6 Ways to Connect 3D Prints!

[@UncleJessy]

Soooo what did I miss and what do you prefer using for your projects?

[@AJLaRocque54]

I primarily use PLA for 3D printing along with miscellaneous electronics for robotics.

[@SaperPl1]

You didn't include my suggestion about the Lego Technic pins. In essence it's similar to furniture pegs to assemble stuff together.

[@chriseastty2874]

With the plastic burning gun couldn't you snip the excess of with some of the clippers you get with the printer? Would get closer then those big ones on the kit

[@Thanos88888]

5 minute epoxy that I buy from the Dollar Store works really well for gluing pieces together. I always keep well stocked up on it.

[@omw2876]

You forgot five minute epoxy. I work with ornaments and what I normally would do is drill a whole out and add the wire into those holes and neural / rough the parts with some sand paper so the glue has something to bind to, then use five minute epoxy.

[@madp3d]

I came from a woodworking background. Joinery such as dovetails, rabbets, dados and biscuits are intended to increase the surface area for the glue. Even a mitre cut increases the gluing surface over a butt joint. Some joints such as dovetails may not even require glue. Physical orientation of the load will also improve the strength of a joint (I'm sure that will inspire some 420 jokes haha). Egypt is full of stone constructions where stone blocks use alternating corner "laps" dramatically improving the integrity of the corners. The end use of each joint should be considered not just from a bonding perspective. There's my 2 bits! Thanks Jessy.

[@hankrearden20]

These are all wonderful suggestions. But I can't help but wonder how applicable all the joints would have under certain situations. I'm exploring snap joints to join parts together solely for the mechanical advantage that can be imparted directly into the print.

[@jerbear7952]

It is interesting to see how little communication there is between plastic and wood. I love both but see very little of the old knowledge coming over. I also see an awful lot of 3d printed stuff that should just be a piece of scrap wood and a few holes.

[@LordHonkInc]

When it comes to structural parts, I usually take a page out of the tig welding books: Leave a chamfered edge between two joining pieces (basically a trench for new plastic to sit in), hold a length of filament to it and use a soldering iron to melt the filament into the trench. I could probably get similar results with a 3D pen, but I like the control you get with the soldering iron where you can focus the melting on the printed part moreso than the added filament. And the second tip I guess is to err on the side of too much added plastic, rather than not enough; sanding down a thick weld is worth it if I know I got good penetration into the parts.

[@angrydragonslayer]

I got a rework station instead of just an iron and let me tell you, the rework air gun with a 3D pen works wonders

[@agonymobile]

No need to all of that, I post a reply to what exactly (chemically) melt it and when the two parts or more bonded together they will be way stronger than print itself.

[@angrydragonslayer]

@@agonymobile i'd rather just breathe melted plastic than aerosol plastic and that stuff

[@agonymobile]

Both are bad for lungs, Resin is even more as well So for sure dont use it inside. 😉

[@butre.]

that's really bad for your soldering iron tip though

[@RoseKindred]

I bought my first printer based on your recommendations. Saved up for almost 6 months for the *Neptune 2S* and for someone who has never built a printer, seen a printer in real life, and has limited hand movement/strength, it took less than 2 hours with a break till I was printing the chibi-like monk. Test print came out perfectly. After using it for a while I have only needed to level it once after set up due to repeated failures and I realized I just needed to up the temp by 10. I was worried about building the machine due to the small wires and belts, but it all went together perfectly. I would HIGHLY recommend this printer setup to anyone.

[@ArcticFox63]

With the inserts/pegs for extra strength I would have printed them perpendicular to the force that is going to be applied. So for example instead of printing them standing up so it would split along the layer lines print them flat down so any sideways force from flexing cant split as easily.

[@erikanders3343]

for the staples, grip them with a pair of pliars and bend them back and forth the upright section snaps off easy and you are left with only what is in the part. nice and clean.

[@nospera]

Could you use a wood burner plus PLA and use it like welding? instead of a 3d pen?

[@hightde13]

As a side note, my experience has been that CA accelerant will make the glue more brittle. I love the stuff for figures to save time but for strength I get better results without it.

[@agonymobile]

See my reply, its more stronger, and also remove surface stress so no more cracks appears after while.

[@echo-hotel]

@@agonymobile See my reply, its more stronger, and also remove surface stress so no more cracks appears after While.

