V-Core Pro lives again (-:
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Because someone on the 3d Printers discord asked for help with his V-Core Pro, I finally got my act together and got mine up and running again (with the notable exception of part cooling).
Beauty shot:
Hemera and the toolboard are a real good combination, but it gets in the way of my preferred hemera part cooler. The mini IR probe works well on the mamorubot PP plate, and the Duet3 board was good with the Zesty Nimble, but I decided to use the Hemera here now, which means the tool board got some more work to do.
Next steps are
- fixing up the CAN cable (and power cable)
- possibly adding a drag chain to avoid dangling cables
- fixing the heater block rotation (it's "wrong")
- replacing the cheap noname SSR that came with the bed heater with a zero crossing one to avoid flicker when it keeps set temperatures.
- possibly adding the magnetic filament sensor
- part cooling. Because the front of the head is already pretty crowded, I am thinking of borrowing the cooling setup from the Medusa switching hotend: 5015 in the back and a flexible cooling hose to the front
- adding some panels for passively heated chamber for more fun with ASA and ABS
This machine is a Duet Baby: Duet3 board, tool distribution board, tool board, mini IR probe, PanelDue .... (hence it would be a nice touch to finally add the filament sensor somewhere).
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Hehe, I like to hear that!
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Watching with interest, as you know I've got one of these (not pro version) coming myself.
I've used the mini IR probe for years now, and it's been bulletproof consistent for my nozzle height, but it doesn't like my Printbite surface for mesh mapping. I'm pretty sure it's the opaque surface and/or printed grid that's messing it up, so I'll try the matt black on my next machine.
When you say it "lives again", do you mean it's been out of service for a while? Have you ever got good prints out of it?
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I originally had it up and running with a Zesty Nimble and a volcano, but that got a leaking hotend (due to my own fault of not properly hot tightening it it seems). That printed very well until the hotend was all goop )-:
When I tore that down I had lost motivation to work on it a bit. But now it's (about to be) back in action with the Hemera, but it needs some more love and attention before I's consider it "done".
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To be honest, great big printers aren't that practical (neither are Ferraris, motorbikes, etc) but I just want one all the same.
How have you found the Hemera? I've seen mixed reviews.
I have had a Bondtech BMG and and a E3D V6 both sitting here brand new for years. I recently fitted the BMG to my little Ender 3 Pro, and was very impressed with its performance.
I'm pretty sure my V-core is going to get the BMG/V6 combo in direct drive config. I do wish E3D would do a more practical mount system, like some bolt hole for surface mounting. It would make life so much easier, but I'll work out something that mounts up both components and I might even get it machined in aluminium for good measure.
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If you have a genuine Bondtech and an e3d v6 at hand, use them. They're a great combo.
You can use a threaded v6 heatsink, it works great and I prefer it a lot over the traditional groovemount (I used this with the nimble / volcano setup and the only issue was too little clearance for the mounting nut, but since I designed the mount myself, there's only one person to blame for that).
That said, my Hemera works great. E3D has been very transparent about the issues they found and are currently addressing them (challenged a bit by world's events).
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@Corexy For info, Bondtech and Slice Engineering have a strategic partnership. You can now buy a BMG type extruder/Mosquito hot end combination that works as direct drive. I doubt it'll be cheap but if you like the BMG, it might be something to think about.
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Yes I've seen the threaded heatsink, which I would most certainly use if i was going with a bowden setup. I used my BMG elesewhere, but I don't mind buying the new/latest version and I have the brand new V6 here already.
I did see the Slice stuff on the Bondtech site, but bloody hell it's pricey!! Considering I've got the full 24v V6 setup here, along with a PT100 and daughter board, buying a new BMG to match it up seems the obvious and most economical way forward.
My printer is now in Cincinatti for reasons known to DHL right now...it's on tour
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@Corexy I said it wouldn't be cheap (but it will enable you to print at higher temperatures if that's of any interest). The BMG-M extruder is the same price as the standard one but the Mosquito is expensive compared to a V6. You can of course still use the PT100 and a standard heater cartridge. Personally, I hate the groove mount on the V6 - (and the heater clamping arrangement - and the fact that the thermistor is held by a grub screw in the side of the cartridge - and ........oh, well you get the idea).
Ref DHL - I bought a DRO kit for my milling machine from China. Two packages posted at the same time. Can't remember if it was FedEx or DHL. The linear guides came in one package within a week via Frankfurt. The readout came in a separate package vi India, stopping off at just about every country in Europe and took 3 weeks.
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@deckingman said in V-Core Pro lives again (-::
@Corexy I said it wouldn't be cheap (but it will enable you to print at higher temperatures if that's of any interest). The BMG-M extruder is the same price as the standard one but the Mosquito is expensive compared to a V6. You can of course still use the PT100 and a standard heater cartridge. Personally, I hate the groove mount on the V6 - (and the heater clamping arrangement - and the fact that the thermistor is held by a grub screw in the side of the cartridge - and ........oh, well you get the idea).
