3D Modeling to Laser Cutting Workflow in Blender - Creating a Paint Station (Part 1)

[@swruiz]

One of the best content creators on KZbin right here. Thank you!!

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@swruiz That's a very generous thing to say. Thanks do much 😁😁

[@Vorpal_Wit]

Looking forward to part 2.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Thanks man. It will be out on Monday.

[@MixaK82]

Как всегда отличная подача материала. Постоянно смотрю вас и многому научился. 👍

[@ArtisansofVaul]

Thanks so much. That's great to hear 😁😁😁

[@juliaalder2007]

Hell, yes! Let's go!!! 😍💃

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@@juliaalder2007 😁😉 Hope you enjoy part 2 as well 😁

[@animatrix1490]

Oooh! I've been wondering about this type of workflow. I'd love to see a resin or FDM workflow/walkthrough, too! (Full disclosure, this is because I think it'd be really satisfying to see :P )

[@darrennew8211]

Other than, as he said, making the holes slightly larger, it should work out the same for FDM. Export it as an STL, bring each part into your slicer, print them up, slot them together. Some slicers even have options for making holes 0.Xmm larger without you having to model it.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@animatrix1490 In FDM there wouldn't be a huge amount of differences but it would be a lot more annoying on the print setup as the perfectly horizontal parts would be a paint to support.

[@darrennew8211]

@@ArtisansofVaul If you were going to print it as one piece, you'd want to lay it on its back. Everything would then be vertical or flat on the bed. (Get rid of the bits that stick out the back, of course.) Make the grabby circles at the front be 45-degree angles instead and you're set to go. :-)

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@@darrennew8211 Totally true but then you also have any layer lines be at the most visible angle as opposed to having the layers that could be ironed during the print be the top of the levels. Not that layer lines are a huge issue with an object like this but its nice to have them not visible if you can.

[@taerog]

Did something very similar but in a CAD program. Constraints are golden, but I also very much liked having easier to use dimensions (I know there are some Blender addons for that), Tolerance for the tabs, and bools. (easy modifications and no need for extending bool to cut correctly), and a bit less destructive. But this Blender build went really fast also so completely valid and great for fast one-offs. Have to try this. I loved building it all and then breaking it down flat for the path, as I assume that's next. fun stuff.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@taerog Yeah next video will cover the breakdown and it's surprisingly fast (thought takes a bit longer to talk through as I go through a lot of options/build up the techniques in an easy to see progression). I do love the potential of CAD but I've found that for the majority of the parts I work on the totally exact precision often isn't work the vast increase in workflow time and Blendee gives the middle ground for a project that I desire.

[@taerog]

​@@ArtisansofVaul The CAD angle IMO is that it's built in many ways to actually do this very task better, like with built in functions for sheet metal (easy to mod for thicker material), tolerance control and actually auto unfolding and packing for cutting. BUT and here is the rub there IS often a good learning curve (depending) and lack of high quality or eastly obtained Free versions that have all the value-add features to make it sufficiently more useful (there are but it's not a large field). All in all this is not unlike 3d Modeling in general historically. But currently we are very spoiled with Blender in these last few years going from a janky free alternative to an amazing high featured, highly supported and popular FREE program. So, my opinion here is IF you have access to and a foot into a good CAD... it is much easier using that - it just is. But that alone is often a real bar to admission. One that Blender lowers. Yes, it's not ideal but that does not offset its somewhat low learning curve and it being completely FREE. Addons make this even more favorable. While I could make a project much faster in something like Fusion360 or similar and even, and very cool, spend slightly more time making it parametric. Yeah, that's a massive value add but not something most people would do or for a one off or learn quickly. So, This puts Blender and these skills in a great position to allow construction of these laser cut 3d items rather easily, better than in any 2d program, and Free!. While learning valuable skills in a very useful program that can be used for many other tasks. So your work here is extremely valuable.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@@taerog Great summary there 👍 Thanks so much for taking the time to share with everyone and me 😁

[@sheseclectic3858]

Brilliant. This is going to be very useful for me

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@sheseclectic3858 Awesome. Glad to hear 😁

[@darrennew8211]

It makes me wonder whether you built the thing the first time, only to realize you needed to offset the paint in order to read the labels. You're smarter than I am if you got that right the first time. :-)

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@@darrennew8211 😅 Good question. So it's half and half. This is my first build but I have a friend that bought a paint station of Etsy and was really annoyed that they hadn't taken this isn't account so I learnt from the mistakes of others.

[@AnthonyHortin]

Really enjoyed this one. Would be happy to see more vids for using Blender with your laser cutter. I’ve used Fusion 360 quite a bit (for some 3D Print stuff) but since I don’t use it regularly I always struggle whenever I have to do something new. Seems like it would be so much easier using blender for this sort of stuff.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

I cant comment on Fusion but for Blender I found this really easy (as the next video will show). Definitely happy to do more projects in the future.

[@taerog]

@AnthonyHortin I do a lot in fustion360 and yes its MUCH easier to do this in that.. But learning curve and profeincey matantace are a big issue. So if you use Blender for other things and stay proficient in that, Blender IS defentaly the way to go. If you go Fusion there are some very cool things you can do to automate the process, including the layout, and even making the construction parametric! Making it as easy as changing a few variables to change the dimensions of the object or in this case even the number of levels, size of bottles, number of slots, etc. But those skills while not extremely hard are also not easy by no means.

[@AnthonyHortin]

@@taerog There's certainly pros & cons for using either software. Being able to setup parameters for your designs in Fusion 360 is super helpful, especially when creating designs that can be used over and over again just by tweaking the dimensions, like 3d printable cases for parts or electronics.

[@stormycatmink]

Man, I need this exact video. Though, I'd kind of like a different sort of design. I'm looking for one to make a box for really compact paint storage. Even if it's just an insert for another box. I've been waffling on designing one myself. I have so many paints I want to be able to stack them up somewhere when not in use. Also.. I have an M1, but was thinking about using my Bamboo, not the laser. Hmm. Just occurred to me if I take this design (or something similar) and have it lay flat on its back, so the bottles are at an angle with labels up.. I'll get readable labels as well. Then I could make them as stacking trays. Hmm.. HMMM.

[@ArtisansofVaul]

@stormycatmink Gald it's helping to inspire some ideas. Angled bottles is a good idea and you're right about the printing option. It's just faster on the laser but that isn't always a factor people will need to care about