My first upgrade was to a Creality metal extruder. I figured that the plastic one they supply with the ender 3 v2 wasn't long for this world. While I was at it I swapped out the tube for a Capricorn one. But I totally get why the Capricorn tube should be upgrade number one. Inexpensive and easier to do. I like your reasoning!
@@RickyImpey I choose Ender 5 Pro because of the metal extruder AND Capricorn bowden tube factory installed. So my first upgrade during the assembly was changing to an all metal Phaetus Dragonfly Hotend BMS with a 0,4 mm ZODIAC V6 CRB nozzle. The print quality is excellent with both PLA, PETG and TPU. I can say it's even easier to print with TPU than PETG with this setup!
My Ender 3V2 worked perfectly right out of the box . . . I still upgraded it - Capricorn bowden tube, moved the power switch to the front, installed Jyer's firmware, printed new power supply cover to unblock air flow, added crimp-on ferrules to wire ends at power supply & motherboard, installed Copperhead heat break and replaced hot-end fan assy. with the Ender 3 Max with dual part cooling fans! Also using a full size SD card for print files. Great machine. 🙂
The Bowden was my first upgrade then the springs. But learnt that all axis belts are not the same when I bought a cheaper belt for my snapped x axis and it worked great until the weather got hotter and stretched to such a level it is unusable! Original Y belt still good. Did notice it did not have any cord support afterwards. Lesson learned!
@@RickyImpey my stock extruder gear was really flat, it was almost like the tooth profile was sanded down or already really used. Every time I would leave my printer for more than 3 hours, the filament would slip on the first layer. The more aggressive gear solved that issue and I haven't had a problem since.
I had some severe issues with the stock bowden for the 3v2, when working with PETG it hit 240C, started to actually burn the end of the bowden and release some smoke. I ended up getting incredibly sick from the burnt PTFE fumes. I've since upgraded to the Capricorn but still haven't tried PETG again out of nervousness. I think going to direct drive will be the thing that makes me feel most safe.
I was having problems with the original pneumatic fittings letting the white Bowden tube move back and forth. Once I replaced it with the same kit you have there, and calibrating my extruder it helped a lot in my prints.
Yes it really helps to get rid of all that movement Jeff. I also find 'preloading' the Bowden tube with the nozzle at the hotend really locks it in tight. As in the video, I do this buy leaving the nozzle a turn loose before fitting the Bowden then tightening the nozzle the last bit as the final stage.
@@RickyImpey You can do the same thing with hot end coupler. Leave it loose a turn when you push the Bowden against the nozzle and then tighten it. If you have an all metal hot end leaving the nozzle loose isn't going to help remove any Bowden/coupler movement.
I was working with protopasta's htpla at 230 and my default white tube has gone brownish orange near the hotend and the htpla keep hardening in the hotend. Might be time for an upgrade and a bit of a lower temp
If you have an ender style printer, i.e a bed slinger with a Bowden filament feed system, your first upgrade should be to a direct drive all metal hotend. Don't waste your time trying to "fix" the Bowden system. Its high maintenance and will never achieve the same print quality as a direct drive system. For those worried about the extra weight a direct drive system adds to the X axis slowing print speeds... don't. The bed is much heavier and it is the limiting factor in max print speeds. Since going to a direct drive all metal hotend on my Aquila and original ender 3 I don't have to do any maintenance on the hotend side. It just works. Day after day, month after month without degradation in print quality. Only maintenance I have to do is change the fans when they wear out.
@tradde11 extra weight on the gantry will cause sag but this is easy to overcome by adding a second z screw. You do want to limit the amount of weight on X and y as much as possible but the bed is pretty heavy which is the limiting factor for print speed in a bed slinger. Especially if you have a glass plate for the build surface. You can add a bit of weight to X without compromising print speed or quality. In fact I can print faster and with much better quality with my dragon/orbiter DDE setup than I could with it stock. Plated copper heat block and nozzle gives you higher flow due to better heat transfer. Combined with precise filament feed with the DDE. Print quality is amazing.
@tradde11 I used to worry about the same issues. Which is why I spent heaps of time trying to "fix" all the issues with the Boden design. In the end I got fed up with it and decide to try a DDE setup. I have not regretted it for a second. In fact when I see peeps struggling with Boden like I did I feel compelled to encourage them to go to DDE. As far as the extra weight effecting acceleration it's not an issue. The y axis has more mass than X even with a DDE so the acceleration limit of your printer is define by the y axis. I run Klipper which has a feature to tune out harmonic resonance. I was able to increase acceleration to 4500 and remove all the surface noise on X. I still have a little bit on y but you have to really look to see it. Klipper is a pain to setup but it's worth it once do. Depends on your skill set I guess. If you can configure your own firmware for your printer you'll be able to configure Klipper.
