I read the thread from 2020 on getting started but it still leaves me with a few questions. Been looking at Enders3 and various versions of it. Amazon says Ender 3 is "open source". meaning, i think, you can change things up and not do any infringement. If that understand is correct, lead to my main question: I want to get started, but am unsure to what level to start at. Regular E3 at ~$190 or the pro at ~240 Which brings up the last questions; Being open source, can you upgrade the E3 to a Pro model later? S1? Then can you update the bed to say the magnetic bed? Auto leveling added later? Can the "Resume" feature be added to a model that doesn't resume on power loss? Is the Resume reliable and/or worth it? In other words, can you get started on the cheap side and upgrade to higher functionality or features along the way? Being as it is near Christmas, I MIGHT indulge myself with the $190 version and a roll of Filament but really hesitant to do $240+filament or $275 for an even nicer unit that I can piecemeal a little later. Thanks.
Parts and/or mods to an Ender 3 are almost endless. I have a couple and the first was the V2 I think (lower price) and the last was the Pro. Honestly not much difference between them... https://all3dp.com/1/creality-ender-3-pro-vs-ender-3-v2-the-differences/ ..... I added the magnetic build plate to the first for less than $15 and the second came with it. Some prefer the glass plate. I haven't tried one but love the magnetic one. No problems with it and easy to get the print off. You don't need to remove it to do that as some imply. Lift a corner until you get to the print, bend it and you can easily get under the print and pop it off. Read the article and make a decision but probably getting the less expensive one is just fine and I'd personally add the magnetic plate at the same time. Mine is stock except I did later add a metal extruder ( less than $15). Also take the time to set it up like this... ... made a difference once I did that. I'm still running the stock springs but recently added a different hot end to see if it would help with clogs (verdict is still out) and got another all metal hot end that I'm going to try. I'd start stock though before worrying about mods to it. Clogs will be something you will deal with from time to time but they can be handled in under 10 minutes once you have a system in place to deal with them. Don't let them dissuade you. Not a big deal. Level the bed anytime you thing it might of gotten changed. I only use the first method shown in the following video and not the one where it prints out. You can do it in less than a minute and it does make a big difference. The first print layer that is laid down is very important. Get the printer, doubt you will regret it. I love it and have printed 100's of items. Has paid for itself many times over. Sumner
So you spent a little more now but in the long run it will probably be well worth it. If I had to get another one I might consider moving up to the V2. I looked at my post above where I thought I might of gotten the V2 orgianally but looking now that wasn't the case I must of bought the original Ender 3 as it didn't have the features I see that he V2 has and the V2 wasn't available then. I bet you love the printer. It is very versatile in what it can print. Sumner
yeah, what the heck. the extra $50 will buy some upgrade time....maybe. I can blow $50 quicker than I can think about it.
most important thing with ender's is tinkering it to get the right prints an them use the same filament every time. took me about 6 months to get mine just about perfect even now i still make better mods . i do love the glass plate better than any others. very first mod should be them dang springs...
Ok, more questions I went to Ender forum and couldn't really get much out of it. clicked on ender 3 v2 tab that said 105 posts/thread? and got no threads found. I was planning on using Opencad since I have worked with that before and have some old files I'd like to resurrect. How do you change these files to gcode? what programs do y'all run? Marlin, ????
Slicing software takes the 3d file and converts it to gcode. 3d printers usually come with slicing software.
well, I got it this afternoon. Took about 2 hours to get assembled. My first print(the included cat gfile)....didn't. Couldn't get filament to flow. Cranked the nozzle temp up to 224, finally got a little...partial first layer. Just wouldn't keep flowing. Nozzle finally got about 1.5(measurements??) way and not adding any pla. Is the feed supposed to feed, feed, feed slowly then back up a turn or so? I turned it off to cool down and pulled the filament back some. I'll try to inspect nozzle tomorrow. Also had fits with leveling the table. It was wobbly on the runner. Had to remove plate and tighten the cam followers. Then the have a 3/8" mount for the table heater/sensor wire between base and table that severely limits the adjustment on the rear left corner. have about 1/8 between loose and tight if anywhere near matching the other corners with they are almost no tension loose. Looks like I might need to add a stack of washers on the other corners to match the spacing. Their building instructions leave just a whole lot to be desired.
