OutPut

December 7, 2023September 26, 2024

Holiday ’23

Holiday Greetings, 4th Quarter

Happy Holiday

Marketing – Year End ’23

It’s that time of year, the 4th Quarter of the Year, Holiday ’23. This is the time of year we celebrate the year in its entirety; year end 2023. Share some holiday cheer with friends and family. It’s a special time of year to share, share with one another.

It’s a time to reflect and start a new. The 4th quarter marks the end of the year, with new creations, fixes, and cool tech coming in the new year. As we look back on the year, we take away some valuable lessons. We seek solid ground, new paths, and forward progression. Remembering our goals from last year, we continue to grow, improve our relationships with others, foster new connections, and carry on with our ongoing projects.

With new goals, and challenges in the New Year, I want to express my gratitude to my customers and those who support the business. How about some new merchandise? Don’t forget to treat yourself to some Sallee Technology merchandise!

Merchandise Update

We have added a few new items to the merchandise list for all you avid golfers out there. First, we have new golf umbrellas in navy with a large cover and white logo on the side. Second, we have a new trucker hat by Richardson Performance in navy. It is a simple, smart navy cap with a modest logo in orange.

Third, we have Gildan SoftStyle T’shirts available in black and grey with a modest logo on the pocket side in orange. These new items complement the current offerings which include: Nike Hoodies, Gildan T’shirts, Zippo lighters, Yeti Travelers and Hats. There is something for everyone, provided the correct sizes are available at the time of purchase. We are now entering the third phase of marketing merch, so keep your eyes peeled for the next round of wearables in 2024.

Here’s to a great holiday season! Wishing you a happy, healthy Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. So, let’s celebrate the year end, the Holidays in ’23.

Looking to start the new year of right? Let’s begin on the right ‘foot’ this year! Give us a call we are currently working through our first and second quarter backlogs and are looking forward to the new year. Happy to help, reach out via email, phone. Connect with us through our online form.

December 4, 2023September 27, 2024

Holiday Merchandise

Holiday Gear Update –

Richardson Performance Trucker, Nike Zip Hoodie, T’s, Umbrellas and more

NEW Sallee Technology LLC Merchandise highlighting new color palette

Gear – Hats, Nike & Reebok Zips, Polos, T’s, and More

Get yourself some gear this holiday season with Sallee Technology merchandise featuring brands like The Game, Zippo, Yeti, Columbia, Champion, Flex-fit and more. Our new Golf Umbrellas and Richardson Performance Trucker hats are about to go into production. Our goal is to have the new hats ready before the holidays, aiming for the week before. I am grateful for the new partnership we have formed with a local print shop, a big shout out to Promo and More. Angela, thank you for your great support! They have been incredibly helpful and willing to work on complex concepts and designs. It’s fantastic to have them on board!

New Gear For The Holiday Season

A full list of gear types, sizes, colors, etc. will be posted shortly. However, a sneak peek may be worth it’s weight in gold here… All navy Richardson Performance truckers… great products, great marketing gear.

Give us a shout out for Holiday Merchandise, contact us if you’d like to support us and purchase Sallee Technology gear. We will be bringing back the polos next year ’24 or ’25. Let us know what you think about the merch, or if you’re looking for something special, a one off print, or a special order.

Whether you have small orders or large orders, we don’t care we are happy to accommodate where applicable. Just let us know what you’re thinking. Let’s chat, either connect with us via phone or email. We are happy to work with you and find what you are looking for.

October 13, 2023September 26, 2024

Weller 70w

Soldering Kit by Weller

Weller 70w Solder Kit

Weller Tools

Needs must be had, time for a new Weller Soldering iron… with that in mind, the Weller 70w Solder Kit did just the trick. The Weller 70w Solider Kit.

Weller 70 Kit

Weller 70

Ready To Solder

Unboxing

Weller Features

What’s in the kit? The kit includes the soldering iron, power unit, cord, tips, sponge and iron holder. It is a handy soldering kit to have in and around the office. Recently, there have been a need for more consistent power, temperatures, and overall better performance when comparing it to the original solidering iron/wood burning kit in the shop. Although the Weller 30w kit purchased many years ago has been helpful, its wood-burning capabilities have not been necessary.

