3-D printing

[azurbanclucker]

I need an opinion from the 3-D printers here.

We got my mom a philips 7000 pasta maker for her birthday which is in 11 days. I noticed that the pasta dies are all plastic. This gave me an ingenious idea, 3-D print my mom custom pasta dies. However, I ran into a problem. I don’t know if there is such a thing as food safe filament for a 3-D printer.

Here’s a picture of a die I designed on solidworks, specifically for a pasta called gemelli. Modeled after the dies that came with the pasta maker.

View attachment 4217566

A prototype is printing as we speak, but it’s not food safe. I’m just printing it to see if it will fit the machine.

Any ideas for food safe filament?

Pick a PETG for strength and then use a food safe epoxy coating over it. It's really the only way to seal up all the nooks and crannies in even the smoothest 3d printed surfaces to prevent bacterial growth. Masterbond's ep42ht-2fg and ArtResin are both food safe.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Here's a decent primer on printing food safe things

https://formlabs.com/blog/guide-to-food-safe-3d-printing/

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

I wish more stuff had a way to quantify relative "risks". It just seems like so much stuff is binary "bad or good".

Example: We know ABS fumes from 3d printing are BAD... but how do they compare QUANTIFIABLY to other daily stuff we do without worry... like driving down the freeway with the windows open? Or things we know are really legit "bad" like smoking?

Yes, I'm definitely convinced that 3d layer-lines of PLA isn't the best most-safe option for using with food... but how risky is it really?

We all sacrifice some safety for some convenience all the time. My fav example: nobody I know always drives at or below the speed limit.

So, is using PLA with food "risky"? Sure.

... but HOW quantifiably risky, and in what situations?

 

[jnicholes]

Here's a decent primer on printing food safe things

https://formlabs.com/blog/guide-to-food-safe-3d-printing/

I just took a look at this, a lot of good points here, and I agree with them.

I don’t think I should try to print pasta dies. Too much risk for bacterial buildup, unless I make them one time use, but that would waste filament.

 

[azurbanclucker]

I just took a look at this, a lot of good points here, and I agree with them.

I don’t think I should try to print pasta dies. Too much risk for bacterial buildup, unless I make them one time use, but that would waste filament.

Eh, Proper wash and sanitize solves a lot of problems. I have some printed kitchen tools that I use regularly. My favorite is a burger press. Printed that in PETG and sealed with resin. Survives the dishwasher, and is just fine after more than a year of regular use with raw meat and poultry. Clean it well after use and toss it on the top rack in the dishwasher, toss it if it looks damaged or grody and print a new one.

I would not try to use gadgets I printed at home for, say hot skillets, as an example. But light duty? No worries at all. It's like Nifty mentioned. Objectively bad vs quantifiably bad are very different scales until they meet.

Having said that, I would def not use PLA for food service.

 

[jnicholes]

Two things. One is something I printed, the others a question.

3-D printed a Yu-Gi-Oh board.

I ran out of yellow and purple. Had to switch to white.

Second off, me and my brother have a 3-D printing question.

Is it possible to make a 3-D printed model using both solidworks and blender?

We’re trying to design laser chess pieces based off of ancient Egypt. Some of you might remember the board game Khet. We’re trying to add onto that with custom pieces.

If one is better than the other for this, which one should we use? Solidworks or blender?

 

[azurbanclucker]

Two things. One is something I printed, the others a question.

View attachment 4225595

3-D printed a Yu-Gi-Oh board.

I ran out of yellow and purple. Had to switch to white.

Second off, me and my brother have a 3-D printing question.

Is it possible to make a 3-D printed model using both solidworks and blender?

We’re trying to design laser chess pieces based off of ancient Egypt. Some of you might remember the board game Khet. We’re trying to add onto that with custom pieces.

If one is better than the other for this, which one should we use? Solidworks or blender?

I can't answer this one, no experience with either. Do they share a file format? Seems like you could export between them if you can't get everything you need from one or the other as long as they share a common format.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Having said that, this is on the printer right now. It's a funnel for doing acrylic paint pours. The base has 8 exits to get a round ring around the base. Once it finishes I'll post the finished part.

Did this in tinkercad

 

[azurbanclucker]

Having said that, this is on the printer right now. It's a funnel for doing acrylic paint pours. The base has 8 exits to get a round ring around the base. Once it finishes I'll post the finished part.

Did this in tinkercad
View attachment 4225653

 

[jnicholes]

I can't answer this one, no experience with either. Do they share a file format? Seems like you could export between them if you can't get everything you need from one or the other as long as they share a common format.

Well, it was worth a shot asking at least. I’ll do research.