# Specific 3D Printers, Scanners, & Hardware > RepRap Format Printer Forum > MakerFarm Forum >  Makerfarm prusa 8 i3v

## DrLuigi

Hey guys,

Just wanted to share the new printer they have just released a few hours ago,

http://www.makerfarm.com/index.php/3...extrusion.html

Seems like it would be a smoother/more stabile one, finaly! ^^

I already talked with Colin about it and they should release a upgrade kit later on, (Yet very unsure and could take a few months)
Also you will have to completely disassemble your current kit and do it back from scratch,

If you have any comments please respond  :Wink: 



/edit
Later he told me a rough guess how much this may cost, He thinks around 250-300 dollars, Don't shoot or hug me or Colin if its lower or higher! :P
Would you pay for this upgrade wich contains other wooden parts and aluminium wich would make the printer faster, quieter and better as print quality goes?


You should be able to get with this around 100mm/s and get great prints.


Best regards,
DrLuigi

----------


## RobH2

Ah, ha...need to get me one of those upgrades...

----------


## DrLuigi

Well i thought to create a box printer, Like the ultimaker/replicator with my parts i had now, except of course i would need to get V slots,

But might just buy this if it doesnt cost to much with shipping.

----------


## RobH2

I like the possibility of the higher print speeds. That interests me a lot.

----------


## DrLuigi

Me personaly, Quieter, Less wearing (My rods actualy starts to wear, as the rods get scratches wich are getting deeper, now they are about 0.5mm, i just turned the rod so it shouldnt be a problem when printing)
Also quicker and simple better quality as tolerance goes.

----------


## RobH2

Interesting. I've only run about 6lbs through my printer and I see no wear of any kind. I will however do a better job of lubrication maintenance and look out for wear. Since the ball bearings appeared to be nylon (when I assembled it...but I could be mistaken) I didn't expect to see any rod wear.

----------


## DrLuigi

> Interesting. I've only run about 6lbs through my printer and I see no wear of any kind. I will however do a better job of lubrication maintenance and look out for wear. Since the ball bearings appeared to be nylon (when I assembled it...but I could be mistaken) I didn't expect to see any rod wear.


Nah, in my time when i bought it atleast they were metal, one of my X carriage fall out when putting the rod in, and it is metal.

I use oil, but and it helps, but at some places that it runs alot on still has some wear, But i also have my printer for 8-10 months now and almost ran it daily, i can't imagine how many hours, 100-200-500 idk.

Oh well, doesnt matter, it doesnt realy have alot anymore to do with the new printer tho :P

----------


## RobH2

Good info on longevity. I use a synthetic lubricant with Teflon that's make for high-end bicycles. I wipe the rod down and then spray a bit of lubricant on a cloth and lightly wipe it all around the rods. Works well so far and I don't get much buildup at the extremes where dust gets piled up. I use it on my threaded rods too so they don't wear too much. That's metal against metal and those in effect are getting recut by the nuts every time they turn.

----------


## DrLuigi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLUmcueTcWw

A small piece of movie of the actual printer doing his job.

----------


## RobH2

Colin is really great at Makerfarm. I don't know when he sleeps as he's always answering any question I have. I look forward to that "rail" upgrade. It looks really nice.

----------


## DrLuigi

> Colin is really great at Makerfarm. I don't know when he sleeps as he's always answering any question I have. I look forward to that "rail" upgrade. It looks really nice.


Just saying, Colin might not release such upgrade,

It might, it might not, he isnt sure yet.

----------


## bteeter

If you guys want to get some Vslot and wheel for your own mods then go on over to:

http://openbuildspartstore.com/

Mark has all the stuff and he is the original Kickstarter owner.

Bob   (I don't own the place or work there.  Just a satisfied customer.)

----------


## DrLuigi

Gonna try doing a 2cmx2cm piece of foam under the center of my heat bed today,

As i believe this will lower vibirations at lower speeds, Wich are terrible.. Its fine once you are printing at 40-60mm/s but its terrible at 20-35mm/s.

As that was one of my things why i wanted to upgrade my kit i felt i could place it here in this topic.

----------


## bteeter

I have just received my shipping notice on my new i3v printer.  UPS has it in their possession and it should be here on Friday 4/4/14  (I just love 4's).  So this weekend it is "BUILD TIME".

