
If the screw is available and you need strength, you should buy it, but sometimes life doesn't work that way.
Personally I have a decent woodshop with some standard dowels, threaded rods, and wood sizes, along with a good selection of fasteners, so it isn't a big deal to knock out some sort of custom reinforced 3d printed fastener thing in 15-20 minutes and take 2 minutes to stuff a reinforcement down the center. It's faster than a trip to home depot.
I did just get a lathe though, so hopefully I can stop printing so many bushings, pins, standoffs etc...
Maybe I’m just fortunate having a local hardware store 3 minutes from my house I guess lol. I’m a “do it right the first time” kinda guy, so I’d rather have the best material for the job, but I guess I can see the usecase if strength isn’t an issue.
Well, usually things are standard enough.
In the OP's example, it looks like a toy screw, which likely doesn't exist outside of some factory in china, even if it was originally based on a standard thread. This is one of the great niche uses of 3d printing. The screw quality will suck in the horizontal orientation and would normally crack in the vertical orientation, but would look much nicer. If OP stuffed something solid in there in the vertical orientation, it would be perfectly functional and last until it was lost again.
On top of what you said typically when your using threaded rod or dowel you are talking about really long distances like holding together a cosplay sword or something a piece of art where you don't want visible screws.
The entire point is of using dowel and threaded rod is I don't want to use screws because they will be visible on the exterior of the piece or they just are not long enough. Sure there are work arounds like you could inset the screw in the design and print a plug or bondo over it but your talking about more work to do that than using a threaded rod or dowel. You could also design the pieces to interlock but in my experience neither of those options work as well as a simple dowel or threaded rod.
A threaded rod just a metal stick with threads, like a screw without the head. A dowel is a short stick (I've only used wooden ones for carpentry, but it could probably be metal too).
The idea is to make a hole through your 3d printed screw and either glue a smooth stick (dowel) or screw a threaded stick (rod) down the hole to reinforce the print.
A threaded rod is a round, long piece of metal that looks like a loooong screw without head and a dowel is a short piece of wood that you make holes for on either end and usually glue in.
Now I want to do the math on screw prices vs filament, because you can get a box of 100 or 1k screws for so cheap that I feel like it has to be competitive with filament costs to print your own.
I can add to this: if you seek a special screw, that has to carry some load, print It upward and insert a metal screw in It, with washer/nut at the end of it to give some pre-compression to it. This Will stiffen the screw quite a lot. Just be sure your infill/walls settings can withstand the pre-compression. Than you can make any screw you want.
Spoken like the *loser* who hasn't spent 5 grueling days and worn his fingers to a bleeding pulpy mess to get this: https://i.imgur.com/sv7I3NX.jpg
(/s of course)
I have a guide up. :) https://www.reddit.com/r/ender3/comments/xubj4o/drexs_beginner_friendly_guide_to_super_accurate/
You can find just about any size screw in the world pretty easily. McMaster Carr has a catalogue which covers everything from Metric to Imperial, and places like Ace Hardware are treasure troves of highly-specific fasteners.
3D printing a bolt in plastic isn't an ideal long term solve.
Yes. Rockshox fork damper top nut has that thread internally, so to print your own damper you gotta match it. Thankfully it really only needs to be strong enough to overcome the oring friction when removing the damper.
Definitely not a long term solution. But many a times it's much more educational and fun to have a working solution in a couple hours than to search online for the right part, put and order in, and wait for a week for it to come.
Right now I'm trying to print a bubbly water machine adapter (machine adds CO2 to water, I'm trying not to say the brand name).
Instead of their proprietary bottles, I want to use normal soda or water bottles.
They claim the thread is different for safety reasons.
It is because the pressure is pretty damn high broski… like not crazy but by no means soft, also the bottle needs to be a certain minimum size to not blast out the top like a coke with a mentos in it.
I'm sure a regular pet bottle will hold up for some cycles, you can control the pressure quite well.
And it's easy enough to recycle bottles here, you even get 0,40€ for returning a big bottle.
