Flashforge Creator (Wood)

[wozzie1]

Hello fellow flashforgers!
I picked up a used Flashforge creator (wood) for a whopping 300 dollars (good deal?). This is my first 3d printer and im pretty excited to try it out. Basically im looking for any tips or tricks or just any advice at all for operating it properly.

-Firmware to use?
-Upgrades? (beds, nozzles, acrylic enclosure, printable upgrades,)
-slicing software recommendations?
-modeling software (currently messing around with tinkercad)
-filament recommendations and temps

Thanks everyone! first time post here so be easy on me

[curious aardvark]

had my wooden creator for over 3 years now.

Has yours had any modifications ?
The most important one is a print area cooling fan.
I also printed levelling knobs, moved the on off switch to the front and dropped a sheet of printbite on it.
Great machine. I have never messed with her firmware, if it works - why change it ?

$300 is not a bargain but reasonable for a used flashforge - you can get a new ctc for the same money, but the ctc is vastly inferior build quality.

Software wise I primarily use simplify3d. But makerware desktop is good too.
Also take a look at flashprint - probably the best of the free ones for the creator.
http://www.flashforge.com/3-14-0-fla...-release-note/
When asked for printer, select the creator pro.

Filament - my current favourite is actually flashforge's own brand pla. Cheap, great quality and prints like a dream.
Most decent pla's will work fine. For flexible filaments stick to flexible pla - avoid the tpu (rubber based).
Flexible pla is a little stiffer and has no problem with the creator, the rubber filaments are floppier and generally get caught up in the extruder.
You can mod the extruder - I've never bothered.

[wozzie1]

had my wooden creator for over 3 years now.

Has yours had any modifications ?
The most important one is a print area cooling fan.
I also printed levelling knobs, moved the on off switch to the front and dropped a sheet of printbite on it.
Great machine. I have never messed with her firmware, if it works - why change it ?

$300 is not a bargain but reasonable for a used flashforge - you can get a new ctc for the same money, but the ctc is vastly inferior build quality.

Software wise I primarily use simplify3d. But makerware desktop is good too.
Also take a look at flashprint - probably the best of the free ones for the creator.
http://www.flashforge.com/3-14-0-fla...-release-note/
Select the creator pro.

Filament - my current favourite is actually flashforge's own brand pla. Cheap, great quality and prints like a dream.
Most decent pla's will work fine. For flexible filaments stick to flexible pla - avoid the tpu (rubber based).
Flexible pla is alittle stiffer and has no problem with the creator, the rubber filaments as floppier and generally get caugght upm,in the extruder.
You can mod the extruder - I've never bothered.

Stock creator
print area cooling fan? where do i find the stl? i found the knobs stl for leveling bed
i will definitely check out those the software
Thanks for all the valuable info!

[curious aardvark]

cooling duct here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:537918

Great bit of kit. I wired my fan up tot he same socket as the motherboard cooling fan. Means it's on when the printer is.
I wired a manual on/off switch into it as well.

Speed wise - 65mm/s is about as fast as she'll print without falling to bits :-)
But great little printer !

[wozzie1]

cooling duct here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:537918

Great bit of kit. I wired my fan up tot he same socket as the motherboard cooling fan. Means it's on when the printer is.
I wired a manual on/off switch into it as well.

Speed wise - 65mm/s is about as fast as she'll print without falling to bits :-)
But great little printer !

awesome! can i print this in PLA? Do you keep that fan off for the first 5 layers as instructed?

[curious aardvark]

I always use pla. It doen't get warm at any point.
You only need the fan off for the first layer - and not necessarily that.
I mostly just leave it on.
If I have a issues witht he first layer then I'll switch it off, but that's pretty rare.
Good pla just doesn't shrink enough to detach.

There may actually be a proper fan socket on the motherboard. I did mine a couple years back, and never thought to look for such a thing :-)
You'll also need a 24 volt 40mm fan - NOT 12 volt. https://www.amazon.com/4010-24V-Brus...0mm+24volt+fan

That kind of thing. And some extra wire. I think I used the wire from some cat6 network cable. There's about 200metres under my desk that no longer has a use. Pretty much do all networking wireless or through electrical wiring these days.