Just thought you guys would like to know.

Bob

----------


## old man emu

> I have just received my shipping notice on my new i3v printer.  UPS has it in their possession and it should be here on Friday 4/4/14  (I just love 4's).  So this weekend it is "BUILD TIME". Bob


We expect a full report on Sunday night, with pictures.

OME

----------


## gmay3

Oh man, I just got my notification from UPS but mine comes in on Monday 4/7/14. Let us know how it goes bteeter!

----------


## 3dNoob

just got my shipping notice - can't wait to get this up and running. Anyone know what size the glass for the bed should be? Was hoping to pick something up this weekend.

thanks

----------


## bteeter

I sent a message to Collin asking that question and then I said "look in to docs, stupid" to myself.  And WALA in the Build Document on the second page and in the 3rd sentence it lists the size of glass needed.  I then messaged back to Collin and said "don't bother answering my stupid question as I had found the answer right in the doc if I bothered to read it".  

Bob

----------


## RobH2

For my 8" i3 I have glass that is 8-3/8 x 8-3/8. I scored and snipped off the corners just a tiny bit to miss the bolts on the bed. I then used an orbital sander with 120 sandpaper to sand all the edges nice and smooth so when you handle and wash you don't get cuts. I have 3 sheets and just keep cycling them. I went to the local hardware store and just got inexpensive window glass. I looked into the fancier Pyrex/equivalent that people said was best due to thermal expansion but each piece was going to cost $90. I've had no trouble at all with window glass at $3.25 each.

Can't wait to see photos... I want to do the upgrade when it's available.

----------


## RobH2

> If you guys want to get some Vslot and wheel for your own mods then go on over to:
> 
> http://openbuildspartstore.com/
> 
> Mark has all the stuff and he is the original Kickstarter owner.


That's a great resource. Thanks for the link.

----------


## beerdart

8 X 10 picture frame glass from the $1 store works great you can score and snap it at 8 X 8 or just leave it 8 X 10.

----------


## RobH2

So the spring clips still reach the glass at 8"? That's good to know and a helpful tip. 

Yea, just measured between my bolts and it's just about .25mm wider than 8".

----------


## gmay3

What hot end did you guys go with for the i3v? I asked Colin what he recommended and he said he thought the Hexagon hot end was awesome. I went with the 1.75mm Hexagon with a 0.4mm nozzle.

----------


## 3dNoob

I went with the Hexagon as well, .4mm nozzle but for 3mm filament. I read somewhere that 3mm filament was a little more forgiving for beginners.

----------


## RobH2

Have any of you looked at the Prometheus hot end? It looks interesting in that it's adjustable for the cool zone.

----------


## gmay3

Looks like makerfarm is having an easter week special for $570. While that's an awesome discount, I feel a little taken advantage of by being a preorder buyer at 650 only a few weeks ago.

----------


## RobH2

Try not to feel too bad gmay3. It's just the nature of running a business. No matter what your product, a Sale, is a tricky thing. There is always someone who bought "it" yesterday and didn't get the sale price. And, it's not fun with it's yourself. 

I don't think you were taken advantage of in any way. Colin is not like that and seems to be a really nice guy. You won't find any better customer assistance. You unfortunately just made your purchase prior to a sale. It has to happen to someone and sorry it was you. Fortunately it was only $80 bucks. That's about the cost of two rolls of filament so really not too awful. So go print something cool with that groovy new Makerfarm and make yourself feel better. I wish I had the new version of the printer printer.

----------


## gmay3

Thanks RobH2 you make a good point. I really don't feel too bad about it, I'm just like DAMN! Oh well! I still think it was worth every penny of 650 and if someone gets it on sale that's great value! 

I only have great things to say about Colin, he's great! He always has provided really helpful advice (very quickly) and seems to be a very kind person. I know others have said this too and that's a main reason I decided to go with the Makerfarm Prusa i3v! I think I'll be ordering some more filament from him soon!

----------


## 1stage

Hah! I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt a little envy at the Easter Week special price, having bought mine just after gmay3 did at the $650 price point.

But, yes I absolutely told EVERYONE who was on the fence about buying one to grab it at that price if they could.

