Large Scale Central

3D "Core XY" Enclosed Printers

Modeling Technical Modeling
#21

I had a bad experience with Elegoo filament. Hopefully the QC is better on their printers. When I opened the vacuum pack, I physically poured water out of the pouch as my wife watched.

You can’t print with wet/damp filament and this did its spagetti thing except that it was clear filament so came out looking like Angel Hair that you would put on your Christmas decorations. The camera DID detect it before it caused any damage and shut down the job. Amazon took the spool back.

I’ve also had an occasion where it reported that the 1st layer had irregularities and asked would I like to continue or terminate the job, so these features do work, at least sometimes, and are nice to have.

#22

I have both an Elegoo Neptune 4 Max and a Saturn 3 Ultra. I’ve had no issues with either printer. I use IIIDMax PLA and PETG filament exclusively and have for several years, also with no issues

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#23

I have software Version 1.10.1.50 The current version that it wants me to load is 1.10.32.

Did you try to connect it through WiFi? IIRC, when I connected I had to set the router and then log into their site and put in a serial number on the unit that shows up on the printers’ LCD screen. Things didn’t look like they were going well, but all connected properly and I’ve not had any problems.

If I open the Bambu Studio and the printer is not turned on, it tells me the printer is disconnected. I exit the studio, turn on the printer, and reopen the studio and everything works, but could probably just turn it on.

#24

It’s not the biggest, nor the fastest, nor the cheapest, but this 3min propaganda is pretty mesmerising.

#25

Head to head, the quality of the Bambu is superior. And if you only print one color, there is no advantage. They also take a lot of vertical room and are not cheap. Though they can use up to 5 heads, they are optional. I had considered one of these.

#26

You can also roll your own multi-filament system by adding Enraged Rabbit Carrot Feeder

if your printer runs Klipper.

#27

It is, Bill, thanks. And they do save on the waste between filament changes… except for the extra tower they seem to need, which takes a lot. But, very cool, and very large.

There are drawbacks though, at least according to some.

Having said that, All3DP ranks the Prusa Core One as best in enclosed printers:
https://all3dp.com/1/best-3d-printer-reviews-top-3d-printers-home-3-d-printer-3d/#enclosed-prusa-core-one

It’s so hard to see clearly through this information swamp, not only because of advertising bias, but also because the tech is still changing a lot. It would be awesome if some organization such as All3D put out all the comparators and competitors in one yes-no chart, vs. saying who they picked without much info.

For now, I can only make a chart of negatives – and each one has them. Obviously, compromise will be needed. But I don’t want to compromise and also be misinformed.

#28

If anyone gets a Bambu, and maybe other makes, BEFORE you change any of the factory default settings in the software, make a note or take a screenshot of what they are! On the Bambu, once you’ve changed a setting, unless you change it back before exiting that job, it becomes the resident setting and you no longer know what the factory setting was.

I changed some settings on my X1C and nobody seems to know the factory defaults nor can I find a listing of them.

And, why would anyone not want to change them back at the end of a job???

Well, if you are printing a bunch of parts in different files and you want to keep the settings from part to part because you are using the same medium (e.g., ASA), it is far easier just to store those parameters rather than go back to the default just to change it again each time when you open the next file.

If anyone gets a BAMBU X1C, I would be very interested in knowing the factory defaults before you change anything. Most importantly, I am referring to the “Advanced Settings.”

Thanks

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#29

I’ve had a Prusa Mk2.5S printer for many years and have never had any issues. It started as the Mk2.0 and I’ve upgraded it several times to get to the 2.5S. Prusa continues to provide firmware updates and parts for this printer. I know Prusa is generally on the pricier side, but they make quality printers.

I’ve ordered the Prusa Core One, but it won’t ship until April. I’ll provide a review once I have it setup and printing.

#30

I am currently printing out a spacer for the LGB turnouts that props up the throw bar after 28 years of use. The points sag and this lets the wheel fall between the rails causing derailment. The brown ASA is a is a bit light compared to the LGB ties, not that this really shows.

You will quickly find that a 3D printer becomes a very nice tool to have for your railroad in so many ways.

Edit: Fresh off the build plate and into a turnout for test fit. I’d say the fit is looking good!


#31

Cliff, that’s a good way of doing it. In this day, it’s about finding the product with the least amount of things that piss you off.

I think what Dan has been able to do with his printer is one positive to consider… upgrading. If you like the option of upgrading your printer to the next iteration you may want to focus on companies that encourage that. On the other hand if you don’t like to tinker, you might be able to find a company that allows you to trade in an older model to buy their latest and greatest off-the-shelf model.

