New 10" i3v. What else do I need to get started?

[Renfro]

Hi there,

Just placed an order for my first printer, a Prusa 10" i3v Kit. I'm having it shipped to a friends place in the US, where I'll pick it up and bring it to Brazil next month.

I need your help choosing and ordering the "extras" needed for the next few months. Ordering/shipping directly to Brazil is extremely slow and costly (taxes), so I need to bring as much as possible with me on this trip.

In my makerfarm order I've already included a pair of "5mm to 5mm Z Coupler", two rolls of PLA and two of ABS. Surprisingly the power supply is easy to find and cheap here, so I didn't order that.

From clough42 posts I figure I want to add the vibration dampening Sorbothane feet and techflex wire sleeves, both of which I'm getting from Amazon. (all that stuff is hard to come by here)

What else should I be looking at to get started? Am I missing anything?

Besides watching all the how to videos and reading this (and other) forums to exhaustion, how do I cope with the waiting?

Thanks in advance!

Renfro

[usarmyaircav]

Not something to order, but you could download slic3r .99 and maybe Cura if interested, print run (pronterface) to get more familiar with them.

[gmay3]

Congrats Renfro and welcome! That wait is a hard one for sure! I think you've got the right ideas!

I would also suggest grabbing some glass in advance for your heat bed. Grab some cork tiles or sheeting as a under heat bed insulator. FILAMENT! Small zipties. 3 in 1 machine oil for the threaded rods. Digital calipers, the cheap amazon ones are just fine. Hairspray if you're going with the glass and hairspray method. A good set of metric allen wrenches.

Also, make a thingiverse profile and start snatching up a bunch of makerfarm printer improvements/yoda heads you want to print!

[Renfro]

Not something to order, but you could download slic3r .99 and maybe Cura if interested, print run (pronterface) to get more familiar with them.

Thanks for the heads up! Software downloaded, work has come to a halt

[Renfro]

Congrats Renfro and welcome! That wait is a hard one for sure! I think you've got the right ideas!

I would also suggest grabbing some glass in advance for your heat bed. Grab some cork tiles or sheeting as a under heat bed insulator. FILAMENT! Small zipties. 3 in 1 machine oil for the threaded rods. Digital calipers, the cheap amazon ones are just fine. Hairspray if you're going with the glass and hairspray method. A good set of metric allen wrenches.

Also, make a thingiverse profile and start snatching up a bunch of makerfarm printer improvements/yoda heads you want to print!

I'll try to survive the wait by reading up this forum and learning as much as possible.

In the meantime here's my ongoing check list:

- Glass will be ordered from local store.
- Cork tiles gathered from wife's photo panel.
- Filament already ordered w/ printer.
- Zip ties, machine oil, allen wrenches and digital caliper secured from my mountain bike tools (I do my own maintenance)
- Thingiverse profile created! Downloading printer mods...

Thanks for the tips!

[MiniMadRyan]

Might want to consider future upgrades too. Perhaps one of Clough42's IttyBItty Dual Extruder parts, a spare hexagon or e3d hot end if you want to do dual extrusion down the road.

Spare parts done hurt either

[Renfro]

I did order the kit with .40mm Hexagon Nozzle for 1.75mm with an eventual dual extrusion setup in mind. Getting a second hotend is something I'm still thinking about...

Which spare parts (besides the printable ones) would need to be replaced first? And how much use should I expect before replacing it?

Should I get a spare or different sized nozzle?

[MiniMadRyan]

I always order a few extra stepper drivers for the RAMPS board, as I have a habit of doing something stupid and frying them. If you're still thinking about dual extrusion, consider this kit as well: http://www.makerfarm.com/index.php/p...-extender.html and if you can't get metric hardware locally in your home town, then I'd suggest grabbing some while you're abroad. It's not a must have, but its nice to have stock in case you need them down the road. Maybe some Kapton tape as well (the wider, the better) or even some BuildTak sheets too http://www.buildtak.com

[Renfro]

Thanks @MiniMadRyan!

Metric tools are the standard here, so no problems there. As for dual extrusion, I'll leave that for later, after I get some experience with this machine.

I can see the need for spare stepper drivers. Should I order it from makerfarm or will any A4988 from Amazon/Ebay do ?

BuildTak also seems like a good idea, does it work for ABS and PLA? Does it last? Should I order more than one?

Sorry for all the questions guys, just trying to get up to speed on this new world (to me).

[gmay3]

I'll try to survive the wait by reading up this forum and learning as much as possible.

In the meantime here's my ongoing check list:

- Glass will be ordered from local store.
- Cork tiles gathered from wife's photo panel.
- Filament already ordered w/ printer.
- Zip ties, machine oil, allen wrenches and digital caliper secured from my mountain bike tools (I do my own maintenance)
- Thingiverse profile created! Downloading printer mods...

Thanks for the tips!

Good stuff! You're welcome!

Here's a repost of one of mine for N5QM who asked what printer mods are good to collect and get started with.

Repost below:
To respond to your question about mods to print, here are some I use and would reccomend. I've bolded ones that you should print and use right off the bat and are easy prints, and other unbolded ones that you can (in my opinion) grow in to

1. clough42 - LCD Spacer, Sorbothane Isolation Feet, Print Cooling Fan, Adjustable Z endstop, Improved Hexagon Cooling
2. zen1 - Pushfit Belt Guide (print one for the x and the y)
3. swiddie - One Tool Belt Adjustment Bracket
4. schlotzz - RAMPS 40mm fan mount
5. benlew - i3v Control Knob
6. neonpolaris - Spool Mount Smoother
7. gmay3 - (shameless plug) Snap on LED Tray, Rear mounted spool holder (upgrade after using the stock makerfarm holder + neonpolaris spool smoother)