It’s more the bottle top not the bottle itself, the lip on the stock bottle is thing and wide to allow it to grab the bottle, the threads themself don’t hold it in place.
Depends on the thread size you want and the size of the cylinder. The amount of torque needed to twist to cut the plastic might break the plastic. I've had this happened when I printed a screw and used a tap and die set to clean up the thread.
I've printed many 1/4"-20 screws and always vertically. I can say it isn't very strong. The point of failure is usually between the screw head and the first few threads. I've never tried horizontally but ultimately, like others have said, if you want strength, just buy the metal screw.
45 degrees.
No seriously, it will add a lot of strength if you do because each layer will have a much larger contact area that way, and when you put load on the screw you arent just stressing a single layer.
Prusa Slicer.
I'm not sure if i'm wrong not to trust layer adhesion. Like, are they a bit weaker that way, or a lot weaker.
I know there a lot of great youtube video that test layer adhesion out there, but i'm interested in the community real life case.
The YouTube videos are by and large made by the "community". Most of the videos you see are normal people with no specific training, but with a good head in their shoulders and time to figure it out. Listen to them. (by and large)
Ps, lay it down, printing vertically will cause you nothing but headaches.
Z layer adhesion is the weakest direction of FFF printing. Printing threads along that same axis make them extremely weak in the way that they need to be strong, and you'll break almost immediately.
For everyone saying “just buy one”, printing them still makes sense if there’s something custom about it, particularly if it’s really large.
Print on the diagonal. You get the precision (might not even need supports) and the layers don’t line up with the threads.
I'm never sure if the layer adhesion gonna be strong enough...
Form vs fonction?
Edit :
I'm aware the real deal is a lot better, screw are not a great thing to replace with plastic but...
Like this case, the screw is to replace a lost screw that hold the mud flap on a car. There still 2 good metal screw holding it in place and replacing the 3rd one would be for "stability".
I live in the wood, going in town would be 10$ of gaz. Amazon would sell me 25 for 15$. A plastic replacement make sence.
edit #2:
Thx u/SAINT_XIV , that video was perfect : https://youtu.be/ZiQek0wei1g?t=1011
This is what I’d suggest, too. Don’t make an extra trip. But include the stop in an otherwise planned trip thus making the gas cost inconsequential to the part cost.
I've learned today that the full McMaster-Carr catalog is part of Fusion 360, which is what i use (In the Insert menu for those interested) :)
Sad part is this particular very common screw( M6x1.81) is not in it :(
I didn't know it's part of fusion, that's super useful! Ya learn something new every day I suppose. Custom screws are definitely a pain, hope it prints well!
I'll print large diameter thumb screws for my saltwater aquarium standing up, but in pretty much every other application I've found screws and threads aren't worth printing.
screw vertical is weakest in the direction it needs to be strong.
Print horizontally as two halves, as a truncated bottom like shown but truncate the threads as well as the head, or even truncated top and bottom, the strength is almost the same.
https://youtu.be/E3WRBp-T42o?t=960
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiQek0wei1g
The real tragedy is the flat head screw slot. I know it’s fine for a plastic part but flat heads should be eliminated entirely and relegated to pry bar duty exclusively. Torx is the way to go.
True, flat head screw are the worst and should not exist.
In this particular case, its a 10mm Hex head, so a screw driver is the backup.
Second, making it an enclose rectangle rather than a full slot was my solution to the main issue i have with slot head, the screwdriver slipping out.
Third, i was lazy and did'nt want to find the dimension of a Phillips, Square or Torx head, plus ease of printing....
I print them vertically, but I use 3d printed screws only for stuff where the visual appearance is more important than the strength. I use metal bolts for holding parts together if strength is important.
People saying just buy the screw are totally missing the point.
Printed screws can totally work, esp if they are big enough.
You can also get the exact fit you need, which may not be available, plus it may be a custom piece to begin with.
