Thanks ! I try and do my best to go over everything, I'm only one person so it's not easy, but comments like definitely fuel the drive! Thank you so much!
I couldn't agree more, these printers are way underrated. I think in the next few years we are going to see a surge in their popularity, and it should hopefully drive the price down in general. I do still love my Ender 3s, they are quality printers just like these Aquila, it's all a matter of finding what works for you! Thanks for watching and especially for leaving a comment!!
Yea the chip shortage has been such a bummer all around. Some of the newer Ender 3s are coming equipped with a chip with a smaller memory size now. The good thing about the Aquila is, they've been transparent(ish) about the problem and are seemingly trying to fix it.
Thank you! Your channel is one of the best for Aquila! This direct is good for everything but it would be even better if it had a volcano for the big nozzles. I will be waiting for your observations and recommendations on how to print with this head.
Thanks for the kind words. I think Voxelab is making great printers and I want to keep making videos highlighting their machines. Definitely stick around because I'm going to be keep printing on this machine and trying to experiment. I have some aftermarket nozzles being delivered soon to try and find away around buying only Voxelab nozzles.
Same. I ordered some aftermarket nozzle of similar size that I am going to try and make work and will update description with my progress. As always thank you for watching and commenting! Always good to see a friendly face in the comment section!
Thank you so so much!! Any time someone leaves a comment or is kind enough to leave a tip it really makes my entire day! I'll be on cloud nine for the next 23 hours. Thank you!
When you say everyone else, after saying boys/girls, is that for the grandpa's/grandma's, The mamas/papas, the aunty/uncle, etc..? Btw, You make amazing, thorough, and clear videos that fellas like me can understand and I truly appreciate that; in fact, the only part that I don't understand is the "everyone else" part haha. Juss curious really
Well I have to commend you, I think you are in the 1% of people who actually make it to that part of the video lol to be honest I'm not really sure who I'm talking to, in my head, because it's at the end of the video, I assume someone fell asleep with their laptop open and their cat or dog or lizard is stuck watching me talk about 3d printers. So I gotta thank them still watching lol I appreciate the kind words also, my goal is to make the videos you described, and I appreciate when someone takes the time to tell me it's working. So, thank you!!!
That's a good lead if that's the case. I tried some aftermarket nozzles I thought were compatible, they showed up yesterday, and shocker, they are not. Really perturbed by the proprietary nozzle at this point, nozzles are something that should be easy to find and easy to source. Right now that's not the case. Thanks for watching the video and adding to the conversation!
Honestly both the X2 and the S2 are capable of high quality prints. There's things I am not over the moon about the S2(really just the hotend) but all those things are able to be changed or modified. These printers are really great machines. Once you get it if you need any help either leave a comment here or drop by the discord! Good luck!
Wow thanks so much for the compliment, means a ton coming from you knowing how well received your videos are and how great your information is. I'm not sure what you mean about "sitting" on the nozzle, everything was tight for me, but it's certainly an interesting setup, I have some longer nozzles (bought from Amazon) coming to see if I can find a suitable aftermarket replacement. The idea of only using nozzle from Voxelab doesn't really thrill me. Thank again for commenting, it means a lot to me!
@@PrintsLeo3D do you go to the Voxelab Official Group on FB? I have replaced the OEM hotend on the S2 and remixed your shroud to go with it.. Also, the STL's needed to mount a Haldis 3D Red Lizard Q1 V6 Hotend and lower the part cooling blower on the S2.. Works great and uses standard nozzles...
Ray!!! I saw an email from Thingiverse a few days ago and meant to reach out and thank you! I didn't know there was a Facebook Aquila group so I'm not part of it, I'll have to join up. Love the idea of swapping out this hot end, I've been testing it but it feels like I'm just spinning wheels when a replacement is really the best decision. I just bought a Haldis Frog extruder direct drive unit, I'm excited to try it and I'm happy to hear other people are using that brand as I hadn't heard much about it. Thanks for keeping me in the loop, I appreciate it!
Ray I would love to see your hot end conversion, as I am starting to do some high temperature testing and will likely swap out the hot end during the test. If you don't mind emailing me at printsleo3d@gmail.com so we can talk. Thanks!
Unfortunately no it's not, it's actually Voxelab's own proprietary nozzle, which makes getting replacements tough. It's most similar to a volcano nozzle, but it's just a little bit shorter, and also volcano nozzles have the 'head' of a V6, where this nozzle has the 'head' of an MK8.
Hey Jhon, yes if you're going to be using the probe, even though the fir.ware is equipped for it , you still need to tell the printer you want to use it. You can do this by adding either G29 (probe a mesh and use it) or M420 S1 (load a saved mesh to use without probing) to the start gcode in your slicer. Just make sure that you add one of these lines after any G28 lines. G28 auto homes the printer and it erases any currently active meshes. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
Hi I have to thank you for sharing your Cura S2 profile. Used that as a base. I have added dual Z, .06 nozzel and swapped the extruder stepper (42-40) for a lighter 42-34 motor. What is the top speed you have gotten out of your S2 with a decent result? I just ironed PLA top layer at 100/mms and it was smooth. Speed is possible it seems
Glad my profile was of some use! I ended up converting this to Klipper firmware and with that I was able to print at around 130mm/s print speed with around 5Kmm2/s acceleration. The bones of this printer are really good, and with the upgrades you made this should be a real beast.
Thanks for the in-depth review. Great video! I know it's only been about a month, but have you printed high temps and had a chance to look at the PTFE? Also, is the PTFE lining removable/replaceable? Or does it look like we'll need to replace the whole thing if it does degrade?
