My 3D Printing Adventure

So a while back I was printing a rather large part, specifically my version of the bed support for this thing . While printing this 5 hour part, around the 4th hour the stepper started skipping... then it got worse and worse the MOSFET heated up and the board burnt out. Because Tronxy was CHEAP they put the MOSFET directly on the controller board so they can't be replaced. So the Melzi board died... I looked online and the cheapest I could find was for about 35$,  not cool man, not cool.  So I started looking for alternatives and the most common fix for The Tronxy X3 was a Ramps 1.4 replacement.  I found one on eBay for about 45$ and they could ship it fast here is a link to the one I bought . Here is an image of all that came with it...  pretty sweet deal came with everything I need plus the LED Smart Controller and 3 end stop switches. I just needed to burn the EEPROM I decided to stick with Repetier-Server and then ... about 3 to 4 days getting the settings correct I am

This servo is active all the time... Well really when you think about it all the servos are on all the time even when they are not moving, they are maintaining their position.  But the extruder servo is doing the most jagged oscillating movement (back and forward a lot and fast).  X and X servos being the next most active and then there are the Z servos that really don't do much. I am bringing that all up because you really need to pay attention to the Extruder servo.  Depending on the controller board you are using the MOSFET could get VERY hot.  When I had a problem I was using the Melzi 2.0 controller that comes with the Tronxy X3.  It's inability to deal with heat in general, this includes the bed heater MOSFET.  You really need to add some sort of extra cooling for the controller.  Those tiny heatsinks that come with the stock Tronxy X3 suck hard. Megreth

After getting my Tronxy X3 I, of course, started printing like crazy... I immediately found it was not easy.  The biggest problem was first understanding the basics, material flow, extruder heat, extruder stepper, g commands... etc.  The second was leveling the bed.  That sucked...    Also learning the nuances of the machine, like end stops, belt tension, what tools I needed,  parts popping off, the printing surface, etc. I am going to list here the things I suggest to fix some of these issues. Tools There are some tools I found that are absolutely needed to run a 3D printer, they are: Calipers: Harbor Freight has a good one for 20$ . You need one that has a resolution down to .01 mm.  This is probably one of the most important for me. From measuring the Horizontal bar distance to the bed to checking part dimensions... so very helpfull. A spark plug gapper: One like this  I bought one at Harbor Freight but I can't find an online link for it. I only paid 3$ for it.  I use t

When I decided to get a 3D printer I found there were so many different ones to choose from.  Orignal Prusa... Makerbots, Ultimaker etc...  and HUGE price ranges, from 150$ to well... really expensive.  I read so many comparison guides and opinions about printers and what beginners should and shouldn't do.  What was crap and what was not....  It seriously felt like the PC Apple wars of the 80's to me (Oh crap I just dated myself). So after all of that, I settled on a Tronxy X3,  warts and all I still think it was a good purchase... for me.  It might not be a good one for you, there are some things you need to consider first. There is a reason why this printer is only 200$ To put it bluntly, it's a cheap Chinese product that really could have used some more... thought in certain areas.  Yes, there are MUCH better printers out there... but they cost a MUCH better price. Here are the Cons to this printer as I know them 7 weeks after owning this printer. The Melzi 2.

So I purchased a 3D printer 7 weeks ago, a Tronxy X3 at Gearbest  and all things considered it's been an overall good experience. Now that I understand it and have tinkered with it I am printing parts quite well now. I have had to overcome quite a few issues that seem common with this printer.  I am going to use this blog to describe how I overcame them in an effort to help others.