Pevly

Author: Norman

  • Zonestar P802QR2 Double Extruders 3D Printer DIY Kit

    Zonestar P802QR2 Double Extruders 3D Printer DIY Kit

    Almost everyone who gets a 3D printer thinks about two or more extruders to create multi color prints. The Zonestasr P802QR2 is a simple to build kit that has two extruders that feed into two nozzles. It consists of a full metal 1 ½ mm thick. It has a 220X220mm bed and 240mm Z, although the Z only has 185mm actual usage. The placement of the LCD catches the PTFE tubes that guide the filament into the hot ends. I’m going to bend it 180 deg up to keep it from catching and I think it will look better. That or I’ll cut it off and design and print my own display holder in 3D computer aided design. Which is my favorite thing about 3D printing.

    Zonestar P8020R2 Specifications

    BrandZonestar
    ModelP8020R2
    Package size58.00 x 48.00 x 12.00 cm
    Package weight9.4000 kg
    Product size46.00 x 42.00 x 42.00 cm
    Product weight9.4000 kg
    TypeDIY Kit
    Frame materialSheet-metal structure
    Nozzle quantityDouble
    Nozzle diameter0.4mm
    Product forming size220 x 220 x 240 mm
    Layer thickness0.1-0.36 mm
    Auto level sensorYes
    Memory card offline printSD card
    LCD screenYes
    Print speedMax 150 mm/s
    Supporting materialABS, Flexible PLA, PETG, PLA, PVA,Wood
    Material diameter1.75 mm
    LanguageChinese, English, Portuguese, Spanish
    File FormatG-code,OBJ,STL ​​​​
    XY-axis positioning accuracy0.012mm
    Z-axis positioning accuracy0.0025mm
    Working Power250W
    Host computer softwareRepetier-Host
    Packing Typeunassembled packing
    System supportWindows, Linux, Mac
    Voltage Range100 – 220V
    CertificateCE,FCC,RoHs
    Cell

    I’m not a fan of the frame style. Like the Anet A8 it has little support from wobbling side to side. But you can easily print supports which you can find on the Thingiverse website. Although many complain online about the 3D printed printer parts, I’m fine with them. Sure, some parts don’t get very accurate but the great thing about these things is they can self- heal by making new parts. The Zonestar P802QR2 also comes with an auto level sensor which is a nice feature.

    zonestar p802qr2

    Unboxing

    Like most DIY kits, the Zonestar P80QR2 has a lot of parts. The only part assembled for you is the Extruder. That is because the dual hot ends are very hard to get even. They did a good job assembling mine. The parts were separated by foam to keep the parts from damage during shipping. None of my parts came broken or damaged.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    SD Card

    The SD card comes with all the documentation for all of Zonestars 3D printers. It makes sense but I believe some users may choose the wrong model because they are very close in name. It also comes with test print files. Overall, it was well done and very well organized.

    Assembly

    Assembling this printer is about the same as every other kit out there. Kits like these are fun to build, at least for me it is. I was busy at the time so I built it over a couple of days. The guides are very easy to follow and it should only take 3-4 hours to build. Having dual nozzles add a bit of complexity. Nowadays, you get kit printers that are mostly completed at the factory leaving you to put 2 to 4 pieces together.

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    Software

    The recommended Repetier-Host software on the SD card is not my favorite program to use with printers. The software just “hosts” a slicer engine. The slicer is the program that slices the 3D object into layers, then turns it into instructions the printer can understand. If you need a free program then I would recommend Slic3r or Cura, but if you can afford it I would recommend Simplify3D.

    Multiple Extruders

    This printer has two hot ends and two nozzles. Multi extruder machines come in two ways. The first being each extruder having its own nozzle. The second is each extruder feeds into a splitter and out ones nozzle. The multiple nozzles type has more downsides then the single. For instance, it takes more room so you have to enlarge the printer to get each extruder to reach all of the bed. Another and the most important is leveling the bed. When you have two or more nozzles, your bed and X axis have to be 100% parallel. On top of that the nozzle tips have to be 100% even. When the layer thickness is 0.1mm and some even 0.05 then you can imagine how even they need to be.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    The reason is if one is off by more than 0.1, then it will drag one of the nozzles across the top of you prints leaving ugly marks. Another problem is that if you are printing one color and the second nozzle is not hot, it can catch your prints and knock it off the bed ruining your print. It can also happen if the second is heated also. Just heated, there’s a chance it will melt it and cut through the print. Plus the supports that help your print overhangs get knocked down easy if the second nozzle is lower then the main nozzle. So you are better off having the second nozzle a bit higher rather than lower. Having two nozzles has oozing problems. While one is printing the second one oozes filament from the nozzle being hot. Therefore when you start printing with the second nozzle the tip is empty leaving holes in your print. Not to mention the oozing filament get all over your print.

    The many extruders to one nozzle type gets rid of the oozing and leveling problems but is not without its own problems. For instance, when one filament is retracted back it leaves a small thin string of filament. So when the next filament get inserted it sometimes jams from it not fitting in the tube with the string left behind. Also, the nozzle being filled with melted filament from the last color will bleed that colour into the print where it shouldn’t be. To counter that, the slicers now have a purge block where it prints the block between color changes so the bleed goes into the block and not the print. The problem with that is the block is a big waste and sometimes is more plastic then the print itself.

    It is for that reason multi color printers are not as popular as they should be. This printer comes in three models. One with one extruder. This one with two extruders and two nozzles. And the third being two extruders into one nozzle. Oh, and one nozzle gives you the big bonus of mixing the two colors.

    This is what it looks like if your bed and nozzles are not 100% level. I let this go to show you what happens when it is not level.

    zonestar p802qr2

    Calibration and Printing

    PLA

    PLA is the easiest of all filaments to print with. It sticks to the bed well, it doesn’t shrink and warp as easy as other filaments. Most use PLA unless they need to print something that needs special properties such as UV tolerance or extra strength.

    My first few prints were to calibrate the two nozzles. To calibrate the slicer and printer needs to know the distance to the second nozzle on both the X and Y axis.

    The first print I did was with the two calibration blocks that come on the SD card. There is a dual color print wizard in simplify3D. It’s a bit buggy because sometimes I open the app and the dual processes disappeared. The first one had a large layer shift. The second one printed ok and showed an x axis offset.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    The Block did give me a proper picture so I printed this target looking test print. (Not on the SD Card)

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    After setting the offset in the firmware through the menu, I printed the two-color globe. I didn’t have enough blue so I used pink for my daughter. As you can see the ooze from the nozzle not in use takes its toll on the print.

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    After some light sanding I got most of the pieces sticking out but it didn’t come out all that great.

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    Next, I decided to try one filament just to see how the printer prints. I printed the 20mm XYZ cube and it printed pretty well.

