I have a super old Makerbot Replicator 2 without a heated bed, and have all kinds of issues with parts warping. I recently slapped on a piece of glass to alleviate some other problems due to a warped acrylic print bed, but obviously nothing sticks to it without some kind of additional surface like tape.
Everything I’ve found online is $200+ for a heated bed…
Is there a way I can have an aluminum plate cut cheaply and then purchase a silicone heater?
Are there any Makerbot clones that might have a compatible heated bed?
I’m not very experienced when it comes to this so I’m hoping some experts have an opinion
I think the correct way to do this upgrade would be to ditch both of the above, cut an aluminum plate (Mic6?), and get some glass to fit right on top? I’m unsure about the heater part or if there’s anything pre-fabricated that I can use.
If your willing to take a print size reduction, you could buy a used ender 3 (preferably broken) and steel the heated bead and plate from it… they are only like 150 new. So a broken one should be dirt cheap.
Really choosing a 3d printer is like choosing a car… they come in every size, price range, and quality you could want. And it should be selected based on what you want out of it.
I agree with the Prusa MK3s suggestion. They have amazing print quality and they will last longer with less maintenance. They have enough automations and smarts built into them that you will spend a lot less time manually trying to make your printer work. I have two of them. I trust them to just work and they do. The only trouble I have ever had with them was with the MMU2s upgrades. Those are not as reliable.
Ender 3 is a great entry level printer for many beginners. But I recommend many upgrades to get them semi reliable. New mother board, BLTouch, dual drive extruder upgrade, steel sheet magnetic bed upgrade, all metal hot end upgrade. Direct drive upgrade, filament sensor switch upgrade, mgn12 rails upgrade to replace the v slot wheels. Then plan on spending a day or two getting the firmware configuration you want. That’s how long it took me. All of those upgrades and then it becomes almost as smart and reliable as the MK3s. But even then the firmware and slicer profiles on the Prusa are way better tuned.
I eventually bought an Ender 3 just so I could experience it to help friends and family with theirs. I saved myself a ton of time by buying the MK3s initially.
Yes V slot wheels on the Ender wear out over time. But that takes time. That wear can be slowed by making sure the tension on the wheels isn’t excessively tight.
My MK3s printers print mostly PETGand PLA but I have used them to print ABS many times and Nylon a couple times(with an enclosure). The Ender 3 standard hot end would damage the Bowden tube with those temperatures.
Agreed, the prusa is a great machine… I have an ender 3… I think some of those upgrades are excessive but I guess it depends on what you want.
I have had no issues with the v slot wheels, though I am sure they will wear out adventuly. I have no issues with my bowden setup (some complain of exsesive oozing but honestly my direct drive SM2 oozes more) i do recommend an all metal hot end upgrade, board upgrade, ptfe upgrade, bltouch and a slight modification to the aluminum extruder. But I feel like my printer is very reliable even if it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles.
But inalso like tinkering and upgrading and I’m cheap so the $150 initial price tag was hard to resist. It is a great little machine, but I have never had the pleasure of using a prusa.
