3D Printing with CarbonX Carbon-Fiber PETG | Making a Monitor Mount for the CNC Plasma Table

Today we're building a monitor mount for the plasma table, and we're going to try out a new filament: CarbonX Carbon-Fiber PETG. It's supposedly strong and still easy to print. Let's find out.
*This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
CarbonX Carbon Fiber PETG (Amazon*): amzn.to/3BEsoh3
00:00 Intro
02:19 The Plan
05:10 Fusion 360
15:28 Slicing in Simplify3D
20:41 Printing
21:12 Measuring
23:37 Tuning the Settings
25:05 More Printing
26:01 Installation and Testing
Tools used in this video:
*This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Mitutoyo 6"/150mm Digital Caliper (Amazon*): amzn.to/3qJTtKv
Milwaukee Brushless 3/8" Impact (Amazon*): amzn.to/3uxwHJ4
Rhino Cart Welding Fixture Table (Amazon*): amzn.to/3za8aez
ASUS 21.5" Touch Monitor (Amazon*): amzn.to/3B7MbW4
Genuine E3D Hardened Steel Nozzle (Amazon*): amzn.to/3iIP3lT
Raw Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

[@Genkenx]

"It's working well enough that there's a very real risk I won't ever finish it." - This resonated straight to my core. Now excuse me for a moment while I go weep in my pile of 80% finished projects that manage to occupy 90% of my sub-conscious mental bandwidth 😂😭.

[@arthurmorgan8966]

Hiding them out of plain sight in boxes works to free up the mental bandwidth

[@tgirard123]

Oh my God that is so true. I walk out in my garage sometimes and look at everything and go, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that, and when I'm done with those two things I'm going to do this other thing, then I go back in and watch TV....

[@baghdadmerc69]

🤣🤣🤣 🙈🙈🙈

[@Clough42]

I have the luxury of being able to just point the camera away from my unfinished projects. :)

[@UncleKennysPlace]

@@Clough42 I get to trip over them, my subconscious way of reminding myself.

[@DavidHerscher]

Dang, how many "learn fusion 360" vids have i watched? And here's James, teaching me more about F360 as a side effect of showing us something else than I've ever learned from those vids. School is in muh-fracken session bruh.

[@jstro-hobbytech]

He's like the T-1000 of f360. Wow

[@jhengineering3578]

man.. This was one of my top most informative vids about fusion 360.

[@3Dgifts]

No doubt, he's on point.

[@juliatruchsess1019]

The nominal content of your videos is excellent, but I learn more from watching you use Fusion 360 than I ever have from all the actual tutorials I've seen. Would love to have a series from you specifically on F360.

[@donteeple6124]

Your expertise and mastery of Fusion 360 and CAD is mind boggling....What would be fantastic would be a series of teaching vids for those of us that arent so tech savvy on that.....Heck I still have my drafting table stuff still handy and draw my things out by hand......hint hint hint......Pretty Pleaase !!!!!!!!!

[@dangerous8333]

Learning software has nothing to do with being tech savvy. It's not as a daunting as you're thinking either. It just means starting with the basics and slowly learn all the settings. Literally anyone can do it. He doesn't seem like the type that has time to show you how to use software. You can go on KZbin and watch literally a thousand different how-to videos on the subject.

[@srmofoable]

@@dangerous8333 literally by the people who make the software.

[@AMATISIG]

@@dangerous8333 Maybe you will need solidworks.

[@nominus1138]

Dude, that's not mastery or expertise. This was a very simple part. He used it adequately.

[@nominus1138]

@@AMATISIG solidworks is a joke.

[@nikonshooter71]

This video really shows how useful a 3D printer is. & Thank-you for showing your Fusion 360 workflow. 👍🏼

[@TheTox1cant]

I ended up learning how to use a few fusion features out of this video

[@DudleyToolwright]

Fun project and I love the CAD lessons.

