Best 3d printers
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If they ship the Ender 3 with the same bed as they did when it was still in "Public Beta", there's a good chance that it isn't flat at all. Mine had a wide and deep dip in the center that warped inconsistently when heated. Creality was kind enough to send a free replacement heat bed and build surface which was level.
I still added a glass plate (IKEA LOTS mirror tile, 8 EUR for a 4-pack) on top, because I think it is a better print surface than this rough and grippy BuildTak stuff. Prints are super shiny on the bottom side, they adhere well and come off with just a gentle touch if you allow them to cool down after the print has finished - just clean it regularly with soap and water. I didn't even need to level the bed again in years of regular use.
Another solution might be to get a bed leveling sensor like the BLTouch and flashing a suitable firmware like Marlin on the Ender. It'll detect any tilt in the bed or uneven surfaces and compensate for that in software.
Like many, I have been mulling about getting a 3D printer for years. Finally it seems they are getting to at least decent quality (maybe?). Well, certainly a lot of the trail blazing has been done, and prices come down a lot... So maybe it is time finally.
@BearWithBeard said in Best 3d printers:
I still added a glass plate (IKEA LOTS mirror tile, 8 EUR for a 4-pack) on top, because I think it is a better print surface than this rough and grippy BuildTak stuff. Prints are super shiny on the bottom side, they adhere well and come off with just a gentle touch if you allow them to cool down after the print has finished - just clean it regularly with soap and water. I didn't even need to level the bed again in years of regular use.
This is very interesting. One of biggest features of Prusa i3 mk3 I have seen is that very clever spring steel bed that you just pop off and bend and the piece comes right off. I have read all sorts of stuff about hairspray, etc. and it all seems like such a hassle and mess to me. But it sounds like you have really found the solution to this particular problem.
Wanted to ask you how you were getting on with your Prusa i3 mk 3 by now? I read some threads going back years where you were comparing options and then decided to purchase that one.
I think your thought process is a lot like mine (not just in this, but also other comments of yours I have read). I specifically recall you saying how you noticed a pattern in all these review videos where people bought "ready to go out of box" which is really just a kit and then they spend a lot of time dickering with it and then finally end up with something nice. :D I have noticed the same thing!
I know you said you bought Prusa largely because family reasons (ease of use, etc.) but I am thinking now of building my own from scratch, maybe one of big cube designs as they seem more stable, and no matter what it seems that you end up tinkering a lot anyway, doing upgrades over time, etc... So the way I see it, if you are doing to do all that effort anyway, might as well save yourself some money...
That nifty bed release thing though was one of last remaining things left in favor of Prusa for me, but now if @BearWithBeard is saying a simple glass plate can work just as well, then... :thinking_face:
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Like many, I have been mulling about getting a 3D printer for years. Finally it seems they are getting to at least decent quality (maybe?). Well, certainly a lot of the trail blazing has been done, and prices come down a lot... So maybe it is time finally.
@BearWithBeard said in Best 3d printers:
I still added a glass plate (IKEA LOTS mirror tile, 8 EUR for a 4-pack) on top, because I think it is a better print surface than this rough and grippy BuildTak stuff. Prints are super shiny on the bottom side, they adhere well and come off with just a gentle touch if you allow them to cool down after the print has finished - just clean it regularly with soap and water. I didn't even need to level the bed again in years of regular use.
This is very interesting. One of biggest features of Prusa i3 mk3 I have seen is that very clever spring steel bed that you just pop off and bend and the piece comes right off. I have read all sorts of stuff about hairspray, etc. and it all seems like such a hassle and mess to me. But it sounds like you have really found the solution to this particular problem.
Wanted to ask you how you were getting on with your Prusa i3 mk 3 by now? I read some threads going back years where you were comparing options and then decided to purchase that one.
I think your thought process is a lot like mine (not just in this, but also other comments of yours I have read). I specifically recall you saying how you noticed a pattern in all these review videos where people bought "ready to go out of box" which is really just a kit and then they spend a lot of time dickering with it and then finally end up with something nice. :D I have noticed the same thing!