My enders 3 does not have threads on the feeder or hotend, does this mean i will have to upgrade them both before i can fit the capricorn tubing. Thanks for your informative videos, and i hope this is the appropriate place to ask this question. Im new to the hobby by the way
Hi Ricky. Does the claim of having a tight inner diameter hold true for direct drive extruders as well? I was under the impression that a larger inner diameter is better because of lower resistance/friction points. Again, just asking for a direct drive extruder setup.
It is way less important on direct drive as it is very unlikely that there is a long enough length of PTFE between the extruder and hot end to make much difference. It is something that you want to keep an eye on though. Yes, too small will give resistance but too large will give too much room for the filament to flex into.
@@RickyImpey thanks. I figured that before the extruder I'll use a wider inner diameter and after the extruder, I'll use the Capricorn tube to the hotend.
Any chance you know how to 3d print pointy objects with low surface areas? For example let's say you have an object the shape of a nail and it has to be printed on a tower. I'm using the creality software that comes with your ender 3.... Experimenting with this has proven to be the end of me!!!
Hi Teddy, I don't use the Creality software but it's just a re-skinned Cura. Look for a setting called 'minimum layer time' and increase it a little. This might help give the layers on the thin parts more time to cool. There are other settings that move away and pause while the layer cools but this can lead to blobs on the side from oosing. Hope this helps.
@@RickyImpey I think I know what you're talking about but I think I'm just really bad at explaining myself.... Imagine printing the letter M but the middle peak doesnt touch the base plate and comes to a super fine needle like point... I'm trying to print a support tower to print that middle part of the M as that midsection will branch out to create half of the shape im printing (which is about the size of my hand) The major issue I'm having is the support structure top layer/connection mesh that snaps off the printed part is a wide grid and the 3d printer likes to try and print in the center of this grid where there is no material, so naturally the printer is printing in mid air and the piece ends up spaghetti. I'm having difficulty figuring out how to print this entire piece as a whole, and have resorted to cutting the piece in half so that midsection of the M touches the base plate.
@@teddy5004 ah, I see! Yes, that is a pretty tricky thing to do. Have you tried adding custom supports to increase the surface area or move things around a bit so that the lowest part gets the support it needs? Or, could you add a very small sacrificial part to the model that gives exactly the support you want and then be snapped or filed off. Difficult to offer much more without seeing the model really. Sorry if it's not mush help.
@@RickyImpey I've tried the others and considered your last idea but I'm fairly restricted with free programs... I did want to attempt it though. I have a hot iron and plenty of sanding tools to cut off and smooth out the excess material when its finished.. I was hoping to start selling cosplay props to my family and friends which have a TON of spikes and other tiny details like this and your idea sounds like the fastest method... I'd hate to be forced cut the prop into tiny sections as I'm still practicing welding parts together with super glue or a soldering iron. Thanks for the advice man!
If you remove the numatic fitting and push the bowden tube through to the end of it first, you can then flare the end of the bowden tube slightly, using a pen or somthing. Now when you reinstall the numatic fitting, the flared end of the boden tube should be squished between the numatic fitting and whatever it butts up against once installed (or maybe the flare just stops it slipping back out, without being squished). 🤷🏻♂ Either way, this ensures that the bowden tube will not easily become worn and loose from all the back and forth movment of the filament (and printing in general) where the numatic fitting bites into it. This helps to keep your required esteps consistant over time, and ensures that the bowden tube won't need replacing anywhere near as often. I think this is more useful on the extruder end, as that is where you are more likley to see the boden tube actually moving in and out of the numatic fitting, but it probably wouldn't hurt to do it on the hotend too. If you mark a line on your boden tube right next to the numatic fitting, it will help you to see if your printer has this issue while it's in motion. If the line is moving back and forth in relation to the numatic fitting, it could probably do with some attention.
