Perfect First Layer

Guy, JJ and Jerry just haviung a great discussion of what they’ve got going on and what new and coming in the 3D printer market.

This Episodes Questions:

Last Spring I printed a simple 100mm cube with a centered 25mm circular hole out of black PLA using standard slicer settings (2 walls, 15% grid infill). I intentionally left it outside on a black metal surface all summer, where it was exposed to plenty of heat (over 100 degrees some days), rain, hail, etc. Today the part seems to be in essentially the same good condition as it was the day I printed it. Yet I seem to hear that a lot PLA is not suitable for outdoor use, that other materials such as PETG and various others should be used for anything other than indoor decorations.
What are your thoughts on the durability factors of common filaments, and is PLA getting a bad rap?Thank you!
Justin

Hey all. I’ve just gotten into 3d printing. I have the a1 mini and have been thoroughly enjoying it. I’m not really into exploring the tinkering aspect of 3d printing, but I’m curious: Just in terms of dollar cost, are there savings starting with a cheap tinkerers printer and then trying to upgrade to something like bambu level reliability? Loren

What is a common “mistake” you see in personally designed 3d models which make the prints less likely to succeed with good quality? How can a model be uniquely designed for 3d printing rather than traditional manufacturing methods?
Ben

This Episodes Question:

So I built my first V2.4 almost 2 and a half years ago and loved the machine and process so much that I had to have every printer in their Git repository (-legacy….should probably build it anyway)
My second v2.4 under went a complete mcu/motor and hardware upgrade(ceramic bearings,gates GT3 belts leviathan 48v board LDO super power 2.8a motors,two seperate psu and CNC motion parts by Vitalli….now the question

Do you think that there is a mounting focus on speed?
When is enough enough?
If you took a Voron from 2024 to 2012 and showed Adrian Boyer would he have said “wow,we’ve made it!”

All these upgrade to my machines and I still don’t push them past 200mm/8000k velocity/acceleration

This Episodes Questions:

Guy (& Guys):
Love the podcast. thanks. listening to it now while gluing magnets into prints…
Hey, I’m a purple-can-aqua-net guy. I use more than a fifties housewife.
What solvent do you use/recommend to remove built up aqua net from build plates? I print maybe 50 times between soaking with 99% IPA which works but it’s slow and sticky. Wondering if you have a better solution (both definitions of the word).
Thanks:
JC

This Episodes Questions:

Hi guys, I listen to your podcast all the time and I have an ender two pro and recently the extruder got out of adjustment and I can’t seem to get it fine tuned back the way it was out of the box. It seems to print about an 8th inch of this woven basket, which is a lot of retraction and then it air prints after that, and I checked the nozzle it’s clear, but the filament gets stuck in the extruder and is smashed. Is there an easy way to adjust it? William

Really enjoyed the discussion around prempting filament issues. Thanks for chatting about it on the podcast. I’ve now racked up over 1000 hours of print time on the X1C with a range of filaments – and associated trouble shooting. I can vouch that not all filament is created equal! I’ve started designing custom parts for around the house, and i’m wondering…
What are your go-to tools/software and workflow for creating 3D printed solutions?
Keep up the great show Norman

Hi guys,
I know this question isn’t for the majority of viewers but I was wondering if you could do an episode on custom built printers?
What could each of you imagine making?

• Max. build vol. dimensions?
• What max precision or speed combinations could you achieve?
• Could you build it to do an annealing process on print completion?
• Have a “PIC” robotic arm & parts rack to embed parts and electronic components laying down and soldering tracers. Jay Hox

This Episodes Questions:

Hello,
I’m a dedicated listener of your podcast and I have a question that’s been on my mind regarding 3D printing materials. Nowadays, PETG is available at a price point similar to PLA, sparking a debate among enthusiasts. Many argue that PETG is superior in every aspect, rendering the use of PLA obsolete. However, my personal experiments, corroborated by various online sources, indicate that PLA exhibits greater tensile strength and, in some cases, enhanced impact resistance—especially PLA+. This does seem to vary across different brands.
While PETG undoubtedly outperforms in terms of temperature resilience and chemical stability, its reputed strength superiority is something I find quite perplexing. My theory is that PETG’s significant deformation under gradual stress, as opposed to PLA’s sudden failure under higher loads, might be influencing this common perception. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Thank you for the consistently excellent content! Kelly

Hey guys love what you do, I’m listening to the “Worn Nozzle” Podcast. You mention the 3D Chameleon multi filament changer. You guys should try to get him on the show, https://www.3dchameleon.com/ . The inventor is Bill Steele (I may have misspelled the last name) and if you will look at the dates of releases, Bill’s invention predates all the multi filament changers even Prusa’s MMU, Bambu’s AMS, etc. He is up to version MK4 and this unit is amazing. Don’t dismiss it as a gimmick, it works better than all these others out there including the new “enraged rabbit carrot feeder”. Chris

This Episodes Questions:

Hi everyone,
I am jeroen pattyn from belgium and im a 3D print hobbyist for 2 years now .
Is there a possibility to use 2 different kinds of support on 1 model ?
Sometimes i m thinking to use organics on one overhang and raster on the other . This for saving some time and getting better results .
I was thinking first i could do this with the paint on supports in prusaslicer but i dont find a possibility .
I have a prusa xl 5 head printer and a bambulab x1 CARBON i would like to hear your thoughts on this one guys .
Greetings from belgium and keep doing the fun job with the podcast .

