Continuing the 3D printer thingy

[gninnam]

So - well I went and bought a 3D printer so I can get used to it and also creating drawings then turning into 3D things

The printer comes with some items you can print out to make the printer better but mine already came with most of these. So I printed one as a test and not bad:






Then today I downloaded a 3D cat (as per MJ - has to be done and the wife likes them....)





Had a minor issue with it but working out on the best settings:



Will need to replace the glass base as it isn't true with mirrors from Ikea so will be doing that this weekend.

So - off to play with CAD software.....

[tc4332]

I went the IKEA mirror route, they're not perfect but are a lot better than the Chinese glass. The nice bit is that IKEA had sent me a £5 birthday voucher so four mirrors cost me less than £2.

[MikkiJayne]

Off to a brave start with a voronoi model as your second print The bowden extruder is not the greatest for very detailed models like that so you did well to complete it. The bundled PLA filament is actually rather nice quality though. I've printed some really nice models from that.

We'll have our own CR-10 mini-club soon

That said, mine is barely recognisable as a CR-10 any more:









I fiddled with it a bit

Still a work-in-progress as I'm waiting on a few more parts to arrive, and apparently I also need a new phone camera I'll post the details in my thread when its 'complete' (like it'll ever be finished )

[tc4332]

You did didn't you MJ.
So we now have 3 A8 CR10's that I know of, unless someone knows better.
I have to admit that I'm not having much time with it, son Craig has taken over. His brain works better than mine, he'll inherit it anyway when I fall off my perch. Mind I am not planning that any time soon. In fact Sunday I have to attend a one day course to keep my PCV?HGV CPC current. Might have to do two this year.
You are correct about the included filament, really good. When I purchased mine I bought some Dremel filament and I advise everyone to stay away from it, too fragile and varies in quality along it's length.
ALDI are doing a 3D printer and filament but only on line. I've tried a punt with the filament to see how it is.
Back to your mods MJ. I knew you were about to do some, you mentioned in an earlier post. Any chance of some details or files? PM me if there is a cost consideration. I can always wash the tea cups when Jordan and I call in on the 7th June.Or I could sell him to you as a cat petter

[MikkiJayne]

Interesting - the Aldi one looks a bit like an Anycubic i3 derivative. I can build my own for that though

The only models which may be of use to you are the Y-motor brace which is on Thingiverse, and the 40mm cooling fan which still needs work. I'll post that on Thingiverse when its done though. Its a remix of one that's already on there.

Pretty much everything else is related to getting rid of the control box so not a lot of use to anyone else. I actually binned quite a few of the other mods like the rubber mountings for the steppers as although the reduced the noise, they also reduced print quality. I've taken the frame braces off too since one of them broke. It doesn't appear to have made a significant difference tbh since most of what I print is <100mm tall.

Once the base is finished and the aforementioned dual extruder added I''ll build a new machine. I have an Anet AM8 in the works, and a Hypercube following that

[gninnam]

Hi Ray - good result on the Ikea mirrors
Will pop in tomorrow after work and buy them.

MJ - wow, looks very different indeed
Like Ray, would like to know more about the mods (obvious one is to strip the control unit apart sit it below printer - good use of space).
Where do you put the filament (I assume on the top of the printer?

[MikkiJayne]

I have the original filament holder mounted at the top of the frame using a couple of T-nuts and the original thumbscrews. I looked at loads of fancy spool holders on Thingiverse but no one seemed to have figured out the dead simple solution!





Simple, saves desk space, and it stops the control box falling over when you have a 1kg spool hanging on it. I use a short piece of ptfe tube just before the extruder to act as a filament guide too. If I was going to print something full height then I'd either move the spool or at least put the frame braces back to stop the top of the frame wobbling with an extra 1kg of weight up there, but since I rarely do print anything tall it doesn't matter.