D1PP1N - I have been looking at the same Ender 3 printer that you have. Your prints look amazing for such a low cost machine. Any advice before I pull the trigger on a new Ender 3? I have seen people mention the PTFE tube and couplings being problematic - did you have to upgrade yours or are they holding?
Turns out my son's printer is an older Anet A-8 clone and it has a number of issues that render it less than reliable.
Its been doing fine. I gave my kosell to a friends kid it was a pita. The leveling on the ender 3 is a bit odd but it worked quickly. I upgraded the tube and clamp/extruder setup which it hasnt worked as nicely as before. I think the gear they provided was a different size because it clicks sometimes now like it might be overfeeding.
Its quite loud next to you so i bought rubber nema stepper mounts that dropped the volume of it significantly. I havented used it much really but the bed heats up fast and it started printing right away. If you get one let me know. I printed some covers and a tray and caps/ spool guide and fan covers. They have better ducts and fan setups u can print as well for cooling off the filament after its laid down.
Oh, get the glass or the removeable magnetic bed. The prints stick to the bed so firmly you cant get them off and it warps the bed prying on it which is why the leveling on mine is sometimes a pain.
Get new small microsd cards and a usb reader. NEVER use the provided one to print. Dont print direct from PC, load to sd card then transfer to the printer and leave it offline otherwise your pc cant go into sleep mode for the length of the print.
You download "cura" software which can read the 3d files and "slice" them so your printer can read them. you can download settings specifically for the ender 3. There is a facebook for that has predefined setups maybe even on thingiverse.
It took a few hours build and to setup it comes mostly assembled. There are tons of models on the net to try out for free. You have to level the bed which takes a little bit to get perfect.
Lastly you have to watch the cables for the bed. when the bed moves they can snag but there are files to use to for cable management.
I've been battling my son's A8 clone the past few days. Can't seem to make a decent print. Since it's a clone, we're not even sure what firmware is one this thing. Lots to learn - and I learned the wingnuts for leveling screws were hitting the base structure in the back. The cheap steel Y carriage plate is bent and flexes quite a bit. Consistent leveling is nearly impossible as it is.
I came to the conclusion the whole bed assembly needed to be raised a few mm to solve the clearance issue. I machined an aluminum plate to fit under the steel plate and that should take care of both problems.
That stiffened things up, straightened the bed and no more wingnuts bumping on the rear of the base!
Even after all of this, with this dual Z Axis lead screw setup, the X Axis carriage isn't quite level. I'll be tackling that this afternoon. With any luck, this thing will be running better for my son by the time my Ender 3 arrives on Wednesday.
They look similarish. I wish the ender 3 had a dual z-axis lead screws but dont think its bad as is. Its nice to have 2 working printers with thimgs taking as long as they do to print. From what you posted here you will have that ender going in no time. Id say leave the stock filament clamp and extruder.
I bought an extra removeable magnetic bed plate for mine took a bit to get but i need to print some stuff to try it. I think a better hotend cooling setup would be one of the few upgrades i would consider.
I'm still having trouble getting the first layer to stick. It's a glass surface and I cleaned it with isopropyl and triple checked the leveling - still having problems. These are files that he set up in Cura and I don't have access to his computer. I'm still learning the software and haven't even installed cura on my laptop yet. Can I see the settings and/or modify g-code files after they have been created?
Guys use hairspray or glue stick on the glass to stick. Plus you have to heat the bed a little more than without the glass as well.
Im not good manually programming the gcode. Once you get cura installed you have to setup a profile for each printer you have. Then open the 3d files and prepare it. Its reoatively straight forward once you find a profile on the web for your printer. Or manually copy someone else settings.
That is cool looking, but wouldn't you rather have the extruder move on the Z axis rather than the bed? Oh, I got a BL Touch probe, Raspberry Pi, & the camera module for Christmas - now just need some time to set it all up.
