EvilC57

Both Cura and Prusa slicers have drivers for the Ender 3 (I know, I use both). As Dad_flyer says, you can slice the model in the slicer software to see how it’ll be built once the g code file is run by the printer. It’s worth noting that if you orientate the model with a large area flat down on the printer bed, you may have a job removing it once the print is finished and the bed cooled. Incidentally, I found this video on YouTube far better when it came to assembling and aligning the printer, than trying to follow the supplied instructions.

I was printing an aileron for the Planeprint Jetwing I'm building, when I had a power cut earlier this morning. I knew that some of the more expensive printers such as the Prusas advertise power loss recovery so they'll pick up from where they left off in the event of a power cut during a print. However I've never seen this feature advertised for the cheaper Ender 3 series printers, so I assumed my Ender 3 V2 didn't have it, and that in such an event I would lose the print. So when everything in the house dropped out when I was about 90% into the print, I though 'Oh dear, (or words to that effect!) I've just lost it'. However looking at the printer, the onscreen menu invited me to resume after an unexpected power loss. I took the option to continue, and the only ill effects suffered were a small 'nodule' at the trailing edge of the aileron which can be trimmed off, and a slight ridge in the layer where the event happened, which is such a small defect I can live with it. Pleasantly surprised!

She had one job to do….🙄! 10F5BEA3-2087-4B95-BD1B-271BC9438F1F.MOV

The XT series of connectors are made by Amass Electronics in Changzhou, China (of course!) as I understand it. I have had cheap copies before, which were a slightly different colour and didn’t fit as well as the original Amass ones.

I actually saw someone leave the main wing tube out once. A newbie at our field turned up with an ARTF (can’t remember what it was now). He took off and went into a turn, the wings immediately folded, and that was the end of that. On inspection of the wreckage by one of our more experienced members, he observed that there appeared to be no wing spar or tube installed. ‘Oh’, said the newbie, ‘I found a long piece of aluminium tube in the box, I wondered what it was for.’. Doh!

£10! I wouldn’t pay 10p for it.

The basic Ender 3 V2 doesn't have self-levelling, however for just over £40 you can buy the CR Touch kit, which consists of a touch probe and associated extra wiring, which attaches to the side of the print head, and with the aid of software supplied on an SD card adds self-levelling.

I can't say that bed levelling using the paper 'feeler gauge' method is a chore particularly. I accept it as something worth doing, which takes just a minute or two before I start a new print. It was when I got a bit lazy about not doing it, that the print became prematurely unstuck from the build plate. The levelling code & routine I use is here. You don't have to wait for the whole program to run, and can cancel it once you're happy with the bed levelling.

Further to my last; just thinking about it, the Ender 3 as it comes out of the box does have a couple of shortcomings: The extruder feeder is not a great design, so I used this upgrade kit from Amazon. And due to the design of the extruder feeder, the filament pulls from the reel at a rather awkward angle, so I one of the first things I made was this filament roller guide from Thingyverse.com

I have an Ender 3 V2 which I bought back earlier this year. I found this video, which was very helpful in setting it up - far better than trying to follow the instructions. Having spent some time aligning it I've found it excellect, and have only ever had one failed print, when the object being printed came unstuck from the bed. As others have said, bed levelling is the most important thing, and it's important that the heated nozzle in the print head just clears the heated bed when at its lowest point (as determined by a limit switch). I have a bed levelling g-code file, which moves the print head to each corner in turn, and allows you to set the bed height by sliding a piece of paper between the nozzle and the bed like a feeler guage. Unfortunately at the moment, I can't rememeber where I downloaded it from, but I use it to check the bed levelling before every print. You can pay extra and get the auto bed levelling upgrade, but I didn't bother. Given that the tolerances are so fine, it's best not to move the machine if you don't have to. In fact I've found from experience that when performing the levelling routine I've described above, it's best to do it with the nozzle and heated bed up to temperature, as even their expansion at different temperatures makes a difference to the nozzle to bed clearance. Like you I was intruigued for a while, but baulked at the cost of the Prusa machines that one or two of our club members have, so when I found the Ender at only a couple of hundred pounds I thought I'd give it a try - and I haven't been disappointed. Indeed, I've learned enough this year to risk taking on a Planeprint Jetwing, which is a fairly major project for both me and the machine. Planeprint supply a number of recommended setup profiles for Cura slicer, which (after some test prints and tweeking) gave excellent results for the different print parameters required to print various parts of the Jetwing.

We went on holiday to North Yorkshire a couple of months ago, and in Harrogate I noticed that Bettys Tea Rooms is spelt without the apostrophe when it kind of looked as though it needed one. Google says "Bettys lost its apostrophe around fifty years ago, and the exact explanation is lost in time. It is generally believed that the name was thought to look better without one – more distinctive, less messy – and as a brand name was not subject to the same rules as everyday words.". Not sure I agree!

I hope your bedroom floor is strong. I’m sure I once heard the story (probably apocryphal) of someone who was killed when a mountain of old newspapers etc. he’d hoarded in the attic crashed through the ceiling and killed him in bed.

I’d always been reluctant to use AliExpress given all the poor reviews on websites like Trustpilot. However Ali was the only place I was able to get hold of some particular Corona servos I need for something I’m building (Planeprint Jetwing as you ask!), so I took the plunge, and in fact the servos arrived in less time than stated on the website, and all working perfectly as far as I can tell.

Get your ashes scattered by drone… However, I wonder how many undertakers have PfCO licences.

I and several people in my club use ammunition boxes with the seal removed for storage. Easily obtained in different sizes from eBay.

When it came to getting a reaction, the quickest I have seen in one of these ‘audit’ videos, was a guy who within 25s (yes 25 seconds) of erecting his tripod on the opposite side of the road from the Albert Embankment entrance of the MI6 building in Vauxhall and pointing his camera towards the building, was intercepted by two armed police who swooped on him from a van. However despite the obvious sensitivity of the building and their lightning quick response he faced them down, as it seems, they had no powers to stop him from filming in a public place. The guy may have made his point, but I still don’t see why he felt the need to do it.

I started coming across these so called ‘audit’ videos on YouTube a few weeks ago, and despite the positive and supportive comments garnered from their ‘fans’, my only thought was why, what’s the point other than to wind up, and waste the time of site security staff and local police - as if they (the police) haven’t got enough on their plate already. Other than flying drones over property, the majority of the ones I’ve seen seem to be where the YouTuber sets up a camera with a long lens on a tripod, and takes photos or video looking through the fence or into the entrance of various MOD or police establishments, factories, distribution centres etc. and waits to be challenged, arguing (usually with some success) that they are on a public road and can do what they like.

And a Prime Minister.

My modelling shed roof is insulated with 25mm Polystyrene Insulation Board from B&Q, and covered with Onduline Corrugated Roof Sheets which should last for donkey's years compared with the original felt that was on there. Its also lined inside with Reflective Bubble Insulation Roll. Not particularly efffective as insulation I suspect, but makes the shed brighter inside. I have a wall mounted thermostatically controlled fan heather in there as well.

Cardamom, that’s not fair!

About two days as far as I remember. Although that was from Kent to South Gloucestershire within the UK mainland.

They were 6 weeks ago when I phoned them up to order a new conrod for my RCV 58. Cost £10.50 inc VAT + postage by the way.

I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole!

Electrolux 350 cylinder bought in 1983 and still going strong. Mainly used for cleaning out the car these days.