I got me 3D printer, awesome!

Soldato
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Pointless joining facebook group when your account gets locked every time you go to ask a question and then they ask for a photo which they can **** right off because I'm not giving them one
 
Associate
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Nope not really, just have fun.

Got any plans for the 3d printer?

Couple of my latest prints.

IMG_20180717_120224_769.jpg


IMG_20180625_185844_430.jpg
 
Man of Honour
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Mostly enclosures and odd parts for projects, some novelty.

I've used shapeways a fair bit in the past but given how little money you need to spend to get something halfway decent now it means I'm not handing over money to them and waiting 2-3 weeks for a print when I need something
 
Man of Honour
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As it's going to be my first 3D printer, outside of a spool of filament any essentials I should buy?

The right tools for cleaning the extrude/hot end if it gets jammed are handy to have especially if like mine it used a very specific size of hex key thingy that common sets of them skipped over :( depending on the setup some tape for the bed (I use blue decorator's stuff) and some Pritt Stick or the UHU equivalent for bed adhesion can be handy along with a thin scraper of some kind for removing the model from the bed (I'm not sure what the bed setup is on the Ender 3).
 
Man of Honour
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The right tools for cleaning the extrude/hot end if it gets jammed are handy to have especially if like mine it used a very specific size of hex key thingy that common sets of them skipped over :( depending on the setup some tape for the bed (I use blue decorator's stuff) and some Pritt Stick or the UHU equivalent for bed adhesion can be handy along with a thin scraper of some kind for removing the model from the bed (I'm not sure what the bed setup is on the Ender 3).

It's a Build Tak clone, a lot of people seem to be very happy with a sheet of glass and Hair Spray
 
Soldato
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Going to order a Creality Ender 3 in the next few days.

As it's going to be my first 3D printer, outside of a spool of filament any essentials I should buy?

A BLTouch auto level (arduino and some dupont connectors as well to flash bootloader) and some borosilicate glass otherwise you're going to be very frustrated with levelling the bed every single time you wish to print especially on long prints because the bed you get goes to **** after a few days of printing, probably some spare nozzles too

Hairspray too if you want to print more than PLA I've found this to be cheap for 400ml and decent for sticking PetG https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001GFBQO2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
Soldato
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It's a Build Tak clone, a lot of people seem to be very happy with a sheet of glass and Hair Spray

I use a bit of mirror I got cut locally for a tenner held on with bulldog clips and I use some UHU pritt stick type stuff. I didn't have any luck with hairspray but I only tried it once.

However I would hold fire and see what bed you get, it seems like they've changed it a couple of times, I think some people have even got removable beds with theirs more recently?

A BLTouch auto level (arduino and some dupont connectors as well to flash bootloader) and some borosilicate glass otherwise you're going to be very frustrated with levelling the bed every single time you wish to print especially on long prints because the bed you get goes to **** after a few days of printing, probably some spare nozzles too

Hairspray too if you want to print more than PLA I've found this to be cheap for 400ml and decent for sticking PetG https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001GFBQO2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Is it difficult to install the BLtouch? It does seem really handy. How does it actually work? Do you just level your bed once, and then it fine tunes by actually working around any wonkiness while it prints?
 
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Soldato
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Is it difficult to install the BLtouch? It does seem really handy. How does it actually work? Do you just level your bed once, and then it fine tunes by actually working around any wonkiness while it prints?

It's difficult if you're not technical but it should be easy enough for people who frequent an overclocking forum ;)



I bought the Chinese version as it's $14 and basically the same
 
Man of Honour
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I've already go a couple of Unos so the BLTouch upgrade would be easy enough.

That's something for later on though, I want to keep it simple to start with. For the most part I think I'll play it by ear and make upgrades at I find something limiting me
 
Soldato
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Going to order a Creality Ender 3 in the next few days.

As it's going to be my first 3D printer, outside of a spool of filament any essentials I should buy?

I like gizmo dorks pei on an ikea mirror as a build surface, as parts cool just pops off.
The spatulas someone mentioned previously are also handy for very large prints.
Small alcohol wipes for cleaning surface, can get like 100 from ebay for around £3
Tweezers for grabing hot filament.
Replacement nozzles, have seen Hestya 28 peice set recommnded from amazon.

Some troubleshooting tips when you get going -

https://all3dp.com/1/common-3d-printing-problems-troubleshooting-3d-printer-issues/


Also check out nerys on youtube when he builds 3d printers he usualy gives tips on them.

 
Man of Honour
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Got my Ender 3 today.

Overall I'm getting pretty good prints except this with the first layer.

Doesn't look like bed levelling as it's got a nice textured bottom the same as the build plate.

Not enough bottom layers (4)?

i3z9AXP.jpg
 
Soldato
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Are you checking for level in the centre of the build plate as well as the edges? Most platforms aren’t level and naturally most people check for level in the corners which are often higher than the centre where most parts are printed
 
Man of Honour
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Might need to increase the shell or top/bottom thickness or infill a little - looks like the bottom layers isn't thick enough to offset the usual problems with putting down the first layer and/or a slight incompatibility with the model file.
 
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