Ender 3 V2 printer

[Nirvana]

A while back I invested in a 3d printer (unfortunate still in box, due to limited time).

I would consider myself fairly good with Fusion360 which is my primary program.

The printer is not the tool to replace already available parts for current available parts from Syren Company or anyone else.

Having a printer will help me to create my own model and parts from plans and make it to my desired scale. This will be in RC area.

I already have a 4ft long  Swedish dreadnought waiting to be finalized in the garage.

I will provide my input and experience when it comes to 3D printing, even though it may not be on pro-level.

[Tim Holt]

I have an Ender 3 Pro, which I quite like.  That said, there are some updates to it that I did perform which made it a lot easier and better to use.  Some of the things I did were to specifically to reduce noise, as my printer is on my desk near my work area.

 

• I upgraded the control board and screen with a BIGTREETECH SKR Mini E3 V2.0 32Bit Control Board with TFT35 E3 V3.0 Touch Screen Display.  This both greatly quiets the stepper motors but also gives you a nicer user interface.
• An ANTCLABS BLTouch Auto Bed Leveling Sensor.  This REALLY helps with bed leveling and creating a higher quality print.
• Micro Swiss All Metal Hotend which I got for printing TPU filament.  TPU is rubbery and not normally something for modelling, but I was using it for another project.
• Spring steel heat bed platform with PEI coating.  This goes onto the print bed, and is easy to just pop off and remove your print when cool.  You can flex the sheet and have it just pop off the bed without any scraping, etc.
• New Noctua brand fans to replace existing ones.  These are much quieter!

Now all that said, by the time I was done with all this, I'd spent a lot of money - probably as much as (if not more) than the original Ender 3 Pro.  In hindsight, I probably should have just bought a Prusa I3 MK3S+ printer kit.  They basically have most of the things I added, and works right away.

 

Oh one other thing I have done which I like.  I have a Raspberry Pi running the OctoPrint package.  It gives you a full web interface to your printer, where you can submit jobs, monitor jobs, etc.  No more SD writing print jobs to SD cards on the PC, then moving it to the printer, etc.

[Nirvana]

Tim,

 

Thank you for all the information.
Many users claims go with the basic before doing any upgrades. 
Figure out how your machine works and thereafter upgrade to necessary parts you would like.

I certainly agree to that, but if many has used same parts at a later date with success why not update from the start.

Yes, that defeats the purpose of getting going.

I have watched a lot of videos and also reading what to do when it comes to 3D printing.

It's not that easy as majority thinks, it takes some knowledges in drafting (unless you download ready made stl files).

I am looking into the items you have suggested, and I am considering which to do first.

 

Thanks again for your input.

[GAStan]

I too have an Ender 3 Pro, I like it.  I've also done a few upgrades, the biggest is the Micro Swiss hot end as Tim did for hotter filaments.  For PLA the stock hot end is fine.

 

Other mods I've done were printed from files I found on Thingiverse.  These were not only useful but good to gain experience in printing.  I printed some feet that are springy, they help to quiet the printer depending on what it is placed on.  A knob for the filament feed stepper motor-helps with filament changes to manually advance/back out the filament.  The knob has Yoda on it.  I also printed some cable-chain guides for the wiring to the bed and hot end.  These are not necessary but I enjoyed printing them and as I said before, were something to gain printing experience with.

 

I also use Fusion 360 and have a few designs I did-non ship related.  Very satisfying to envision something then see the physical creation of it!

 

Hopefully soon you will find the time to get it out of the box.

 

Glenn

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Hi, have any of you added a laser engraving attachment? I’m curious as to how well this works and getting tips on what’s worth buying, how to do it etc.

 

In passing, worth taking a look at Yves Corvette on here, he is doing an amazing build using an Ender 3 (IIRC).

[aviaamator]

Me and my radio glider, made on a 3D printer.

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Very interesting. Does it fly well? How hard and expensive is it to make?

[aviaamator]

All my models fly perfectly! The complexity and price of the construction do not matter, the pleasure of contemplating the flight is much greater!!! And yet, this is an experiment, a test of their own abilities.

[Kevin-the-lubber]

😃 I wasn't for a moment suggesting they were purely for looking at (though I guess that was always a possibility) 😂. More asking how a 3D printed plane flew compared to traditionally-made models. Better, worse, no different? I guess this is filament printed so is pretty strong and, unless you have access to the mother of all filament printers, the fuselage and wings are built in sections?

[aviaamator]

Yes, by sections, but the process of printing sections is quite lengthy, from eight to seventeen hours it takes, depending on the number of details in the STL file.

[aviaamator]

Process...

[Nirvana]

Are you printing wings?

[Nirvana]

What brand of printer are you using?

 

[aviaamator]

The wing in this photo I printed on the Anet E10 printer, but I have another printer- Ender 3. This printer is currently in the process of upgrading.

[Kevin-the-lubber]

You have that printer very nicely calibrated. I also have an ender 3 but don't use it so much now, preferring resin. The Anet looks like a better design than the ender, do you prefer one over the other?

[Nirvana]

2 hours ago, aviaamator said:

The wing in this photo I printed on the Anet E10 printer, but I have another printer- Ender 3. This printer is currently in the process of upgrading.

I have an Ender 3 v2 still in box.

[aviaamator]

On 12/16/2021 at 11:39 PM, Kevin-the-lubber said:

do you prefer one over the other?

No, these printers have different working field parameters. The mechanisms of the Y and Z axes are also different, but both are good for solving their tasks.