For a hobby kit, that includes wood-burning and soldering tools, it is a useful tool to have around. Recently, there has been a need for ‘more power’ and ‘precise temperatures’ for a few items in the shop. For those following the 3D printer build, the Weller 70w was put to the test rewiring and replacing thermistor wires, fan wires and the hot end. I also tested the Weller 70w unit on an old hack, the 9V cell battery hack, and some car audio system wire for good measure. We will be soldering new wires into the guitar rebuild, including new wires, connectors, and more. Stay tuned for the guitar rebuild!

More On The Weller 70w

First impressions of the Weller 70W soldering iron are positive; it heats up quickly, is responsive, has a convenient housing, and comes with spare tips for small jobs. The responsiveness of the iron is impressive, and the tips are easy to clean. The digitized interface allows for precise soldering temps, and the housing coil protects the heating element. It is easy to use and gets the job done efficiently.

When comparing the soldering kits I have used, Weller has consistently been my brand of choice. While i don’t use a soldering iron frequently, when I do I trust Weller to deliver. The original Weller 30W Wood Burning or Hobby Soldering Kit has met all my needs. I have used it for vaious tasks such as repairing vintage train parts, fixing drone boards and fans, and working on home audio speakers, and soldering car audio wires like battery wires, guitar wires, head unit power wires, and remote wires. The Weller 30w hobby kit was great, not ideal, but got the job done.

October 8, 2023September 27, 2024

Part 5 Part 5 – Rebuild And Upgrade

Sonic Pad Adjustments, Assembly

Labwork – Upgrade Part 5

Finally, a moment to enjoy and success is here. Everyone has been eagerly anticipating a full print test of the Ender 3 Max Neo, Sonic Pad, and Creality TPU. The full print was successful without the need for a dreaded motherboard upgrade.

No motherboard upgrade is needed at this time! We just need more time to print and tweak, print and tweak. Success! A fresh print, an end-to-end cube test print… just look at the ironing, ‘it’s alive, it’s alive’. It may seem like a small win, but it is a win nonetheless. The config/console appears to be correct, which is no surprise, I’m looking into a few more tweaks in the end.

Upgrade Continues

Let’s highlight a few things. An update was overdue, especially this one celebrating the print test win. Check. After a very early start this morning (the pictures are included below) we’ve got the Ender 3 Max Neo producing TPU test prints with minimal blips, blurbs, zits, stringing etc. All good things.

The key takeaway, is that delta refers to extrusion setting, which controls the direct drive pressure on the filament. s… These settings can be found in the advanced settings under extrusion settings. A reminder for those using the Creality Sonic Pad interface: if you are using the onboard interface, you will need to look for something called “steps” or a way to control the stepper. In layman’s terms, this refers to the ‘pressure in steps’ needed to push filament through the extruder.

In Part 5, we highlights the success of the extrusion win, along with making other minor tweaks such as adjusting the heat at the tip, improving bed adhesion, and adjusting speed to match the Sprite Extrusion settings. We found that print temps between 220-240 C, depending on the filament type – Duramic or Creality TPU. Additionally, we increased the flow rate by an additional 25%, bringing it to 125%, and reduced the speed by 25% approximately 75%. Therefore, the settings are as follows: 220C – 240C Nozzle – 75C Bed – 75% Speed – 125% Flow Rate – Sprite Extrusion Settings Enabled.

Currently, some additional adjustments are being made to the movement settings in Part 5. The Z height appears to require some minor adjustments in specific areas, although the reason for this is unclear. It could be related to the differences between the initial layers and the subsequent layers. 3D printers enable users to control various settings throughout three stages of the printing process: the beginning, middle and end.

3D Printer Upgrade Inspiration

Evening Print

Halot Reflection

Sonic Pad

Adjustments

Spider Hot End

First Globule

Test Cube

Failed Test Cube

One other thing to mention, which I failed to include in my previous post, Part 4 is that bed adhesion continues to be an issue. It could be the dark horse among the issues at play. A quick fix for bed adhesion is using alcohol and paper towels to keep the adhesion plate clear and clean! Make sure to throughly clean the plate by scrubbing away any oil residue, filament, blips, dust, stringing, dog hair (thanks, Zeus), and any other debris that might accumulate on the build plate in a typical office environment.

