If you're looking for tips here are my top five with this. 1 - don't rush assembly. You'll need a whole day or several evenings. I did mine in about 7 hours over 2 nights. It's got a lot of steps and can be fiddly at times. 2 - cable management! Use the supplied wrap and think ahead when assembling so you can keep the cables out of the way of moving parts and belts. 3 - level the bed, heat it to 65'c and then level again. This will stop it warping or jamming after it heats up. Use hairspray to prep the bed before printing. On temps, try 65'c for the bed and 190'c for your extruder. I would try 90% movement and 110% fill also. 4 - don't try ABS right away, it really is a pain to print due to cooling issues. PLA is fine and quite a good material. Order a 1kg roll when you order the machine so it's ready to go. 5 - download Cura (free slicer program) and print some spool hubs, this way the filament spool turns much more smoothly and doesn't need to be supervised. I didn't do this straight away and had the filament spool pull the holder off its shelf. This could have damaged the printer if I wasn't around to catch it. There are plenty of upgrades but the spool hubs are essential and improved my print quality by providing much more consistent and manageable feed rates.
Man, almost every RUclipsr out there is gonna say that only the "name brand" stuff (Ultimaker, Prusa, etc) is worth it. It's total BS. I personally own an Anet A8, got it online for $160. I've put $15 extra for a glass plate, and plan on spending another $3 for a mosfet for the heated bed. Let me tell you: it works beautifully. My school has a mid-range Lulzbot that cost them $500 or so and the performance between the two is nearly identical. I'm pretty sure theirs doesn't have a heated build plate, either. No reasons for these 3D printing elitists to bash on the economy kits as not even worth it when it opens up the community to way more members.
I also own a Anet A8, and I really happy with it :) But you can't compare other printers like le Lulzbot with the Anet A8. They don't offer the same security. Anet A8 mainboard is a cheap one and there is a pretty high chance that it will fail one day (mine still works though). Anet A8 connectors are not (properly) strained relief neither. The PSU cables that are not protected + not crimped is very dangerous (without any PSU box mod). More than one Anet A8 catched fire ;-) The print quality of the Anet A8 can be really really good. It possible to have the same quality than an other one that cost $500 -> $1000. But not at the same speed :) Just to say. Anet A8 is good when you know what you're doing,
+David, stop that. And same to to an extent to +Martin White. This machine is good, for the money. BUT it is not as good as many more expensive machines, as it comes. You can get a better A8 with modifications, which you don't need to do to more expecive machines, like the original, Prusa machines. Yes, if you want to tinker, or don't have the money but doesn't mind doing that. Anet A8 is a great machine If you want to just print, without the first you do print some exchange/extra parts to your printer. You should pay some more and by an original machine, like the Prusa. So in short, they have different targets and different demands. So yes, you actually trade things away with less money, like a bad PSU. BUT if you know that, it is ok and could even be a perfect machine. So Martin and David. Are you ok with your machine, don't bash others that have different goals. (Yes, I do have a Anet A8 myself)
The Anet A8 can be made WAY more safe with a couple simple things, 1. Solder the hot bed wires instead of using the flimsy plug. 2. Use a mosfet for at least the heated bed and also hotend for overkill. 3. Put a fusible switch on the power supply.
I did the same thing as you. I got the same printer for the same reasons as you and I could not be happier. My prints look every bit as good as prints from much more expensive machines. I absolutely 100 percent agree. Great video and great advice.
Dude, I like the way you did this. Clean, straight to the point. No music or special effect distractions. Makes me wanna buy a Anet A8 and I'm not even looking for a 3D printer.
Oh, you mean my "twirly" screwdriver? One of my most prized possessions. I got it at Home Depot in the electrical department. I'm not sure what the real name is, I just call it my little twirly. As in "Hey, can you hand me my little twirly" and whoever is in the room just knows what I'm talking about. Edit: Found the link www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-6-in-Interchangeable-Rapi-Driv-Screwdriver-Cushion-Grip-Handle-67100/202922672?keyword=Rapidrive
Thank you sir. Seems Klein are the only makers, can't find a clone on ebay ali express or banggood. I do have a long screwdriver bit attachment, blow torch and a vise though :)
Very well edited video and informative content. I purchased the Alunar version of this same printer 03/16, still printing awesome today. Only failure I have had concerning build quality has been the positive lead on the build plate came loose and had to re solder it. Looks like your version had a connector instead. Happy printing!
Bought one for my son because he wanted to learn about 3d printing. Build it, upgraded it and used it quite well. He sold the upgraded and improved printer and bought a better one. The a8 is still in use at his friend he sold it too. So yes, for my son it was a perfect printer. He learned how they work, troubleshoot the little problems it had and how to fix them. He is 13 and autistic btw.
First and most important upgrade that I made to my Anet A8 was to add 1/8 inch thick Aluminum plate doublers to both ends of the Y axis. Then replaced the shattered Y axis motor mount with a purchased 17 Stepper motor metal bracket. It now prints awesome and is over a year old now.