For awhile I was trying to run temperature tests on the inside of the heat sink down to the heat break. I was getting mixed results, as I couldn't find a temperature sensor small enough to fit inside the hot end down to the heat break. I was able to get some good results from the heat sink, which was doing a great job of dissipating any remaining heat (26 hours at 295c only registered 40c inside the heat sink). After those semi failed heat tests I re-examined the bottom of the PTFE liner and it seemed to be in working order, no signs of discoloration or melting. The PTFE tubing does not appear to be removable, I mean I am sure I can probably yank this thing out, but from me fiddling around with the heat sink the PTFE tubing has never budged or felt loose at any point. My next test was going to be to remove the PTFE entirely and see how well the hot end prints. I think that will be a pretty good indicator of how much contact the PTFE tubing has with the melting point of the heat sink. However before I do that (and possibly sideline my hot end if it goes wrong) I wanted to start printing some high temperature filaments. Been printing with some Nylon right now, (264c 65c bed) and the results have been very good. I have some ABS I'll be printing next and then some PC is on order. After all that is finished I am yanking that PTFE liner (if I can) and going to see how well I can print without it. Thanks for asking, I am going to put a video together once all these tests are finshed.
@@PrintsLeo3D Thanks for the detailed response and for taking the time to put so much thought into it. I look forward to seeing more of your material. I may go ahead and order this printer today.
It requires another program called Platform IO, which I believe is a plug-in for Microsoft VS Code. After that it's all about importing base copies of the various configuration files and then editing them to your liking. I would take a look at RuiRaptor on RUclips, they have an older video that goes over the process rather well for an Ender 3. You'd just need to adapt that for what your application is.
If you really wanted to do some science for the community you could keep the hotend at 300 degrees for 12 hours and see how hot the top of the heatbreak gets (DMM thermocouple / IR thermometer), and if the PTFE has discoloured at all in that time. I really don't get why they've decided to ship these with brass instead of stainless steel / hardened steel nozzle.
This is actually a really great idea and I think I will be testing this. Some other people have suggested trying out some high temperature filaments, and while I don't print those filament normally because I worry about the possible harmful effects while printing. I might do a complete high temp video where I not only print these filaments but also do some high temperature testing as you have described. Thank you for leaving a comment and adding to the discussion!!
Great video I just purchased this printer myself so far I'm liking it but I'm new to 3d printing so take that for what it's worth. I do have a question I bought a cr touch and am planning on printing your fan cover with the mount for the bl touch will it mount to that or will I need to modify the mount I do not have a bl touch to compare . And thanks again for a great in depth video
I'm glad your enjoying this printer so far, it's a great way to get into 3d printing. Thankfully the mounting holes for the BL touch and the CR touch are identical, so you should be able to print my mount without having to make adjustments. If you need help getting started with the CR touch, I have a BL touch install video on the base Aquila, and all the information is identical for this machine. If you have any other questions let me know ! Good luck !
Great video and very helpful! I wish there was more helpful S2 info on the internet! I am having a real hard time finding a parts cooling fan shroud which gets more of the parts cooled...having some issues with the S2 and warping on the back side of prints (where the fan doesn't reach)...any suggestions? I have tried everything to stop the warping, including enclosing the printer...no consistent luck! One interesting tidbit is I can have the bed set at 40 degrees when in the enclosure, and that seems to help...but still have a small amount of warping.
Hey Dave, thanks for the comment! Well there are some onboard options you have within your Slicer, like turning on a brim that should help warping. If you haven't used a Brim yet I would start there (although if you went as far as enclosing your printer I am sure you've tried brims). What material are you printing and what slicer? I haven't had warpage issues on the far side, but our printing environments are different so it's not always the best basis of comparison. The Fan is small! so I was leery of the parts cooling when I received my printer. If I find the time I can try and create a better air shroud that wraps towards the rear of the nozzle, or even adapt the bigger fan shroud to adopt a larger 5015 fan.
Thanks for responding! I made the mistake of buying a lot of PLA, so that is all I have used so far. I am mostly using cura slicer (newest version) as I like the interface...if you think there is a better option, I am open to suggestions! I have tried a brim, but so far only rafts have worked for me to avoid the model warping.
Also something to try is the pei bed can sometimes lose some adhesion due to your handling of it. This is usually advice for poor adhesion, but I guess warping is sort of that, so try washing the bed with some soap and water. I usually use a dab or two of dawn dishwashing soap and clean it in the sink then dry it off with a paper towel. The fingerprints from our hands get all over the bed and the oils can mar adhesion. Whenever the adhesion in my bed starts to go this is the first thing I do, and usual it solves the problem.
With the parts cooling fan is the 35mm measurement between the mounting holes or the outer edges of the fan? Mine is starting to get a little noisy so just want to double check
Hey Jake, I bought some replacement fans a while ago and what you're looking for is (I believe) a 30x30x10 fan. I'll double check when I get home, because I know they used this unique size.
Yea nowadays whenever I can I try and steer folks to the X2. That being said the S2 isn't anything to be upset about, still very capable, just needs a little more tinkering
Hey Jake, I just checked this morning and I was thinking of the hotend fan which is 30x30x10. You are correct the measurement for the part cooling fan from edge to edge is 35x35x10.
Glad you got an S2, hope you're liking it. I have a video that sets up CURA for the Aquila, and it's the exact same way I set it up the S2 (ruclips.net/video/i-2qFVHKULE/видео.html). Which is basically to choose a non networked print > CREALITY3D > Ender3Pro . The Aquila series is a clone of the Ender 3 so this printer works perfect for the Aquilas. Then you can go download my profiles and import them. I have all my S2 profiles on my website: www.printsleo3d.com/aquilas2
@@PrintsLeo3D awesome. Thanks, yea I seen all your videos. And seen the cura setup but was wondering if the direct drive would fit another printer better. So thanks for that and I’ll check out your link on profiles. I’m in the middle of setting up the cubes after following your bed level video. Again awesome work and straight forward.
