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Essential upgrades – Creality Ender 3

Cable Carrier, Ender 3, Protect, Wear

Cable Carrier

Cable Carrier, Ender 3, Protect, Wear

With the frequent movement of the heat bed, it’s important to keep the cables on the Ender 3 where they need to be. Constant rubbing or snagging of the cable will inevitably lead to damage and failure. A well designed cable carrier will prevent this from happening.

The one that I found and recommend is: by johnniewhiskey

Filament Guide

Filament Guide, Ender 3

The filament guide is probably the most important upgrade to the Ender 3. Without a guide, the filament will wear into the feeder assembly inlet. It doesn’t take long for this to happen. I must have printed no more than ten times before i noticed serious wear.

There’s no need to fear, this problem can be easily solved with your 3D printer . The filament guide that I like just happens to be one I designed myself… To download the model for yourself, head over to thingiverse.

In order to make use of this filamant guide, you will need a ball bearing. The size needed is fairly common : 3/8 x 7/8 x 9/32. If you don’t have a bearing this size, you can find one on amazon: R6-2RS Sealed Bearings

SD Card Adapter

SD Card Adapter, Ribbon Cable Extension

If you are a frequently use the SD card slot on your 3D printer, it’s probably a good idea to look into a SD Card Adapter (aka SD Ribbon Cable or SD Extension Cable). Using an SD card adapter will prolong the life of the SD slot on your 3D printer. Rather than wearing out the SD slot on the printer, you will wear out the adapter, a cheap and easy replacement.

The one that I use I got from amazon : Cable Extender Adapter 

Of course, just plugging in the SD card adapter and letting it hang out of the slot doesn’t look very professional. You need to clean it up a bit. For that, I recommend a holder. There are lots of designs on the internet, but the one I like is by: Review3d

Fan Guard

Fan Guard, Cable Holder, Ender 3

The cooling fan to the power supply is located directly under the heat bed which is not the best location for it. A better location for the fan would have been below, or the front of the printer. The poor placement of the fan causes it to draw in warm air. Not to mention, filament debris can easily fall into the power supply, causing harm/damage.

Once again, the 3D printer has the problem… and the solution. There are a lot of free designs to choose from that can protect the power supply from debris, and draw in cooler air. The design I like, is by: gunzo182 . Although I should mention, with this print I found that the hold spacing was short. I had to get my drill out and stretch it out a bit. Not ideal, but easily corrected.

VIDEO

Note:Some of the links provided on this blog may be affiliated links, which help pay for this blog. At no additional cost to the buyer, If a purchase is made via an affiliated link, I earn a commission.

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Save Money on Filament

masterspool, 3d solutech, 3d printer, filament
masterspool, 3d solutech, 3d printer, filament

It’s called the “Masterspool”

The masterspool is a concept by 3D Solutech, a company that sells PLA and other types of filament for the 3D printer. The concept is simple… print a reusable spool and save some money on filament. The average cost of PLA on amazon is somewhere around $19. You can buy filament for the masterspool for only $15 (a few bucks cheaper). It comes wound on a cardboard tube and is held together with cable ties.

Ecofriendly

The masterspool is environmentally friendly because it can be reused over and over again. This is great news, because your typical spool isn’t even recyclable. It goes to the trash, unless you can find another purpose for it.

It’s not perfect. A few negatives…

In a more perfect world, everyone would be using reusable spools, and filament would be sold for that type of platform by default, but unfortunately, that is not the case… at least not yet. I’m not entirely sure why, because it seems like a really good idea, and in more ways than one.

The problem I think is due to these two issues (mainly the first one):

  • There are limited color & material options for the masterspool.
  • Transferring filament to the masterspool can be a bit tricky.

The first item mentioned, in my opinion, is the BIG issue. Several weeks ago you could buy filament for the masterspool in over six different colors. This week I see only three. I hope this is not some kind of trend and will reach out to 3D Solutech regarding this question.

The second item is not really an issue… if you are careful. When you transfer the filament to the masterspool and remove the cable ties, the filament will relax outward. It’s intentionally wound tighter in order to fit the spool. Because of this, there is potentially for the filament to wedge.

Despite these negatives, I still think a reusable spool is a good idea and that more people should be aware of the option. I’m just hoping that the lack of supply right now is only due to the high demand; that 3D Solutech just needs to restock their shelves.

See how I printed my own…

Link to Masterspool Filament:

https://amzn.to/2T3dx9B

Note:Some of the links provided on this blog may be affiliated links, which help pay for this blog. At no additional cost to the buyer, If a purchase is made via an affiliated link, I earn a commission.