parts Archives

A part, or many parts, builds etc, this is a reference to parts of a build, or rebuild, parts 1 – 5 as an example for the M1 Refurb.

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 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.

September 21, 2023September 27, 2024

Ender Teardown

Let’s Kickoff the Rebuild With A Teardown

Ender Teardown, Rebuild – Start

Lab Work – Teardown Part 1

A few steps into the Ender Teardown – follow these steps to open the 3D printer housing or bottom hatch. Replace extruder wires, internal fan wires, jumpers etc. Check out the timeline below presented in editorial form.

Step One

Motherboard

Old Wires

Remove Hot Glue

Fan Port

Rewrap

Reattach

Power On

Next Steps, Step 2

Voila! The first phase (teardown) is complete, and we are moving onto Rebuild Part 2, which will be more challenging. This part of the build will involve swapping the extruders from Bowden to Direct Drive and potentially replacing the back plate depending on the hardware and tools required. It’s important to note that the back plates are not identical and will need some adjustments. We plan to proceed with the swap and salvage the old plate. It shouldn’t be too difficult, especially now that we have completed part 1. Removing the hot glue can be tricky, but once you get past that and the screw, everything should go smoothly.

This seems like a good place to end. I will post another update on the tool set we used to complete the Ender Teardown. I have recently added a Klein driver set, a handy multitool to complement the new Tekprem Torx set. Check back soon for more updates in round two!

September 20, 2023September 27, 2024

Board and Slicer Downloads

Downloads, Boards, Slicers & More

Creality – Ender 3 Max Neo, Halot Sky & Prusa

Tech | Tools – Software Support

Board and Slicer Downloads – For future use, especially those of you who are using a Creality Ender 3 Max Neo 3D Printer. If you who have Creality products, and are printing with the Ender series, you may require the following software, which has already been used in different stages of the rebuilding process: Ender Build articles, Series 2, Ender TPU Upgrade.

Here is the list Board and Slicer Downloads:
Creality Halot Sky – Firmware or Slicing (bottom) – https://www.creality.com/pages/download-halot-sky?spm=..page_1934481.products_display_1.1&spm_prev=..index.header_1.1
Ender 3 – Neo Max – Firmware – https://www.creality.com/pages/download-ender-3-max-neo?spm=..product_3b7a3c8a-7861-4186-9818-614e8eb14170.nav_link_store_1.1&spm_prev=..page_1967279.products_display_1.1 or Slicing (bottom) – https://www.creality.com/pages/download-ender-3-max-neo?spm=..product_3b7a3c8a-7861-4186-9818-614e8eb14170.nav_link_store_1.1&spm_prev=..page_1967279.products_display_1.1.

Also, included:
Prusa I3 MK3S+ Kit – Firmware, Drivers and more

September 20, 2023September 26, 2024

Filament Spool Update

Filament Rack, Digital Scale, and Spool

Creality Digital Spool Rack

Gear – Filament Rack

Needed an additional part/piece, this Creality Spool Rack.

Today, we have a Filament Spool Update and the final accessory to add to the TPU upgrade build. Dare I call it the final piece of the puzzle for the build.

What are we looking at here? It’s a top-mounted (overhead) rack, specifically the Creality Digital Spool Rack. The rack, or filament management rack sits atop the main brace/cross-bracket framing structure as shown below (see new spool image). The spool rack will allow for multiple filament types:* PLA, ABS, Nylon, Wood, and TPU *assuming the filament comes on a spool, regardless of the size. It’s important to note that Creality includes a portion of filament or test filament with a new or refurbished printer. This information is helpful for new 3D printer users.

The advantage? TPU specifically can unwind and pass through a top cross-brace funneling mechanism directly into the new direct drive extruder. This serves as the new static filament storage area/piece. For those of you with a Bowden drive, you may not understand, but after the upgrade, we needed a way to feed filament to the direct drive extruder. This serves as the solution.

3D Printer Accessories

New Spool

Digi Spool

Spool Rack

Creality makes this handy filament rack, replacing the OEM side mounted rack. It’s perfect for filament management – size, weight over time etc. Same as the OEM rack with a few upgrades like a bright, digital scale. The rack has a large, bright digital scale Interface, a great visual for filament volume, space and duration.

The key here, as part of the Filament Spool Update, the digital read out (interface) built into the spool mount brings ‘site by volume’. And as you can imagine, this can help predict usage, and consumption rates. More importantly, cost per item or printable. It’s small enough to screw to the topside of the support frame. The interface is bright enough to work in the dark, cast enough light onto the printer bed. Note, all filament types in spool formant should work on the rack, TPU, ABS, Nylon, Wood and/or PLA. All material come into scope once the direct drive is up and functioning as expected.