Listening to the most recent podcast discussing volumetric flow rate. If you weren’t aware, this can be displayed in cura. Once the model is sliced in the preview tab, there’s a drop down where you can select options other than line type. One of these is flow, and it will show a color gradient on the model of what the volumetric flow rate is at different regions of the print. This can be used to see the max vol flow value too. Cheers! Ben

I’ve been 3D printing for about 8-months. I currently have a Bambu Labs X1C. I’ve never dried filament. I had the last meter or so of a roll of PLA get brittle and I just recycled it, but no other issues. I mainly print with PLA and PETG. I store them in sealed plastic cereal boxes with desiccant. They hygrometers in the boxes typically read ~10%. I keep fresh desiccant in the AMS, and the humidity meter in the slicer is typically under 3 our of 5. The social boards are filled with wars over “to dry, or not to dry”. Can you give us the true skinny on this topic?
Two questions on filament drying: 1) Under what conditions do you dry filament? What types, and how do you know they need drying? 2) If you dry filament, what do you use. I know the X1C can dry, so I already have one option. I’ve seen people use food dehydrators. And then there are special purpose filament dryers. Thoughts and recommendations would be appreciated.
Love your podcast! Paul

This Episodes Questions:

Hello!
I’m new to the 3d printing world (one week) and have enjoyed learning from your podcast.
How do you recommend diagnosing and fixing printing issues with different filaments?
So far Ive only run PLA and PLA+ through the Bambu x1C – I’ve got some TPU, Silk and ABS coming so it’d be good to be prepared for when someting eventually goes wrong! Norman

I recently decided that I needed more printers, as one does, and building one was fun, so of course I need a Voron 2.4 350mm. Now, I could just use the Print-it-Forward and buy the pieces, but I wanted to print it myself. I built the frame, added the panels, and by moving the MK4 screen a bit, I managed to use the Voron-frame to enclose my MK4 so it could print ABS better. I don’t have the greatest ventilation available, but there is some, and I don’t notice very much smell. Is modern, quality ABS a bit better health-wise, or is it still kinda bad? I don’t sleep in the same room Christian

My son, age 13, wants to buy a printer. His budget is $350 MAX. We have been doing lots of research in this budget range via YouTube, podcast and talking to people.
We have been leaning towards the Ender 3 ke or the A1 mini, since the Prusa is just too far out of our budget right now.
The usage would be for masks, small to medium size mechanical parts designing, mechanic tool box organization, speed is NOT priority (but nice to have), print quality is preferred.
I want to know, now that some of these printers have been on the market for a little while, what would you recommend for a first time buyer today, considering the whole market and not just these two mentioned.
Thank you David

This Episodes Questions:

How do you know when a nozzle is worn out? if printing normal PLA and PETG, do you have an expected lifespan such as X kg of filament? Comparing cheap AliExpress nozzles of basic material with name-brand or special alloys or coatings, is longevity increased or is the gain primarily on performance and heat transfer? Ben

Thanks for the great podcast. I enjoy it a lot even if you’re discussing machines, materials and techniques I’ll likely never use myself! There are endless YouTube channels on the subject, but what I like about the podcast in particular is the discussion, and your willingness to challenge each other about views you hold, in a constructive way. Keep it up!I have an Ender 5-S1 and can print reliably in PLA now. Of course, it started out printing OK but went downhill as I experimented with it and destroyed and then replaced the surface plate.
Anyway, now that I’ve got it all going I’d like to start printing PETG too. While I’m a lot more clued up now, the problem is I don’t necessarily remember all the steps that led me to bring the PLA print quality back up to spec – I was just blindly following different clues and recommendations due to my lack of experience. If you were in my position, how would you approach generating a good profile for PETG? I’m thinking in terms of what types of test prints, and the order you’d do particular tests, along with anything else you’d suggest. Simon

Are the phrozen or even the anycubic ams or multi color units any good ? Are they just bambulab clones.
I love yalls content keep it up, Thanks in advance Tobias

This Episodes Questions:

Just finished the latest episode where you guys talked about FreeCAD. I almost snapped when Guy said it was not parametric, or that “just recently changed”. It’s been like that since day one, almost 22 years ago.
What Guy referred to was the Topological Naming Problem, the thing that happens when you remove a feature that another feature depends upon. Something that was mentioned happening to Guy in Fusion as well. Have great news, in the 0.22dev branch it has code that mitigates that issue (can never be solved, because there is an infinite number of possible models to design and an infinite ways of breaking things) and in August or September the 1.0 version is going to be released with that fix and many, many improvements present in the 0.22dev. I encourage you to be on the fence for when 1.0 is released.
And yes, FreeCAD uses the graphics card with OpenGL.
Cheers from Argentina, Gabriel

The Ender 5-S1 is my only machine. Aside from the sonic pad and the acrylic enclosure, are there any mods that you’d consider worth the time and investment? If yes, what would be the cost and how tricky are they to pull off for someone with good DIY skills and equipment, but only moderate 3d printer knowledge? I’m in the UK (I can do the currency conversion, but not all products available to you might be available easily here, though I’m willing to import if it’s worth it).
Thanks again! Simon Troup

What are the major categories or different applications you would classify printers into? I’m thinking along the lines of a voron 0 for small high quality, something with a large print volume, something enclosed and high precision, etc. I ask this as I consider selecting a second printer, what are some considerations to decide on what would most expand my capabilities?
I have an E3V3 KE with some minor mods (structural, silicone spacers, nozzles) and I have it well tuned and printing great. Do I get a second one for continuity and ease of use, or would I be better served getting something to fit a different niche?
Love the podcast and all the different angles you bring to the discussion!Ben

I was curious to know what type of ASA you were trying to print as I have printed E-Sun, Inland and Polymaker. I have never had a problem with keeping it on the bed. I’ve even printed it on an ender 3 pro in the open air and it stuck just fine. I do use Magioo on my print beds, so just curious what you guys were using that was warping. I have a K1, an Ender 3 pro and Ender 3 pro s1 and a sv06 Sovol and printed ASA just fine on all of them. The SV06 and the s1 are in those cheap creality plastic enclosures.
Thank you for the response. Chris