Thank you so much I appreciate the feedback! Yea the only thing that the Direct Drive heavily affects in the slicer is the retraction distance, so we're safe to use a similar printer. Again thanks for watching and commenting and I promise to keep the videos coming! I am actually hooking up my Aquila with the Creality Sprite Direct Extruder in the next video!
Hi thanks for creating this! Iv been using a standard Aquila for about a year now. I just upgraded and got a second printer, the S2. I got the CR touch for the S2 and I had on my original. I downloaded your firmware and Alex’s DWIN. Sets. Everything seems to work really well, minus the CRtouch bed mesh creation. When it attempts to create the mesh, the probe just barely misses the build plate, causing a probing failure. I believe this may be due to the bed size on the firmware being larger than 220x220 but I’m not too sure. Is there any way to please fix this? 🙏🏻
Hey Dalton, I increased the bed size for the S2 because it doesn't use bed clips, so we should be able to use the entire surface. If you're having issues with the probe not staying on the bed I'd check the X and Y offsets for your probe. Those coordinates are what tell the printer where your probe is, so you want to double check and make sure those are accurate. I have a very simple method for finding those, and if you check the Shorts section of my channel you'll find it. It requires no calibers or measuring of any kind. Let me know if this helps
@@PrintsLeo3D Leo, you are the man! That solved it and I’m printing away! …..kind of. 😅 Iv attempted to download your profiles for the S2, however Cura keeps giving me an error saying “anything” type isn’t compatible with “FDMPRINTER”. I used 3DSOSs version of setting up a printer in cura, which has worked amazing for my standard Voxelab. Any suggestions why it’s saying your profiles aren’t compatible? I tried copying and altering my old profiles and tuning the retraction, but I’m getting some really awful quality prints. Thanks again in advance Leo!
Dalton glad we got one thing solved 😁 for the profiles the way I set up my Aquilas in Cura is to use the base printer if an Ender 3 pro. Because the Aquila is a clone of that printer it sort of front load all the work for us. So all my profiles are being applied to an 'ender 3 pro's printer in cura, and if you're not using that then it will not import properly. If you're interested how I set them up (it's extremely easy) I have an intro to Cura video, and the first couple minutes I show how I set up all my Aquila printers. If you're interested in this and need more info than that video offers let me know.
I just purchased the S2 on lightning deal and mine does not have the same brass nozzel, the one I got including the replacement are both tiny with only a few threads before the point, it looks similar to ones for other brands? though i havent tried any yet
That's definitely a packaging error. Those nozzles are the standard MK8 nozzles for the base Aquila and they will not fit properly in this machine. A few other people have received their printers with the same incorrect nozzle. If I was you I'd contact Voxelab and tell them your printer shipped with the wrong nozzles and they should send you one or two replacements. If they aren't helpful just email me your address and I can send you a spare I have.
@@PrintsLeo3D I ordered replacements already, its not worth asking for a replacement of the 1 extra print head I got! As far as that goes how long will the print head last the one i got with the printer is working great and I only plan to ever use PLA. I know its overkill with this able to do more but the lightning deal made it really cheap compared to others.
Having a reliable, easy to work with printer, whether or not it's using all it's capabilities, is certainly worth the deal. Because as you get more and more into the hobby you'll find yourself wanting to explore all the different areas, and you're in a good position to do that. As far as nozzles go, if you're just printing PLA you can expect a brass nozzle to last a fairly long time (probably can go a few months without replacement). Glow in the dark, wood, carbon fiber filled, those are all abrasive filaments and will significantly degrade the life of a brass nozzle. Also brass is a soft metal, so if the tip of the nozzle gets banged into a lot then it will also lower the lifetime of the nozzle. Other than that expect to get a few months at least out of an everyday brass nozzle.
@@PrintsLeo3D Thank you and point taken, I'm glad i ordered the heads now although they only have the brass ones so far! I like the silk bronze I found on Amazon and have it on auto replenish, heh first print i did was watering bulb, it is spring and the planters need water. The only drawback is the manual bed leveling, you really have to be precise or bad things happen even with a heated bed, the first few prints had a streak up one side of the print. But once fixed i can make some nice looking bronze esk "PLA" statuetes. This is a fun piece of equipment!
That's a good question and one that is hard to answer. I would say a good beginner printer depends on the amount of work you want to put into it, and what you want to get out of it. The printer I featured here is a great printer, but not one I would recommend for a beginner, as some of the features are not easily handled by a beginner. The original Aquila however, is an amazing printer! It's almost identical to this printer but has some more general and easy to change features, it's cost is inexpensive, and it can produce amazing prints! It does require some set up and calibrating (like most printers) that can seem challenging to new users. Another great option for beginners is the Eryone ER20. It is easy to set up, has some really advanced features built in, and it's easy(ish) to calibrate. It's cost is higher than the Aquila, but they go on sale from time to time (I got mine at $160 down from $300), and it's a very easy printer to set up and get your feet wet with. Also it can produce amazing prints. I have a video on that printer as well ruclips.net/video/93yv_kJ2yyI/видео.html I have no experience with the Kingroon line of printers so I couldn't speak to their reliability or ease of printing and use. If you have more questions you can ask me here or on my Discord server discord.gg/NZX3WHPj (Discord seems to be easier), but please let me know if you need anymore help or drop me a line once you get your printer!
I have some custom profiles for PLA , PETG , ABS, and Nylon. They don't differ all that much from Curas base profiles for an Ender 3 Pro. I am going to upload them to my website today and then I'll respond back and let you know when they are live.
