Multicolor Clay 3D Printing (from NCECA 2021)

This presentation on multicolor ceramic 3D printing was created as part of the National Council for Education in the Ceramic Arts in March of 2021. The 2021 conference was held remotely due to the COVID pandemic. The presentation focuses on the development and refinement of a two-color 3D printing process in clay. It also focuses on several years of experimentation and development of custom clay printing tools.

[@make.anything]

Incredible development and great progress. The bridging test blew my mind! Thanks for sharing the process 👍

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@MLFranklin]

When you said interlocking that triggered a "LEGO" thought. Interlocking bricks. Printed ceramic hinges. Pizza ovens with working mechanisms: hinges, directional control valves to adjust the heat and smoke. Even kinetic sculptures that combine waterfall, fountain, flame, and motion. This is a great creative space you've enabled!

[@TomLauerman]

This all sounds very fun to explore, thanks for sharing!

[@ASCENDANTGAMERSAGE]

There's something about the perseverance of engineers iterating over and over that makes me cry. Super cool process and very inspiring. Your video quality is also excellent.

[@andrewwatts1997]

Like with a painting, the first strokes always look like shit. it's the final image in the painters mind that defines the outcome. Step by step after every stroke the canvas is reevaluated to see what next step to take to get to that final image. As with engineering, you start with an idea, build a prototype and add or subtract parts and software to eventually make it work like what you have in your head. I have done both and it is super satisfying.

[@TomLauerman]

Thank you so much for the kind words, much appreciated. I've put thousands of hours into this, but it has been very enjoyable, if occasionally frustrating. So glad others pick up on it and enjoyed the video!

[@TomLauerman]

This is a really nice way to frame the process of iteration. Much appreciated!

[@MLFranklin]

Love the glorious fail at 3:22. We're all human. That's how we learn. Very, very relatable. I appreciate that you shared it. It makes your success more credible. Totally transparent. No smoke and mirrors.

[@TomLauerman]

Much appreciated! As a teacher I have learned that showing the failures is essential to understanding the work. Making things look easier than it was does everyone a disservice!

[@hallowedshade125]

My favorite thing about 3d printing is how it meshes art and engineering, my two loves. I can tell that you are an amazing teacher, and any student (art or engineering) should be proud to study under you. Thank you for bringing your mind to the table and I look forward to seeing how it shapes the future

[@TomLauerman]

Thank you for these very kind words! Great motivation!

[@Chris-hn4lp]

I just designed and built a clay 3D printer from scratch as my senior mechanical engineering design project. Actually, I used the same cake decorating nozzle that you used as a nozzle on so many of your printer designs. I have since graduated but I really want to go back and work on it and try to get it tuned better. I managed to print a few things in spiral vase mode that turned out excellent but those prints are easy because there is no need to stop for travel movements or anything. The extruder I designed doesn't have an auger like so many of the more precise ones do, so stopping extrusion or changing flow rate is hard. The extruder is just a 8" long, 1.5" ID tube with a TR8x1 lead screw pushing a plunger to extrude the material. I also had it geared down with a 1:5 gear ratio using pulleys and a 2GT timing belt to make sure the NEMA 17 motor had enough torque and precision for the extruder. I was hoping to be able to use Marlin's linear advance feature to account for pressure buildup in the nozzle when the speed to changes but I graduated before I had a chance and had to leave the printer there since the University paid for the parts. This was only a 1 semester long project for me and was essentially completely individually done, so timing was so tight that I basically finished it, then graduated and barely even got to use it all. Your design is amazing though, I mean the high precision and ability to stop and start is awesome. I'd love to see the whole design in more detail.

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for your interest! and congratulations on your project, which sounds like a real sprint, time wise. I will post some more technical stuff sometime. In short though, I use an auger in the print head and the main "feed" syringe is powered by a NEMA 23 motor with a 20:1 worm gear reduction pushing a leadscrew. So lots and lots of torque needed. I use the Duet3D control electronics with RepRap firmware and I built much of the machine with linear rail systems from OpenBuilds. I also printed and milled many parts in plastic and aluminum. Thanks again!

