# 3D Printing Frog Cubes!



## konton (Nov 17, 2010)

After waiting over two months, the 3D printer has arrived with a 16"x16" bed! I broke while learning how to use it last night, but not before making this video.






Now I need help using it to make some awesome tanks! I'm making them an internal 15"x15"x15" to start. I'll use 1/8" glass for the tank itself. But I'll print the hinged door, frame, vents, lighting canopy, false bottom, and possibly a background lattice to cover in clay.

Any help is appreciated as I'm not the greatest designer. I need to get a few extras while fixing this printer before I can do any actual printing, but it good to know things are finally moving forward.

Also does anyone know about using PLA plastic inside tanks?

Jae Le


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## Pubfiction (Feb 3, 2013)

I guess they were serious when they said some assembly required.


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## zonz540 (Feb 8, 2012)

I print all of my hinges for my verts now. I haven't had any issues. 
Although, you may have major warping issues with an unsealed/unheated bed/print area at that print size. Gravity and the cooling rate of the material at the extruder vs. the ambient temp as it cools will cause it to not line up 100%. You're not going to get square angles. If you combine a few smaller prints, you'll likely have better luck in the long run.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Great purchase! I don't know costs and processing time, but I'd like to build in plastic the terrarium whole leaving in glass only the front doors, such as Herptek Terrariums.

Herptek - professional reptile housing


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## konton (Nov 17, 2010)

Hey zonz540, let's see some photos! I'd love to see what the hinges look like. I'm getting a 18"x18" heating bed and a glass top to replace the acrylic. I think the acrylic bends and doesn't stay level. 

rigel10, I'm looking into this with PETT plastic. You can find it under T-Glase. It's not quite FDA approved as a food safe plastic, but PETT is. The problem is the printer only goes up to 9". So until I can rebuild it to be 16" I'm stuck using glass. I'll probably just build a new printer that can handle 16" rather than overhaul this one. But not until I know how to print with T-Glase since it requires different needs than PLA.

Jae Le


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## zonz540 (Feb 8, 2012)

These are the batch of my most recent prints. I wasn't paying attention to the size of my gaps when they were drawn, so I'll change that in my next set. 

I've found that ABS is just as robust as acrylic for any use I've had for it. They take silicone well and have been great for my vert fronts so far. I'll continue printing until something better comes along.


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## konton (Nov 17, 2010)

Nice. I'm a little confused at how you're using them. Do they have an acrylic side or was that just an example? Can you show us a photo with it in use on the vert? Thanks!

My replacement parts are arriving today. I'm debating if I should get a filastruder. I just hate the idea of spending over 4x the needed cost on plastic.

Jae Le


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

rigel10 said:


> Great purchase! I don't know costs and processing time, but I'd like to build in plastic the terrarium whole leaving in glass only the front doors, such as Herptek Terrariums.
> 
> Herptek - professional reptile housing


I think that would be the best of both worlds. Maybe not for display tanks but for people where ease of moving them is paramount. Quarantine, baby rearing, etc. etc. 

I'd love to see more people using starphire glass as is done with reef tanks but dunno if the increased costs is worth it to people to see more intense frog colors.


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## MiguelP (Nov 21, 2013)

A friend of mine (member of DB Arkaitz) uses a pvc cages for their frogs. 

The cage consist in a pvc frame with glass in both sides, and top mesh and a piece of glass. 

They looking clean and in my opinion, profesional. 

Here are a pic:


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