I love the podcast. Guy, I’ve been following you on the fine woodworking side for several years, and gravitated to this podcast when I got my first 3D printer, an AnyCubic Kobra 2 along with Raspberry Pi and Octoprint, in December. I’ve upgraded to Bambu Labs X1 Carbon. The Kobra 2/Raspberry Pi required me to spend my time mastering the technology, rather than just printing cool stuff. I realized I did not need another rabbit hole, so I went with the X1. The analogy I use when asked by other 3Ders is that rather than being the guy who soups up the car, I just want to go for a ride! But, I digress.
I’ve heard mixed reviews on the advantages of a 0.6mm hot end vs. the stock 0.4mm that comes with the printer. Speed and strength are noted as the primary advantages, but at some cost to quality. Many of the prints I make are for use as jigs in the shop or other household hacks, so even though I love the quality of the prints, I could sacrifice that for speed. I’ve read many comments on reddit that say the speed improvement claim is exaggerated. Can you guys set me straight? Paul

This Episodes Questions:

I got into the hobby in the last year or so, and have been looking at lots of different printers for my second machine. I’m fascinated by the design of them. I have an older, second-hand, FlashForge educational model the “Inventor”, and I rarely have to re-level my bed once it’s dialed in.
Why does the larger Voron design use a flying gantry with 4 stepper motors, instead of a fixed gantry and a moving build plate for the z axis? It seems like it would be so wobbly and it requires mesh bed leveling. Also, why are PEI build plates so popular when a Glass plate is so much flatter, more durable, and has better thermal mass?
Tim

What has been your favorite personal project or application of 3d printing? What have you made or fixed with 3d printing that you were most proud of, excited about, or found most useful?
Ben

Hey Guy and guys,
I love my Ender 3 v3 and I’ve printed a ton of PLA with it. However, the stock profile in Creality Print for PETG prints quite slowly in comparison, around 50 mm/sec. How do I go about printing PETG faster? What settings should I look into adjusting so I can bump the speed and still get decent prints? Thanks!
Bruce

Hi Guy(s),

Thanks for the discussion about FreeCAD. Since I asked my original question, there has been some notable development in the FreeCAD project that might entice you or some listeners to check it out. And just to be clear, I’m not involved in the development of FreeCAD or Ondsel, I’m just enthusiastic about its progress and think it could be of use to a lot of people.
In the latest development builds of FreeCAD (available on their GitHub), they have made major improvements in the parametric behavior. Models are more resilient when making changes and references are less likely to break. FreeCAD is still not as usable as something like Onshape, but at the current rate of development, I think it is becoming serious competition.
I guess this is supposed to be a question, so how about this: What are your go to resources for learning a new program/software? Do you have any specific websites or YouTube channels you recommend for learning your CAD program of choice? Thanks,
Austin

Hey guys,
I’ve been developing an adjustable projection jig for the most popular honing guides (Guy can explain), but the parts aren’t coming out square. I have a Bambu P1S, and I’ve tried different orientations for the parts (except diagonally), and different materials and print speeds, but the parts are consistently out of square, which renders the jig useless. I’ve had the issue since the printer was first set up.
How do you recommend I fix the problem? Thanks!
Damon

This Episodes Questions:

Hey I want to get my first printer and can’t decide what to get. I am a cnc machinist and program parts using CAD softwares daily. I’m looking to start a little side hustle and produce practical parts/be creative with prints. I would prefer an enclosed printer but definitely can be persuaded otherwise. What printer is best? What about a second printer. Levi

I have been interested in recent developments in FreeCAD. I’m hoping it can become the Blender of parametric modeling in terms of being fully featured with a clean UI. Do any of you Guy(s) have experience using FreeCAD? Austin

This Episodes Questions:

Hey fellas! I live in stony plain Alberta and the temp like to swing a solid 80 degrees celcius over the year. I’m doing a new stereo build for my car and want to put my lowly ender 3 neo to work! It’s modded to all heck and I can put it in my workshop if I need a heated chamber. Now here’s my question. In the summer it’s not unusual to see North of 35c/95f which means in car temps when parked can reach 50c/125f now will PETG survive this? Or do I need to go with ABS?
I could google it but I’d much rather listen to guy accuse Nathan of making up words while JJ prints a golden toilet in the background.
Cheers fellas! Look forward to the next episode.
P.S. I can’t remember if I said this or not initially. I’ll be making speaker pods that live on the dash next to the A pillar. Normally I’d do wood and fiberglass. Justin

I initially purchased a Prusa printer with the understanding that I could continuously upgrade it through available kits as new versions are released. However, I’m beginning to question whether this approach is truly beneficial. Do you believe it is sensible for Prusa to design the MK5 in a manner that allows full upgrading from the MK4, or could this strategy be inadvertently hindering significant innovation?
Love the podcast!” Jim

What are your thoughts on the best base or location for a printer? Something soft to absorb vibration or hard and heavy to be sturdy, or a layering of different materials? Ben

This Episodes Questions:

I’m really looking forward to hearing about Guy’s experience putting together his latest Voron. If you guys could build your “ultimate Voron”, what would it be and what would be your application for it? James

Are the phrozen machines any good or are they just bambu lab replicas? Tobias Raynor