[@henmich]

This is going to be a revolution in cake decorating

[@andrewhunter8968]

I really appreciated you talking though your thoughts, it's awesome that you have been so focused on this for so long. I really like idea of structural color and your analogy to textiles. Can't wait to see more!

[@TomLauerman]

Many thanks, really glad to hear the format worked and the ideas came across. I look forward to sharing more in the near future!

[@pauljones9150]

I really love the orange terracotta colored prints. That orange is so pretty

[@alejandrohuerta988]

As an amateur bonsai practicioner, it would be amazing to see what kind of pot designs could be made with a 3D printer!

[@Riley_Christian]

Those were my thoughts exactly!

[@TomLauerman]

Check out Jonathan Keep, he's coming at this process from the perspective of a potter and his work is remarkable!

[@RFi731]

Thanks for sharing! ive always liked your approach on printing detailed ceramics, rather than printing ceramics at larger scale.

[@TomLauerman]

Much appreciated!

[@eideticex]

The one thing I see here that could really help with quality is a nozzle wipe zone to wipe the nozzles between layers, every X amount of layers or some criteria that would need to be tested to determine a good setting. Appears like much of the slop I'm seeing in the more mature designs is simply buildup of material around the nozzle itself either depositing onto the model or stopping the clay from sticking to the model (instead to the nozzle).

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for the suggestion! In the last year or so the process has gotten a lot toghter - these videos go back 5 or 6 years. I'll have to show that improvement in future videos. Thanks again!

[@jbrownson]

Thanks for this, I’ve seen your videos off and on, it’s great to hear the background. I like how you’re following your interest and letting that drive the design. Keep going!

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks so much, and I look forward to sharing more recent experiments soon!

[@satchell78]

For cleaning up the lines, I would like to see what a watercolor brush(or sponge) that has a water reservoir attached to the extruder positioned to brush the lines following the extrusion. The brush would need some kind of adapter to squeeze the water at certain points to keep the brush tip wet. And of course the brush may need some axis controls. That's some good stuff!

[@TomLauerman]

I do lots and lots of cleanup by hand - but I've always wondered about automating that process. It is something to consider - thanks for sharing!

[@chemistclips]

What a thing of beauty 27:27 😍 I am also excited at the possibility of seeing your build-out!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks, I'll hopefully have some new videos soon. I appreciate the comment!

[@GeekDetour]

Thank you SO MUCH to share this journey in such a personal way ❤

[@TomLauerman]

Thank you!

[@MLFranklin]

Love the textile analogy. It works.

[@TomLauerman]

Thank you!

[@fnytnqsladcgqlefzcqxlzlcgj9220]

really nice to see your progress! excited to see what the future holds for you :)

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks so much!

[@davidstong]

This is fascinating. I hope you do a demo at Arts Fest. I can see bakers and cake decorators being as engrossed as weavers. Wow!

[@AlexandreLeone]

I literally cry when the minute 20 arrived! Congratulations Man. You realized one of my dreams... But I'm still where you wore in 2015, since i bouth my first printes last week. Things in Brasil goes a bit slower 😊

[@mookfaru835]

I like the lumpiness at 10:30 it looks ancient.

[@GoingtoHecq]

This is some really amazing stuff you've done here. "there's definitely nowhere that I can say "you should have done (this)!". You made a great machine and made it do amazing things. I really appreciate your desire for a finer resolution. I am surprised that the clay forms can stand up so well to moving on the bed, but I guess that shows what I know about clay. I know I know nothing about it. In a lot of ways this is more interesting than printing plastic. The durability of clay I think makes it better suited for sculpture.

[@TomLauerman]

Thank you!

[@trkoo]

Fdm uses fan to cool the extrusion so it ca Bridge better. I recommend you also use a heat blower and or infra-red lights to dry the clay as you try to bridge.