I know you said you bought Prusa largely because family reasons (ease of use, etc.) but I am thinking now of building my own from scratch, maybe one of big cube designs as they seem more stable, and no matter what it seems that you end up tinkering a lot anyway, doing upgrades over time, etc... So the way I see it, if you are doing to do all that effort anyway, might as well save yourself some money...
That nifty bed release thing though was one of last remaining things left in favor of Prusa for me, but now if @BearWithBeard is saying a simple glass plate can work just as well, then... :thinking_face:
@TRS-80 said in Best 3d printers:
Wanted to ask you how you were getting on with your Prusa i3 mk 3 by now?
Well, for me, the main value in a 3D printer turned out to be building custom enclosures, because the effort/reward ratio is favorable. However, getting to the point where it's easy to do that takes quite a lot of time, and so I can't say I would recommend it. Also, the fumes and the noise are negatives that don't really get as much consideration as they should. The solutions for that still seem to be all DIY, unless you want to spend a small fortune for something aimed at schools or big business.
I found that a CNC machine is far more useful, because I could make PCB's with it rather than having to wait for delivery from JLPCB or whomever. However, I haven't tried chemical etching, and, maybe all things considered, that would have been a better/easier approach, so I can't strongly recommend a CNC either.
Thee was a time when Ender 3's were considered pretty good bang/buck. Seeing what happened to dzjr though, I do wonder whether the mfg. decided to cash out that reputation by sacrificing quality.
Building your own from scratch? Maybe in the end it's the same amount of effort. I can't say, because I haven't tried it. I can say, though, that I've built and re-built the Prusia enough times now that maybe I may as well have. If you have "the knack," I think building something from scratch using better quality parts (such as high quality linear bearings and not the cheap stuff) could make a lot of sense:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx6HojLBsnwThe main advantage of a kit is risk mitigation. If you put it together according to the directions, then it should work, at least nominally. i.e. "No thinking required." Dzjr's case seems more the exception than the rule.
Even so, I wouldn't recommend a 3D printer if you don't have "the knack." And if you have "the knack," then you know you have it.
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@TRS-80 said in Best 3d printers:
Wanted to ask you how you were getting on with your Prusa i3 mk 3 by now?
Well, for me, the main value in a 3D printer turned out to be building custom enclosures, because the effort/reward ratio is favorable. However, getting to the point where it's easy to do that takes quite a lot of time, and so I can't say I would recommend it. Also, the fumes and the noise are negatives that don't really get as much consideration as they should. The solutions for that still seem to be all DIY, unless you want to spend a small fortune for something aimed at schools or big business.
I found that a CNC machine is far more useful, because I could make PCB's with it rather than having to wait for delivery from JLPCB or whomever. However, I haven't tried chemical etching, and, maybe all things considered, that would have been a better/easier approach, so I can't strongly recommend a CNC either.
Thee was a time when Ender 3's were considered pretty good bang/buck. Seeing what happened to dzjr though, I do wonder whether the mfg. decided to cash out that reputation by sacrificing quality.
Building your own from scratch? Maybe in the end it's the same amount of effort. I can't say, because I haven't tried it. I can say, though, that I've built and re-built the Prusia enough times now that maybe I may as well have. If you have "the knack," I think building something from scratch using better quality parts (such as high quality linear bearings and not the cheap stuff) could make a lot of sense:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx6HojLBsnwThe main advantage of a kit is risk mitigation. If you put it together according to the directions, then it should work, at least nominally. i.e. "No thinking required." Dzjr's case seems more the exception than the rule.
Even so, I wouldn't recommend a 3D printer if you don't have "the knack." And if you have "the knack," then you know you have it.
@NeverDie said in Best 3d printers:
I've built and re-built the Prusia enough times now that maybe I may as well have
See, now this surprises me. The whole thing about the Prusa is that it is supposed to be "ready to go / well engineered solution." And IMO you are paying a premium for that.
I think you are confirming my suspicions to build my own.
In fact I came to same conclusion in almost all areas (IT, vehicles, building, etc.) and pretty much do all my own work. I suppose that is what drew me to MySensors as well (and OpenHAB, and GNU/Linux, etc...).