The most valuable tricks I learned on my Tronxy x8 (similar to anet a8) 1) put a 3mm or so thick pane of glass on the heated build plate. 2) Slicer: set the line width a little smaller than the nozzle, set the layer height around .2mm, use a fan at about 25% . 3) Get ABS to adhere to the build plate, just spill a little acetone on the build plate and rub a piece of ABS on there where the print will be. a very clean and thin film of ABS will result so you don't have to maintain a jar of liquid slurry. 4) you can also print pet-g on the same thin film of ABS. i don't use PLA but maybe it would also stick to an ABS slurry.
Bought one. Built it. LOVE IT!!!! After a little tinkering to get it level and feeding filament consistently, it's worked perfectly for over a year now. No issues, just printing cool stuff!!! Highly recommend this kit.
Have an A8 myself. Was very surprised how well it prints. Mostly slicer settings that improve things for me. Tons of upgrade parts available on thingiverse. Better part cooling shroud, belt tensioners, frame braces. And some people replace the frame with extruded aluminum structure. And he's right a fantastic online community... One of the reasons I gave it a shot too. Great video.. thx.
I like the video. Good tips. I look forward to your video on the upgrades you made. One thing I am curious about is the upgrades you print, and the upgrades you purchase (if any). Thanks for the video!
I brought this printer and it printed surprising well once I had assembled it. The best upgrade I done so far is installing a glass bed (Ultra Base clone). Followed closely by Octoprint.
Thank you! for the video I discover it when searching for a solution for my problem: My Display stays blue nothing is showed! Can you please advice or do you think I did something wrong? how can I solve this problem?
I bought an Anet A6 printer. Brilliant printer if you construct properly. Printed z-xis bearing supports and stable. Marked the z-axis left/ right stepper drives to both be equal height. Sometimes disabling stepper drives and making sure z level important. Very happy with it.
If a live wire were to come loose, as long as the yellow wire is where it's supposed to be, it would cause a short circuit and blow a fuse. I don't see how the color of the wire makes any difference.
I believe you're confusing return current "neutral" with safety "ground", the chassis of the power supply is grounded. The reason for grounding the chassis is not for return current, if you're in contact with the chassis and the live wire comes free and contacts the case also, you won't be electrocuted!
you should never fasten wires without crimped cableshoes anyway so what he did in the video is unsave in itself also with cableshoes the chance that a wire comes lose i near to nothing since the whole screw needs to drop out to get the wire out anyway
Great vid thanks but you are absolutely correct about the reversed wires being an issue if you are using the earth. Neutrals are cross bonded at the power source (distribution box in the home, sub or station depending on earth type) so will get a GFI/RCBO fault everytime you plug it in. Without the earth it wouldn't matter but I wouldn't have an exposed case on a 2-pin plug.
Where's the link for the video of the assembly you watched and included a clip of? Sorry if I'm just missing it in all the "unbiased" links to give you kickbacks ...
Had my A8 for months, possibly over a year now and it's has been perfectly fine, I'd recommend one as a first purchase. Always makes me laugh how many people can't follow instructions but still feel qualified to post technical videos on YT. :D
Yeah, I've been happy with mine for over three months. There are some real haters out there. It's not a perfect printer, but it works for my needs. Thanks for watching.
Ok, i'm stunning right now! Very Nice assembly video, and very cool screwdriver, i bought my A8, and i'm allready printing my upgrades to build my printer with upgraded parts. Thank you for Share all this good info, and i want to see your must have upgrades for your A8.
I've been running an Anet A8 now for 2 years without any measure of major issue. I saved myself a massive amount of headache and installed a BLTouch after about 6 months. OMG that was one of the best $20 I've ever spent. I now never have to level my printer. It only fails to level 1 out of every 15 times or so. I simply re-start the print and it behaves. I'm now just about to start printing TPU with my A8. I've put PLA, ABS and Nylon through it so far with NO printing/extruding issues.
Well done! I want one! The only thing I see wrong is that the prints look small, in fact they are small. I saw a (very very expensive) 3D printer (which also cut by laser too) back in 2007 in the US and that was creating big prints and I mean 80 cm high, 20-25cm width and depth. So comparing, the little boat is very small. Could I print for example parts 200mm width, depth and high? Other thing is... where do the reels of filament hang?
I love my ANET A8. I Bought a cheap $3 picture frame from a discount shop and removed the glass and place that on my heat bed. I then use folder clips to attach it to the bed.(It's easier and faster to level the bed with a true flat surface) I give the glass a very light mist of hair spray before placing it on the bed . And after a big print i remove the glass give it a wipe down with paper towel and methylated spirits (alcohol) another very light mist of hair spray, clip the glass back on and its good to go again.( never had a print lift ). Great vid .
Thank you so much! I will definitely be delving deeper into 3D printing now that I have a machine. I'm starting to see so many problems around my house and I say, "oh! I could 3D print something to fix that!"
I'm very confused with the original plug on the video. As I look closer to the plug, I didn't see the manufacturer reverse the wiring. (By imagining the plug is plugged into the wall) The upper is Earth (yellow), the left is neutral (Blue), the right is Live (Brown, usually connected with fuse), and that's exactly what I saw on the video. Did I really mess up with the wiring? I did google the wiring standard and I see no mistake on the plug.