September 12, 2023September 27, 2024

Max Neo Back Plate

Wrong Parts, Wrong Parts Received

Back Plate and Rail Wheels

Lab Work – Working Through The Challenges Associated With 3d Printers, Printing, Upgrades and More

Relieved my Max Neo Back Plate, the long awaited parts are on the truck this morning

Quick update, all the parts needed to update the Ender 3 Neo Max to run TPU filament through the new, upgraded parts are in. They are within arm’s reach and ready to be installed to complete the initial TPU build.

Unfortunately, I want to go on record and share a warning. I will post the tear down at some-point. So, the essence of the warning is to be careful what you order. Makes sense, right? Cross reference and cross-check OEM parts, refer t your 3D build, and ensure fit and compatibility.

Build progress has stopped because we have the wrong assembly cart, ideally we should have the Max Neo Back Plate, or back plate. The plate configuration (proper mounting holes, size, shape) is off. If you’re new to the site, check out the Max Neo challenges in the Output archives… For those who just want to see the TPU rebuild go here, but understand his – we had a few prints that went sideways. By sideways, I mean the extruder was found buried in filament, grinding away at the build plate.

What’s Next

Ultimately causing a meltdown, and plate parts found elsewhere etc. Prior to the blow out, we have a few successful TPU test builds are in hand, but are error pron. More like the standard build (Ender 3 Neo Max Bowden Extruder setup, standard build from the factory) minus the upgrade, if you can believe that. Please note that sometimes you have to ‘break’ things to truly figure out the right path or change paths, so to speak.

Anyhow, not to belabor the point here, but, we have all the necessary parts to start rebuilding this machine with the correct parts and extruder. This will allow us to build more ‘things’ with an array of filaments.

September 2, 2023September 27, 2024

TPU Direct Drive Support

TPU Is The Goal, TPU Direct Drive Support Build

New Assembly, Drive Drive Extruder, Support Back Plate and Rail Wheels

Lab Work – Building and Buying Parts On The Supply List

…A few more days folks, and we can start working on the TPU Direct Drive Support build. A new extruder support plate for the Ender 3 Neo Max is on its way. Not on back order, but waiting the last piece before the rebuild can begin.

Before we proceed with installing the new parts, we discovered an issue with the back support plate (including wheels and bolts) being misaligned. After the printer ‘meltdown’ a few months ago, you can see the results of that print here. The final piece needed for the rebuild is this support back plate. There is too much play and space between the assembly and guide rails. I don’t recall there being any movement between the parts. I would expect there to be little to no wiggle room in those items. However, I can almost light off the assembly housing, extruder, and back plate from the guide rails under tension. This was a clear sign that it was time to replace the guide rails under tension. think there is no or very little ‘wiggle room’/tolerance in those items. However, I can almost lift off the assembly housing, extruder, and back plate from the guide rails under tension. This was a clear sign that it was time to replace the support plate, bolts, and wheels to ensure an improved upgrade and fix.

New Build

Anyhow, all the pieces and parts have been removed from the initial purchase. We will proceed with the TPU Direct Drive Support build. So, for picture sake, we’ve got the frame, base, and guide rails and that’s it. All parts have been removed for the moment. ~It’s been about 3 weeks now, awaiting the OEM support plate. Ultimately, we are looking at a clean rebuild using OEM parts with a few upgrades (direct drive, replacing the Bowden extruder) to allow for TPU, Wood/Bamboo, Carbon, Metal, Organics and more.

System upgrades might come later, with the goal being more power to compensate for the downforces on the extruder head in the direct drive case. Caution, there are differences between the Direct-drive and Bowden extruders, obviously advantages and disadvantages for both… maintenance and care being the most complex for the direct-drive variety.

More Filament Types

The goal with the direct-drive ‘pivot’ is to improve heat, extrusion pressure, retraction and expand the range of filament materials. For the sake of this article, I will focus on the updated advantages and disadvantages. The comparison is between more materials, heat, pressure, and variety versus maintenance which can be a lot. I personally use the break/fix method, as parts are less expensive to replace in the printer ecosystem. It may not always be the wised choice, but sometimes breaking something is necessary to understand the machine or engineering behind it. In conclusion, having spare parts on hand is helpful. Build yourself a parts bin and consider parting out used or gently used components to reduce out-of-pocket expenses. Learn how to maintain and reuse your gadgets. Remember to fail fast when working on such equipment. Short-term expenses for break-fix situations can save money in the long run when dealing with 3D printers, drones, computers, and more

Final thoughts: Parts can help you build yourself a parts bin. Need updates, board firmware, and Slicers? Download those items here for Creality Software Support. Part out used and gently used parts to cut down on out-of-pocket expenses. Learn how to maintain and reuse your gadgets. Don’t forget to fail fast, when working on such equipment. Short-term break fix expenses go along way when dealing with 3D printers, drones, computers and more.

