Ender 3 3D printer experiences?

[Jason Channing]

Once you fit a conveyor 90 bed it becomes an interesting new experience with non stop printing.

 

[Allan Bennett]

That's good info Keith.  I've just printed a tool-holder and a cover for the display screen so far.  I'm not sure about the need for a filament guide -- whether it will actually introduce more friction to the feed.

Edited January 6, 2023 by Allan Bennett

[EvilC57]

31 minutes ago, Allan Bennett said:

That's good info Keith.  I've just printed a tool-holder and a cover for the display screen so far.  I'm not sure about the need for a filament guide -- whether it will actually introduce more friction to the feed.

I made and fitted this filament roller guide as one one of the first and, I think, most significant mods to my printer. Without it, if the roll of filament is mounted on top of the machine as suggested in the instructions, the filament goes into the entry hole at the cold end at completely the wrong angle, pulling sharply from the top rather than feeding in straight. Far from increasing friction at the cold end, I would suggest the roller guide pulley reduces it considerably.

Edited January 6, 2023 by EvilC57

[Allan Bennett]

Thanks EvilC57, that looks better than some I found -- especially as it uses a ball bearing.  I hadn't thought of the wear on the brass entry, so I'll make it.

[EvilC57]

5 minutes ago, Allan Bennett said:

Thanks EvilC57, that looks better than some I found -- especially as it uses a ball bearing.  I hadn't thought of the wear on the brass entry, so I'll make it.

👍

[Mark Parity]

Hi Allan,

 

Wow small world I just randomly came across your post, and I'm doing exactly the same thing as you, at the same time, I'm currently printing the Eclipson Model C using my new Creality Ender-3 S1 Pro, it has the CR touch and its the most awesome thing ever, my old printer had to be levelled 100% manually so I wanted a touch levelling system this time.

The magnetic build plate is very good too, every print sticks well.

Anyway I'm not going to bother painting the first model cos magnetic trees etc, etc.

 

We can compare notes at the field on Sunday if you like, I think this will take me a few weeks to build, even without finishing the paintwork.

I'm also thinking of getting a vinyl cutter so any advice you can offer on that at the field would be great as I know you have one of those, or perhaps if I supply the material you could cut the decals for me. :-)

[Allan Bennett]

Mark, I'm not finding manual levelling too much of a chore, but CR Touch is definitely on my wish-list.  The magnetic build plate sounds good too because of its flexibility making it easier to remove prints.  But I can't see how it will work, for the metal base bed with the heating element in it is not magnetic.

 

As for vinyl cutting, no problem.  If you install yourself a copy of Silhouette Studio you can make your designs and then put them onto a regular SD card for my printer to use.  Or I can scan a printed design and convert it into the right format.

[leccyflyer]

It's the flexible build plate which is magnetic, not the metal base bed. It works very well and it makes getting the work off the build plate very simple, just flex it and the workpiece pops off. I use hair spray with every print and basal layer adhesion is excellent. It's about due for a bit of a clean, for which I use ordinary meths on an occasional basis.

 

[Allan Bennett]

26 minutes ago, leccyflyer said:

It's the flexible build plate which is magnetic, not the metal base bed. It works very well and it makes getting the work off the build plate very simple, just flex it and the workpiece pops off. I use hair spray with every print and basal layer adhesion is excellent. It's about due for a bit of a clean, for which I use ordinary meths on an occasional basis.

 

Yes, I understand that, but what I meant to say I've checked the base bed with a magnet and it's not attracted, so how can the flexible build plate attract to it?

 

I have no problem with adhesion, very much the opposite, which I why I'm interested in the flexible build plate.

[Mark Parity]

1 hour ago, Allan Bennett said:

Mark, I'm not finding manual levelling too much of a chore, but CR Touch is definitely on my wish-list.  The magnetic build plate sounds good too because of its flexibility making it easier to remove prints.  But I can't see how it will work, for the metal base bed with the heating element in it is not magnetic.

 

As for vinyl cutting, no problem.  If you install yourself a copy of Silhouette Studio you can make your designs and then put them onto a regular SD card for my printer to use.  Or I can scan a printed design and convert it into the right format.

Just wondering how you are levelling the bed Allan? I used to use a piece of paper but I did watch a video that said that is wrong, apparently we should be using a feeler gauge. After homing simply lower the print head, or raise the bed (depending if the bed moves or the print head moves) by the thickness of the feeler gauge in the printer's menu and get a nice sliding fit then you know its correct.

Also I'm sure you already are doing so but remember to preheat nozzle and bed before levelling.

PS. Re the vinyl cutting I will have a play with the Silhouette Studio software, thank you.