I am debating between a dual hybrid corexy motion system for idex or a basic cartesian cube setup. I know everyone is obsessed with corexy these days for speed and quality but are there any actual benefits to that over a cube cartesian system like the ender 5 plus? From what I can tell, all the benefits come from limiting bed movement to the z axis and a print head that is potentially lighter due to not carrying the x axis motor. I’m using high temp motors so in theory they don’t need to be moved outside of the chamber, and with idex, the x gantry will never be that light. Am I missing something or do these 2 printer styles essentially share the same benefits?
What do you think I should do – hybrid corexy or cartesian cube?
Should I trust that this can be done safely, follow directions posted online, and maybe just have an electrician friend check my work?
Is the reality that wiring on any moving parts will eventually fail, and therefore I should pursue a custom 48v or 24v heatbed made in the 800+ W range?
Thanks guys and keep up the good work with the podcast Peter Osinski

This Episodes Questions:

Hey guys!
seems like you guys cant stop talking about Bhaam-Booo printers. so this question is about filaments.
I like how manufactures clearly label their filaments what type of filament it is(PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA so on) but what I dont like is how different brands/manufactures filaments differ from one another… NOT ALL PLAs are SAME PLAs even though the TYPE and COLOR are the same. so that makes me question – what the heck these manufactures mix into their filaments? is there any regulating body like FDA for food stuff? how are these random bands(funky named-chinese brands) able to offer filaments from time to time on the market?will be looking forward to the next episode! Thanks, Max

Hi, I really enjoy the pod cast. Keep up the good work.
What the is the correlation between layer adhesion and a matted or shiny finish of a ABS print. Doesn’t a shiny finish mean better layer bonding. I want the strongest parts possible my chamber temps can reach 65-70c on a voron.
What confusing me is when I run a volumetric flow test per Ellis tuning guide It says to pay attention to where it transitions from matted to shiny. So which is better for layer adhesion for abs?
I hope you are understanding what I’m asking.
Leeki Bumb

You had a question previously of someone who had acquired an X1 Carbon for work. They were very happy with it and asked for a recommendation for a second printer, something in the $2500 range. I was waiting for you to recommend the Bambu Lab X1E (Enterprise/Engineering) because that is exactly the price of that machine, but there was no mention of it. The hot end gets hotter and it has a full lan only capabilities. It seems like this machine is the reason we don’t have full lan mode on the X1 Carbon, because they want to charge you an extra $1000 for that capability. To me, that is a bad reason to withhold software features on X1 Carbon. With a $600 Creality K1C able to do full lan mode out of the box, it seems to me it’s direct competitor is really the $2500 Bambu X1E. What do you think?
Keep up the great work. Best 3d printing podcast there is. Adam

This Episodes Questions:

Howdy! I just wanted to comment about the last podcast it was mentioned when you put a Bambu printer in LAN only mode bypassing the cloud it asks you for the 10 digit code. It doesn’t do that anymore, you just have to enter the code once and it remembers it now. Leith

In Canada today, a Prusa MK4 is $1099 CAD, Bambu’s A1 is $719, or Creality is selling the Ender 3 V3 KE for $399. All 3 are bed slingers capable of a sub 20 minute benchy, auto bed-levelling, and input shaping.
In the early days of 3D printing, Prusa demanded a premium because they had arguably the best printer on the market. Today, Prusa still prices their printers like they are a cut above, but the competition has caught up.
Does Prusa need to reassess how they price their machines in today’s market? Or is that orange paint still worth the Prusa premium?
I’ve been playing around with 3D printing on my ender 3 v2 for almost a year now, and I’ve pretty much exclusively used PLA. The other day I got my first spool of PETG and I’m amazed, it prints just like PLA but is tougher, more thermal resistant, UV resistant, and the quality is just as good as PLA and just as easy to print.
Why are we still predominantly using PLA when PETG exists? Cory

Hey Guy, Nathan & JJ,
Thanks for everything you guys do!
the question is about designing models you could monetize. There are many talented folks come up with original ideas but one size does not fit all. so how about designing similar model for same purpose? truly designing; not removing their logos from their STLs, designing and making STEP files.
does it invite copyright issues? just wanted to hear on this from you guys.
Thanks, keep up the good work
EM Extruded Mind

Also, I’m guessing the printer’s motion control components are just as important for print quality if not more so, but is there anything new and innovative happening in the motion control space or has decades of industrial automation given us the best we are going to get and all that’s left to do is find the best components at the cheapest price? James

This Episode’s Questions:

It seems to me that the 3D printer market is going to split into two types; the enclosed ecosystem (Apple) and the open source type (Android). Companies like Bambu want the enclosed ecosystem to build appliances that maximize profit potential. I’m OK with that because there is good value to consumers for products that “just work” and you guys clearly like your P1P’s and P1S’s. My only problem with that is the loss of privacy and control to Bambu’s network. It’s a no-go for me and like Nathan, I work offline and I will never own a machine that requires online access to operate. I got the impression there is a way around that but Bambu makes it difficult. Could you expand on what workarounds there are for people like me who don’t want to drink the Koolaid? James

Hello! New listener, and first time writer. I have an Ender 3, an Ender 3 v2, and a friends CR-10 smart. I was wondering what your recommendations would be to upgrade one of the Enders to print either TPU, or ABS/ASA. I could go either direction really! Love the show! Leo

I heard a guy asking about building. Voron and you guys recommend he go with bambu. But he can go with troodon which is a pre built voron. I provided a link. Brad

And Nathan dispels some 3D Printing superstitions

This Episodes Questions:

Hey guys, so, I wanted some advice. I’ve been looking to get a Bambu Lab printer but I’m wondering if it’s worth the jump from the P1S to the X1C. For me, I run a small print farm for a vendor fair/craft show business. I print primarily PLA, PETG, and TPU but I enjoy enclosed printers so the P1P and A1 are out of the picture for me. I’ve watched review after review and some people love the P1S, some don’t, especially because of the screen and the camera. Is the camera that bad and is the screen that big of a headache? Do I spend the extra money for a better camera, LiDar, hardened steel extruder/nozzle, and touchscreen? Or am I better off buying a P1S and saving myself money? Braden