And yes, I have "The Knack" LOL! I got a great kick out of that, and shared it already to my family. My wife calls it "bedtime stories" when I start talking about my projects. :D She mostly humors me though, bless her heart.
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@NeverDie said in Best 3d printers:
I've built and re-built the Prusia enough times now that maybe I may as well have
See, now this surprises me. The whole thing about the Prusa is that it is supposed to be "ready to go / well engineered solution." And IMO you are paying a premium for that.
I think you are confirming my suspicions to build my own.
In fact I came to same conclusion in almost all areas (IT, vehicles, building, etc.) and pretty much do all my own work. I suppose that is what drew me to MySensors as well (and OpenHAB, and GNU/Linux, etc...).
And yes, I have "The Knack" LOL! I got a great kick out of that, and shared it already to my family. My wife calls it "bedtime stories" when I start talking about my projects. :D She mostly humors me though, bless her heart.
@TRS-80 said in Best 3d printers:
See, now this surprises me. The whole thing about the Prusa is that it is supposed to be "ready to go / well engineered solution." And IMO you are paying a premium for that.
The reality is more like this plumber's advice about bronze pipe. "It's great, until something goes wrong. And something always goes wrong":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1slibJ52yocFor example, if the sensor that tracks whether the filament is jammed goes bad, then you have a lot of disassembly and re-assembly ahead of you in order to replace it. You can probably guess how I might know this.
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Like many, I have been mulling about getting a 3D printer for years. Finally it seems they are getting to at least decent quality (maybe?). Well, certainly a lot of the trail blazing has been done, and prices come down a lot... So maybe it is time finally.
@BearWithBeard said in Best 3d printers:
I still added a glass plate (IKEA LOTS mirror tile, 8 EUR for a 4-pack) on top, because I think it is a better print surface than this rough and grippy BuildTak stuff. Prints are super shiny on the bottom side, they adhere well and come off with just a gentle touch if you allow them to cool down after the print has finished - just clean it regularly with soap and water. I didn't even need to level the bed again in years of regular use.
This is very interesting. One of biggest features of Prusa i3 mk3 I have seen is that very clever spring steel bed that you just pop off and bend and the piece comes right off. I have read all sorts of stuff about hairspray, etc. and it all seems like such a hassle and mess to me. But it sounds like you have really found the solution to this particular problem.
Wanted to ask you how you were getting on with your Prusa i3 mk 3 by now? I read some threads going back years where you were comparing options and then decided to purchase that one.
I think your thought process is a lot like mine (not just in this, but also other comments of yours I have read). I specifically recall you saying how you noticed a pattern in all these review videos where people bought "ready to go out of box" which is really just a kit and then they spend a lot of time dickering with it and then finally end up with something nice. :D I have noticed the same thing!
I know you said you bought Prusa largely because family reasons (ease of use, etc.) but I am thinking now of building my own from scratch, maybe one of big cube designs as they seem more stable, and no matter what it seems that you end up tinkering a lot anyway, doing upgrades over time, etc... So the way I see it, if you are doing to do all that effort anyway, might as well save yourself some money...
That nifty bed release thing though was one of last remaining things left in favor of Prusa for me, but now if @BearWithBeard is saying a simple glass plate can work just as well, then... :thinking_face:
I obviously can't speak for everyone, but I'm happy with the Ender 3 and have no need nor desire for another (filament) printer. The print area is large enough for my needs - custom electronics enclosures, spare parts / repairs, little mechanical tools and gadgets, etc. Print resolution and detail is fine, I generally have no noteworthy quality complaints aside from the occasional stringing (which is easy to remove with a lighter or hot air gun). Maintenance is as minimal as it gets: keep the v-groove wheels, belts and lead screw dust free, clean the glass bed. Talking about the glass plate: I fixate it with two regular metal binder clips to the original print surface. It sits tight in place and it's removable within seconds. I don't use hairspray, glue (I tried once - oh boy, what a mess) or anything else, I just rinse it with warm water and soap after a couple of prints. That's it. Keeping it in a good temperature window seems to be key for proper adhesion. I generally start the print with a bed temperature of 65°C for the first (few) layers and drop it to 50°C afterwards for PLA.