I have had my Anet A8 for about a year now. The only thing I did was get an 8x8 piece of glass out of a Walmart picture frame, and use paper clamps to hold to bed. I also used clear elmers glue then rubbing alcohol to clean/sticky the surface before printing. It's about time for some new belts, but i don't print a lot. P.S. You better get good at Fusion 360 3D modeling or all you can do is print other peoples stuff.
I think these cheap printers are worth every penny..I bought my Tronxy P802M(which is similar to the A8) about a year and a half ago and it has given me zero problems...It was fun to assemble and the best part is that the cost of the kit is way cheaper than sourcing the parts and building one from scratch which is exactly what I was going to do before buying the Tronxy kit.
Thanks for watching! As I said in the video, you really need to be willing to tinker, troubleshoot, and fix things if you are going to buy this printer. That being said, it was a great first printer for me because I learned so much about 3D printing! Hopefully you have a good experience!
Had (have) this printer, tried printing with it and it was always either not leveled or builds kept un-adhereing. I thought mine was just weird or broken, but it turns out after I bought another printer it was just that I didn't have my heated bed turned on and I was trying to print abs without an enclosure as well...
That's correct, I'm really slow at making videos. Hopefully I'll finish it soon. I'm trying to make videos on a variety of projects, not just 3D printing, so it might be a couple more videos before I release my video about upgrades. I appreciate your support and patience!
hi, I have problem in my new anet A8 board v1.7 ... When the initial operation, the extruder is directed to the opposite side to the end and continues for a while the engine rotates even when the extruder reaches the end ... The same applies to the surface ... Also, the z direction motor works one and the other does not work .. Note that I almost checked the connections All are correct, i am using Anet A8,How do you think the problem is solved?
Great lil printer, Kids bought me one. I've made a good few mods, printer produces pretty good results now, though it really needs a better power supply. The one it comes with though sufficient is not exactly safe and is at its limit.
Hello, I am looking for ur help. I have bought anet a8 3d Printer. But y and z axis motor fixed plates are missing in the package. It will be nice if you can share the parts picture with dimensions. I'll be able to manufacture the parts on my own. Thank u.
Can I ask a question. For the frame & also the screws, has anyone ever superglued the frame together? I have no experience with 3D printers, and a majority of people talk about the frames rigidity.
I watched a video of someone building this printer and had the same idea. The problem is that the glue he used wasn't rated for acrylic and it expanded in the joints and cracked his whole frame! 3D printer frames need to be somewhat rigid, but you have to understand that there is very little force being applied to the frame during printing. When you contrast that with cnc milling machines where there is tremendous forces being applied between the endmill and the work piece. Frame rigidity becomes much more important. I have found that this printer works just fine, just keep an eye out for nuts coming loose.
Questions 1: can you get a finer tip extruder? Question 2: if you get said finer tip extruder, is the rest of the hardware precise enough for you to use it without stacking tolerances?
I’m an electrician, and when building the pipe racks for data centers we use ten foot long pieces of all thread to hang the strut from the ceiling. Multiple levels of conduit on the racks calls for a nut on top and bottom of each level to hold the strut at a specific height. Instead of spinning the rod, we used a piece of rod about 6 inches long and wound some duct tape onto the rod. Then chucked this lollipop looking thing into the drill. That way you can friction spin the nut without damaging anything. You could get something like a worn out paddle bit and cover the sharp end in cheap tape, then it becomes a specific and useful tool that will snap in and out of your impact. Note: think about what way your spinning and what way your tape is wrapped.
I own this printer took 11 hours to put together upgraded to mosfet and put a power supply that can safely push the correct juice so you don't have a fire issue. Some small tweaks to calibrate it an it runs awesome. I just use cura for my slicer program an most upgrade parts you can print for it right on the machine itself how can you argue with that
hi nice video,just a quick question,can you provide some info about the settings for the steppers? steps per mm feedrates etc. do you have the firmware? thank you very much
I'm definitely no electrical engineer, but I know stuff about electricity, but want to understand what the problem is: Yes you are right, the cable is wired backwards and that’s not correct, and yes, swapping line and neutral CAN be dangerous, (depending on how the PSU was designed, but nowadays they almost all have the same clearances) you said that if the live wire were to come loose, the case would earth the current, but if the wires are swapped, dangerous voltages would be present in the case, won’t those be earthed as well? I'm not saying you have done the wrong thing, I’m trying to understand the problem, maybe I’m biased because I’m used to reversible European plugs
I own one of those printers too, and making it work and improving it was a fun little hobby when I was new to 3D printing and had time to spare. However, the sheer number of quality issues and calibration problems you're going to experience makes it way too frustrating to deal with long term especially if you need something reliable and user friendly that your coworkers can figure out. So honestly you get what you pay for.
I've had my Anet A8 for 2yrs now. It's an excellent printer for the $. The only problem so far was the hot bed connection, after the 3rd 1Kg spool of filament. I just soldered the wires directly. Works great with PLA & PETG. I've made lots of models ranging from the files that came with the printer to motorcycle and firearm parts that I designed myself. I do plan to purchase another.
Thanks for the video. Im also planning to buy it and do all the upgrades and mods. I like doing these things. Plug and play is not always so interesting.