And I wouldn't say no to discounts on some future filament purchases from Makerfarm...  :Wink:

----------


## DrLuigi

Seems like Colin heard us prays and done it!

http://www.makerfarm.com/index.php/m...v-upgrade.html

We can now upgrade our kits to the I3V.
I personaly aint very sure yet, Just due it will take quiet a bit to get all parts from my makerfarm and make the I3V.

----------


## MeoWorks

Oh cool, I think I'm gonna pick this up when I can!

----------


## old man emu

*FOR SALE:* One used Soul. Reasonable condition with some staining. Several signs of past Forgiveness. Excellent value at $US180 (+P/H), or will trade for one Prusa i3v upgrade kit.

OME

----------


## eghm

One more day to talk myself out of ordering a MakerFarm Prusa i3v.  Reading about Collins customer service and seeing it first hand myself really helps as does seeing the community here, the sale is pushing me over the edge.  I've seen a lot of opportunities for new things I could make myself and others that I would rather make than buy for a couple years now.  Exciting!

----------


## old man emu

eghm,

The Romans had a saying: _carpe die_ (seize the day). Stop thinking and act. Every day wasted thinking about doing something makes it a day later getting done.

OME

----------


## eghm

Thanks old man emu.  No more waiting for me, just placed my order!

----------


## brandonros

> I went with the Hexagon as well, .4mm nozzle but for 3mm filament. I read somewhere that 3mm filament was a little more forgiving for beginners.


Do you guys have any experience with the E3D hotend?  I got sick of my magma jamming with every print so I'm torn between getting the Hexagon and the E3D.

----------


## RobH2

I'd like to hear some discussion too about other hotends. I have a J-Head and a Magma and the Magma jammed so many times that I just put it in the "drawer of forgotten" things, never to come out again. I've been seeing this guy push his Prometheus ( http://igg.me/at/Prometheus-Hot-End/x/6004956 ) hotend that has an adjustable "cool zone." It looks very interesting but is a bit pricier than other hotends. 

So yea, any Makerfarm users here using other hotends besides the ones Colin has available when we order the printers?

----------


## gmay3

I got the 0.4mm nozzle hexagon hotend with my i3V at Colin's initial recommendation. I can vouch for its high quality and I've had no problems with it so far printing about a half of a roll of ABS at fast and slow speeds. Haven't tried PLA yet, but I hope to get a roll soon!

----------


## RobH2

I don't recall having that hexagon as an option when I bought mine. Good to see they are adding hotends to the choices.

----------


## brandonros

Yeah, I didn't have that option either.  But it looks like the hexagon is new to this year.  Gmay3 has the i3V, which is also a new version of our i3 with some kind of better linear rails for high speed printing.  Colin sells the upgrade kit here but it's not cheap: http://www.makerfarm.com/index.php/m...v-upgrade.html
I'm hearing a lot of good about both the hexagon and e3d hotend online so it may come down to the $10 price difference.

----------


## RobH2

I don't think the price for the upgrade is that expensive. If I wasn't so impressed with the printer already I'd have a problem throwing money at it. But, it's so good that I have no problem upgrading it. If it were an inferior printer then it would make no sense to upgrade it and instead use that money towards another better machine. In the case of the i3 I have, an upgrade would be welcomed. I'm going to do it as soon as I get a few projects out of the way.

----------


## beerdart

Rob if you send me your magma ill machine it like ours and you would be smooth sailing.  


> I'd like to hear some discussion too about other hotends. I have a J-Head and a Magma and the Magma jammed so many times that I just put it in the "drawer of forgotten" things, never to come out again. I've been seeing this guy push his Prometheus ( http://igg.me/at/Prometheus-Hot-End/x/6004956 ) hotend that has an adjustable "cool zone." It looks very interesting but is a bit pricier than other hotends. 
> 
> So yea, any Makerfarm users here using other hotends besides the ones Colin has available when we order the printers?

----------


## beerdart

The mod is simple mill a flat on the nozzle end to prevent ooze then mill the top of the round heater block to get the heat zone concentrated on the nozzle and I also like the thermister in the block and not in the nozzle. Its also a must to run a fan duct on the cold end all the time the one we use is.>>http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:161066. We only use the  adapter and  main duct.

