If I were going to weld a printer frame, I would plan on CNC machining the hardware mating surfaces and mounting holes. Then use linear bearings for the motion systems. It wouldn't be easy or cheap, but it would be VERY nice.by dtwrv6 - General
I’ve started using vinegar to clean my printbite with good result. Gizmodorks polycarbonate stick great, of course 160c bed temp helpsby dtwrv6 - General
a hole punch should work well just make sure you unplug it first. also, cut the electric connections off, otherwise you'll likely start a fire or get electrocuted.by dtwrv6 - General
I was pretty fussy when I put mine on. brand new aluminum build plate, sanded it with 120grit, scrubbed it with MEK, then cleaned with alcohol. I carefully put it on and cycled heat to it several times starting low and increasing temps and time.... no bubbles, and I suspect I'd need a heat gun to remove it.by dtwrv6 - General
over 5 years on my first sheet of Printbite 160C bedtemps haven't hurt it one bit. I'm pretty hard on it - I've used acetone, mek, alcohol, vinegar and scrape it with a razor blade on occasion to clean it. It just keeps working.by dtwrv6 - General
I've had some phenomenal results with Priline and NylonX. They one is CF/PC and the other is Nylon/CF. Both are very rigid and strong. Neither require heated chambers, and nozzle temps are very manageable. I've also discovered that you can really improve the quality of a print (and reduce the need for supports) by turning parts on edge at a 45 degree angle. see attached for an example of anby dtwrv6 - General
Nylon with carbon fiber shouldn’t need a heated chamber.by dtwrv6 - General
I lined my enclosure with gypboard (drywall) since it is fire resistant. No need for detectors or automatic systems. A 3/4 thick wall is good for at least an hour. Smoke detector is still a good idea, but do something to contain the fire so you have time to put it out.by dtwrv6 - General
It really depends on what material you are drying. Get it as hot as your dryer will go without exceeding the Tg temperature. I'm running polycarbonate, nylon, and ABS at 150F since that is the limit of the dehydrator.by dtwrv6 - General
I also purchased a carousel from a local kitchen appliance store for $7 dollars that fits inside nicely and allows the 1kg spools to spin freely on their sides. I can get two of them in the dryer, and the filament feeds out through the door without modification. I did use some tape to hold the door shut. There are much cheaper dryers available. I rolled the dice and upgraded so I could getby dtwrv6 - General
I just purchased a dehydrator for my 3d printer setup (a generic one off of Amazon - save yourself a lot of money rather than something labelled for printer use). WOW! I don't think I can overstate how much of a vast improvement in quality I'm seeing. Adhesion is through the roof on everything I've tested - nylon, abs, polycarbonate. This is across the board true on printbite, buildtak, andby dtwrv6 - General
This is the correct solution. If you are relying on ambient conditions, then the filament has absorbed too much moisture and will cause stringing when everything else is perfect. Hygroscopic materials MUST be dried out in an oven if left around for too long. Changing controllers isn't going to fix stringing. It ain't what you don’t know.... It's what you know for sure that just ain’t so. Quoby dtwrv6 - General
I've been using my original printbite sheet for about 3 years now. its a little discolored from using some pretty high (> 125C) temps for polycarbonate, but it still works great! I've successfully printed nylon, abs, polycarbonate, PLA, Bluprint, PETG.... occasionally I use a very light touch of gluestick.... if it stops working, I just scrub it down with household cleaner and its back toby dtwrv6 - General
I've found that a very think application of glue stick to Printbite one time before use will last for hundreds of prints, and it makes everything stick better (but still release when cool). It does wonders on Polycarbonate, nylon, PLA, ABS, PETG, TECHG, Bluprint, you name it...by dtwrv6 - General
I have replaced all of my older ABS components with Polymaker PC and I am very happy with the durability. I routinely operate the printer in an enclosed chamber heated to 70C. Donby dtwrv6 - General
I'm not a fan of putting lipstick on a pig, but it might work if you can't change the carriage to accept something more proven.... Good luckby dtwrv6 - General