The A8 was my first printer... I built it, got frustrated with it and then didn't touch it two years... Now I own 3 printers and 2 of them are A8's... including my first... at least as far as the frame goes... I built my 3rd printer from scratch around an A8 frame with a Titan Extruder and V6 hotend... all in all, I like the A8... it's low cost makes it a good starting point for a custom build...
I know there are many valid safety concerns in switching the live and neutral wire, but "the live becoming loose and coming in contact with case" seems like a problem regardless of whether the live and neutral are switched. Wouldn't the earth wire function the same either way regardless of which colour wire carries live current.... If current leaks to the metal case, the earth wire takes it out. Why does it matter if the live wire is mislabeled in regards to this reason ?
If the live wire comes loose it will conduct to GND and fuse will blow unless you have a security breaker (you could have a problem if you stupidly use a non grounded outlet) so it really makes no difference if you reverse phase and neutral for that reason. In Europe we can plug the plug in either way - so these are swapped all the time.
3 years on with using my Anet A8 and I can say it has been printing nearly ever single day throughout the 3 years, and i make outstanding equipment /products on it, Anyway this guy describes who best would enjoy having one. I can also say i have No mods on mine. But i did change the Firmware to Marlin and is needed to do so for the fire risk Basically the Thermal runaway problem. I dont know if the latest version of the Anet a8 software is any better.
I got an anet a8 from a friend. I ended up changing all the parts on it. Aluminum frame E3d V6 and Titan extruder. I want to get a duet card and use octoprint on it.
The mod I've done to my A8 that seems to have made the biggest difference is using glass on the bed with some 3D printed nubs to hold the glass on the bed. I use a set of feeler gauges and manually level to .006mm across 12 points before printing. It works pretty decent. Another is some tension brackets for the X and Y axis belts.
Please describe what settings you changed to get the better benchy print please. I'm new to 3d printing and trying to get better quality prints with mine.
I think my first problem was I was trying to print benchy too small. I scaled him down too much on my first try. Play around with print speed (60-80) and hot end temperature (around 205-210 degrees C for PLA) and bed temperature (60-70 degrees C). Keep printing until you like what you get. Good luck!
3D printer kit: $160. Enjoying putting it together yourself and learning how it works: Priceless.
I agree, but not everyone sees it that way unfortunately. Thanks for watching!
ya exsactly
Yeah I can't wait to get one and learn as much as I can about 3d printing. Any tips before buy it?
If you're looking for tips here are my top five with this. 1 - don't rush assembly. You'll need a whole day or several evenings. I did mine in about 7 hours over 2 nights. It's got a lot of steps and can be fiddly at times. 2 - cable management! Use the supplied wrap and think ahead when assembling so you can keep the cables out of the way of moving parts and belts. 3 - level the bed, heat it to 65'c and then level again. This will stop it warping or jamming after it heats up. Use hairspray to prep the bed before printing. On temps, try 65'c for the bed and 190'c for your extruder. I would try 90% movement and 110% fill also. 4 - don't try ABS right away, it really is a pain to print due to cooling issues. PLA is fine and quite a good material. Order a 1kg roll when you order the machine so it's ready to go. 5 - download Cura (free slicer program) and print some spool hubs, this way the filament spool turns much more smoothly and doesn't need to be supervised. I didn't do this straight away and had the filament spool pull the holder off its shelf. This could have damaged the printer if I wasn't around to catch it. There are plenty of upgrades but the spool hubs are essential and improved my print quality by providing much more consistent and manageable feed rates.
Here is my tip buy a ender 3
Man, almost every RUclipsr out there is gonna say that only the "name brand" stuff (Ultimaker, Prusa, etc) is worth it. It's total BS. I personally own an Anet A8, got it online for $160. I've put $15 extra for a glass plate, and plan on spending another $3 for a mosfet for the heated bed. Let me tell you: it works beautifully. My school has a mid-range Lulzbot that cost them $500 or so and the performance between the two is nearly identical. I'm pretty sure theirs doesn't have a heated build plate, either. No reasons for these 3D printing elitists to bash on the economy kits as not even worth it when it opens up the community to way more members.
I agree, thanks for watching
I also own a Anet A8, and I really happy with it :)
But you can't compare other printers like le Lulzbot with the Anet A8. They don't offer the same security. Anet A8 mainboard is a cheap one and there is a pretty high chance that it will fail one day (mine still works though). Anet A8 connectors are not (properly) strained relief neither. The PSU cables that are not protected + not crimped is very dangerous (without any PSU box mod). More than one Anet A8 catched fire ;-)
The print quality of the Anet A8 can be really really good. It possible to have the same quality than an other one that cost $500 -> $1000. But not at the same speed :)
Just to say. Anet A8 is good when you know what you're doing,
Why would you want to do that?
+David, stop that. And same to to an extent to +Martin White.
This machine is good, for the money. BUT it is not as good as many more expensive machines, as it comes. You can get a better A8 with modifications, which you don't need to do to more expecive machines, like the original, Prusa machines.
Yes, if you want to tinker, or don't have the money but doesn't mind doing that. Anet A8 is a great machine
If you want to just print, without the first you do print some exchange/extra parts to your printer. You should pay some more and by an original machine, like the Prusa.