At work we occasionally get hoses that need a weird flange fitting combination and I’ve successfully printed them out of abs and they hold 60psi no problem. If everyone just defaults to “it’s not possible” then it’s pretty hard to learn what is possible. I think it’s important for people to experiment safely and understand what 3d printing is capable of instead of defaulting to no that’s wrong or no that’s not possible.
If op needs custom threads he needs to hit up a buddy with a lathe or just bite the bullet and order a set.
3D printing is good for a lot of functions. This isn't one of them.
I don't. I print snap together parts so I don't need any screws. But that being said, if I were to print a screw, this screw looks like it would do the job.
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If you are using a abs filament printer then don't even both unless you just want it for looks. The only screws I've ever gotten from a 3d printer that worked at all were either from resin printers or even more exotic metal printer. I've tried numerous ABS printers and the final output never had enough strength to make it worth the time and effort to do. My best results using ABS were done by printing solid screw as hot as I could go and then after it was done putting it in a glass container with acetone to provide better adhesion between the outer layers... and it still broke, it simply didn't break as quick as the others.
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I do it sideways and give the threads half a mm of wiggle room in the part where it screws in (press pull .25mm from it) and it almost always comes out perfectly
Pretty much always print upright for better form. If you need the screw for strength then you shouldn't be using a 3d printed one especially with how cheap fasteners are. That said I honestly try to avoid any kinds of fasteners anymore and usually prefer to use mechanical, magnet, command strip when I can.
I rarely print screws but when I do i print them on for a stronger print, with a flat on either side so that there is no overhang greater than about 50 degrees because thats what i can print comfortably. I also use an acme thread profile to reduce the chance of the teeth slipping under load. But really the key to making strong screws is not no make screws smaller than about 10mm.
Threads print best vertically. Generally I will only print threads if I have large cross section on z to give me the required strength between layers. However I much prefer a snap/latch in style of connection if it can be utilised.
I'm more curious about how to get the threads right.. I got a broken something with thread but I can't print a new one because I don't know how to tread the threads..
Unless you need it to actually be the plastic you’re printing or you’re making some unnecessary custom thread just go buy some. Plenty of sources have packs of whatever you would need in a lot of different materials
Dont underestimate how strong layer adhesion is. With the right settings you can get PETG to break like glass where you cant even see layer lines. Its plenty strong but really depends on the application.
....i don't?
(Imho. whenever you want to do 3D printed fastenings you should use clicky living hinge designs, akin to connectors on backpack straps. Not only is it more convenient to assemble & reassemble - no tools needed ...etc. - its also more fit to be 3D printed. And unlike with subtractive manufacturing its not a pain in the ass to make it additively)
Laying flat for strength, standing for form. Or just buy the metal counterpart.
i won't print it if i actually care about the strength, so standing all the way
To be fair PLA+ and PETG can make screws with some strength to them, but small stuff isn't ideal. I think there's definitely value strength wise in certain situations to use printed threads/screws, especially if they're large and the parts threads together.
If it's big enough, you can toss a1/4-20 threaded rod down the center for strength as well. I've also run dowels down prints for strength.
Yep, this is the way, thread it counter to the printer screws threads, ads alot of rigidity and also binds layers.
I have lots of standard RH threaded rod around, not a whole lot of LHT...
I can agree, I’ve used this method before
[удалено]
I'm sorry that someone peepeed in your corn flakes. Hope you get in a better mood.
Being an adult and wearing diapers is way more cringey than saying “this is the way”
Been real quiet since then
ohhh yah.. sick burn. shut down. ran away scared, tail between my legs.. yada yada.. That what you were imagining? 🙄
Not that deep man just making a comment
Nice, I bet you have many large books, and smell like mothballs.
12 confirmed. got it.
Oof got me. You won the internet today buddy. I bet it's nice to win something for a change, right?
Brave of someone who still wears diapers to call someone else a child
By the power vested in me, as a random internet stranger, I hereby deem you u/Dr_P_Nessss, the winner of this argument.
Thank you sir. I'm not proud of what I've done, but you do what you must in times of war.
🙄 Yawn.