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    In one of my reviews I printed the Star Wars clock from Thingiverse. I’ve seen this dual color Batman once and had to try it. It was a tough print and the two colors do not stick together as well as it should have. Also the second nozzles leave marks on the top layer.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    The last PLA print was a simple single color minion. The print quality while not great is acceptable. The thing about these printers is you can always improve them if you have the patience.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    Flexible Filament (TPU)

    Flexible filaments are very cool. I usually print quishi toys for the kids. The problem with the filament being so flexible is that it can spool around the feeder gear. The Zonestar P802QR2 has extruders with a small enough gap, but because it’s so small I had trouble loading the filament. I had other ones laying around so I installed them.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    One plus side to having separate nozzles is that you can mix types of filaments. That is great if you want to print something like a 3D printed hand to have hard fingers (PLA) and flexible joints. I tried but failed twice and moved on. I will give it another try when I have some time.

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    PETG

    PETG is a tougher alternative to PLA and is widely used. The first print failed because the second nozzle kept ripping the supports down so I stopped it. Then I printed the Kratos bust that didn’t need much support. This print came out nice and you can barely see the layer lines on some parts. PETG is stringy and hard to get the retraction settings correct.

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    PROS

    • Dual hotends
    • Extra stepper driver. This lets you add another extruder.
    • Metal frame.
    • Auto level sensor
    • Prints well
    • Price

    CONS

    • Dual nozzles
    • Frame design is flimsy in the X axis.
    • 3D printed parts can be inaccurate.

    PRINT QUALITY: 7/10

    Good start and I give it 7 with room to grow.

    BUILD QUALITY: 7/10

    Metal frame is better than the cheaper acrylic printers on the market.

    USER INTERFACE & NAVIGATION: 4/10

    I’m no fan of the 5-button LCD panels. Especially since the full graphics displays are so cheap today.

    VALUE FOR MONEY: 6/10 

    The Zonestar PQ802 QR currently being sold at $250 isn’t too bad. There are cheap printers for sure. But this does have two extruders and a stop for a third. It even includes the third driver.

    Conclusion

    The Zonstar P802QR is an entry level printer for sure. And a dual color one at that. But I can’t in good conscience recommend a dual nozzle printer for any beginner.

    If you really want a cheap printer with two or more colors, I would recommend the Zonestar M8R2 Colour mixing printer first. It uses one nozzle and you don’t have to be concerned about the nozzle ruining most of your prints. Most people who get these dual nozzle ones take the nozzle off the second one and use it as a single color printer. I’m going to be making the Y splitter and feed 2 or 3 into one tip.

    Where To Buy

  • The Eachine E013 Small Pepper Drone: Big Features, Small Price (Review)

    The Eachine E013 Small Pepper Drone: Big Features, Small Price (Review)

    Photo: EAchine E013 Small Pepper.

    The Eachine E013 Micro FPV Drone’s jam-packed with features you’d never expect for such a great price. Plus, it’s tough enough for beginners to learn how to fly.

    Flying First Person View (FPV) drones are amazing. For me, though, they can sometimes makes me feel a bit nauseous. I have two full-size racing drones and an aerial photography drone.

    The Eachine E013 — also known as the “Small Pepper” — is a tiny FPV drone that’s great for learning to fly. It’s tough and can take a beating. This little quadcopter features a remote control (RC), 5.8G 1000TVL 40CH Camera and VR006 3-inch goggles.

    [taq_review]

    Here are some photos of the Eachine E013 “Small Pepper” Drone

    Photo of the he Eachine E013 Micro FPV Drone on Norman's table.

    The Eachine E013 Micro FPV “Small Pepper”drone shown in overhead view.

    Small Pepper Drone from the front.

    Eachine’s E013 Small Pepper drone, frontal view.

    Photo: The Eachine E013 FPV Quadracopater - view from underneath.

    A peek “under the hood” of this little quadcopter.

    Photo: Eachine E013 Micro FPV RC Drone Quadcopter from behind.

    A rear-view of Eachine’s E013 Micro FPV RC Drone Quadcopter.

    Table header: EAchine E013 product specs.

    Eachine E013 Drone Specs

    Quadcopter Size:

    8.3×8.3×4.35 cm

    Box Size:

    30 x 19.5 x 9.5 cm (with goggles)

    24.3 x 12.8 x 8.2 cm (without goggles)

    Gyro:

    6-axis

    Frequency:

    2.4 G

    Channel:

    4 CH

    Battery:

    1s 260 mAh (included) (upgrade)

    Motor:

    615-17000KV 63000 rpm (upgrade)

    Flying Distance:

    70 m

    Transmitter Power:

    3 * AAA battery (not included)

    Flight time: 

    About 5 minutes

    1000 TVL 1/3 CMOS FPV Camera

    Frequency:

    5 8 G

    Wireless channel:

    40 CH

    Output power: 

    Table Text

    Operation voltage:

    3v-5.5v 

    Current:

    200-340 mA

    Camera sensor:

    1.3″ CMOS

    Clarity:

    M7 1000TVL camera

    View angle:

    120°FOV H170°

    Signal system:

    NTSC/PAL

    VR006 Goggles (One-Antenna Version)

    Size:

    138 x 129 x 79 mm (without antenna)

    Weight

    164.7 g

    Display

    3″

    Resolution:

    500×300 pixels

    Antenna connector:

    RP-SMA

    Working voltage:

    1s Battery (3.7-4.2 v)

    Working current :

    350-450 mA

    Receiving sensitivity:

    -95 dBM

    Built-in battery

    500mAh 3.7V

    Working time:

    1 hour

    Features:

    Small and light, convenient to carry.
    One-Key Auto Search function.
    Sorry, only English available.
    Support OSD function.

    Can display current power.
    Support AV-IN.
    One-hour working time.

    Learn More on Banggood

    Unpacking the Box

    In the box you will find the Drone, Goggles, Controller, Battery, Charger and spare props. Pretty standard RC drone pieces. The manual is pretty easy to read even though it’s small print. Banggood was kind enough to send me extra batteries to help with the review. Each battery only lasts 5 minutes and takes 25 minutes to charge. Since the batteries don’t cost much, it’s worth it to buy a 5 or 6 pack.

    What comes with the Goggles version of the Eachine E013

    • 1 Quadcopter 
    • 1 Transmitter
    • 1 1S-260mAh Battery (Upgrade)
    • 1 Goggles Charging Cable
    • 4 Blades
    • 1 pair of goggles
    • 1 Straight pole antenna
    • 1 USB charging cable
    • 2 Cloths
    • 1 Blade removal tool
    Photo of box for Eachine E013 Small Pepper drone.

    Here’s the box the Eachine E013 Small Pepper drone comes in.

    Photo: E013 drone box contents.

    Here’s the E013 fresh out of the box, and all the things that come with it.

    Photo: Eachine E013 Small Pepper manual.

    The Eachine E013 Small Pepper manual is clear and helpful, even though the print is very small.

    Photo of extra batteries.

    Make sure you buy some extra batteries so you won’t need to wait while charging.

    Video: Getting Started with the Eachine “Small Pepper” Drone

    The Eachine E013: Better Than a Simulator?