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks! Clay shrinks as it dries, and this can cause severe warping and cracking. So drying the work more slowly is where I am putting some effort, rather than trying to speed up drying. Bridging is a little different in clay, but still possible. Post-processing is much more robust in clay than in FDM (in my opinion) so joining parts together after printing is often a more viable path than trying to solve bridging issues. Thanks for your interest!

[@stefanguiton]

Excellent work!

[@oswros]

Beautiful journey! The best luck for you.

[@tdtrecordsmusic]

Truly Inspiring. Thanks for sharing your journey :) Also, I empathize with the concept: amount of time and energy spent vs the result/outcome. Yes, in our world where money can easily purchase almost everything, it is difficult to justify certain endeavors. However, this is the journey of the maker. This is what I would call 'real life.' It is also very likely to be the greatest gift you can give yourself.

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for sharing!! Much appreciated!

[@ettore760]

This is a truly impressive and inspiring project, thank you for sharing :)

[@TomLauerman]

Thank you so much!

[@Big3dprinter]

Thank you for sharing great story. Completely upstand there is no way I could afford a large scale 3d printer myself, so I decided to build my own. Well worth the effort and you learn so much more. Great journeys start with deciding to move forward 👍.

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks so much for checking out the video and reaching out, I'll look forward to following your adventures with the large printer!

[@caramelzappa]

I have just recently gotten interested in clay 3d printing over the last week. Couldn't have found this video at a better time. Really incredible work. Is there any documentation? One idea that I have that is certainly its own rabbit hole is supports. It doesn't seem like traditional supports are possible in clay, but what if you had a regular plastic FDM toolhead to print supports for your clay printer? It could open up entirely new forms.

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks so much for your interest and welcome to clay printing! As for supports, printing them out of clay works a little bit, but is messy and the usual support patterns weren't designed with clay in mind. I had thought about the idea of a "combustible support" - basically anything that can be printed and later burned away (in the kiln firing process) would work. In the end however, I have preferred to print components and join them together post firing. Clay is easy to join to itself - as when a teapot is made in separate components and assembled - so for me I like the approach of joining modules by hand post printing. But I'd love to see someone experiment with support materials!

[@bogusF]

Wow! great video, great progress you've made! I'm a sculptor myself and have been developing a functional ceramic piece for the last five years and I can only guess at the amounts of work, time and dedication of all the people involved in this to get it this far. The results you show in the end of the video are amazing! For me the way was/is making "press in" plaster molds since for a single person it is quite a lot to even get the traditional slip/claycasting process to work reliably. Having your process at my disposal would evaporate all of my current problems, but I can't afford to sink that kind of time in developing a process, I need to develop my piece/design. One thing that made my clay more ductile was adding glass microballs to my clay. I use 0.5mm but you'd need way smaller sizes of course so it would still fit through your nozzle. They work kind of similar to ground chamotte, improving the clays ability to stand on its own, but since they're almost perfectly round, the clay moves around freely and stays very easily formable. At first, I had trouble understanding, what drove you to go this far, seeing that your current result is still an order of magnitude away from making an original mold in FDM/PLA and making your negative out of plaster, the disadvatage of having a big mold is being neutralized by the serial production aspect of plaster molds, imo. But when I saw your collection of fired end results, it totally made sense. You do get a very different aesthetic and also a different type of form. Your results definitely deserve more air time in your video, they are really amazing!

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks so much! Glass micro balls sound fascinating, I will look into this. I will also highlight some of the finished works in the future, several people have suggested this. I do post a lot of images of more finished things on my Instagram, check it out if you use that platform - I'm @tom_lauerman Many thanks again!

[@bogusF]

@@TomLauerman Yeah, I use the microballs for thermal insulation, but I feel it changes the way the clay moves as well. At least to my experience. In the very least it should make the clay lighter and thus less susceptible to sagging and collapsing. I'm not using porcelain though, only regular clay, fired at 1060°C. Glass might become an issue at higher temps.