Ken I updated my website with my S2 profiles. I am using the Ender 3 Pro printer machine in Cura and then I use my profiles with it. printsleo3d.com then head over to the Cura/firmware section! If you have anymore questions let me know.
I'm not sure what you're asking. The filament I used with this nozzle is 1.75mm. because it's a 0.4mm sized nozzle (exit bore size) the maximum recommend layer height would be 0.32mm and the minimum recommendedayer height would be around 0.08mm. I hope this helps
Hi friend. I really like your videos. You explain very well, in detail and clearly. In the spring I bought a Aquila S2 printer. I recently flashed with your firmware compiled on the basis of firmware 1.3.5 from Alex. The printer got better. Only LinearAdvance is missing. I'm a little embarrassed to ask, but I can't figure it out myself. Could you compile the firmware with support for LinearAdvance ManualMesh-4x4-N32 and BLTouch-5x5-N32? I ordered the sensor BLTouch, but it's still on the way. I would be very grateful. I'm even ready to pay, but now it's hardly possible from Russia. Thank you in advance.
Hi Anatoliy! Thanks for the support, I appreciate that. For Linear Advance to work on your printer the drivers need to be in UART mode, which is not available on the Aquila. Now there are ways to go about it but it involves some soldering, and can be a little difficult to complete. Here's a link where Alex (the purveyor of the firmware) describes the process necessary to enable Linear Advance. www.reddit.com/r/VoxelabAquila/comments/nn9e59/how_to_enable_linear_advance_on_the_stock_aquila/ If after reading through that you still want to go about this project you will need some new firmware and that I would be happy to compile for you, but first read through that link and see if you're up for the challenge(or if it's worth it to you). Alternatively you could look into the firmware Klipper. Klipper has pressure advance (same as linear advance) and a lot of other great benefits. There is no soldering necessary but you'd need another MCU like a raspberry pi to get Klipper working, and because it's different firmware there's a lot of new things you'd need to learn that is specific to Klipper. I have a lot of my printers converted over to Klipper right now (mostly all of my Ender 3s) and I am really happy with it. Any questions please ask me!
@@PrintsLeo3D Leo, thanks for the detailed and detailed answer. I am very pleased that you devote so much time and effort to simple users, which I am. I'm afraid I won't be able to put the clipper. To do this, you need a Linux computer, for me it is quite difficult in my 58 years. The head is not so good at handling new information. But I'm ready to work with a soldering iron and put a jumper. I have seen this instruction from Alex before and for me it is simple and clear. If you can collect the firmware for me, I will be very grateful for this service.
Ok, great! Creating this firmware for you shouldn't be an issue. Please just contact me through my discord (there's a link in the video description) or you can email me directly printsleo3d@gmail.com so we can make the file transferring easy!
Hey thanks for the comment! I cannot believe I didn't include this mod in the video description already! Thanks for the heads up. You can go to the MODELS section of my website (PrintsLeo3D.com) and can find this piece under the Aquila S2 section . Depending on when you received your printer you might not need to add this part, as I was told by Voxelab newer units would ship with this enhanced part already installed. They told me that early January 2022, not sure when that would be implemented but I figured it's worth the heads up. Thanks again!
That's a great idea! Sorry I didn't think to add this. Going forward I'll try and add a text overlay while printing that has this info (depending on the editing software I am using). For now I'll add an addendum to the description with that info. Thanks for watching and commenting!!
Yes, I absolutely do! I had a line on what I thought was going to be a drop in aftermarket replacement. When it arrived I could immediately tell it was not a replacement, and that's when it sunk in that finding one of these nozzles is going to be very very very hard. I am working on a new video that talks more about not only the nozzle but it looks to test the actual real time temperature values the PTFE tubing in the hot end is under.
This is the best 3d printer review ever made! You went so in depth for every component. Thank you so much!
Thanks ! I try and do my best to go over everything, I'm only one person so it's not easy, but comments like definitely fuel the drive! Thank you so much!
I got a Aquila S2 3 weeks ago, checked for upgraded piece on the extruder and was never upgraded. printed one and works great. thanks
Welcome to the club! I'm glad this information was helpful for you. Thanks for stopping by and letting me know!
thank you for giving these printers a chance. voxelab makes really underrated printers. better than ender 3 in my opinion
I couldn't agree more, these printers are way underrated. I think in the next few years we are going to see a surge in their popularity, and it should hopefully drive the price down in general. I do still love my Ender 3s, they are quality printers just like these Aquila, it's all a matter of finding what works for you! Thanks for watching and especially for leaving a comment!!
Better than Ender 3 if they can source MCUs that are easy to install code for...
@@ivolol i got lucky every time and got n32. Alex is close to figuring out h32 too so it'll only be a matter of time until it's not even a problem
Yea the chip shortage has been such a bummer all around. Some of the newer Ender 3s are coming equipped with a chip with a smaller memory size now. The good thing about the Aquila is, they've been transparent(ish) about the problem and are seemingly trying to fix it.
Thank you! Your channel is one of the best for Aquila! This direct is good for everything but it would be even better if it had a volcano for the big nozzles. I will be waiting for your observations and recommendations on how to print with this head.
Thanks for the kind words. I think Voxelab is making great printers and I want to keep making videos highlighting their machines. Definitely stick around because I'm going to be keep printing on this machine and trying to experiment. I have some aftermarket nozzles being delivered soon to try and find away around buying only Voxelab nozzles.
I agree! Between him and Fedor, they are my go to Aquila RUclipsrs!
Thank you so much, that means a lot! These printers deserve a spotlight and I'm glad we are able to give it one.
Thanks for covering this, I don't like the nozzle being proprietary
Same. I ordered some aftermarket nozzle of similar size that I am going to try and make work and will update description with my progress. As always thank you for watching and commenting! Always good to see a friendly face in the comment section!
