Buying a 3D printer

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GAP
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Buying a 3D printer

Post by GAP » Tue Aug 24, 2021 1:17 am

I am considering venturing into the 3D printing world as the cost of obtaining supplies of couplers and bogie/wheel boxes has become prohibitive and I am running out of my stashed items.
After much reviewing (SWMBO calls it procrastination) I am gravitating towards the Creality CR-6 SE, it is basically a Creality Ender 3 V2 with a self leveling bed which is the biggest attraction for me.
Review from All3DP
https://all3dp.com/1/creality-cr-6-se-r ... ter-specs/

I have looked at an Ender 3 V2 and Pro with the BLTouch Sensor added , it is a cheaper option research has revealed that the price difference between the two is $25 AUD and from what I have read not all Ender 3 boards have the socket to fit it.

The biggest drawback from my point of view is the setup where the user has to change the firmware, that is the part that I would not be comfortable with.
https://all3dp.com/2/bltouch-sensors-guide/

The main reason I am looking at the CR6 is that the levelling is built in already so the CR-6 SE is firming as the preferred printer but I cannot get one till after 14 Sep ( I have waited a couple of months now so that is not an issue.

Has anybody heard reports good or bad or had experience with this printer?

I mainly am interested at present in making bogies w/sideframes, axle boxes and coupler boxes for link and pin.

I have already downloaded Tinkercad and had a small play with creating basic shapes and importing a file from Thingaverse.
Graeme
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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by -steves- » Tue Aug 24, 2021 9:19 am

Hi Graeme

The Ender series is a well tested platform no matter which one you choose.

I use the Ender 5 Pro x 2 and an Ender 6 CoreXY (Not like the SE at all)

I can highly recommend either of those however the BL Touch "can" be a PITA! On my Ender 5's it works perfectly, I wouldn't be without it, but the Ender 6 Core XY I can't use it, it just ruins prints, so I manually set that every month or so. You are quite right, the BL Touch although easily fitted and very easy to update the firmware on later boards (simply insert an SD card with the new firmware on it which you download from the Creality website and it does it itself) on older boards it is seriously mind blowing to install, but as long as it has the newer silent drivers (which most do these days) then you wont be getting an older board. The best way is just to ensure your supplier sells a lot of 3D printers and rotates stock quickly.

Although I own neither, the 6SE and the Ender 3 V2 are both very good printers in there own right. Both will serve you well but will always print slower than the Ender 5 as they both move the base rather than just the hotend (see the Ender5), making them heavier and more mass to move which can affect the print if you speed them up a bit. If you are in no rush (it can take days for prints on any printer, even my 6 Core XY which is very fast) then either is great. Manual board levelling is pretty easy, quick and painless once you get used to it and at least you know it's right. BL Touch is great sometimes and a pain other times, when they work properly they are brilliant. I am afraid its just a case of pick your poison and live with it, but no matter what you do, you will get good prints from this range of 3D printers.

If you buy one with auto levelling built in, you can always turn it off and manually level it and if you buy one without self levelling you can always retro fit one later, so all is not lost either way :thumbup:

Any questions, just ask.
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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by ge_rik » Tue Aug 24, 2021 9:23 am

Welcome to the Dark Side, Graeme.
I've no personal experience of Creality printers but my mate has an Ender 3 on which I believe the CR6 is based. He's very pleased with it and has turned out some quite intricate parts with a minimum of effort.

Rik
PS He uses an Apple iPad app for his 3d drawings and raves about how clever it is
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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by GAP » Mon Aug 30, 2021 10:22 pm

After some more research/review reading I am backing away from the CR6 as it looks to have quality/design issues with the power switch and the mother board that can cause fires. Creality recommend that it not be left unattended while printing.

