Reef nutrition

Pointers - looking into 3D Printing

Are there are particular forums that are good for 3D printing? I seem to come across thingiverse and all3dp a lot. However, looking for something like BAR / ReefCentral. Aside from Reddit, any particular discussion forums that would be useful to start stalking?
 
georgec said:
Are there are particular forums that are good for 3D printing? I seem to come across thingiverse and all3dp a lot. However, looking for something like BAR / ReefCentral. Aside from Reddit, any particular discussion forums that would be useful to start stalking?
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I suggest octoprint and auto bed leveling as the first two additions to you printer! They will make your life a LOT easier.

I’m not sure if your background, but I can help set that up for you if you want!

With octoprint, you can send prints from your computer directly to your printer over WiFi, and also make cool time lapse videos which your kids would enjoy :)

Here’s a screenshot of octoprint:
1E6C2F2D-12DE-42A8-AEE2-DBE5A55DE882.png
 
Manual - takes a minute but one less point of failure ;) For creality you will have to play with firmware and run extra wiring - not a bug deal but takes some time and effort . I tried bl-touch clone and it didn’t work for me. With glass bed the bl- touch is only one choice. For metal bed you can try capacitive sensors.


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max_nano said:
What would you recommend for auto bed leveling. The one I have on mine isn’t cutting it, and requires putting on an extra part to level and the nozzle has to be cold to put it on.
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bltouch, or buy one that comes with it, adding one to your current printer without auto level attachment might be pita


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thesassyindian said:
I swear by BLTouch. It has been absolutely painless!
Which printer do you have?
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Biqu thunder advanced, it was from aliexpress.

ashburn2k said:
bltouch, or buy one that comes with it, adding one to your current printer without auto level attachment might be pita


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I have auto leveling already so I think that means I may be able to use the existing port? But I may wait and then just get a new printer that’s a little more plug n play when I want to try again
 
thesassyindian said:
I suggest octoprint and auto bed leveling as the first two additions to you printer! They will make your life a LOT easier.

I’m not sure if your background, but I can help set that up for you if you want!
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Really appreciate the offer for guidance. I’ll probably be reaching out at some point after Christmas with questions.

For context, I’m not an engineer, but don’t mind tinkering. I’ve built my own computer, done Linux builds, do most repairs around the house. Which basically means if I can find instructions/ Google info, I can put things together and maybe diagnose and look for solutions. Definitely don’t know any about software / firmware / hardware that I could actually figure something out on my own.

Re Octopi, any chance it would run on a pi 1 B+? I have one with a wifi adapter laying around. But from what I looked up, it’s iffy. Other option is a spare XPS laptop that I have if it’s possible to do a windows install.
 
georgec said:
Really appreciate the offer for guidance. I’ll probably be reaching out at some point after Christmas with questions.

For context, I’m not an engineer, but don’t mind tinkering. I’ve built my own computer, done Linux builds, do most repairs around the house. Which basically means if I can find instructions/ Google info, I can put things together and maybe diagnose and look for solutions. Definitely don’t know any about software / firmware / hardware that I could actually figure something out on my own.

Re Octopi, any chance it would run on a pi 1 B+? I have one with a wifi adapter laying around. But from what I looked up, it’s iffy. Other option is a spare XPS laptop that I have if it’s possible to do a windows install.
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Yeah the first gen is slow for this purpose, but I think you can get away with the 2GB version of the 4b+ for around $40. If you want to use octolapse, having higher RAM will help speed up the video processing.

The first gen RPis tend to skip gcode due to resource crunching. I suggest looking at YouTube videos about the benefits of octoprint. I know I started using my printer more efficiently, not to mention more often because of it. Even just the basic task of not having to deal with SD cards or plugging it into a computer/laptop is enough of a win for me :)
 
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Eugene said:
I would start from KISS - no upgrades, manual leveling. The Ender by itself is great machine without extra bells and whistles.


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For sure!!

Modifications should be after you’ve validated the machine first!

Start with an XYZ cube and Benchy first.

Cube: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1278865
Benchy: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:763622

Then refer to this link to diagnose any issue you may face: https://amp.rigid.ink/blogs/news/pillowing-stringing-and-splitting-what-they-are-and-how-to-stop-them

Post on here if you have issues with your prints!
 
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Btw - my own start procedure looks like that:
1) calibrate extruder - basically measure how much filament gets extruded by the extruder motor and correct coefficient. This can be done only once and saved to printer eeprom.
2) Calibrate temp and flow - this should be done for every roll of filament - first print temp tower and select best temperature. Than print hollow cube, measure wall thickness and calculate flow coefficient. I usually write those numbers on the reel and than set in slicer.
3) bed leveling - this should be done before every couple prints, depending on you printer - I usually do it every day I use printer.


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Eugene said:
I would start from KISS - no upgrades, manual leveling. The Ender by itself is great machine without extra bells and whistles.


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Totally agree to KISS at first. My plan is to work with the kids to start with the base set-up, calibrate, get familiar with the printer, and ensure it's working out of the box before adding other variables that could go awry. Then from there, add mods/upgrades as needed.

Btw, how far does a standard spool of filament go? I realize that it's dependent on print size, infill etc... But do I need a few spools or will 2 or 3 spools last a decent amount of time for some small starter projects with the kids?
 
Here’s how much I printed with my first spool, not including the failed prints. But I didn’t have many fails during the first spool besides the skull that I ran out of filament for. 1 will get you pretty far, but then it may be good to have 1-2 other spools on hand so filament doesn’t become a limiter for learning.

B1E53CBA-1AC4-468D-9CD0-5DE710DB7F1A.jpeg
 
georgec said:
Totally agree to KISS at first. My plan is to work with the kids to start with the base set-up, calibrate, get familiar with the printer, and ensure it's working out of the box before adding other variables that could go awry. Then from there, add mods/upgrades as needed.

Btw, how far does a standard spool of filament go? I realize that it's dependent on print size, infill etc... But do I need a few spools or will 2 or 3 spools last a decent amount of time for some small starter projects with the kids?
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Totally agree with @max_nano above.
Spools last quite a long time for simple prints. Just get a couple of bright colors to start with, and stick to popular brands. Some cheaper filament options have irregular diameters and tend to clog up the nozzle. I’ve had very good luck with Hatchbox filaments.
Maybe @max_nano or @Meshmez can suggest other brands.
 
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