Yes, this does work well on the bowden end but not on the nozzle end as the nozzle is a short distance away from the end of the fitting plus a flare would stop it passing into the throat. This is why I leave the nozzle half to a full turn from tight, fit the bowden and then fully tighten the pneumatic fitting. It puts tension on the fitting and clamps the tube tight so it can't move. Appreciate the comment 👍
PTFE tubing, also degrades and breaks down in heat - some of the cheaper stuff as low as 240C - this offgasses and creates a toxic exposure that can harm humans, and kill small animals like hamster and birds.(especially birds) so even if you properly ventilate to keep the fumes from causing harm, the physical material is breaking down, becoming 'gooey' and encrusted, which will result in blockage and a complete mess eventually. Capricorn tubing - is no exception. It can go higher - but not to the '260C" people claim. It will break down. The REAL solution to this, is to change to an "all metal" hotend, to where the bowden tube stops in the heat break, and the filament is carried on through a tight tolerance metal bore to the heating element and nozzle instead of the bowden tube itself. This keeps your tube -cooled, no matter the quality, and away from causing problems like globbing and leakage with the design to press the nozzle up against the bowden tube (which if not cut flush, or has a gap at all, will leak, including gaps from degredation over time of use from high temps) So you are part right, part wrong. You, like so many others, have just 'trusted' the sellers information - without actually looking into them. I am not blaming you directly, Capricorn is still claiming 260C temp safety - when I personally have had it break down in the 250C range. The solution - was a all metal designed hotend, to keep the tube away from the heating element, so it doesn't get anywhere near that range.
LITERALLY THE BEST 3D PRINT CHANNEL AVAILABLE
Ricky, I'm really glad I've found your channel. Your videos are not so long and yet you manage to explain everything in depth and very clearly.
My first upgrade was to a Creality metal extruder. I figured that the plastic one they supply with the ender 3 v2 wasn't long for this world. While I was at it I swapped out the tube for a Capricorn one. But I totally get why the Capricorn tube should be upgrade number one. Inexpensive and easier to do. I like your reasoning!
Yep, it's a close call on the Ender 3v2 between the Capricorn tube and the extruder arm but generally across all Bowden printers I choose the tube.
@@RickyImpey I choose Ender 5 Pro because of the metal extruder AND Capricorn bowden tube factory installed. So my first upgrade during the assembly was changing to an all metal Phaetus Dragonfly Hotend BMS with a 0,4 mm ZODIAC V6 CRB nozzle. The print quality is excellent with both PLA, PETG and TPU. I can say it's even easier to print with TPU than PETG with this setup!
My Ender 3V2 worked perfectly right out of the box . . . I still upgraded it - Capricorn bowden tube, moved the power switch to the front, installed Jyer's firmware, printed new power supply cover to unblock air flow, added crimp-on ferrules to wire ends at power supply & motherboard, installed Copperhead heat break and replaced hot-end fan assy. with the Ender 3 Max with dual part cooling fans! Also using a full size SD card for print files. Great machine. 🙂
Such high quality and straight forward videos. We got a new expert in the field.
Thanks Taylor👍
I got my 1st printer 2 months ago. Ender 3 V2. I upgraded the bowden to Capricorn, the bed springs and got the metal extruder.
Always great video! I’m straight onto the link for my upgrade sir! 👍👍👍👍👍
The Bowden was my first upgrade then the springs. But learnt that all axis belts are not the same when I bought a cheaper belt for my snapped x axis and it worked great until the weather got hotter and stretched to such a level it is unusable! Original Y belt still good. Did notice it did not have any cord support afterwards. Lesson learned!
Oh wow, yes a stretched belt is not good😬
increible video, no se como no puede tener mas likes, saludos desde mexico
A full extruder upgrade is also essential in my opinion, because they come with a more aggressive gear, which completely removes filament slipping.
I know a lot of people have had problems with the extruder but I haven't as yet. I've now been using the printer for nearly a year.
@@RickyImpey my stock extruder gear was really flat, it was almost like the tooth profile was sanded down or already really used. Every time I would leave my printer for more than 3 hours, the filament would slip on the first layer. The more aggressive gear solved that issue and I haven't had a problem since.
@@STOPH3R01991 Yes, and a lot of people have the level crack too so it's obviously not the best quality all round.
Great upgrade. Thanks for the info.
Bought the kit with the orange springs, Capricorn tube and metal extruder.
I had some severe issues with the stock bowden for the 3v2, when working with PETG it hit 240C, started to actually burn the end of the bowden and release some smoke. I ended up getting incredibly sick from the burnt PTFE fumes. I've since upgraded to the Capricorn but still haven't tried PETG again out of nervousness. I think going to direct drive will be the thing that makes me feel most safe.
I was having problems with the original pneumatic fittings letting the white Bowden tube move back and forth. Once I replaced it with the same kit you have there, and calibrating my extruder it helped a lot in my prints.
