3D Printers

[crokett]

I know some of you have 3D printers. I found an Ender-3 Pro printer, filament box and 6 rolls of filament at a yard sale. It came home with me. Among other things I am wondering if an RPi 3 has the horsepower to be able to run the slicing software and control the printer. I did get a suggestion from someone else at the yard sale to add a piece of glass to the print surface to print on. They were selling pieces that they 3D printed.

Also, what else will I need to get started?

 

[Drewby108]

For PLA, you don't need an enclosure. If you plan on printing ABS, get a vented (to the outside) enclosure. I believe the pi can handle slicing, but it might take a little longer than a regular PC just because of processing power difference. It definitely can handle the controlling side.

I use a heated aluminum bed that I put blue painters tape on so pla sticks better. That's not necessary, just what I do. The glass generally help to give you a more consistently flat surface to print on, as well as smooth, glossy bottoms.

First thing you should do is check your X,Y,Z, and E steps and that everything is calibrated correctly. X,Y, and Z are checked by printing something with specific dimensions (usually a 1 cm cube) and E is done by pushing a set amount of filament out, then measuring and doing some math. Google explains it better.

Drawing a blank on other stuff, but others will know.