For the uninitiated a 3d printer precisely poops plastic. Since it poops it layer by layer it’s easier to get complex internal shapes than by injection molding or milling. The downside is it takes fohavah to do it.
Aside from the bragging rights of a 3d printer build, I like the idea of custom tool organizing, custom leather tooling and stamps, and custom project boxes. And stuff for the grandkids.
I spent all day yesterday putting it together. Theoretically its ready to print. It does need bed leveling and I’ll be adding a dedicated raspberry pi…oh at some point I should peel the paper off the acrylic. Eventually I’ll add some LEDs and a camera.
We bought it around Christmas from Walmart.com. The company worked really well with us. The parts were all there, I found a .pdf of the instructions and went to town.
But seriously, “you should install the safety upgrades mentioned in several blogs and never operate a 3D printer for 150 usd in a room without a smoke detector or while noone is at home!” House fire
Check for a compatible update that turns on thermal runaway protection. There are many reports of fires caused by stock firmware that has the thermal runaway protection turned off.
As my journey continues I’m having successful prints. I’ve added the anet a8 tool holder, and am printing a pi mount. My plan is to set up a pi with the octopi image and run it off that. Right now I’m slicing with Cura and saving to an ad card then using the ad card in the printer. I basically used the BQ Prusa i3 Hephaestus in cura, changed the bed size and turned on the bed heater. Using hatchbox black pla at 200c and 60c on the bed
You know, even if you disregard the unbelievably low price, the A8 makes some really decent prints. It wasn’t all that long ago that any 3D printer at all would have cost many times what the A8 does, and it doesn’t seem like fantasy to imagine that we’ll see a lot of sub-$100 printers in the future.
So I should have waited for the lube. This morning I woke up to s systemic failure in the x axis. Looks like a belt slip in a particular spot on the pole. System is in cooldown. I haz a sad. I also think my extruder nozzle has come loose. So I’ll be tightening that up too.
Good news and bad news. The good news is, uh. I learned a lot.
So the slippage in the x axis was quite real. I tightened up the cable and it’s good. Unfortunately it was using mini zip ties so some stout wire is hanging in there for now. I also was having leveling issues. I discovered the m3x18s that they had me put on the z limit switch don’t feed enough thread to get a good tighten. I have some m3x20s on the way to replace them. Once that is squared away and the bed releveled I’ll be ready to print agian. (And have a whole new set of problems!.. but hey. Is why we do it)
So while I wait, I decided to set up octoprint. Aside from the slicer profile it seems to be working. So now I have the power to PRINT FROM MY PHONE ish.
