My new Anet A8 printer

[Redbrickman]

Well, I finally did my first print on my Anet A8. I just selected one of the files that came with the printer, a pyramid, which I thought would be a small simple polyhedron. Wrong! It became clear this pyramid was going to have many levels with steps up to each level. Also it was massive. After 2 hours it had only printed 16% and I wanted to go to bed. So I cancelled it. It's a very stunted pyramid.
View attachment 5893

Actually the photo doesn't do it justice. The real object looks a lot better; the bits on the sides are the steps to the first level.

My main problem was trying to remove the print next morning. I was using this tape. There's no possibility of reusing the tape after I finally managed to separate the print off it, and I've scratched the print bed as well. I'll try once more with this tape and if there are still problems try either glass or different tape.

I have a couple of MOSFETs on order to take the extruder and bed power off the mainboard. So I will print this mount for them next. I don't plan to print anything else till these power mods have been done. I don't want to risk over stressing the circuit traces that at present are carrying the high current on the main board.

I'm just looking at your stunted pyramid again Frying Saucer and I realised a perfect use for it. Use it on your bench when working with tiny screws and intricate objects. If you keep the work close to the pyramid then anything that falls might just drop into the infill instead of disappearing into oblivion

Another useful looking gadget for the A8

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2355355

 

[FryingSaucer]

I'm just looking at your stunted pyramid again Frying Saucer and I realised a perfect use for it. Use it on your bench when working with tiny screws and intricate objects. If you keep the work close to the pyramid then anything that falls might just drop into the infill instead of disappearing into oblivion

I should have read your post yesterday. I threw my pyramid out with the refuse a few hours ago

I put it in the non-recyclable sack. Perhaps I should have put it in the recycling part. But then I didn't print the recyclable logo on the pyramid.

Is PLA normally recyclable?

 

[FryingSaucer]

I found this review and upgrades video for the Anet A8. By the time the reviewer had finished, there was little left of the original printer. In summary it performed a lot better than he expected out of the box, but he had serious safety concerns. He didn't recommend anyone purchase it unless they were comfortable enough with electronics to fix these. Looking at the end result of all his upgrades, it's quite impressive, though as he said some of them do add to the basic cost of the printer. But then if you enjoy doing mods, maybe that doesn't matter.

I've not done any of this yet. I've been too busy watching everything @The Hat and @Nifty have been printing

 

[The Hat]

Well I have stopped all printing, I got my first clog in the CR-10 and shortly afterwards I got another one in the MS mini, so that left me head scratching and still is.

I got the MS mini running quickly and did another four prints on it perfectly, and then cleared the blockage in the CR-10, but every time I try to print with the CR-10 it clogs up within fifteen minutes, even more head scratching.

This first happened when I used the filament that came with the CR-10 in the MS mini and later I used the same filament in the CR-10 and it too clogged, but it’s not as simple as, blame the Friggin filament.

I reckon I may have made to many adjustments in CURA before I made the Gcode, I don’t know, or it could be the Gcode is corrupted itself, when I tried the same Gcode file on the MS mini it too went down in minutes, I plan on getting the MS mini running tomorrow because that is easier to fix and monitor.

Despite all this I didn’t got any ink on my hands clearing the blockages, so it beats the hell out of the inkjets, not to mention a new nozzle only costs pennies if I frig it up...

 

[stratman]

I got my first clog in the CR-10 and shortly afterwards I got another one in the MS mini

Stop using that crazy complicated German method and top fill.

 

[Redbrickman]

Two clogs...clearly using the Dutch method

 

[stratman]

Two clogs...clearly using the Dutch method

Must be a bad clog because you repeated the post!

 

[PeterBJ]

I think that is not an error.

 

[Redbrickman]

Well Clogs take some time and persistence to clear, hence my second attempt LOL

The real reason... I posted and the page did not update to show my post so I did another one

 

[The Hat]

Well Clogs take some time and persistence to clear

They only take about ten seconds to unclog, once the head has reached 200 C. using this great tool that was supplied with the printer...