mk2 to mk3 upgrades
I folks,
(I'm sure this must've been asked, but can't find a difinitive answer)
I have an O/G i3mk2(s) that I'm in the process of revamping & want to use this opportunity to queeze as much blood from this rock as I can, given to opportunity.
If I'm gonna do majour surgery, I might as well do it properly.
To what extent can I push the upgrades, hacks & mods on my ol' mk2 to gring it into mk3?
My budget is extremely limited - especially with import costs where I am - so I wanna spend as little as possible & make use of what's available to me. It makes little sense in spending as much on upgrade kits as a new machine would cost me at the end of the day, but it's also absurd to chuck out a perfectly functional printer.
Most of the upgrade kits are no longer available, but I suspect I may have most of what I need to do much of it myself, as long as I can find a good source of info.
Can you good folks please point me in the right direction on DIY's I can do to max out my mk2, ideally push it as far into mk3 territory (or beyond) as I can?
Thanks in advance
RE: mk2 to mk3 upgrades
To what extent can I push the upgrades, hacks & mods on my ol' mk2 to gring it into mk3?
Upgrading to an MK3 is devilishly difficult because of several major changes. The voltage changed from 12V to 24V which affects PSU, heatbed and electronics. The frame changed from threaded rods to extrusions which affected its dimensions. And the hotend is completely new.
I would say the upgrade to an MK3 now, without the official upgrade kit from Prusa, is not worth it. It's possible and enterprising individuals can make it happen. But it will cost more in time and money than just buying another brand new MK3 (or more realistically an MK4).
However you're in luck. Prusa did once sell an official MK2.5S+ kit which offered the "best features" of the MK3 but sticking with the original frame, the original electronics, the original 12V supply. They no longer sell this kit but they have parts lists, detailed instructions, and officially supported firmware.
https://help.prusa3d.com/article/upgrading-mk2-s-and-mk2-5-s-to-mk2-5s_200009
I'm running an MK2.5S+ and it's great. The biggest wins are the MK52 heatbed (12V version) with removable steel sheet and the MK3-ish extruder. The only other modification I'd recommend is a Raspberry Pi 4 for Prusalink.
RE: mk2 to mk3 upgrades
Thanks for your feedback, @nhand42
I'll continue convo with on the other thread