Direct Drive

[wmyhal]

Hi All

I have an Ender 3 v2. Is setting up a Direct Drive worth it?

https://all3dp.com/2/ender-3-pro-direct-drive

[Larry]

It would depend on if your going to print with something other then PLA. Even then you can upgrade to a all metal hot end and print with most other filaments. I would at least upgrade the extruder to a all metal one (what i did) and capricorn bowden tube and Pneumatic Fittings with all metal teeth (like this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and maybe even a hardened metal nozzle (like this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

But the best upgrade i have evver done to my printer (ender 3 V2) is a BL Touch (like this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[roon4660]

Why is manually levelling it such a problem?

[Ender5r]

Over the past 4+ months I've found that manually leveling is somewhat hit & miss. I think this is because it's very hard to be completely consistent with the amount of friction between the nozzle & the print bed. I confirmed this for myself by printing the 4 squares I mentioned in another thread. They showed me very clearly which corners had to much clearance & which had too little. Hopefully, when I get my BL Touch, it will eliminate the need for the squares.

[wmyhal]

Ok thanks for the input. I think ill look at the BL touch.

How about the bed spring upgrade? It seems I have to level my bed every day. I don't understand why it keeps going unlevel.

[Vassili Finellis]

Direct drive works better than bowden and this is a fact. If you like to upgrade from bowden to direct, you must choose a good extruder. By my personal opinion, BONDTECH extruder is number 1 choice. These extruders can handle all types of filament, from softest like 70 ShoreA up to hardest with ease.

[roon4660]

Can it fit on an Ender 3 pro without too much trouble?

[Larry]

Ok thanks for the input. I think ill look at the BL touch.

How about the bed spring upgrade? It seems I have to level my bed every day. I don't understand why it keeps going unlevel.

I upgraded the springs to these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 but that was before i got the BL Touch. You will not have to level your bed again if you get the BL Touch

[roon4660]

I just changed my springs on my Ender 3 pro and wish I had done it 2 years ago, though I have no trouble levelling the bed manually.

[Ender5r]

I have little to no expertise about extruders, but just to throw out some other info, [email protected] favors the OmniaDrop extruders. You can see videos about his experiences on YT: https://www.youtube.com/user/woodwaker1/videos

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the comment. I am modifying all of my mounts for the OmniaDrop to use a quick change system. I think this will be a big improvement in the ability to change hot ends in about a minute. They will also be able to be interchanged between my linear rail Ender 5 and my new Exosldie Ender 5 PLus.

[Larry]

Direct drive works better than bowden and this is a fact. If you like to upgrade from bowden to direct, you must choose a good extruder. By my personal opinion, BONDTECH extruder is number 1 choice. These extruders can handle all types of filament, from softest like 70 ShoreA up to hardest with ease.

I agree with you as far as the stock hot end goes but a all metal hot end (like this one https://www.amazon.com/Micro-Hotend-...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==) fixes a lot of the problems that i was having with the stock one on the ender 3 V2. Found on the stock hot end the bowden tube was getting to hot and causing major clugs. The all metal one doesn't have the bowden tube going down to the nozzle so doesn't get hot like all the stock one.

[roon4660]

I just went through all my Amazon purchases on amazon.com and ,ca and can't seem to find a record. Perhaps I bought it somewhere else. I have no idea for the moment. Wait I know how to find it. https://www.amazon.com/sp?seller=A1W407K4GXJCPV But I can't find the transaction on either site.

[Ender5r]

Could the hotend be this one: https://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Cre...items&sr=1-10?

And thanks for the link. I found the Creality 4.2.7 control board, which I see is 32-bit and really quite affordable. This may be my next upgrade.

[roon4660]

Yes I think so I just found it too. https://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Cre...-items&sr=1-10

[Ender5r]

According to http://th3dstudio.com, once you have your bed leveled, you can use solid mounts instead of springs, so the bed never gets out of level again: https://www.th3dstudio.com/product/cr-10solidmounts/

[Larry]

According to http://th3dstudio.com, once you have your bed leveled, you can use solid mounts instead of springs, so the bed never gets out of level again: https://www.th3dstudio.com/product/cr-10solidmounts/

Yep that is my next upgrade i need to measure the distance on the right front left front and back right. The back left on the ender 3 V2 has the cable strain relief for the bed heater on that screw so its size will be different then the other 3

[Ender5r]

Yep that is my next upgrade i need to measure the distance on the right front left front and back right. The back left on the ender 3 V2 has the cable strain relief for the bed heater on that screw so its size will be different then the other 3

th3dstudio has them grouped by printer model.

[Larry]

Yea i saw that but not paying $25 for bed mounts

[Ender5r]

I do agree they're fairly costly. I was wondering why. I suspect it's the combination of materials, which I can only assume are set to minimize any shrinkage or expansion of the mounts themselves.

[Larry]

They 3d printed them from ABS and press fitted metal selves into the opening.

[Larry]

I may just remove my z-axes limit switch as it is not needed anymore then bottom out the springs (tighten them all the way) then raise them so that they are level with the back left spring (the one with the bed heater cable attached to it). That should keep the bed from moving very much.

[Ender5r]

Yeah, when you install a BL Touch, its sensor cable plugs into the Z Axis Limit Switch socket on the controller, is that right?

[[email protected]]

I have never really used a BL Touch, but I don't think it is quite that easy. I had one on my Ender 5 Plus stock, and removed it within a week and replaced it with an EZABL. I do remember it had 5 wires, can't remember where they all went.

[Ender5r]

I wasn't trying to suggest that's all you have to do; only that the cable from the Z Axis Limit Switch gets unplugged from the controller board and the BL Touch 2-wire cable gets plugged in. I realize there is more to do such as connecting the other 3 wires, and enabling BL Touch in the firmware.