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

Outstanding project. Thanks for the video.

[@TheTsunamijuan]

This is a really good example of functional 3d printing, in a well equip shop, in a multi material assembly.

[@mrmiz2547]

I appreciate the way you do these videos... the repetition it GREATLY helping me with the learning curve for Fusion 360.

[@TheDuerden]

I know you probably didn't mean it to be - but that was like a really damn good lesson on using Fusion 360....

[@1607rosie]

Awesome job , that's exactly why I like my three D printer, prototyping stuff. Love your projects!

[@sharpeningcentral733]

Great video and thanks for the Fusion tips. Learnt so much.

[@RobytheFlorentine]

You let me get again my enthusiasm for diy. Thanks for that. Take care and best wishes from Florence Italy

[@staciedziedzic4480]

This looks so cool! I think you have to go outside the box to create something that can work! I don't get to do that at my job however if there is another way to do it that's what I do! Great work James!

[@joell439]

lots of good tips here - thank you!

[@nq0amark138]

Color me impressed ! You made that look easy. Well done...Very practical use of 3d printing.

[@uther10]

Great vid and thanks for showing how to design it as well!

[@Andrew_Fernie]

I've printed press tube for installing and removing bearing with this stuff. It's amazingly strong. Glad you gave it a go !

[@johnbeeck2540]

Really love your style of presentation and logical approach!

[@kevennguyen3507]

Amazing video about 3D design, printing, materials, and application. I learned a lot in this video!

[@kingblatz]

Every tool is a hammer! Well pleased as always touche!

[@tallyman15]

Great job. Learning to love Fusion 360.

[@maheshpatel2005]

Nicely explained...keep it up

[@Soclark01]

This video taught me more about Fusion 360 than any tutorial I've ever watched.

[@DonDegidio]

Hi James, Excellent use of Fusion 360 to model the part and also the CarbonX Carbon-Fiber PETG for the print. Since I don't own a 3D Printer yet, I would have machined some steel bushings and welded them the the 1" square tubing. Many ways to skin this cat. :-) You and the family stay safe.

[@FelipeRicco]

Nice job! 👍

[@dragasan]

Very cool content! I'm not new to 3D modeling, but now that I'm about to retire, 3D printing will become a major hobby. Thanks, man!

[@julesmarcu5635]

I apologize I should have watched the complete video before commenting. I think the part came out perfect for the application.

[@vito7056]

You absolutely nailed the Cura settings. Thank you, i was having trouble

[@MaxPower_Designs]

Glad to see you use the filament I recommended in the last video! Like I said before. I use this particular filament at our R&D lab often and have had great success with it. Wether it’s for strength or durability.

[@Clough42]

Thanks for the tip. I've actually had it sitting here for a month or two and finally got around to trying it.

[@steveu235]

Great video Thanks

[@TheAyrCaveShop]

Sure made a clean looking print !

[@joeldriver381]

I am a big fan of that CF-PETG and especially for parts in compression.

[@joeldriver381]

@@billyzelsnack Yeah- I would have just used normal PETG for that part. Chopped CF makes stiffer parts not stronger parts... I suspect he just wanted to try it out but the stiffer plastic even constrained in the tube may make for less wobble in the monitor.

[@Clough42]

Yes and yes. Less wobble, and wanted to try it out.

[@dachr2]

Very nicely done! Love that you took us through the Fusion design process instead of just showing the finished part.

[@Clough42]

Thanks. I'm really torn on the Fusion content. Some people seem to get a lot out of it, but many others aren't interested.

[@dachr2]

@@Clough42 I can see how it might not appeal to the mainstream audience which would explain why most other channels I follow just skip that part of the process. Maybe you could create a separate video with the design process that you could then link to in the main video? Might not be worth it but at least then you have some metrics to go by.

[@Bianchi77]

Nice video, keep it up, thank you :)

[@samvoelkel2046]

Very few of us can get a 3D print to come out within "half a thou". Impressive. Well done.

