RE: Considering buying i3 MK3S+ - Questions
A few thoughts on that! First, I noticed how they're made of multiple smaller parts that have to fit together just right. I've been led to believe that it's difficult to print and do that.
The extruders on our Prusas are made up of multiple smaller printed parts that fit together just right, and they tend to work pretty well. With careful design and printer calibration, you can do pretty well fit wise. The guide for the Bear upgrade includes instructions for how to calibrate your extrusion multiplier for best dimensional accuracy. It's a pretty simple process to follow and in fact the designer insists that you must follow it (along with his other print settings) to achieve the required tolerances. I found that it made a measurable difference in the accuracy of my extruder. The downside is, to really get the best accuracy you need to do it for every spool of filament, so I haven't bothered except for the 2 spools of PETG that I used to make my second printer.
I have essentially the same issue as you with regard to having my printer in a workshop, although I don't do much woodworking, and I try to keep grinding and saw dust outside as much as possible (sometimes difficult with Alaska weather). My Prusa sits on the end of a bench a few feet away from my Bridgeport so aluminum chips are a concern sometimes. I ended up buying a collapsable printer enclosure that I can set up around the printer to protect it, and also to use if I want to do much printing using higher temperature materials. I am sure the Prusa enclosure will be nice, but it's probably overkill if you just want to keep crap off your printer and do the occasion print with ABS or whatever.
RE: Considering buying i3 MK3S+ - Questions
I tend to be more of the "Review this stage multiple times before doing it" kind of person. But I'm already anxious and eager to get my kit, so I may be reading the manual through soon. (One issue I had with the other printer is that I had to go through some stages and redo them because the illustrations made part orientations hard to clarify.)
This is where the online manual with the comments is invaluable. There are many, many great ideas in the comments. The fact that the Prusa team monitors the online manual, participates in the comments section, and edits the online manual when an error, omission, correction, or update is warranted is so helpful. And it’s always evolving. Highly recommended to read all the comments as you go through the manual.
The weight of (2) 1 Kg reels of filament mounted to the top rail has presented zero problems for me. The reels turn very smoothly and silently while printing and I don’t even think about it. Been using these for 7-8 months.
The design of the reel holders each have (6) small printed ‘pins’ that hold the arms together in three locations. These were the only parts that were a pita to print. I’ve thought about seeing if I can substitute machine screws and nuts for the pins but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. If the ‘arms’ need to be modified to use screws and nuts, I’m not sure my 3D modeling skills are adequate for that task. I’m still learning all of this myself.
Otherwise the parts are easy to print and assemble. I used Overture PETG from Amazon for all the parts and ‘Reds’ skateboard bearings, also via Amazon. The designer includes a tool you can print to align and install the bearings. It works for its intended purpose. I’ve never used a mini roll of filament so the design is maybe overkill but, hey, you never know. Better to have and not need than need and not have, as they say.
If you’re going to use an enclosure, this may all be academic. Just sharing for others who may stumble across this thread.
Have fun building your printer!
Cheers!