MK4 Kit - received, assembled and printing!
Received my MK4 kit at 7PM Monday, started into it till about 3AM. Picked it back up at 9AM and worked at it off and on between actual-work tasks. Skipped the Haribo steps (sorry!). Then magically... I was at pre-flight steps around 3PM, and was doing the first print of the scraper then the key chain - and they are the best prints I have seen in a long long long time.
Overall, the only issues I ran into were:
- One of the small linear Z bearing rubbers were doubled up in thickness... makes it "impossible" to slide the cap over the bearing and maintain the pad's orientation.
- Too much or not enough grease in the linear bearings? It's in there, things move.
- The 3M10 screws get.... everywhere. I gave up wrangling them and had a pile of screws and fasteners piled up in front of where I was working... It was kinda a mess, but it worked out fine. Try to keep things in their labeled bags.
Some things that helped me...
- Read ahead a couple steps and make sure it makes sense.
- Know you're going to have spare fasteners of just about every size.
- You can always go back through the steps and double/triple check your work.
- Take breaks.
Things that 'impressed' me... There are many interesting ways they solve problems with 3D printing their parts that might be impossible to replicate with injection molding or machining. Choosing the simple solutions - like using a simple bolt for a shaft endstop, or just loose floating / capturing a pin to hold an idler wheel. The cable/terminal covers. They are purpose-engineered solutions, not generic parts-bin stock. I really liked the use of the nylon filaments to reinforce some shape to the cabling.
I like the aesthetic. I really like the easy-change hotend!
I have a flashforge creator and fully-loaded/upgraded monoprice/wanhao i3 duplicator - ADVi3pp, bltouch, etc. Debating what to do with those as they have both been troublesome. Coming from these, I really appreciate the Nextruder assembly...
Thanks!
RE:
Congrats on the build!
I covered some tips that help with the issues you experienced during your build in the below video guide (link in sig).
Anyways, happy printing!
--> MK4 - MK4S - MINI+ - Accelerometer Guide <--
RE:
To @p-c
You should have added this here: https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/english-forum-original-prusa-i3-mk4-assembly-and-first-prints-troubleshooting/mk4-kit-really-frustrating-assembly- wish-i-was-recommended-fully-assembled/ So that some can cheer themselves up, put themselves in a positive mood and not constantly complain about some frustrations.😂😂😂😂😂
Good luck and happy printing!
RE: MK4 Kit - received, assembled and printing!
...I do need to check if I orientated my Nextruder PG ring gear chamfer correctly though! 😀
Posted by: @miroslav-h4
To @p-c
You should have added this here: https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/english-forum-original-prusa-i3-mk4-assembly-and-first-prints-troubleshooting/mk4-kit-really-frustrating-assembly- wish-i-was-recommended-fully-assembled/ So that some can cheer themselves up, put themselves in a positive mood and not constantly complain about some frustrations.😂😂😂😂😂
Good luck and happy printing!
RE: MK4 Kit - received, assembled and printing!
3rd print... Taulman Alloy 910 black.
RE: MK4 Kit - received, assembled and printing!
What's up with the smoke stack?
RE: MK4 Kit - received, assembled and printing!
Too much heat and too fast in that spot I am thinking.
RE: MK4 Kit - received, assembled and printing!
Are you able to get a good benchy using some other material?
RE: MK4 Kit - received, assembled and printing!
I have some fresh PLA and PETG materials on order. This benchy was a test with some Taulman Alloy 910 Nylon which was stored in the open for 4 years using the stock Prusaslicer Taulman Bridge Nylon profile with adjustments to only bed and nozzle temps. I have gotten very good prints of other things in some 4 year old Hatchbox ABS and the Prusa supplied samples of PLA.
On the plus side of things I've learned - the smooth PEI sheet scuffed to 800 grit and diluted white glue worked great for adhesion with the Alloy 910. Since this print, the 910 has been sitting in a dryer for 36+ hours. I'll play with it some more tomorrow.
RE: MK4 Kit - received, assembled and printing!
Got a good ABS Benchy. Took 1h10m, but it is very nice looking.
RE:
I have had great success with my MK4 kit - granted I don't know everything about it or all of the slicer programs. I am getting acceptable prints and it has been printing nearly around the clock - Nylon, ABS and PLA+. I have a hardened nozzle coming for some CF filled Nylon and can't wait to try that out.
I've had some corner warping issues with a heavy-filled ABS part which I seem to have solved with a brim and or raft - I don't recommend the raft solution, but the part is flat where critical. So far, this is what I was expecting 3D printing to be all about - design and send a print and get a part... knowing how to tweak sub-par prints efficiently is another skill to master.
My other 2 printers had to be watched constantly and were not reliable between jobs and required multiple attempts to get any sort of usable part. They are horribly frustrating in comparison and not worth my time.
So far so good!
RE: MK4 Kit - received, assembled and printing!
The MK4 has been printing flawlessly - spent a lot more time with ABS, PETG, and PLA and .6 nozzles and learning my way around most of the things. Did a nuts and bolts check, quite a few took a quarter to half turn.
Spent some time today with my disgrunted Monoprice... Installed a magnetic PEI sheet and through a lot of reading in various places to get pointed to other places for start/stop g-code, this is what is working OK for me right now and I have put it to work printing gridfinity bins in PLA. The thing is printing pretty nicely but I suspect I have a bit of tweaking to do on filament and printing profiles. The MK4 is printing some z-axis supports for the monoprice currently. Fingers crossed, but resurrecting the monoprice has been easier than I thought it would be.
; Start G-Code for wanhao i3 duplicator plus/monoprice maker select plus in prusaslicer G21 ;metric values G90 ;absolute positioning M83 ;M84 set extruder to absolute mode, M83 is relative mode G34 ; X leveling M104 S170 ; Set a low temp, hopefully stop drips before leveling M140 S[first_layer_bed_temperature] ; Set bed temp M109 R170 ; wait for leveling temp. M190 S[first_layer_bed_temperature]; wait for bed temp G28 ; Home all Axes G29 ; Auto Bed Level M104 S[first_layer_temperature] ; set extruder temp G1 X0 Y0 Z0.2 F3000; go outside print area M109 S[first_layer_temperature]; wiat for extruder temp G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length G1 X60.0 E9.0 F1000.0 ; purge line G1 X100.0 E12.5 F1000.0 ; purge line G92 E0.0 ;zero the extruded length ; End G-Code M104 S0 ;extruder heater off M140 S0 ;bed heater off G91 ;relative positioning G1 E-1 F300 ;retract the filament 1mm G1 Z10 E-3 F9000 ;move Z up and retract filament M106 S255 ;fan at 100% to cool nozzle G90 ;absolute positioning G1 X3 Y190 ;Move X close to home, move bed forward M400 ; wait till move complete M84 ;steppers off G4 P60000 ;wait 1 minute (60 seconds) M106 S0 ;fan off