Anet A8 3D Printer.

[PhillipM]

It only uses the GPU for the design window, everything else is generally CPU and memory bound, all the main ops are CPU bound when actually designing something, so you want something with some decent single-thread performance - even a cheap dual core will do so long as it's highly clocked - for rendering or simulation work that is parallelised so multi-core performance is much more important.

 

[tlovatt]

I use OpenSCAD - it is a cross platform free scripted 3D CAD package and is very powerful, you do things by building up a script rather than by drawing things using the mouse - but once you get used to it ans its simple script language it is great software.

I would advise using Cura rather than Slic3r - I found it much simpler to use and there are a lot of profiles around for Cura for most printers.

Essentially
1) Look on Thingiverse if the thing you want had already been drawn - if so just download the zip file and you can use the STL files (some also have the CAD files).
2) If not existing use CAD software to draw object - then export an STL file (you can save the CAD drawing in any format, but for 3D printing you also want the STL file) - there is nothing to this other than exporting ans STL file from the software.
3) Use your slicer to convert the STL file into Gcode.
4) Use the Gcode to print the object.
5) Have a few first wrong attempts.
6) Realise that when everyone keeps on telling you to level your bed and that is causing the problems that they are correct.
7) Finally figure out the whole bed levelling process.
8) Start producing good prints.
9) For some unknown reason find out that everything that worked yesterday now has a problem.
10) Fix problem.
11) Endless loop back to stage 8!

 

[ukracer]

It only uses the GPU for the design window, everything else is generally CPU and memory bound, all the main ops are CPU bound when actually designing something, so you want something with some decent single-thread performance - even a cheap dual core will do so long as it's highly clocked - for rendering or simulation work that is parallelised so multi-core performance is much more important.

Years ago i would have got my head round that but sadly i no longer have clue what specs mean any more. Lol

When i am on the PC next i will check the specs etc.....what a good benchmark ?program

 

[ukracer]

I am starting to wonder why the hell i do things...lol. i only have an Anet A8 and have produced very little but i am already wanting another machine after visiting the TCT show.

I feel i want a bigger machine but gut feeling says multiple filament/nozzles would be a better upgrade for what i am likely to be printing (what that is i don't know yet..lol)

I know i am trying to run before i can walk but as i have got into it late i need to get up to speed quickly for it to be more than a time consuming hobby for me...

I also know that the best idea would be to knuckle down and learn to design as that would be the best option ....if not so much fun...lol

In short i am torn what my next move is.....ROTFLMAO

 

[DAPPH]

Thanks guys & gals,
I've got a much better idea of where things are going , without your advice I'd be well & truly scuppered .

I hope to get my programs up and running tomorrow so I can play dong virtual 3D plastic printing exercises .

Now one more thing .

Last night during several hours of looking through it I think I noticed on Thingiverse there are some buttons that let you donate a dollar or whatever to the originator of a particularly useful printable item .. have any of you donated or is it a bit risky ?

If it is like that, I too have several ideas that I 'd like to put on Thingiverse if I can get the items designed & printable .

 

[bigegg]

Thanks guys & gals,
I've got a much better idea of where things are going , without your advice I'd be well & truly scuppered .

I hope to get my programs up and running tomorrow so I can play dong virtual 3D plastic printing exercises .

Now one more thing .

Last night during several hours of looking through it I think I noticed on Thingiverse there are some buttons that let you donate a dollar or whatever to the originator of a particularly useful printable item .. have any of you donated or is it a bit risky ?

If it is like that, I too have several ideas that I 'd like to put on Thingiverse if I can get the items designed & printable .

very little risk

 

[bigegg]

feed problems all day today.

started trying to clear it at 730am.
I've given up for the day.

I've no fingertips left from holding the red-hot extruder end whilst poking out bits of filament.
the Bowden tube is chewed up with the clamping nuts(?).
i replaced the nozzle.
the thermistor has come loose from the block with repeatedly taking it apart.

sick to death of re- levelling the bed/zeroing the z-axis (which changes every time I put it back together).
oh.
and the fan holder needs replacing as it's now snapped off completely

 

[130]

That an E3D with a Bowden ?