Edited January 7, 2023 by Mark Parity

[Mark Parity]

Deleted, not sure what happened there. 🙂

Edited January 7, 2023 by Mark Parity

[Allan Bennett]

7 hours ago, Mark Parity said:

Just wondering how you are levelling the bed Allan? I used to use a piece of paper but I did watch a video that said that is wrong, apparently we should be using a feeler gauge. After homing simply lower the print head, or raise the bed (depending if the bed moves or the print head moves) by the thickness of the feeler gauge in the printer's menu and get a nice sliding fit then you know its correct.

Also I'm sure you already are doing so but remember to preheat nozzle and bed before levelling.

 

I've been following the Ender instructions for bed levelling 😄  They says to use 'printer paper', and they also say that pre-heating is not necessary before levelling, though I do have to be careful there's not a blob of hardened PLA sticking out.  But I can see that pre-heating will help with getting the nozzle tip clean.  What size feeler gauge did the video suggest?  Standard 80g copy paper is between 0.09 and 0.12mm.  My bed seems to be not completely flat, so getting the centre height right is the most important, even if it meens the paper's quite loose at the four corners.  So far I've had a couple of bad first layers, which I've aborted, and re-levelled the bed.  But no problems at all once the first layer is down successfully.

[EvilC57]

I’ve always found 80gsm printer/copier paper perfectly adequate for levelling. Once you get the feel for it, you can adjust quite accurately. I find that pushing & pulling the paper fore and aft while the print head is at each corner (as driven by the paper levelling g-code) you can judge by how much the paper starts to wrinkle upwards as you’re pushing it away from you.

 

I always do the adjustment with the head and bed up to temperature. As Allan says, this will ensure there is no hardened blob of plastic sticking out of the print nozzle, and I’m sure expansion of the metal nozzle and glass bed must make a difference too.

 

I’d be surprised if your bed is not flat, if like mine it’s the standard carborundum coated glass. Being glass, surely, by the nature of float glass it would be guaranteed flat. Unless of course, your X or Y beam is not completely straight…

Edited January 7, 2023 by EvilC57

[FlyinFlynn]

22 hours ago, Allan Bennett said:

Mark, I'm not finding manual levelling too much of a chore, but CR Touch is definitely on my wish-list.  The magnetic build plate sounds good too because of its flexibility making it easier to remove prints.  But I can't see how it will work, for the metal base bed with the heating element in it is not magnetic.

 

As for vinyl cutting, no problem.  If you install yourself a copy of Silhouette Studio you can make your designs and then put them onto a regular SD card for my printer to use.  Or I can scan a printed design and convert it into the right format.

I don't know it things have changed but when I played around with a flexible magnetic build plate it came in two halves, one that was sticky-back and one that was the flexible plate, you stick the 'metalised' sheet onto your non-magnetic build plate and the flexible build plate sits on top magnetically.

[Mark Parity]

13 hours ago, Allan Bennett said:

 

I've been following the Ender instructions for bed levelling 😄  They says to use 'printer paper', and they also say that pre-heating is not necessary before levelling, though I do have to be careful there's not a blob of hardened PLA sticking out.  But I can see that pre-heating will help with getting the nozzle tip clean.  What size feeler gauge did the video suggest?  Standard 80g copy paper is between 0.09 and 0.12mm.  My bed seems to be not completely flat, so getting the centre height right is the most important, even if it meens the paper's quite loose at the four corners.  So far I've had a couple of bad first layers, which I've aborted, and re-levelled the bed.  But no problems at all once the first layer is down successfully.

I used a 0.3mm feeler gauge then you can add or subtract 0.3mm from the "levelled" height to get the zero height spot on, or course I have a CR touch probe so things are slightly different here.

I've always preheated the bed and nozzle, every guide I've followed always says to preheat because they reckon the metals of the bed and nozzle expand when hot.

[Mark Parity]

1 hour ago, FlyinFlynn said:

I don't know it things have changed but when I played around with a flexible magnetic build plate it came in two halves, one that was sticky-back and one that was the flexible plate, you stick the 'metalised' sheet onto your non-magnetic build plate and the flexible build plate sits on top magnetically.

That's how it works on my factory installed magnetic build plate, a spare set of sticky base and plate are available for around £24 for the Ender 3 S1 Pro.

I'm not sure how difficult it would be to remove the sticky part though should the need arise.

[Allan Bennett]

1 hour ago, FlyinFlynn said:

I don't know it things have changed but when I played around with a flexible magnetic build plate it came in two halves, one that was sticky-back and one that was the flexible plate, you stick the 'metalised' sheet onto your non-magnetic build plate and the flexible build plate sits on top magnetically.

 

Ahh, that explains it then.  Thank you FF.