For the “Pro-sumer” and light industrial users the possibility of using more technical plastic materials, metals and continuous carbon fiber filament is very exciting and I’m looking forward to the inevitable trickle down effect from the more serious users like aerospace and automotive manufacturing. I would love to see more content in that direction but are any of you guys particularly interested in those higher capability machines or do you prefer to stay strictly in the hobby arena? Also, which of the more advanced 3D printing technologies do you think will be most likely to be affordable to the average consumer first? James

Hi guys,
I am currently running an E5S1 and E3v2. I have a potential customer that requires the product to be temp stable in a hot vehicle and am torn between:

• Qidi smart3
• Qidi Xmax3 Plus
• Prusa mini in enclosure
• Bambu P1S
• Ratrig V-Minion
• Crealiy K1
• Voron v0
  I am currently spending 30min or so getting my print chamber to 45c with the E5S1 in the tent enclosure thingy. Any recommendations? Is a small Ratrig or Voron farm a good idea?? Jeremiah

Guy, JJ and Nathan discuss what has happened in 2023 and some predictions of what could be coming in 2024

This Episodes Questions:

Hey guys,
First of all, thanks so much for the podcast. I really enjoy the banter and the in-depth analysis you guys offer. With MMU’s being so popular and with Bambu Lab’s intro into the market with the AMS, I was immediately intrigued at the ability to hit a button and generate a multi-color print. However, in looking into it, I noticed the waste it was producing and just can’t bring myself to pull the trigger on one and contribute to that waste pile. I’m curious if you guys had any thoughts on how you would design an “AMS-like” unit that would be able to turn out a multi-color print all while producing minimal to no waste. Or is just something that is unavoidable?
Thanks again for the great content!
Josh

I have read a little bit online about various methods of post-processing of plastic prints to improve strength, toughness and reduce voids. I understand there is a way use a type of salt that is packed tightly around a print to maintain it’s shape and then the print is annealed at high heat. Have guys tried this and if so what was your experience? To me it sounds like a great idea, but like most things the devil is likely in the details.
James

I’d like to include some threads on some printed parts so I can connect them using bolts. When I try to print my parts, the threads are not clean enough to use. I design them .01 proud to leave room for the bolt. I’m printing them with the bolt going through the Z-axis, but the results aren’t great. Any suggestions or reference to sources to get this figured out?
Paul

This Episodes Questions:

Hello Guy, Nathan, and JJ, I might be interested in purchasing a 3d printer before the end of 2023. I have some experience with printers, but still kinda a beginner with them. I have previously owned a Bambu lab P1P and a Creality Ender 3 v2. If I wanted to purchase another printer this year, what are some great options $700 or less($700 before tax, so including Bambu p1s). If I do get one, I think I might want to get an enclosed one. There are a lot of options, such as, the K1, Qidi x plus 3, Flashforge Adventurer 5m pro, and Bambu lab p1s. If there are any others that are good options, please let me know. This is a long message, but any help with giving me confidence in a potential purchase is appreciated. I think for me personally, it might be between the p1s and the Flashforge Adventurer 5m pro, but let me know what you guys think. Thank you, much appreciated 🙂
E. Morgan

Hey everyone! I hope ya’ll are doing well! I have a quick question for you, Guy. I want to get into CNC machines, except I need to know which to get. It does need to be a cheap budget one, as I’m primarily using it to cut acrylic and thinner wood pieces. In the future, I wouldn’t mind cutting bigger pieces. Any advice would help! Thank you!
Luis

Send Us Your Questions! perfectfirstlayer@gmail.com

No new questions this week from the audience! So we have a great discussion about Nathan attending Formnext, The Bambu A1 Mini, Prusa and Bambu marketing styles and future of 3D Printers. Send us your questions! perfectfirstlayer@gmail.com

This Episodes Questions:

Hello Guy, JJ, and Nathan,
I was wondering if you could discuss the idea that the 3d printing “hobby” has come full circle from the early days of the Stratasys machines to the current crop of machines from BambuLab, Creality, Qidi, Flashforge and the myriad other manufacturers that aren’t making “Open Source” machines. Also what are you thoughts about keeping some parts closed while open sourcing other parts, i.e. BambuLab Slicer VS their firmware. I know Guy couldn’t give a crap, as long as it prints, but what effect do you think this “partial Open Source-ing” will have on the hobby long term? I mean no one cares that their microwave isn’t open source, so does it even matter?
Thanks for the podcast and your opinions.
-John D Strand

Howdy howdy! First off, love the show, thank you for the awesome content. So I’m semi new to printing, semi tech literate, very mechanically inclined, just as a back story haha. Anyway I have an e3v2, been upgrading it a bit and I am at the inevitable crossroads of hotends. I believe y’all have touched on some but I haven’t seen a complete episode on them ( or at least titled as such, sorry still catching up on all of them ). So here are my parameters, e3v2, converted to direct drive, cr touch ( with no reservations on moving it ) and I would like to print hot materials. Sorry for the long winded letter but any help or perspectives would be great! Thank you in advance.
Justin

Hi guys,
Thanks for such a great podcast!My 2 part question is this, I have an old Qidi Xplus that I modded with the icarus 2 mod from Printables. I absolutely love it. However, recently, I needed to change the heartbreak. I am using a Phaetus Dragon standard flow with an Orbitor 2 extruder.
I somehow managed to damage the 4 tiny posts that go into the dragon. I have ordered replacements from numerous places online like Ali Express and Triangle Labs. For some weird reason, I have been having issues with receiving these after ordering multiple times. Other items arrive, just not these stupid posts. So I was wondering if you knew of a hack I could use to replace them with? Such a strange design in my opinion. Any advice is appreciated. I now understand why Nathan threw one of these Qidi printers in the trash.
If you have time to answer this, I would also like to put a better main board in this machine. Any suggestions?
Cheers and thank you in advance!
Jesse from Burbank,CA.

