Starter kit for the mini+?  

RE:

I'd recommend getting a few of these because they might come in handy as the hotend PTFE tube has a tendency to shrink a bit with time, especially when printing with higher-temp filament often. I've had my MINI about a year and it's the only thing I replaced on it so far.

The satin sheet is also a great all-around sheet and it's compatible with both PLA and PETG. This means you can keep the same sheet whatever material you're printing, which is nicer than switching back and forth between the PEI and textured sheets (the MINI comes with a PEI sheet). Well, you could always print with the textured sheet, but personally I don't always want the bottom of my parts to have a pronounced texture. The satin sheet makes a nice flat bottom surface and has just enough texture to hide bottom layer imperfections a bit while not looking too dissimilar to the object's sides and top layer. The satin sheet supports more exotic materials without glue stick, too.

An optional upgrade is getting a nice USB key because the one that comes with the MINI is not very reliable nor very fast. I personally got that one and it's plenty fast for those needs (150 MB/s read, 50 MB/s write) and it's very compact as well.

Finally, the filament sensor is nice to have, too, especially if you're planning to run longer prints.

As for filament, PLA is the easiest to print with, while PETG has nicer mechanical properties for more technical prints but can be stringier and a bit harder to get great results with. I'd start with those and investigate other types of filament as you find a need for them.

RE:

Maybe buy a small wire brush and a silicone hotend sock. Also get some cheap close cutters as you often need to trim the filament before inserting it. A small bin comes in handy too for all the wasted bits of plastic. If you are designing or modifying stuff, some vernier callipers are essential. Finally a bottle of isopropyl for cleaning the bed.

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

I'm going to recommend a putty knife and a pair of tweezers. 

Get a putty knife with a 3 or 4 inch blade and file the corners round so the sharp edges won't scratch the bed.  Putty knives were standard gear for old school printers where you couldn't lift the bed, but I find them still useful.  Occasionally  even though you've flexed the bed the print is still sticking, with a putty knife I can lever the part off the bed without touching it.  The worst thing for the next print are finger prints, I keep finger prints off the bed by using my putty knife to lift low prints off the bed.

Tweezers are great for pulling away the ooze that comes out of the nozzle while the hot end is getting to temperature.  I also use them when I'm changing filament colors, after the purge I can grab the filament and pull it away.

Cheers

-Bob

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

I agree on getting a few ptfe tubes. I now consider them maintenance items. I also agree on the silicone sock. Search for "levendig silicone sock mini" for sources in various regions. I have only used the smooth PEI sheet. For most cases, I use a plastic razor blade scraper instead of a metal blade to get things off the bed if necessary. For PETG, a combination of Blue Windex and Elmers Purple School Glue is a good bed treatment. More glue = less adhesion. More Windex = more adhesion. I vary the ratio depending on the item printed. If it has a large bottom area, then you don't need as much adhesion. i use 99% IPA to clean the bed and very occasionally Acetone if something has stuck.

Prusa has extensive online guides to help in the knowlege base. Chat is the best way to get help from support.

Regards,

Mark

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

I've not had to use any sort of blade or scraper to release prints yet.  Even the most stubborn will self-release if you pop the plate into the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

Accessories I'd mention are pretty much what others have suggested.

Accessories for the printer - a silicone sock, a better spool-holder, the satin sheet.  Plus mine sits on a concrete slab with four squash balls at the corners (with 3-d printed "feet"); 99.9% isopropyl alcohol and paper towels; side cutters.

Tools and spares - a spare nozzle (don't make the mistake of buying cheap ones from China - inconsistent pieces of tat IME); a spare heatbed thermistor (I've had two break); siome spare PTFE tubing; a decent spanner/box wrench to allow for easier nozzle changes and disassembly; I swapped the hotend grub screws with some cap screws, and bought an upgraded heatbreak; maybe some high temperature thermal compound for the nozzle/heater block?   

And my absolute #1 item?  A pair of cheap digital calipers.  they mean that I can measure stuff to create copies.  I mostly use my printer to make little organiser trays for board games, but whether its those or spare brackets for a wardrobe, being able to measure something is really handy.

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

I agree that a plastic scraper is a good idea. IMHO it's much better than a metal one as it's guaranteed not to scratch your sheet and prints do not stick to the point of needing a metal scraper to apply lots of force. You'll mostly remove prints by bending the sheet anyway. It's a nice way to remove the skirt and purge line without greasing up the sheet.

I also agree on digital calipers, but I wouldn't go too cheap to make sure they're accurate enough to be useful for precision work. You'll have to do your research for that. 

Going through my printing tool set, here are some additional items which you may or may not need depending on your use case(s):

• A hook and pick set to help clean up the extruder if there is plastic build-up
• Deburring tool to clean up brims and more
• An X-Acto knife for similar reasons
• A set of precision hobby files for finishing
• A butane torch to burn strings away (IMHO it works much better than a heat gun and heats up instantly)
• Brushes to clean up the nozzle and heaterblock (often sold in sets of 3 with nylon, brass and steel bristles)

If you need a nice tool organizer to put it all in, I've made this 🙂 You can see some of the tools I mentioned in the photos.

You can find many other tool organizers on PrusaPrinters and elsewhere, too.