August 12, 2023September 27, 2024

TPU Update

TPU Upgrades and Updates

New Assembly and Drive Drive Extruder

Lab Work – Bolt On Upgrades

We are updating the extruder – TPU Update. Adding a bolt-on direct drive upgrade and replacing the Series 3 full assembly body.

The TPU update is a go. First, PLA is great. TPU is better for certain applications. However, we start with PLA. If you need flexibility over rigidity it is assumed that you want to test TPU filament. First, we will replace the existing assembly body on the MAX NEO and bolt on the new extruder to address the TPU issues*. TPU requires more force to drive the flexible filament through the assembly and out the nozzle. The direct drive will help with ‘refinement’ and focusing on pushing and pulling the filament more accurately and precisely.

Creality Accessories

Unboxing

Drive Motor

Assembly

Remove Extruder

Unscrew the Fans

Assembly

Again, in terms of next steps and the TPU Update, the update is not a *requirement,. However, after seeing enough test prints, it’s time to make the switch. Here is the bolt on solution from Creality for the Ender 3-Series, MAX NEO. Moreover, what do I mean by ‘requirement’ above? In my opinion, it would be extremely difficult to print TPU printables using a Bowden drive. I’ve tried, and it doesn’t work well. Finally, the Bowden drive doesn’t provide enough filament force and direct force to the filament through the hot end, hence the need for a direct drive motor. So, I want to emphasize that there’s no need to buy a new machine for TPU printing. Simply, do the swap and you can print both TPU and other high-temperature filaments as well.

Quick update: since this post was shared, we have received the parts for the TPU updates, allows us to begin the direct drive build. TPU filaments and prints can now be done without the necessary upgrades. Let’s get into the build and upgrade action! Side note, before we move off the direct drive action, I’d like to share other Halot updates including the Halot LCD fix and other break-fixes when adding a resin printer to your arsenal.

Stay tuned for additional photos and mini-clips covering the installation soon. In the meantime, here is a brief unboxing and assembly tear-down. Thanks!

July 4, 2023September 27, 2024

Ender Upgrade Adhesion Issue

Adhesion Issues, Bed Temp

Latest Ender Chaos

Lab Work – Humor Is The Only Way Sometimes

The Lead, 6 hour+ print chaos; let’s address and tackle these Ender Upgrade Adhesion Issues. We will put the Halot Sky Resin vat cover issue, on hold and focus on the Ender 3 Neo Max bed adhesion problems. It has taken over 5 hours to troubleshoot, with fans running and a cooling bed plate. There are numerous issues to tackle!

Let’s Troubleshoot

Extruder Pressed Down

Bed Inspection

Extruder Removed

Sensor Globule

Heating Element

Close Up

Track Bands Off

Missing Tension Knobs

Extruder Pushing Plate

Current Status, Visual Check

Secondly, we are missing hand-tension screws and tension belts. There is a literal mess of PLA covering 60% or more of the printer, extrusion head, bed and assembly. Fortunately, I walked in post-print as a tension belt was in the process of removing itself from the printer head.

That concludes the visual inspection portion of the Ender Upgrade Adhesion Issue. Moving forward, we have the printer head back together, PLA cleaned off, tension belts applied. Next and not captured below, replace adhesion plate, tension screws, and restart the machine for calibration. Look for update posts here in the next day or two.

What is the purpose of the print? I wanted to put a cover on the Halot Sky (V1) Resin vat, but I am not sure where the original cover might have gone – it could have been misplaced, broken, scrapped or lost. More importantly, the print itself was lost. From the perspective of the ‘pressman’, the printable seems to have failed to adhere to the build plate. After checking the settings, it was discovered that the ironing was off, and the printer head was buried into the print plate. This is not good for the printer or its parts. Additionally, there was a concerning sound of tension belts releasing and printer head/plate friction. However, the print fix is currently being fixed, and we will provide an update at a later date or time.

Finally, we replace build plate, hand screws, springs, restart/update firmware and calibration.