Big thanks to everyone who has provided parts for this build: Get 20 Euro off your Vcore3.1 with code: V31DATULAB RatRig (V-Core 3.1 400mm mechanical kit): ratrig.com/3d-printing-cnc/3d-printer-kits/all-3d-printer-kits/v-core-3/v-core3configurable.html Slice Engineering (Mosquito Magnum): www.sliceengineering.com/collections/all-products-collection/products/mosquito-magnum-hotend Bigtreetech (Octopus Pro): biqu.equipment/products/bigtreetech-octopus-pro-v1-0-chip-f446?variant=39482177257570 Banggood (LDO Orbiter V2.0): www.banggood.com/custlink/GGDCWrnpGP
Speaking of the electronics bay panels, I printed them on the printer itself - I had the electronics just lying down on a bunch of boxes, got the printer running and then just printed the panels :D
I got a VC500 since October last year and a VC300 since July this year. I have to say all in all the printer is really solid. The price is compared to other printers this size (especially 400-500mm) competitive. If you consider the possible speed with tuning, there is no other consumer printer on the Market I think. One problem is really annoying. RatRig announced the Enclosure back in 2021 I think. It had a lid which can be opened. Unfortunately they did not consider the dampers are way to weak for a 500 and 400 sized printer. Back then the open front mod already existed (now enclosure 2.0) they could have easily implemented this design already back then. The second thing I realized, especially on my 500 printer. I have massive problems with my X Gantry if the enclosure is closed and the gantry warming up. We have two materials. A 2020 Aluminum profile and a steel linear rail. Both parts expand different when exposed to heat. This results in a Warping of the gantry and inconsistent first layers. I will get the enclosure for the 300 printer today and I am really looking forward to see if the same problem will occur.
About the bi-meterial expansion stuff. This is a common misconception, that's not how the physics work out (the "simulations" you see are fundamentally flawed because they're overly simplified). Let's say it was correct, If this was indeed a systemic issue everyone would have the exact same problem, and that is not the case. If you're having these problems it's most likely because you've overtorqued your screws on the X rail. It's super easy to fix, just use less torque, or if you insist on overtorqueing, do it while it's hot :)
@@miklschmidt hey Mikkel :) Yes I have heard about only fastening every third screw only handtight etc.. I tried it but it did not work out for me. Don't know if my handtight is different than other people's definition of it. I can send you some pictures of my mesh via discord if you want.
@@Becky5205 Yeah i'm aware "overtorqueing" is a relative concept, there's one thing you can try though, print the 2.5Nm " Fixed Torque Wrench Handles" from thingiverse. Or just tighten by hand while the printer is hot, that'll do it too :)
Great convo. I’m trying to decide between a few different printers and Rat Rig is at the top. My question is (sorry I could look this up) is do the specs, specify the correct torque to avoid this?
@@TheJacklwilliams Hey. I found that torquing with 0.4nm works for me. I print ASA parts on my VC300 for clients and I don't have any problems with bimetal expansion.
I was about to buy it but the electronic thing and the panels and also so many profiles, I think its not for all. I prefer detailled pictures and gummy bears so I will have to wait for the XL. BTW, will be a third part of the prusa enclosure? I would love to print abs at 70C with a MK3
Thank you for pointing out the very valid point with regards the high voltage aspect, which to me is nothing more than a cop out on the part of rat rig
Are there technical reasons to prefer the 400mm over the 500mm model? For example I wouldn't mind the larger dimensions, but I could imagine it may be less stable at high print speeds or something?
With CoreXY the length of the belts grows with four times the dimensions. This can be a problem as a longer belt stretches more. RatRig is using the wider belts for this reason, but you will still get some stretching which then limits the speed and precision. Also power draw for the heated bed and increased material cost are factors. For these reasons (primarily the first one) my methodology for choosing a size is to go as small as possible while being large enough for what you need. 400mm is already huge (fully utilizing the build volume will take days not hours to print even with a big nozzle), but if you feel like you need the larger size, it's an option.
@@DarkArtGuitars Thanks for the detailed answer. To be honest I usually don't need a huge printer all the time, but sometimes it would be a game-changer and then I'd rather have a longer print than not being able to do something at all. That said I took a closer look and the 500mm variant barely fits through normal doors and apparently not all of them, so 400mm indeed seems like the better choice in every aspect.
having multiples v-cores, with a v-core you can print with much faster speed and more importantly with WAY higher accelerations than on a bambu, you can print perfect benchies in under 15 minutes. he just made the mistake to use a outdated mosquito hotend instead of a modern high flow hotend and the 5015 fans instead of a 4028 that blows you away.