[@koen8973]

Nice video 😊👍

[@Rob_65]

Those carbon filled materials are really nice. I have been printing a lot with both ColorFabb's XT-CF anf FormFutura's CarbonFil (PETG). Those materials are great and prints are not only stiffer than standard PETG but they also look great due to the rough finish the carbon fibers give.

[@bulletproofpepper2]

Thanks for sharing! I love my 3D printer. Snapmaker 2.0 a350.

[@dustinmeier9753]

Subscribed to see the next part of this video and hopefully some more Fusion 360 educational videos. I get the student version for free, but am new to CAD. I’m specifically looking at printing VESA monitor mounts to free up space on my desk, which is how I found this video to begin with.

[@jhawker2895]

Even though 4 cutoff pieces of pipe and a 1" hole in the cap would have worked ... I am super glad you decided to use Fusion, Carbonx PETG... I hope I learned a little more about Fusion and 3D printing... Great job and Thanks for sharing .. Wonderful video ... Be safe

[@arthurmorgan8966]

Nylon bed adhesion was an issue for me until I found Fillamentum LockPAd sheet. It sticks quite strongly. Previously used only with Fillamentum non-CF nylons, happy results. Will give it a try with Fiberlogy CF Nylon sometime soon. RE: PETGs, Fillamentum has CPE copolymers, one of them has CF. I’ve ordered a sample to try it out. Regular Fillamentum CPE was quite strong and was not as brittle as regular PETG.

[@MarceneiroFDS]

welldone!

[@wfs1965]

you are so the man!

[@twobob]

Nice. The Carbon Fiber I got make me itch like crazy when I touched it - ended up using spray lacquer to make it usable. Good job dude.

[@Clough42]

Oh, interesting. I haven't experienced that.

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Looks like a plan. Going to work.

[@rpavlik1]

That looks very nice! I probably would have just used regular PETG, and replaced it if it broke, but let's face it, I don't have a CNC plasma table with touchscreen either 🤷‍♂️ Nice to see that CF PETG is so civilized in its performance. Glad you also showed your regular filament brands, now I have some ideas when my esun runs out and they're out of stock or something. Though honestly I'll need the PLA Pro sooner, that just prints so nice even on a machine originally designed for ABS, just had to bodge in a part fan and leave the lid off.

[@tinygaragefab]

I'm so glad I watched this. For years now, my dumb ass has been converting fractions to decimals when dimensioning in F360. I had no idea that I could just input the fraction. LIFE HACK. Thanks a lot man! I really need to add the THC that I bought nearly a year ago to my LS table and get the gantry leveled out. I've been living with beveled cuts for too long!

[@mavisky]

Great video. Might be a good idea to swap filament and print out of regular PETG to check fit before switching to the good stuff for the final product.

[@Graham_Wideman]

James -- I'd love to hear what you learn about the strength benefit of the CF in this filament, and especially whether that benefit extends across layers as well.

[@jmtx.]

As simple as PLA with a 50% infill would already be overkill under compression, but I like seeing fancier filaments in use.

[@Exstaz]

I would say that pla would fail over time. PLA have issues with creap, just as nylon does unless you use pa12 nylon.

[@charleselkins4546]

Well done. It's a very nice part which looked simple to make. The last part is the most discouraging. I know that it just isn't so easy as you make it seem..😄

[@theundergroundesd]

good job. I want to learn 360 and get a 3d printer. Keep up the good work.

[@mith5168]

Nice design / build James. I dust these types of parts with talc or cornstarch - makes taking them out in the future a lot less dramatic.

[@BrianSmith-le6uy]

Good stuff, i used to love carbon fibre petg, until I tried carbon fibre nylon. Easy to print, beautiful finish and STRONGER than any type of filament i have ever used.

[@Clough42]

You may have missed my previous video on NylonX.