[@lucythebrazen]

I love that you showed off welding with a 3D pen, as that is an option many people often forget, however you really have to work on your welds :P

[@KRGraphicsCG]

If you have PLA, I use 3d Gloop and steel dowel pins, and then brush the Gloop over the joins so they weld together

[@MissingLinkMTB]

Harbor Freight's kit is really nice. I use it all the time on ATV fenders and really anything else broken plastic. I use the hot staples too. Got a $25 set off Amazon and the replacement staples are really inexpensive. Also, after you get the staple in as far as you want, twist it just slightly and you can pull it out without waiting for it to cool. Another benefit of that is it wedges itself into the plastic.

[@Review3d]

3D Gloop has "Glue Gloop" that comes in a tube and is a little thicker. It's good for more precise application. Since it's a little thicker is dries *slightly* slower, which is my only issue with 3D Gloop..it's dries a little too quickly. You only have a couple seconds to reposition a part before it starts bonding. Regardless, 3D Gloop has been my go-to for the last few years. You definitely want good ventilation when using it though.

[@secretagb]

Ventilate ventilate ventilate!! That's not even slightly kidding. It seems a lot of people aren't reading the SDS for that stuff as it contains some basic neurotoxin chemicals. It's some nasty stuff to inhale. Beyond ventilate really it's a good idea to wear a VOC respirator.

[@Boneappleteahee]

@@secretagb are you able to put a print that use’s it on your head? Example; a helmet using it to bond parts.

[@disturbedmushroom_video]

melting a metal mesh into the plastic works really well

[@3darms]

For long parts you can design in a hole and put a threaded rod in. it's used in printed firearm design fairly often.

[@cats9977]

Literally the best Method

[@ChristianBehnke]

I like using JB Weld SuperWeld - it's a cyanoacrylate adhesive, and forms a great bond between PLA parts very quickly. The only thing I noticed is it can leave a white residue on dark materials, so I started using painter's tape to mask it off and ensure I only get the areas I need to.

[@treywitter6487]

I know it’s something you can’t control or did on purpose but the fact that only some of your eyelashes are gray on your left eye looks soooo cool makes you look like ethier video game boss that creates robots or the playable hero that would have a mechanical arm looks sick

[@UncleJessy]

Haha thanks!! Turning into a super villain 😬🤘

[@rynnjacobs8601]

For the 3D-Pen welding, you should have put (big) chamfers on the seam-edges, so you get a double v-groove. This would increase stability and also, solve the “gung” problem.

[@jjfoerch]

With a temperature-controlled wood burner and a variety of tips, you can really get quite precise welds. You can also add material into a weld from the spool or from failed prints that may be sitting around.

[@rishiaman2]

9:48 why did u not use the rectangle things in other experiments?

[@mlake1988]

I tried "soldering" with the pla and a wood burner, and it actually worked pretty well on a faceplate I was working on.

[@ebaymagot]

you can solvent weld pla with weld on 3. less mess than the goop, and is as clean as super glue

[@CB-rv2lj]

I needed this, I just bought a Mono X and am 2 days in after a year with my photon s. Now I will be doing much bigger prints and need ways to attach big models together. Love watching your stuff and I just subscribed.

[@Jnolet88]

try prepping the parts before attempting to weld. if you look at traditional welding techniques it may give you ideas. here's what I got so far; 1. design parts with 45 degree chamfer on edges you intend to weld together 2. Tack weld in a few locations until part holds itself together (using wood burner or the tip of 3d pen) 3. confirm dimensions 4. weld the root with wood burner 5. use 3d pen to weld the rest until its even with parent material. kind like a mig welder you could also add recesses to either add other 3d printed plastic tabs(kinda like the purple ones you're using) or spots to add the plastic welding staples and then using the pend to add material over top of that.

[@Adam_Carbone]

What I do is use a hot glue gun and melt a plastic joint with filament, you can make a smooth joint that way, (kind of like plastic welding) and then I apply super glue to the inside and outside and repeat for the other side of the seam, very strong especially with extra layers of glue and plastic!

[@Liz_ArdE]

A combination of super glue, E6000, and my 3d pen has never let me down. And I can confirm that a cheap 3D pen is a god sent when your edges warped.

[@agonymobile]

See my reply, its chlor....

[@Haunted_Hunter]

Honestly. Welding Gun + 3D Gloop, probably the best possible solution. Nice to see 3D Gloop can also be used as a print smoothener.

[@technodrone313]

you could have done a much better job on those welds with the 3d pen. tack it around the seem then do what you did. then run the tip over it without extruding new material to clean it up/smooth it. also sometimes its best to use little bits of pla, set them on fire with a lighter for a sec then forge weld it with your thumb. it may hurt but your part wont care.

[@demgainz2216]

for the welding with a soldering iron I would recommend getting one with temp control. i got one off of amazon for like $10. Got mine running at 230 c and its not burning my elegoo pla+.

