This product was mentioned in 43 comments, with an average of 1.09 upvotes
This is a Wanhao Duplicator i3 rebadge. The Di3 is infamous for its flimsy Y axis carriage plate, which often warps and makes it impossible to properly level the bed. Luckily, the plate can easily be replaced. Here's an Amazon listing that is popular around here and solves your issue. Hope I could help!
Yea, in the beginning I was in a constant battle to get the four corners leveled. Although it still is a fight it isn't nearly has bad now that I bought the extra thick plate for under the bed.
Well then I strongly recommend you buy this, It's the same exact one I use on my I3 plus.
I'm surprised no one mentioned this sooner, the stock carriage plate is notorious for being flimsy and impossible to level consistently. The lock nut thumbscrews and this plate should take care of your leveling problems, I know they did the trick for me.
I'v found buildtak to be pretty amazing in my prints, with just wiping with alcohol every once in a while. What are you printing with? I've had zero issues with PLA sticking with a 45c bed temp.
Also have the I3 plus, I never need to re-level my bed. I did do the spring cups early on and bought this plate off amazon which I would highly recommend, as the stock one is flexible and pretty flimzy: [link]. You might try both of those. Are you running a fan for your first layers?
An upgraded carriage plate is a must-have. It will help you achieve and maintain better bed leveling.
A 50mm blower fan with a printable shroud (e.g. the DiiiCooler) will make a big difference in print quality.
Beyond that, most things are luxuries or need-specific. For example, I love my Microswiss all metal hot end but you may not have any need for it.
If that's the same thing as a Maker Select, the Y carriage is very thin and bends easily. Take it off and lay it on a flat surface to check it out.
I straightened mine once and things improved for a while. Last week, I ordered one of these which is much thicker and shouldn't bend.
Your bed carriage plate is probably warped. This is an issue with the thin, malleable stock plate, which makes leveling the impossible as it bends each time a screw is adjusted. I got a composite-based upgrade plate off eBay, but I can't find the listing anymore, so here's an aluminum plate on Amazon that's very popular around here and fixes the issue.
Buy this: [link]
Laugh at the fact you ever didn't have it.
Proceed to belt the paper thin aluminum foil your printer's default Y Carriage is made out of.
Roll around in perfectly flat first layers.
I am guessing you have a plate similar to this?
I was either going to rotate the bed 90 or rotate the carriage plate itself. My only worry is about the "braid" of cables I have going to the control box (now I wish I had the plus lol).
Ringing and banding is a really hard problem to fix. Ultimately, it comes down to making sure your printer is insanely rigid and its firmware settings are tuned in to fit YOUR printer.
I see you already dropped acceleration and jerk settings, which will go a long way to helping with ringing and banding. Make 100% sure your belts are tensioned well. That's the #1 key to successful prints IMO, and I see you didn't mention it here.
Consider upgrading your printer with a stronger Y carriage. Here's the one I use: [link]
After replacing the Y carriage, make add some auto-bed leveling to your printer so that you can rigidly secure your heated bed to the Y carriage. The springs that let you level your printer now add springy-ness to the print results from the sharp movements of the very heavy Y axis moving.
The default Cartesian design's biggest flaw is the moving heat bed IMO. Its very large and very heavy, which means precise movements at high speeds is always going to be very hard.
Also, can we see some pictures? You might be where I am at this point, limited by the factors of your printers design on a mechanical level as opposed to the quality of the build and parts.
This may be the next thing I look into. For the sake of killing 2 birds with one stone, it looks like this drop in undercarriage from Amazon has mounting holes that would accommodate a 3 point mounting set up (2 on the right, 1 on the left). You think it would be possible to dill a new mounting hole on the existing build plate?
Not 100% sure, but seems like people need to drill new holes for the carriage you linked.
I'm about to get this one though, since y'know, it has the words "Monoprice Maker Select v2.1" in the title :)
I was surprised when I found out that some came with 3. Someone posted a picture with their heat bed off, and I asked why they only had 3 bearings. The reply was, "they all do."
Something to consider is the RepRap Champing Y-carriage upgrade. It's a better platform if you decide to stay with 4 or go to 3.
For the bed: I had the same problem leveling mine at first. I fixed it by replacing the carriage plate (the thin metal plate under the heated bed) with a stiffer one made of thick aluminum. I had mine custom made, but this one is popular now.
I installed the mosfet upgrade on mine just in case, but since the printer runs on 24v instead of 12v, it shouldn't have the connector issues. At least, it shouldn't be nearly as common. (But I have heard of it happening on the plus occasionally.)
I assume {AHEM} you meant a 32 BIT system. One 'but' for each of us is enough, 32 'but's' would be too much, LOL. <JK> Might help those who are full of sh** tho'... :-}
What 32 bit board are you talking about? I am running down the same path with my Mono MS, having done a whole bunch of upgrades, alignments, etc but still can't get a decent print because of the crap bed. Losing sleep and hair here.
Just ordered a new Y carriage plate: [link]
I've also put on a glass plate that's got a slight texture. Using a glue stick I'm getting lots of adhesion, but if the bed is off ... POP! goes the item!
Was thinking RAMPS and RasPi with Octoprint, but it sounds like what you're describing has it on the controller or did I misread that? THAT would be rockin'!
What about power? I have a lot of PC ATX supplies around, would have no problem with running one of those. I also don't like the heated bed connector problem on the Melzi board. I HAVE the connectors to fix it but if I replace the controller ...
Pretty techie but totally new to the 3D / RasPi /Ardinio etc stuff. Thanks so much! PuterPro
> I have no idea how to make sure my active cooling isn't running or turning the nozzle temp up and layer speed down for the first layer. Do I use a plugin?
