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Update Setup Documentation

steeb 2024-08-06 14:46:23 -07:00
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Setup-Documentation.md

@ -173,11 +173,28 @@ PLA and PETG have both printed very nicely on this machine. I have a strong pref
The included "steeb's filament" profiles have been tested pretty extensively and should work well for most prints. I didn't do a lot of work with overhangs and pressure advance and rotational distance for the extruder was only set with PLA, though it seems to work quite well with PETG as well.
Pricing is fairly similar between the two materials.
### What don't
Nothing else has been tested on this machine. Whereas TPU should be printable (as long as speeds are turned waaayyyy down, since it's a very goopy and flexible material), other materials like ASA or ABS would require an enclosure to trap heat in and *also* generate a smell that seems like it might shorten your life pretty considerably. There are plenty of guides out there for building enclosures and filtration systems out of IKEA furniture that look like they'd work quite well.
Of the unsupported filaments, ABS is the most likely that you'll look into printing with, as it has the highest temperature and chemical tolerances of most printable materials, although there are also lots of PETG filaments that have been adulterated with things like carbon fiber and fiberglass that create plenty strong materials without the extra investment.
## Nozzles
This machine uses "MK8" style nozzles. If you wanted to switch to a more standard "E3D V6" or "Volcano" type nozzle, you'd likely need to change out the hotend for one that can take those nozzles.
### Types
The standard brass nozzle will work for PLA and PETG without any issue. If you wanted to print something with additives in it (like carbon fiber, metal, or glitter,) you'd need to get either a hardened steel nozzle or a bi-metal nozzle, as those additives will destroy brass tips very quickly.
When and if you do end up replacing the nozzle, I'd probably just recommend going for a hardened steel nozzle, as the price difference isn't outrageously large, and a well taken-care-of nozzle will last a very long time.
### Sizes
You can get nozzles with openings ranging from 0.2mm all the way up to 1mm. Standard prints all come with 0.4mm nozzles (which is what the machine is currently equipped with.) Smaller nozzles create finer details and higher resolution prints, at the expense of taking dramatically longer. Larger nozzles can push a lot more filament in a lot less time, but can smooth out details on details prints.
You'll need to change the nozzle diameter settings in your slicer if you move up to a bigger nozzle, which also allows you to set much taller layer heights.
Keep in mind that the general rule of thumb is keep layer heights *no higher* than 75% of the nozzle diameter. So, with a 0.4mm nozzle, your maximum layer height should be 0.3mm. You can drop layer heights as low as you'd like, but this will introduce more and more layer "squishing" the further away you go from the standard 0.15 or 0.20 layer heights, which can also cause very small inconsistencies in line width, which can make moveable parts either completely immobile or require immense amounts of sanding or force to break apart.
# Recommended upgrades for the future
## Solid bed
I tried to add silicone spacers to create a more "solid" bed, but it just absolutely ruined the ability to level it out. I'm not certain this is truly doable without completely replacing the bed itself.