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Discussion in 'United States of America' started by BenMac, Jul 10, 2015.

  1. BenMac

    BenMac Member

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    Hey guys, my name is Ben. I have been eyeing 3D printers for a while, but I have only recently been able to save up enough to buy one. That, and the prices have gotten reasonable enough for me to get one. I am hoping that it will be buying a Robo soon (the next week or two). So, I figured that I would get a head start saying "Hi" and asking questions. :)

    I am currently planning to get the dual fan upgrade that someone suggested, and I will print the feet soon after the dual fan upgrade. Aside from the LCD and extruder upgrade, what are some other key upgrades you would suggest? Oh, I am also looking into the Raspberry Pi with Octoprint installed.

    I am also curious about what parts that I should print as backups? Things like clips or tensioners, or other items to keep in the drawer. I don't have a second 3D printer, so I want to have those ready just in case.

    I would also welcome any tips or tricks that you can think of. :)

    Ok, maybe a little more. I was thinking about getting some cleaning filament, what are your thoughts on that? I am also thinking about this PLA filament. Have any of you tried it, or have some extruder/bed heating suggestions?

    I apologize for such a long post, but I am quite a curious person. I also tend to like covering all bases. I look forward to joining the community. :)
    Thank you for taking a look at my post, I hope that you have a great day. :)
    ~Ben
     
    #1 BenMac, Jul 10, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2015
  2. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    The R1 is a pretty good printer from the get go, but I would do the feet and LCD panel, either the XXL Smart Controller or the Full Graphics Smart Controller. Same information with slightly different presentation. Make sure you download the latest firmware from this site. Everything else is either cosmetic or ease of use, not really "Upgrades." Then spend a bunch of time printing out calibration items and making sure actually know what to expect from your printer. Oh yeah almost forgot, don't even attempt to install MatterControl, if you want free, Cura 15.04 or older versions, Repetier-Host w/Slic3r are better to start off. Others will wax poetically about how great Simplify3D is (but its $150).

    I use cleaning filament when changing from PLA otherwise I haven't really needed it. Hatchbox seem to be well respected for inexpensive filament.

    I have Octopi/Raspberry set up on my network (hardwired not wireless) it works, its easy to set up, with a Pi 2 it is reasonably responsive and will slice if you install Cura for debian. Others don't want to fuss with that so they will print from the SD card located in the Smart Controller. Either way works.

    One last note, you usually get faster/more responses in the Troubleshooting section particularly if you limit each post to one issue.
     
    #2 WheresWaldo, Jul 10, 2015
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  3. BenMac

    BenMac Member

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    Very cool, thank you for your suggestions. :) I will get the LCD upgrade as soon as possible, probably next month due to money constraints. I will definitely give Cura a try, thank you for suggesting it. I heard about the Robo not currently being supported for later versions, I hope that changes soon.

    Ok, in that case, I think I will hold off getting the cleaning filament until later. Yeah, it does seem like a good source for filament. Thank you for confirming that. :)

    I happen to have a RP 2, so I will try it out. Have you added the camera? If so, how well does it work?

    I am sure that is true, I will keep that in mind in the future. I just didn't want to clutter things up with this many questions. Even so, I am happy to receive well thought out and written responses such as yours. :)
     
    #3 BenMac, Jul 10, 2015
  4. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    You don't need cleaning filament often, I have some and I think I might have used it once (just to see how it worked).
    Nice to have if you get a stubborn clog I imagine. If you are careful changing filament and feed enough through to get it flowing good when you do change you should be fine.
     
    #4 mark tomlinson, Jul 10, 2015
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  5. BenMac

    BenMac Member

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    Cool, thank you for your input on the cleaning filament. :)
    Other than the cleaning filament, what do you often use for clearing clogs?
     
    #5 BenMac, Jul 11, 2015
  6. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    Small torch.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
     
    #6 WheresWaldo, Jul 11, 2015
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  7. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    A torch is a really good idea. I have never had anything other than PLA clog for me and an oiler prevents that.
    If you do get a clog that is not easy to remove then the blow-torch is the way to do it.
    Remove the brass nozzle and take a torch to it. The clog will turn to ash pretty quick.
     
    #7 mark tomlinson, Jul 11, 2015
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  8. BenMac

    BenMac Member

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    Ok, I will look into a torch. Are there any that you would recommend? Like this one.

    I had heard of PLA clogging, but what typically causes it? And what is the best way to avoid it?Also, I am curious about an oiler. I have heard some people talk about using virgin olive oil, a sponge, and a printed part. Would you happen to have the link to such a part? If not, I can look it up. I just figured I would ask.

    I apologize for so many questions, my mind just keeps coming up with more. I really appreciate the information you are providing, and your patience with me. :)
     
    #8 BenMac, Jul 11, 2015
  9. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    That one or this one:
    http://www.amazon.com/SE-MT3001-Deluxe-Built-In-Ignition/dp/B005FN0ZCK/ref=pd_bxgy_469_img_z
    Should work.

    PLA by nature has a tendency to clog and if so an oiler is advised.

    PLA or Polylactic acid is a thermoplastic polyester. It is commonly derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch, tapioca roots or sugarcane. It is biodegradable, but when hot -- it wants a non-stick surface. Some nozzles are fine without oil, others not so much. Regardless, the oiler will not hurt your prints.

    There are a lot of them on thingiverse, even a couple that were made by Robo folks.
     
    #9 mark tomlinson, Jul 11, 2015
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  10. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    I have the second one payed by Mark, or holds more butane than the first one and I also find it easier to direct than the pencil type.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
     
    #10 WheresWaldo, Jul 11, 2015
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  11. BenMac

    BenMac Member

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    I have added it to my wish list, thank you for pointing that torch out. :)

    Thank you for that info on PLA, it was quite informative. :)

    Does ABS have any similar issues, or is it just hard to keep it from warping? I heard that PLA was easier to start with, and ABS was a more challenging material.
     
    #11 BenMac, Jul 12, 2015
  12. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    ABS should not clog on you, but it is sensitive to changes in temperature. When it prints it is hot so as it cools if that happens too quickly it will warp or curl. The idea of a heated chamber is to keep the model from cooling too quickly. You don't have one on the robo so you will need to deal with that. People have gotten creative and there is always the enclosure that @Printed Solid sells (it is not heated, but it can trap the heat and maintain better transition temperature. Frankly, you need to evaluate your need for ABS compared to the (many) other choices out there. You are not stuck in binary mode (i.e. PLA or ABS) there are a lot of other options. Many of them without the issues of warping and some with even better strength properties than ABS.
     
    #12 mark tomlinson, Jul 12, 2015
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  13. BenMac

    BenMac Member

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    I have seen some of the options available, the enclosure from Printed Solid seems like a really good choice. In the future, I will most likely be giving PS a fair amount of business. :)

    What are some of these materials that you are talking about? I have seen a few as I did some research, but I have yet to try them. I would welcome some suggestions, particularly if you have tried the materials.
     
    #13 BenMac, Jul 12, 2015
  14. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    I have tried them all, here is some reading:

    https://www.matterhackers.com/3d-printer-filament-compare
    http://nicklievendag.com/filament-guide/
    http://3dprintingfromscratch.com/common/3d-printer-filament-types-overview/
    https://printspace3d.com/3d-printing-choosing-right-materials/

    Add to that things like Alloy 910

    You have a lot of options.

    Until recently nylon was usually my go-to strongest material, now there are even better choices for that.
    There are a lot of different types of material properties and tensile strength is not usually the most important.
     
    #14 mark tomlinson, Jul 12, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2015
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