    I’ve been trying to learn FPV racing for some time now. I have a couple of full size FPV drones which are tough to learn and expensive to replace if you destroy them. The E013 is cheaper to repair or replace. Many online suggest learning on a simulator. I don’t agree. Sure, a simulator has the benefit of using a full size controller. But that is it. The downsides are that you don’t get to use the goggles and it doesn’t feel the same as a real drone to me.

    At $69.99 in US dollars, the E013 is cheaper than a simulator. Better yet, at the time of this writing, it’s on sale at Banggood for just $38.99 USD.

    The goggles that come with it are not adjustable and are very small so they won’t be right for everyone. They do fit kids well though and my brother in-law had no issues using them. It’s fine for me because I have a bigger and adjustable pair. Even if you have goggles of your own, it’s worth it to spend the bit extra and buy the drone with the goggles.

    Check Price on Banggood
    Photo: Comparing Goggles

    Side-by-side comparison of the more standard-sized Eachine VR D2 Pro goggles (left) vs. Eachine’s VR006 goggles that come with the E013 (right). 

    photo with second goggles comparison.

    Taking the Kids for a “Ride”

    While I used my goggles the kids got to be a passenger with the smaller ones. This is because the signal is broadcast and any receivers can watch without causing problems for the pilot. I say, “Pilot,” because when you wear them you feel like you are in the cockpit flying the drone. That is why drones are becoming more and more popular. Now you don’t have to be a pilot to enjoy the awesomeness of looking down on the town and feeling in control.

    I have been obsessed with flight my entire life. My favourite dreams are of me flying through the air. Although the E013 can only be flown indoors (Unless there is zero wind) it gets you started. Once you are happy with that then the next step is a cheap full-size drone you can fly outdoors. Then move up from there. FPV Racing isn’t for everyone. Some will get nauseous. If that’s you, then you can move on to aerial FPV which is slow and steady and makes you feel like you are flying a helicopter.

    Just One Mod

    The one modification I did to this drone was to poke the FPV antenna out the top of the drone. I had to put a small hole in the top but it helps the signal strength.

    Photo with drone modification.

    Poking the FPV antenna out the top allowed a stronger signal.

    The E013 has a lot of features that you wouldn’t expect from a tiny drone with such a great price. Features such as headless mode which means the drone will come toward you when you press down on the right stick no matter which direction the drone is facing. That feature is good if you are flying without the goggles. It has a Return to Me button and a 360 Degree Roll button. It has three levels of difficulty for flight modes.

    Image: Eachine E013 drone's product info.

    So if you are looking to get into fast-paced flying with twists and loops then the E013 is for you. It has a lot of features and fun packed into a small drone. It’s so easy to fly my 12-year-old daughter flies it well. But that shouldn’t be a surprise with kids these days.

    PROS

    • Great value
    • Lots of features
    • Durable
    • Ideal for learning how to fly
    • Allows fast-paced flying with twists and loops

    CONS

    • Can only fly in zero wind
    • Goggles small and non-adjustable
    • FPV view can make you nauseous
    Learn More on Banggood

    Video: Taking the Eachine E013 FPV RC Quad for a Spin

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  • In-Depth Review: Flying Bear DLP 3D Printer (Shine UV Resin Color Touch Screen)

    In-Depth Review: Flying Bear DLP 3D Printer (Shine UV Resin Color Touch Screen)

    In-Depth Review: The Flying Bear DLP 3D Printer Shine UV Resin Color Touch Screen.
    The Flying Bear DLP 3D printer’s messy but fun to play with. The detail in the prints is crazy high. Plus it works great and I barely had any problems with it.

    3D printing has been a wonderful hobby. The kids like it, the wife not so much. But she tolerates it because she knows anything positive to take my mind off my chronic pain is a good thing. I can only do so much at a time, but it’s better than nothing.

    Until now it has been Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM, also known as FFF, or fused filament fabrication), which takes spools of plastic and extrudes the plastic at a small width (.4mm most common). This process places them layer upon layer. There are many types of 3D printers that use a variety of materials including metal powder, PLA filament, and liquid resins. Metal printers are industrial-grade and very expensive, and back when I started this hobby the resin printers cost over $2000.

    Resin printers are also known as Stereolithography. That is the process of projecting an image to cure the resin. With DLP 3D printing, a digital light processing(DLP) provides a light source for curing the materials to form the objects through an LCD screen.

    The recent influx of cheaper FDM printers was a sign of  DLPs coming down in price. From over $2000 down to less than $1000. This one is less than $600 USD at the time of writing this review.

    The Flying Bear DLP 3D printer has been a messy but fun printer to play with. The detail in the prints is crazy high. This printer works well and I had very few problems with it.

    Photo of the Flying Bear DLP 3D Printer
    The Flying Bear DLP 3D Printer.

    The Flying Bear DLP 3D Printer: Specifications

    [go_pricing id=”flying-bear-sla-dlp-3d-printer-specs”]

    The printer specs are similar to those of other SLA and DLP printers. I’m assuming the cost of the resin is the reason for the small print size. This printer has a 120 x 68 x 210mm build volume which is quite small in terms of 3D printing, but not for SLAs or DLPs. The board or screen has WiFi built in and is configured through a text file. I’m not sure if it’s my WiFi network or the printer, but I haven’t been able to get it working. It connects to my network but not to any of the software. The 4-inch colour touchscreen is a great interface, much better than the text and turn-dial menu system.

    Unboxing the Newest Flying Bear Shine UV Resin DLP Color Touch Screen 3D Printer

    The printer was well protected in the box with foam shaped to the contours of the printer. The tools were packed inside the printer in their own foam box. This 3D printer comes with a power supply, rubber gloves,  a scraper and an Allen key. It was supposed to come with a bottle of resin but it wasn’t there. I contacted the company and they said they can’t export the resin to some countries. Which I don’t believe, because I can buy resins from any other site.

    Unboxing the Flying Bear DLP 3D Printer
    Flying Bears sends this 3D printer securely packed in foam.
    Unboxing the printer.
    Once you remove the styrofoam, you can unwrap it.
    Photo of the Flying Bear Shine UV DLP Resin 3D printer in pristine condition.
    The Flying Bear Shine UV DLP Resin 3D printer in pristine condition.
    The Photo of the Flying Bear DLP 3D Printer - front view.
    A frontal view of the new Flying Bear DLP 3D printer.
    Photo of Flying Bear Shine with the User Manual.
    Lift the cover to finish unpacking the printer. The Flying Bear Shine comes with a user manual.
    Photo with a rear view of the printer.
    A rear view of the printer.

    Printer Navigation

    The touchscreen is a very nice full-color display. The main screen has a seven-button layout. Three of those are basic commands. You can click the others to display screens with controls, settings, and information.

    Photo of first set of options on the printer's LCD screen.
    The first screen displays a menu with your options for printing, controls, and settings, shutting the printer down, displaying printer info, stopping a print job, and information about the company.