That is cool looking, but wouldn't you rather have the extruder move on the Z axis rather than the bed? Oh, I got a BL Touch probe, Raspberry Pi, & the camera module for Christmas - now just need some time to set it all up.
The bigger ones have the extruder move in all directions, some smaller ones have the bed move, sometimes in Z, sometimes in X and Y. All work the same.
Have also seen some bigger industrial cnc machines have the bed move in one direction.
Everything i printed was an upgrade for the ender3. I starting printing the petsfang fan and blower upgrade for it yesterday. My adhesive bed sticker came up. I bought a magnetic one so i put that on. I gotta adjust the zaxis height now that its thicker.
Ah, nooooo. I just ordered a Monoprice Delta Mini 3D printer because there is a quiet mainboard replacement (it is a loud little thing normally) Then I go to the source of the quiet mod, and they are sold out. booo!
= Howard Stark: "This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out."
How can the mainboard make it quieter? Does it change the torque of the motors or something?
The stepper motor controllers, that send the commands to the stepper motors themselves and make it move, are on that board. Better controllers can interpolate the signals, making the motion smoother. The smoother the motion, the quieter the printer.
= Howard Stark: "This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out."
D1PP1N - I've been toying with buying a laser engraver to make custom leather key chains. How is yours holding up? The K40 types seem to get good reviews. I'm mostly worried about speed. How long would it take to do 2 lines of text on a 1 x 3 inch piece of leather?
I've got another 3d printer coming. Guys I might have an addiction... This one has a lot of fancy features and a larger build volume, the JGAURORA A5S.
Comments
Turns out my son's printer is an older Anet A-8 clone and it has a number of issues that render it less than reliable.
Its quite loud next to you so i bought rubber nema stepper mounts that dropped the volume of it significantly. I havented used it much really but the bed heats up fast and it started printing right away. If you get one let me know. I printed some covers and a tray and caps/ spool guide and fan covers. They have better ducts and fan setups u can print as well for cooling off the filament after its laid down.
This is a good deal Creality Upgraded Ender-3X 3D Printer with Tempered Glass 5PCS Nozzle with Resume Printing Function for School https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GDJTVXJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7SBaCb5W7CMNT
Isolators if you want to quiet it down. Upgraded NEMA 17 Stepper Steel and Rubber Vibration Dampers with M3 Screw -CNC for 3D Printer Creality CR-10, CR-10S Machine CNC 3D Printers (Pack of 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DNT72SF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GVBaCbJS2QGEK
You download "cura" software which can read the 3d files and "slice" them so your printer can read them. you can download settings specifically for the ender 3. There is a facebook for that has predefined setups maybe even on thingiverse.
It took a few hours build and to setup it comes mostly assembled. There are tons of models on the net to try out for free. You have to level the bed which takes a little bit to get perfect.
Lastly you have to watch the cables for the bed. when the bed moves they can snag but there are files to use to for cable management.
I came to the conclusion the whole bed assembly needed to be raised a few mm to solve the clearance issue. I machined an aluminum plate to fit under the steel plate and that should take care of both problems.
That stiffened things up, straightened the bed and no more wingnuts bumping on the rear of the base!
Even after all of this, with this dual Z Axis lead screw setup, the X Axis carriage isn't quite level. I'll be tackling that this afternoon. With any luck, this thing will be running better for my son by the time my Ender 3 arrives on Wednesday.
I bought an extra removeable magnetic bed plate for mine took a bit to get but i need to print some stuff to try it. I think a better hotend cooling setup would be one of the few upgrades i would consider.
Im not good manually programming the gcode. Once you get cura installed you have to setup a profile for each printer you have. Then open the 3d files and prepare it. Its reoatively straight forward once you find a profile on the web for your printer. Or manually copy someone else settings.
Oh, I got a BL Touch probe, Raspberry Pi, & the camera module for Christmas - now just need some time to set it all up.
Have also seen some bigger industrial cnc machines have the bed move in one direction.
So far it looks pretty good.
https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/mechanical-software