@@HelgeKeck I printed a near perfect and I mean very good (almost identical to it's 17 mim). 12 min benchy in a bambu x1 (abs). Currently building a vcore3 but just trying to be impartial
@@alycapo3391 I think this come down to a point where, do you want to build it yourself or buy it built. I personally love to disassemble and assemble things, so for me vCore 3 was the choice
It is illegal to do AC wiring yourself in most European countries (unless you're a licensed electrician), hence you're not given any instructions besides "Consult an electrician". You're not supposed to do it yourself. It's a matter of regulation, there's not really anything Rat Rig can do about that if they want to remain in business selling DIY printers.
I'm not sure on the exact code of various countries but in many places you aren't allowed to do any permanent installations like wall sockets yourself but portable appliances, like a printer, are fine. It is a different story though if you're selling it, which is probably why they do what they do.
@@DarkArtGuitars It's a legal minefield, in Denmark, when it comes to appliances, you're not allowed to mess with anything besides the power chord and in some cases the socket, anything other than that requires a licensed electrician. Some countries are a bit more loose, but it would take a team of lawyers to make sure you're not breaking the law in some country when telling users how to wire up a 3D printer, and there would be countries such as Denmark that you simply couldn't sell to.
Complete and utter horseskat, I challenge you to show everyone the relevant and correct EU legislation which pertains to a requirement for competency (let alone certification) to work on domestic appliances, let alone any legal requirements for a person to work on self made equipment, I won't hold my breath as all you will do is try the usual wise ass reply instead of showing anyone an EU certified document to support your claim
@@Heretic_Dezign You again... I didn't miss you. I know i'm feeding the troll here, but I never said it was EU legislation, although there is a bunch concerning the area (Machinery Directive being one of them). European != EU. As a EU member country, you can still have local laws with extra consumer protections, there are tons of examples of this. That's why i called it a legal minefield.
It looks like that printer can not print perfect parts. Even Prusa MK3 prints better quality parts. I will wait Prusa XL because of they are targeted on quality of the parts and this is what I need.
You have to spend a bit more time tuning your profile with the vcore as it is a diy printer and not tuned product, but once you have, it matches or beats the prusa prints at 1.5-4x speed.
Big thanks to everyone who has provided parts for this build:
Get 20 Euro off your Vcore3.1 with code: V31DATULAB
RatRig (V-Core 3.1 400mm mechanical kit): ratrig.com/3d-printing-cnc/3d-printer-kits/all-3d-printer-kits/v-core-3/v-core3configurable.html
Slice Engineering (Mosquito Magnum): www.sliceengineering.com/collections/all-products-collection/products/mosquito-magnum-hotend
Bigtreetech (Octopus Pro): biqu.equipment/products/bigtreetech-octopus-pro-v1-0-chip-f446?variant=39482177257570
Banggood (LDO Orbiter V2.0): www.banggood.com/custlink/GGDCWrnpGP
Speaking of the electronics bay panels, I printed them on the printer itself - I had the electronics just lying down on a bunch of boxes, got the printer running and then just printed the panels :D
That's a great idea for anyone that doesn't have a CNC!
That's a great idea!!! I'm going to do that, thank you for the inspiration, it saved my headache of sourcing a panel
I lke the subtitles I get from you. "Tune it to the hardest content" and also "There are little fuzzy strings in the banshee" made my day😂😂
I got a VC500 since October last year and a VC300 since July this year.
I have to say all in all the printer is really solid. The price is compared to other printers this size (especially 400-500mm) competitive. If you consider the possible speed with tuning, there is no other consumer printer on the Market I think.
One problem is really annoying. RatRig announced the Enclosure back in 2021 I think. It had a lid which can be opened. Unfortunately they did not consider the dampers are way to weak for a 500 and 400 sized printer. Back then the open front mod already existed (now enclosure 2.0) they could have easily implemented this design already back then.
The second thing I realized, especially on my 500 printer. I have massive problems with my X Gantry if the enclosure is closed and the gantry warming up.
We have two materials. A 2020 Aluminum profile and a steel linear rail. Both parts expand different when exposed to heat. This results in a Warping of the gantry and inconsistent first layers.
I will get the enclosure for the 300 printer today and I am really looking forward to see if the same problem will occur.
About the bi-meterial expansion stuff. This is a common misconception, that's not how the physics work out (the "simulations" you see are fundamentally flawed because they're overly simplified). Let's say it was correct, If this was indeed a systemic issue everyone would have the exact same problem, and that is not the case. If you're having these problems it's most likely because you've overtorqued your screws on the X rail. It's super easy to fix, just use less torque, or if you insist on overtorqueing, do it while it's hot :)
@@miklschmidt hey Mikkel :)
Yes I have heard about only fastening every third screw only handtight etc.. I tried it but it did not work out for me. Don't know if my handtight is different than other people's definition of it. I can send you some pictures of my mesh via discord if you want.
@@Becky5205 Yeah i'm aware "overtorqueing" is a relative concept, there's one thing you can try though, print the 2.5Nm "
Fixed Torque Wrench Handles" from thingiverse. Or just tighten by hand while the printer is hot, that'll do it too :)
Great convo. I’m trying to decide between a few different printers and Rat Rig is at the top. My question is (sorry I could look this up) is do the specs, specify the correct torque to avoid this?