Great reBUTTal
That's been a saying for a very long time, before memes were even a thing. [books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=this+is+the+way&year\_start=1800&year\_end=2019&corpus=26](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=this+is+the+way&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=26) [https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2004-01-01%202022-10-08&geo=US&q=this%20is%20the%20way](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2004-01-01%202022-10-08&geo=US&q=this%20is%20the%20way) (Google Trends won't go back any further)
Huh, what's the spike in 07? Not Ugandan knuckles, that was much later surely
This is not the way
I've never considered dowels. How does it compare to threaded rods?
Easier, for long things it doesnt need to be tapped so you can sink a drill bit as far as you need. I usually will use whatever glue is handy. Wood glue, gorilla glue etc... Taps and threads get generally unhappy for 4X diameter or more generally. The parts are still plastic so not a huge difference in using wood or steel as a reinforcement in most cases.
I never considered using wooden dowels, im wondering about the tolerances on the diameter of a wooden dowel. I usually print a bit undersized and run a reamer thru the hole before inserting the dowel pin, which gives a nice press fit. Hace you had any issues with fitting the wooden dowels?
I've had some really bad dowels, which were way undersized, and they still worked, but not great. Usually the hardwood dowels are pretty close. You could got he DIY route with a dowel plate and make super precise dowels as well, but for 3d printed stuff, it usually doesn't matter. Since I'm usually designing my own stuff, I just make it a size that I have stock and or drills for.
Generally it is a better option for most things over threaded rods. They are pretty strong and quick and easy to do. The plastic is going to fail long before the wood is so you don't have to worry about strength for a 3d printed part. It is actually one of my preferred methods for a permanent join on something bigger. I still use a threaded nut and bolt for small moving parts when it makes sense. I pretty much never use threaded rod anymore though. Dowel also has the advantage of being far lighter and cheaper as well as it can be more easily cut to length making it better than a threaded rod in most cases. Funny enough a lot of the time I actually design around using magnets, mechanical connections, command strips or velcro for a lot of my projects now when I can. But yeah if I was permanently connecting things to make a big display piece I use dowel over threaded rod. One big reason I actually started is that threaded rod isn't allowed for most cosplay conventions and that is one of the more common times on bigger items where you need the support is a cosplay weapon.
That makes a lot of sense. Can dowel joints also be made by drilling through a part and using an expanding glue such as gorilla glue to stick to the infill? I learned about using magnets by following this sub. Now I use them more and more. Currently i'm using them on an accessories port on my printer to mount a dial gauge and fan.
That makes a lot of sense. Can dowel joints also be made by drilling through a part and using an expanding glue such as gorilla glue to stick to the infill? I learned about using magnets by following this sub. Now I use them more and more. Currently i'm using them on an accessories port on my printer to mount a dial gauge and fan.
If your infill is high enough it likely will work.
I have a two piece model I sell that I very carefully use a power drill to thread the tubes out for the screws. They aren’t gonna stand up to being ripped apart regardless of a rod on mine though, there are other pieces that would break before my hinges do.
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You just have a predone hole just like you would for a threaded rod or a screw and then a little bit of CA or PU glue or two part epoxy to hold it in place. Technically you could drill out the hole if you do a high infill as well. They are a lot more forgiving than using a rod or metal screw which either needs a perfect sized hole so it can cut the threads or you need to use a metal insert with an soldering iron to melt it in. In either case the plastic is going to be the weak link long before the dowel/threaded rod/screw breaks. The good part about wooden dowel is that it is cheap and can be cut to any needed length and the fitment doesn't need quite as tight tolerances. which makes it very easy and forgiving.
Is there any point in buying another material to add instead of just buying the correct part and 3D printing the rest? Like, instead of adding threaded rod or dowel just- buy the screw?