I don’t recall if keeping the plate clean actually made a difference when it comes to cleaning the bed, but we have tried a few different methods. We experimented with a clean bed, a taped bed (using Blue Painters Taps), and a sprayed/glue stick adhesive bed. All in an effort to find an alternative solution for prints shifting on the bed surface. We will also be posting some build plate test and will be trying spray adhesives next. Could that be the answer?

More Adjustments

A few adjustments with the Hex (Allen) keys, resetting the rail wheels, and we’ve successfully completed Part 5. Looking back, I’m not sure if the build plate really needed to be cleaned between PLA prints. If you look closely a the picture, you’ll see that the Creality Sonic Pad is now operational as planned. Personally, I don’t think I would have kept the generic screen that originally came with the machine. The Wifi, Cloud Printing/Slicing, direct printing, and customizable settings are all key reasons to stick with the Sonic Pad.

One item to note, is that we have not been able to get the Wifi Box 2.0 to work in the upgraded sandbox. Furthermore, for the time being, we will set aside the Wifi Box 2.0 until we can determine the optimal print settings and ensure consistent adhesion. Despite this, we are staying positive and moving forward with larger format prints, including some TinkerCad projects for a true test. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that we have relocated the printer from the workbench. The tabletop did not provide the necessary stability due to the incessant shaking, vibration, and back-and-forth motions of the printer assembly.

Overall, today is a win after having the printer on the bench for the past few weeks. Check out the previous series articles – Part 1 Teardown, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. We are on an upswing, with new parts, new break-fix settings, slicing settings and a new location for the 3D printer to operate. For those interested in what’s coming next, I have a backlog of TPU Max Neo parts, including a new digital spool, some technology ‘smartphone covers’, and a unique locking mechanism for a cooler. More details on that later.

October 6, 2023September 27, 2024

Rebuild Part 4

Rebuild Part 4LetPart 4 Continues

Failed Prints, eSteps/Stepper, Filaments and More

Lab Work – Rebuild Part 4

Fine tuning, break-fix, and reprints. Yes, break-fix steps continue, including fine tuning/recalibration, config adjustments, steppers, test prints and more. Largely, considered a failure so far…

Here in Rebuild Part 4, we cover the failures, not to worry! We will get this fixed with upgrades and all. A couple of cycles now, including – what I will call the ‘teardown-and-rebuild’ cycle – removal of most external upgrades such as the Creality Sonic Pad, Wifi Box 2.0, direct drive extruder, tubes and hot end…

The key is to isolate issues with the teardown and rebuild cycle, building up with neutral or known issues. Please note, the Sonic Pad interface, under the ‘advanced settings’, extrusion settings… the default extrusion type must be changed/modified to include the ‘sprite extruder’, this accounts for the upgrades and the most significant step forward.

Moving on from the Sonic Pad

Please note, there are four default settings – default, sprite, MK8 and manual or custom. Although we quickly tested each extrusion type, here, we focused in on the sprite extruder settings. It is also important to mention that we have not had a successful TPU print. The TPU prints have been bad to say the least, as you will see in the test photos, ranging from bad to worse in some cases.

In addition to misprints, under-printing has been a major issue. This is due to extrusion steps as mentioned above. Please check the Sonic Pad Settings – Advanced Settings – Custom Extrusion Settings – Spite Extrusion vs Onboard Interface ramping up eSteps ~ to around 500mm. Before we proceed, we have have experienced globules (large drops of melted TPU, similar in shape and size to the end of a q-tip) misprints, gummed up nozzles and so on.

Wifi Box and Motherboard

Beyond this point, I have considered a board swap, which will also be something to consider until the print issues can be ironed out. Yes, that would mean an effort in futility, involving a full swap which would be considered moot. For those who might not understand, this would leave only the base hardware/structure unchanged, changing out all components; which is not the goal. If a required motherboard change is confirmed – specifically Creality motherboard v 4.2.7 specifically, a new printer specifically used for TPU might be the answer. Not ideal, but necessary.

Below, you will find new images that have been posted, thought it would help to highlight the removal of the fans, changing out the heating element and sensor and Sonic Pad configs. Furthermore, I feel we are close to a successful print. Before I forget, the PLA prints run with little error, printing test cubes with minor blips or over printing… Beware, slicer/printer controllers do vary, Utlimaker Cura, Creality Slicers etc have varying results, some with no result at all as the print is shown outside the consoles ‘known print’ area. More on that later, we can share a few posts on slicer successes (failures in our case).