[@bowieinc]

Great video. I always wondered if a solid core wire could be introduced at the nozzle that would allow longer bridging capabilities as well as increased strength and rigidity of the finished product. Had a similar idea of printing a candle with the wick inside the extruded material.

[@TomLauerman]

Maybe! One issue is that clay shrinks as it dries and as it is heated, whereas metal expands when heated. I'm pursuing the possibilities of post-processing in clay by joining simple printed parts after printing to make more complex forms. Thanks for your interest!

[@bowieinc]

@@TomLauerman very cool. I appreciate the motivation you provide. The time and dedication you’ve spent shows.

[@bussi7859]

Implement an ultrasound driven nozzle that helps to make the clay get fluid and bond better

[@TomLauerman]

Sounds interesting, thanks for sharing! Is the idea that vibrations can enhance the thixotropic qualities of a non-Newtonian fluid?

[@Jagjagula]

Dude you're printing clay!!!???? You got my sub

[@cryptomancer9372]

Thx for sharing your research

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for watching!

[@marcusforrest3172]

I found you through tik tok and this video is so incredibly helpful and insightful and I can’t thank you enough for sharing all of this information

[@TomLauerman]

Thank you so much for sharing this! I love to see that you found this long form video through the little TikTok short videos

[@sethswheelhouse]

How has layer adhesion been when moving from one color to the next? In some of the later prints it feels like the two colors could just be slid apart from each other because of how clean the divisions are. Beautiful work. It's amazing that you've finally gotten down to ~fdm resolution. In the future you should also show more works after they have been fired as well so we can see how the structural color changes, as well as some glazed prints to show how they smooth out.

[@TomLauerman]

Layer adhesion has been good, and has to do with the dampness of the clay. If clay were too dry adhesion would be poor. I will be sure to show more finished work in the future. And I'm so glad you appreciate the FDM scale extrusion, that has been an obsession of mine - to more or less match what I can do with my FDM printer, but in clay. Some aspects will never be quite the same, such as bridging. However, clay exceeds plastic in some ways, particularly in ease of post-processing. Thanks for your interest!

[@smellyfis]

I am curious if there has been any thought of printing supports and infill in a low ash material? This would allow you to print crazy geometries and could make perfect bridges.

[@TomLauerman]

I love this idea, thanks for sharing. I haven't pursued this, but it would almost certainly be possible.

[@supergiantbubbles]

Wonderful presentation.

[@TomLauerman]

Thank You!

[@binkuspinkus8400]

very excited about all the structural color work! I never would have made such a direct connection to weaving, but when you express it like that it all falls into place! As far as extrusion mechanics, your talk posted a year ago or so left me with the impression that you had two augers, one fine to extrude at the tip and one large to push from the loaded tube; was i mistaken, and the second is still a “mechanical syringe”, with a threaded rod driving the plunger? I’ve gotten the impression that you’re loathe to publish files for the printer until it’s “done,” or quality documentation can be produced, but I’d love to see a github repo or thingiverse post with a bill of materials and printed parts for one of your more recent printers! 😊 edit: also excited to see some of the structural color work perhaps with glazes over??

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks so much! A lot has happened in the year I've been away from KZbin (and since this most recent video was recorded). I feel like the extruder is done now. Future changes will be likely just related to ease of use or simplification of design. It is still just a mechanical syringe and a print head with an auger - it's not unlike some systems that are out there. I actually have barely changed the design at all over the last year - and have just been printing a lot and have been happy with the results. So yes, I should now document the parts and release a design on github. I'll work toward that end. I've moved away from the "structural color" idea more recently in favor of some other things I hope to share soon - but I'm really glad to see people like the idea in the comments.

[@bratwizard]

Incredible.

[@TomLauerman]

Thank you!

[@nottelling6598]

Have you put any work into optimizing the reclamation of used clay? Something like a deli slicer would probably work great for wet clay, but maybe a crusher for the dry stuff?

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for your interest! Reclaiming clay is fairly straightforward thankfully, one can just add water and mix. Once it is fired and becomes ceramic this is no longer viable, however. The good thing is that any failed prints can be easily recycled and remade, an infinite number of times.