Over the years I have produced less spaghetti but it can happen at any time. The other thing I think worth looking into is the ability to selectively stop part of a print.There are a few programs that allow you to monitor and control your 3D print in real time, including stopping certain parts of a print. There are at least 4 options:

1. OctoPrint (with the “Cancel Object” plugin)

  • Features:
    • Live print monitoring
    • Remote control and stopping of prints
    • The Cancel Object plugin lets you stop printing specific objects in a multi-object print without canceling the whole job
  • Best For: Users with a Raspberry Pi or similar setup for remote monitoring

2. PrusaSlicer & Prusa MK4 (or XL) with MMU

  • If you are using a Prusa MK4 or Prusa XL, the firmware has a built-in ability to skip specific objects in a multi-object print.

3. Simplify3D (Paid software)

  • Features:
    • Allows you to modify G-code to exclude specific parts of a print
    • Better control over supports and individual objects

4. SuperSlicer / Bambu Studio

  • Bambu Lab printers allow for stopping the printing of specific objects mid-print via their AMS system and software.

Has anyone got experience with any of these?

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#32
#33

I’ve used OctoPrint/OctoEverywhere to monitor my printer when I’m not home. Works great. I havent used the “Cancel Object” plugin, so I can’t give feedback on that.

#34

I manually cancel stuff all the time on the Bambu and can do it from the printer or the computer. I’ve not had occasion to “tell it where to stop” for whatever reason, though it can.

Sometimes you just want to cancel a job before it starts the actual printing because it allows things to heat up before you get to the actual job. Especially important with ASA. The Bambu goes through several heat/cool cycles for both the head and plate before the actual printing begins.

For example, it heats the plate before it levels it because a hot plate would have thermal expansion and this should be compensated for.

#35

I’ve had far fewer print failures in recent years, thanks to the tweaks and software updates my machine has undergone. However, I’m still hesitant to print multiple items at once. The frustration of losing an entire sheet of prints because just one failed has kept me from doing so. Instead, I find myself making multiple visits to check on my printer, waiting for each print to finish before reloading, reheating, and restarting the process.

I’m excited to see printer manufacturers integrating live cameras and time-lapse photography into their designs. But what excites me most is the ability to selectively delete a failed print mid-process, as demonstrated in this 1½-minute Bambu review.

Has anyone had any unexpected pleasant surprises when they purchased or upgraded their printer?

  • The Arachne slicing engine is the most recent pleasant surprise for me. I’ve been able to switch to a 0.6 Nozzle with almost imperceptible change in the quality of my prints and a noticeable increase in printing speed.
#36

Bill, I can’t answer your question, but can very much empathize with your angst over multi-part prints. I’ve had that same experience quite consistently, to the point of always printing only one part at a time. And that’s just with PLA.

As I’ve looked over various vids on the “Core XY” sorts of machines, with heated chambers and higher temps, I was astounded that people are running farms with tens of these machines, sometimes making multiple parts each.

As I’m typing this out, I guess my big thing is to be able to print multiple parts at a time, in ASA or whatever I want, and have them come out with a low failure rate. That would allow me to make my dream consist of multiple (like, 30) V&T ore cars, and perhaps offer them as kits.

#37

OHHHHH! So, that’s what that “skip” button does! I was wondering about that… This is super helpful to know about since I intend to typically fill my print bed whenever possible. Thanks for the video, Bill!

@Todd_Brody I just got the A1 Mini. Not the same machine, but I’d be happy to show you the current machine settings (I haven’t played with anything in the machine itself yet, only in slicing), if you think it’d be helpful.

#38

Yes, the slicer settings would probably be the same.

#39

As for printing multiple parts simultaneously…,

I agree that nobody wants an errant piece to wipe out a bunch of pieces and also tend to print one thing at a time.

BUT…, consider that to do a couple minute print, the machine will spend 6 minutes going through its regular routines. You can reduce this time by telling it not to level the bed or calibrate the flow, and I will sometimes do this if I am trying to get a part to size without being overly concerned with the ultimate quality after I’ve been printing the same thing a couple times in a row.

OK, so consider the stairway I previously displayed. There are 24 steps and ironed solid, each step takes ~44 minutes. So the print time is 24 x 44 + 24 x 6 = 1,200 minutes = 20 hours just for the steps, if you do a step at a time.

So after I printed 4 or 5 individual steps, I modified the file to do 10 at a time. So the print time was reduced by 108 minutes or 1.8 hours. (The 44 minutes were also slightly reduced because the machine doesn’t have to vertically travel nearly as many times, and this also saves wear and tear as well as wear and tear from the leveling process, which does wear the plates from the bumping action.

AND just as importantly, those would typically be 108 minutes where you are overseeing the start of the print while it does its thing to be sure that the first layer starts properly.

So, ultimately, it comes down to the job. For example, if you were doing ties, you would want to do several at once.

#40

Cliff while you’re researching a new printer, have you tried using a raft setting for your bed levelling issues?