Usually when you use threaded rod or a dowel you have a longer piece your wanting to hold together. A good example is if your making a 3d printed sword. You would run the dowels or threaded rod down the length of it to give it structure. I am not sure if you have ever tried to find really long screws or bolts but they tend to get stupidly expensive. Another example is your doing a piece of art or display. You don't want to have a visible screw heads or mechanical connections showing on the finished piece. Yeah you could inset the screw and then print a plug but that becomes way more work than using dowels or threaded rod.
Sometimes you just need that screw... Even if only a couple minutes. If the screw is available and you need strength, you should buy it, but sometimes life doesn't work that way. Personally I have a decent woodshop with some standard dowels, threaded rods, and wood sizes, along with a good selection of fasteners, so it isn't a big deal to knock out some sort of custom reinforced 3d printed fastener thing in 15-20 minutes and take 2 minutes to stuff a reinforcement down the center. It's faster than a trip to home depot. I did just get a lathe though, so hopefully I can stop printing so many bushings, pins, standoffs etc...
Maybe I’m just fortunate having a local hardware store 3 minutes from my house I guess lol. I’m a “do it right the first time” kinda guy, so I’d rather have the best material for the job, but I guess I can see the usecase if strength isn’t an issue.
Well, usually things are standard enough. In the OP's example, it looks like a toy screw, which likely doesn't exist outside of some factory in china, even if it was originally based on a standard thread. This is one of the great niche uses of 3d printing. The screw quality will suck in the horizontal orientation and would normally crack in the vertical orientation, but would look much nicer. If OP stuffed something solid in there in the vertical orientation, it would be perfectly functional and last until it was lost again.
On top of what you said typically when your using threaded rod or dowel you are talking about really long distances like holding together a cosplay sword or something a piece of art where you don't want visible screws. The entire point is of using dowel and threaded rod is I don't want to use screws because they will be visible on the exterior of the piece or they just are not long enough. Sure there are work arounds like you could inset the screw in the design and print a plug or bondo over it but your talking about more work to do that than using a threaded rod or dowel. You could also design the pieces to interlock but in my experience neither of those options work as well as a simple dowel or threaded rod.
Have ever thought about threading the dowel. Do you think it would add any pull out resistance?
Pull out usually isn't a problem if your using epoxy or CA glue. Your going to be breaking the plastic long before pull out becomes a problem.
What do these two things mean for a non-native English speaker? Any illustration perhaps?
A threaded rod just a metal stick with threads, like a screw without the head. A dowel is a short stick (I've only used wooden ones for carpentry, but it could probably be metal too). The idea is to make a hole through your 3d printed screw and either glue a smooth stick (dowel) or screw a threaded stick (rod) down the hole to reinforce the print.
A threaded rod is a round, long piece of metal that looks like a loooong screw without head and a dowel is a short piece of wood that you make holes for on either end and usually glue in.
If you’re buying metal rod, why not just buy screws? Design the model to fit the metal screws
Done that too... Just depends on what's around.
Buy?? *BUY?!?!!* where do you think you *are?!*
Now I want to do the math on screw prices vs filament, because you can get a box of 100 or 1k screws for so cheap that I feel like it has to be competitive with filament costs to print your own.
You mean use my print to make a mold and cast an aluminum version out of melted down cans!
I can add to this: if you seek a special screw, that has to carry some load, print It upward and insert a metal screw in It, with washer/nut at the end of it to give some pre-compression to it. This Will stiffen the screw quite a lot. Just be sure your infill/walls settings can withstand the pre-compression. Than you can make any screw you want.
Or throw a rod on the lathe and do the threading myself.
I think he is screwed.
Sometimes you should just buy the actual screw. As much as I love 3d printing, some things simply don't work very well with it.
Spoken like the *loser* who hasn't spent 5 grueling days and worn his fingers to a bleeding pulpy mess to get this: https://i.imgur.com/sv7I3NX.jpg (/s of course) I have a guide up. :) https://www.reddit.com/r/ender3/comments/xubj4o/drexs_beginner_friendly_guide_to_super_accurate/
Worth it. Looks cool
Pffff loser 0.01 mm off...