Yes it really helps to get rid of all that movement Jeff. I also find 'preloading' the Bowden tube with the nozzle at the hotend really locks it in tight. As in the video, I do this buy leaving the nozzle a turn loose before fitting the Bowden then tightening the nozzle the last bit as the final stage.
@@RickyImpey yes I did that too with the new tube and fittings. Thanks for doing these videos.
@@RickyImpey You can do the same thing with hot end coupler. Leave it loose a turn when you push the Bowden against the nozzle and then tighten it. If you have an all metal hot end leaving the nozzle loose isn't going to help remove any Bowden/coupler movement.
@@stevecade857 yes true, thanks👍
A good video. Thanks.
I was working with protopasta's htpla at 230 and my default white tube has gone brownish orange near the hotend and the htpla keep hardening in the hotend. Might be time for an upgrade and a bit of a lower temp
Ender 3 stock everything prints ABS perfectly
If you have an ender style printer, i.e a bed slinger with a Bowden filament feed system, your first upgrade should be to a direct drive all metal hotend.
Don't waste your time trying to "fix" the Bowden system. Its high maintenance and will never achieve the same print quality as a direct drive system.
For those worried about the extra weight a direct drive system adds to the X axis slowing print speeds... don't. The bed is much heavier and it is the limiting factor in max print speeds.
Since going to a direct drive all metal hotend on my Aquila and original ender 3 I don't have to do any maintenance on the hotend side. It just works. Day after day, month after month without degradation in print quality. Only maintenance I have to do is change the fans when they wear out.
@tradde11 extra weight on the gantry will cause sag but this is easy to overcome by adding a second z screw.
You do want to limit the amount of weight on X and y as much as possible but the bed is pretty heavy which is the limiting factor for print speed in a bed slinger. Especially if you have a glass plate for the build surface. You can add a bit of weight to X without compromising print speed or quality. In fact I can print faster and with much better quality with my dragon/orbiter DDE setup than I could with it stock. Plated copper heat block and nozzle gives you higher flow due to better heat transfer. Combined with precise filament feed with the DDE. Print quality is amazing.
@tradde11 I used to worry about the same issues. Which is why I spent heaps of time trying to "fix" all the issues with the Boden design. In the end I got fed up with it and decide to try a DDE setup.
I have not regretted it for a second. In fact when I see peeps struggling with Boden like I did I feel compelled to encourage them to go to DDE.
As far as the extra weight effecting acceleration it's not an issue. The y axis has more mass than X even with a DDE so the acceleration limit of your printer is define by the y axis. I run Klipper which has a feature to tune out harmonic resonance. I was able to increase acceleration to 4500 and remove all the surface noise on X. I still have a little bit on y but you have to really look to see it.
Klipper is a pain to setup but it's worth it once do. Depends on your skill set I guess. If you can configure your own firmware for your printer you'll be able to configure Klipper.
My enders 3 does not have threads on the feeder or hotend, does this mean i will have to upgrade them both before i can fit the capricorn tubing. Thanks for your informative videos, and i hope this is the appropriate place to ask this question. Im new to the hobby by the way
Cool/neat
Hi Ricky.
Does the claim of having a tight inner diameter hold true for direct drive extruders as well?
I was under the impression that a larger inner diameter is better because of lower resistance/friction points. Again, just asking for a direct drive extruder setup.
It is way less important on direct drive as it is very unlikely that there is a long enough length of PTFE between the extruder and hot end to make much difference. It is something that you want to keep an eye on though. Yes, too small will give resistance but too large will give too much room for the filament to flex into.
@@RickyImpey thanks.
I figured that before the extruder I'll use a wider inner diameter and after the extruder, I'll use the Capricorn tube to the hotend.
@@gil80 perfect 👌
Any chance you know how to 3d print pointy objects with low surface areas? For example let's say you have an object the shape of a nail and it has to be printed on a tower. I'm using the creality software that comes with your ender 3.... Experimenting with this has proven to be the end of me!!!
Hi Teddy, I don't use the Creality software but it's just a re-skinned Cura. Look for a setting called 'minimum layer time' and increase it a little. This might help give the layers on the thin parts more time to cool. There are other settings that move away and pause while the layer cools but this can lead to blobs on the side from oosing. Hope this helps.
