An old smartphone and a cheapo mini tripod running IP Camera allows you to monitor prints remotely, pretty useful, it even turns your camera flash LED on/off remotely so you can see in the dark as well as audio if you want to shout at it...!

What did you buy

A new Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro direct from Elegoo at £173 inc delivery plus 1kg of PLA from their UK webstore so I've no idea as to the brand (and yes, buying the right filament and keeping/getting it dry is a mini voyage of discovery in itself).

An old smartphone and a cheapo mini tripod running IP Camera allows you to monitor prints remotely, pretty useful, it even turns your camera flash LED on/off remotely so you can see in the dark as well as audio if you want to shout at it...!

Heck, thanks for that tip - I was not aware of that possibility - a quick Google on the topic reveals a number of options - is there any particular app you'd recommend?

A new Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro direct from Elegoo at £173 inc delivery plus 1kg of PLA from their UK webstore so I've no idea as to the brand (and yes, buying the right filament and keeping/getting it dry is a mini voyage of discovery in itself).

Heck, thanks for that tip - I was not aware of that possibility - a quick Google on the topic reveals a number of options - is there any particular app you'd recommend?

What's the first thing you're going to print? The scraper is pretty handy. Sometimes, you get a memory card or something like that with various test printable things on that might include a scraper, otherwise there's one here:

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/tool/build-plate-scraper-2-0

????? WOT NO BENCHY???

 

#1 print has to be a benchy its 'tradition' just like any time you try new code its 'hello world' time.. new printer -> Benchy time..

I print a benchy with every new colour role of filament I buy for two reasons, 1st so I have a colourway swatch for future reference and 2nd to make sure no issues with the PLA as benchies are designed to be basic stress tests and print the more trickier aspects such as overhangs, compound curves, holes etc.

 

is there any particular app you'd recommend?

 

IP Webcam, it's is free, fire it up, scroll to bottom and click Start Server, type in the given url to any browser on same wifi network, click render as Javascript button and you're done.

 

A new Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro direct from Elegoo at £173 inc delivery plus 1kg of PLA

 

That's a good price for a new FDM printer, looks like a nice machine and has ABL! I nearly bought an Elegoo Mars resin printer cpl yrs back for printing 1:32 slot car bodies, managed to talk myself out of it though due to the hassle of the chemicals involved.

 

Let us know how you get on with your first benchy. Thingiverse etc. will become your best friend.

This is what I get with my printer. it has its own camera. It also has a magazine for the filament with auto-loading, and when you select a different spool, it auto-loads the parameters for the type of filament. The spool-holder thing is sealed, so I don't have to worry about moisture absorbtion. I've never needed to print test pieces. The only ones I've done are to check that bearings and other parts fit exactly how I want them.

 

That's another part or my bike project for those needing clues as to what the project is:

Edited October 21, 20232 yr by saneagle

That Bambu X1 is a lovely printer however you can see where the money has gone, inbuilt camera, enclosure, multiple spool capability, large touchsceen etc., I certainly wouldn't say no to one however couldn't really justify spending that amount of cash when you don't need to.

 

And when you get your first clog you still need to take it apart to troubleshoot. Just like the most advance photocopiers, they still cannot fix their own jams.

https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/x1/troubleshooting/how-to-check-which-part-is-clogged

 

Biggest concern I'd have is that it's all proprietary tech/firmware and I don't know how repairable it is or if they make available parts aftermarket (boards etc.). With Prusas and Creality etc. there are loads of spares available and when they eventually dry up non-working printers for parts can be scavenged from ebay.

 

Anyway, looking forward to see what you've been up to.

 

i need more power

 

fkn 3k each cobalt steal cant see why they dont have 3d scanners and cnc machines in house and di the fkn things in 2 hrs

 

got a new one next month to train up and after 2 years will feck off like the rest

Edited October 21, 20232 yr by soundwave

£127 inc delivery.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WEEFUN-Upgraded-Leveling-Beginners-Removable-Tina2/dp/B09W9B959B/ref=asc_df_B09W9B959B/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=570436685669&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11289883148645765002&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045437&hvtargid=pla-1677181375840&psc=1

 

Edited October 21, 20232 yr by saneagle

That Bambu X1 is a lovely printer however you can see where the money has gone, inbuilt camera, enclosure, multiple spool capability, large touchsceen etc., I certainly wouldn't say no to one however couldn't really justify spending that amount of cash when you don't need to.

 

And when you get your first clog you still need to take it apart to troubleshoot. Just like the most advance photocopiers, they still cannot fix their own jams.

https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/x1/troubleshooting/how-to-check-which-part-is-clogged

 

Biggest concern I'd have is that it's all proprietary tech/firmware and I don't know how repairable it is or if they make available parts aftermarket (boards etc.). With Prusas and Creality etc. there are loads of spares available and when they eventually dry up non-working printers for parts can be scavenged from ebay.

 

Anyway, looking forward to see what you've been up to.

All the normal service parts are available on aliexpress, like any other printer:

https://vi.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-bambulabs.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.search.0

I had a look too and yes does seems lot of parts kits available, however for a £1K printer (vs £250 printer), that still needs serviced the same, where's the win?

And when you need these parts your printer is down so not printing for days/weeks?