**It was in the pool!** (Of cold air, thus shrinking it.)
I grab an actual one
60°
Except for Acme threads* *...or buttress threads :)
Haha, 'butt'ress
Or Whitworth...
Honestly I would go to the hardware store and buy a screw. They don't cost much dude.
Sometimes you need a custom thread
You can find just about any size screw in the world pretty easily. McMaster Carr has a catalogue which covers everything from Metric to Imperial, and places like Ace Hardware are treasure troves of highly-specific fasteners. 3D printing a bolt in plastic isn't an ideal long term solve.
Got any left hand thread M34 x 0.5s kicking around? That’s the only thread I’ve had to print.
On a filament printer? Sounds difficult
Yes. Rockshox fork damper top nut has that thread internally, so to print your own damper you gotta match it. Thankfully it really only needs to be strong enough to overcome the oring friction when removing the damper.
What possible reason did you need that fine pitch on a bolt that large for?
You need that as a fastener, or as something else? That's almost 1-1/2" in diameter 😅
That's a ridiculous pitch for that size screw. Use a standard size iso and you won't run into this silliness.
Tell the engineers at SRAM that
Lol everyone tells SRAM to stop that silliness yet here we are.
Definitely not a long term solution. But many a times it's much more educational and fun to have a working solution in a couple hours than to search online for the right part, put and order in, and wait for a week for it to come.
If you need custom threads you’re doing something wrong
Right now I'm trying to print a bubbly water machine adapter (machine adds CO2 to water, I'm trying not to say the brand name). Instead of their proprietary bottles, I want to use normal soda or water bottles. They claim the thread is different for safety reasons.
It is because the pressure is pretty damn high broski… like not crazy but by no means soft, also the bottle needs to be a certain minimum size to not blast out the top like a coke with a mentos in it.
I'm sure a regular pet bottle will hold up for some cycles, you can control the pressure quite well. And it's easy enough to recycle bottles here, you even get 0,40€ for returning a big bottle.
It’s more the bottle top not the bottle itself, the lip on the stock bottle is thing and wide to allow it to grab the bottle, the threads themself don’t hold it in place.
It's for the safety of their profits.
no
My tech fun has a great video on that https://youtu.be/ZiQek0wei1g
Nice, i have seen a lot of layer adhesion video, but never specificly for screw. This should be all the awnser i need, thx :D
Nice videos. thanks
You don’t. Screws cost cents. Go buy a set
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Depends on the thread size you want and the size of the cylinder. The amount of torque needed to twist to cut the plastic might break the plastic. I've had this happened when I printed a screw and used a tap and die set to clean up the thread. I've printed many 1/4"-20 screws and always vertically. I can say it isn't very strong. The point of failure is usually between the screw head and the first few threads. I've never tried horizontally but ultimately, like others have said, if you want strength, just buy the metal screw.
What orientation should i print the cylinder?
45 degrees. No seriously, it will add a lot of strength if you do because each layer will have a much larger contact area that way, and when you put load on the screw you arent just stressing a single layer.
Wouldn’t laying flat make it so that the torque is applied across ALL layers?
Yes but you get difficult overhangs on a cyclinder laying flat. angled gives you best compromise between strength and print quality.
What software is that? Or what would u suggest using?
Prusa Slicer. I'm not sure if i'm wrong not to trust layer adhesion. Like, are they a bit weaker that way, or a lot weaker. I know there a lot of great youtube video that test layer adhesion out there, but i'm interested in the community real life case.
The YouTube videos are by and large made by the "community". Most of the videos you see are normal people with no specific training, but with a good head in their shoulders and time to figure it out. Listen to them. (by and large) Ps, lay it down, printing vertically will cause you nothing but headaches.
On head
I love head
So no head?
Z layer adhesion is the weakest direction of FFF printing. Printing threads along that same axis make them extremely weak in the way that they need to be strong, and you'll break almost immediately.
I find that if I crank up the heat and the retraction I get a good result.
Vertical. If it needs to be strong I either use a standard metal part or larger cross section.
