I just ordered this yesterday and am pretty excited to get started printing. I’ve 3D printed just basic things before at a school printer and want to get more into printing. I know there are a variety of smaller problems with this printer, but I can’t really tell which problems were solved by the V2 and which weren’t. Does anyone have any insight there? Also, are there any upgrades I should do before I even try to print with this printer?
Thanks!
I would put ensuring the printer is true to be up near the top of the list.
When you are setting it up, follow the manual included on the SD card rather than the quick start sheet. It details how to level the Z axis which is missing on the sheet and is probably the #1 problem new users have. It’s going to be off out of the box making bed leveling impossible. After everything is assembled, make sure ALL the screws are tightened up. The X axis rods will probably be loose, so those set screws need to be tightened up. As for must have upgrades, I would say Z braces are an absolute must as well as the bed leveling thumb wheels. These can be printed by the printer out of the box. Then I’d work down the list of recommended mods on 3dprinterbrain. After that, I’d work on the Extra Mods that you want. Most aren’t necessary, but some do really make things easier. If your hotend temp fluctuates 5-10 degrees, I’d look into improving your grounding on the control board. This requires soldering skills, so it isn’t for everyone.
Here are the changes to the v2 from another thread on 3dhubs:
- Z-motor dampening bumpers
- Double z-axis end-stop holes for different bed surfaces
- Double filament holder holes (Electric Box & Frame Top)
- Buildtak printing sheet now included
- Z-Axis end-stop bracket moved from rail to frame
- Heating core crimp moved further back to fix short/fire hazard during operation
- New packaging (2 part frame tower)
- New Melzi board (new stepper motor cable/connectors)
- Electronic housing cooling fan now included
- Larger slot for mini SD card
- Drag chain for rear cables now installed
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A lot of people will tell you that you should buy a bunch of stuff before you start printing. I’m not one of those people. I think that you should get your printer, becomes familiar with it and then tweak things as you learn. That being said, here are the essentials you should eventually end up doing: Glass bed with thermal pads, Nylocs on the bed screws, DiiiCooler and Z brace. You may eventually upgrade your Drive gear also. All of this information and much much more will also be found on the wiki. You should read everything there before getting the printer. As far as changes, the company has been making minor adjustments very often. The only difference between the latest V1 and the V2 was the angled front.
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Wow thank you for the responses. I read some concerns about the extruder not maintaining it’s temp properly, which concerned me, but I read that just adding insulation tape or aluminum foil could fix that. And that the nozzle can clog, but by adjusting the retraction distance I can avoid that.
So basically I should just set it up as it says on the SD card and make sure all the axis are true. Simple enough.
I’ll definitely be doing the Z braces and thumbwheels as recommended. I’ve seen in a few youtube videos how wobbly the z axis was and how awkward leveling is.
Hello Will, congratulation and I understand your excitement. I have been using wanhao duplicator 4X for almost 2 years now and very satisfied with it and definitely worth the price. So I believe you will have the same experience with Wanhao I3. Good luck and can’t wait to hear from you on your printing result.
Cheers,
I3D
Hi,
Wise choice on the i3v2. The printer is well made and reliable for its price. Check that all the components are tight, aligned and where they are supposed to be. During shipping things get shifted, undone, bent, etc… The good thing is the support you get is reliable. Best done via email. Fast and responsive. Tons and tons of videos online to assist you with modifications, or any issues you may encounter along the way. I have one and done the basic mods, to simplify bed alignment. Which by the way is so important for this printer. But when you have it tweaked correctly and the temperature just right for your filament, the outcome final print will be phenomenal. The best thing to do is when you print something and it comes out great, save that profile on your computer. You may need it later. Particularly when printing with the same filament. I finally put in a glass bed and use Strong Hold Aqual Net hairspray, so the items stick very well. I usually print with either PLA or HIPS. HIPS does very well at 220 Ext. and 100 Bed temperatures. Usually when printing with ABS which I don’t do often, or HIPS which is my primary filament, I will set the fans down to 25%. Thats just to help keep the print warm to try and prevent warping. Warping is very hard to prevent, You can minimize warping but I don’t think you can prevent it 100%. So many factors involved, starting with your print .stl file. I really hope you enjoy your Duplicator i3. I sit there and watch it work and it still impresses me.
w.coast3dprinting