The title of this post is highly inflammatory given that you only want to promote your own product. E3D has a great product and great support. I have several of their hotends, and I will purchase from them when their solutions make sense for my printing needs. This thread appears to be an attempt to troll for business by smearing another company's name. Sorry - no sympathy here.by dtwrv6 - General
I've found that the machine setup is an order of magnitude more critical on polycarbonate than on any of the other materials you mentioned. Don't expect 100% success with PC unless you are willing to invest a lot of time tuning and tweaking your machine (even replacing parts with better parts) before you get something to work reliably. Printbite is one piece of a working solution, but there arby dtwrv6 - General
I am printing Polycarbonate with Printbite and a bed temperature of 130C. The printer is enclosed and heated to 70C. Polymaker PC sticks great - I've found that a very thin layer of Elmers Purple Glue Stick makes the prints stick almost too well. Donby dtwrv6 - General
I bought a 5 gallon bucket from the hardware store that comes with a gasketed / threaded lid. I also purchased 3 pounds of dessicant from amazon and threw it inside. put your spools in the bucket and keep it sealed up when storing filament. I've been storing 5 lbs of filament of all types for over a year and still havent had to recharge the silica beads. if you happen to leave a spool out forby dtwrv6 - General
I'm using a 125W version of this heater - plugs into a standard 110v light socket and keeps my chamber toasty warm at 55C. I put it on a temperature controlled SSR, and it's been working great for more than a year. I did have to line the inside of the enclosure with drywall, and if you are using PLA printer parts, they WILL melt...by dtwrv6 - General
Unless you enclose your print volume and heat it evenly to 50C, ABS will not print reliably. I've been working through all of the other issues with ABS for about 3 years. Printbite, Sitall, or a chemical treatment for your print bed, 110 bed temp minimum, and and enclosed/heated chamber are all required for ABS. You might get by on occasion with less. A well calibrated and maintained printerby dtwrv6 - General
I recently replaced the Z-axis threaded rods with M8 threaded rod. I love the speed and the precision, but I've just discovered that it is also allowing the two servos to go out of sync whenever I power the system off. The drive side of the X-axis on a PRUSA is noticeably heaver than the idler end, and this extra weight back drives the motors when they are idle, meaning that I have to re-levelby dtwrv6 - General
You wouldn't be the first person with a bad USB cable. Try a new one. Also keep it as short as possible to minimize RF interference. Lots of wires and signals flying around next to your controller.by dtwrv6 - Printing
I made my enclosure from a wooden frame lined with drywall on the inside, and oak plywood on the outside. Drywall (or gypboard) is used for house interiors and is very very difficult to burn. I've had this chamber to 100C on several occasions for polycarbonate prints, and shows no sign of discoloration. The drywall is inexpensive, insulating, and also pretty cheap. It cuts with a razor knife.by dtwrv6 - Printing
So I ordered a sheet of Printbite for my Prusa i3, and have been experimenting with it for a couple of weeks. While I never had any issues with Sitall glass and ABS, I do like how much faster the Printbite heats up - glass is not a great heat conductor, so this makes sense. functionally, they are both more than adequate for ABS. I have not had much luck getting polycarbonate to stick to the prby dtwrv6 - General
hmmm... not sure what kind of material that is, but are you setting zero too close (below) the bed surface? Seems like the nozzle isn't able to flow material until pressure builds and then things spurt out in globs until the pressure drops and the nozzle stops flowing again... Donby dtwrv6 - General
Throw it in the freezer. Along with your filament. That's where I keep my polycarbonate when I'm not printing - no hissing or popping when I run it, and parts are turning out great.by dtwrv6 - General
I'm using an infrared ceramic heater normally used for heating reptile cages. It uses a standard light socket, and is available in all kinds of wattages. I have a Prusa i3 and 200W works fine. I had two of these in my chamber when I'm printing polycarbonate. I've had to convert most of the ABS components to polycarbonate to keep them from melting. I also lined the interior of my chamber withby dtwrv6 - General