Thanks!
Thank you so so much!! Any time someone leaves a comment or is kind enough to leave a tip it really makes my entire day! I'll be on cloud nine for the next 23 hours. Thank you!
When you say everyone else, after saying boys/girls, is that for the grandpa's/grandma's, The mamas/papas, the aunty/uncle, etc..? Btw, You make amazing, thorough, and clear videos that fellas like me can understand and I truly appreciate that; in fact, the only part that I don't understand is the "everyone else" part haha. Juss curious really
Well I have to commend you, I think you are in the 1% of people who actually make it to that part of the video lol to be honest I'm not really sure who I'm talking to, in my head, because it's at the end of the video, I assume someone fell asleep with their laptop open and their cat or dog or lizard is stuck watching me talk about 3d printers. So I gotta thank them still watching lol I appreciate the kind words also, my goal is to make the videos you described, and I appreciate when someone takes the time to tell me it's working. So, thank you!!!
This was very helpful for my purchase decision, thanks.
You're welcome! Thanks for taking the time to comment, it helps me and the channel out tremendously.
@@PrintsLeo3D I ordered it from Amazon, I'll let you know how it turns out.
Great!! Let me know how it works out, and you can reach out on my Discord as well discord.gg/NZX3WHPj
The nozzles look like Adventure4 nozzles minus the heatbreak...going all proprietary is a complete no go😎
That's a good lead if that's the case. I tried some aftermarket nozzles I thought were compatible, they showed up yesterday, and shocker, they are not. Really perturbed by the proprietary nozzle at this point, nozzles are something that should be easy to find and easy to source. Right now that's not the case. Thanks for watching the video and adding to the conversation!
Thank you such an informative video, just bought a S2 not sure if it was the right decision maybe should of bought the the X2, definitely worth a tip
Honestly both the X2 and the S2 are capable of high quality prints. There's things I am not over the moon about the S2(really just the hotend) but all those things are able to be changed or modified. These printers are really great machines. Once you get it if you need any help either leave a comment here or drop by the discord! Good luck!
Great video! I had the same findings. Did your block also just "sit" at the bottom of the nozzle?
Wow thanks so much for the compliment, means a ton coming from you knowing how well received your videos are and how great your information is. I'm not sure what you mean about "sitting" on the nozzle, everything was tight for me, but it's certainly an interesting setup, I have some longer nozzles (bought from Amazon) coming to see if I can find a suitable aftermarket replacement. The idea of only using nozzle from Voxelab doesn't really thrill me. Thank again for commenting, it means a lot to me!
@@PrintsLeo3D do you go to the Voxelab Official Group on FB? I have replaced the OEM hotend on the S2 and remixed your shroud to go with it.. Also, the STL's needed to mount a Haldis 3D Red Lizard Q1 V6 Hotend and lower the part cooling blower on the S2.. Works great and uses standard nozzles...
Ray!!! I saw an email from Thingiverse a few days ago and meant to reach out and thank you! I didn't know there was a Facebook Aquila group so I'm not part of it, I'll have to join up. Love the idea of swapping out this hot end, I've been testing it but it feels like I'm just spinning wheels when a replacement is really the best decision. I just bought a Haldis Frog extruder direct drive unit, I'm excited to try it and I'm happy to hear other people are using that brand as I hadn't heard much about it. Thanks for keeping me in the loop, I appreciate it!
@@PrintsLeo3D actually this is the group.. Be great to have you there. Voxelab Official User Group
Ray I would love to see your hot end conversion, as I am starting to do some high temperature testing and will likely swap out the hot end during the test. If you don't mind emailing me at printsleo3d@gmail.com so we can talk. Thanks!
Thanks for the great video. Also is the nozzle V6?
Unfortunately no it's not, it's actually Voxelab's own proprietary nozzle, which makes getting replacements tough. It's most similar to a volcano nozzle, but it's just a little bit shorter, and also volcano nozzles have the 'head' of a V6, where this nozzle has the 'head' of an MK8.
Nice video! I have a BL Touch and your BL firmware installed. Do I still have to use G29 code for printing?
Hey Jhon, yes if you're going to be using the probe, even though the fir.ware is equipped for it , you still need to tell the printer you want to use it. You can do this by adding either G29 (probe a mesh and use it) or M420 S1 (load a saved mesh to use without probing) to the start gcode in your slicer. Just make sure that you add one of these lines after any G28 lines. G28 auto homes the printer and it erases any currently active meshes. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
Hi I have to thank you for sharing your Cura S2 profile. Used that as a base. I have added dual Z, .06 nozzel and swapped the extruder stepper (42-40) for a lighter 42-34 motor.
What is the top speed you have gotten out of your S2 with a decent result?
I just ironed PLA top layer at 100/mms and it was smooth. Speed is possible it seems
Glad my profile was of some use! I ended up converting this to Klipper firmware and with that I was able to print at around 130mm/s print speed with around 5Kmm2/s acceleration. The bones of this printer are really good, and with the upgrades you made this should be a real beast.
Thanks for the in-depth review. Great video! I know it's only been about a month, but have you printed high temps and had a chance to look at the PTFE? Also, is the PTFE lining removable/replaceable? Or does it look like we'll need to replace the whole thing if it does degrade?