Now this doesn't mean that I want to persuade anyone to buy an Ender 3. I don't know if they are still recommended nowadays or if Creality may have started milking the cow. Honestly, I stopped following the 3D printer communities and news once I got my Ender 3 dialed in and achieved pleasing results. I really don't know which printer one should buy today.
But in the end, I don't think it matters much which printer you get. You can achieve good quality prints with most of them and in a lot of cases you'd have a hard time telling if something has been printed on a budget or high-end printer. It is much more important to learn how to use a (as in any) filament printer. How to use a slicer properly, learning what implications different temperatures, speeds and feed rates have, layer heights, how much infill is needed, which distances can be bridged, how steep overhangs and arches can be, retraction speed and distance, to-z-hop-or-not, finding the optimal extruder and bed temperatures for a specific filament, acceleration and jerk limits, cooling,... Knowing the basics of G-code is also very helpful to understand why a printer is doing something or even modify the print. Actually, it already starts with the design process in a CAD program - choosing a proper wall thickness, keeping the structure of the model in mind, avoiding supports if possible, etc.
No matter how expensive or pre-built and -tuned your printer is, those are things you need to get behind either way. The learning curve with a preconfigured, factory-calibrated printer might be less steep compared to a budget kit, because you are more likely to simply adopt the recommended settings from the manufacturer or other community members.
In this regard: if you're a tinkerer and like some challenges, you may as well build one yourself and have a great time! I'm looking forward to build a custom CNC (>1m² of surface area, for woodworking and occasional soft metal milling) soon - hopefully before the end of the year - rather because I'm interested in the build than having an urgent need for one. :blush:
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I obviously can't speak for everyone, but I'm happy with the Ender 3 and have no need nor desire for another (filament) printer. The print area is large enough for my needs - custom electronics enclosures, spare parts / repairs, little mechanical tools and gadgets, etc. Print resolution and detail is fine, I generally have no noteworthy quality complaints aside from the occasional stringing (which is easy to remove with a lighter or hot air gun). Maintenance is as minimal as it gets: keep the v-groove wheels, belts and lead screw dust free, clean the glass bed. Talking about the glass plate: I fixate it with two regular metal binder clips to the original print surface. It sits tight in place and it's removable within seconds. I don't use hairspray, glue (I tried once - oh boy, what a mess) or anything else, I just rinse it with warm water and soap after a couple of prints. That's it. Keeping it in a good temperature window seems to be key for proper adhesion. I generally start the print with a bed temperature of 65°C for the first (few) layers and drop it to 50°C afterwards for PLA.
Now this doesn't mean that I want to persuade anyone to buy an Ender 3. I don't know if they are still recommended nowadays or if Creality may have started milking the cow. Honestly, I stopped following the 3D printer communities and news once I got my Ender 3 dialed in and achieved pleasing results. I really don't know which printer one should buy today.
But in the end, I don't think it matters much which printer you get. You can achieve good quality prints with most of them and in a lot of cases you'd have a hard time telling if something has been printed on a budget or high-end printer. It is much more important to learn how to use a (as in any) filament printer. How to use a slicer properly, learning what implications different temperatures, speeds and feed rates have, layer heights, how much infill is needed, which distances can be bridged, how steep overhangs and arches can be, retraction speed and distance, to-z-hop-or-not, finding the optimal extruder and bed temperatures for a specific filament, acceleration and jerk limits, cooling,... Knowing the basics of G-code is also very helpful to understand why a printer is doing something or even modify the print. Actually, it already starts with the design process in a CAD program - choosing a proper wall thickness, keeping the structure of the model in mind, avoiding supports if possible, etc.
No matter how expensive or pre-built and -tuned your printer is, those are things you need to get behind either way. The learning curve with a preconfigured, factory-calibrated printer might be less steep compared to a budget kit, because you are more likely to simply adopt the recommended settings from the manufacturer or other community members.
