Pro Fab Kit STL Files, Print Your Own Tools! No Longer Supported. These Files Are Free But You Will Not Be Able To Receive Technical Help From Us If You Have Issues.
This download includes 3D part files ready to print. STL format. You may need to make adjustments as all 3D printers behave differently. A sample part is provided please print that first in order to tune your printer for best results. The sample part is labeled “samplepart.stl”.
You Get everything listed Below. 21 Tools in total!!
Tube tracers 7 sizes 3/4, 1, 1-1/4, 1-1/2, 1-5/8, 1-3/4, 2
Laser holders for all the tracers
Centerline Marking Tool
Tube Mag Positioners Small, Medium and Large
Universal Tab positioner
String line magnets and string spool
All hardware can be purchased directly from us on the DIY Hardware Center page.
How To Print
Start With The Sample
(Step#1) Start with the sample print to test your printer. The holes are small and need to be precise. This is a valuable time saving step. Start by opening the sample file in your slicer of choice. We use Cura and Prusa slicers.
Print the sample with your desired material. Must use a .3mm nozzle!! PLA provides the best prints but is not very durable. PETG and ASA are the materials we use but are hard to print.
(Step #2) Test fit with pins. They should slide through the test sample with little to no effort. If the pins drag and are hard to push then the full size Tracers will almost certainly fail. Check you machine, lots of issues are from poor accuracy. Make a square test part and measure it for size and squareness. If that’s a fail find out what is wrong with machine and try again. If it is a success then try scaling up the sample part by 1%. In cura the you will need to type in 101 in the percent to scale option. Then try again. The maximum scale you should ever need to do is 2% up scale. If you need to do more than that there is a problem with settings, machine or material. Try to find it before continuing. Make sure the sample part is flawless before trying the full size tracers. A drill bit is often times used to clean out the holes from debris and is available on our website. See the settings below before you print the sample part.
Print LOW And SLOW.
Layer height: .15 - .2 mm layer heights
Speed: 30-40mm per second
Nozzle Size: .3 for tracers/lasers .4 for all others
After the test is done. Get a piece of 1/16 stainless steel TIG rod and trim off the stamp and cut the rod to 5-½” long.
The rod should slide through without hurting your finger when you push on it. If you have a gram scale the pressure to slide the rod through a completed tool is no more than 150 grams. So the sample part should slide very easy if not fall through.
If this doesn't happen then you need to find out why. Check the nozzle size. it must be a .3 size for tracers and laser holders. Check your dimensional accuracy by printing a 1 inch test cube or 25 mm test cube and measuring it with calipers. It should be nearly exact.
We reduce the extrusion amount in small amounts to make the parts undersized if necessary.
Lastly scale the sample up by a very small amount in your slicer. 1% at a time and most users get a good result at 2% up scale. Which in Cura under the scale option that would be 102% scale. If you need to go more than this there is something wrong.
Here is a video about how to tune and calibrate your printer. We follow this procedure with all our printers to ensure quality parts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp3r921DBGI&t=7s
Let us know if you have issues.
BOM
Tracers
1/16 stainless steel TIG rod. 5-½” long. Make by hand or purchase from us click here.
Tube Positioners Large And Medium
Large requires 8 magnets, 16 screws, 1 thermal set insert and 1 long bolt. Medium requires 4 magnets, 8 screws, 1 thermal set insert and 1 long bolt. It is best to buy these from us as the suppliers of these only sell in large quantities. To buy the hardware from us click here.
Tube Positioner Small
Requires 4 magnets, 8 screws, 1 thermal set insert and 1 short bolt. To buy the hardware from us click here.
Universal Tab Positioner
Requires 1 magnet, 2 screws and 1 indicator base. Here is the amazon link.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S8OZIAM/ref=dp_prsubs_2
String Line Tools
Requires 2 magnets, 4 screws and 1 short brass knob for each tool you print. String and 1 plumbob can be purchased from HomeDepot or Amazon. Buy the 8 oz size if you can, anything more can sometimes be too heavy. Alligator clips and string bubble level are optional and can be purchased from amazon. To buy the hardware from us click here.
Laser Pointers
1 laser is needed and fits with all laser holders. These can be purchased from our website. To buy the laser click here.
Center Line Marking Tool
Requires 1 thermal set insert, 1 long brass knob and a regular sharpie. To buy the hardware from us click here.
Print Layout
Below is how each part is intended to be printed. This is only for reference. Print in the quantities you want. The folders are organized so you have all you need for each tool in one location and in the correct quantities.