----------


## beerdart

My current hot end is this block and nozzle opened up for 3mm filament. Home made down tube made from M6 ss threaded rod and magma heat sink. 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Meal-DIY-Hot...item4acfd85070

----------


## RobH2

So you purchased that and then modified it? Man I'd like to have access to a metal shop. I don't have that anymore and I miss it.

----------


## beerdart

No that block is not modified but the round Magma was and worked just as good.

----------


## brandonros

> No that block is not modified but the round Magma was and worked just as good.


Just curious how does milling the tip flat cure the jamming? Or is it the new down tube that's helping more?

----------


## beerdart

IMO milling the block flat for the tip helps with ooze. The jamming is from the heat traveling too far up the feed tube. I remove the upper threads and mill flat the top of the round heat block to keep the heat concentrated on the melt zone. Ill take pics with measurements when i cut Robs. Like I said its a must to run A fan with a duct.. I have not had one clog from heat related issues since this mod even with the home made acorn nut nozzle. Its all in the hot and cold zone. This is just my opinion and experiences.   


> Just curious how does milling the tip flat cure the jamming? Or is it the new down tube that's helping more?

----------


## brandonros

That makes sense.  Were you getting alot of jams before modding the heat block?  I've tried that same fan duct with my magma and it didn't help the jamming issue but maybe modding that heat block and feed tube would do it. I ended up warping my feed tube trying to remove it for an acetone soak after getting steady jams so I'd need a new one.  But I'd love to see your pics when you do it. Thanks

----------


## beerdart

Yes but IMO they were due to some setting problems and the improved heat zone transfer. We (My son and I) were thrust into the hot end business after the first week when our nozzle broke and could not find a replacement so i made one. After looking at the function and design I made some mods and it works for us. IMO a Hot-end is not that complicated it heats one end and cools the other. IMO 60% of problems are settings 30% heating/cooling and 10% bad filament.   


> That makes sense.  Were you getting alot of jams before modding the heat block?  I've tried that same fan duct with my magma and it didn't help the jamming issue but maybe modding that heat block and feed tube would do it. I ended up warping my feed tube trying to remove it for an acetone soak after getting steady jams so I'd need a new one.  But I'd love to see your pics when you do it. Thanks

----------


## snowzach

I very nearly gave up on 3d printing because of the Magma Hot end. It never jammed completely, it always printed like it was partially jammed and didn't feed enough. I just thought it was that hard to make a print and it was that tricky to do. Finally I thought it must be my hot end and ordered an E3D. Best decision. Smooth sailing ever since. The only thing I've never really figured out well is bridging.

----------


## 1stage

Hmmm. Absolutely ZERO problems with the Magma here. Sorry you had issues.

My problems have always been my own (although you could chalk them up as design flaws):
- On my Greg's Accessible Extruder, my large gear would seize. FIX: Make sure you use and tighten the second bolt next to the large gear. If not, the hobbed bolt will spin the large gear tighter and tighter towards it. Tighten the large gear nut to the SECOND nut, NOT to the bolt. That will almost always cause problems.
- As suggested by Old Man Emu, the NEMA 17 holes on the Greg's Accessible Extruder are a bit tight. At his recommendation, I pulled the STL for it into SketchUp and lengthened the holes a bit.
- The small gear (attached to the D shaft of the stepper) on the Greg's Accessible Extruder has some VERY thin walls around the nut trap, and it's easy to whiten/break. Also, I brought in the STL and added the D slot to what was originally a round hole, then fortified the nut trap walls to make the chances of breaking less challenging.
- After I added the Prusa i3 Magma ducting with the fan mount and shroud (after modifying to allow the nut at the back clearance), I went from a 7 minute ABS preheat to a 3 minute ABS preheat.

$0.02.

----------


## RobH2

1stage, I'd say that's worth at least $0.07...lol...  Thanks for that. It's always good to hear about tweaks that users do to improve the machine.

----------


## gmay3

1stage, sounds like good mods to the greg's extruder! I was thinking about doing that myself, would you be open to sharing your modified (upgraded) stl's?  :Big Grin:  I'd love to try the 1stage remix

----------


## 1stage

Of course. They're on Thingiverse.com here...

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:316494

----------

