Ezra Harris

Category: Technology

Posts that are tech related

  • Configuring Marlin Firmware for My Ender 3

    I got into configuring marlin firmware for my specific printer recently; due to its widely supported amount of boards, I can easily modify the newest version of marlin for my printer. At first, I was going to go with the original Marlin as a base but decided to work with Jyers Marlin, a modified version for the Ender 3 V2, which I don’t have. But I have very similar hardware as in the Ender 3 V2 in my Ender 3, the only difference being a different LCD type and a filament sensor. Thanks to marlin’s extensive documentation on their website, both are extremely easy to configure.

    Once I could change the filament sensor and LCD type (post on that here,) I then ran into a slightly different issue. For some reason, the board that PlatformIO was not set correctly, and I had to change the default environment from STM32F103RET6_creality to STM32F103RE_creality, which fixed that issue. Another issue I had was a setting called FAN_SOFT_PWM, which needed to be enabled, and after some searching in the configuration file, I was able to find it, and enable it. After a couple of minor issues (Platform IO core bug, which was later resolved), I successfully compiled the code in VS Code with PlatformIO.

    I published my fork on Github here: https://github.com/BillyDaBones/Ender-3_Upgraded_Jyers_marlin/releases

    (please note: I am not a programmer, especially with Marlin configuration, use the firmware at your own risk.)

  • Changing the LCD Configuration in Marlin

    When updating my firmware on my 3D Printer (the ender 3), I recently ran into an issue when using a modified version of Jyers marlin. I realized that the screen configuration was of another type of LCD. So when I tried to flash it, the LCD screen would appear blank. After a lot of googling, I found a blog post by Crosslink describing how he is changing his Ender 3 V2‘s printer LCD to a smaller and older version of the screen. The LCD on the newer Ender 3 V2‘s are vertical, and the LCD I have is horizontal, for example, in the image below:

    screen comparison

    In crosslink’s tutorial on how he changed out his screen, he showed how to change his marlin firmware to accept the different style screen. You had to enable the screen type to be #define CR10_STOCKDISPLAY instead of using the #define DWIN_CREALITY_LCD, which was the setting to allow the config for the Ender 3 V2’s display. Then you need to change a setting required to flash the firmware.

    And after that, I compiled the code in Visual Studio Code (with the PlatformIO plugin installed) and was able to successfully flash it onto my 3D Printer. There are more tweaks to the firmware I need to make for all of my hardware to work. But a huge thanks to Crosslink for his post! (Link to it here) he goes in-depth on why he switched to the older display and explains the process in great detail. He also has a Youtube video on it here:

    crosslink youtube video/tutorial

    Learn how i changed my screen’s boot screen here: blog.ezraharris.com/customizing-my-3d-printer-boot-screen/

  • Pros and Cons of an Ender 3 3D Printer

    One of the most popular 3D printers on the market is a Creality printer called the Ender 3. I have owned an Ender 3 for the past two years, and here are my thoughts on the pros and cons of owning one:

    Pros:

    • It’s cheap: this is a typical 3D printer because it’s cheap, only $200, which, compared to its competitors, like Prusa and Makerbot’s printers, is an accessible price for beginners just entering the 3D printing space.
    • Great for beginners: With the cheapness and the ability for it to be taken apart quickly and put back together. It does come disassembled. It’s a great learning experience for newer beginners just coming into 3D printing. Since it’s a popular printer, there are hundreds of guides and tutorials on almost any topic about this printer.
    • Upgradability: Since its popularity, many 3rd party brands have offered upgrades to this printer. For example, the BL touch, which in my opinion, is one of the best upgrades that this printer needs, the BL touch auto levels the bed, so there is no need to fine-tune the hotbed manually anymore, which is a hassle. Even Creality offers their own upgrades, they offer an upgraded silent stepper board that improves the sound, and they also sell a CR Touch (their version of the BL touch).

    Cons:

    • Cheap Quality: since this is cheap and straight from China, the parts and pieces are not of the best quality, and I found myself upgrading almost every single aspect of this printer to make it better, and after upgrading all of the small things like a new motherboard and a BL touch, adds up over time. I’ve spent at least an additional $200 on upgrades for my printer.
    • The Noise: Buying a new motherboard was a HUGE change from the printer’s noise when printing. It is rather loud with the standard motherboard. Which for some isn’t an issue as you can move it into another room or buy an enclosure for it. But even with the motors making almost no noise, there is still the fan’s noise, specifically the extruder fan and the power supply fan. Both are pretty loud, which you can also upgrade with Noctua’s silent series fans.

    Final Thoughts:

    Should you buy the Ender 3 in 2022? No, but I believe that if you are set on buying a cheaper printer, I would save money and go for the Creality Ender 3 pro, or the Creality Ender 3 V2, or the Ender 3 max. which has all of the base upgrades you need at a slightly higher price. I would also recommend the Prusa i3 MK3s+ edition if you want the more expensive 3D printers, since it has a vast community, and the owner is based in the Czech Republic and is seemingly going for quality rather than cheap and quick parts. Unlike what Creality3D produces. I also wrote about how I upgraded my Ender 3 with many upgrades here

    Products mentioned in this post:

    Prusa i3 MK3s+

    Creality Ender 3

    Ender 3 pro

    Ender 3 max

    Ender 3 V2

    BL touch

    CR Touch

    Ender 3 Silent Motherboard Upgrade 4.2.7

  • PEI Sheet Arrived! CR-10 S5 Printer

    When working on my new printer (CR-10 S5), I ordered a PEI sheet since I heard that was the best sheet for 3d printing since it had the smoothness of glass and the grip for 3d prints. I had found one on Amazon for about $90, which was the right size for my printer, which was 20×20 inches. I also got a cut piece of glass from lowes which cost about $14, including the cost for cutting in-store.

    When it arrived, I had two options: mount it on top of the glass, put clips to clip it under pressure, or buy transfer tape to apply it to the glass. Since I didn’t have the suitable tape for the glass bed, I used clips, but unfortunately, I only had one clip that was big enough to hold the sheet and glass together. I looked it up and found a similar question on Reddit from someone wondering what kind of alternatives could you replace instead of using clips for the hotbed. A user recommended that you use blue painter’s tape since it is heat resistant, which made sense since many people used painter’s tape before using bed surfaces was popular since it was heat resistant. The material was textured to grip the filament. Most other tapes have a softening point when heated up and don’t stick.

    I ended up using painter’s tape for holding the PEI sheet to the glass bed, and so far, it’s working great, which is an excellent alternative for not having to go out and buy more clips.

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