This episodes questions:

Based on a previous question you guys helped with, company I am consulting with purchased a Bambu X1 Carbon. We are successfully producing salable nylon/carbon fiber parts for ultra light canoes. Very happy with our purchase.
So – next question. Thinking of second printer. What are the gains you would get in the $1500 to $2500 range. Is it speed, robustness or reliability? The X1 checked all the boxes with good build, easy to learn slicer and reliable prints so far. Just trying to understand why we would make the next jump up, and if it is really necessary.
Thanks for all the info – it has been invaluable so far!
Gary Ratajczak

Hi guys,
Hope you are all well.
My question would be: do you guys have any tips for printing larger prints for a bed slinger dimensions 220x220x250? I have an Anycubic Kobra 2. I intend to print helmets which are generally a lot larger than my print bed dimensions. And What are your thoughts on SLA printing?
Thank you all for this great podcast!
Kind Regards,
Carson, Southampton, UK (place where Titanic set sail if it helps haha)

Hello all! Since you all have one of those fancy new Enders, is that the X-Motor on the back of the gantry? I keep wondering in all the reviews I see. Any thoughts on why they moved it to the back? What’s the belt path look like?
Thanks Guy(s)! ha ha! Love the podcast!
JohnDStrand

This Episodes Questions and Comment:

From: Michael Banicki
Listening to your last episode I heard you talking about the labor intensive art of creating profiles for different slicers for different printers and materials. One thing I have found is that many of your 3D model websites like printables will also have downloads for different slicers and materials and printers on them as well. Such as you can search for k1 Max profile on printables and many different things come up. Thought this may be a helpful suggestion for yourselves, or other listeners that may be new to setting up custom profiles and slicers and needed a little bit of help.

Hey Guy, JJ, and Nathan.

I am at that stage in my life that I have a printer I no longer need/want. It’s an Ender 3 Pro, with some mods and upgrades. There’s an organization, locally, that I can donate it to so that it will hopefully help someone else get hooked on the hobby.
My only reservation is that it was my FIRST PRINTER, I don’t have any sentimental attachment to it now… I think… but wanted see if you’ve ever had any regrets about gifting, selling, getting rid of a printer.Thanks a lot,
Jon LaRue, Kirkwood MO.

From: Carter
Subject: Analysis Paralysis – I’ve got it bad

Message Body:
Hey guys, listening from Canada (sorry for all the smoke), I love the podcast and have learned quite a bit from your deep dives. Keep up the good work! Nathans humor and total lack of give a f**k makes my sides hurt.
I was hoping you could point me in the right direction for my situation. I am trying really hard to ignore the hype built up around these next gen printer speeds, but I think there is some merit to them. On one hand I’m not sure I’d gain anything as fast part cooling typically = weaker parts. On the other, rapidly printing prototypes would speed up workflow.
I am printer shopping and stuck in analysis paralysis. I currently have a highly modified Ender 3v2 (Dragonflt BMS, fans, Jyers firmware) and have gotten it dialed into the point where I can click send to printer and walk away. I now need something to print ABS,ASA and maybe CF nylon for functional prints so having a built in filter is a huge plus. High speed PLA or PETG would be a bonus but not absolutely necessary. I also don’t have an immediate need for a bigger build surface but maybe not a bad idea to get for the future.
My current choices are as follows:
Budget ~$1500cnd + or – $300

• Another Ender 3v2 (or 2 or 3) on sale $289 + mods will cost $500cnd total with a custom filtered enclosure. Sticking with what I know is appealing to keep the workflow the same but maybe not the most reliable choice for making functional parts even if its in an enclosure. It’s also outdated so I’m not sure that’s a good use of my money. They also take up a lot of space.
• An Ender 3v3se + an enclosed Prusa Mk3s+ (fast printer + a workhorse)
• Bambulabs P1S – $900 + $80 hardened parts for CF
• Creality K1/K1 Max – $700-$1250
• 1 or 2 Prusa mk3S+ – $879 ($450-700 used with an enclosure.)
• Prusa Mk4 $1400 + enclosure too expensive for what it is?
• Any other suggestions? I am not apposed to buying 2 printers, so long as it fits within the budget.
  I am inclined to lean toward a K1 Max because I feel like once the source code is released retrofitting parts would be much easier and the community will embrace it more. Probably not to the same extent as the E3v2, but the ability to fix any deficiencies with the machine long term would be nice.
  Sorry for the length, please feel free to cut this down to save recording time. Thanks for all that you guys do to keep us nerds entertained on long drives and at work.

This episodes questions:

With the new addition of podcasts to youtube music, do you guys have any plans of uploading podcasts to that platform on a separate channel?

Shortandstumpy

A month ago one of the capacitors on the mainboard exploded. It stunk quite bad but the whole 3D-Printer still works. I did use it for a long time but I didn´t do any upgrades or changes on it. Can I still use it?
Love your podcast!

David

So I’m relatively new to the 3D printing community and I’ve been able to acquire a few printers from an auction site here in Vegas where 3D printers go extremely cheap. An Ender 3 S1, Flashforge Adventurer 3 Pro and Phrozen Mighty 8K resin printer. I’ve also been lucky enough to find an original stock Prusa i3 MK2 for $100 through the Marketplace. If you were to choose between the MK2 and S1 which would you choose and why?