For awhile I was trying to run temperature tests on the inside of the heat sink down to the heat break. I was getting mixed results, as I couldn't find a temperature sensor small enough to fit inside the hot end down to the heat break. I was able to get some good results from the heat sink, which was doing a great job of dissipating any remaining heat (26 hours at 295c only registered 40c inside the heat sink). After those semi failed heat tests I re-examined the bottom of the PTFE liner and it seemed to be in working order, no signs of discoloration or melting. The PTFE tubing does not appear to be removable, I mean I am sure I can probably yank this thing out, but from me fiddling around with the heat sink the PTFE tubing has never budged or felt loose at any point. My next test was going to be to remove the PTFE entirely and see how well the hot end prints. I think that will be a pretty good indicator of how much contact the PTFE tubing has with the melting point of the heat sink. However before I do that (and possibly sideline my hot end if it goes wrong) I wanted to start printing some high temperature filaments. Been printing with some Nylon right now, (264c 65c bed) and the results have been very good. I have some ABS I'll be printing next and then some PC is on order. After all that is finished I am yanking that PTFE liner (if I can) and going to see how well I can print without it. Thanks for asking, I am going to put a video together once all these tests are finshed.
@@PrintsLeo3D Thanks for the detailed response and for taking the time to put so much thought into it. I look forward to seeing more of your material. I may go ahead and order this printer today.
yooooo.... how did you make the firmware? I'd love to go in and see what kinda stuff I could tweak to make it better
It requires another program called Platform IO, which I believe is a plug-in for Microsoft VS Code. After that it's all about importing base copies of the various configuration files and then editing them to your liking. I would take a look at RuiRaptor on RUclips, they have an older video that goes over the process rather well for an Ender 3. You'd just need to adapt that for what your application is.
If you really wanted to do some science for the community you could keep the hotend at 300 degrees for 12 hours and see how hot the top of the heatbreak gets (DMM thermocouple / IR thermometer), and if the PTFE has discoloured at all in that time. I really don't get why they've decided to ship these with brass instead of stainless steel / hardened steel nozzle.
This is actually a really great idea and I think I will be testing this. Some other people have suggested trying out some high temperature filaments, and while I don't print those filament normally because I worry about the possible harmful effects while printing. I might do a complete high temp video where I not only print these filaments but also do some high temperature testing as you have described. Thank you for leaving a comment and adding to the discussion!!
Hey, what are the screws you use to fix the BL Touch?
Hey Paulo the screws I used are all M3 screws. I can't remember the length now but if I had to guess I'd say probably M3x10 or so
Nice vid, do you remember how bad out the esteps were?
Hey, thanks! Unfortunately I don't remember how far they were out, I can try and fig through some old files and see if I can find it though .
Great video I just purchased this printer myself so far I'm liking it but I'm new to 3d printing so take that for what it's worth. I do have a question I bought a cr touch and am planning on printing your fan cover with the mount for the bl touch will it mount to that or will I need to modify the mount I do not have a bl touch to compare . And thanks again for a great in depth video
I'm glad your enjoying this printer so far, it's a great way to get into 3d printing. Thankfully the mounting holes for the BL touch and the CR touch are identical, so you should be able to print my mount without having to make adjustments. If you need help getting started with the CR touch, I have a BL touch install video on the base Aquila, and all the information is identical for this machine. If you have any other questions let me know ! Good luck !
Great video and very helpful! I wish there was more helpful S2 info on the internet! I am having a real hard time finding a parts cooling fan shroud which gets more of the parts cooled...having some issues with the S2 and warping on the back side of prints (where the fan doesn't reach)...any suggestions? I have tried everything to stop the warping, including enclosing the printer...no consistent luck! One interesting tidbit is I can have the bed set at 40 degrees when in the enclosure, and that seems to help...but still have a small amount of warping.
Hey Dave, thanks for the comment! Well there are some onboard options you have within your Slicer, like turning on a brim that should help warping. If you haven't used a Brim yet I would start there (although if you went as far as enclosing your printer I am sure you've tried brims). What material are you printing and what slicer? I haven't had warpage issues on the far side, but our printing environments are different so it's not always the best basis of comparison. The Fan is small! so I was leery of the parts cooling when I received my printer. If I find the time I can try and create a better air shroud that wraps towards the rear of the nozzle, or even adapt the bigger fan shroud to adopt a larger 5015 fan.
Thanks for responding! I made the mistake of buying a lot of PLA, so that is all I have used so far. I am mostly using cura slicer (newest version) as I like the interface...if you think there is a better option, I am open to suggestions! I have tried a brim, but so far only rafts have worked for me to avoid the model warping.
Also something to try is the pei bed can sometimes lose some adhesion due to your handling of it. This is usually advice for poor adhesion, but I guess warping is sort of that, so try washing the bed with some soap and water. I usually use a dab or two of dawn dishwashing soap and clean it in the sink then dry it off with a paper towel. The fingerprints from our hands get all over the bed and the oils can mar adhesion. Whenever the adhesion in my bed starts to go this is the first thing I do, and usual it solves the problem.
With the parts cooling fan is the 35mm measurement between the mounting holes or the outer edges of the fan? Mine is starting to get a little noisy so just want to double check
Hey Jake, I bought some replacement fans a while ago and what you're looking for is (I believe) a 30x30x10 fan. I'll double check when I get home, because I know they used this unique size.
@@PrintsLeo3D yeah getting to a point where I wish I went with an Aquila X2 instead 😅
Yea nowadays whenever I can I try and steer folks to the X2. That being said the S2 isn't anything to be upset about, still very capable, just needs a little more tinkering
Hey Jake, I just checked this morning and I was thinking of the hotend fan which is 30x30x10. You are correct the measurement for the part cooling fan from edge to edge is 35x35x10.
@@PrintsLeo3D do you happen to know where I can get replacements? Looked on Amazon and really couldn’t find anything
Hey any way you can share your Cura Profile? I just got mine but having issues selecting the correct printer on Cura and all profile settings. Thanks
I seen your speed settings on your comments but wondering what other settings you have. Thanks again.