So I am now back to square one on my search with the Ender3 V2 still in the frame. The manual bed leveling is what is giving me the greatest hesitancy but the BLtouch could overcome that.
As this is my one and only purchase I am looking for the least risk of wasting my money.
Graeme
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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by philipy » Tue Aug 31, 2021 6:19 am

GAP wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 10:22 pm The manual bed leveling is what is giving me the greatest hesitancy
Bed levelling is certainly important, and doing it manually can be a bit of a 'mare, but it doesn't go significantly adrift very often, in my experience. When I first had my m/c I levelled it every time I used it, nowadays I rarely even check it unless I actually have a reason to - like having had to wressle it to get a print to unstick from the bed. So I'd say certainly get one with auto leveling if you can, but don't let manual levelling deter you from buying a machine that ticks all your other boxes.
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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by ge_rik » Tue Aug 31, 2021 8:46 am

Hi Graeme
I agree with Philip. I do have a BL Touch which I bought soon after buying my first printer but I've never got around to installing it. I find that bed levelling isn't too time consuming. As Philip says, it only needs to be done occasionally. I' even do it on the fly sometimes, twiddling the levelling wheels while the printer is laying down the brim if it looks like the nozzle has crept too close or too far away from the bed.

I've also read posts on various forums which suggest auto levelling isn't foolproof.

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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by -steves- » Tue Aug 31, 2021 8:53 am

Totally agree with Philip on this.

The ENDER 3 V2 is a very popular machine and gets great reviews.

What I would suggest as I have had to do this with all my Ender printers is when levelling it for the first time is to wind the bed down so that there is very little movement left in it. If it is left at the top, the platform is springy and can cause a wobble. Also if left at the top it will need adjusting significantly more. Tightening the platform down is necessary whether you fit a BLTouch or not.
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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by -steves- » Tue Aug 31, 2021 8:59 am

As Rik said, the BL Touch is not a gauentee, in fact setting the Z Offset can be a right PITA, especially as you need to reset it every time you change the nozzle.

Also the BLTouch on my ender 6 core xy doesn't even work properly, I have it attached for the Z offset use but manually level it or I get bad prints everytime.
The buck stops here .......

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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by philipy » Tue Aug 31, 2021 1:09 pm

ge_rik wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 8:46 am I' even do it on the fly sometimes, twiddling the levelling wheels while the printer is laying down the brim if it looks like the nozzle has crept too close or too far away from the bed.
Yup, me too!
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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by ge_rik » Tue Aug 31, 2021 1:21 pm

Interestingly, the first thing my non railway modelling mate said when he saw my printer and I explained the difficulty I sometimes have in getting all four corners of the bed equally level was "Why don't they just use three levelling screws?" It does make a lot of sense.......

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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by philipy » Tue Aug 31, 2021 1:59 pm

ge_rik wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 1:21 pm Interestingly, the first thing my non railway modelling mate said when he saw my printer and I explained the difficulty I sometimes have in getting all four corners of the bed equally level was "Why don't they just use three levelling screws?" It does make a lot of sense.......

Rik
Mine has exactly that, I never realised that others didn't because its the obvious solution. However having said that, it does get problematical. I have two screws at the front and one at centre back. If there is, say, a high area at the back right corner it usually requires adjustment to both the front right and centre back, and that inevitably leads to either the front right or back left corner going out of kilter, adjust those and something else goes....
Philip

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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by Trevor Thompson » Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:51 am

While I am aware that I am out on a limb making a totally different suggestion - I think it is still worth making.

I have a Flashforge Adventurer 3 printer. I get good prints out of it in a variety of materials - including ABS which most users report to be very difficult to print with.

It is a basic printer (that horrible phrase "entry level") which needs very little messing about with. I was getting good prints straight out of the box. It has its own slicing software.

Not cheap - but it is good. Fully enclosed - no need to level the bed. The biggest issue is the limited print size 150mm x 150mm x 150mm - but that isn't an issue for what you are suggesting you want to make. But it might be as you get more adventurous - which you will.

You can see the results I have been getting in all of those threads I have placed onto this forum!

Why did I choose this make - accident really. I just wish it wasn't made in that particular far eastern country where everything seems to get made these days.

Trevor
Last edited by Trevor Thompson on Thu Sep 02, 2021 3:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by ge_rik » Thu Sep 02, 2021 11:14 am

Trevor Thompson wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:51 am ........ - no need to level the bed.
Does it have auto bed levelling?

