God I hate this thing

[Stevolution]

Switched it on tonight.... issue with the Rambo

So after messing around, I re-loaded the Repetier code to the Rambo and that seemed to sort the issue.

BUT... Now its lost all the settings and the printer head crashes into the plate at the 3x tower positions during calibration
So, I assume that means I am back to day one with messing around finding the correct calibration settings for the whole thing.

I can't find a back-up anywhere of the EEprom settings.

This has to be the most unrewarding hobby ever invented by man

[Qdeathstar]

it does get super frustrating when you are trying to get it calibrated or extruding and it just won't do. I think the frustration is made worse by the fact everything needs to be heated and so not only is it fidgety and requires nimbleness to fix but it's hot.

That said, luckily I don't seem to have as much problems as you do. And most of them were due to my upgrades. It is rewarding for me.


Everything is solvable for me... and this kit is well thought out, and gives you the ability to upgrade, without wasting anything because most of the components are high quality and thought out.


for me the weakest parts of the printer stock are Rambo electronics first, the melamine frame second.


the arms and carriages stock are great, effector platform is good, hotend is perfect for abs and pla... a heating cartridge can be added for almost zero effort. 20x20 extrusions work fine.. psu work, but I will be going 24v soon (I'm not going to do the whole ssr thing as from what I've read it seems to work ok without the ssr) and actually, I prefer the stock extruder to be honest I for abs/pla...

I have had to make a lot of tweaks a long the way but most of them have been due to upgrades... (removing the set screws made calibration harder, adding an enclosure meant redesigning the layer fan, trying to level the bed with a gauge and driving the head outside of the printing area by accident made the belts loose, adding the bondtech extruder caused my retraction settings to be incorrect).

I'd say over all the problems I have with the printer are problems that I created. And so far with a bit of time they have all been solvable.

[Captain Starfish]

Yeah, it's frustrating when it doesn't work. Looking back through your post history you seem to have gone through most of the little issues I've had.

Having used other machines, I've a suspicion that any machine is going to be a PITA to continuously, reliably get prints without issues. Mine's now kinda settled in and an occasional 7 point bed level and a better management of expectations re output quality seems to get me by pretty well.

I use mine for engineering prototypes and so, although throwing the toys out of the pram was an appealing option, the consequences of doing that (having to machine every prototype) in terms of time, effort and expense gave me the motivation to persevere.

If you're someone who doesn't need a printer in their life, and you don't enjoy tinkering with the machine to keep it playing nicely (or at all), then my suggestion would be:
1. You've stuck with this, done the time. No-one can accuse you of being a spineless quitter.
2. Life's too short to be bashing your head against a blood smeared wall for the sake of a hobby.
3. If you're finding the reward you get from the hobby doesn't exceed the pain you get from it, find another hobby. Seriously.

[joe]

Pack it in man. You are clearly not cut out for this type of aggravation/hobby.

[Stevolution]

I hate defeat... which is why I have persevered for so long with this thing.

But, there does come a time when you have to realise that its just not a practical method of producing anything reliably.

I kept trying to print a new pool holder with bearings for the top of the printer.... 8 attempts and many evenings later, I gave up and went and spent an hour making one out of timber Far easier and a far better finish.

The heated cabinet has helped, but the prints still curl at the edges and the fail rate is still too high.

So yes... the printer has been relocated to the garage to become an item to hang clothes on.

[Qdeathstar]

The Mendel max v3 is a nice printer and will probably be more reliable because it is Cartesian...

It costs about $1600 though... Maybe try that one next time you get the urge to splurge...

[Captain Starfish]

This is the thing, though: the curling edges, the jammed nozzles, all of that kinda crap is stuff you'll have to deal with regardless of the printer. The only big difference with the commercial FDM printers is that there's then a number to call so you can pay someone to come out and deal with it, instead of having to DIY with forums. But you pay for the access to that person, and you pay to have them visit so it's really only viable for a commercial machine in a commercial context where downtime costs.

I found that the 3D printer was a hell of a lot more finicky and problematic than my CNC router which has pretty much run hassle free since the day I uncrated it and bolted the gantry onto the Y runners (that's what they call assembly). But when something I do wrong causes a problem, the CNC tends to get a lot more destructive and destroys tools and workpieces and fixtures quite happily whereas the 3D printer is a lot more benign - apart from one shattered bed, the worst that happens is a failed print.

We really aren't yet at the point of "A 3D printer in every home".

I don't love mine like I did when it was newly arrived anymore, the honeymoon's over and now it's just another tool in the box. Sometime's it's appropriate for a job, most of the time it's not, that's fine and an excuse to have other toys, erm, tools