E3D + DIYTechShop i3xl

I'm about to order an i3xl from DIYTechShop, but I haven't read much flattering stuff about the hotend available with their printers. It is now possible to order their i3x and i3xl with no hotend and save $50. I'd like to move straight to the proven E3D, but attaching it to the included extruder requires another printed adapter plate. As this will be my first printer, I will have no way to print that plate. Is there any adapter available for purchase, or is there a better hotend that will fit? I don't really want to waste $50 on a hotend that I'm only going to use to print a part to replace it.

Thank you everyone for all your writeups - I've been reading a ton on here lately and this is my only question so far I haven't seen already answered!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2014 06:59PM by inductor.

You could order a single printed part from an online printing company like Shapeways or others.
Just upload the STL you want and they willl ship you the part.

I'd print it for cheaper than Shapeways, online print shops are overpriced, unless you require that level of quality and strong material.

---

Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus

Why don't you use it to print the part you need and keep it to one side as a spare just incase, ive been using/ learning my printer for a couple of months now and I have an e3d on the way, just get printing do stuff before you start messing with it, there is a lot to learn

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mappler
You could order a single printed part from an online printing company like Shapeways or others.
Just upload the STL you want and they willl ship you the part.

Good to know, thanks!

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MrDoctorDIV
I'd print it for cheaper than Shapeways, online print shops are overpriced, unless you require that level of quality and strong material.

Thanks! I might take you up on that. I think I might first try to make it work using junk laying around. From what I can tell, the mounting groove on the E3D is just a bit wider than on a typical J-Head. I bet I can cut up a plastic coffee can lid into something that will take up the slack and hold the hotend rigidly enough to print a new extruder. If not.. you may hear from me.

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sloppyprinter
Why don't you use it to print the part you need and keep it to one side as a spare just incase, ive been using/ learning my printer for a couple of months now and I have an e3d on the way, just get printing do stuff before you start messing with it, there is a lot to learn

Probably because I'm cheap. I think by starting out with a good hotend, I'll avoid a lot of problems anyway.. if I can make it fit!

Does anyone who has the i3xl know the mounting dimensions of the print bed? The picture on the website shows the screws in a square with a couple inches of overhang on the front and rear, but the build instructions show the screws all the way in the corner with no overhang. The reason I ask is because I want to order the heated bed from MakerFarm and I'm wondering if I'll be able to screw it down or if I'll have to use binder clips. Also, do most people print directly onto the heatbed or will a sheet of glass over it be a lot better?

Thanks again for your help!

Well to answer my own question.. I just got my kit from DIYTechShop yesterday, and the i3xl's print bed is exactly 9"x12". The short dimension holes will line up with the MakerFarm heatbed, but the long dimension holes are much too far apart, they'll actually hang over the edge of the print bed so drilling new holes won't work either. On the plus side, DIYTechShop said they were coming out with a heatbed to fit the i3xl (and I assume the i3 Omega), and that they should have details to me today.

You got everything in the kit without any missing or broken parts? I'm about to order a kit there but I am really skeptical : /

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singh336
You got everything in the kit without any missing or broken parts? I'm about to order a kit there but I am really skeptical : /

For the most part, yes. There were a few bolts missing, I just picked them up at my local Ace Hardware, not a big enough deal to hassle them about it. All the plastics, motors, electronic boards, cables, belts, pulleys, etc were there, nothing broken, just a couple pins bent on the Arduino board. I just bent them back and I assume it will work ok, I haven't tested it yet though. The hobbed bolt was hobbed oddly - the cuts were much deeper on one side than the other. That is the only part so far I'm going to have them replace, unless there's something wrong with the electronics. The back plate, bed, and the smooth and threaded rods were also all there and straight.

I would recommend drilling out every screw hole with a bit slightly larger than the OD of the threads (nothing is self tapping, you want the screw to slide in easily). The holes for the threaded and smooth rods can be cleaned up with a round file, but don't ream out the smooth rod holes too much because they're a friction fit. The gear teeth I cleaned up with a triangle file after I installed it to see where any hangups were. The only things that really fit weird were the z-axis motor brackets - there are lips on the motors that cause the brackets not to fit properly. I hacked on the brackets with a hole saw until they fit. They must be using different motors than they were using when those brackets were designed.

I first emailed them Sunday evening and picked it up Wednesday afternoon. I live about 45 minutes away though, so add a few days for shipping. They said their days of month long waits are over - that was only during the winter when they were still running out of their house and had orders flooding in. Now they have a shop and a nice little manufacturing operation. They have also answered every email and phone call, including the one I sent about replacing the hobbed bolt after the sale, so it appears they plan to support their products.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2014 07:10AM by inductor.