Glad you got an S2, hope you're liking it. I have a video that sets up CURA for the Aquila, and it's the exact same way I set it up the S2 (ruclips.net/video/i-2qFVHKULE/видео.html). Which is basically to choose a non networked print > CREALITY3D > Ender3Pro . The Aquila series is a clone of the Ender 3 so this printer works perfect for the Aquilas. Then you can go download my profiles and import them. I have all my S2 profiles on my website:
www.printsleo3d.com/aquilas2
@@PrintsLeo3D awesome. Thanks, yea I seen all your videos. And seen the cura setup but was wondering if the direct drive would fit another printer better. So thanks for that and I’ll check out your link on profiles.
I’m in the middle of setting up the cubes after following your bed level video. Again awesome work and straight forward.
Thank you so much I appreciate the feedback! Yea the only thing that the Direct Drive heavily affects in the slicer is the retraction distance, so we're safe to use a similar printer. Again thanks for watching and commenting and I promise to keep the videos coming! I am actually hooking up my Aquila with the Creality Sprite Direct Extruder in the next video!
@@PrintsLeo3D Nice cant wait to see that. 👍👍
thank you for the warning.
the nozzle is a no buy.
Yea this hot end setup is really a miss on Voxelab's part, but there's more Aquila's out in the sea !
what were the offsets for the bltouch fan shroud?
The offsets I am using for my printed shroud are X= -54 Y= -25
Hope this helps and thanks for watching!
@@PrintsLeo3D helps a ton, thank you so much!
Hi thanks for creating this!
Iv been using a standard Aquila for about a year now.
I just upgraded and got a second printer, the S2.
I got the CR touch for the S2 and I had on my original.
I downloaded your firmware and Alex’s DWIN. Sets.
Everything seems to work really well, minus the CRtouch bed mesh creation.
When it attempts to create the mesh, the probe just barely misses the build plate, causing a probing failure.
I believe this may be due to the bed size on the firmware being larger than 220x220 but I’m not too sure.
Is there any way to please fix this? 🙏🏻
Hey Dalton, I increased the bed size for the S2 because it doesn't use bed clips, so we should be able to use the entire surface. If you're having issues with the probe not staying on the bed I'd check the X and Y offsets for your probe. Those coordinates are what tell the printer where your probe is, so you want to double check and make sure those are accurate. I have a very simple method for finding those, and if you check the Shorts section of my channel you'll find it. It requires no calibers or measuring of any kind. Let me know if this helps
@@PrintsLeo3D thank you so much for the quick reply! I will give it a shot and see what I come up with. Thanks again man!
No problem and good luck !
@@PrintsLeo3D Leo, you are the man! That solved it and I’m printing away! …..kind of. 😅
Iv attempted to download your profiles for the S2, however Cura keeps giving me an error saying “anything” type isn’t compatible with “FDMPRINTER”.
I used 3DSOSs version of setting up a printer in cura, which has worked amazing for my standard Voxelab.
Any suggestions why it’s saying your profiles aren’t compatible? I tried copying and altering my old profiles and tuning the retraction, but I’m getting some really awful quality prints.
Thanks again in advance Leo!
Dalton glad we got one thing solved 😁 for the profiles the way I set up my Aquilas in Cura is to use the base printer if an Ender 3 pro. Because the Aquila is a clone of that printer it sort of front load all the work for us. So all my profiles are being applied to an 'ender 3 pro's printer in cura, and if you're not using that then it will not import properly. If you're interested how I set them up (it's extremely easy) I have an intro to Cura video, and the first couple minutes I show how I set up all my Aquila printers. If you're interested in this and need more info than that video offers let me know.
I just purchased the S2 on lightning deal and mine does not have the same brass nozzel, the one I got including the replacement are both tiny with only a few threads before the point, it looks similar to ones for other brands? though i havent tried any yet
That's definitely a packaging error. Those nozzles are the standard MK8 nozzles for the base Aquila and they will not fit properly in this machine. A few other people have received their printers with the same incorrect nozzle. If I was you I'd contact Voxelab and tell them your printer shipped with the wrong nozzles and they should send you one or two replacements. If they aren't helpful just email me your address and I can send you a spare I have.
@@PrintsLeo3D I ordered replacements already, its not worth asking for a replacement of the 1 extra print head I got! As far as that goes how long will the print head last the one i got with the printer is working great and I only plan to ever use PLA. I know its overkill with this able to do more but the lightning deal made it really cheap compared to others.
Having a reliable, easy to work with printer, whether or not it's using all it's capabilities, is certainly worth the deal. Because as you get more and more into the hobby you'll find yourself wanting to explore all the different areas, and you're in a good position to do that. As far as nozzles go, if you're just printing PLA you can expect a brass nozzle to last a fairly long time (probably can go a few months without replacement). Glow in the dark, wood, carbon fiber filled, those are all abrasive filaments and will significantly degrade the life of a brass nozzle. Also brass is a soft metal, so if the tip of the nozzle gets banged into a lot then it will also lower the lifetime of the nozzle. Other than that expect to get a few months at least out of an everyday brass nozzle.
@@PrintsLeo3D Thank you and point taken, I'm glad i ordered the heads now although they only have the brass ones so far! I like the silk bronze I found on Amazon and have it on auto replenish, heh first print i did was watering bulb, it is spring and the planters need water. The only drawback is the manual bed leveling, you really have to be precise or bad things happen even with a heated bed, the first few prints had a streak up one side of the print. But once fixed i can make some nice looking bronze esk "PLA" statuetes. This is a fun piece of equipment!
Hello friend, tell me which printer is suitable for a beginner?