In this regard: if you're a tinkerer and like some challenges, you may as well build one yourself and have a great time! I'm looking forward to build a custom CNC (>1m² of surface area, for woodworking and occasional soft metal milling) soon - hopefully before the end of the year - rather because I'm interested in the build than having an urgent need for one. :blush:
@BearWithBeard said in Best 3d printers:
I'm happy with the Ender 3 and have no need nor desire for another (filament) printer. The print area is large enough for my needs, [...] Print resolution and detail is fine, I generally have no noteworthy quality complaints aside from the occasional stringing [...] Maintenance is as minimal
Yeah, then I keep waffling back and forth to this. Seems there are quite a number of quite decent "ready to go" units available these days for not too much money.
@BearWithBeard said in Best 3d printers:
But in the end, I don't think it matters much which printer you get...
This point is also well taken. Sounds there is going to be a learning curve no matter what. Maybe a little less so with a widely deployed model...
I dunno, I think... I will keep thinking (for now). :) Thanks for the feedback, guys.
EDIT: Those CNC are something I keep looking at, too...
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@BearWithBeard said in Best 3d printers:
I'm happy with the Ender 3 and have no need nor desire for another (filament) printer. The print area is large enough for my needs, [...] Print resolution and detail is fine, I generally have no noteworthy quality complaints aside from the occasional stringing [...] Maintenance is as minimal
Yeah, then I keep waffling back and forth to this. Seems there are quite a number of quite decent "ready to go" units available these days for not too much money.
@BearWithBeard said in Best 3d printers:
But in the end, I don't think it matters much which printer you get...
This point is also well taken. Sounds there is going to be a learning curve no matter what. Maybe a little less so with a widely deployed model...
I dunno, I think... I will keep thinking (for now). :) Thanks for the feedback, guys.
EDIT: Those CNC are something I keep looking at, too...
@TRS-80 A while back Tom Sanlanderer did a video series on how to build a inexpensive clone of a Prusa printer from scratch. That would seem like an easy starting point if you wanted to dIY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6_z0YMhYdM -
@TRS-80 A while back Tom Sanlanderer did a video series on how to build a inexpensive clone of a Prusa printer from scratch. That would seem like an easy starting point if you wanted to dIY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6_z0YMhYdM@NeverDie said in Best 3d printers:
a video series on how to build a inexpensive clone of a Prusa printer from scratch
I actually saw that! The wood frame made me cringe! First think I was thinking, have my buddy the metal fabricator cut me something out of some off-cut flat stock he likely has lying around...
But then I thought, well, why stop there... (also having The Knack, I suspect you know where this leads :) )...
So then I start thinking about one of these very stable cube designs out of aluminium T-bar (or whatever it's called) some pics were posted by @mbj further up thread.
In fact all of these "simple, cheap" designs with the hot end just dangling out there at the end of some arm into space just make me shudder! I cannot imagine that staying stable...
But then I hear feedback like from @BearWithBeard along the lines that they are "good enough" for all the sort of similar things I also plan on doing with it, which gives me pause.
And then I start thinking about these combination CNC + 3d printer (+ other?) combination devices, and then I think "well, maybe that is the way to go..." <-- Maybe this is where I am at currently? It's all still in "planning / research" phase, for foreseeable future, anyway.
Thanks for the link though! Perhaps a solution meeting someone else's needs.
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@NeverDie said in Best 3d printers:
a video series on how to build a inexpensive clone of a Prusa printer from scratch
I actually saw that! The wood frame made me cringe! First think I was thinking, have my buddy the metal fabricator cut me something out of some off-cut flat stock he likely has lying around...
But then I thought, well, why stop there... (also having The Knack, I suspect you know where this leads :) )...
So then I start thinking about one of these very stable cube designs out of aluminium T-bar (or whatever it's called) some pics were posted by @mbj further up thread.
In fact all of these "simple, cheap" designs with the hot end just dangling out there at the end of some arm into space just make me shudder! I cannot imagine that staying stable...
But then I hear feedback like from @BearWithBeard along the lines that they are "good enough" for all the sort of similar things I also plan on doing with it, which gives me pause.