[@BrianSmith-le6uy]

@@Clough42 nope i didn't, i saw them.

[@brianhilligoss]

I’ve had great luck printing pa6-cf from polymaker. I’ve printed some large and many small parts on my ender 3 pro with the microswiss direct drive.

[@JoeStoffa]

FWIW you may want to experiment with PCTG as well. I've print ~10 kg with both PETG-CF (Atomic) and PCTG (Essentium); I find PCTG to have superior impact resistance, but PETG-CF is slightly easier to print (and of course is stiffer). PC-CF is probably my favorite functional material, but I do have a printer with a heated chamber...

[@19672701]

Great video,need to teach myself F360 you got the fit perfect! Be a good build to see where you take it from here,and I found a cheaper place to get filament so thx!

[@sergiotafolla901]

Its crazy how accurate those machines can print a piece on...

[@legoboy-ox2kx]

I've been printing some Voron parts with Atomic CF-PETG and the parts are incredible! I'm printing with 5 walls and the parts are basically indestructible lol. I tried hitting some failed prints with a hammer for fun and I could only get a couple of parts to snap on thinner parts of them.

[@RyanStone143]

My first printer was a MakerFarm i2 clone. Good to see some of their products live on...

[@Clough42]

This one does, though it doesn't look much like the original. I've got a lot of custom parts on mine.

[@ryanmacewen511]

OMG. I was wondering when you were going to lower your extrusion multiplier. Then you pull out the horizontal offset setting. I never tried that! Seems darn handy!! Thank you! I never knew it existed. I'd be tempted to still try your extrusion multiplier. I know sometimes you hit a perfect infill solid density, and want to retain it. My approach was always to adjust extrusion or infill overlap to get part into spec. Shaving some off the walls is a neat trick I never knew until now. Not sure if Cura can manage that. Luckily I mainly use S3D.

[@Clough42]

Extrusion multiplier changes other things, like top and bottom layer fill, and they're already just about perfect.

[@paulprobusjr.7597]

Another great video, thanks! Would you recommend this material over the (nylon?) carbon fiber filament you used on the tungsten grinder fixture?

[@Clough42]

Filament choice is always about application. For the things I imagine doing with printed parts, I think the CF-PETG is a better choice just because it prints so much more easily. I haven't tested flexibility for thin walled parts or other properties yet.

[@jld1501]

The outside radius of sq./rect. tubing is twice the wall thickness for steel. Aluminum tubing is usually sharp corners.

[@elvischam007]

me encanta como usas fusion 350

[@rbrianlindahl5499]

I have a roll of ProtoPasta PLA-CF - seems to be pretty easy to use on the couple sample parts I made.

[@Bosbulls]

I also like to model something up before I go and make it. I'm more of a fabricator, and work a lot with tubing, similar to what your table and mount is made of. Just a hint for you James, of my process to model tubing pieces. I've found that in most cases, the outside fillet is twice the metal wall thickness. I normally have that as a parameter. Also the extrude have a neat new functionality with the thin extrude. Therefor I scetch my tube outline, with the fillets. Then by using the thin extrude, the tubing comes out completely done. The inside and outside fillets are mostly correct.

[@Clough42]

That's a good tip. I'll play with it. I really wish Fusion had proper weldments. You can get by with duplicating, sizing, and splitting bodies, but it's way more work than with a proper weldment system like in SolidWorks.

[@terrysmith8655]

Just letting you know I quite liked your video. Just a quick comment about holding up your table when you removed the leg... What I do when I need to support something heavy, I take an adjustable clamp (trigger clamp?) and reverse the ends so I use it as a spreader. I've used it to hold up one corner of a 2' x 6' 400 pound table, and with the trigger, I can lift it even higher. thought that might help you in future endeavors. Thanks also for the fusion 360 guide, I enjoy picking up shortcuts and tips.