    The first button brings you to the Print screen. To prevent accidental starts, you first have to confirm that you want to print.

    Screen cap with printer options.
    When you’re about to print, this screen shows you the file you’ve selected and tells you if the printer’s ready to print.

    The Control button takes you to a screen where you can do things like adjust the Z axis and turn the LED on or off.

    This screen lets you set the controls before printing.
    Here, you can choose from more options – or stop the printer if you need to.

    Next is the Settings screen. The display consists of two files. The first is the sysconf (system configuration) which I won’t mess with. The other is the wificonf where you can enter two lines; your WiFi SSID and the password.

    Screen shot with printer's sysconfig and wifi connection options.
    Here you can add your WiFi connection and password to connect the printer to your network.

    When you click the i (for info) option, the following screen appears with your IP address, screen mode, and other information.  like the IP address for your network.

    The i (info) option displays a screen with your IP address, screen mode, and more.
    When you click the i option, information about your network and the printer appears.

    The fifth button simply powers down the machine. The next is the emergency stop. This isn’t for stopping the print, it’s to stop the homing if there is a problem. To stop the print there is a stop button on the print screen.

    Last is the Company info screen.

    Company Info screen for Flying Bear printers.
    This screen tells you the model name (Flying Bear Shine), the tech support email, and other information in case you need help.

    Print Quality

    I expected the quality of this printer to be awesome, but it is better than I expected. I have seen many prints online and have wanted an SLA or DLP printer for a long time. It is only recently that companies like Flyingbear released DLP printers cheap enough for everybody. On FDM prints the .1 layer height has been considered high quality. On the DLP as well as the SLA, .1 is considered low quality and .025 is high quality. At those resolutions the layer lines are almost invisible.

    Print of the Eiffel Tower

    The first print I wanted to do was the Eiffel Tower. I have always liked this model and it’s usually one that is done when showing off a DLP or SLA printer. It printed very well but I messed up the post-processing. I dipped it in alcohol then put it in the sun. The problem is that resin that remained between the parts has left a thin film of resin that hardened there.

    Photo of printout of Eiffel Tower: Front view.
    Printout of Eiffel Tower: Front view.
    Second photo of Eiffel Tower printout - overhead view.
    Eiffel Tower printout with an overhead view.
    Photo of Eiffel Tower 3D printout with closeup of the top.
    Eiffel Tower 3D printout with a closeup of the top.
    Photo of Eiffel Tower 3D printout with closeup of the bottom.
    Eiffel Tower 3D printout with a closeup of the bottom.

    Print of a Medieval Castle

    Another model I love that is popular for showing the detail your printer can print is a castle on a hill with lots of tiny trees. And if you look at the image of the bottom you will see another mistake I made. Putting it in the sun in the window made it stick to the wood a bit and pulled off a bit of the finish.

    Photo of medieval castle front view.
    Print of medieval castle with trees.
    Photo of melted part of medieval castle.
    This part of the castle was too close to a sunny window.
    Detail of trees surrounding medieval castle.
    Closeup of trees from medieval castle print.
    Photo of medieval castle - front view.
    Print of medieval castle from the front.

    Print of a Green Lantern Ring

    Being a DC comic fan I, of course, had to print a Green Lantern ring. It was my first attempt at adding manual supports. My supports stuck too well, and I had to cut them off the ring.

    Green Lantern ring 1 - front view

    Green Lantern ring 2 - side view

    Green Lantern ring 3 - rear view

    Prints of Flash and Superman Rings

    After that, I thought I would give the Flash and Superman rings a try. I tried them by placing them face down on the build plate. The problem with that is the liquid pools on the ring – so it cures as it cures.

    Failed print of Superman rings

    Failed print of Superman rings

    When I purchased the resin I chose green for the Green Lantern ring and Kryptonite. Superman is my favorite of all the comic book heroes so of course I needed to print some kryptonite. The giant Lego kryptonite was a great option.

    Kruptonite 3 - front view - closeup

    Kruptonite 3 - front view - closeup

    Print of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude

    I found this cute little model of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. It should be printed in white or clear resin, but I only have green for now.

    Fortress pring 1 - front view

    Fortress print 2

    fortress 3 - overhead view - closeup

    Print of Skull Dice.

    My last model is of the skull dice. It didn’t work. I suspect it was because there is no drainage, or the resin isn’t clear enough to see it.

    Skull Dice

    Skull Dice

    Software

    DLP and SLA slicing software is different from FDM slicing software. The company gives out the program called “FLYINGBEAR-Shine slicer” and “Creation workshop”. I’m not sure if it’s developed in house or if it’s a derivative of an open source software.

    The supports are different on DLP printers and have to be added through third party software such as Autodesk Meshmixer. The included slicer works great and odd times it will connect through FTP to the printer over the network. You can then upload prints to do on the printer. The Creation Workshop is another slicer that looks good but compared to the Flyingbear one, overcly omplicated. I stuck with the Flyingbear one because it worked most of the time. That, and the slicing time for the Creation Workshop takes a lot more time. Slicing creates an image for every layer, and then the printer prints each layer all at once where FDM uses G-code. The G-Code is just commands for the motors to move the tool-head line by line.

    Printer software display - Eiffel Tower printout Printer software

    Printer software

    Printed Tools

    There are no “upgrades” or “modifications” for this printer, but there are tools to print and use. Although, you need an FDM printer to print these.

    The first and the one I use the most is this lid to keep the resin-covered when not in use. This is one I designed myself in Fusion 360.

    Vat cover
    Vat cover.

    Next is a drain tray to let the build plate drip the resin in the tray. I found it faster and easier to use the scraper that came with the printer, and to push it off the build plate.

    SLA printer drip tray.

    PROS

    • High accuracy
    • Strong material
    • Tinted cover to see how the print is going
    • Big bright touchscreen controls
    • Easy to learn
    • WiFi uploading
    • 2K LCD with resolution up to 2550 x 1440
    • Z-Axis adopts Ball Screw to improve printing accuracy and stability

    CONS

    • Glitchy WiFi
    • Small build volume
    • Supports are difficult
    • Messy post-processing
    • Needs lots of room for baths and tools.

    Evaluation

    People online who have DLP printers say these are very messy. I now actually know how messy it really is. You need more space than with FDM printers, despite the printer being smaller. You need room for an alcohol bath and paper towels and a soapy water bath. It’s a lot, but worth it.

    I keep the water and alcohol in Tupperware containers that seal airtight. DLP printers are a great idea if you want to print figures or anything you want printed with super fine detail and almost no layer lines. It has a high precision Z-axis ball screw. If the WiFi would work at all times it’d be that much better, and it could be so for you.

    I can’t wait to see DLP become mainstream. That will happen when the cost of resin gets lower as the cost of printers did. It will happen just like it did for filament and FDM printing.