So in short, they have different targets and different demands. So yes, you actually trade things away with less money, like a bad PSU. BUT if you know that, it is ok and could even be a perfect machine.
So Martin and David. Are you ok with your machine, don't bash others that have different goals.
(Yes, I do have a Anet A8 myself)
The Anet A8 can be made WAY more safe with a couple simple things,
1. Solder the hot bed wires instead of using the flimsy plug.
2. Use a mosfet for at least the heated bed and also hotend for overkill.
3. Put a fusible switch on the power supply.
I did the same thing as you. I got the same printer for the same reasons as you and I could not be happier. My prints look every bit as good as prints from much more expensive machines. I absolutely 100 percent agree. Great video and great advice.
That's great to hear, thanks for watching!
Dude, I like the way you did this. Clean, straight to the point. No music or special effect distractions. Makes me wanna buy a Anet A8 and I'm not even looking for a 3D printer.
Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it!
I agree.
Thomas Veach You are def...There is music in the background.
RC Hobbyist Extreme Yeah but it's not overbearing or distracting almost unnoticeable
Biggest takeaway from this......I need your screwdriver!
Oh, you mean my "twirly" screwdriver? One of my most prized possessions. I got it at Home Depot in the electrical department. I'm not sure what the real name is, I just call it my little twirly. As in "Hey, can you hand me my little twirly" and whoever is in the room just knows what I'm talking about.
Edit: Found the link
www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-6-in-Interchangeable-Rapi-Driv-Screwdriver-Cushion-Grip-Handle-67100/202922672?keyword=Rapidrive
Thank you sir. Seems Klein are the only makers, can't find a clone on ebay ali express or banggood. I do have a long screwdriver bit attachment, blow torch and a vise though :)
lol, my same reaction :)
The screwdriver is made by Klein and Model # 682-6
same here... lol
Very well edited video and informative content. I purchased the Alunar version of this same printer 03/16, still printing awesome today. Only failure I have had concerning build quality has been the positive lead on the build plate came loose and had to re solder it. Looks like your version had a connector instead. Happy printing!
I love my Anet A8. I have had it for 2 years and use out daily.
Bought one for my son because he wanted to learn about 3d printing. Build it, upgraded it and used it quite well. He sold the upgraded and improved printer and bought a better one. The a8 is still in use at his friend he sold it too.
So yes, for my son it was a perfect printer. He learned how they work, troubleshoot the little problems it had and how to fix them. He is 13 and autistic btw.
mightress Oh wow, is he?? I am too! :)
that's really nice of you! i wish my parents could do this to me at his age.
Nice! What better printer did he buy?
Hi, which parameter did you change to improve prints on small diameters ?
I have the same problem and I can't find an efficient solution
First and most important upgrade that I made to my Anet A8 was to add 1/8 inch thick Aluminum plate doublers to both ends of the Y axis. Then replaced the shattered Y axis motor mount with a purchased 17 Stepper motor metal bracket. It now prints awesome and is over a year old now.
Good video,no stupid music and the correct amount of information.You have just sold me a 3d printer that I don’t need.
Subscribed 👍. Keep up the good work as I really like your RUclips style! You’ve got my curiosity.
Thanks for the feedback and subscription, I really appreciate it!
Dude great video! I'm going to pick up one soon!!
The most valuable tricks I learned on my Tronxy x8 (similar to anet a8)
1) put a 3mm or so thick pane of glass on the heated build plate.
2) Slicer: set the line width a little smaller than the nozzle, set the layer height around .2mm, use a fan at about 25% .
3) Get ABS to adhere to the build plate, just spill a little acetone on the build plate and rub a piece of ABS on there where the print will be. a very clean and thin film of ABS will result so you don't have to maintain a jar of liquid slurry.
4) you can also print pet-g on the same thin film of ABS.
i don't use PLA but maybe it would also stick to an ABS slurry.
Thanks for the great tips!
Wow!! I absolutely adore your videos💖
Thank you!
Bought one. Built it. LOVE IT!!!! After a little tinkering to get it level and feeding filament consistently, it's worked perfectly for over a year now. No issues, just printing cool stuff!!! Highly recommend this kit.
Good to hear, thanks for commenting!
Just one question. When you build it are you able to move it arround the house with no problems? Or are there problems?
Have an A8 myself. Was very surprised how well it prints. Mostly slicer settings that improve things for me.
Tons of upgrade parts available on thingiverse. Better part cooling shroud, belt tensioners, frame braces.
And some people replace the frame with extruded aluminum structure.
And he's right a fantastic online community... One of the reasons I gave it a shot too.
Great video.. thx.
Thanks for the tips, and thanks for watching!
I like the video. Good tips. I look forward to your video on the upgrades you made. One thing I am curious about is the upgrades you print, and the upgrades you purchase (if any). Thanks for the video!
Thanks for watching!
I brought this printer and it printed surprising well once I had assembled it. The best upgrade I done so far is installing a glass bed (Ultra Base clone). Followed closely by Octoprint.
Great video! I’m excited to see when you reach 100,000 subs
Thanks Conner! I appreciate your support!
Thank you! for the video I discover it when searching for a solution for my problem: My Display stays blue nothing is showed! Can you please advice or do you think I did something wrong? how can I solve this problem?