Linus

something that JJ mentioned in this episode was power outages (whilst printing a helmet for example)… I don’t really understand when/who needs an uninterrupted power supply. These power outages that people talk about, are they momentary outages that cause print failures, or are they longer outages? I ask because I am about to buy my first 3d printer, and I’ve never owned any kind of battery-based power supply protection. Using my computer, I never notice any power outages other than the longer outage kind. So my question is, what kind of power outages are you referring to and are they common? I would guess the sort of very short power interruptions that commonly occur but most people never notice, are usually handled by capacitors for small electronics. But I’m supposing the power consumption of a 3d printer means the capacitors they have for the motor drivers are not specified to provide much power supply protection… please could you discuss the topic of power supply, the sorts of power outages that people can commonly expect, and who really needs to invest in power supply interruption solutions. Great podcast, thanks in advance.

Tom

This Episodes Questions:

I’m planning to make an Iron man suit as a summer project, inspired by Frankly built, and I’m not sure what slicer has better support material, Cura or Prusaslicer.  Almost every print will need to have supports, so this is important.

Calvin Selin

Hello Guy, JJ, and Nathan,

I have a question about wiring as a result of adding dual 5015 fans to my Ender 3 monstrosity.

I like using crimps vs soldering and would like to add a second fan for part cooling, but it’s been 20 years since tech school so my memory is fuzzy on best practices. 

How do I wire the second 5015 fan? Can I run 2 positive wires into 1 side of the crimp and a single positive wire back to the motherboard, and then the same with the negative side? 

I plan on using quick connects closer to the print head for ease of maintenance later. The slicing of the wires is planned be further away from the print head so there’s less movement on the splice/combination of wires. 

Thanks for your help.

Jon LaRue

Hi, Recently upgraded to cr-10 smart pro I can get solid prints unless I use the front right side of the printer. I have leveled several times manual and automatic; still no luck. Any suggestions in what I should do?

Alex

Hey guys been listening for awhile and just listening to the recent episode and had some good recommendations. You seem to have about the sidewinder X2 and it’s a good printer but I have had issues with it and had to move to klipper. Do you guys have the problem? The problem seems to be with Pausing and resuming prints (so can’t do color changes) and if you’d lose power you can’t resume. Thanks in advance.

Brad

Hi guys, it’s wayne again from the the Uk, just wondering what your thoughts was on idex machines, was thinking of getting the Sovol sv04, keep up the great show 👍

Wayne

Hi everyone,

I hope y’all are doing well! I started listening to the podcast a couple weeks ago and I’m loving it! I love hearing the advice y’all give to everyone about their printers. I actually had a question of my own. Nathan, I’ve seen every video you’ve made for the S1. I was wondering if there were any upgrades/mods you’d add to it now with the recent release of products in 2023 i.e Sonicpad, BTT Pad 7, and main boards?

Luis

Had a tech issue here at PFL, and was only able to restore about half the podcast. Sorry! We still are puiblishing what we have and it’s a really great conversation for it’s length. Thanks so much for listening!

This Episodes Listener Questions:

Hello guys,

I’m a listener from the Netherlands. I really enjoy your podcast, so keep up the good work! 🙂

As a wannabe printer owner I’m in search for a printer that fits my needs. What I’m looking for is:

• ease of use
• reliability
• print quality
• 350 euro/dollar max

I’d really hate to spend much time on the printer instead of printing so thats why reliability and ease of use is important for me.

In that regard, I thought a second hand Prusa mk3s+ would be the best choice, but those sell for around 500 euro where I live. Meaning I have to save a bit longer.

Another option is to buy a cheaper, new printer, like the Sovol SV06, which fits my budget. This printer seems to tick all the boxes of what would normally be upgraded on cheaper machines. I wonder what your opinion is. Would you recommend either of these or maybe something else?

Kind regards,

Matroosoft

ive been printing as far back as the Anet A8, AKA the firestarter, and i have numerous build plates, PEI, Builttak, glass, and textured PEI, even carbon fibre, gives great finish, ive never had a problem with adhesion, never had to use glue or hairspray, Just wondered what you guys goto print surface is, ps only just found the podcast, great show guys.

Wayne

This episodes questions:

Jacob 

With the recent debacle between Bambu and Prusa. I was wondering about Bambu patents. As far as I am aware a patent is only enforceable if it was an original thought. The only two things I can even think Bambu has added to the knowledge the community had is the “LIDAR” and the more precise carbon rods. Everything else about the printer has been done like purge bucket, Multi material, Linear advance and pressure advance. I was wonder your guys thoughts on really how much could Bambu patient? I can’t see much damage being done “LIDAR” kinda sucks and is not needed and there are other ways to cut weight like the Ultra light 2020.

Love the podcast gives me some knowledge and entertainment at work.

Gary  Ratajczak 

Helping family friends that own a canoe company get started in 3D Printing for some accessories and prototyping – I have no experience accept for Fusion 360.  Getting overwhelmed with all the info.  They are looking for an enclosed unit, without the need for a lot of tweaking.  First project is printing a higher strength carbon filament.  Not interested in units that are not yet on the market, and ones without support as this will be used for some light production.  Do you guys have some tips to get me started. I hear Prusa the most, but it does not look like they have an enclosed unit.  I have watched many videos, but don’t know what I don’t know.  I understand nothing is perfect, but just looking to get them off to a good solid start while we learn and ramp up. New listener – enjoying greatly!!

Stephen Shankles

Hey guys, JJ’s brother Stephen here. I’ve been enjoying the podcast, keep up the good work.

I’ve got a small 3d printer JJ gave me about a year ago and it’s been great fun making small things and toys for the kids, but I’ve been struggling to find many truly useful projects to make with it.  I’m a professional furniture maker and run my own wood shop, and I’m sure there are ways a 3d printer can be used in that context.  Can you guys tell me what your favorite uses for 3d printing are?  Things that are better or more useful for having been printed.

This Episodes Listener Questions:

From Hurz:
How does Guy feel about wood filled filament?