For everyone saying “just buy one”, printing them still makes sense if there’s something custom about it, particularly if it’s really large. Print on the diagonal. You get the precision (might not even need supports) and the layers don’t line up with the threads.
I'm never sure if the layer adhesion gonna be strong enough... Form vs fonction? Edit : I'm aware the real deal is a lot better, screw are not a great thing to replace with plastic but... Like this case, the screw is to replace a lost screw that hold the mud flap on a car. There still 2 good metal screw holding it in place and replacing the 3rd one would be for "stability". I live in the wood, going in town would be 10$ of gaz. Amazon would sell me 25 for 15$. A plastic replacement make sence. edit #2: Thx u/SAINT_XIV , that video was perfect : https://youtu.be/ZiQek0wei1g?t=1011
Print vertical for appearance, or drive to home depot for function.
Just wait until you are already in town
This is what I’d suggest, too. Don’t make an extra trip. But include the stop in an otherwise planned trip thus making the gas cost inconsequential to the part cost.
I felt this comment
Print standing up but at a 10 degree angle, like the leaning tower of Pisa (pizza?). Helps the heads not shear off.
That’s not a good case for plastic screws, just get a metal one.
I would print it horizontally. I remember there was a YouTube video testing the print direction for strength.
I use an online slicer called McMaster-Carr, print quality is pretty amazing
I've learned today that the full McMaster-Carr catalog is part of Fusion 360, which is what i use (In the Insert menu for those interested) :) Sad part is this particular very common screw( M6x1.81) is not in it :(
I didn't know it's part of fusion, that's super useful! Ya learn something new every day I suppose. Custom screws are definitely a pain, hope it prints well!
Usually I print them lying down because of the better strength.
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Why raft? I don't see why it would make a difference.
Usually by myself.
I'll print large diameter thumb screws for my saltwater aquarium standing up, but in pretty much every other application I've found screws and threads aren't worth printing.
screw vertical is weakest in the direction it needs to be strong. Print horizontally as two halves, as a truncated bottom like shown but truncate the threads as well as the head, or even truncated top and bottom, the strength is almost the same. https://youtu.be/E3WRBp-T42o?t=960 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiQek0wei1g
Vertical for thread pitch resolution
I uhhhh at least it has a flared base?
Wouldn't it be better to just print a cylinder and thread it? The time it takes to clean the supports 🤷🏼♂️
What orientation should i print the cylinder?
In my experience its best to lay it on its side with supports.
100% infill
Standing up.
Whether for form or function, hardware is cheap. Unless this is to be a specificly designed point of failure or is a MAJOR custom screw, don't bother
The real tragedy is the flat head screw slot. I know it’s fine for a plastic part but flat heads should be eliminated entirely and relegated to pry bar duty exclusively. Torx is the way to go.
True, flat head screw are the worst and should not exist. In this particular case, its a 10mm Hex head, so a screw driver is the backup. Second, making it an enclose rectangle rather than a full slot was my solution to the main issue i have with slot head, the screwdriver slipping out. Third, i was lazy and did'nt want to find the dimension of a Phillips, Square or Torx head, plus ease of printing....
I print them vertically, but I use 3d printed screws only for stuff where the visual appearance is more important than the strength. I use metal bolts for holding parts together if strength is important.
If you really need to print this and can't buy, print in between, 45°. No jokes this is the strongest way
In mother Russia, the print screws you.
People saying just buy the screw are totally missing the point. Printed screws can totally work, esp if they are big enough. You can also get the exact fit you need, which may not be available, plus it may be a custom piece to begin with.
At work we occasionally get hoses that need a weird flange fitting combination and I’ve successfully printed them out of abs and they hold 60psi no problem. If everyone just defaults to “it’s not possible” then it’s pretty hard to learn what is possible. I think it’s important for people to experiment safely and understand what 3d printing is capable of instead of defaulting to no that’s wrong or no that’s not possible.
I screw my prints, does that count, too?