 

[bigegg]

That an E3D with a Bowden ?

yes.
I think.
at least, I've ordered a new e3d as a direct replacement, because it looked the same

 

[130]

E3D lite or full fat?

 

[bigegg]

E3D lite or full fat?

?


this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/US-All-Met...339764?hash=item467a3a1db4:g:m64AAOSw7zFaydkE

 

[tlovatt]

I do feel your pain with the printer problems, I have now amassed 3 of them, an Ender 3, a CR10 (It came at the right price and has a nice big build bed) and a delta printer (I just like to sit and watch the marvel of it printing)

I thought at first I would never get the delta printer to work properly, I now (hopefully not jinxing it saying this) have it working reliably (and it actually makes some great prints and is a mater at overhangs) and I had the other printers working well.

Then the Ender 3 started under extruding one evening shortly into a 20hr print, I suspected it may be the problem with the bowden tube lifting slightly, then when I went to look at the printer the next morning my suspicions were confirmed as the tube had come out and there was the printer printing in fresh air whist unwinding the roll of filament onto the floor. Fixed that and it now seems to be ok only for problems to tart with the CR10, which appeared to be a bowden problem. New fittings and tube later and it seems to be ok apart from it keeps depositing balls of molten PLA so is over extruding for some reason.

I think the saying is true.

If you like playing with a 3D printer, buy a 3D printer. If you want 3D printed objects, befriend someone with a 3D printer.

 

[DAPPH]

I do feel your pain with the printer problems, I have now amassed 3 of them, an Ender 3, a CR10 (It came at the right price and has a nice big build bed) and a delta printer (I just like to sit and watch the marvel of it printing)

I thought at first I would never get the delta printer to work properly, I now (hopefully not jinxing it saying this) have it working reliably (and it actually makes some great prints and is a mater at overhangs) and I had the other printers working well.

Then the Ender 3 started under extruding on evening shortly into a 20hr print, I suspected it may be the problem with the bowden tube lifting slightly, then when I went to look at the printer the next morning my suspicions were confirmed as the tube had come out and there was the printer printing in fresh air whist unwinding the roll of filament onto the floor. Fixed that and it now seems to be ok only for problems to tart with the CR10, which appeared to be a bowden problem. New fittings and tube later and it seems to be ok apart from it keeps depositing balls of molten PLA so is over extruding for some reason.

I think the saying is true.

If you like playing with a 3D printer, buy a 3D printer. If you want 3D printed objects, befriend someone with a 3D printer.

I feel for you .. could comment on your problem but as I'm an outsider & I'm a not yet started newbie it would be rude of me .
Too fast a feed or too much heat sounds a place to start looking .


I having difficulty getting the internet to stay connected for much more than 20 seconds either by wifi or the device that uses the mains electric cables to hard wire from the block plugged in to the modem so I can't upload anything to play with .

 

[tlovatt]

I feel for you .. could comment on your problem but as I'm an outsider & I'm a not yet started newbie it would be rude of me .
Too fast a feed or too much heat sounds a place to start looking .


I having difficulty getting the internet to stay connected for much more than 20 seconds either by wifi or the device that uses the mains electric cables to hard wire from the block plugged in to the modem so I can't upload anything to play with .

The problem with the boden tubes is a well known one and after a time they go. A lot of printers have the extruder remote from the hot end (the print head if you will) to reduce weight both in terms of moving the head around bt also so as not to cause the beam it moves on to droop. The boden tubes are under a fair bit of pressure and there is a lot of shove to push the filament through and as the tube is very slipery (it is normally PTFE) they can over time back out from where they are installed. With a mk8 hot end the boden tube runs all the way down to the nozzle and so if it slips back a bit the gap fills up with filament which then partially sets as it is into the area cooled by the hot end fan, this then causes feed problems and puts more strain on the boden tube.

It terms of the current problem - I suspect it may be a cura issue as I have also just upgraded versions. FYI one of those things it took me a time to come across is that with PLA you typically need to set the flow in cura to be 90 to 93% or it will over extrude. I have just looked and for some reason it is back up to 100% rather than my normal 91% - so I will reduce it on the printer settings for now and see if that solves the problem.

