Minitoy 3D by Weistek

Hello Everyone!

This thread will be about "Minitoy 3D" by Weistek that is a kickstarter project, delivery has reached first backers since end of december 2016.
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https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/402635577/minitoy-3d-printer?ref=nav_search
http://www.myminitoy.com/

The aim of this thread is to help Minitoy 3D owners to fix their issues with the device, with the help of other owners and/or of the manufacturer.
There is no company help/forum/support so far, so I am taking the initiative in order to help users (especially newbies like me). Would an official support arises, we could merge information with it.

This first post is meant to keep the general information, links etc.

Notes:
1) I am no owner of this thread - just helping. Feel free to join/comment.
2) I am no affiliated in any ways with Weistek/any other parties. Please keep this thread helpful. Complains won't help.
3) My Frenglish is what it is... please don't blame my accent :cool:

Upon arrival of the device, there was 2-3 discoveries;

• Why is there a belt hanging down?
• Why doesn't my sdcard fit?
• I can't connect!
• Blue printing support

here are the 2-3 ways to fix it;

1. SD Card;
   Don't go as per the SD logo... the SD car goes the other way round, contacts to the top.
2. Wifi;
   I may sound stupid, but it took me a while to understand that I need to join "Minitoy_xxxxxx" wifi network... password is in the instruction guide provided.
3. Belt hanging down;
   Wow. That was a hassle. As another user experienced, the stepper motor support looked bent. So the main idea is to dismantle and make it straight. Then the belt can fit again. See photos below [not working now, I'll add it later].
   One critical point: DO NOT REMOVE THE BLUE COVER OFF THE EXTRUDER!!! I was looking for a belt support inside this one. It was a nightmare to put it back in place...
4. Blue support to put on the print plate
   a) yes, it is a sticker. I doubted that for a while... ^^
   b) print plate height needs to be calibrated/adjusted. For me, some mm were missing... no big deal.

Good luck, and post your questions/comments!

so it was a new machine and the belt was loose ?
Given that early kickstarter models tend to be carefully hand made by the design team.

That doesn't bode well for future buyers.

What build volume is it ?

@Curious aadvark,

Here is the information from Kickstarter project (I'm a total newbie so these figures doesn't mean much to me compared to other machines);
Adopting a 0.4mm nozzle, MiniToy has a build volume of 170 x 130 x 140mm giving your child enough room to print larger objects than other kid-friendly 3D printer. The printing speed is 30 - 300mm/second and compatible filament PLA.

It seems several of us had the same issue with the bent metal piece and the loose belt. Yet no reply on the kickstarter page (aside from "yeah, kudos for your help!"...)
I doubt there is room for other buyers: Most kickstarter projects turn out at some point where anyone could buy the final product at a 'market price', once the production is completed. So far, for this one, there was no information, no improvement from vendor, no communication, no support, no extra sales. Not even on the Chinese Internet/market. In my humble opinion and previous experience in the middle kingdom, I have the feeling that Weistek is a common mid-size Chinese company, specialised in 3D printing, but without real end-consumer interface (selling to bigger brands/one shot?). They show up a serious lack of english speaking (worse than me :p). So they tried to break the ice through a Kickstarter event... Yet it looks like they are not really focused on consumer support etc.

This is still a decent 3D printer for us beginners, with a lot of room for learning, sharing, and passion in this!

Which printer should I select when setting up Cura or Slic3r? Minitoy is not an option. I tried Ultimaker 2 for the Cura slicing program and I got the gcode but it doesn't show up on the machine ...I put the gcode files on the sd card in the main area (as I saw the "heartbox" file was...and the heartbox printed just fine) and then I updated the app/theme....no matter how many times I've tried the files I'd like to print do not show up anywhere! There appears to be no resource out there with a solution nor have I seen any discussions...HELP PLEASE someone???

I think I just figured it out...it seems to have to do with the silly NAME of the file....keep it short....Cura generated a name with a prefix and the original file itself had hyphens in it....I just shorted the file to a word and it now is recognized. Yay! Why doesn't someone provide this information in the first place?

Did the Ultimaker 2 setting work with the Minitoy? I can't get any of the files to print correctly.

We got our Minitoy earlier this week. It prints pre-loaded files without an issue. Working really well and less finicky than I anticipated. Cura 2 does not have the printer settings pre-loaded and the Minitoy tutorial does not show the settings. Has anyone tried setting up the Minitoy in Cura 2? What settings or pre-loaded printer are you using?

Hi, I need help with the settings for Cura 2.
I'm not able to use the Cura file found in the Minitoy Dropbox.
Here are a couple screen shots of the settings I need help with. Has anyone found out the settings needed to print decent gcode files off other software or Cura 2?
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Quote:

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Originally Posted by plarose2

Did the Ultimaker 2 setting work with the Minitoy? I can't get any of the files to print correctly.

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I can't help you but wanted to say that I too cannot print anything other than what came with the minitoy. Really frustrated. I tried both Cura and Slic3r. With Cura my files start at the rear right corner of the plate and with the Slic3r the files start in the rear, middle of the plate. Nothing centers.
HELP would be appreciated. Others have same problem as posted on the Facebook site as well as the Kickstarter campaign comment section.

So the settings for Cura2 that currently work for me are laid out in the pictures below.
You must create a profile for the Minitoy before you change the "Print Setup" settings.
The profile will need to have the correct "Machine Settings" and the settings that work best for me are in the first pic I posted below. I'm sure they could be tweaked, but so far I'm printing really good models with these settings.

When you open Cura2, select the profile you created for the Minitoy. After you open the STL file, change the printer settings to match the pictures below.
Again, I'm sure the settings could be tweaked for each model you print, but these are working for me quite well. I've printed a number of great items with the settings.

You should watch some videos on Cura2 to get a better understanding of the settings. You will want to adjust them to the types of items you are printing.

Please let me know if this helps and if you have other suggestions.

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Thank you so much for the details and the photos. I cannot wait to try to see if this helps. Once I have time to set it up I'll reply as to how it went!

Hi. It's months later but was wondering if you ever figured this out? I still can't print.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by plarose2

Did the Ultimaker 2 setting work with the Minitoy? I can't get any of the files to print correctly.

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Didnt work for me. I'm totally frustrated. I think I'm going to throw this machine away and chalk this up as a huge loss.

The settings don't seem to work for me and now my filament won't load. I've just about had it. I wish there was a definitive answer for the proper settings to use.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by curious aardvark

What build volume is it ?

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170x130x140. And it only prints pla. For the price this thing should be made of 14kt gold. I have 3 small children that I have included in not just 3d printing but building the 3d printers. And I say that if you can not teach your child how to be careful of a hotend, then maybe your child isn't ready for 3d printing. I don't think hiding a hotend is worth hundreds extra for a smaller printer.

food for thought about kids and their abilities..

http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...toWiz/5_34.jpg
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...oWiz/18_18.jpg
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...oWiz/15_28.jpg

I would rather my children know all the hazards of what they are playing with.

Wondering, have you determined better settings for use with the MINI TOY? I could really use your help. I had settings but then I cleaned my computer and lost them all. I should have screen shot them first.

Not sure if you still need help.
Does your printer print the files that came on the dropbox or SD card?