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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by angr607 » Thu Sep 02, 2021 3:02 pm

Another vote for the Ender 3 v2. In fact I have 3 with plans for more once I've worked out where I'm going to put them in the workshop! Great machines. Re comments about winding the beds all the way down, I only did that for the first auto home then levelled the bed as intended. I did however have to fine tune the height with the printer running on all 3 of mine as the printers didn't want to stick first time. Once that fine tuning was done, they've all been fine and haven't been releveled since! Having 3 has meant I've slowly started to work into my spares pool but then my three run 24/7 thanks to a certain gauge 1 loco so..... No BLtouchs on any of mine and all are as they came out of the factory.

If you're worrying about sponginess, there's a upgrade set with a metal extruder (I've got 3 spare encase my factory ones die which they do after a time) and stiffer springs which fix those issues easily. At least spares are much easier to get from the likes of amazon unlike from another supplier (COUGH ANYCUBIC).

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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by Trevor Thompson » Thu Sep 02, 2021 3:22 pm

ge_rik wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 11:14 am
Trevor Thompson wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:51 am ........ - no need to level the bed.
Does it have auto bed levelling?

Rik
It effectively self levels.

I think the starting point is that it is sufficiently well made that it does not need to have a self levelling mechanism. The default settings use a raft to create a level bed for every print. In practice I have been able to print without using a raft and without any levelling issues.

Having said that I usually use a raft for large prints in ABS. I know it uses some filament to keep creating a raft for each print - but there is no need to level the bed.



Trevor
Last edited by Trevor Thompson on Thu Sep 02, 2021 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by ge_rik » Thu Sep 02, 2021 3:36 pm

Trevor Thompson wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 3:22 pm
ge_rik wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 11:14 am
Trevor Thompson wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:51 am ........ - no need to level the bed.
Does it have auto bed levelling?

Rik
It effectively self levels. The way it does this is by using a raft to create a level bed for every print. In practice I have been able to print without using a raft and without any levelling issues. Having said that I usually use a raft for large prints in ABS. I know it uses some filament to keep creating a raft for each print - but there is no need to level the bed.

Trevor
Nifty!

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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by GAP » Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:18 am

I am now down to the business end of my search and the Ender3 V2 is now the front runner and will most likely be ordered shortly when they become available in Aust.

To expand on my original use for a 3D printer, my wife made a comment along the line of "could you use it to make buildings?" that got me thinking so I went searching for examples of what others had done (why reinvent the wheel) and came across these tutorials of how to do brick wall using tinkercad which I have downloaded and had a "tinker" with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTiNQbUEOkI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPA_lhL0SjY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs7Z31eqFFo

They are off this site that has electronics as well so a bit of an attraction for me.
http://www.penguintutor.com/projects.php
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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by Jimmyb » Fri Sep 03, 2021 9:23 am

GAP wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:18 am I am now down to the business end of my search and the Ender3 V2 is now the front runner and will most likely be ordered shortly when they become available in Aust.

To expand on my original use for a 3D printer, my wife made a comment along the line of "could you use it to make buildings?" that got me thinking so I went searching for examples of what others had done (why reinvent the wheel) and came across these tutorials of how to do brick wall using tinkercad which I have downloaded and had a "tinker" with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTiNQbUEOkI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPA_lhL0SjY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs7Z31eqFFo

They are off this site that has electronics as well so a bit of an attraction for me.
http://www.penguintutor.com/projects.php
:thumbright:

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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by philipy » Fri Sep 03, 2021 10:44 am

GAP wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:18 am
To expand on my original use for a 3D printer, my wife made a comment along the line of "could you use it to make buildings?" that got me thinking so I went searching for examples of what others had done
That sounds as though you haven't seen Trevor's threads on his complete buildings? ( and/or bogie coaches) plus Rik, Steve and I, and others, have written about printing wagons either complete or as 'kits', and various components fro vehicles and accessories. The possible uses are really mostly limited by an individuals imagination and drawing skills.
Philip

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Re: Buying a 3D printer

Post by Trevor Thompson » Fri Sep 03, 2021 11:16 am

Apart from track and groundwork and people everything in this photo was 3 D printed, and designed my me in Sketchup make 2016.
IMG_0884.jpg
IMG_0884.jpg (3.35 MiB) Viewed 3565 times
That includes the loco, wagons, and the bridge.

As Peter says - there is loads of information in the 3 D printing section!

Trevor

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