 

I have spares for most of my CR6 SE and have replaced most of it apart from power supply over past cpl yrs.

 

Have at least one of most important stuff, two of some, main boards, daughter boards, full hotend kit, rollers as spares etc. It's a hidden cost.

I had a look too and yes does seems lot of parts kits available, however for a £1K printer (vs £250 printer), that still needs serviced the same, where's the win?

The win is from the convenience. Everything is automatic. Just press the print button. I've never done anything more than that, and I've only had one bad print out of about 50, when it lost first layer adhesion because I forgot to re-enable support after I switched it off to see the difference. During printing, it saw the fault and aborted because it has automatic visual monitoring of the print and will respond accordingly. That's both in the setup and while printing. It has automatic self-levelling. It has automatic feeding of filaments, so you can use multiple colours and materials during a print. It has a complete self-testing and diagnosis system. It'll even check that you build plate is on straight. Every fault that anybody gets is fed back to a global diagnosis system that makes software changes to the printing and slicing algorithms. It even tests vibration at different frequencies to see how much it moves, and it compensates for the movement in its print algorithms. It's also the fastest printer in that size and price range.

 

I don't keep spare parts and haven't needed any yet after 9 months and about 50 sizeable prints. I'll let you know how it goes in the future. I haven't had to do any maintenance either.

 

All my life, I've always bought the minimum that would do the job. That's for everything in life, including food, entertainment and things like that. I recommend everybody else do the same. Get rid of your 60" plasma TVs, Sky subscriptions, IPhone, designer clothes, deluxe cars. Ipads, etc. Later in life, you'll become a millionaire like me, then you have to try to find ways to get rid of your money, like buying all those things you never would buy before , and find other deserving causes. The problem is that it's difficult to break old habits.

 

I'm not suggesting that anybody buy a £1500 printer, like mine, unless you're in the same situation as me. It's a bloody good printer, though. The technology in it is off this planet, like it's been designed by aliens.

Edited October 22, 20232 yr by saneagle

The Bambu P1P (pretty much a X1 minus bells & whistles), is available online for £460....nuts...might have to have a word with Santa... :eek:

The Bambu P1P (pretty much a X1 minus bells & whistles), is available online for £460....nuts...might have to have a word with Santa... :eek:

The number of 3-D printers you need is N+1, where N is the number you already have.

i need more power

 

You should 3d print yourself a jawguarded Halo or Optimus Prime helmet, or bigger jaws like Jaws from Bond 10 and take big bites out of obstacles. Why not start a Transformers counterfeit operation? Print resolution creeps ever higher. You could increase your stash of gold bars before the black ninja helicopters getcha.

 

 

Edited October 24, 20232 yr by guerney

I am thinking of buying the Bambu Lab A1 mini after watching this video. I didn't think it was possible to print a 7-segment LED lens.

 

What's the first thing you're going to print?

> After a test piece like a benchy (and then some tuning if needed), then I'll be looking into making some small project boxes similar to the Vero style that I used to buy from Maplins. (I've a Rasberry Pi and some Arduino laying around that I would like to put to good use).

> As I write Evri have scheduled then cancelled delivery 3 times since Saturday - on the Saturday they even took a pic of my road just 70m from my house so I'm wondering if the parcel has gone missing as in the parcel was on the driver's pick list but not in the van?

> In the meantime I'm refining my Tinkercad techniques and dipping my toes into Prusaslicer (Cura 5 wouldn't work on my Win10 laptop).

 

And thanks [mention=36783]portals[/mention] for the tip on using a smartphone as a camera - I'm currently giving the free version of 'Alfred' a go - I now need to print off a phone holder for my tripod - if only I had a printer!

I use mainly Cura 4.1.0.0 as 5.x won't run on my Win7 laptop. I have Prusa slicer too and used it in past but prefer Cura.

 

Cura 4.x should install OK on your Win10 PC.

https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/releases

Edited October 24, 20232 yr by portals

> As I write Evri have scheduled then cancelled delivery 3 times since Saturday - on the Saturday they even took a pic of my road just 70m from my house so I'm wondering if the parcel has gone missing as in the parcel was on the driver's pick list but not in the van?

 

Ha, do you live on the second floor or above? Evri have such a bad rep already...can see them going back to Hermes....

Cura 4.x should install OK on your Win10 PC.

I did try looking for Cura 4.x but the best I came up with was a github repository which tbh didn't seem to have any executables in it.

 

I'm a bit of a numpty where github is concerned - I like fully packaged installations, double click and all that, lol.

Ha, do you live on the second floor or above? Evri have such a bad rep already...can see them going back to Hermes....

Evri was just a name change from Hermes who are still the owners. Maybe they need another name change to say YBL (as in You'll Be Lucky)!

 

I've used Evri a good number of times and they've been as good as the other couriers, it's just that there's nowhere to go if it all goes pear shaped, just a bloody chat bot (Ezra).

Hermes Evri, used them a lot though one time they sent me an invoice demanding more money for two overweight parcels they said they'd weighed on their super weighing machine! I knew they were well under weight. I asked why they'd delivered the evidence if this was the case. I could even see the photographic evidence of delivery on my Hermes Evri account. They eventually cancelled the invoices.