[@anmafab]

Grabbed it with both hands and pushed right down to the bottom hey? No judgement here man That PETG Carbon finish is nice. Trying my first test print at the moment with the same stuff and excited to see how it comes out!

[@giantm2323]

3DXTechd GF-30 ABS would be well suited and is easy to print also. I have printed a bunch of that cf Petg. Small features were always too brittle. The glass fiber does not have that issue and prints equally as easily.

[@jbergene]

Imo cf-petg gives the best value for a mechanical filament. 3Dxtech and Addnorth makes som super smooth filament for this material. For an even stiffer and more Ceramic-like 3Dxtech have CF-PC which is also amazing. Temperature goes up to 140°C and it sounds like a coffee mug when hitting it.

[@mpower2386]

You have any experience with ASA CF from 3dxtech? It is less dense then most other CF blends, if it has comparable compressive strenght to other CF filaments and is not too britle it might be what I need.

[@AaronAlso]

In this application I'm not sure the CarbonX is really necessary, but it was a nice demonstration of the dimensional accuracy of the material and printer.

[@Bob_Adkins]

Great video James. I was hoping you would test the trial piece to destruction to get a feel for the strength and properties.

[@Clough42]

That sounds like something worth doing, but probably as a separate video.

[@Bob_Adkins]

@@Clough42 I was thinking of 30 seconds with a hammer, knife, and pliers, but yeah, it could make a nice video.

[@Knatte_Anka]

Handy tip: you can add parameter in sketch dimension by typing "pluginside=1.005"

[@Clough42]

Yeah, I tried it after someone (maybe you?) suggested it. It makes a parameter, but it didn't end up tied to the dimension, so when I changed it later, it didn't affect the sketch. Perhaps I did something wrong.

[@BonBaisers]

Nice ! I never compensate on slider/CAD. I prefer to use calibration models and adjust flow ratio.

[@Clough42]

If flow ratio is your problem, that's the right solution. If you already have the flow ratio correct so your top layers are filling properly, it's the wrong tool to adjust perimeters.

[@BradenEliason]

This might be a weird approach, but you could potentially cast a spacer in place. A 3D printed plug could be used to adjust the depth. If you want it to be removable, some judicious use of wax and mold release could help it release.

[@Clough42]

People accuse me of doing things the hard way, but it never occurred to me to complicate the project by adding resin casting.

[@carlthor91]

Easier way, use bolt collars/spacers inside the box tubing, welded in the centers of the collars to the smaller box tubing, fun part, with magnetic weld positioners, which you already have, I believe. Saved the cost of expensive carbon fiber. Then just print a new plug/cap, with hole to accommodate the new upright. Best wishes from the far North.

[@Clough42]

That would also work. Though the cost of the material to make the spacers might rival the cost of the filament for this part, plus I'd still have to design and 3d print the plug.

[@jaymzx0]

Ah yes, I recognized that Makerfarm printer. It's true, Colin got out of the printer business a few years ago. I have a Pegasus, myself and like yours, it's in a state of...ongoing betterment, I guess. It's really only running on the extrusion it was born with (moving to linear rail soon) and the stock bed. It has a new controller, extruder, hot end, etc. I recognize your profile pic from Thingiverse, now that I think about it. I made a few things you have uploaded, so thanks for those nice designs and the great video.

[@Clough42]

Mine is pretty much the way it's been for many years. I fixed all the things that annoyed me about it, and now it just works. The laser-cut MDO frame has held up surprisingly well. I expected it to be a source of trouble over time. Perhaps the dry climate and the coat of lacquer are helping.

[@jaymzx0]

@@Clough42 It'll probably work fine for quite some time. Composite sheet wood is really stable as far as temperature and humidity goes. When I initially purchased mine I opted to go with the metal components for additional rigidity. I did most of the tinkering years ago. I just got a 'bug' to start tinkering with it again about 6 months ago. Well, it was more of, "I bought those parts 2 years ago. I should get around to putting them together." That whole 'incomplete project' thing and all. Boy, I have a lot of them, too.

