Easy Upgrades for Ender3 2020
Introduction: Easy Upgrades for Ender3 2020
Hi All,
Ender3 is a great DIYer's 3D print to get started with 3D Printing. Recently, I bought a Creality Ender3 - 3d printer. Before buying I watched many videos on Youtube, talking about it. 729
In these videos, the experts share a lot of insights, how-to-fix issues, and upgrades on Ender3. There have been some improvements and some of the upgrades are not needed
In this article, I have combined the best recommendation, that I could find for Ender3, and based on my experience, I want to share 8 must upgrades, that every newbie should perform, as soon as they get a new ender3.. You do not need additional hardware like screws etc as the printer helps to print these upgrades
Step 1: The Filament Holder
* As per the installation guide, one is instructed to mount the spindle on the top of the frame
* Because of which the filament brushes on the Z-Axis and is not free flow
* To avoid this mount the filament holder on the side as shown.
* This maintains at-least 5mm gap between the filament and the z-axis, enabling a free movement of the filament
* This method does not need any additional upgrades
* Caution: with this mod, you may not be able to go to the full height for your prints, I have been printing upto 180mm heights without an issue
* You can mount the filament on standalone https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2375835
Step 2: Bed Leveling and Adhesion
* Two of the biggest problem with Ender3 is bed leveling and adhesion
* Even if you get a bed that is perfectly flat, when you adjust the bed levels 3 adjustable screws
* The bed is no longer flat and it becomes difficult to print
* To fix this issue, I used a glass from an old photo frame
* The photo frame glass was about 1.5MM thickness, same as the current bed so I didn't adjust the z-Axis
* And did not crack at 50 degrees for PLA, maybe with higher temperatures, it could crack
* If you do not have the right-sized glass photo frame, you could get a new piece from a local glass seller
* I recommend going for a 3mm or 4 mm glass piece and adjusting the z-axis
* To increase adhesion to this glass, I have used simple masking tape and applied some glue stick on it
* This increases the adhesion to the bed and the prints do not fall of while printing
Step 3: Z-Axis Support
* When you assemble, you will notice that the Z-axis stepper is 1 to 2 mm in the air
* The spiral rod is not well supported and can bend over time
* To fix the issue, I downloaded stl files for Z-spacer side v2 and Z-spacer bottom v2 from Thingiverse
* The V2 has these groves that fit in the metal channels for easy installation
Link : https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2925230
Step 4: Power Supply Silencer
* Ender3 is not a silent printer, so to lower some sound from the power supply
* I printed fan silencer from link https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3328495
* You can use the same screws that are holding the fan in-place
* Unscrew one at a time and fix the silencer
* Tip :
+ You would see many in 3D community to replace the power supply to a certain brand,
+ For now, let's not invest more in the printer
+ Use the power supply as is, till it goes bad and then change it
Step 5: LCD-PCB Cover
* The LCD/PCB is not housed in a case, this makes it vulnerable
* To prevent any accidental damages, we need to cover it with a case
* Since I had just started this journey, I did not have longer M3 screws, so found a stl file that use the existing M3 screws of the printer
* Link to the file https://www.thingiverse. 116