[@bobbiac]

Really cool. Have you ever tried an oblong print head that can rotate? I would assume that you could get larger prints but keep pushing the resolution.

[@TomLauerman]

That's a great idea that I will keep in mind, thanks for the suggestion!

[@pmally2006]

Beautiful

[@MrZomhad]

Really interesting, thanks a lot for the insights! Regarding the correlation of printable size and detail in a realistic amount of time - have you ever thought about a quick nozzle change system similar to what’s used in pick and place machines? The nozzles you’re using seem to be fairly steep so I guess it could be possible to print large structures in tall layers with a big nozzle and after each tall layer vase around the outside perimeter with a small nozzle and small layers to keep the details. Was just a quick idea that got in my head while watching this, your smaller sculptures are really awesome too 👍🏼👍🏼

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for watching and commenting! I think what you are proposing could work. I'm not too concerned about print time - I know this is a big concern in Engineering contexts, but in the context of making artwork (the context I put myself in) its ok for things to take a long time. Thanks again!

[@kylethecreator]

Wow, what a wealth of information and great presentation. I must know more about your extruder setup. I see you are doing the larger tube with plunger/lead screw setup but how does the stepper that actually controls the extrusion at the tip work? I'm working on a project when I'm building a 2D axis inside a toaster oven to be able to add condiments to my toast while toasting and I'm in need of this extruder setup.

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks so much for your interest Kyle! I designed and built this extruder setup. It uses a large tube of clay which is advanced by a very powerful stepper motor, like a giant syringe. This is synchronized with an auger screw in the print nozzle which helps dispense the clay in the right volume, and minimizes oozing. I use a Duet control board to manage the extruder and printing

[@kylethecreator]

@@TomLauerman this sounds awesome! Have you patented this design or do you know if it has been? I have so many ideas for use cases now that I have seen this.

[@TomLauerman]

@@kylethecreator no patents or plans to patent. Similar systems are used by others, such as Stoneflower 3D, and 3D Potter

[@lucaslittmarck2122]

This technic should be coexisting with a regular plastic printer head for printing supports for the clay which can be burned off after finishing.

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for the suggestion. However, clay does shrink a fair amount in drying, so it would be best to have a support material that also shrinks, and at the same rate. For me, post-processing has become the way to achieve more complex form. Clay is very easy to join to itself after printing, so I am pursuing the idea of joining parts after printing to make more complex forms. Thanks for your interest!

[@pauljones9150]

This is very cool

[@simonl7784]

Which firmware is this based on? very cool lecture Tom. I would love to try concrete printing some day and this is very inspiring. subbed.

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for your interest! I use a Duet 3D control board and RepRap firmware. The controller has worked really well, and the people at Duet have been very helpful and encouraging.

[@deaultusername]

The stepped piece in the end looked like it belongs in a D&D style gaming system. Have you gone for the small size use due to Time issues at the resolution you are using? What is the finest you can print? can you get to 0.1mm layer heights or is clay too thick at that scale. Have you talked to cooks or confectioners, this would be good for sugar and more likely chocolate work.

[@andrewanderson8803]

The end result is really nice! Are the creations prone to cracking in the kiln?

[@TomLauerman]

No, not at all! If you'd like to see finished works please check out my Instagram: instagram.com/tom_lauerman/?hl=en Thanks for your interest!

[@colinbrown7947]

Im curious if you considered or explored a peristaltic pump as a means of clay delivery. Just the first thing I thought of but maybe it has some significant flaws

[@TomLauerman]

I never did, but there is an artist named Keith Simpson who has made a really nice clay printer using a peristaltic pump system. Thanks for your interest!

[@twobob]

Solid work.

[@TomLauerman]

Solid Comment!

[@twobob]

@@TomLauerman In the face of the such pure unadulterated hackery one can but kneel at the Sept.

