Suite of Small Test Pieces

thingiverse

Human: [Update #2: I refined Flat Test to make it easier to print, and also more likely to curl on one corner.] [Update #1: I uploaded a revised file #7 -- the caps on the little towers were off by 0.1mm.] This suite of test models starts with some very simple shapes, then adds more complex models. The purpose is to allow new 3D printer users to start learning with the basics and produce models that let them focus on just a few potential problems at a time. [Opinion: Manufacturers often include files for one or more complex pieces with a new printer. I appreciate the need for chest pounding – or the urge to say that my printer is bigger than yours – but that attitude may not be productive for all situations. It’s kinda like the car dealer handing you the keys to a new car when you don’t even have your license yet…And then telling you to get onto the Interstate and drive 50 miles to Track Day at the race track. Something bad is going to happen. What you really need is some time on the shopping mall parking lot at 6:00 am on a Sunday.] Starting points: 4 skirt outlines (1 layer thick) / 3 bottom layers / 3 perimeter shells / 4 top layers / 30% infill. File 1. <b>20x20x5mm Test Square:</b> The basics. Start with this. It typically takes less than 10 minutes to print. If you can’t make this simple square with an even, smooth bottom layer, no lifting, consistent sides, no “log cabin” corners, and a smooth top – why go any further? Check dimensional accuracy. This is also a fast way of experimenting with infill percentages, top layers, speeds, coasting, etc. File 2a. <b>30x30x5mm Test Square:</b> Just a little bigger (or you can alter the settings on your slicer to make the 20x20x5 model larger.) File 2b. <b>30x60x5mm Test Block:</b> Twice the size of the previous. It is also something to see if your corners might be lifting. File 3. <b>Test Cylinder:</b> See how your settings perform with cylindrical objects. Check for blobs/zits, layer starts and endings, etc. See how your inside top layers meet with the perimeter layers. File 4. <b>Test Shape Step:</b> Lets you see how things come together with several simple transitions. File 5. <b>Hair Raiser:</b> This is designed to see how your printer performs with tall, slender shapes. Also, if your settings are going to produce hairs on your models, this piece will probably show you. File 6. <b>Flat Test:</b> If you are having problems with corners lifting, deploy one or more of these around your print surface. File 7. <b>Support Curves Test:</b> This shows performance on a variety of curved surfaces – especially under that bulbous “nose”. There is a gradual slope, and a few sharp edges. You can experiment with different layer thicknesses. File 8. <b>Wood PLA Demo:</b> This model allows you to experiment with printing wood, cleaning up the model, and testing sanding, staining, and finishing on several types of surface. To experiment with finishes, you have three flat surfaces on this model; you can work with one at a time, and then try out the more complex areas of the model. File 9. <b>Thumper:</b> This is a freebie. For some build surfaces, this can help coax a stuck model. Place the end with the little angled bottom edge against the model, and strike the back end with a small hammer. The flat oval on the back end is to protect the build surface from accidental hammer blows. File 10. <b>Test Sphere:</b> This is based on the Tinkercad high resolution sphere. It is intended to help work out extrusion retraction issues (zits). The spheroid shape allows start points for the inside and outside perimeters to start at different places. You can easily see any problems on the outside, and you can feel them with your finger on the inside.