Rebuild Activities

Next, let’s cover some of the activities taking place during the rebuild:

Hot End
Assembly
Backplate
Sprite Extruder
Filament Tube
Filaments
Bed level, Adhesion Spray Glue and Blue Tape
Software – firmware and slicers (Creality Cloud, Creality Slicer, Ultimaker Cura)
Wifi Box, MicroSD Cards, Sonic Pad, Onboard Interface
OS – MacOS/Linux
Lot’s of cleaning, grab yourself a brass brush
E-stepper
Nozzles
Temperatures – hot end, bed
Homing Issues
Extrusion Settings
Homing Issues

Rebuild Part 4 continues with the addition of more nozzles, needles, upgraded plate screws, leveling, Capricorn tube, and the Spider 2.0/3.0 Pro hot end… motherboard? We will soon be facing a full swap! Ugh. While it may seem like a lot of work, it is all part of 3D printing. Don’t let that discourage you. The challenge, whether it’s a build problem or a technical issue, is what I enjoy the most. I thrive on finding solutions and working through those challenges, enven if it means testing and failing multiple times. I will share a video at some point, but for now, pictures and commentary will have to suffice.

New Sprite Extruder, Test Prints, and Sonic Pad Failure

First TPU

Sonic Pad Failure

Sprite Extruder Assembled

Overview

Unplug Fans

Hot End, Sprite Extruder

Moving forward, I would like to address some items on the pending list. I believe there may be an issue with the heating element, thermistor, and nozzle. This could be causing problems such as incorrect temps and filament build-up on these components, leading to issues with filament adhesion to build surface. I have read that 424.9 degrees C temp, but we still need to determine the appropriate temp for our specific build. The hot-end and thermistor may be causing these issues, so we ned to investigate and eliminate them as potential factors. Additionally, we should keep some needles on hand to clear the filament path in the direct-drive assembly, as the accumulation of burnt filament can exacerbate the situation. This will be a priority for us to address this week.

New Sprite Extruder Assembly

Hot End Wiring

Install Hot End

Heat Sensor

Assembly

Unboxing

Reassemble

New Hot End

We are skipping the motherboard for now in Rebuild Part 4 because they are not needed at this time. As mentioned before, the motherboard will be part of the full swap. Instead, we are focusing on the new sprite extruder and direct drive motor upgrades that were purchased at the beginning of this build. It’s worth nothing that there are extruders that do not require upgrades, specifically for the 4.2.7 motherboard. Fortunately, this upgrade will include the necessary 4.2.7 motherboard, which is not required for this build.

Following the items mentioned above, the next steps involve installing new screws, metal tension knobs, cushions, tubing and hot end. Ideally, the goal is to achieve a level and consistent bed/build plate temp, a clean adhesion plate, consistent hot end temp to reduce ‘leaking’ and hot end ‘heat creep”, to use quality filament. By addressing these hardware issues, we hope to minimize or eliminate any problems. Assuming the hardware and upgrade components work, the final challenge will be the software adjustments.

Initial TPU Test Prints

TPU appears to be more challenging when testing and encountering failures, especially when failing more frequently than anticipated. However, I managed to successfully print a clean model by swapping filaments and using the old Bowden drive and PLA settings. This step back was necessary to ensure that the base product still prints as intended.

Honestly, the speed-to-market issue comes into play here (assuming you are looking to print commercially or in some professional fashion), as we are lacking the ability to print PLA at a low cost per print and TPU. Join us as we work to find a solution. The problem will be solved shortly, with more to come.

Part of this process is maintaining a positive outlook, even when balls of filament build up on the hot end and nozzle for the 40th test. I know we are close, but as we eliminate or mitigate more pieces and parts, the solution will emerge. I might just need a few more mins to find the right combination of parts and software.

TPU Comments

Frankly speaking, this post, Rebuild Part 4 – TPU has been quite a ride. TPU isn’t too difficult to work with on newer machines, but we need to find a solution for the Ender platform that is budget-friendly for some or maybe not when compared to other very expensive printers that offer out-of-the-box solutions for various fulfillment needs. I will say this, for those seeking an easy, out of the box 3D printer (crickets, crickets), time and budget will be major factors; it could if not the defining factor; make or break the decision.