@@TheJacklwilliams Hey. I found that torquing with 0.4nm works for me. I print ASA parts on my VC300 for clients and I don't have any problems with bimetal expansion.
Thanks for the review, it really helped me make my decision on this
thanks for the review. keep up the work
I was about to buy it but the electronic thing and the panels and also so many profiles, I think its not for all. I prefer detailled pictures and gummy bears so I will have to wait for the XL. BTW, will be a third part of the prusa enclosure? I would love to print abs at 70C with a MK3
I tuned mine to kick out a 9:30 perfect benchy. ;)
Thank you for pointing out the very valid point with regards the high voltage aspect, which to me is nothing more than a cop out on the part of rat rig
Are there technical reasons to prefer the 400mm over the 500mm model? For example I wouldn't mind the larger dimensions, but I could imagine it may be less stable at high print speeds or something?
With CoreXY the length of the belts grows with four times the dimensions. This can be a problem as a longer belt stretches more. RatRig is using the wider belts for this reason, but you will still get some stretching which then limits the speed and precision. Also power draw for the heated bed and increased material cost are factors. For these reasons (primarily the first one) my methodology for choosing a size is to go as small as possible while being large enough for what you need. 400mm is already huge (fully utilizing the build volume will take days not hours to print even with a big nozzle), but if you feel like you need the larger size, it's an option.
@@DarkArtGuitars Thanks for the detailed answer. To be honest I usually don't need a huge printer all the time, but sometimes it would be a game-changer and then I'd rather have a longer print than not being able to do something at all. That said I took a closer look and the 500mm variant barely fits through normal doors and apparently not all of them, so 400mm indeed seems like the better choice in every aspect.
Bro, nice printer but the
The point of Vorons and Rat Rigs just zings right over you I guess……
having multiples v-cores, with a v-core you can print with much faster speed and more importantly with WAY higher accelerations than on a bambu, you can print perfect benchies in under 15 minutes. he just made the mistake to use a outdated mosquito hotend instead of a modern high flow hotend and the 5015 fans instead of a 4028 that blows you away.
@@HelgeKeck I printed a near perfect and I mean very good (almost identical to it's 17 mim). 12 min benchy in a bambu x1 (abs). Currently building a vcore3 but just trying to be impartial
@@alycapo3391 I think this come down to a point where, do you want to build it yourself or buy it built. I personally love to disassemble and assemble things, so for me vCore 3 was the choice
This machine is just as good or better then the bambu with the right parts. Bambu is great as well just would like it to be a bit bigger.
Not the best choice of hotend or cooling, but a very good review nonetheless.
The link to the orbiter extruder doesnt work
It is illegal to do AC wiring yourself in most European countries (unless you're a licensed electrician), hence you're not given any instructions besides "Consult an electrician". You're not supposed to do it yourself. It's a matter of regulation, there's not really anything Rat Rig can do about that if they want to remain in business selling DIY printers.
I'm not sure on the exact code of various countries but in many places you aren't allowed to do any permanent installations like wall sockets yourself but portable appliances, like a printer, are fine. It is a different story though if you're selling it, which is probably why they do what they do.
@@DarkArtGuitars It's a legal minefield, in Denmark, when it comes to appliances, you're not allowed to mess with anything besides the power chord and in some cases the socket, anything other than that requires a licensed electrician. Some countries are a bit more loose, but it would take a team of lawyers to make sure you're not breaking the law in some country when telling users how to wire up a 3D printer, and there would be countries such as Denmark that you simply couldn't sell to.
@@DarkArtGuitars That said, all of us do it anyway, but then the liability is on us, not on Rat Rig :D
Complete and utter horseskat, I challenge you to show everyone the relevant and correct EU legislation which pertains to a requirement for competency (let alone certification) to work on domestic appliances, let alone any legal requirements for a person to work on self made equipment, I won't hold my breath as all you will do is try the usual wise ass reply instead of showing anyone an EU certified document to support your claim
@@Heretic_Dezign You again... I didn't miss you. I know i'm feeding the troll here, but I never said it was EU legislation, although there is a bunch concerning the area (Machinery Directive being one of them). European != EU. As a EU member country, you can still have local laws with extra consumer protections, there are tons of examples of this. That's why i called it a legal minefield.
It looks like that printer can not print perfect parts. Even Prusa MK3 prints better quality parts. I will wait Prusa XL because of they are targeted on quality of the parts and this is what I need.
having both, prusas and v-cores, what you are saying is just not correct. you can create perfect parts in a fraction of a time from a prusa
You have to spend a bit more time tuning your profile with the vcore as it is a diy printer and not tuned product, but once you have, it matches or beats the prusa prints at 1.5-4x speed.
Dude looks like nanny McPhee, content is good though