Hello there! My friends gifted me an Ender 3 printer, and I achieved my first successful print today! I have a few (probably stupid) questions:
- I will store it in my garage, in a shelve among other things. It is quite dusty, so I’m thinking of building a plexiglass hermetic box to keep it while powered off. Would it be a problem to keep it closed also while printing? This would change the type of box I’ll build, because there is not much space and I’m trying to save the most of it
- How do I store the filament? I (currently) have only one filament (black PLA), so I see no need to remove it from the printer each time, but leaving it “connected” (I don’t know how to say it) will not allow me to store it in a different way the printer is stored. Do I need to store it in special ways or can I leave it connected? (And bonus question, what is the correct word to say it?)
- If I don’t move the printer, how often should I calibrate it?
Sorry if these are basic questions, I’m taking my first steps into this magic world… Thanks in advance!
You are asking the right questions.
If you mostly print PLA, it is better to keep your printer entirely unenclosed. PLA loves cooling. I kept my printer in a fairly dusty room and wiped it down from time to time and it still works. You will need to wipe the bed with a damp cloth before every print though, so that adhesion isn’t affected. If keeping it open is not an option, something with a removable door is a nice compromise.
It depends on how humid your area is. PLA doesn’t absorb water very quickly, so it should be fine to be kept in the same enclosure as the printer. Just keep an eye on it, if you get stringing or your print quality starts degrading, you may need to dry it. That can be achieved with a food dehydrator.
Due to it being a motion system with stepper motors, there are obviously vibrations and direction changes, which loosen things over time. I would recalibrate the bed every 5-10 prints or so, just to be safe. Other wear components like the v-wheels and the hotend should be checked every 50-100 print hours in my experience. Take this info with a grain of salt, your mileage may vary.
If you want more info on 3d printing, there are some very good YouTubers:
CNCKitchen
Made with layers
Maker’s Muse
Modbot
Teaching Tech
BV3D
Those are the ones off the top of my head, I hope someone can add more if I forgot someone.
Also, if it is completely stock, immediately upgrade your hotend to an all metal one. MicroSwiss makes drop in replacements. PTFE lined hotends are bad for longevity, as the PTFE tube degrades over time and if it ever gets overheated, it releases neurotoxins :)