[@MarinusMakesStuff]

I would love to start 3D printing in clay! I have many machine parts that are left over from previous machines I've built. Right now I'm still finishing my latest custom XY-based machine, but your videos are what keeps tickling my brain for more invention and I really want to make a move towards clay. However, my in-home workshop is small and I do not have a car to move around high volumes of clay, also there's no kiln that I can use so it's going to take a while before I have the finances ready to add everything else that's needed besides the clay printer. Now to come down to my point, and what I would really like to know, is about the infrastructure around clay printing. Enough about the machine and the tuning ;) I'm just so curious about the practicality of things surrounding the actual print. What about preparing clay, how do you store it? What about the cleaning of the claystruder? How much work is all of that? What about the drying process? Do 3D-printed parts crack more easily during the drying process because of the way they are constructed? What about reserving spots in a kiln, how expensive is firing a piece anyway? And then of course the glazing and the second firing. What I'm wondering about clay printing, is essentially the same as with SLA printers, where nobody ever tells you about having to deal with hazardous chemicals, where you also need to rinse everything with alcohol and cure every part with UV. I do not expect a direct reply to my questions, these are above all questions that I think are interesting to a lot of people and could potentially make good content for a next video in case you were looking for ideas :) Thanks for sharing your detailed process so far, I really enjoy watching it and criticizing it in my mind how I would've done things differently, which causes a creative spark in my mind that inspires me in turn.

[@TomLauerman]

There are a lot of good questions in your comment, thanks! I'll show some more of the process as I go along in the future - the clay process, preparation, firing, glazing, kilns, etc. Short answer about toxicity is that wet clay is a very benign material. However, dry clay dust contains silica, so you don't want the dust to accumulate in your workspace. Glazes can have nasty materials in them - or not - depending on the glaze. Firing involves a lot of heat and good ventilation - but more on those topics in the future. Thanks for your interest!

[@JT-91]

how does firing work with 3d printed parts? do the layerlines seperate in the heat or melt together?

[@TomLauerman]

One way to think about extrusion printed clay is that it is just coil built ceramics. In this case the diameter of the clay coil is 1 millimeter rather than something much larger. But in firing it works great, the layers continue to be layers, but the billions of clay particles in the clay body begin to be sintered together under extreme heat, just as do in traditional ceramic forming processes from hand building to wheel throwing and slip casting. So, the layers remain layers and they bond together permanently with melting or separating. Thanks for watching and reaching out!

[@JonS]

A new video from Tom Lauerman lands and I literally paused to get some popcorn. It's wonderful to see the evolution in this video. Your latest results are outstanding. Do you use pressure advance (a function supported by Klipper firmware)? Also, have you experimented with adding any kinds of filler to the clay, such as short glass fibers? I'm wondering if it could aid in bridging.

[@ettore760]

in briding maybe an UV-activated hardener could be helpful (but i know nothing about materials so this could be a very stupid idea)

[@TomLauerman]

I'm not using pressure advance, but I've read about it and agree it could be very helpful for some aspects of printing. I'm using a Duet control board and RepRap firmware, and I love that combo (and the developers have been so helpful) so I'd be unlikely to switch firmware (but I've heard lots of good things about Klipper) I will look into pressure advance within RepRap firmware.

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for checking out the video! I'd imagine a hardener could work, but I wouldn't want to burn it up in my kiln during the firing process as I'd imagine there'd be some intense fumes. Clay is great for "post processing" so small repairs (or large ones) are possible after printing.

[@ettore760]

@@TomLauerman you are right, I didn't think about the firing process. BTW great work, I'm pretty sure I'll watch your future videos :)

[@JonS]

@@TomLauerman Rep Rap Firmware supports pressure advance.

[@akraus53]

Working with clay in school we were told, that air pockets are a big problem because they might explode during firing - did you have any problems with the infill structure in this regard and if so, what did you do about it?

[@akraus53]

Please excuse this question. I clicked on your channel and got my answer now. I can't imagine how often you get this question

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for the follow up - yes, that is why I felt compelled to make that other video! Thanks again for your interest!

[@felixaudet5860]

Seems that you could print large parts with this method. Could be useful for mold making.

