Tutorial : Improve Your Prints with Entirely Custom Supports

Dealing with support material can be a pretty frustrating part of 3D printing. Even with slicers improving their supports, it's sometimes better to take things into your own hands. In this episode, I go step-by-step through my method of building supports into my models... plus a few bad jokes.

[hhall]

Hey Devin! I have been 3D modeling/printing for about 5 years now, I started in high school, and have been hooked ever since! Now I’m a draftsman so I’m 3D modeling entire Buildings for a living! But I have to say one shortcoming of my printing was relying on default supports, ever since I first watched this video my entire 3D printing works has changed, I’m getting cleaner parts, using less filament, and enjoying figuring out individual support parts! Thank you for making this video it has inspired me to make my own supports and I’ve grown as a modeler because of it!

[DS-zgyn]

Am I the only one here that hasn't got a 3d printer is not planning on getting one either (because money) but just watches all of these videos anyway because they're so darn interesting? I just love to see how stuff works and get so curious about it especially if I can't do it myself

[mollytt]

I know I’m 7 years late but thank you for this video! Still applicable and it really helped me understand the concept. And your measurements and reasoning it out for us was terrific. Thank you!

[BeatlesCuber]

This is still valid today and boy I'm thankful for it.

[ILikeBurgers]

thank you so much for this tutorial! ive had this design ive been working on that has been getting ruined due to me trying to remove the ugly supports! this saved the print and saved me so many headaches!!!

[fryguy]

you should consider getting one of those screens for your mic so we can't hear your exhale. Its subtle, but a quick deep jolt that made me question the integrity of my headset.

[Alluvian]

experimenting with this on my Lulzbot taz with spheres, printing at .38 layer height and .38 gap ended up with the ball totally fused with the support, so much that the ball snapped in half before the support came away. Will try making the gap bigger, I can try slowing down the print speed for more accuracy as well, but for functional geometric shapes I don't like running prints slow/fine.

[petersolomon]

Nice video, I have been considering whether I should custom build supports in solid works, nice to see that you have already experimented with them and the results

[notreallydaedalus]

Am I understanding this correctly? You're creating a solid surface, with a fraction of a millimeter offset, with no (theoretical) contact to the intended product?

Are we relying on the tolerance of the printer to allow the molten plastic the barest contact with the support? It seems like it would just drip down and land on the support piece, which would the cause problems for the next layer, and then the next, etc. Or is there another step I'm missing?

[JavierD]

Good material you share in the channel, thanks.
What I see in this case with the solution is that the support piece will need support xD since is printing on air.

[johnconphoto]

something I have always wondered, when you hollow out an object as you did with the sphere support, wouldn't you actually end up using MORE filament? typically infill is set to 20% and having that compared to a solid surface in an object as small as the sphere, i believe it may be more efficient to leave it solid

[dbatman]

The video helps newbies such as myself. Could you give examples of multiple overhangs that's stacking atop one another? In other words the subsequent support has to sit on the overhang below it. Thanks a lot.

[gostcade]

"insert joke about ex"
me: *SCREAMING* DEVON....PLS

[johns]

This was helpful.  How would you create support for an overhang that is not hanging over the print plate, but over another part of the print?

[estbeta]

Have you ever tried the solluble filament for support? If not, would you make a video about it?

[dprintwiz]

Hi, I am currently doing this with my models. I am hoping to use less material as the computer generated supports, specially with simplify 3d. Do you think it will use less material if you implement this type of approach on supports?

[christopherhepler]

anyone elses first reaction to the beginning a little strange

[Zwong]

When devin fails a model it's more like mistake anything

[davidlenz]

Hey Devin (Devon?) Great Video! I have a question for you, though. How do you import multiple models, in place, in your slicer? I'm using Fusion 360 and Slic3r, and I seem to only be able to export each component individually as separate .stl files. Because the support material and part are not technically touching, I can't export them as one file, unless, of course, I'm missing something. Thoughts? Thanks!

[Crewzabikelife]

can you print this with the overhang laying on the bed or laying the small surface on the bed with the overhang building upright to avoid supports?