Solidoodle’s having a sale until the 27th - thought I’d pass it along in case anyone’s looking for a printer. I’m not with them but I’ve printed >240 cameras (27 spools of black ABS) on my two SD3s. $499 for 6x6x6 with heated bed and enclosure. http://store.solidoodle.com
I saw that. If i didn’t have so many printers now i would buy another one. I done most all upgrades on my Sili2. Is @Clint_O_Connor your stock or have you done a lot of upgrades as well.
Not stock. 1st upgrade - Mk4 or Mk5 lawsy extruders from Thingiverse + clip on fan (Mk5). 2nd - print a Z-stop extension (also on Thingiverse) and get a borosilicate glass plate. 3rd - enclosure (plexi or clear plastic sheeting). After these, the Solidoodles are very good.
An E3D + fan is icing on the cake and enables other materials but it does reduce your Z height. I would call it optional.
@Clint_O_Connor Those are very helpful for a Soli i would say. I have this one at MK5 Lawsy extruder, Lawsy carriages with the LM8UU bearings, Pillow block bearing in the 6mm rod, Bearing blocks with Y rods incorporated into the design for the front Y rods , 3MM Z rod with the 2N2R slopnut, E3D, Strip lights LED on the inside of the frame rails, dual 40mm fans on the electronics, heatsink with fan on the X stepper, .9 degree stepper for the extruder, Silicone hot bed with the bed adapter from Thingiverse. The very first things i made were a spool holder that fits to the top frame rails and the cable guide.
@Wayne_Friedt I got a 0.9 stepper for the extruder also but never mounted it as it was considerably bigger than the stock. Did you find one the same size and where? I’ve thought about the new carriages and linear bearings (have them in fact). Did they make a difference and how?
Yep , any size stepper in any configuration can be had from http://www.smartautomation.com.cn/ProductShow.asp?ArticleID=498
The specific one i used is a SM42HT38-1684MA.
I changed my rods to good hardened ones so the bearings would slide nicely, although 1 or 2 of these cheep Chinese bearings has a little bit of a catch in them. i should change them one of these days but i am waiting to see if they will " settle in " and they have somewhat. If it wasn’t for that it would be considerably better. The one good part about changing the carriage is get away from the extruder slop that is present from the factory. If the belts are just tighten enough i can get really good prints. You sure can tell if they get to loose and also you can tell if they are too tight.
i would recommend changing to the 3MM Z rod and slop nut, that has made a big difference. Now instead of the Z steps being 2560 or something like that they are 6400.
That’s good info, thanks. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to upgrade one of my SD3s and will print out Lawsy’s carriages (already have the rods and bearings on hand). For a new SD owner, though, the extruder+glass/zstop+enclosure should be sufficient to have a decent printer, with other upgrades waiting until the owner gets some experience. Would you agree with that assessment?