[@jimsvideos7201]

I'm curious about how much fiber is in that filament and the length of those fibers. It could be pretty close to DIY filament winding.

[@JunkyardPerformance]

Love your channel I just bought the same table as yours hay what computer is that that you got for the table thanks again

[@marwinthedja5450]

I noticed you set refinement to "high" in your export settings in Fusion. Does this noticeably improve the dimensional accuracy of your prints compared to "medium" ?

[@Clough42]

I think it just controls the number of facets on curves. I set it to high many years ago and left it there.

[@BG-tn9rs]

Very good video. The carbon fiber element of the PETG filament does not give much benefit in this particular application. The regular PETG with good amount of outline/perimeter shells (3 or 4) and good infill will work just fine. 😀

[@tonymarreiros3186]

Hi James this was a great video. Some people just likes to had their tin of fish but ends up to be irrelevant. If i may, can i ask you how do you send the print straight to Simplified 3D. Is there something that i would have to had on Fusion 360? Sorry for my question and again great video in all aspects. Regards Tony.

[@jthomeo]

Really liked the video. LEarning Fusion and this gave me a good unederstanding of it. Just don't know how to select edges behind walls as it's done hera. How do do that? Tks.

[@brucemansfield2501]

I'd like to see more information on building the printer . is there a video on it?

[@daveceneskie5805]

Great video. However, as an owner of that same table, I think you may find that post is going to get in your way. I often need to let the material hang over the edges to cut out parts from larger sheets.

[@Clough42]

I buy material in 24x36" pieces, and hang them off the other edges.

[@axial_zero]

Great video! Have you tried adjusting the extrusion multiplier for this filament instead of changing the part dimensions? Slightly lowering the flow will account for the horizontal expansion (too large outside, hole too small) and once you’ve got that set for a particular filament you should be able to print the part consistently at the exact size every time :)

[@Clough42]

The top fill is good. Lowering the extrusion multiplier might fix one problem but would create others.

[@bbrand6755]

The mount is surely more rigid than the rest of the table :-) I already noticed in an earlier video that it seems to be a bit shaky when the plasma cutter rapidly changes direction.

[@Clough42]

It's on swiveling casters, so it rolls around a little. I suppose I could lock them if I cared.

[@Engineerd3d]

Interesting filament. I have gr8 luck with abs and pla+. Terrible luck with petg. Maybe I should try a different brand.

[@Clough42]

There are lots of variables. I have to print PETG slower, and have to be pretty careful to make sure it has time to solidify properly. Thin spires that sit with the heated block right over them for an extended period of time don't do well.

[@Engineerd3d]

@@Clough42 the thing that gets me is everyone says same settings as pla. I find that to be an exaggeration to say the least.

[@seanwolfe9321]

Do you know anything about the heat resistance of the PETG CF? Glass transition temp?

[@Clough42]

Check the technical data sheet. Other than that, I don't know.

[@VorpalGun]

To be honest, almost any plastic (except tpu obviously) would likely have been fine in this application as long as it didn't warp while printing. The carbon fiber seems superfluous. Maybe it will help with any sparks flying from the plasma cutter though?

[@richardsweet5068]

Solid as a sock.

[@Clough42]

The funny thing is: I can't tell is this is an insult, or an autocorrect error.

[@richardsweet5068]

@@Clough42 Neither, just British humor.

[@jurabondarchook2494]

Every tool is a hammer. But hummer is a better hummer. :)

[@sammorgan31]

Infill would be your most critical choice for rigidity under compression, especially since the outer steel tube is constraining the part and preventing creep in one dimension on each plane. PLA at 80% infill would be about as rigid as you could ask for.