And then I start thinking about these combination CNC + 3d printer (+ other?) combination devices, and then I think "well, maybe that is the way to go..." <-- Maybe this is where I am at currently? It's all still in "planning / research" phase, for foreseeable future, anyway.
Thanks for the link though! Perhaps a solution meeting someone else's needs.
@TRS-80 said in Best 3d printers:
In fact all of these "simple, cheap" designs with the hot end just dangling out there at the end of some arm into space just make me shudder! I cannot imagine that staying stable...
You should see this then:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5WjyyeuzksWith these types of rails, the tolerances can be so tight that if you had rails on both sides they'd likely be binding quite a lot. So, though I agree it seems counterintuitive, there can be an advantage to having the support on just one side.
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@TRS-80 said in Best 3d printers:
In fact all of these "simple, cheap" designs with the hot end just dangling out there at the end of some arm into space just make me shudder! I cannot imagine that staying stable...
You should see this then:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5WjyyeuzksWith these types of rails, the tolerances can be so tight that if you had rails on both sides they'd likely be binding quite a lot. So, though I agree it seems counterintuitive, there can be an advantage to having the support on just one side.
Linear rails! Yes! Now we are talking!
Entertaining video! :D Thanks, one more on to the list of only a few YouTubers worth paying any attention to...
@NeverDie said in Best 3d printers:
With these types of rails, the tolerances can be so tight that if you had rails on both sides they'd likely be binding quite a lot. So, though I agree it seems counterintuitive, there can be an advantage to having the support on just one side.
Well, with linear rails, yes... But, it's almost... cheating, compared to what I was talking about! :D
All jokes aside, actual design / engineering considerations, bla bla... Of course you are correct.
Anyway, this looks like the "out of the box, ready to go" solution I thought that the Prusa i3 was, I wonder what these go for? After quick search on Internet, wow, comparable in price but far superior design, IMO. Would need to do more research of course, but very impressed initially. I guess these were not available when you bought your Prusa? :)
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Linear rails! Yes! Now we are talking!
Entertaining video! :D Thanks, one more on to the list of only a few YouTubers worth paying any attention to...
@NeverDie said in Best 3d printers:
With these types of rails, the tolerances can be so tight that if you had rails on both sides they'd likely be binding quite a lot. So, though I agree it seems counterintuitive, there can be an advantage to having the support on just one side.
Well, with linear rails, yes... But, it's almost... cheating, compared to what I was talking about! :D
All jokes aside, actual design / engineering considerations, bla bla... Of course you are correct.
Anyway, this looks like the "out of the box, ready to go" solution I thought that the Prusa i3 was, I wonder what these go for? After quick search on Internet, wow, comparable in price but far superior design, IMO. Would need to do more research of course, but very impressed initially. I guess these were not available when you bought your Prusa? :)
@TRS-80 I didn't know it existed back when I made my purchase. Even if I had, I might have erroneously dismissed it for the reason you mentioned because, like I mentioned, it's counterintuitive. Videos like this one demonstrate why it can be better.
Marco Reps has a wicked sense of humor. His videos are both informative and entertaining (if you happen to like his brand of humor, and I certainly do).
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@NeverDie
I got the IKEA LOTS, and the results seem a little better, but still not stable.Sometimes slightly up, then down again.
if I do the trick with the piece of paper and make sure that the piece of paper is just attached, so making a line of the filament, I have to adjust some wheels again every time.
Unfortunately, the supplier of the printer did not respond, so I have no support for that, unfortunately.
As a last option I will place the nuts, and possibly remove the springs completely from the print bed.
I probably do something very stupid wrong and it turns out to be a menu error somewhere deep in the settings or something.
I now have a raspberryPi with octoprint attached to the printer.
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@NeverDie
I got the IKEA LOTS, and the results seem a little better, but still not stable.Sometimes slightly up, then down again.
if I do the trick with the piece of paper and make sure that the piece of paper is just attached, so making a line of the filament, I have to adjust some wheels again every time.
Unfortunately, the supplier of the printer did not respond, so I have no support for that, unfortunately.
As a last option I will place the nuts, and possibly remove the springs completely from the print bed.