You are a very good teacher
I am curious, I recently purchased one and was wondering if you would be willing to share what settings you found to get good print jobs with
This is exactly what I needed
Really thinking of picking this one up. Do you mind posting what kind of print settings you tweaked to save me some time once I get it? 😁
I bought an Anet A6 printer. Brilliant printer if you construct properly. Printed z-xis bearing supports and stable. Marked the z-axis left/ right stepper drives to both be equal height. Sometimes disabling stepper drives and making sure z level important. Very happy with it.
Super job - totally agree with the live and neutral reversal mod.
Thanks for watching!
If a live wire were to come loose, as long as the yellow wire is where it's supposed to be, it would cause a short circuit and blow a fuse. I don't see how the color of the wire makes any difference.
I believe you're confusing return current "neutral" with safety "ground", the chassis of the power supply is grounded. The reason for grounding the chassis is not for return current, if you're in contact with the chassis and the live wire comes free and contacts the case also, you won't be electrocuted!
you should never fasten wires without crimped cableshoes anyway so what he did in the video is unsave in itself also with cableshoes the chance that a wire comes lose i near to nothing since the whole screw needs to drop out to get the wire out anyway
That's what I thought too
Dude! Thank you so so much for this video!!!!! Has been very helpful!!!
Thanks Johnny!
Great vid thanks but you are absolutely correct about the reversed wires being an issue if you are using the earth. Neutrals are cross bonded at the power source (distribution box in the home, sub or station depending on earth type) so will get a GFI/RCBO fault everytime you plug it in. Without the earth it wouldn't matter but I wouldn't have an exposed case on a 2-pin plug.
Thanks man, keep going!
Where's the link for the video of the assembly you watched and included a clip of? Sorry if I'm just missing it in all the "unbiased" links to give you kickbacks ...
Where can I find how to tune a 3D printer?
great vid!
Had my A8 for months, possibly over a year now and it's has been perfectly fine, I'd recommend one as a first purchase.
Always makes me laugh how many people can't follow instructions but still feel qualified to post technical videos on YT. :D
Yeah, I've been happy with mine for over three months. There are some real haters out there. It's not a perfect printer, but it works for my needs. Thanks for watching.
Ok, i'm stunning right now! Very Nice assembly video, and very cool screwdriver, i bought my A8, and i'm allready printing my upgrades to build my printer with upgraded parts. Thank you for Share all this good info, and i want to see your must have upgrades for your A8.
Thanks for watching Hugo! Hope your build goes well! I'm working on a video with my upgrades, stay tuned.
Your explanation on why you wired it the way you did might have saved someone else's life. I love the fact that you explain saftey issues .
Thanks Edward!
How is this type of Screwdriver called you used in the video?(i‘ve Never seen this type before)
I've been running an Anet A8 now for 2 years without any measure of major issue. I saved myself a massive amount of headache and installed a BLTouch after about 6 months. OMG that was one of the best $20 I've ever spent. I now never have to level my printer. It only fails to level 1 out of every 15 times or so. I simply re-start the print and it behaves.
I'm now just about to start printing TPU with my A8. I've put PLA, ABS and Nylon through it so far with NO printing/extruding issues.
Thanks you are very clear. This it's a good explanation of the way to make a printer
Thank you for watching!
Well done! I want one! The only thing I see wrong is that the prints look small, in fact they are small. I saw a (very very expensive) 3D printer (which also cut by laser too) back in 2007 in the US and that was creating big prints and I mean 80 cm high, 20-25cm width and depth. So comparing, the little boat is very small. Could I print for example parts 200mm width, depth and high? Other thing is... where do the reels of filament hang?
I love my ANET A8. I Bought a cheap $3 picture frame from a discount shop and removed the glass and place that on my heat bed. I then use folder clips to attach it to the bed.(It's easier and faster to level the bed with a true flat surface)
I give the glass a very light mist of hair spray before placing it on the bed .
And after a big print i remove the glass give it a wipe down with paper towel and methylated spirits (alcohol) another very light mist of hair spray, clip the glass back on and its good to go again.( never had a print lift ).
Great vid .
Thanks for the tips!
Great video. Would love to see follow-up videos on your 3d printing experiences.
Thank you so much! I will definitely be delving deeper into 3D printing now that I have a machine. I'm starting to see so many problems around my house and I say, "oh! I could 3D print something to fix that!"
I'm planning to get this 3D Printer sites.google.com/site/3DPrinterNow
I'm very confused with the original plug on the video. As I look closer to the plug, I didn't see the manufacturer reverse the wiring. (By imagining the plug is plugged into the wall) The upper is Earth (yellow), the left is neutral (Blue), the right is Live (Brown, usually connected with fuse), and that's exactly what I saw on the video.
Did I really mess up with the wiring? I did google the wiring standard and I see no mistake on the plug.
What mods did you add? Where can I find the video?
Good informative video. Thanks
I have had my Anet A8 for about a year now. The only thing I did was get an 8x8 piece of glass out of a Walmart picture frame, and use paper clamps to hold to bed. I also used clear elmers glue then rubbing alcohol to clean/sticky the surface before printing. It's about time for some new belts, but i don't print a lot. P.S. You better get good at Fusion 360 3D modeling or all you can do is print other peoples stuff.