    Types of resins aren’t as clear as FDM filaments. The Wanhao resin I purchased is made for Wanhao SLA printers. There is no smell but it’s good advice to keep the room well ventilated, and using gloves in handling.

    resin

    Before I had an DLP printer, I would advise against buying one as your first printer. Now I would say, go for it. Yeah, the resin cost more but it won’t be long before its price drops. Even without the promised resin, the Flyingbear shine is a great choice for a great price.

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  • The Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer: A Review

    The Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer: A Review

    Pevly review: Tevo Michelangelo 3D printer with samples of amazing things you can print.
    If you have limited space and you want a 3D printer you can’t go wrong with the Tevo Michelangelo. It’s lightweight and compact, yet very robust.

    I’m the type of person who thinks BIGGER is always better. When it comes to 3D printing I select mostly large volume printers. Then I got this little printer sent to me from Tevo for a review. The Michelangelo has a build volume of 150X150X150. This little guy has changed my mind!

    The great thing is that most models online are sliced up to print on smaller machines. You also have the option to scale the models down or in some cases, you can slice the prints into smaller parts on your own with the Meshmixer program which is free and easy to learn. 

    The Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer: Specifications

    [go_pricing id=”tevo-michelangelo”]

    Unboxing

    Unboxing this printer was a breeze. It comes fully assembled, except the four feet which could easily be done at the factory. Either way it’s simple to install them on your own.

    Photo: Tevo Michelangelo 3D printer - assembly.
    The Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer comes fully assembled, but if you ever need to take it apart, it’s easy to reassemble yourself.
    Photo: Tevo Michelangelo in the box.
    Unpacking the box.
    Photo: Tevo Michelangelo components with assembly manual.
    The Tevo Michelangelo comes fully assembled, but has an assembly manual in case you need it.

    Unpacking the Michelangelo.

    Unpacking the Michelangelo.

    SD Card

    The SD card contains 2 sample GCODE files as well as the manual in pdf format. It also contains a copy of the Repetier-host software.

    Software

    The Repetier-Host software on the SD card is not my favourite program to use with printers. The software just “hosts” a slicer engine. A slicer is a program that slices the 3D object into layers, then turns it into instructions the printer can understand. If you need a free program then I would recommend Slic3r or Cura, but if you can afford it I would recommend Simplify3D.

    Print Quality

    The Michelangelo doesn’t come with a heated bed. This limits the types of filaments you can print with. Basically, it limits you to PLA and TPU. PLA is the most common filament and TPU is a flexible filament. The reason for this is because PLA and TPU don’t require heat to keep it from curling up as it cools down.

    Photo: Tevo Michelangelo printer on desk.
    The Tevo Michelangelo 3D printer’s footprint’s barely larger than a regular inkjet. 
    Michelangelo printer bed with Magigoo adhesive applied.
    Before printing, I applied Magigoo to the printer bed. This adhesive keeps 3D objects in place while being printed, then allows easy removal. Magigoo lasts for over 100 prints, plus it’s odourless and safe to use. Better yet, you can easily wipe it off with water.

    Tevo Michelangelo printer unpacked and ready to go.

    Tevo Michelangelo LCD monitor..
    This 3D printer also has an LCD monitor so you can check the status of your print job.

    The Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer with PLA Filament

    This printer got off to a bit of a rocky start. I printed the included Wave test GCODE file it printed well until about 90% of the way up. That is when the layers started to shift on the X-axis.

    WaveTest G-Code 3D printout.
    This Wavetest printout out great until it shifted on its X-axis when the file was 90 percent done.

    Closeup of the wave test.

    I printed a couple of dinosaurs for a friend and a couple of Benchis (benchmarks). They have a lot of layer shifting and artifacts. I wasn’t sure what was going on. After some troubleshooting, I discovered the small grub screws that hold the pulley to the motor shaft was loose on the X-axis.

    Tevo Michelangelo - PLA filaments. T-Rexes.
    At first, the T-Rexes has some layer shifting and artifacts while printing on the Tevo Michelangelo.

    Melting T-Rex

    print waste.
    There’s also more waste than I would like.
    Pink "Benchi" tugboat with printing issues.
    The Benchi (benchmarks) tugboats had the same layer shifting and artifacts until I figured out how to fix it.

    pink benchi tugboat

    Yellow benchi tugboat bottom with letters.

    Yellow "Benchi" tugboat with printing issues.

    Last yellow "benchi" tugboat from side close up.

    After tightening those screws I printed a new Benchi, a dinosaur, and a statue of Captain America. They came out way better than I expected. I got the same quality I get from the Tevo Tornado and JGAurora A5 which is saying something.

    Photo: Yellow benchi tugboat with printer issues fixed. Side view.
    Yellow Benchi tugboat with printer issue fixed.

    Photo: Yellow benchi tugboat with printer issues fixed. View of bottom with lettering.

    Photo: Yellow "benchi" tugboat with printer issues fixed. Side view.

    Photo: Pink T-Rex 3D printout with printing issue fixed.
    T-Rex 3D printout with printing issue fixed.

    Pink T-Rex - other side view with printer issues fixed.

    3D printout - Tevo Michelangelo - blue Captain America.
    Captain America 3D printout on Tevo Michelangelo with printing issue fixed – closeup view.
    Blue Captain America 3D printout on Tevo Michelangelo.
    3D printout of Captain America with the full-length view.

    The smaller build volume doesn’t keep this printer from practical printing. I purchased a new set of jewelers screwdrivers for my workbench. I plan to use them quite often and don’t want to get out the case and open it then put them back when I’m done. So I opened Fusion 360 which is a free computer aided drawing (CAD) for students and Hobbyists.

    Then I designed the cool little holder that I can screw to the side of the desk and have easy access to the screwdrivers. It printed easy and is plenty strong enough to hold them and not break if it gets knocked by something or someone.

    3D printout with blue set of jeweler screwdrivers.
    The Tevo Michelangelo also printed out the handles and holder for these jeweler screwdrivers.
    Holder for jewelers screwdrivers.
    Blue holder for the jewelers screwdrivers.

    I love playing in Fusion 360. There are plenty of free YouTube or other online tutorials to get you started. There are also plenty of advanced tutorials. I get a sense of accomplishment when I print something I came up with in my head.

    The last PLA print is the Moon City from Thingiverse.com. This is a beautiful model and the detail is amazing. The Michelangelo printed it beautifully and got all the details perfectly.

    Red 3d printout of Moon City from Thingiverse.com.
    Red Tevo Michelangelo 3D printout of Moon City from Thingiverse.com (front).

     

    Photo - Red printout of Moon City (rear view)
    Red Tevo Michelangelo 3D printout of Moon City from Thingiverse.com (back).

    (For more on the above 3D printouts, see my review of Neat PLA Filament.)

    The Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer with TPU Filament

    Flexible filaments are good for things like phone cases and RC tires. I usually print soft toys for the kids. My friend asked me to print some dinosaurs for a 3-year-old. I chose this low polygon dino because it would print well in TPU. The Michelangelo has the same extruder as the Tevo Tornado so I knew it would print TPU without any issues.

    Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer -- TPU filament -- green Godzilla - 3/4 view
    Green Godzilla, with TPU filament and a Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer.

    Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer -- TPU filament -- green Godzilla - other side

    Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer -- TPU filament -- green Godzilla -- being held.

    Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer -- TPU filament -- green Godzilla

    Tevo Michelangelo 3D Printer -- TPU filament -- green Godzilla

    Video with the Tevo Michelangelo Printing

    Modifications

    The Michelangelo doesn’t need any modifications. The one I did was a spool holder that mounts to the top of the Z extrusion. You can see it on Thingiverse.

    Photo of Tevo Michelangelo spool holder on Thingiverse.
    Tevo Michelangelo spool holder on Thingiverse.

    Pros and Cons

    Pros

    • This printer is among the best prints I have seen yet! I am blown away by how well it prints.
    • The Titan extruder works great and has little to no space after the gear. This makes printing with flexible filaments much better.
    • The extruded aluminum frame uses wheels instead of bearing on smooth rods. Rods can bend easily and bearings wear out.
    • Comes pre-built
    • Tevo has done a great job making their printers look nice as well as print nice. The logos and boot screens have been well executed.

    Cons

    • No spool holder. Hard to print without a spool holder, you have to make a makeshift one until you can print one.
    • No heated bed. This is a con but most only print with PLA anyway.

    FINAL JUDGMENT

    If you have limited space and you want a 3D printer you can’t go wrong with the Tevo Michelangelo. It is easy to move around because it’s light and all one piece. The printer doesn’t come with a spool holder but it’s simple to jerry-rig something to print one. The front access SD card is the best I have seen on any printer I have owned to date. They usually have them on the side back or behind the LCD screen.

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  • NEAT PLA Filament (In-Depth Review)

    NEAT PLA Filament (In-Depth Review)

    Photo of NEAT PLA Filament color samples.
    Not only does NEAT PLA filament get beautiful results from your 3D printer, but they’re also earth-friendly and biodegradable.

    Reviewing filament for 3D printers has opened my eyes to all the possibilities of PLA (Polylactic Acid) filaments. Typically I would just order whatever is cheap and be done with it. Thanks to 3D Printing Canada I found there are much better products available in the same price range. For instance, the other PLA filament I have tried have had issues with supports sticking way too much, even with lower temperatures. I won’t name these companies or sellers.

    I would definitely recommend 3D printing Canada for the filaments I have reviewed so far.

    This filament was sent to me to review and I received no other payment. This is my opinion only and I ask that you try it and form your own opinion. I believe you would come to the same or similar conclusion of your own.

    This review is of the Neat brand PLA. This filament is in the $25 CDN price range which is a great price. Their shipping is a flat $10 fee or free for orders over $120 CDN. So for 5 rolls, you get free shipping and you will be well stocked. Depending on how often you print of course. Haha, I go through a lot of filament for personal use and for printer reviews.

    Photo of Neat PLA Filaments after opening the box.
    Neat PLA Filaments: Unpacking the box.
    Neat PLA filaments - Blue, red, green, and pink.
    Photo of Neat PLA filaments with blue, red, green, and pink. PLA stands for Polylactic Acid, a biodegradable, earth-friendly material made from plants.
    <EM><SMALL>Close-up photo of spool of green 3D printer filament being taken out of the box.</SMALL></EM>
    Green 3d printer PLA filament.
    Close-up photo of label on Neat Filaments.
    The label shows that Neat PLA Filaments comply with standards set by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS). Neato PLA filaments are non-toxic, odorless, eco-friendly, and also take less energy to process.

    OK, let’s get to the good stuff. I have a friend who asked me if I could make some dinosaurs for his friend’s 3-year-old kid who loves dinosaurs.

    I started with the pink. My first print was a test print on the Tevo Michelangelo. I review printers as well as filaments and other technical Items. It started rough with strange shifts in the prints. I printed a couple of dinosaurs and wound up with some odd artifacts in the prints. The arms and legs have overhangs.

    Pink tugboat.
    The pink tugboat has some issues.
    Pink tugboat printed with Neat PLA Filament.
    Photo: Pink Tugboat with NEAT PLA Filament for 3D printers.
    Photo of pink Tyrannosaurus Rex.
    Photo: First attempt at a pink Tyrannosaurus Rex.
    Photo of two pink Tyrannosaurus Rex.
    Photo: Two pink Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaurs straight off the 3D printer (with NEAT PLA filament). The arms and legs have overhangs.
    Photo of waste products from 3D printer.
    Photo: Waste products left from the 3D printing process.
    Photo of a shape printed with pink Neat PDA Filament.

    Next, I printed the ever popular Benchi and the shifts were very obvious. It showed me the shift was in the X axis. After finding the grub screws loose on the X motor pulley I printed a new T-Rex. That one turned out perfectly. Zero issues at all. This little printer prints awesomely and a review is coming soon. Which brings me to a point. When reviewing filaments and printers you need to know what is the fault of the printer, what is the fault of the filament and what is the fault of the software.

    Successful attempt at printing out the T-Rex.
    After an adjustment, the T-Rex printed out perfectly,
    A flawless T-Rex
    The other side of the above T-Rex.

    I printed a pixel dinosaur and an articulated triceratops in the red filament. The pixel one was a little under extruded but that is the fault of the printer and not the filament.

    Photo: Red T-Rex.
    This pixel T-Rex is a little under-extruded. But that’s the fault of the printer, not the NEAT PLA filament.
    red triceratops - side view.
    Red Triceratops – side view.
    red triceratops - three quarters view.
    Red triceratops – three-quarters view.

     

    red articulated triceratops
    Articulated red triceratops from a different angle.
    Photo of red triceratops 3D printout.
    Articulated triceratops, printed with the red NEAT PLA filament.
    The red pixel T-Rex from a different angle.
    Red pixel T-Rex from a different angle.

    Toy dinosaurs are great but the Moon city is tremendous. Jukka Seppänen created a tiny city in a tiny moon. I have a thing for space. Stars, planets and other celestial bodies are fascinating. This model is a quarter shape moon with the city on the inside like a shell. The detail looks like Middle East architecture with a bit of modern and future tech.

    Photo of Moon City 3D printout.
    “Moon City” by Jukka Seppänen. Printed with NEAT PLA filament on a Tevo Michelangelo printer.
    Photo of Moon City closeup in greater detail.
    Moon City – closeup in greater detail.
    Photo of Moon City 3D printout - from behind.
    Moon City – from behind.
    Photo of Moon City at a different angle.
    A quarter-shape moon with the city on the inside like a shell.

    A couple of blue dinosaurs to add to the set. You can find almost anything you’d want to print on the two big free model sites: ThingIVerse.Com and MyMiniFactory.com. If not you can probably find it on one of the pay sites. There is a site that you can buy models for RC airplanes which you can actually fly. I’m looking forward to trying a 3D printed RC plane.

