Questions from a complete n00b

I recently ordered a Prusa i3 from Replikeo and it's going to take a couple weeks to get here, but that gives me time to prepare!

I have some questions whose answers will help me hit the floor running when the printer finally gets here.

1) What is the best source for instructions on assembling and calibrating my i3?

2) After a few calibration prints I would imagine it's a good idea to print backup parts, yes?

3) Should I invest in a couple of nozzles or any other non-printable parts that I should get before or shortly after the printer arrives? The kit ships with a J-head for 3mm filament and a 0.4mm nozzle.

4) The printer ships with a spool of ABS. Should I consider starting with PLA instead? It seems more forgiving for a novice.

5) How sensitive is the i3 to external vibrations? I plan to build a bench in my basement that will be attached to the floor joists above and the front door (directly above) gets slammed sometimes.

6) I've heard that print quality can suffer a bit from abrupt changes in direction of the x and y axes. Is it advisable to print brackets to attach the i3 to the workbench?

That's all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure I'll have more questions later... :)

Thanks for your input!

Gadget Greg

Hi, Congrats on your printer. I'm sure you are very excited.

1. Just watched their "assembly" video. Amazing! 2.5 minutes without audio but it seems to be very complete. Take a look at the instructions at MakerFarm.com. Their's is not an exact copy of your's but should help as an addition to the video.
2. Yes.
3. I wouldn't worry about this. The 0.4 will probably do for anything you want to do. As you get more into it and want to experiment then go ahead and look into other options.
4. Different beasts. Not sure I could recommend one over the other other than the smell of ABS which some folks don't like. Play around with the ABS first. If it works well for you then buy more. If you aren't thrilled with it then try PLA. I use both all the time.
5. I'd say that internal vibrations are the biggest issue. Make sure that everything is tight including belts and screws. This will minimize vibration. Double check everything occasionally as the motion of the printer will want to rattle things apart. The occasional door slam probably won't be a problem.
6. Put your printer on a piece of foam shelf liner. It won't move a bit. I've never had a problem with it like this.

Cheers,

KDog

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Originally Posted by gadget_greg

2) After a few calibration prints I would imagine it's a good idea to print backup parts, yes?

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People aren't going to agree on this one. But as you start modifying your printer, you are going to accumulate back up parts. And really... If a part breaks, you can probably super glue it together for long enough to print another part. Also, if you post an .STL file of the part you need (With a desperate, whiny plea for somebody to help you out) , even if your printer is totally shut down without it... You'll get a part.

Thank you both for the input! I may print the parts for my friend(s) instead! ;)

KDog, I don't need to worry about the nozzle clogging or anything like that? And what do you mean by foam shelf liner, that rubbery, grippy stuff?

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Originally Posted by Roxy

People aren't going to agree on this one. But as you start modifying your printer, you are going to accumulate back up parts. And really... If a part breaks, you can probably super glue it together for long enough to print another part. Also, if you post an .STL file of the part you need (With a desperate, whiny plea for somebody to help you out) , even if your printer is totally shut down without it... You'll get a part.

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Im with Roxy on this one. I've never printed backup parts because I'll just end up soldering the pieces together anyway lol. While I still think it is good practice to print replacement parts, I don't think it's a big deal to focus on it right away. Enjoy your printer first!

FYI, I've had my printer printing nonstop since last July and only the idler broke, soldered it :)

Solder the plastic pieces? With what?

I've heard people talk about ABS glue and also something to smooth out the striations. Do you know what they're talking about?

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Originally Posted by gadget_greg

Solder the plastic pieces? With what?

I've heard people talk about ABS glue and also something to smooth out the striations. Do you know what they're talking about?

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Both PLA and ABS can easily be glued with cyanoacrylate glue (CA / superglue). Also, ABS is easily dissolved in acetone, so that can be used to glue pieces together. Just put some on a flat surface and press together. It seems to work for PLA too, but I guess it's not as strong (acetone does _something_ to PLA, but it does not dissolve). It's even easier if you prepare an "ABS juice" solution, just dissolve some leftover bits of ABS in acetone. Works even better for gluing stuff together, and can also be used for making tricky pieces (large flat bottom surfaces that warp easily) stick to the print bed better.

Also, basically any thermoplastic can be "soldered" together with heat. I sometimes use a soldering iron (on relatively low heat) to repair or smooth out things gone wrong during printing, and also tried bending pieces after warming them up with a heat gun.

It's hard to describe exactly how it's done, just print some test pieces (or use failed prints) and experiment with.

Very cool! Great info! Thanks! :)