I think these cheap printers are worth every penny..I bought my Tronxy P802M(which is similar to the A8) about a year and a half ago and it has given me zero problems...It was fun to assemble and the best part is that the cost of the kit is way cheaper than sourcing the parts and building one from scratch which is exactly what I was going to do before buying the Tronxy kit.
great video!
what adapter did you buy for this printer?
Just got one because of you!!
Thanks for watching! As I said in the video, you really need to be willing to tinker, troubleshoot, and fix things if you are going to buy this printer. That being said, it was a great first printer for me because I learned so much about 3D printing! Hopefully you have a good experience!
Had (have) this printer, tried printing with it and it was always either not leveled or builds kept un-adhereing. I thought mine was just weird or broken, but it turns out after I bought another printer it was just that I didn't have my heated bed turned on and I was trying to print abs without an enclosure as well...
How long did the build process take?
Excited for the upgrade part 1 video. Searched the channel so pretty sure it's not up yet, right?
That's correct, I'm really slow at making videos. Hopefully I'll finish it soon. I'm trying to make videos on a variety of projects, not just 3D printing, so it might be a couple more videos before I release my video about upgrades. I appreciate your support and patience!
hi, I have problem in my new anet A8 board v1.7 ... When the initial operation, the extruder is directed to the opposite side to the end and continues for a while the engine rotates even when the extruder reaches the end ... The same applies to the surface ... Also, the z direction motor works one and the other does not work .. Note that I almost checked the connections All are correct, i am using Anet A8,How do you think the problem is solved?
Great lil printer, Kids bought me one. I've made a good few mods, printer produces pretty good results now, though it really needs a better power supply. The one it comes with though sufficient is not exactly safe and is at its limit.
I just ordered one for $89 shipped from China. Good video.
Wow that is almost half of what I paid. Good luck with your build, let me know how it goes
where did you buy it from???
I got it on Ebay. That seller only had 20 units and sold them all in a few days.
I hope you get good copy of A8 and you wont regret it.
But i got a very bad one. I never recommend buying A8.
@@jw200 you probably just got a bad batch, but you could also opened up a ticket to whoever you bought the printer from and ask for a exchange.
Excellent checking the wiring to make sure that you have proper earth. People don’t know how dangerous that can be, hooked up backwards. Good catch.
Hello,
I am looking for ur help.
I have bought anet a8 3d Printer. But y and z axis motor fixed plates are missing in the package.
It will be nice if you can share the parts picture with dimensions. I'll be able to manufacture the parts on my own.
Thank u.
Drills? Who knew you can drive bolts with them! Crazy!
Can I ask a question.
For the frame & also the screws, has anyone ever superglued the frame together?
I have no experience with 3D printers, and a majority of people talk about the frames rigidity.
I watched a video of someone building this printer and had the same idea. The problem is that the glue he used wasn't rated for acrylic and it expanded in the joints and cracked his whole frame! 3D printer frames need to be somewhat rigid, but you have to understand that there is very little force being applied to the frame during printing. When you contrast that with cnc milling machines where there is tremendous forces being applied between the endmill and the work piece. Frame rigidity becomes much more important. I have found that this printer works just fine, just keep an eye out for nuts coming loose.
Questions 1: can you get a finer tip extruder? Question 2: if you get said finer tip extruder, is the rest of the hardware precise enough for you to use it without stacking tolerances?
I own a a8. It works good once you fine tune it. Upgrades can and do help. The acrylic frame will wabble as ot prints.
Wow good video , I got it! for only 149 and all the upgrade power parts too.
My anet a8 works AMAZINGLY
But what did you change the settings to?
Bonjour 🤝
Peut-on imprimer du filament flexible avec cette imprimante ?
Merci 🙏
I’m an electrician, and when building the pipe racks for data centers we use ten foot long pieces of all thread to hang the strut from the ceiling. Multiple levels of conduit on the racks calls for a nut on top and bottom of each level to hold the strut at a specific height. Instead of spinning the rod, we used a piece of rod about 6 inches long and wound some duct tape onto the rod. Then chucked this lollipop looking thing into the drill. That way you can friction spin the nut without damaging anything. You could get something like a worn out paddle bit and cover the sharp end in cheap tape, then it becomes a specific and useful tool that will snap in and out of your impact. Note: think about what way your spinning and what way your tape is wrapped.
Do you do your own calibrations on your equipment? Noticed what looks like a fluke or tectronix cal module in the background.
I'm not sure what you saw, maybe my Rigol oscilloscope?
I don't get what's the problem with reversing power and neutral, when the ground wire is correct....
I own this printer took 11 hours to put together upgraded to mosfet and put a power supply that can safely push the correct juice so you don't have a fire issue. Some small tweaks to calibrate it an it runs awesome. I just use cura for my slicer program an most upgrade parts you can print for it right on the machine itself how can you argue with that
hi nice video,just a quick question,can you provide some info about the settings for the steppers? steps per mm feedrates etc.
do you have the firmware?
thank you very much
My machine is running Marlin firmware. The feedrates (print speeds) are configured in the slicer software (Cura) before you print.