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for your interest! I've been focused on precision details rather than overall scale, but others have made wonderful large-scale work. Especially Ron Rael, working with equipment by PotterBot.

[@tony_mfg7597]

Wow this is great

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks!

[@davesnothere8859]

have you considered heat and a fan to improve the bridging?

[@erhardpostinger1326]

In the monochrome object shown at 15:17 , I had rather thought of the usual use of double print heads, where one print head acts only to print support structures. Another question that perhaps escaped me in the spoken text, that is the use of tixotropic agents. However, a stationary print platform would probably be more suitable for this.

[@fgbhrl4907]

I wonder what would happen if you added something like a UV-cure epoxy into the clay -- enough to help it hold forms a bit better when its deposited.

[@TomLauerman]

This could work well to help the clay set up - however I do fire the dried clay in a kiln and wouldn't want to burn up all that resin. Thanks for the suggestion and for watching!

[@venky1987]

HI TOM, I am inspired by your work. What is the composition of the lay!

[@Jkauppa]

you could also do a manual tape timing print, no digital logic, mechanical logic, or just layer by layer fill, always same pattern, variable pattern layer

[@Jkauppa]

its like putting a mask, then painting over, removing the mask, or letting it be, putting a next mask, painting that, continue

[@Jkauppa]

even paper layer masks that can be removed after, like layer-by-layer casting

[@Jkauppa]

pressure mold casting

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have to give this some thought - it's all new to me.

[@jeradw7420]

Do you have more detail of your latest printer design?

[@StraightUpFerret]

Are there any open source files available for this project? I’m very curious what the mixing recipes are for the clay you use.

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for your interest! An older version of my printhead is posted here: www.thingiverse.com/thing:1413969 I'd like to post some newer info in the near future too.

[@nmgani1]

My best wishes 💗💗💗💗

[@JuliaBerzoy]

I'm so excited to see the progress! Plastic 3D printing makes me hesitate to use it and add more plastic rubbish to our planet. But clay is amazing! If it didn't work, it can be re-done, and if it's broken, it will not endanger the planet. I wonder though if there are solar powered kilns :)

[@TomLauerman]

Thank you for your comment! Electric kilns are as clean as one's source of electricity, so wind power, solar, etc. can power a kiln if your utility generates power using those methods.

[@zhvtlt]

👋👍

[@PatrykAndrzejewski0]

Hi, did you try to suck out air bubbles from clay using a vacum pump?

[@andrewanderson8803]

He's using an infill pattern anyways which is just bubbles

[@TomLauerman]

I take care to avoid bubbles and voids in the clay when loading. I'll make a video of that someday (but it will be boring!)

[@TomLauerman]

Yes, it is fine to have trapped air in ceramic objects. What causes trouble is trapped moisture - which becomes explosive steam in a kiln. So proper drying solves the air bubble issues.

[@Mwwwwwwwwe]

Nice! I feel there's something missing to this video for starters he should introduce himself as Givani Georgo and it should have a daft punk background track😜

[@ericswain4177]

Reminds me of videos I have seen of the auto and marine industry automated manufacturing industries for CNC applying glues, silicones, rubber, Etc... except your doing it in multiple layers building a predetermined dementional object. Have you seen Vid on the 3-D viscous concrete printed houses? Similar to what you are doing just scaled-down and you are doing clay.

[@TomLauerman]

Yes, concrete printing is fascinating! I'm most interested in artworks of a more modest size in my own work, but I'm amazed at what people are able to do at architectural scale. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@GoodEnough030]

can it retract ?

[@TomLauerman]

Yes! Retraction takes place in the "feed" clay supply as well as in the "auger" screw which helps regulate the rate of clay coming out. Just like FDM, the retraction can be tuned effectively but the process can be tedious.