What slicing software are you using? I do most all my prints with the stock hot-end at 200 and 60. Filament should flow. Very important the bed is level for first layers. You shouldn't have clogs right to start with. The filament will feed real slow and then at times retract quickly and then immediately go forward again. I recently changed those settings a little and think it might be better. If you are using Cura I would start with Standard Quality and maybe try these changes... ... but I have tons of good prints using their three stock 'quality' setting with no changes. Eventually as filament builds up at the area where it melts you will get clogs there and have to deal with them. Come back when that happens but the settings I gave above might make the clogs further apart. Also take the time to look at this video. If the arm the print head goes back and forth on isn't level with the build plate you will have the problems you are talking about in leveling. I set up by their instructions and later found the video and found my arm wasn't right. Made the change and now the springs are all close to the same compression and I'm still using the stock springs with no problem. This was probably the best thing I've done and did it right up front with the second Ender I bought.... I really can't express how important it is to get the arm right like in the video, Sumner
I was trying to print the included g file. Not my own. I haven't got that far yet. watched the video and checked the bridge square. My main problem is the bed. I have the back left corner spring completel compress (because the mounting support for the table heat wiring) to set the paper test correctly When I go anywhere else the springs are loose, the nut just spins with no tension. where do you find those settings.
Can't tell without looking at the printer but something is not right obviously with the build plate. All the springs should be compressed to some degree and if they aren't pretty close to each other it is usually an indication the bridge is off like what he is talking about in that video. Not sure what to tell you at this point. I'd take some pictures and look maybe at one of the boards on the internet that is just for Ender users. I can't recommend one as I haven't had to do that. How about you Sid, are you following this? Maybe something is different with the V2 setup that might be different than the Pro that I have. Also use his paper test to level the bed but I'd at least once then use his file that prints the diminishing squares on the build plate. Sumner
the bridge is square. I've double checked it. see first picture. second picture...fully compressed left rear spring where heat cable support is with right rear spring almost completely relaxed. 3rd picture...both front spring almost completely relaxed. This and the table is within a sheet of paper level. Kinda looks like $250 wasted. My computer won't load Cura...missing apis.
well, I think I cured the spring issue: moved the spring above and inside the wiring supports, still not flowing well with the filament.
Looks to me like you are squaring the uprights?? That is good but the part that needs to be done starts at about a minute thirty into the video and is about the arm being parallel to the build plate. I would go through all the steps from that point on. It really helped the spring deal with my first Ender and I did it when I setup the second Ender and it leveled and printed great from the start. Like Sid has said filament can be important. I've never run the filament that came with it. I've stuck with this ( HERE ). I think it is what Sid uses also. I've use it from the start and I'm probably on my 7th spool now and love it. I had black but like the gray better as I use a gray primer when I paint so if the primer doesn't quite cover someplace it isn't noticeable. Sumner
the square was resting on the bridge...indicating the bridge was square to the uprights which is what the video did. I measured the distance on both sides and they're the same. I have table level now with about equal spring pressures since I changed the spring arrangement at the wire support corner. The filament that came with the unit is all I've got...at the moment. I have "here" ordered in grey and red..
Sound good and the uprights are square to the base like what he did at the beginning? My springs are never exactly the same so sounds like you are good to go. Not sure if the stock filament is your problem or something else. I went with the stock extruder (plastic on the Pro not sure abut the V2) and used it for a long time and it was still working when I exchanged it for a metal one. Wasn't expensive so decided to do it but still haven't on the second one I bought. It is completely stock at the moment. Trying to lessen the clogs (make them further apart) I got a Copperhead heat break and installed it on the older house printer. The jury is still out on it. At least the clogs are never in the Bowden tube but are in the heatbreak itself. Bought a $5 tool to clear those. I'm experimenting with the 'retraction' 'distance' & 'speed' and 'temp' and think the clogs ares less often than it was with the stock hotend that will clog in the Bowden tube resulting in you having to keep cutting the tube shorter and then replacing it. I also recently bought an all metal hotend but haven't put it on either ender yet. Will probably put it on the shop ender when I get the first clog which is probably about due. I didn't know it at first but you do need to change the retraction distance if you go away from the stock hotend. I wouldn't worry about any of the above until you start getting clogs. Maybe change the two settings I mentioned above before that though. I use the stock .4 nozzles and since they are cheap replace them about any time I deal with a clog. I haven't had good luck trying to clear them. I'd get some of them. Sumner
