The V Flash thread

The support structure is not actually that bad. The software is pretty good about where it generates it, but occasionally does inexplicable things like sticking short supports out the top of the model in the air. The supports look ugly when you first see them, and you have to be very careful to orient your part properly to minimize the supports (so, if you make a tubelike shape, don’t rotate it on its side to save time due to that whole 1/4" per hour thing because it will have to generate supports through the center to hold up the opposite side of the tube). I once had a model that had roughly an 70 degree angle for its major structure, and it generated a tremendous amount of supports in the software to hold that vertical angle up until we oriented the vertical to 90 degrees, so the only supports were under the base of the model. Things like that you have to look out for.

The material cuts and sands easily, so it’s not too much of a problem unless your model is hollow with small openings and horizontals inside that may generate supports. The software shows where the supports connect, but not where they run. Orientation plays a major role in how many you wind up with.

As far as temp and humidity, I can’t say for sure because I have not taken measurements. The machine is in a room with basic air conditioning and heat, but the temps can fluctuate 10 degrees or more overnight. During the day, a small model generally doesn’t have many problems unless it’s 60 in the AM and 80 by afternoon outside. Just the other day someone printed something under those conditions and the horizontals were a mess. The verticals looked great. We’re going to have to look at better insulation and HVAC in that room.