[@clarkescustomcreations]

I like using my prime lines with soldering iron i save them an use them as welding rods especially on the outside were the seam will be seen the thin prime lines melt into the seam nicely without a lot of mess

[@squeak83uk2]

For Pla I use dicholomethane/ methylene chloride .. it solvent welds the surface and is very thin allowing for capillary suction between parts

[@chadhill8785]

I know I'm a bit late, however couldn't you use the flat attachment you showed to press the left over metal stubs down into the PLA?

[@cowboy124aa3]

Ive done this in an extreme case i have taken a strand of filament cut it to length and lightly glue it to the two pieces that you at trying to connect, then with something like the flat wood burner go over the filament inside the seam and melt it like your ironing clothes. Similar to the 3d pen and wood burner, but a bit cleaner, because you dont have to move plastic around the area to fill in the seam.

[@William3DP]

3:31 I am glad I had some shaded glasses handy and put them on when I was watching the video when you used the UV light. Otherwise, the light would have hurt my eyes.

[@zedgathegreat9122]

I have an Elegoo Neptune 2, and absolutely love the thing. Once I got the leveling dialed in, I had absolutely no problems with it. However, the build plate became worn out and I've tried numerous different products (wham-bam plate, a couple other PEI sheets, tried printing on the backside of the plate, etc.) and have not come across anything remotely as good as the default build plate. Has anyone found a decent replacement?

[@tjbehrens7077]

Amazon should have one and I would recommend if you are getting a new bed anyways, then you should upgrade to an ultra base or spring steel bed, and then it would not wear out as easily.

[@Mr_Reaps25]

One thing I've seen before that seams like a good idea is using PVC pipes. On a key sword there was a pipe in the handle for a while lot of extra strength

[@dirkvantroyen9170]

The staple legs should have notches very near the wobbly end, so they should break off very well with a little effort. I have no issues with the staple ends anyway

[@BaronOfHell666]

You could also add tabs and slots to the project. You can do it in any 3d printing app but there is one that is only design to add slots and tabs for combining pieces.

[@TheLukemcdaniel]

My issue with the uv resin is that the uv isn't going to get on the inside parts, only on the outer edge of the seam. IMO a two part epoxy would be better there, with maybe using the uv resin to fill in seams so it looks like a solid piece instead of 2 parts(like you mentioned).

[@VariablePenguin]

How fast does the 3D Goop dry? I just order a bottle to play around with. My usually technique is CA glue and then printer pen to fill in seams and gaps.

[@3DMusketeers]

IF we use super glue, the gel variant is SO MUCH NICER than the runny variant. Gloop is LIFE!

[@IcanCwhatUsay]

link to that UV flashlight? 3:50

[@brandonoh777]

I am trying to make a spacer to go between polly pipe and PVC pipe already have one designed and printed that fits but from PLA....Im pretty sure my printer cant do it as i can only print PLA and PETG maybe ABS so i was looking to farm it out to one of the online 3d printing services but my question is what materials that can be 3d printed can stand up to PVC cement? as this is what i would want to use on the pipe bonds. Im pretty sure PVC cant be 3d printed even with high tech 3d printers?

[@PaganWizard]

I have used the plastic welding kit you have, and it's GREAT!!!! The trick to using the staples, is to clip them with the clippers, and then use a grinding stone on a Dremel to grind them down slightly below the surface. You can then fill in the small void with spot putty.

[@MochaMameX]

using resin to join is a bit hard because the UV doesn't have much chance to get in between the seam. some slits to pour resin into like stitches might cure and hold better.

[@gd.ritter]

If you're going to use a 3d pen or wood burner, design a V groove in the back of the part and you can fill the whole space instead of only welding the outer most walls.

[@idmnstr]

Thank You for the video. In my current project I can't use "biscuits" as you did in your video. I was planning on using and 2 part epoxy, 3d pen and wood burner to seal my PETG parts before I saw this video. How is the "PET Gloop" better for PETG than the PLA version? How is it different from PVC glue?

[@IndieGuvenc]

weldwood contact cement is my go to, gotta follow the directions tho. I tried Loctite it didn't stick

[@TheSpiffiest1]

The plastic welding gun and curvy staples is how they repair bumpers and body panels on cars. If your part needs a crazy solid, if ugly join is it 100% the way to go, and you also fill in the holes with a 3d printed pen or other filer and sand it down.

[@cowboybebop6968]

question when you are 3d printing does it make a smell i ask because am in a one bed room apt and i use it a lot i just got it and am use pla

[@jaquesmerde9146]

isnt it better to print the inserts at a 90 degree rotation so if its stressed it doesnt break on the layer lines?