I'm definitely no electrical engineer, but I know stuff about electricity, but want to understand what the problem is:
Yes you are right, the cable is wired backwards and that’s not correct, and yes, swapping line and neutral CAN be dangerous, (depending on how the PSU was designed, but nowadays they almost all have the same clearances)
you said that if the live wire were to come loose, the case would earth the current, but if the wires are swapped, dangerous voltages would be present in the case, won’t those be earthed as well?
I'm not saying you have done the wrong thing, I’m trying to understand the problem, maybe I’m biased because I’m used to reversible European plugs
Did they not make a new one that fixed the power thingy from frying its self
Seems like the wiring instructions for the PSU were for UK mains. We have the live on brown and the neutral on blue.
I own one of those printers too, and making it work and improving it was a fun little hobby when I was new to 3D printing and had time to spare. However, the sheer number of quality issues and calibration problems you're going to experience makes it way too frustrating to deal with long term especially if you need something reliable and user friendly that your coworkers can figure out. So honestly you get what you pay for.
Thanks for sharing how to build this printer
Thank you for watching! I really appreciate the feedback!
byte sized i think it was more of a joke. This title implies a review and you basically did an unboxing. Great!
I've had my Anet A8 for 2yrs now. It's an excellent printer for the $. The only problem so far was the hot bed connection, after the 3rd 1Kg spool of filament. I just soldered the wires directly. Works great with PLA & PETG. I've made lots of models ranging from the files that came with the printer to motorcycle and firearm parts that I designed myself. I do plan to purchase another.
Good to know! I have had a couple of problems that were pretty easy fixes.
Ive just recently bought and I3 A8 and within 30 days the motherboard went out and the company refuses to honor their warranty yes I totally agree
Thanks for the video.
Im also planning to buy it and do all the upgrades and mods.
I like doing these things. Plug and play is not always so interesting.
I'm the same way. Thanks for watching!
The A8 was my first printer... I built it, got frustrated with it and then didn't touch it two years... Now I own 3 printers and 2 of them are A8's... including my first... at least as far as the frame goes... I built my 3rd printer from scratch around an A8 frame with a Titan Extruder and V6 hotend... all in all, I like the A8... it's low cost makes it a good starting point for a custom build...
I love my two A8s. They don't look much like they did in the beginning with all the upgrades overtime but have paid for themselves 10 times over.
That's really cool! What kind of upgrades did you do? I'd love to hear suggestions.
That's really cool! What kind of upgrades did you do? I'd love to hear suggestions.
I know there are many valid safety concerns in switching the live and neutral wire, but "the live becoming loose and coming in contact with case" seems like a problem regardless of whether the live and neutral are switched. Wouldn't the earth wire function the same either way regardless of which colour wire carries live current....
If current leaks to the metal case, the earth wire takes it out. Why does it matter if the live wire is mislabeled in regards to this reason ?
What filament does it use?
Thats not impatience, thats efficiency lol. Did the second benchy float?
Soooo? How is the printer? Or it’s just about your process of assembling it?
If the live wire comes loose it will conduct to GND and fuse will blow unless you have a security breaker (you could have a problem if you stupidly use a non grounded outlet) so it really makes no difference if you reverse phase and neutral for that reason. In Europe we can plug the plug in either way - so these are swapped all the time.
3 years on with using my Anet A8 and I can say it has been printing nearly ever single day throughout the 3 years, and i make outstanding equipment /products on it,
Anyway this guy describes who best would enjoy having one.
I can also say i have No mods on mine. But i did change the Firmware to Marlin and is needed to do so for the fire risk
Basically the Thermal runaway problem.
I dont know if the latest version of the Anet a8 software is any better.
I got an anet a8 from a friend. I ended up changing all the parts on it. Aluminum frame E3d V6 and Titan extruder. I want to get a duet card and use octoprint on it.
What do you call the white plastic part that holds the pulley and travels up and down on the 2 shafts? Where can I buy this part?
I'm not sure what it's called. It came with the kit.
What model and brand is this printer
can you print ABS in this printer?
Can I print receiver ? Asking for a friend
If the chassis is connected to the ground wire it will pop the fuse if live touches the chassis.
The mod I've done to my A8 that seems to have made the biggest difference is using glass on the bed with some 3D printed nubs to hold the glass on the bed. I use a set of feeler gauges and manually level to .006mm across 12 points before printing. It works pretty decent.
Another is some tension brackets for the X and Y axis belts.
Thanks for the great suggestions!
I found a used Anet A8 for 65$ should I buy it ??
Please describe what settings you changed to get the better benchy print please. I'm new to 3d printing and trying to get better quality prints with mine.
I think my first problem was I was trying to print benchy too small. I scaled him down too much on my first try. Play around with print speed (60-80) and hot end temperature (around 205-210 degrees C for PLA) and bed temperature (60-70 degrees C). Keep printing until you like what you get. Good luck!
@@bytesizedengineering Thanks for replying!
why didnt you use your cordless drill to assemble the whole thing??
Where do I find this 3D printer to buy????
Great video! When you took out the hammer I had a pucker moment. :-/ bwahahaha. Good job with the build!
Thanks! Yeah, I can be an animal sometimes 🦍🔨