 

[130]

Hmm not sure that's genuine but been ages since I priced them

The E3D lite had a ptfe liner and was say £23 ish as opposed to around £65 for the E3D

 

[DAPPH]

The problem with the boden tubes is a well known one and after a time they go. A lot of printers have the extruder remote from the hot end (the print head if you will) to reduce weight both in terms of moving the head around bt also so as not to cause the beam it moves on to droop. The boden tubes are under a fair bit of pressure and there is a lot of shove to push the filament through and as the tube is very slipery (it is normally PTFE) they can over time back out from where they are installed. With a mk8 hot end the boden tube runs all the way down to the nozzle and so if it slips back a bit the gap fills up with filament which then partially sets as it is into the area cooled by the hot end fan, this then causes feed problems and puts more strain on the boden tube.

It terms of the current problem - I suspect it may be a cura issue as I have also just upgraded versions. FYI one of those things it took me a time to come across is that with PLA you typically need to set the flow in cura to be 90 to 93% or it will over extrude. I have just looked and for some reason it is back up to 100% rather than my normal 91% - so I will reduce it on the printer settings for now and see if that solves the problem.

Thanks for that . I like this site where people put up a non judgemental explanation and keep their ego's in their pockets to explain things to others.

Does the ambient air temp affect things between prints if it changes much ?

Do you have to pre-heat the printer every time you want to print from cold then once it is up to temp do a quick test extrude prior to printing ?

If so would it be sensible to use a simple black heat / ceramic bulb & a decent digitally controlled thermostat to accurately control the temperature inside an enclosure containing the printer to stabilise the temperature over all ..

That being workable I guess it would be cheap enough to leave the heater on 24 /7 .

 

[130]

Again, and as said earlier, mine prints reliably, my mates prints reliably so it's either how it's built or who built it causing problems.

 

[bigegg]

The problem with the boden tubes is a well known one and after a time they go. A lot of printers have the extruder remote from the hot end (the print head if you will) to reduce weight both in terms of moving the head around bt also so as not to cause the beam it moves on to droop. The boden tubes are under a fair bit of pressure and there is a lot of shove to push the filament through and as the tube is very slipery (it is normally PTFE) they can over time back out from where they are installed. With a mk8 hot end the boden tube runs all the way down to the nozzle and so if it slips back a bit the gap fills up with filament which then partially sets as it is into the area cooled by the hot end fan, this then causes feed problems and puts more strain on the boden tube.

yep.
that's basically where I am.
with the added bonus that when the Bowden tube gets shoved out of the nozzle, the clamp which holds it in place chews up the end.
which causes more resistance.
so it has to be cut off...

 

[tlovatt]

Thanks for that . I like this site where people put up a non judgemental explanation and keep their ego's in their pockets to explain things to others.

Does the ambient air temp affect things between prints if it changes much ?

Do you have to pre-heat the printer every time you want to print from cold then once it is up to temp do a quick test extrude prior to printing ?

There are 2 elements, the nozzle which will heat up before it starts printing, and depending upon your heater, a heated bed which is optional. It depends what type of printing surface you have and what material you are printing if you need the heated bed.

PLA does not need a heated bed, but depending upon what you are printing and the ambient conditions you may want to have it on to prevent warping, or if you are using a glass bed (without covering) you will probably need it on. Heated galss or aluminium beds can also be better in that the prints will almost (or sometimes completely) drop off when the bed cools down after the print. Buildtak type surfaces can pose a challenge to get the printed item off afterwards if you are not careful!

If you are printing ABS, small objects I have got away with, larger objects (I am told but have not tried) you can have significant problems with warping and you need higher ambient temperatures and something to shield the print from any draughts.

I would suggest getting your printer and having a play first, there is nothing like experience!

 

[tlovatt]

Again, and as said earlier, mine prints reliably, my mates prints reliably so it's either how it's built or who built it causing problems.

I have been printing 12" by 12" by 6" sections that have 3kg of PLA in them, take ~45 hours and I have printed several in a row before now running into an issue with the bowden tube needing replacing (and a software issue with a setting changing during a Cura update which is not really the printers fault) so I am confident there was no build problem with the printer and after a few hundred hours of almost non-stop printing at reasonably high extrusion rates a bit of maintenance is not really unexpected.