[@tommykelley7826]

I used a soldering iron and some steel mesh to fix my trucks door handle, works like a charm! Just lay the mesh where you want to weld and push it in with the iron (you can also add plastic if so desired). The finish isn't the most visually pleasing, but it is very strong

[@rasg3000]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this before but there is a way to friction weld pieces using a dremel rotating the filament against the two pieces. It doesn't penetrate much into the pieces but its the same material and if you sand it doesn't look too bad

[@new_comment]

when you use the plastic welder, use high Q flush cutters, and use your rotary tool to grind down the small barbs left sticking up.

[@djeikgregoire5530]

hey , do you have a llink for the print that tou using for the test , i want to do some sansing test with it :)

[@yurhdw]

hi! i'm planning on joining 2 3D prints which are made of a fluorescent PLA to (try to) make a huge piece of a sword blade, the full print will result in about 160cm, the issue is that i don't want to have the printing "corners" in plain sight since i'd love to have the smoothest glues up blade possible, in some places i can try to hide the joints under some paint since the blade has some embroidery on it, will 3d gloop make a "perfect" join? any advice? thanks in advance!

[@tiagotiagot]

What about that type of resin that cures with time? (IIRC it comes packed as two ingredients and the cure starts when they get mixed)

[@odiethe4th]

for the uv resin maybe it would cure better on a clear product?

[@HeliosKou]

I have made an attempt to 3D print a Sword of Omens to scale using PLA and the blade just completely fell apart on me. Would 3D Gloop old it together well enough or would I have to use something else?

[@ASCENDER]

omg i needed to learn this, thank you

[@HackMonkey]

Gloop, CA, and E6000 depending on the project needs. Also worth noting that CA comes in different viscosities.

[@AntiOriginal]

you should have tried adding baking soda to the superglue part. Baking soda increases the glue strength of superglue massively. For example powder one side with baking soda and add a bigger amount of superglue on the other side then fuse them together.

[@am00nh]

great video i needed such info plus the DUNDER MIFFLIN shirt put a smile on my face :D

[@cwlikesharrypotter]

This video came out at just the perfect time for me! I just printed a boba fett helmet and I’m plastic welding those parts together

[@deusvult7296]

I want to try a mix of 3 for a project I'm working on. Use 3d gloves for the large flat middle, staple the outside and then use the soldering gun like a welder and melt filament into the areas the staples are in to fill it

[@TrisNashty]

3D Gloop was a game changer for me… so easy to work with and it works so well!

[@xXPhanillaXx]

I know I'm 2 years late to the party but, why not use the 3d pen and clean it up with the soldering iron?

[@tenletters5889]

Let me get this straight you 1. Put pegs in 2. Didn't use the extra surface area provided by the aforementioned pegs Side note: a little shady that the only one you didn't do this on was the plastic cement, which you happen to have an affiliate code for. Not saying it was intentional, but it could have affected the results to personally benefit you.

[@joeking433]

How about Weld-on 3, 4, or 16? It's like paint thinner and will weld the two PLA pieces together. Weld-on #3 is watery and sets in a few seconds, #4 is a little thicker and sets in 30 seconds or so, and #16 is a thick consistency that sets in like 5 minutes.

[@thanninja2449]

In my experience when it's possible, superglued printed threads are a pretty good balance between looks and function

[@MWSJoey]

Cover the staples with the 3d pen using the same filament. Sand down flush. Typically all my jobs can be handled with super glue and some 3D printed joinery on the part so I haven't branched out into other adhesive method. 3D gloop looks like something that would be nice on hand though.

[@mcorrade]

Acrylic # 16 is the best I've found. Its a acrylic based glue.

[@3dgloop]

Hey! We know that Gloop! stuff! 🙃 Awesome video! Love all of the methods you explored here. Great stuff! 😊

[@rogergarrett3061]

Can't find this on Amazon, do you have a direct link to the company website?

[@LightOfReason7]

Have you tried PVC glue? The stuff plumbers use to connect PVC pipes. I've learned that glued pipe connections are sometimes stronger than molded pieces.

[@doaknife9161]

Can you print a little access plastic that will go on the inside so like you print the ledge on the one piece and then when you slide them together then that goes over top each other then there's a little band inside that way you can glue that band in the bottom edge together in the inside of a helmet to really get it strong

[@HannsSchulmeister]

The 3D-Gloob Stuff is amazing. The only thing I have to say is that you printed all parts in one direction. Maybe if you print the outer parts from button to top and the inner parts from left to right - that should give more strength. Great job ob the video

[@deleroth]

Bummed you didn't try acetone. I've had a lot of luck bonding small PLA parts together with it.

