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3D design and printing is so valuable in ceramics that we can't stop pushing it. Here is how one goes about 3D printing a 3MF model file downloaded from this site. Why 3MF? Unlike the much older STL format, it enables multiple objects, units of measure and meta information. If you are on the page hosting this image, there is a link to the five-minute tutorial video at the bottom.
This picture has its own page with more detail, click here to see it.
For any potter or hobbyist, making your own molds and slip casting presents amazing options. Making this melt fluidity tester will get you started in 3D printing, pouring plaster to make a mold and slip casting a melt fluidity tester. These will then help you understand glazes, including commercial ones, much better.
Consider how these melt flow tests demonstrate performance: Is a new brand-name material the same (e.g. tin oxide, feldspar, dolomite, Alberta slip)? Does a glaze recipe pass a sanity check? Is a batch of frit bad? Is a frit better for sourcing B2O3 than Gerstley Borate? Is a glaze matte because it is not melting enough? Is a glaze too reactive? Is a manufacturer's claim correct? Will a stain or metal oxide addition make my glaze melt more or less? Does a material substitute work as well as the original? How does a frit soften and melt over a range of temperatures? Do glazes of the same chemistry but different recipe really melt the same? Is this glaze prone to bubbling? Does a glaze melt have high surface tension?
Here is what you need: A geeky family member having a 3D printer, a blender, powdered slip casting clay, deflocculant, plaster and a 2000g 0.1g scale. This page is the "Next" button to get started. Everything you need to know is here.
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Downloading and 3D-Printing a 3MF file
Simplify3D, Prusa Slicer and Creality Print opening three different 3MF models digitalfire.com. Rotating, panning, zooming, duplicating, mirroring, place-on-face, positioning, slice-previewing, infill, support and overhang threshhold, brimming, generating a G-Code file for printing and printing direct. |
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https://digitalfire.com/downloads/index.php?picture=all
CAD drawing downloads page We produce many CAD drawings and model files for 3D printing use in ceramics (e.g. tools, templates, molds). We produce tutorial videos and support pages to try to bring 3D CAD and 3D printing within the reach of anyone. |
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