Finally, we will wrap up the series in part 5, let’s check out Part 5 – Rebuild – Rebuild, Sonic Pad Adjustments and assembly. Check out the new post content, see more, read previous articles in the series, Rebuild – Start, Rebuild – Progress, and Rebuild 3.

October 5, 2023September 29, 2024

Baseball Video

NES Baseball Video

Nintendo’s Baseball

Lab Work – Baseball Video

It has been sometime since I posted any NES content. Let’s do NES Baseball see more…

NES baseball may have been the first real games I played as a kid outside Mario or Frogger, Alex The Kid, Shinobi (which might have come later), Donkey Kong and RType? Depending on the day, Baseball was my favorite game. Perhaps winning contributed to its likability as well. It was an easy game to pick up and play any time, especially on weekends.

Thanks to @worldoflongplays, the channel has provided us with a play-through of NES Baseball. Bases Loaded, Super Bases Loaded, Griffey Jr (SNES), and MLB The Show. I have spent very little time spent on baseball games. Therefore, it is fair to say that NES Baseball ranks higher on my list of favorite baseball games. Maybe MLB, Baseball, RBI Baseball, Griffey Jr. could be a tight number 2. Regardless of the ranking, if I had the chance to play it again, I would. It would be a ‘buy” for me if I had a way to play it (outside of an emulator or online keyboard (WASDX) game. I would usually choose either the A’s or Cubs, as others had the first choice mainly. Eventually those two teams became my favorite teams.

Watch this video and others like it on YouTube or check out our other videos found under the video category on our website.

September 29, 2023September 27, 2024

Rebuild, Continues Part 3

Final Assembly, Boot, Config and Print

Lab Work – Rebuild Part 3

I encountered a bit of a snag, but I am rebuilding and continuing with part 3 – working through those challenges now. For the time being, please refer to the updates above/below for part 3 updates. We will be covering more of the rebuild process, including the x/y axis bands, plate, direct drive issues, boot/reboot procedures, and reinstalling printer drivers. Additionally, we will discuss slicers, nozzles, extruder/heating element, and the latest issue, the onboard/external interface.

Breaking Through, Troubleshooting activities

As noted in the previous build, Part 2, we are likely around 80%-90% complete at this point. We will refer to this rebuild as Part 3. We have encounteered some filament burn and melt down, as well as blockers that we will address in Part 4. Nonetheless, Part 2 was successful, and now Part 3 is also going well, with all parts functioning as expected and the boards booting as they should. The new drive and extruder are working in tandem as intended. The ‘issue, as previously mentioned, lies between the Creality Sonic Pad, printer board and connecting software. Images will be included to illustrate the challenges faced during the rebuild, including manual updates made on the printer screen, main board, and the area where we are currently stuck with the Sonic Pad. Two notable errors are the Klippy software and Sonic Pad physical connection failure, as well was filament recognition.

Out next steps will involve installing/rebuilding Klippy, testing, retesting print config files, reattaching the Sonic Pad, replacing extruder tubes, nozzles, adjusting e-Steps, home position and more, while also adding the Wifi Box 2.0. Once all of these tasks are completed and throughly vetted and tested, we will create a brief update of the build and active prints to mark these items of the rebuild list.

Got to love technology (or not), and office ‘helpers’ Zeus thought he would take a little snooze while the troubleshooting session continued throughout the day and night. The same can be said for discovery and testing, there’s no time like the present. Some folks call it the ‘grind’… I’ll leave that there for you to imagine. Is it painstakingly difficult? No. Time always plays a role, especially when speed-to-market is crucial. You have to be willing to work with what you have… Part 4 will be coming shortly, where we will cover fine tuning, steps, extrusion, adhesion and whatever else pops up in the meantime.

Drone Accessories

Print Video

Tension Bands

Secure Bands

Waiting

LCD SD Card

Clean Build Plate

Install Firmware

Power On

E Stepper

Connection Error

Firmware Selection

Extruder

Hot End

September 29, 2023September 27, 2024

Creality TPU

TPU Filament, Challenges and Wins

OEM TPU

Lab Work – Various Filaments

Filament types, such as Creality TPU and various brands, can be a nightmare of a problem to have. Which filament should you purchase? What works best on the 3D printer I own? What should I do when I’m just starting out?