    Photo: 3D printout of a blue triceratops.
    3D printout of a blue triceratops at a front, three-quarters angle.
    Photo of 3D printout of blue stegosaurus. - front view.
    3D printout of a blue stegosaurus, front view.
    Photo of 3D printout of blue stegosaurus.
    3D printout of a blue stegosaurus lying down, from the side..
    Photo blue triceratops.
    View of blue triceratops from another angle.
    Photo: Blue triceratops from the rear.
    Blue triceratops at a rear, three-quarters angle.

    Next, a Captain America figure from the Avengers Infinity War movie and a very nerdy Star Wars clock. 3D printing is a nerd and geeks dream come true. I painted the minute and hour hands in red and green to represent lightsabers. I will probably design my own hands the shape of lightsabers and print them in the proper colours as soon as I have the time.

    3D printout of Captain America - front three-quarters angle.
    Captain America from a front three-quarters angle.

    3D printout: Nerdy Star Wars clock.
    3D Printout with a Star Wars clock.

    3D printing is more than just printing trinkets and cosplay. It also has it’s practical uses. For instance, I purchased a new set of jewelry screwdrivers for my workbench. I plan to use them quite often and don’t want to get out the case and open it then put them back when I’m done. So I opened Fusion 360 which is a free computer aided drawing (CAD) for students and hobbyists. Then I designed the cool little holder that I can screw to the side of the desk and have easy access to the screwdrivers. It printed easy and is plenty strong enough to hold them and not break if it gets knocked by something or someone.

    Photo: Set of screwdrivers for workbench.
    A set of screwdrivers for my workbench, complete with a base.

    side of the screw driver holder.
    back of the screw driver holder.
    Photo of set of screwdrivers
    The base for storing the set of screwdrivers.

    Photo: Set of screwdrivers for workbench.
    A set of screwdrivers for my workbench, complete with a base.

    I love playing in Fusion 360. There are plenty of free YouTube or other online tutorials to get you started. There are also plenty of advanced tutorials. I get a sense of accomplishment when I print something I came up with in my head.

    The fourth colour I chose to review was green. I have been wanting to print a cool Hulk statue since I started 3D printing. So I went to www.thingiverse.com to find the perfect Hulk statue. The one I chose is 300mm(30cm) tall. It used almost the entire roll of filament. The tolerances were not set right so the pieces need to be sanded a bit to assemble it. It uses block extrusions and cavities to hold the parts together.

    This Hulk shows the level of detail that can be accomplished with the right printer and NEAT PLA filament.

    Photo of Hulk action figure printed on TEVA Michelangelo 3D printer with green filament.
    Hulk action figure printed with green NEAT PLA filament on TEVA Michelangelo 3D printer.
    Photo of green 3D printout of the Incredible Hulk's head and upper body - front.
    The Tevo Michelangelo printer with NEAT PLA filament renders the Incredible Hulk in great detail.

    Detail - Hulk's arm. Detail - Hulk's arm. Detail - Hulk's arm. Detail - Hulk's arm. Detail - Hulk's arm. Detail - Hulk's arm. Detail - Hulk's leg. Detail - Hulk's leg. Detail - Hulk's leg. Detail - Hulk's leg. Detail - Hulk's leg. Detail - Hulk's leg.

    Detail - Hulk's leg.
    Detail: Hulk’s right leg, facing front.
    hoto: Printout: Hulk's lower body and legs, back.
    Lower body with connectors for legs (rear view).
    Photo: Printout: Hulk's lower body and legs, front-facing.
    Lower body with connectors for legs.
    Photo of green 3D printout of Hulk's head and upper body - back.
    The Incredible Hulk – upper body – back.

    One thing about 3D printing is the waste of plastic. There is often a waste when it comes to supports. If there is a more than 45% overhang then you need to add supports so the filament doesn’t ooze down onto the build plate. The other waste of plastic is failed prints. Many times you will have a print start off well and part way through the nozzle will catch a curled up part and pulls it off the platform. You can count on probably 20% waste depending on what you print most.

    Photo of wasted plastic from 3D printer.
    Unfortunately, 3D printers leave a lot of waste.

    Again 3D Printing Canada has impressed me with another spectacular filament. The only downside is the supports sticking to well to the prints. This can be adjusted within the supports settings but that only gets you so far. Being mid price range the Neat filament is definitely worth the price of admission.

     

  • JGAurora A5 Review

    JGAurora A5 Review

    JGAurora A5 Review

    Is the JGAurora A5 just a bigger copy of the A3S? Let’s find out!

    A5 3d printer

    After reviewing the JGAurora A3S and liking that printer very much, the A5 is welcome. This printer was sent to me for review, and I haven’t been paid for doing it, nor have received anything except the printer to review. The findings are therefore based only upon my opinion and experience. 

    The A5 looks slick and professional. When I first reviewed the A3S JGAurora I had a problem with the power supply, and their customer support. Since then, they have been on top of things and are listening to their customers. From the Facebook group talks they learn what is wrong with their products – and improve these as they go. For instance, the Z-axis smooth rod upper supports were 3D printed, and kept breaking during shipping. They since replaced this with aluminum parts.

    Technical Specifications

    [go_pricing id=”jgaurora_a5_5b2cf323e1154″]

    Unboxing

    I really don’t grasp why those unboxing videos are so popular! I understand that people are curious, though. I’m more into looking at the finished product and it functions.

    The A5 comes in three pieces: its base, the upper portion, and the spool holder. Also included in the box are a few Allen keys, a 16GB SD stick, and  250g roll of PLA filament. It’s nice they include filament, as the most companies do not, or they just throw in a 10m piece that can’t print much. Also, the added length usually is not very good and often jams in the printer.

    USB Stick

    Most 3D printers use micro SD, or standard SD cards. These are okay, but are typically harder to access as these are placed in the motherboard, or behind the LCD screen. The A5 uses standard USB stick which is cheap and easier to deal with. Not all computers have SD slots, and very few have micro SD slots.

    The USB comes with the JGAurora-branded Cura. Also on the stick is the User Guide, and a 4-seconds long (!) assembly video; the same as with the A3S.

    Assembly

    Assembling this printer is so easy that anyone can do it. It consists of placing the two pieces together and fixing 4 screws into the bottom. After that, simply screw in the filament holder to the side, and plug in four wires to the side of the base. The entire thing was ready for operation in less than 5 minutes. As I said, there is an assembly video on the USB Stick, but it is only 4 seconds long, and why they made it so short is beyond me.

    Print Quality

    I have been 3D-printing for quite a while. Almost any printer can print well, given enough understanding, time, and effort. It’s always a surprise when some model prints extremely well right out of the box. The A5 does it, and so is the perfect beginner’s printer. At least that has been my experience with it. It’s right up there in output quality with the prints of the Tevo Black Widow and Tornado. Even better, in my experience. With the Tornado I had to install the TL Smoothers on the X and Y motors to remove the salmon skin from the prints. Salmon skin are lines on the print that look like a piece of sliced salmon. It’s no big deal and easy to fix.