I probably do something very stupid wrong and it turns out to be a menu error somewhere deep in the settings or something.
I now have a raspberryPi with octoprint attached to the printer.
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Sorry to hear about your troubles. With my Ender I never have to adjust anything. It worked great out of the box and has continued to do so.
Perhaps you could try moving the whole build plate up to a higher point, where the springs are more compressed? There are also people who replace the springs for stiffer versions. Maybe that could help here.
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I'm one of those who upgraded to stiffer springs. You can buy ten or a dozen or so for cheap on Aliexpress.
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So after being absent for a long period, I'm almost done catching up. It is nice to see all the great projects every one has been working on. As I'm currently in the process of buying a 3d printer I'm just, gonna ask you all for advise. This topic is a little bit old, so maybe some new models have come out.
The things that are important to me, for choosing the right 3d printer are:
- Small foot print: The printer will be installed in my workshop, but that's also our guest bedroom and right now it is my office from which I do my work
- limited budget: I really don't have the budget for one that is over a 1000 dollars or more
- pre made: Unless the best alternative is one I have to assemble myself, I don't want to spend too much time on it. Because I'm pretty sure I'll have to invest a lot of time on learning how to design the casings I want to print out
As regarding to filament types, I have no experience in 3d printing. I'm just a real noob. I also came across octo print it's not a real must, but it would be nice to hookup octoprint to the printer. Any advise is more than welcome.
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So after being absent for a long period, I'm almost done catching up. It is nice to see all the great projects every one has been working on. As I'm currently in the process of buying a 3d printer I'm just, gonna ask you all for advise. This topic is a little bit old, so maybe some new models have come out.
The things that are important to me, for choosing the right 3d printer are:
- Small foot print: The printer will be installed in my workshop, but that's also our guest bedroom and right now it is my office from which I do my work
- limited budget: I really don't have the budget for one that is over a 1000 dollars or more
- pre made: Unless the best alternative is one I have to assemble myself, I don't want to spend too much time on it. Because I'm pretty sure I'll have to invest a lot of time on learning how to design the casings I want to print out
As regarding to filament types, I have no experience in 3d printing. I'm just a real noob. I also came across octo print it's not a real must, but it would be nice to hookup octoprint to the printer. Any advise is more than welcome.
@TheoL What size build volume do you need?
If you have no idea what you should want/need but you just want to get your feet, then I'd say the Ender 3 is a reasonable starting point for learning purposes. I would have said Ender 3 Pro or Ender 3 v2, but from what I've read, many if not most if not all of the Creality silent stepper designs are incapable of doing linear advance, which in my view puts a limit on their usefulness. The Prusa mini might be a good choice if you're OK with its smaller build size.
I'd strongly recommend buying from Amazon or Ebay if you can, because both have reasonable return policies. I've read a lot of horror stories about people receiving bad Asian 3D printers purchased through other sources and being stuck with it and unable to get their money back. In fact, I get the impression that the primary business model for much of the Asian 3D printer market is to over promise and under deliver, sometimes dramatically so.
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So after being absent for a long period, I'm almost done catching up. It is nice to see all the great projects every one has been working on. As I'm currently in the process of buying a 3d printer I'm just, gonna ask you all for advise. This topic is a little bit old, so maybe some new models have come out.
The things that are important to me, for choosing the right 3d printer are:
- Small foot print: The printer will be installed in my workshop, but that's also our guest bedroom and right now it is my office from which I do my work
- limited budget: I really don't have the budget for one that is over a 1000 dollars or more
- pre made: Unless the best alternative is one I have to assemble myself, I don't want to spend too much time on it. Because I'm pretty sure I'll have to invest a lot of time on learning how to design the casings I want to print out
As regarding to filament types, I have no experience in 3d printing. I'm just a real noob. I also came across octo print it's not a real must, but it would be nice to hookup octoprint to the printer. Any advise is more than welcome.
@TheoL I stick by what I said at the start of this topic. But once you get printing you will wish you got a larger print area unless you have defined your requirements in stone first.
There are dual head printers. colour printers, resin printers (which are best for quality builds of a small size so maybe worth looking into for you?).