Cut to the point: purchase anduse what you can in context. However, when push comes to shove, the Ender Series, Prusa, and Makerbot all great choices for novices or beginners. Starting with an eBay ‘parts’ printer, might help cut down costs or consider a refurbished one.

Regardless of the product make or structure, the fine-tuning the nozzles, stability of the machine, drive system, adhesion, and filament are important. Filament might be the easiest to swap out, follower by the nozzle (noting various nozzle sizes, with most default sizes being .4mm). For hobbyists, the drive mechanism, bed/build plates, etc. may also need attention. Filament might just be an easy swap with a catch.

Like most things, filament comes with it’s own issues – additional research is required, fine tuning and testing depending on the choice of 3D printer. Let’s talk shop, about filaments, retraction (more on this in a future post). Listen, if purchasing power is a problem, meaning if you have limited funds, start by buying what you can afford, especially for those starting out in the 3D printing hobby. Do what you can to make ‘it work’. Making it work means being able to test, test, and retest. It’s a process of elimination, gradually solving problems over time. Better filaments lead to better results.

Let’s have a look

There have been many times when testing, in fact, I might venture to say, problems are related to the cost of filament and the length of time it takes the user to move from the cheaper options to the final working filament. At least in my experience of finding the right filament through testing, more than not, filament testing became a costly lesson in what not to do. So, yes, a healthy dose of testing is needed, including failure.

That said, I would be remiss not to highlight the value of this article, which is to help you save money on filaments, pieces, parts, and printing costs. The key takeaway is to buy and match OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) filaments. For example, since I have Creality printers (3 Creality printers in total), thus, I use Creality filaments like Creality TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) Filament.

Lately, we’ve been looking branch out a bit, as we’ve recently added the Prusa’s i3 MK3S+ 3D Printer kit to the mix. Again, there are many options, printers, upgrades, filaments… choose wisely.

Learn More via MatterHackers

Let’s focus on what works, finding something that works for your current printer or future printer. As a hobbyist, I have stuck to the ‘happy path’ being less adventurous and mainly using PLA’s (Polylactic Acid) and TPU’s. MatterHackers does an excellent job of providing information on what’s available on the market, including types of filament, sizes, brands, and colors.

Dive in! Or maybe, expansion is on your mind, and you want to setup your own print farm – @ShopNation might be a great research to check out. Have options, which might be the biggest take away beyond testing or OEM/OEM filaments. Hey, as a hobbyist, saving some cash is good thing, there are thousands of upgrades on the market, same for the number of printers, filaments, parts, boards etc.

Through various testing methods, settings, set ups, printers and more, I have discovered that what matters most is what works. That is defined as success rate or success metric. Consistency, fit/finish, quality over flash and speed over quantity are key factor. For example Duramic 3D TPU is just not working in the Ender 3 Neo Max rebuild. After tearing it down, rebuilding with all updates, and getting the same result, it is clear that it is time to make a switch.

OEM Filaments and More

The switch I’m referring to here, moving from generics to OEM, worked on the PLA side of the equation. It may be a correlation perhaps, and not causation. I believe that’s the value here. A handy lesson might be to continue testing where it makes sense. Remember, “correlation does not imply or mean causation,” via Mr. Glickman. Learn more about his work via his personal website or faculty website. Or, click here – Mark Glickman – Senior Lecturer in Statistics, Director of Masters Study.

If you want to learn more about filaments, do your research. Please do look into – MatterHackers, All3dp – Filament Finds and/or @ShopNation…

I’ll leave you with this, try what you can afford, what you can afford to discard. Test and work to fine-tune your printer. Words of encouragement ‘leave no product stone unturned’. The goal is to produce high quality, consistent, and clean prints.

Find something that works 80% of the time, the old 80/20 rule. PLA is difficult bear to tweak and maintain, as is TPU and the ~approximately 14 other materials including metals, carbon fiber, wood, and nylon. The applications are endless, ranging from starter to full forge, high-strength, commercial production. The focus should be on settings, adhesion, extrusion temp, nozzle temp, surface tension, and drives – pushers… And so on, testing is our motto/mantra, testing has become a constant. Key is to find something that works well overall, so test them all. Checkin from time to time, as new posts are created daily. We will cover the Prusa tests, Creality TPU, Polycarbonate and PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol).

