Howdy from Austin, TX.

[Polygonals]

Hey there! I've been 3D modeling as a hobby for around 5 years now, both myself and my friend. I've been interested in 3D printing to make our models and concepts a reality for quite a while, and just took the plunge! I ordered the Rostock Max V2 and it will arrive here shortly. I just ordered the basic kit, no extra modules or anything. I'll be honest, I'm very intimidated by the build process. The manual is lengthy (and thankfully super detailed with pictures) and there seems to be a good amount of electronic work involved. I know what I was getting into when I purchased, and the months following up to it. I had most of the tools required already but I'm grabbing some tomorrow that are listed and unfortunately aren't in my workbench. I'm pretty literate when it comes to tech, I've been building and modding computers since I was 13 and I'm a quick learner. But I know this build process isn't nearly as simple as a PC lego-like build (I've taken 3 days off work next week to build it). Do y'all have any good tips that I probably haven't read in manuals or basic browsing? Anything from software, to tools & construction or even my first prints? Anything I should be wary about or keep in mind for the future of my printer?

Thanks!

[Xenocrates]

I have some suggestions.

First, get a can of shellac, probably the spray stuff, and at least seal your edges, even if you don't paint them.

Second, buy a threaded thermistor, and an M3 (3mmx.05) tap set (Taper, plug, bottoming). You'll still need some RTV for the heating resistors, but it will allow you to not have to deal with the hassle of potting/unpotting thermistors, and also let you swap them faster. If you upgrade to an E3D, you can re-use it, just screw it into the hole for the retaining screw for a normal thermistor.

Thirdly, wire labels, colored electrical tape, and stick-on tie down points. The wiring is a pain, and potentially messy and troublesome. use the wire labels to mark pairs, and the electrical tape to denote what sort of power it's carrying (for example, blue for always on DC, green for ground wires, and other colors for other things. Be consistent.). Use the stick on tie points to allow you to keep any wiring away from endstop pairs, and place them such that any additional wiring can make use of them. It helps a lot to have some additional management points if you start modding (Seeme cuts a few into the plates to start with, but while it's over generous for a stock system, you will soon run out if you mod much)

Fourthly, Do yourself a favor. Be confident about what you know, but ask if you need help. We all went through this. There's a huge body of knowledge here that has probably seen 90% of the possible problems, and if we haven't seen it, we will work to reproduce and then help with it.

Welcome to the forums, and I hope that things go smoothly.

[Qdeathstar]

We are gonna be co building, my Rostock has been delivered and is sitting at home waiting for me..

My advice is to get good tools(or already have them)

[Windshadow]

First Xeno speaks truth the shellac will seal the laser burned Melamine smell... (I live alone and the smell vanishes after a few weeks so I did not do this) this is a great video by Gene (author of the assembly and use manuals on updating the hotted to use the threaded thermistor I did this and also got the heater cartridge as well to use when the dual resistor heater eventually fails.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvXKt3xDt4E
Glad to see that you are planning on building it stock to start with and using the kit hot end... (I find it much easier to get good results with it using PLA than the e3d...it can be tricky dialing in things like retracts with it) the e3d has been great with the Talman nylon for example... ABS has been fine with both of them so build it and use the SeeMeCNC kit hot end for the PEEK fan shroud and layer shroud in ABS and then work on getting it dialed in for PLA

When you picked SeeMeCNC you chose wisely....the gang here is incredible with support and tips and trouble shooting its a grand gang here

one other tip is to printout the assembly manual.... I tried to use it as a PDF on my iPad but I missed several things in the first 50 pages due to loosing my place on the PDF that I had to redo once I saw the error checking my work solar as that point... i know it uses a bunch of printer ink to do it but it really is cheap insurance.... make sure you get the up to date version of Gene's manual I was also using one that was from the month before my kit shipped and got a bit confused (And had to printout another copy of the current version (more epson ink$$$$). stick with Gene and his words and don't try to use assemble to the photos is another good tip.

Look at the threads in the build forum lots of us documented our progress and some have created book length documents over many years this one for example starts back in 2013 with the first version of the rostock so it wont have a lot that will apply to the current kit but it is buy one of the superstars of the forum and even though I have read less than 1/2 of it so fare it has lots of very clever stuff in it
http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=1106 The Author MHackney is a star and its worth it to seek out his FAQ threads when you start printing. http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=7361 and http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php ... 521#p64521

You are going to have a lot of fun with this build... i know I did and I look forward to my next build next winter just not sure yet what it will be.

[Windshadow]

We are gonna be co building, my Rostock has been delivered and is sitting at home waiting for me..

My advice is to get good tools(or already have them)

I found my antique set of nut drivers by XceLite (PS-120) very useful as well as a battery power screwdriver look in Qdeathstar's intro thread for links to the needed 3mm tap set for the screwing thermistor that Xeno posted there.

if you use a powerful screwdriver such as designed for drywall be sure to adjust the torque to a setting that will not let the nut spin and strip the Melamine

[Polygonals]

Thanks for all the useful info! It has arrived today!!
[img]https://i.gyazo.com/b021c5f8b67b030e7b1 ... fb4853.jpg[/img]

Here's my problem, I'm missing the following tools and won't have them for a few days: Solder Leaded - 100-gram Spool, Spool of ABS (going with Hatchbox 1KG white, good deal on amazon with free shipping), Elmer's Disappearing Purple, Kapton 1/2 tape, Permatex 81878 Ultra Copper Maximum Temperature RTV (getting a 3oz bottle, hope it's enough), Permatex 24200 Medium Strength Threadlocker Blue, 6 ml, and forceps.

Is there anything or any part of the manual I can start working on before I have those tools? Otherwise I'll be waiting until Monday to start anything.

Thanks again.

[Xenocrates]

Almost all of the mechanical build can be done without those. You cannot assemble the heated bed, or the hotend, nor can you put the pulley's on the steppers to stay (You can get them mostly in place, and then once you have threadlock, you can loosen one grub screw at a time, lock it, and then replace and repeat.)

[Polygonals]

Almost all of the mechanical build can be done without those. You cannot assemble the heated bed, or the hotend, nor can you put the pulley's on the steppers to stay (You can get them mostly in place, and then once you have threadlock, you can loosen one grub screw at a time, lock it, and then replace and repeat.)

So something like chapter 6 and onward? Just the physical body and whatnot.