YouTube Streams 1 & 2 Update, Plus Quick Fix for Uneven X Gantry

3D-Printer-X-Gantry-Fix

Hey Karl here with an update on the YouTube Live streams from last week. Live Streams Update The 1st stream went about as well as I expected….Not very well. I was really nervous and I broke the live link that was posted on here at the last minute. My whole reasoning for the Livestream was to show the processes in real time and not do too much footwork ahead of time. On the first one I was planning on migrating from Marlin 1.1.6 to Marlin 1.1.8 but I had already done lol… So I ended up migrating to the bugfix branch which presented additional challenges. Overall it was successful and I hope I conveyed the process. I was able to get it to print but I ended up going back to 1.1.8 due to some error in the bugfix branch that caused weird jittery movement. I will in the future […]

Easythreed NANO Mini Fully Assembled 3D Printer Sells for $160

If you plan on getting started with 3D printing, you’ll already find some decent low cost 3D printers on the market such as Anet A8 that is now selling for around $150 plus shipping. However, most of those come in kits that you need to assemble yourself, and some people may feel uneasy about the process. But this morning, I’ve come across another option with Easythreed NANO Mini 3D printer that is fully assembly, and up for pre-order on Banggood for $159.99 including free shipping.. Easythreed NANO Mini 3D printer specifications: Print Technology – FDM Print Size – 90 x 110 x 110 mm Nozzle Diameter – 0.4mm Layer Thickness –  0.1-0.3mm Filament Support – PLA Filament Size – 1.75mm Rotary technology – Belt drive, linear bearing technology Print accuracy – 0.1-0.3mm Feed Technology – Proximal feed Nozzle Temperature –  180-230℃ Printing speed – 10-20MM/S File format – Input: .Stl, Transfer: .gcode One key printing technology Storage – micro USB card USB – 1x USB port Power supply – Input: 110~240V 50/60HZ Output: 12V, 60W Dimensions – 188 […]

LiveStream #1 – Migrating to Marlin Firmware

Karl here. I’ve decided to start doing a weekly Livestream on different topics related to subjects covered on CNX Software. For the fist livestream, I will be showing the workflow that I use to migrate to newer Marlin firmware on HE3D K280 3D printer but it applies to any printer. I will also cover the calibration process for the K280. I originally did a written review of the K280 but it is sometimes hard to show concepts in writing. The livestream will take place on  June 14th @ 21:30 ET timezone, and if you are interested you can register below, or come back to this page to check it out. Karl JohnsonKarl is a technology enthusiast that contributes reviews of TV boxes, 3D printers, and other gadgets for makers.

How-to Make Your Own 3D Printing Goo

Karl here…just want to do a little post about bed adhesion and what I have been doing for the past month. What spurred this is I saw a ton of videos on Magigoo a while back. It is a product that you wipe on your glass/mirror bed and 3D prints stick very well to it and once the bed cools the part pops off very easily. It is quite expensive and it got me to think about alternatives. I have used glue stick almost exclusively while printing on glass/mirror but a lot of time the prints stick too well and prints can get marred up removing with a tool. It is quite easy to make. 1 cup water and 1 large 22g Elmers glue stick. I put both in water and let sit thinking it would dissolve on its own. After several hours I got impatient and put it in […]

Working on High Quality Low Cost DIY 3D Scanning using Structured Light

Hello all, Karl here. I just wanted to send a note about what I have been working on. As the title says shows it is about 3d scanning. I have found it pretty fascinating so far. These are mainly based on structured light 3d scanning. From Wikipedia: Structured light is the process of projecting a known pattern (often grids or horizontal bars) on to a scene. The way that these deform when striking surfaces allows vision systems to calculate the depth and surface information of the objects in the scene, as used in structured light 3D scanners. There are a few commercial offerings that I have run across or have found while searching around but they are very expensive. The first one I ran across was made by Einscan. They are over 1k and have been reviewed a lot. It seems like they put out a good product and keep […]

BQ Ciclop is an Open Source Hardware 3D Scanner Kit

I’ve already written about 3D scanners, and at the time mentioned the price range varied a lots from just around $100 fo entry-level models to over several thousands dollars for professional solutions. This morning I saw a tweet for one of the cheap model by HE3D, where they claimed the scanner to be “open source”,  so I asked, and while you could buy the kit with or without camera for $83.30 or $116.53 respectively,  the company shared a rar file with documentation, and design files, so you could also built it yourself, or modify it. 3D scanner kit content: bq ZUM BT-328 controller board micro USB cable Logitech  C270 HD webcam 42-stepper motor 2x Laser 12V/1.5A power supply 8mm Bobbin 4x  M3*12 self-tapping screws 2x  M3*20 self-tapping screws 10x M3*10 screws 6x M3 nuts 28x M8 nuts 18x M8 washer 2.5mm hexagon wrench 3x M8*30 screws 1x 16014 bearing 2x M8*382mm […]

Looking for Inspiration for a 3D Printed Project

Hello CNX readers. Karl here. I am looking for some inspiration on a practical project to design and print from scratch. I am hoping someone might come up with an idea. I will share on Thingiverse, and I will ship it to you if you live in the continental United States. I will only do the plastic part. For example I just finished a bench power supply from an old PC power supply with the standard voltages and variable one from 2 to 30 volts. This has been done a million times already so just did it for personal use. It will be designed in Fusion 360. I can screen capture the build process, and speed up and put on YouTube if interested. Leave feedback in the comments below. Thank you for your help. Karl JohnsonKarl is a technology enthusiast that contributes reviews of TV boxes, 3D printers, and other […]

Raiscube A8R 3D Printer Review

Hello Karl here with a look at the Raiscube A8R. If you recall I reviewed the R2 3D printer quite a while ago. I really liked the R2, so when I heard that this newer version came out I reached out to Raiscube directly and asked for a review sample. Raiscube kindly obliged, and I am so glad that they did. The A8R is the upgraded version to the R2. The most prominent differences is the acrylic frame is gone, being replaced with an aluminum frame, and the build time is slashed considerably. Build Volume: 210 x 210 x 225mm Material diameter: 1.75mm Direct Drive Extruder Dual Z 12V/25A power supply Up to 95°C on the bed Up to 250°C on the nozzle Ramps Plus2 Board v1.8.26 Educational Opportunity This review has been in the works since last November. I liked it a lot so wanted to put it through […]