[@datsalas]

Hi thanks for the really nice video yesterday i used the soldering iron method plus drywall fiberglass tape ! Melting the fiber glass in to and around the sim all the way after i have glue the 2 pieces with super glue. iam gluing parts of a helmet by the way so i used the soldering on the inner side as a support.

[@jbingbong]

"smooothing staples" is a fun typo that you made and I love it

[@fanagelnerfer7461]

As a carpenter, I'm confident that you can just bend the end of the staple back and forth and it will break under the surface.

[@3DJapan]

I usually use super glue, in fact that same brand. However, I do find that after it dries a white frosting appears around the whole area.

[@MissingLinkMTB]

I see a lot of people are mentioning epoxy. Epoxy has a much higher tensile strength than super glues. Super glue is good when there's zero gap between components. Epoxy is if you have gaps or want to build up a seam. Ever seen a hammer with a fiberglass handle? It's epoxy holding that handle in there. I've also found JB Weld to work great on many types of plastics. The Quick obviously dries much faster. I've also glued two pieces together using Gorilla Super Glue, which is my normal go-to, and followed up by working a bead of epoxy around the outer seams for extra strength.

[@SeanTaffert]

What about solvent welding ABS? Acetone works great for that.

[@The_Bearded_Dan]

do you have a link to the leonardo stl?

[@nobodyuknow4911]

Side tip for using super glue, keep baking soda on hand, and it will INSTANTLY cure it and at the same time make it a bit tougher... Far from indestructible, but a good bit stronger than plain superglue. Then you can layer it with more glue, then a sprinkling of more baking soda, clean off the excess, and repeat as necessary to build it up as much as you need it. From there you can sand and file it to shape, also good for filling some gaps and rebuilding a little bit of a broken-off (or missing) piece so long as you keep in mind it's still just super glue.

[@elpayaso42039]

Acetone. Acetone will melt the surface of the pla making it sticky. Put on both parts where glueing then join them together. Let dry. The plastic will fuse together as 1 peace. Plz show it off one day. I have told a few ppl and they tried it and liked the out come. U are number 1 in my book for 3d printers. I've watched hours upon hours of ur videos. May have missed a few lol. But I'd like to see the man who got me into 3d printing use a method I recommended. Bro that be cool.

[@logman8882]

For a 3d pen you probably need a bevel on the plastic for it to bond to so it can fill reinforce it better.

[@TomTrustworthy]

Is that gloop similar to what you use on PVC piping for plumbing? Seeing that brush in the cap totally reminds me of that stuff.

[@ChrisVZ77]

Pretty sure it is a similar principle. The gloop starts to chemically melt the plastic and allows the melted plastic from both parts to mix together before the chemical evaporates off, leaving solid plastic behind.

[@infernaldaedra]

I think it has less toxic chemicals in it

[@pomigun]

For me i use a combination of super glue and baking soda, it makes a sort of platicy thing between the two parts and it's pretty strong and sandable.

[@walkinmn]

You missed the first trick I learned which is friction welding with a Dremel, you just add a small piece of the filament to the Dremel and push gently. There are some videos around here. It works great but it's also a little destructive of the finish like with the wood burner but it does work really well too

[@BennettSanderson]

I actually first saw this in a Make Magazine several years ago.

[@BrainSlugs83]

The tip on the plastic welder is to make the plastic flat again, it will work fine on front facing surfaces.

[@kongchho]

Devcon plastic welder. It's a 2part epoxy and I always use it.

[@robertwilliams1095]

What do recommend for glueing resin prints together?

[@stephenruvalcaba4680]

I love the wood burning technique! I've used it before, I'll take scrap supports and use them over the part that needs to be bonded and melt it over or fill gaps with melted material, I found the only issue is if you use it around thinner walls, it will warp them, possibly in a way that you didn't intend.

[@LoreLibrary-Official]

U can also use the tip of 3d pen like that soldering iron or wood burner

[@snowwolvesproductions]

OK... I bought some of the gloop and used your discount code. Thanks!

[@jdub8303]

Can u snip the staples to size before inserting them

[@shuflie]

If you want to use the 3D pen you could model a "V" shaped groove on the back side and fill it up with the 3D pen from behind. Maybe use a combination of super glue for the seam at the front and 3D pen from the back.

[@LumberjackHvsh]

instead of clipping the staples use your cutters to grab the staple at the top and wiggle it back and forth the breaking point should be just under the top layer of skin

[@SynnDragon]

So what's the best way to connect resin printed pieces to PETG?

[@_thisisdavid]

Seen auto body guys use the weld gun and thought this would make a great option for combining 3d pieces together