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

Nice organiser. I will be printing that later. Many thanks

Posted by: @fortinmike

I agree that a plastic scraper is a good idea. IMHO it's much better than a metal one as it's guaranteed not to scratch your sheet and prints do not stick to the point of needing a metal scraper to apply lots of force. You'll mostly remove prints by bending the sheet anyway. It's a nice way to remove the skirt and purge line without greasing up the sheet.

I also agree on digital calipers, but I wouldn't go too cheap to make sure they're accurate enough to be useful for precision work. You'll have to do your research for that. 

Going through my printing tool set, here are some additional items which you may or may not need depending on your use case(s):

• A hook and pick set to help clean up the extruder if there is plastic build-up
• Deburring tool to clean up brims and more
• An X-Acto knife for similar reasons
• A set of precision hobby files for finishing
• A butane torch to burn strings away (IMHO it works much better than a heat gun and heats up instantly)
• Brushes to clean up the nozzle and heaterblock (often sold in sets of 3 with nylon, brass and steel bristles)

If you need a nice tool organizer to put it all in, I've made this 🙂 You can see some of the tools I mentioned in the photos.

You can find many other tool organizers on PrusaPrinters and elsewhere, too.

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

I see a lot of shade being thrown on putty knives.  When I started printing they were the only solution to successfully getting a print off a fixed bed.  When the upgrade kit came out for my Mk2, I upgraded and it was one of the best things I've done, but my putty knife is still a daily use tool.  If you're new to printing where you've never needed a knife that's nice, but they're damned handy for lifting purge lines, fences and other debris from your bed without leaving finger prints and are unaffected by heat.  Just sayin.

On another note, nobody has mentioned Octoprint.  A Raspberry Pi 4 running Octoprint is a must have in my print farm, having to move gcode via a thumb drive is a PIA.  Managing my prints remotely is the only way to go.

Cheers

-Bob

No scrapers, definitely no metal scrapers.

If a print is refusing to budge put a few drops of IPA around the edge, flex a bit more then allow the alcohol to creep underneath.

Lubricant.  Either Prusa's own or a good quality silicone grease.

Unless you are experienced a silicone sock is likely to cause more problems than it cures, eschew.

Side cutters are useful.

Accurate measuring tools are useful.

For post processing a set of needle files.

Buy some fine grit abrasive paper and make a set of small sanding blocks an early print.

Leave the skeletal models for a few months until you have some experience, when you do get to them needle nosed pliers will help tidy supports.

And right now? Download some 3D cad/modelling software and experiment, find one that suits you.

Cheerio,

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

From the assembly manual of the I3 Mk2

From the assembly Manual of the I3Mk3s+

If it's good enough for Josef Prusa, it's good enough for me.

-Bob

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

I've started with and scratched my PEI sheet with a metal scraper so I switched to a plastic one afterwards. Scratches show up on the bottom of prints so I'd prefer to keep my sheets perfectly scratch-free for a better finish. To each their own! 🙂

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

Posted by: @bob-2

From the assembly manual of the I3 Mk2

From the assembly Manual of the I3Mk3s+

 

If it's good enough for Josef Prusa, it's good enough for me.

-Bob

I use a four pronged method. First is bed prep with appropriate fluids for the material. Second is bending the PEI sheet when cool. If that doesn't work, the plastic scraper comes out. If that doesn't work then a Wilton metal cookie spatula which has nice rounded edges comes out. I'm not saying to never use it. I just use it as a last resort.

Regards,

Mark

Don't forget that you can bend the sheet both ways...

I did print a spatula but I never used it.  To shift scraps of support etc I just use the edge of a (failed) print.

Cheerio,

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

Posted by: @diem

Don't forget that you can bend the sheet both ways...

I did print a spatula but I never used it.  To shift scraps of support etc I just use the edge of a (failed) print.

Cheerio,

I don't think a printed spatula would work long. The plastic scrapers come with like 100 blades and they last for only a few print removals. They ding up quickly and are no longer sharp. Failed prints are very rare for me.

Regards,

Mark

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

I use protective gloves to handle the sheet. The cleaning interval of the bed is then very long.

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

I have some rounded-edge scrapers meant for the purpose and they have worked well for me so far. If flexing the plate doesn't get the part loose, then the scraper comes out and used with gentle pressure. It's mostly been the PETG parts that have needed it, and an occasional PLA when I'm trying to cycle quickly and keep the bed hot.

Side cutters, files, heat gun, wire brushes are all useful tools to have handy.

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

Good info, thanks everyone! 

So for my first order from Prusa I reckon Im ordering the following: printer, satin sheet, spare nozzle, ptfe tubes, and printing materials. Is that a good start? Did I miss something?

I sse there are several types of nozzles, should I get both steel and the regular and what sizes should I get? Should I get glue and lubricant? 

/J

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

Prusa Slicer has profiles for 0.25, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8mm nozzles. 
so I would select nozzles from those sizes. 

you only NEED hardened nozzles if you print abrasive filaments like, Wood Fill, Glow in the Dark, Carbon Fibre.

however,  i have been using Nozzle Z, hardened nozzle, for all filaments on my mk3s

I would suggest a heater and a thermistor for the hot end, because these are easily damaged when you have a blob of doom... which is a right of passage. 

regards Joan

RE: Starter kit for the mini+?

Posted by: @diem

Unless you are experienced a silicone sock is likely to cause more problems than it cures, eschew.

What are the issues with a silicone sock? I've been using it for months now and have not found any issues. I do clean off the nozzle after every print, but the rest of the hot end stays squeaky clean.

Regards,

Mark