Are there any cheap/sensible upgrades one can do?
I have an ancient i3 clone that I never really used much.
Now I have a Core One and am wondering if there are any parts I could print in order to improve the i3.
It seems a shame to waste the stepper motors, frame, electronics, pulleys and belts…
I remember having problems with the idler tension screws and bed-levelling. Also, I couldn’t get the heated bed hot enough, and adhesion to the glass plate was bad.
I think the bed temperature would need a 24V power supply (instead of 12V). There was some micro switch upgrade to do bed level compensation… and I expect I could use a spare bed sheet from my core one.
Can one improve the extruder without spending 100s?
If this is a Mk2 clone (the 12v bed suggests this) then it's probably not cost effective but if a Mk3 clone then the upgrade path to Mk3.5 might be attractive. I still use my Mk3 alongside my XL for (mostly) TPU as both machines have to slow to about the same rate and the obvious advantage of having two working machines arises when one needs a spare part printing...
Cannibalising old equipment for usable parts is a well established maker tradition.
Cheerio,
RE: Are there any cheap/sensible upgrades one can do?
I think it’s a Mk I, so even less likely to be worthwhile.
But I didn’t mean upgrading to a Mk IV equivalent 🙂
I’ll leave it as a project for the future…