Hello, I just got my first 3D printer and I am very excited! First thing I wanted to do is print complex models, mainly from Thingiverse. I am having issues finding information to adjust the settings for support structures. It seems the support structures are fusing to the model, making it impossible removing while keeping the piece nice.
An example I have been attempting is the Futurama ship on Thingiverse, by ChaosCoreTech. The main part came out okay. My second attempt was better, but I would like to try printing the outer walls slower. The “tail” piece, with the logo, has been troublesome. Detailing actually is not too bad, excepted for the very tip. My main concern is the overhangs. The top 2 parts were printed in that horizontal orientation, but it came out jagged in the overhang. I tried changing the orientation to vertical (third part), which helped that problem. However, and for some reason, the support structures fused more to the print.
I tried adjusting the print settings in Luban, such as slower speeds to outer wall, support density (alternated between 10-15%), PLA temperature (currently on 195c), support overhang angle, and support type (alternating between zig-zag and line).
I figured making this is a good gateway for more intricate models, and will take any help or advise I can get. So if you have any suggestions, I will be happy to try it!
If you really want to get into more complex printing, I would heavily recommend trying a different slicer. Luban has been getting better, but is still not as feature-rich as other options. I personally use Cura, but there are plenty of other options.
You will want to play around with support interfaces and support z distance, but feel free to look up videos about supports as there are many options to play around with.
Another option for this model specifically is to print the fins in halves, then glue them together, aligning them carefully.
Do you have a link to the model? That would let me play around with the pieces myself and think about it.
Regarding supports, I’ve been playing with Cura’s Tree Supports. I’ve been getting much less surface damage than traditional supports would cause. Regardless of the support, I usually end up using an xacto knife or some fine sandpaper to cleanup pieces that I care about the finish on. I usually end up with extra material attached to the part, but occasionally removing the support causes some pitting instead of leaving extra material behind.
With traditional supports, I’ve found that using some needle nose pliers to crush the supports together against the surface (the pliers are parallel to the surface, and touching it), then rolling the pliers to detach the support produces the least amount of damage.
The designer of that part did mention “Then my wife sanded, glued and painted the entire thing using an airbrush and paintbrushes.” I wish that had filled in a bit more info about printing and post-processing though.