Ref DHL - I bought a DRO kit for my milling machine from China. Two packages posted at the same time. Can't remember if it was FedEx or DHL. The linear guides came in one package within a week via Frankfurt. The readout came in a separate package vi India, stopping off at just about every country in Europe and took 3 weeks.
Yes, I am no fan of the E3D V6 groove mount and the heater block either. In fact, I strongly dislike it.
OK...so my PT100 and heater cartridge will fit the Mosquito (do you recommend Magnum or standard?), and I only need the hot end for 150USD?
Has anyone here had any experience with the Mosquitos in real world circumstances?
I'm certainly not discounting it if it's worth it. Looks much more compact and shorter as well.
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@Corexy Both Slice Engineering and Bondtech have helped me out with discounted parts and such like for the 6 input hot end I'm trying to make, so it's fair to say that my opinions would be biased. Therefore, I'll say nothing.
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@deckingman said in V-Core Pro lives again (-::
@Corexy Both Slice Engineering and Bondtech have helped me out with discounted parts and such like for the 6 input hot end I'm trying to make, so it's fair to say that my opinions would be biased. Therefore, I'll say nothing.
I think I can take that into account and put it into perspective.
How has the hot end worked generally? No problems or issues?
Did you use that boron nitride paste with it, by the way?
Oooohhhh...that little torque wrench for the nozzle got me all moist. Wish I hadn't seen that...it really appeals to my OCD condition (as well as the paste).
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@Corexy Yes sh*t loads of problems - take a look at my blog. But I'm only using Mosquito heat breaks - everything else is home made (it's a 6 input, single nozzle) - and it's "everything else" that I've had problems with.
The heat breaks themselves are super efficient and tiny compared to anything else - (really important when you are trying to get six of them into hot block).
I did use the Boron Nitride paste but only because they supplied it to me F.O.C.. TBH, I use Loctite LB8065 on heaters and cartridges so I'd probably have used that instead if I hadn't been supplied Boron Nitride. Technically they are both release agents but they both work as high temperature thermal paste. Boron Nitride is better around heater and thermistor cartridges because (I'm told) it's a good thermal conductor but a very poor electrical conductor.
One handed nozzle change is doddle and makes life a hell of a lot easier if you are in the habit of changing nozzles.
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@deckingman said in V-Core Pro lives again (-::
@Corexy Yes sh*t loads of problems - take a look at my blog. But I'm only using Mosquito heat breaks - everything else is home made (it's a 6 input, single nozzle) - and it's "everything else" that I've had problems with.
The heat breaks themselves are super efficient and tiny compared to anything else - (really important when you are trying to get six of them into hot block).
I did use the Boron Nitride paste but only because they supplied it to me F.O.C.. TBH, I use Loctite LB8065 on heaters and cartridges so I'd probably have used that instead if I hadn't been supplied Boron Nitride. Technically they are both release agents but they both work as high temperature thermal paste. Boron Nitride is better around heater and thermistor cartridges because (I'm told) it's a good thermal conductor but a very poor electrical conductor.
One handed nozzle change is doddle and makes life a hell of a lot easier if you are in the habit of changing nozzles.
We're hogging old mate's post here...I'll PM you
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@deckingman said in V-Core Pro lives again (-::
Boron Nitride is better around heater and thermistor cartridges because (I'm told) it's a good thermal conductor but a very poor electrical conductor.
I can vouch for that, because 40+ years ago I used to make waveguide CO2 lasers out of it. CO2 lasers require an electrical discharge through a gas mixture, but that gas mixture must be kept cool or the laser doesn't work. So I needed high thermal conductivity to allow a water cooled heatsink to carry the heat from the discharge away - and good electrical insulation to contain the discharge.
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@Corexy I live on the internet for 20+ years now. Topic drift is the variety of life (-;
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@oliof said in V-Core Pro lives again (-::
@Corexy I live on the internet for 20+ years now. Topic drift is the variety of life (-;
No worries,
Any updates on the v-core?
I'm planning a bit of a new/minimalist approach to the 3 point bed leveling on mine.
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I fixed the heater block orientation and shortened the heater cartridge cable. I printed the part cooler from the tool changer set and am waiting for the 4010 radial blowers to arrive.
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Im using the BMG Mosquito with a Magnum on my VCore Pro. @Corexy
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I am still hunting for a durable surface that would work with IR-probe.
I have some black copy of Buildtack, but it holds too much and even a slight hit with hot hotend runis the surface.But the V-Core pro is great!
P3Steel Toolson mk2 - Duet 2 WiFi--> RatRig V-Core with Duet WiFi 1.03
Original Prusa i3 MK3S
