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SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → Hacks & Mods → #1 upgrade to a Solidoodle 2
Hey guys (and girls) I seem to have my 2 printing good now after a month or so of owning it. I see all these upgrades people do but what do you all conciser the #1 of the bunch. Do you just leave a good printing printer alone , or is there always room for improvement ?
Just curious really.
Depends on what you've done to it so far...
#1 - cheapest and reversible mod - Glass for the bed
Can it get any better than being able to remove a plate and stick another one in to continue printing? I always give the bed another 10 minutes to soak the heat for better adhesion.
If you've already got the glass then...
#2 - Mk5 extruder mount.
This allows for easier change-outs for filament clogs and hot-end replacement. If you haven't shattered the jigsaw, you will want to print one just for a spare for when it happens (and it's just a matter of time until it does... it may be a year or more, but it will happen).
Depends on what you've done to it so far...
#1 - cheapest and reversible mod - Glass for the bed
Can it get any better than being able to remove a plate and stick another one in to continue printing? I always give the bed another 10 minutes to soak the heat for better adhesion.If you've already got the glass then...
#2 - Mk5 extruder mount.
This allows for easier change-outs for filament clogs and hot-end replacement. If you haven't shattered the jigsaw, you will want to print one just for a spare for when it happens (and it's just a matter of time until it does... it may be a year or more, but it will happen).
Glass: agreed.
MK5 replacement: agreed. Print it out for now while the printer is running good. Dont replace it until you have to though.
I will add an enclosure to the mix as well.
I would add calibration tools to the list. Bed level screw tabs, dial indicator with printed mount of your choice.
But really, dont fix what ain't broke... unless you just want to tinker to tinker.
I'd do this depending on how you feed the filament:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:38222
Well, you can see all the nonsense I did (and am still doing) here:
http://home.comcast.net/~tomhorsley/har … oodle.html
Lots of calibration and various mods (better spool mount, case made of foamboard). My biggest improvement came from this gadget:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:171900
That allowed me to finally get my printbed really level (which seems to be important for reliable prints).
My current stance is that if things are working well, leave it alone. (I have linear bearings, replacement X-rods, and printed parts to do the X & Y carriage replacements when things stop working well).
I've done the glass, RAMPS with fan, MK5, and E3D upgrades and I'd have to say I put the E3D at #1. Largely because I no longer have clogs, which was a big pain. That said, it's not a great first upgrade as it's relatively expensive and more time consuming than some other low hanging fruit.
But after you spend any significant amount of time clearing a clog, it will look more attractive.
So the moral of the story is if its not broke dont fix it hahaha
So the moral of the story is if its not broke dont fix it hahaha
Absolutely! Along with "Be prepared."
So the moral of the story is if its not broke dont fix it hahaha
Yes and No. If your SD is running good, then upgrading stock parts is a matter of opinion (I will continue on this in a second).
Glass bed and enclosure are not stock (yes I know, they do offer an enclosure). These two upgrades will solve a lot of hassles you may not realize are due to temperature changes in the environment. They are also the cheapest and easiest mods to do.
The next up is the MK5 extruder upgrade. Buying a couple of LM8UU and printing out the parts is relatively cheap, and considering the rate at which the acrylic fails, is an eventual process for all SD owners. That brings it to second place.
The rest of the mods are all a matter of effort vs payback. All of those mods are not generally needed if your printer is running well. They are also subjective. Maybe you have Z wobble banding, maybe you dont. Maybe you dont care. Do you print extreme detail models, or do you print structural pieces for a hobby? The payback is determined by the individual user. But in the end, if you have been running for a few months already without already being unhappy about a specific flaw in your prints, you wouldnt have asked this question. If that is the case, then these upgrades are secondary at best.
So out of curiosity is there a list of replacement parts anywhere on the forum that I can print? I am doing all this random printing of stuff, but would be nice to have replacements of things if I break them.
Two of the most critical replacements that you should have... Just In Case
XY Carriage replacement
http://www.soliforum.com/topic/2813/pri … -consumer/
Mk5 Extruder mount
http://www.soliforum.com/topic/3016/mk5 … -improved/
I say if not broke,then try try again. I did the mk5 upgrade with a perfectly good jigsaw but i dont wait for failure.I also went to glass bed on arrival as I hate kapton replacement.THe major thing to do is tune it and it sounds like you did that so the rest is at your time but preprint them parts cause you never know when it will be needed!
+1 Glass bed
SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → Hacks & Mods → #1 upgrade to a Solidoodle 2
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