[@williamhuang5329]

Hanzhen harmonic drive gear , over 30 years experience

[@icebluscorpion]

If This gets ever into Functional/Technical ceramics, then I would get interested but for now in this stage of the only purpose to produce somewhat decent looking paper weights, then it is a waste of time money effort and potential. Extruding the clay onto a plate or directly in the trash bin makes no difference, because it would fulfill the same purpose XD

[@TomLauerman]

Glad you found my work to be somewhat decent looking!

[@icebluscorpion]

Thank you for the quick response, btw I subscribed to your channel Before writing that. Because I want to know when the real deal with the technical ceramic starts 😎👌. I like that you are constantly improving the quality of the print by removing the layer ridges. Once you you get it really smooth, then you can start to print really complex and elaborate high temp nozzles and rocket carburetors. Making more reliable and resilient rocket parts. There is a huge demanding market for this Technical ceramics with... Intriguing shapes. You should check that branch out.

[@icebluscorpion]

@@TomLauerman did you consider to use a mixing screw extruder like in the continous plastic injection molding industry? Maybe also using the mixing end of those Plastering machines that shoot plaster against the wall? (I wrote this exact comment minutes ago and it got removed because I included a link of a picture of such a machine.) you should also make sure that you somehow enclose it our modify in such a way that it doesn't mix air into the mixture, because that's the reason why it splatters the plaster against the wall in the first place. Such systems don't use compressed air besides of the trapped and mixed in air bubbles. 🤔

[@erich7056]

Nice, but i wouldnt go for cartesian, because the bed ist moving side to side, wich will result in a wobbeling model, due to mass inertia of the model. A core xy, where the bed/model ist only moving down, or even better a Voron Design , where the bed/model isnt moving at all, might BE the way to go.

[@onewa712]

well, that was f*ckin' amazing * u *

[@TomLauerman]

Thank you !

[@andymuzzo8568]

I think I need to convert my tevo

[@ConsultingjoeOnline]

Amazing work!

[@TomLauerman]

Thank you!

[@Mnogomer]

Fluoroplastic nozzle and parts

[@TomLauerman]

I'll look into this. Thanks!

[@eddieengleg-tarrs6632]

Could put icing on cakes....🤔

[@TomLauerman]

Indeed, and I am using a cake frosting tip as a print nozzle.

[@Camusdemerac]

yoo u just need a faster way to harden your clay, u should try with hot air fan.

[@TomLauerman]

Clay shrinks as it dries, leading to warping and cracking potentially. I actually sometimes need it to dry much more slowly than it does.

[@Camusdemerac]

@@TomLauerman hope You can find another way to avoid cracking maybe a diferent mix otherwise bridging Will be near imposible You need some kind of rigidity for thin walls.

[@TomLauerman]

@@Camusdemerac I'm committed to working within the limitations of the material. Clay shrinks in both the drying phase (as water evaporates, bringing particles in closer proximity) and in the firing stage (via sintering and to some degree fusion of particles). These limitations have been present in clay/ceramics use for tens of thousands of years, so I'm ok with them persisting. Bridging capabilities in clay may be limited relative to plastic, but the material offers abilities plastic does not. For example, post-processing of clay allows for easy joining of different clay pieces together. Very complex forms can be assembled and seamlessly joined in a way that is fairly easy and happens at room temperature with no tools other than your hands. At any rate, I'm really pleased with the forms I've been able to print over the years and I should maybe be more clear that mostly the process has worked out great, but I tend to focus in the videos on the parts that are most problematic. Thanks for your interest!

[@Camusdemerac]

@@TomLauerman i'm glad You achived such a feat with that material keep it up, and thanks for your comments, Best regards.

[@bringtheideas460]

Why clay?

[@TomLauerman]

I am an artist who has worked with clay as a medium for many years. I am inspired by tens of thousands of years of cultural artifacts that have been made in clay, going back to some of the earliest art objects ever created by humans. Thanks for your interest!

[@FLASHkor]

Bad

[@TomLauerman]

Can you be more specific?

[@r4dius]

Lots of talkin but at the end it still looks like crap

[@TomLauerman]

Thanks for watching till the end!

[@NomadAlly]

@@TomLauerman way to take in stride 😂