Have fun, cheers

Drone Accessories

Creality TPU

TPU Weight

Duramic 3D

September 21, 2023September 27, 2024

Rebuild In Progress, Part 2

Pre-Assembly, Rebuild In Progress

Assembly & Direct Drive Rebuild, 2

Lab Work – Rebuild In Progress, Part 2

A few steps forward now, we pick up with the bold on extruder assembly and assembly backplate here in part 2. So, we continue the rebuild in progress, part 2

Focus, Removal Of Bowden Drive

Fully Assembled

Remove Housing

Extruder

Remove Fans

Remove Extruder

Disassembly

Hot End

Clip Tubing

DD To Extruder

DD Tubing

Motor Clips

Motor Control

We continue with the Rebuild In Progress, Part 2, following on from the previous article in the series, Rebuild part 1. We are discarding the original backplate and incorporating new assembly hardware (correction, new back plate needed see that update here). Unfortunately, the new OEM plate was not compatible with my setup, so I will salvage the new wheels, screws, tightening washers, bolts, and spacers where possible. I quickly performed a dry-fit of all the components, including the screws, spacers, wheels brackets, probe (a black, narrow plastic piece with a probe), side fans (with yellow and blue wires), and heating element (comprised of a heater, heat sink and extruder).

For the final step, make sure to tighten the wheel screws, fan, drive belts, and extruder before installing the heating element. The order in which you do this is important, just like when removing the Bowden drive, brackets and extruder tube. We will reuse some of the old tube to guide TPU filament into the new direct drive extruder. Next, install the extruder fan (red and black wires). Now, you can unscrew the two top wheels and install the new direct drive platform, secure it, and snap on the carriage case (note: the hot side should be on top).

Next, attach the direct drive by clipping it onto the tube provided tube, then snip the tube after a fitting or two. Ensure, the fit is correct. Screw in the direct drive platform from the backside of the plate, which should be installed on the last step. After securing it, connect the direct drive motor to the main line by passing the frame platform where the old extruder motor was located (refer to the last couple of images) and place the harvested tube for the filament.

Easy, right? Part 3 will be coming shortly. We will cover that tomorrow. We need to replace the heating plate, power on the machine and change the step movement.

September 21, 2023September 26, 2024

WiFi For Legacy Creality Devices

Bring Bluetooth and Wifi Connectivity to Legacy 3d Printers

Creality WiFi Box

Tech | Tools – Creality WiFi Box 2

Need a boost, WiFi or Bluetooth connection for your Creality printer? How about the Creality WiFi Cloud Box 2.0?

For those of you who are using using WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity, especially the older 3D printers, the concept of ‘Apple AirPrint’ or printing over WiFi is now a luxury. Unless, of course, you want to take advantage of Air Print or prefer to print from your desk chair by connecting to a WiFi/Bluetooth ready 3d printer. It’s simple if the hardware and software are installed or onboard, as is often the case. You can easily sit down, go through your sketch or drawing export, and then send those slices directly to a printer via WiFi/Bluetooth. Finally, you can kick off the print job using WiFi/Bluetooth slicer software.

Creality Wifi Box

Before I discuss the best-case scenario and the benefits of WiFi for legacy Creality devices, let’s first talk about the old-school models. For those of us who still use old printers, MicroSD cards, USB 2 cords, and swap nano SD cards and USB sticks, this information will be relevant. If you’re tired of constantly switching USB dongles and nano cards and dealing with manual process, then this if for you. It may be old school, but it work.

Please note that I have not yet set up the Creality WiFi Box so there is no Wifi available for the legacy Creality devices I own. We will get something up here shortly, once the rebuild is complete which should take about a week or two to wrap up.

Rebuild pt 1 – involves installing a new drive, assembling, and finding the back plate. Currently, we are reconnecting the new assembly housing, heating element, etc. rebuild part 2* did start the today this article was posted. *Article was updated, so that we could share a link to the second article.

Finally, we will cover Creality solutions for older 3D printers such as the Creality Ender 3 Neo Max.