From Derek:
Hello from Tasmania! Really enjoying the 3D printing podcast after consuming most of the woodshop life podcasts. I also started in woodworking and have branched out to 3D printing after getting a second hand Creality CR6-SE about a year ago.
My question: can you talk about your preferred method for storing filament and keeping it dry. Also is there a shelf life for filaments or if stored properly could they be used indefinitely?
Second question: pros and cons of having an enclosure. I print with PETG or PLA+. I mainly make jigs and accessories for the workshop (eg TIG tungsten grinder, right angle sanding jig for festool sander, drill bit holders etc). Is there any advantage for me to make an acrylic enclosure for my printer? Would i get any improvements in terms of print quality? My house is climate controlled and has very stable temp and humidity levels.

Possible question 3:
Have you ever had a 3D printer malfunction or catch fire (worst case scenario) with extended or overnight use. Just wondering how well these machines might stand up to a longer period of use. I sometimes might have to leave the house when there’s a lengthy print happening but sometimes worry about what could happen when left unattended. Given there are electrics plus heat in combination, any tips on safety and fire risk?
Thanks!

From Brent:
Hello love the show I’m currently at a loss I have been 3d printing for a year now and have had several solid prints on ender 5 pro. We ended up having a large storm and it still worked after words but with issues I’ve fixed almost all of them by upgrading and replacing certain parts but my current issue is that the walls of my prints are separated not layer lines but looking down at the walls they are separated when they where one before and I have asked many 3d printing groups and they only send me to same websites that haven’t been able to help any ideas I’m ready to burn this printer to the ground thank you sorry for the length of this message

Here are this weeks listener questions:

Hurz

Hello Guy(s),

how is it that Prusaslicer is so awesome in regard to multimaterial painting and so bad at handling IDEX in general? When using an oozeshield the temperature management is poor i.e. the next extruder reheat is not predicted so it takes a lot of time because isn’t done while the other head is still printing. Also the retraction settings for a tool change are broken for 2 years now, hell back then I didn’t even have a printer. Cura on the other hand handles the machine very nice but has no painting option.

What Slicer does JJ prefer for IDEX?

Jon

Hey Guy, JJ, and Nathan,

I read the other day, “He who has 2 3D printers, has 1 operational 3D printer”. I am looking at getting a second printer, I was impressed with y’all’s (sorry for “y’all’s”  I am from Missouri) videos on the Ender 3 S1/S1 Pro, Ender 5 S1, and Artillery Sidewinder X2. I will be using it to print replacement parts for an Ender 3 Pro I intend to mod. Any opinions on what to buy? I want the ability to print fast as well as print with high quality via slow speeds. I am gravitating towards the Ender 5 S1. Though Artillery is coming out with a CoreXY in the near future that could be cool too.

Sorry if this sort of question are out of bounds. Loving the Podcast.

Here are the Questions for this weeks podcast:

Lawrence from Toronto

   I have an ender 5 with the extruder set up with a bowden tube. If I change over to direct drive, what are the immediate benefits to me? Can I go faster? Does it print better? And if i do upgrade, can you recommend an all in one unit? Or should I go the DIY route and use the parts that I have and print out a new tool head? I know, too many questions. Thanks for the great podcast!

Justin

I want to add automatic bed leveling to my printer which is an Ender 3. There are so many options! Can you guys discuss the different types of bed level sensors and which is the most accurate and the best value?

Jim From Nashville

Hey guys! I am wanting to build a voron 2.4 from a Fysetc kit, and I have always questioned that the printed parts need to be ABS. If I am not going to use an enclosure or print ABS, do I need to print the parts in ABS? How about a general discussion of the 3 main types of filament (PLA, PETG and ABS)? I have an Ender 3 that is pretty modified, but I have never been able to print ABS successfully.

Aaron from Boston

I really want to print fast like Nathan! I have an Ender 3 S1 pro and I think one of the things that I am having trouble with is the parts cooling fan. It’s pretty small and seems to have trouble whenever I kick up the speed a notch in Marlin. How important is having powerful parts cooling fans? How about the different types of filament?

This episode was kind of a free for all conversation. It takes some great twists and turns and a lot of different subject are covered.

Remember we need your questions! Make sure to go to perfectfirstlayer.com and go to the submit page.  

Questions:

Hello! I have an Artillery Sidewinder X2 and would like to install Klipper on it to see if I can print faster. Since Klipper requires a Raspberry Pi, and it seems that they are too expensive, what are my options? There are so many different things to choose from and not sure which offers the best bang for the buck. 

Steven 

Hi Fellas, I am having a real problem with stringing. Whenever I print, I get these fine hairs all over the place. I did try changing the retraction settings in Cura, but it doesn’t matter if I set it as high as 6 or as low as 1. I am printing mostly PLA on an Ender 5 Pro. Thanks for the great podcast!

Justin

We are here to answer and discuss your questions! Please go to our submit page at perfectfirstlayer.com and ask us anything 3D Printer related!

Here are the questions from our listeners this episode:

Hey guys. Just found your podcast and binged the first episodes and really enjoyed them! I do have a question for you. I am having an awful time with supports. I cringe every time I need to use them. I have a Biqu B1 printer and use Cura to slice with. No matter what I do, in the settings, they are hard to remove and end up leaving a lot of marks behind. Any tips you can give me? Thanks again for the great podcast, Jeremy from Oklahoma.

I have a question for you. I recently purchased an Elegoo Neptune 3 PLus and am really loving using it and 3d printing! I have tried  a couple large prints on it and am having issues with the models sticking to the bed while printing. It always seems to happen when the print is almost through a 20 hour + print and it gets ruined. I am using Matterhackers PLA and using the recommended settings for both the hot end and the heated bed. What am I missing? Steven.