Build a Tabletop Game Wheel

Build Instructions

Fabricate: Wheel Deck Outer, Dark Blue (x8)

WHEELC-DBL

Items Needed

Materials

Parts

Supplies

Tools

3D Printing Information

Instructions

WARNING! Take Care When Mounting Build Plate for This Print

• This print will print well toward the corner or edge of the print bed. Some printers use binder clips to hold the print bed in place.
• PAY ATTENTION to the output from the slicing program showing where the nozzle with travel, and ensure that these binder clips or other obstacles are placed such that the nozzle will not travel through them!

CAUTION

The strength of magnets used in this project IS enough that a placed magnet can be pulled out of the print if precautions such as gluing are not taken, causing the magnet to strike and attach to the hotend.

1. Be sure to set layer pauses appropriately in slicing software according to settings above.
2. Wash your hands or use clean gloves to prevent oils/contaminants from getting on surfaces that will need filament adhesion.
3. Place MAGNET-JIG on work surface with "WHEEL DOWN" side facing up.
4. Place magnets on jig so that their polarity is aligned with the jig.
5. Place a Tape Dot (TDSC) on the upward-facing side of each magnet.
6. Print the model using the above settings as a guideline.
7. Wait for the print to pause.
8. Wash your hands or use clean gloves to prevent oils/contaminants from getting on surfaces that will need filament adhesion.
9. Due to the fumes from the superglue used, eye protection (SAFETY-GLASSES) and a respirator mask (MASK-N95) must be worn for the next few steps until the print is resumed. The heated print bed will cause the superglue to evaporate and produce fumes faster than usual. Trust me, it's pretty unpleasant to teargas oneself with superglue fumes. Even with this protective gear, take care not to lean directly over the print bed to avoid excessive exposure.
10. Place a drop of superglue the size of a small grain of rice (smaller than a full drop) into each of the magnet channels. To get smaller than a full drop, place the tip of the nozzle near the bottom of the magnet channel, so that the forming droplet touches the bottom and then can be stretched and its surface tension broken.
11. Place the magnet tape side up fully into the magnet channel. make sure it is pressed all of the way in, with the surface of the tape flush with or slightly below the lip of the magnet channel. You can use the flat of a metal putty knife to aid with placing and pressing magnets into place. Put the magnet onto the putty knife with the tape side facing the flat of the blade, then use the blade of the putty knife to guide the magnet straight down into the channel.
12. Wipe up any excess glue that seeps up out of the magnet channel. Hopefully there was none to begin with.
13. Double-check again that all magnets are fully in place and secure. Use the putty knife to check flushness.
14. Resume the print.
15. When print pauses again, check that magnets were correctly printed over. If defects occur in printing over the magnets, the print might be salvaged using some of the tips below.
16. Resume the print.
17. Once the print completes, carefully remove the model from the build plate using the putty knife. Removal is easier if the bed is warm. Go beneath the tape under the brim and edge of the model. Use caution and go slow, putty knives are sharp! Do not remove the tape from the print.
18. Wet the rag and place it on a surface that will not be water damaged. Place the finished print on top of the rag, tape side down. Let sit 2 hours.
19. Carefully peel off the damp tape.
20. Remove brim, avoiding use of flush cutters as a first resort. Work the brim from sharper corners, attempting to score the brim at the base of the print. When using flush cutters to clean up remaining brim, try to grab, lift and pull the brim away from the model rather than snipping with the cutters. This will result in smoother edges. Remember that ideally you want the brim to separate from the print at their seam.

Tips and Notes

Hacks for Defects When Embedding Magnets into Print

• These methods are imprecise fixes, and should be used only if the part would be unusable if defects are not corrected. Hopefully you will be lucky enough to not need them. I've only needed them a couple times, mainly on early attempts.
• If minor defects occur in printing over the magnets, some may be corrected before the last layer is printed, to the point where the part is still usable and functional. All parts are designed so that at least two layers of filament are printed over magnets.
• Individual strands of filament that are not flush may be pushed down flush with a putty knife or removed and bridged by the next layer.
• For larger defects and protrusions, a heated metal putty knife used carefully may be able to flatten things into place. The putty knife can be heated using a common lighter. Be careful not to overheat, or the print will turn to liquid on contact.
• Removed strands and scraps, including the nozzle-cleaning stripe at the beginning of a print, might be used to weave small patches that can be welded into place with the same putty knife.

Back to Build Instructions

Last updated: 5/18/2024 18:05:38