1. Got a question or need help troubleshooting? Post to the troubleshooting forum or Search the forums!

Finding Parts for the R2 - What to look up

Discussion in 'General Questions' started by Hanover, Aug 21, 2017.

  1. Hanover

    Hanover Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2017
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    28
    I've pretty much gotten the message that Robo will not have any spare parts for the R2 any time soon.

    So, if i was to look for the thermistor plug that they use in the hot-end, what would I look for? Is there a specific type name I can look up to find them on Ebay or Amazon? What is the procedure for crimping them onto the plugs that the extruder uses? Right now I'm waiting for a replacement from Robo, but I wouldn't mind having a few spares around, just in case.

    I can find the 24v heaters without a problem, I just can't seem to find the connectors that are used to plug it into the extruder. Are they mini-molex connectors? Funny how I've been building PCs for years but never knew the names of those little three/four pin connectors.

    Maybe we should start a little unofficial parts list and where we can find them?
     
  2. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    We have YET to find an exact match for the canister thermistor they use on the hexagon hotend.
    The rub is that the hexagon is available many places and even with a canister thermistor... OF A DIFFERENT SIZE
    Go figure :) We have found some that were close... Robo probably DOES have a hexagon thermistor... maybe just missing the R2/C2 connectors... I would ask them specifically for that part. The one for the C2 would fit the R2 (the thermistor at least)

    Otherwise Look here:
    http://community.robo3d.com/index.p...xagon-hotend-have-a-screw-in-thermistor.4043/

    You can check @Printed Solid he sometimes carried the hotend although I do not know if he had the thermistors Robo used (rather doubt it).
     
  3. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    And yes we have looked all over. We did find some from Ali Express that were of sketchy quality and while not the exact same part they could be made to fit. @WheresWaldo may have that part link handy.

    edit: but you will need to add the JST connector since they will not have it...
     
  4. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    P.S. this is one reason folks switched to Prometheus or E3D hotends because those have widely available spare parts... you can get them many places around the globe. ... when I added the second extruder to my C2 I used a generic Hexagon and just made the plug with JST connector for it to fit.

    P.P.S. not saying they are unicorns, but if you do go in search of them -- expect disappointment and if you DO FIND THEM LET US KNOW :)
     
    #4 mark tomlinson, Aug 21, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2017
  5. Hanover

    Hanover Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2017
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    28
    What about just ditching the stock hot end and replacing it with one that's less proprietary?

    Couldn't we replace it with something like this and then just change out the thermistor to a 100k?

    Edit: Sorry! We posted at the same time. :)
     
  6. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    That comes with a 100k thermistor :)
    The issue is that on the C2/R2 the thermistor plugs into a connector on the bottom of the extruder with a JST connector. The thermistor that comes with that hotend you linked is just coming with bare wires... can you add the connector? Yup. You could.
     
  7. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    supercazzola, WheresWaldo and Geof like this.
  8. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    I also have a pretty much step-by-step disassembly of the entire extruder/hotend/effector unit. So you can see how to disassemble and reassemble it. C2/R2 use same bits in there so it will be the same thing or at least almost exactly the same.
     
  9. Hanover

    Hanover Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2017
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    28
    Okay, well, after doing some research, I think I'm just going to go with the E3D Universal V6. It's kind of pricey, but like you said, I don't have to worry about the damn thermistor ever coming loose again since it's the screw-in type. I don't think I even need to worry about connectors.

    As for the crimper/connectors, I have a Fry's around the corner that has all that kind of stuff...

    This will also help alleviate some of the buyers remorse I've started accruing about my R2. :)
     
    supercazzola likes this.
  10. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    A word of warning... To the best of my knowledge you will be the first to try an E3D on a C2/R2
     
  11. Hanover

    Hanover Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2017
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    28
    I think I was the first to replace the PEI. So there ya go. :)
     
  12. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    The only part of it that is different is the spacing on the neck. With the R1+ that meant printing a new quick release plate. On the R2 that might mean printing a small collar. Try it and see

    It may just work...
     
  13. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    @WheresWaldo will be getting one soon and I expect he will be modding the stuffing out of it.
     
  14. Hanover

    Hanover Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2017
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    28
    Yes, there's a 2mm difference. I think I'm just going to go with an E3D clone by RepRap. That way there is less risk if I can't get it to work. Like you said, I can easily make a small 2mm collar that snaps around the neck of the E3D.

    Just got an email from Robo and the thermistor they ordered as a replacement for the one that broke is out of stock. They don't have an estimate for when they'll be back in. You know, if I knew the stock parts for this printer were going to be this scarce, I would definitely have waited... I actually kinda like my R1+ better than my R2 simply because it's actually still working and if something goes wrong I have the spare parts to fix it.

    So now I have more of an incentive to get the E3D clone working with my R2 I'll just use the heater from my old hot end to speed things up a bit. Even if I don't print a collar, I think I just lose 2mm of height which is nothing. The width of the neck and width of the top are the same size.
     
    #14 Hanover, Aug 21, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2017
  15. sgomes

    sgomes Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2016
    Messages:
    136
    Likes Received:
    57
    Do keep us posted on how that goes! I've found the Hexagon in the R2 somewhat prone to heat creep, so I'd definitely consider replacing the whole thing with an E3D V6 if it works better.

    That said, I don't know how much money I want to sink into a printer with so many issues, since at the moment I can't say I'm very confident they'll get fixed :-/
     
  16. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Messages:
    6,757
    Likes Received:
    2,339
    BAHAHAHHAHAHHAHA stupid past you always trying to one up current you @mark tomlinson

    Judging by how the hex is held in place should be a pretty simple swap...but then you get into the IR sensor and cooling fans since your OAH will change. Might become more of a nightmare than anything :D
     
  17. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Messages:
    6,757
    Likes Received:
    2,339
    for all considering- I dont recomend the knock off E3Ds. They are more trouble than they are worth. Honestly... I've tried. They are unreliable and typically of poor quality that requires you to hand machine to clean up (expecially the throat). It IS worth the extra money to buy from a legit source like @Printed Solid IMO.
     
  18. Hanover

    Hanover Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2017
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    28
    Well, if I can get it to print out Benchy with the RepRap E3D clone, I'll move up to the $80 one.

    Shouldn't the Z-Offset Wizard compensate for that?
     
    Geof likes this.
  19. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Messages:
    6,757
    Likes Received:
    2,339
    that all depends. I dont use a IR sensor so cant be much help there, I'm more a mechanical guy.

    But with a BL touch or mechanical leveling like I use you have to move the stop in correlation with the nozzle height.

    example if my bl touch on my gmax probes z home it lifts 3.2mm. Then you babystep down to bed to get your perfect offset. It moving to 0 makes a piece of paper to close then the bl touch has to move up (cant go past zero because that is dead home). Then you re test and adjust until that spacing at zero is the perfect height. Its possible that z wizard will bail you out...but its also possible it would cause more grief down the road (eeprom issues, image issue with SD and having to re do it all) i perfer a locked in method that I know cant change.

    I dont know if it matters or not since I dont use a IR and dont have a R2 or a C2 just speculating based off experience with multiple different types of printers and leveling (and the hacking of said printers lol). Best to have a hard set mechanical so the software does as little as possible IMO :D
     
  20. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Messages:
    6,757
    Likes Received:
    2,339
    Then again it may work just fine the way your thinking? Hard to tell. @WheresWaldo has a R2 coming and is very intelligent with the software. maybe he can give more insight (and correct any incorrect statements I may have made). @mark tomlinson has a C2 that I believe has the same set up so its possible he too could chime in on the ya and nay of our hypothetical :D
     

Share This Page