[@retrohipster1060]

Yeah, when he was talking about materials for this I know he did say that he could use just about anything, but then he spoke about why it was worth using carbon fiber and such. For this specific part it honestly did look like he could have just used anything. I'm sure that if he used pla at 80% infill it would have been completely indistinguishable and that the 1-in steel tubing would probably bend sooner than the part would fail given the geometry. LOL

[@SlavaChrome]

You are not correct! More walls will make part rigid. Check CNCKitchen, he have video about it.

[@hillfortherstudios2757]

You're correct. Wall thickness is a much more significant factor than infill density.@@SlavaChrome

[@douglasmacomber2277]

I like learning. But i also wish you work as you teach or talk. Then i get more out of the video. Lol. Don't get me wrong you're awesome and I'm new and just subscribed. I'm hooked!! Ive been saving for a 3D printer. Hope to learn from you since I enjoy the way you get into it!!! Thank you very much and people subscribe and hit the bell👍 Don't mind me i learn better has things are being done. Could you suggest a good beginner 3D printer?

[@julesmarcu5635]

1st i want to ask, are those metal spacers inside the sq tube to keep it5 from crushing when the bolts are tightened? If so why not just remove the crush sleeves and weld them into the 1" sq tube then reinstall it in the 2" tube?

[@WhereNerdyisCool]

You might want to consider the off-gassing that material can do (nanoparticles, VOCs) etc and conisider investing in an enclosure to either a air filtration system or connect it to vent outside. Print safe!

[@Clough42]

Are you concerned about the PETG, or specifically the carbon?

[@Remowylliams]

I've been following along for about a year. This video was a bit painful as you use a mix of imperial and metric measurements, please pick one. :) Also you printed your test piece and spent about 5 minutes in all measuring before you test fit the piece. When test fitting is the ultimate goal. I'm surprised you made your piece fit 2 full bolts when you might have found installation easier if you'd just used half of the distance to the bottom bolt as your stop. There by requiring only one bolt to be removed allowing some stable support of your table should you want to move the computer to a different corner of your cutting table. Still great work. Enjoy your videos.

[@Clough42]

My ultimate goal was to characterize the material and adjust my process parameters so I can hit dimensions as closely as possible when I use this material in the future. If mixed units bother you, part two is going to hurt. The VESA mount spec is in millimeters and the tubing and sheet metal I can buy where I live are dimensioned in inches, and I consistently show great insensitivity by letting the tools convert back and forth instead of arbitrarily picking one unit, and doing the conversion in my head as I work.

[@ericbommer2280]

When you do your model, dont forget to adjust for filament trace width. Also remember the same for height and the layer thickness.

[@Clough42]

Adjust the model for trace width? What do you mean?

[@ericbommer2280]

@@Clough42 Its my understanding the print nozzle will locate on the line from the model. For example if you draw a 2" square, the nozzle is at the 2 inch border, but if you use a 0.4 mm nozzle, the width will be about 0.6mm wide. So the filament will print outside the 2" square by 0.3 mm outside and also 0.3mm on the inside. Hope I'm making sense.

[@ericbommer2280]

Also in the Slicer you use to print the model, will have trace width and trace height that you set. So the model also need to be dividable by the layer height.

[@Clough42]

@@ericbommer2280 Ahh...I understand what you're saying. That's not how it works, though. The slicer knows the extrusion width and should place the extrusions inside the perimeter to produce a part with the correct dimensions. There are all kinds of things that can go wrong, like layer heights, extruder calibration, filament diameter deviation, etc. that can cause issues, but modifying your model to compensate for the extrusion width is not something you need to do when designing the part.

[@ericbommer2280]

@@Clough42 You know anytime I print parts that fit together, I have always had to subtract the extrusion width. I know the slicer should do that but it never seems to happen for me. I also feel if the extruder filament dimensions is not evenly divided by the model dimension, the slicer doesn't print partial lines to compensate. I wish I knew G-code better to know what happens for sure.

[@JustTony72]

Wow. I forgot how convenient fusion is compared to using freecad.