    I’m sure the PLA filament that comes with the printer is probably some cheaper stuff, but it printed the Chinese Money Cat that comes pre-sliced on the SD card very well. I’m sure I’ll find a good use for this filament.

    Select PLA

    PLA being the easiest to print, there has been an influx of PLA types recently. A Canadian company asked me to review their Select PLA. The filament prints beautifully and is premium at a good price.

    What is a 3D printer review without printing a 3DBenchy? Benchy (short for benchmark) is a little boat that was developed to test print aspects; such as the text on the bottom, and overhangs like the front of the boat. You can find out more about it at www.3dbenchy.com. The Benchy I have printed came out perfect!

    One issue people have while printing things is tolerance. Most of 3D printing is printing many parts of an object, and putting the pieces together. If you print a 5mm peg that needs to be inserted into another part with a 5mm hole you can’t just print them the same size. The size of the filament being extruded will vary. So you need to either make the hole bigger, or the peg smaller. To figure out how much, you need to print a tolerance test. A Youtuber named Maker Muse created a good one that has the biggest gap in the center. It makes the printout double as a fidget spinner. It consists of 6 outer circles and 1 inner one. Each has a different gap – from .5mm down to .05mm. The A5 printed a tolerance of .2 with ease. Most printers struggle with the .2mm precision.

    Many model makers on the internet didn’t keep the tolerance in mind when they made their models. Items like the wrench that actually works are hard to print on printers valued below $500. But it works on this printer and it makes the A5 a great value. I also printed a 20mm cube that was off by a fraction of a millimeter only.

    After I have printed a drawing robot and an articulating horse for my daughter, I then printed some highly detailed things; like the Moon, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and a Batman bust. As you can see they  all look great.

    PETG

    The A5 prints well with every filament that I tried. PETG doesn’t shrink like PLA and is stronger, like ABS. But ABS is being used less and less. I won’t print with it because I read it was toxic to inhale its vapors. PETG is a good alternative but it’s stringy and hard to get the retraction settings right.  I printed parts I needed for the Tesla phone-charging station. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1585498 and it came out with zero stringing. Which is in big part due to settings.

    Flexible Filament (TPU)

    Printing flexible filament is very cool and I like to test how well a printer copes with it! I print squishy little Pokemon or such figures for the kids. If the extruder gear has a lot of space between it and the Bowden tube, then it could get wound around it and ruin the print. To print TPU properly you should print it at 15-20mps with no retraction. The A5 prints flexible filament with no problems at all.

    Software

    Cheap printers always arrive with free open-source software. JGAurora re-branded their own version of Cura 2.5 which is open source and comes on the USB stick. I, for one, do not like Cura 2 and 3 at all, but Cura 14 and 15 seem OK. But luckily there are others you can download – such as Slic3r and Craftware.

    Upgrades and Modifications

    Being almost perfect out of the box, this printer doesn’t need much in the sense of upgrades. I printed new part cooling nozzle that cools the print from both sides (which is important).

    https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2757866

    I opened my printer because of its bed size. When you are using cheaper printers it’s always best to install an external MOSFET if the bed is over 200 by 200mm in size. This one being 300 x 300mm, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Reviewing these printers I like to have extra MOSFETs at hand. Some companies, like Tevo and Creality3D, include these with their printers. It helps to keep the  high current draw of the beds from going through the motherboard MOSFETs. (Here’s one from aliexpress)

    Pros, cons, and evaluation

    PROS:

    • Full-metal construction makes this printer solid and heavy.
    • The A5 does have a heated build plate. Heated build plate is not necessary, but is recommended.
    • Full-color touchscreen. The touchscreen is a nice feature and makes the printer look more high-end. After using this touchscreen for a while, dealing with buttons and knobs becomes annoying.
    • The A5, also the A3S, is the easiest kit printer I have built to date. No assembly knowledge is needed for this printer and it gets built in minutes.
    • The printer looks great in black and with white side panels. It looks great beside the A3S
    • Filament run out sensor! This is an awesome feature. I love how it pauses and uses a filament load and unload feature to change the filament. No more worrying whether there is enough filament to finish the job.
    • Power Off recovery. I love this because I have had to use it already. Living out of the city, you are prone to experience frequent power cuts.
    • USB stick instead of the SD card. Using USB is great. USB is faster than the SD cards when writing the Gcode to the drive. Sticks are easy to get and harder to lose than the tiny cards.

    CONS:

    • Black Diamond Bed. This didn’t last on my A3S. I had to cover it with glass and use hairspray. After the third print didn’t stick, I covered the A5 with a mirror and every print has stuck since.
    • Hard to work on. The nice metal frame and enclosed bottom half make this printer difficult to work on. For instance, when I tighten the belts I have to carefully disassemble quite a lot to gain access.
    • While I love the touchscreen controls and it being the same as the one on the A3S, the A5 screen is more sensitive and one-touch often results in two touch responses.

    Evaluation

    The A5 is a great printer. Unlike the Tevo Tornado and other larger volume printers, it’s in one piece. This makes it easy for me to move. I know most people don’t move their printers but I do it often, as I frequently get new printers and have to get rid of older ones. I’ll say this; I will be keeping the A5 for a long time, if not for good! It will have to be a special printer to replace this as my new go-to printer.

    All that being said, I don’t think you can go wrong with the JGAurora A5 printer. I know there are reviews out there that are more critical, but I’m a member of the official JGAurora Facebook group and they are listening to their members. For instance, after my Power supply issue on the A3S, they have updated it with a better unit that can handle the 100deg C temperature on the bed. Also, the first A5’s had issues. Like the 3D printed parts holding the Z axis smooth rods breaking in shipping. Now those parts are machined aluminum. The users complained the white panels were not fixed well and rattled. Now thes eare screwed in an are very secure.

    One thing I have to criticize is that the filament run-out sensor has changed from the A3S, and isn’t as user-friendly. I had issues feeding the filament at the beginning, but I have since figured it out. The A3S extruder was easy to feed from the beginning. After leveling the bed and followed by weeks of constant printing, it has stayed level. The design makes it secure and keeps it level.

    PRINT QUALITY: 9.5/10

    Again, the quality of the prints is impressive. It prints as well as the industrial printer we use at work.

    BUILD QUALITY: 9/10

    The build seems to keep space in mind. There is no wasted space like the other larger volume printers that keep the electronics in a tethered box attached to the printer. Simple to pick up and move, and doesn’t take much room on the desk.

    USER INTERFACE AND NAVIGATION: 7/10

    Although it has a nice colour touchscreen display, the sensitivity is an issue to me. I can’t say it’s a one-time deal as I have seen it in other reviews. But I know it can work as great as it does on my A3S.

    VALUE FOR THE MONEY: 9/10

    At $320 USD this printer is a steal. You can’t go wrong. It’s cheap but packed with features.

    Where to buy: