New user here, just unpacked my 2.0 yesterday. Will try 3D printing first, although I’m excited to use all modules. I have a couple new user questions.
Does the unit need to be maintained? Oiled or anything like that? I get cleaning up after CNC use, etc., but not sure if there are maintenance tips that ensure a smooth operation.
Do you need to clean the tip of the 3D printing nozzle once you’re done? Should I pull the filament out?
My first 3D print went south. The printing mat slipped of the heating base. Any way to prevent that from happening?
I’m reading through these forums for tips and ides - anything a brand new user should know?
Also, I see a lot of you are making your own enclosures, are those necessary? Is the one offered by SM too expensive? Any plans out there for a nice user made version?
Thanks so much in advance for any replies, I’m sure I’ll be back with more questions!
Cleaning the nozzle is only necessary if it’s clogged. Be cautious about wear if you’re going to do it as preventative maintenance.
Okay, that usually means the nozzle hit something. Make sure you have z-hop turned on, and that your Snapmaker isn’t overextruding: Extruder Calibration a must
Some of the more useful threads have been collected here: SnapLinks -- Wiki
The catch with the Snapmaker-made enclosure is that it offers little or nothing in the way of laser protection (the panels should be at least OD3 for blue laser light, and aren’t). I’m in the process of modifying mine.
I am still planning out an enclosure for my SM2 (to be built into a wall/shelving unit adjacent to my workbench), and the laser protection is one of the areas I’m hung up on. Might be good to start a thread on that - recommendations of DIY enclosures.
Slightly derailing this thread only to briefly talk about laser safety - I’ve done some calculations and I am of the opinion the snapmaker enclosure is sufficient to protect against incidental exposure, even without laser safety glasses on. You should not stare at the beam, you should not be very close to the machine while the laser is on at full power without glasses, but if you walk by the machine and catch a glimpse of diffuse laser light through the enclosure you will not cause eye injury with the 1600mW laser.
OD3+ panels and better would allow you to safely look at the laser beam without goggles for extended observation.
Diffuse light from a 1600mW is not powerful enough to cause immediate eye injury even unprotected. You would need to stare at the beam spot.
Coherent light, reflected from glass or tile or metal, is a different story, and 1600mW is enough to cause immediate eye injury. If you work with those materials you need to be aware of this and take appropriate safety measures, like making sure kids and pets are kept away from the machine.
Yeah, I’m concerned about the laser safety of the enclosure because 1. our cats aren’t bright enough not to stare at the laser and 2. I have yet to find a pair of properly certified laser safety glasses that I can be sure will fit over my very large prescription glasses. I bought a 30cm² panel of OD3 acrylic and am intending to replace the stock enclosure front panel with this + opaque spacers, one of which is currently printing.
The other option is just to cover the enclosure completely with something opaque when using the laser, and optionally mount a camera inside for observation purposes. I have an RPi3 with camera that I intend to mount inside the enclosure one of these aeons, but I still prefer to have the option of direct observation.
Edit: I know you have gone a different path with the laser viewing window, was mostly just curious if those looked viable for people with prescription glasses in general.
My current prescription frames are ~145mm wide, so I need something with an interior width guaranteed to be larger than that. I’ve looked at the spec sheets for that company’s products before. The fitover frames might work for me only if I completely detached the arms, since the separation between those at the hinge point is given as 142.6mm, although the front itself is 150mm.
The fitovers would work for many people who need glasses, though. I deliberately buy the largest frames I can find when having prescription glasses made up, so that I can glance to the side without turning my head and still be able to see more than blotchy blurs (I’m very nearsighted).
Sorry to be that “noob”, but I tried my second print and it too messed up. I walked in to filament all over the place and the print bed off again. I calbrated the unit exactly as SM stated to with the paper - got the nozzle down to where it just tugged at the paper when I pulled it.
If you could attach pictures of what is happening that would be very useful. Especially the first layer of the print. Also, try watching the print or recording it, as that makes it much easier to tell what happened when the print failed.