If you just want to create quickly then there are online places that will print your designs (and they take the hit if a bad print needs a second run). So if you just want a few things then that is an option.
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@TheoL What size build volume do you need?
If you have no idea what you should want/need but you just want to get your feet, then I'd say the Ender 3 is a reasonable starting point for learning purposes. I would have said Ender 3 Pro or Ender 3 v2, but from what I've read, many if not most if not all of the Creality silent stepper designs are incapable of doing linear advance, which in my view puts a limit on their usefulness. The Prusa mini might be a good choice if you're OK with its smaller build size.
I'd strongly recommend buying from Amazon or Ebay if you can, because both have reasonable return policies. I've read a lot of horror stories about people receiving bad Asian 3D printers purchased through other sources and being stuck with it and unable to get their money back. In fact, I get the impression that the primary business model for much of the Asian 3D printer market is to over promise and under deliver, sometimes dramatically so.
@NeverDie Thanx for the quick reply
Well of course we all want to print the largest as possible. But for me it would be casings for my electronics projects. End as far as I've understood you can print them in separate parts and glue those together if needed. I also want to print some gears but that's all small stuff.
I see 3 versions of the ender 3:
- Ender 3
- Ender 3 v2
- Ender 3 pro
But I can not see what the big differences are. Would it be possible to add auto leveling later on?
And I think it's best to order the glass plate? There's a Dutch shop 1-2-3 3d printers. I was thinking about ordering it there. The difference between the 1-2-3 3d printer shop and amazon is over 50 euros. Would that be the difference in quality?
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@TheoL I can't say you which is the best printer :-)
But I can say a word about my experience after 2 years of 3D printing...I have the Anet A6 printer, purchased from Elektor. At that time it was a promotion sell which included PLA filaments.
It was a kit, but easy to assemble. Usually these types of kits can be expanded by printing parts yourself, what I did. www.thingiverse.com is the place to be.So what is important if you don't have a 'pro'-type 3D printer (with pro, I mean auto-leveling, multi nozzle, ...)
- place the printer on a flat stable surface (in my case it is screwed to a thick MDF plate so I can move it in and out the cabinet (don't have the place to let the printer stay))
- the adjustment is very important, namely the distance between the nozzle and the bed. If the printer is moved from his place, the printer always needs to be recalibrated!
You do that by taking a white A4 paper (80gr), put it on the bed and move the nozzle over the plate. You should be able to feel the paper sliding between the plate and the nozzle, not too loose, but not too tight either!
The first times, this will take the most from your time to prepare the printing, but after a while you become handy at it :-) - important that the bed can be heated (I have only PLA experience) to a 50-60 degrees Celcius.
- I print always with 'brim' at 3 mm. Why? When the printer starts printing, the PLA will not start directly, so the first 4 à 5 cm are not well printed. With a brim around your piece, you don't have that problem. It helps also to improve bed adhesion.
Remark : a 'brim' is connected with your piece, after printing you you have to break it down, but that's normally not a problem. You can also use the option 'skirt', same purpose and it is not connected to your printed piece.
But from experience, I use 'brim'. - important that the PLA filaments are putted in their plastic bag if not used! Normally when you open the plastic bag the first time, you will find the known little bags with little granules for the humidity. Don't throw them away but let them in the plastic bag. The PLA must be kept dry!
If you let the PLA in open air too long, say months without using it, you will see that the PLA wire will break more easily.
Don't skimp on the PLA quality, get a premium quality, even with a cheaper printer ;-) - a glass plate or a special 3D printing surface material is important. It should allow the heat to penetrate well so that the first print lines adhere well to the surface. You will also have a smooth bottom.
- Don't skimp on the possible dimensions. You will regret it later ;-) . If the price is affordable, I should take the one with the biggest print volume.
You will find after a while, if you design your own pieces, that the design phase will take the most time.
I myself, use Freecad for 'mechanical' designs and Blender for more artistic designs.
But before designing yourself cases for example, search on www.thingiverse.com or other sites, there are plenty of designs made already. Search even on the MySensors forum for specific node cases :-)