I wanted to buy kingroon kp3s, but now this printer has become interesting
That's a good question and one that is hard to answer. I would say a good beginner printer depends on the amount of work you want to put into it, and what you want to get out of it. The printer I featured here is a great printer, but not one I would recommend for a beginner, as some of the features are not easily handled by a beginner. The original Aquila however, is an amazing printer! It's almost identical to this printer but has some more general and easy to change features, it's cost is inexpensive, and it can produce amazing prints! It does require some set up and calibrating (like most printers) that can seem challenging to new users. Another great option for beginners is the Eryone ER20. It is easy to set up, has some really advanced features built in, and it's easy(ish) to calibrate. It's cost is higher than the Aquila, but they go on sale from time to time (I got mine at $160 down from $300), and it's a very easy printer to set up and get your feet wet with. Also it can produce amazing prints. I have a video on that printer as well
ruclips.net/video/93yv_kJ2yyI/видео.html
I have no experience with the Kingroon line of printers so I couldn't speak to their reliability or ease of printing and use. If you have more questions you can ask me here or on my Discord server discord.gg/NZX3WHPj (Discord seems to be easier), but please let me know if you need anymore help or drop me a line once you get your printer!
@@PrintsLeo3D Thank you very much, you told me in great detail. I hope I won't make a mistake in choosing the first printer. Have a great day
Thank you, you as well!
Regarding Ultimaker Cura, what settings or profile specific to the S2?
I have some custom profiles for PLA , PETG , ABS, and Nylon. They don't differ all that much from Curas base profiles for an Ender 3 Pro. I am going to upload them to my website today and then I'll respond back and let you know when they are live.
@@PrintsLeo3D Thank you so much!
Ken I updated my website with my S2 profiles. I am using the Ender 3 Pro printer machine in Cura and then I use my profiles with it. printsleo3d.com then head over to the Cura/firmware section! If you have anymore questions let me know.
Does it work with 0.03 pla?
I'm not sure what you're asking. The filament I used with this nozzle is 1.75mm. because it's a 0.4mm sized nozzle (exit bore size) the maximum recommend layer height would be 0.32mm and the minimum recommendedayer height would be around 0.08mm. I hope this helps
Hi friend. I really like your videos. You explain very well, in detail and clearly. In the spring I bought a Aquila S2 printer. I recently flashed with your firmware compiled on the basis of firmware 1.3.5 from Alex. The printer got better. Only LinearAdvance is missing. I'm a little embarrassed to ask, but I can't figure it out myself. Could you compile the firmware with support for LinearAdvance ManualMesh-4x4-N32 and BLTouch-5x5-N32? I ordered the sensor BLTouch, but it's still on the way. I would be very grateful. I'm even ready to pay, but now it's hardly possible from Russia. Thank you in advance.
Hi Anatoliy! Thanks for the support, I appreciate that. For Linear Advance to work on your printer the drivers need to be in UART mode, which is not available on the Aquila. Now there are ways to go about it but it involves some soldering, and can be a little difficult to complete. Here's a link where Alex (the purveyor of the firmware) describes the process necessary to enable Linear Advance.
www.reddit.com/r/VoxelabAquila/comments/nn9e59/how_to_enable_linear_advance_on_the_stock_aquila/
If after reading through that you still want to go about this project you will need some new firmware and that I would be happy to compile for you, but first read through that link and see if you're up for the challenge(or if it's worth it to you).
Alternatively you could look into the firmware Klipper. Klipper has pressure advance (same as linear advance) and a lot of other great benefits. There is no soldering necessary but you'd need another MCU like a raspberry pi to get Klipper working, and because it's different firmware there's a lot of new things you'd need to learn that is specific to Klipper. I have a lot of my printers converted over to Klipper right now (mostly all of my Ender 3s) and I am really happy with it. Any questions please ask me!
@@PrintsLeo3D Leo, thanks for the detailed and detailed answer. I am very pleased that you devote so much time and effort to simple users, which I am. I'm afraid I won't be able to put the clipper. To do this, you need a Linux computer, for me it is quite difficult in my 58 years. The head is not so good at handling new information. But I'm ready to work with a soldering iron and put a jumper. I have seen this instruction from Alex before and for me it is simple and clear. If you can collect the firmware for me, I will be very grateful for this service.
Ok, great! Creating this firmware for you shouldn't be an issue. Please just contact me through my discord (there's a link in the video description) or you can email me directly printsleo3d@gmail.com so we can make the file transferring easy!
Hi, thank you for posting this video. i hope you can give me this "Installing TPU specific extruder part" file?❤️
Hey thanks for the comment! I cannot believe I didn't include this mod in the video description already! Thanks for the heads up. You can go to the MODELS section of my website (PrintsLeo3D.com) and can find this piece under the Aquila S2 section . Depending on when you received your printer you might not need to add this part, as I was told by Voxelab newer units would ship with this enhanced part already installed. They told me that early January 2022, not sure when that would be implemented but I figured it's worth the heads up. Thanks again!
@@PrintsLeo3D thank you
Specify temperatures and speeds when printing samples. Thanks
That's a great idea! Sorry I didn't think to add this. Going forward I'll try and add a text overlay while printing that has this info (depending on the editing software I am using). For now I'll add an addendum to the description with that info. Thanks for watching and commenting!!
Added speeds settings to top of the description and temperature settings at the bottom next to the Filament types.
Don't you think the proprietary nozzle deserves more discussion? Try to find one.
Yes, I absolutely do! I had a line on what I thought was going to be a drop in aftermarket replacement. When it arrived I could immediately tell it was not a replacement, and that's when it sunk in that finding one of these nozzles is going to be very very very hard. I am working on a new video that talks more about not only the nozzle but it looks to test the actual real time temperature values the PTFE tubing in the hot end is under.
Thanks!
Thank you so much!! I'm happy to help and your generous tip is beyond appreciated! Anytime you need anything let me know.