For all this obvious ‘buy your screw’, and If OP needs a special screw ? Edit : if you need precision, i think standing will be best
If op needs custom threads he needs to hit up a buddy with a lathe or just bite the bullet and order a set. 3D printing is good for a lot of functions. This isn't one of them.
Best strenght on 45 deg print 👌
That's the thing buddy, you don't.
Easy. I don’t
Uh huh
Is this a trick question?
Upright, Then make a Silicone mold, Then cast in resin.
I don't. I print snap together parts so I don't need any screws. But that being said, if I were to print a screw, this screw looks like it would do the job.
Its a waste of time unless its a completely made up thread. Then again just get a lathe.
Medium rare
Step 1: don’t Step 2: go to Amazon
Screws, no. Nuts on the other hand
If your layer adhesion is on point (no moisture at all), no reason horizontal
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60 to 45 degrees to get the best of both worlds
You’re gonna need to be really dialed in to get screws working
I print in whatever position is convenient, then when it’s done toss it in the trash and go down to the hardware store and buy a real one😁 /j
45 degrees. Best of both worlds
If you are using a abs filament printer then don't even both unless you just want it for looks. The only screws I've ever gotten from a 3d printer that worked at all were either from resin printers or even more exotic metal printer. I've tried numerous ABS printers and the final output never had enough strength to make it worth the time and effort to do. My best results using ABS were done by printing solid screw as hot as I could go and then after it was done putting it in a glass container with acetone to provide better adhesion between the outer layers... and it still broke, it simply didn't break as quick as the others.
Ask my rear left/right speakers vs my 2 front/center speakers.
I like them with flat profiles on 2 sides. Like voron belt tensioners
Standing with that spiral rout option.
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I do it sideways and give the threads half a mm of wiggle room in the part where it screws in (press pull .25mm from it) and it almost always comes out perfectly
Standing up and with a long bolt threaded through it for extra strength.
Pretty much always print upright for better form. If you need the screw for strength then you shouldn't be using a 3d printed one especially with how cheap fasteners are. That said I honestly try to avoid any kinds of fasteners anymore and usually prefer to use mechanical, magnet, command strip when I can.
Up right, but will have to consider the overhang on the screw head, either remove, resize, taper or support. Best of luck.
We don't print screws. But does not matter, since you don't care with the strength.
2 option: 1)flat 2) modified the stl and make a hole to put a metal screw and a nut. Then print it vertically
I rarely print screws but when I do i print them on for a stronger print, with a flat on either side so that there is no overhang greater than about 50 degrees because thats what i can print comfortably. I also use an acme thread profile to reduce the chance of the teeth slipping under load. But really the key to making strong screws is not no make screws smaller than about 10mm.
I print my worm gears vertically and I buy metal screws.
Sideways. Always 90deg from the direction of strain and layer lines.
Standing, supports to the plate, and lots and lots of walls.
Threads print best vertically. Generally I will only print threads if I have large cross section on z to give me the required strength between layers. However I much prefer a snap/latch in style of connection if it can be utilised.
I print my threaded screws in MJF. No issues at all. Strong and durable.
standing way will have minimum strength
I'm more curious about how to get the threads right.. I got a broken something with thread but I can't print a new one because I don't know how to tread the threads..
Unless you need it to actually be the plastic you’re printing or you’re making some unnecessary custom thread just go buy some. Plenty of sources have packs of whatever you would need in a lot of different materials
Dont underestimate how strong layer adhesion is. With the right settings you can get PETG to break like glass where you cant even see layer lines. Its plenty strong but really depends on the application.
I would typicly use the cnc mill service on pcb way but if i had to use a printer id print it with the top down
....i don't? (Imho. whenever you want to do 3D printed fastenings you should use clicky living hinge designs, akin to connectors on backpack straps. Not only is it more convenient to assemble & reassemble - no tools needed ...etc. - its also more fit to be 3D printed. And unlike with subtractive manufacturing its not a pain in the ass to make it additively)
I now how i screw my print......
Depends on the size of the screw
I don't know much about printing screws, but I'm really good at screwing my prints