A Different Direction..............
- Thread starter Dave Ward
- Start date
A day late - but this is the Anet A6 built by my self, and with a few upgrades - first I printed out a new part cooling fan duct ( invisible )
I added a magnetic build plate, which seems to have cured my problems with models not sticking.
I got electric shocks from the exposed mains supply (!!), so printed a cover, added a 3-pole fused socket ( note the cork mat to prevent vibration )
The final upgrade is a top mounted filament spool holder - I'm a bit dubious about this- having a 1 kg weight mounted high up may vibrate a bit, but I'll have to keep on the print quality
At the moment I don't intend to do any more upgrades - and try to concentrate on what I'm printing, not adding more bells & whistles for the printer itself.
I'm still feeling the after effects of my hypo yesterday, so That's it for the day - I'll be using FreeCad to create my own models.
What was the damage?
Hardware - The printer cost £89 delivered I added a magnetic build plate £15.50, then a 3-pole plug socket £3.50. Cork matting ( ant-vibration ) £4.99
Consumables - PTFE grease £8.99, then 3 kg of PLA filament , pricers ranging from £8.99 to £10.99
All the above prices include p&p.
As this was a DIY kit, you do have to have a certain amount of mechanical ability, and to be able to solve minor problems. To create the files for the printer, you have to use a computer, mine is a long in the tooth PC, which runs Windows 10, but can't run the latest Slicer programmes - but using older versions hasn't thrown any problems up, yet . There are loads of free models available ( Thingiverse ), but if you want to create your own, you'll have to learn a CAD programme - there are several free ones available, but it does take time! And time!! Printing models takes time - for a big model, printing times can be many hours,. even days, so instant results aren't going to happen.
If this sounds a bit daunting - it can be! I probably wouldn't have started on this if I hadn't known the basics, and many years as a design engineer means I don't have any fears over CAD.
For those that have stuck with me all the way, thanks, I hope it has been informative!
Dave
I added a magnetic build plate, which seems to have cured my problems with models not sticking.
I got electric shocks from the exposed mains supply (!!), so printed a cover, added a 3-pole fused socket ( note the cork mat to prevent vibration )
The final upgrade is a top mounted filament spool holder - I'm a bit dubious about this- having a 1 kg weight mounted high up may vibrate a bit, but I'll have to keep on the print quality
At the moment I don't intend to do any more upgrades - and try to concentrate on what I'm printing, not adding more bells & whistles for the printer itself.
I'm still feeling the after effects of my hypo yesterday, so That's it for the day - I'll be using FreeCad to create my own models.
What was the damage?
Hardware - The printer cost £89 delivered I added a magnetic build plate £15.50, then a 3-pole plug socket £3.50. Cork matting ( ant-vibration ) £4.99
Consumables - PTFE grease £8.99, then 3 kg of PLA filament , pricers ranging from £8.99 to £10.99
All the above prices include p&p.
As this was a DIY kit, you do have to have a certain amount of mechanical ability, and to be able to solve minor problems. To create the files for the printer, you have to use a computer, mine is a long in the tooth PC, which runs Windows 10, but can't run the latest Slicer programmes - but using older versions hasn't thrown any problems up, yet . There are loads of free models available ( Thingiverse ), but if you want to create your own, you'll have to learn a CAD programme - there are several free ones available, but it does take time! And time!! Printing models takes time - for a big model, printing times can be many hours,. even days, so instant results aren't going to happen.
If this sounds a bit daunting - it can be! I probably wouldn't have started on this if I hadn't known the basics, and many years as a design engineer means I don't have any fears over CAD.
For those that have stuck with me all the way, thanks, I hope it has been informative!
Dave
You're doing great Dave, a lot of progress in a short window 
I used to have a power supply that shook me too, I added a wire from the metal-housing to my central-heating-radiator to 'ground' it, worked great so you might want to check for a better 'grounding' socket, might be better for the electronic board as well...
Have fun and cheers
I used to have a power supply that shook me too, I added a wire from the metal-housing to my central-heating-radiator to 'ground' it, worked great so you might want to check for a better 'grounding' socket, might be better for the electronic board as well...
Have fun and cheers
The problem with this power supply was that the live & neutral wires could touched, without any effort! The cover & earthed socket will solve that problem! The mainboard is on the other side of the printer, and aside from a 12V+/- cable, there's no connection between the two ( the frame is acetate )You're doing great Dave, a lot of progress in a short window
I used to have a power supply that shook me too, I added a wire from the metal-housing to my central-heating-radiator to 'ground' it, worked great so you might want to check for a better 'grounding' socket, might be better for the electronic board as well...
Have fun and cheers
Dave
Nice up date Dave that price is way below what I expected to see , even in a kit form. Your understanding of CAD will be your advantage over many others attempting this real black art.
Jim R
SMF Supporter
Glad you're recovering. As Steven said you've come a long way in a short time. Like John I imagined the cost would be much higher.
Luck played a big part, just spotting the lot on ebay! The cost could be much higher, by adding things like auto-bed levelling & filament break detector, but these are not essential. The average price of an entry level printer seems to be around the £150 mark, with only very minor assembly needed...........
The latest have high-speed printing, wi-fi control dual extruders & touch screens - and the cost reflects this - there are 'Delta' printers which print really fast, and are really expensive. One of the things on YouTube is to have a camera on the build plate, so you can check the progress on your mobile & record a stop frame video record of your print. Very nice, but a bit overkill! I suppose a professional who runs a printer 'farm' would be the market.........
Dave