@@RickyImpey I think I know what you're talking about but I think I'm just really bad at explaining myself.... Imagine printing the letter M but the middle peak doesnt touch the base plate and comes to a super fine needle like point... I'm trying to print a support tower to print that middle part of the M as that midsection will branch out to create half of the shape im printing (which is about the size of my hand)
The major issue I'm having is the support structure top layer/connection mesh that snaps off the printed part is a wide grid and the 3d printer likes to try and print in the center of this grid where there is no material, so naturally the printer is printing in mid air and the piece ends up spaghetti.
I'm having difficulty figuring out how to print this entire piece as a whole, and have resorted to cutting the piece in half so that midsection of the M touches the base plate.
@@teddy5004 ah, I see! Yes, that is a pretty tricky thing to do. Have you tried adding custom supports to increase the surface area or move things around a bit so that the lowest part gets the support it needs? Or, could you add a very small sacrificial part to the model that gives exactly the support you want and then be snapped or filed off. Difficult to offer much more without seeing the model really. Sorry if it's not mush help.
@@RickyImpey I've tried the others and considered your last idea but I'm fairly restricted with free programs... I did want to attempt it though. I have a hot iron and plenty of sanding tools to cut off and smooth out the excess material when its finished.. I was hoping to start selling cosplay props to my family and friends which have a TON of spikes and other tiny details like this and your idea sounds like the fastest method... I'd hate to be forced cut the prop into tiny sections as I'm still practicing welding parts together with super glue or a soldering iron.
Thanks for the advice man!
If you remove the numatic fitting and push the bowden tube through to the end of it first, you can then flare the end of the bowden tube slightly, using a pen or somthing.
Now when you reinstall the numatic fitting, the flared end of the boden tube should be squished between the numatic fitting and whatever it butts up against once installed (or maybe the flare just stops it slipping back out, without being squished). 🤷🏻♂
Either way, this ensures that the bowden tube will not easily become worn and loose from all the back and forth movment of the filament (and printing in general) where the numatic fitting bites into it.
This helps to keep your required esteps consistant over time, and ensures that the bowden tube won't need replacing anywhere near as often.
I think this is more useful on the extruder end, as that is where you are more likley to see the boden tube actually moving in and out of the numatic fitting, but it probably wouldn't hurt to do it on the hotend too.
If you mark a line on your boden tube right next to the numatic fitting, it will help you to see if your printer has this issue while it's in motion.
If the line is moving back and forth in relation to the numatic fitting, it could probably do with some attention.
Yes, this does work well on the bowden end but not on the nozzle end as the nozzle is a short distance away from the end of the fitting plus a flare would stop it passing into the throat. This is why I leave the nozzle half to a full turn from tight, fit the bowden and then fully tighten the pneumatic fitting. It puts tension on the fitting and clamps the tube tight so it can't move. Appreciate the comment 👍
@@RickyImpey Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for the tip.
Dont waste your money buying the upgraded bowden tube or the metal extruder pieces, just save it and buy a direct drive extruder like the sprite pro.
yeah thats $100 for $10 I'll give this a go!
@@whitewittock yeah, but then you can print with pretty much any material, and you can do so much faster than with the stock extruder.
@@john_jacob_jingleheimerschmidt maybe one day I've got an idex so gonna take a while to justify the expense 🤷♂️
PTFE tubing, also degrades and breaks down in heat - some of the cheaper stuff as low as 240C - this offgasses and creates a toxic exposure that can harm humans, and kill small animals like hamster and birds.(especially birds) so even if you properly ventilate to keep the fumes from causing harm, the physical material is breaking down, becoming 'gooey' and encrusted, which will result in blockage and a complete mess eventually. Capricorn tubing - is no exception. It can go higher - but not to the '260C" people claim. It will break down. The REAL solution to this, is to change to an "all metal" hotend, to where the bowden tube stops in the heat break, and the filament is carried on through a tight tolerance metal bore to the heating element and nozzle instead of the bowden tube itself. This keeps your tube -cooled, no matter the quality, and away from causing problems like globbing and leakage with the design to press the nozzle up against the bowden tube (which if not cut flush, or has a gap at all, will leak, including gaps from degredation over time of use from high temps)
So you are part right, part wrong. You, like so many others, have just 'trusted' the sellers information - without actually looking into them. I am not blaming you directly, Capricorn is still claiming 260C temp safety - when I personally have had it break down in the 250C range. The solution - was a all metal designed hotend, to keep the tube away from the heating element, so it doesn't get anywhere near that range.
🖖 👍
capricorn sucks too narrow and it clogs WTF are you on lol
Hey Jack, add in your title "non direct extrusion 3D printer".
You know so you don't waste others time,
Thanks