In Cura there should be a setting under the cooling options to not have the fan spin up for a certain number of layers.
So I was having tons of issues with my Maker Select until I replaced the Y-axis carriage with one of these. The stock carriage is just too thin and can easily warp under heat and stress. This is much more solid and less likely to warp. Second thing I did was rip off the BuildTak that came installed and replaced it with a piece of glass on top of silicone pads. This helps two-fold; it makes a more stable surface for printing (fewer issues from thermal expansion) and you can take the plate off when going to remove the print so you don't risk skewing the bed level.
You're right about the Z motors, but I don't think irock168 was talking about the heat bed. He was talking about the Y carriage below the bed. It's flimsy and will continually cause leveling issues. The replacement from Amazon is this. Unavailable right now on Amazon, but you may be able to get it directly from RepRap Champion.
Other than the MOSFET mod for safety, it's the best mod I've done to my Maker Select. I rarely have to level my bed unless I move the printer.
How often are you having to take that stuff apart? I got my Maker Select around the same time as you, and I've had to take apart the extruder assembly a total of 3 times.
For you bed leveling issues, this is the best upgrade I've done to my printer. It's been a better upgrade for me than the Z brace or DiiiCooler. Not available on Amazon right now, but may be able to get it directly from the RepRap Champion website.
Will be installing the Micro Swiss hotend this week.
Also on Amazon: [link]
Important thing to remember: Nothing is -ever- mandatory unless it's a major safety issue. The closest thing to that on that printer is the mosfet. I believe your original message implies you replaced the buildtak, so the Mosfet upgrade would be a very good idea unless you plan to change out the control board entirely.
Everything else is Optional and Quality of Life/Print stuff. ^.^
The following are examples on Amazon. Other folks and posts may have better advice on where/what to get.
Y Carriage plate [link] (This is the part under the heated bed)
MicroSwiss all metal hotend (From other person's post): [link]
Linear bearings would be LM8LUU for the Y rods. If you have the plastic bearing holders, it's easy. If you have the aluminum block bearing holders, you'll have to find somebody else to source info on the circlips and how to not become sad with them.
You can print things just fine without any of these upgrades, so don't worry about the long print (unless you run out of filament).
A new controller board can do extra stuff and is required (Highly recommended, since you "can" make the probe work on the Melzi board, but poorly and at the cost of other things) for Z-Probe use, dual extruder, and with the heated bed on that printer, can remove the need for a separate MOSFET. It opens the path for other upgrades, can improve print quality to a degree in some cases, and can drive you absolutely nuts trying to set it up.
The inexpensive Quality of Life I'd recommend are thumbwheels with nylock nuts (hard to turn, but keep your level for a long time); corner-bracket spring cups (printed); and glass print bed. Two sets of printed things and about $12 at worst for the glass.
The bearing upgrade (If you can do it without fighting circlips) helps reduce Y-axis stutter and vibration. That upgrade brought my print quality up hugely. $25 or so if you get a lot of spares or higher quality ones.
The Y platform helps you with leveling and staying level.
The lack enclosure has some printed parts, $20-40 worth of Ikea furniture, and up to $50 worth of siding depending on your ability to cut glass and plexiglass.
So many things you CAN do. None that you MUST do. Some that you SHOULD do. And everything else is Just For Fun.
I bought mine here. [link]
I suspect OP means this carriage (or one very similar to it) that is 3mm thick: [link]
I don't see anything in your settings that jumps out as "wrong" to me. I personally prefer more top/bottom layers (usually 1.2mm instead of your 0.8) but plenty of people use your value and that's certainly not a setting that would cause underextrusion.
You can post general questions on improving quality right here in this sub, or there's also r/FixMyPrint/ which is more focused, but has a smaller community.
There are countless mods for the Maker Select that will improve overall print quality. Just to name a few:
There are also plenty of calibration steps you can take, such as:
Finally, if you haven't already done so, complete the MOSFET mod immediately. You don't want to be added to the roster of melted printers
I know it may seem like a pain, but you may want to check your Y axis carriage to see if its bent. The ones that come stock are pretty flimsy and can be bent back if so, but you'll eventually want something like the RepRap carriage
Also, how is the tension on the springs? Are they all the way tight or loose?
Bed leveling is absolutely critical for best stick, especially for a part as long as the MOFSET bracket. My personal issue with the build mat was that it was sticking too good so I added the glass plate to be able to pull parts off without bending the heating bed. Between the glass bed, RepRap carriage and nylon lock nuts on the leveling screws- I couldn't be happier. Instead of having to level before every part its now just every so often.
I had this issue until I replaced the Y carriage plate with this [link]
The stock plate is just too flimsy.
What feet are is that with the springs?
That printer appears to have the RepRap Champion Y-carriage and their Z-brace. I've got both of those myself. I like them both. My only complaint with this Z-brace is it appears like it mounts a bit closer to the bed than other options so things are a little tighter in there.
Curious as well what kind of pad or glass is on the bed. Cannot tell.
I got way better results with my first layer once I upgraded my y-carriage plate. If you haven't already, it might be worth investing in. [link]
I used this carriage upgrade on my Maker Select Plus:
RepRap Champion Y Carriage Plate Upgrade for Wanhao Duplicator i3 and Monoprice Maker Select V1, V2, V2.1 and Plus 3D printers [link]
Got some better bearings at the same time since I had to disassemble the bed:
CTYRZCH 12Pcs LM8UU Linear Bearings for 3D Printer, RepRap Prusa Mendel DIY CNC Motion, Prusa Mendel, reprap(8mm x 15mm x 24mm) [link]
It's a pack of 12 so I'd have replacements down the road. Anyway the rep rap carriage plate linked can be set up with 3 point or 4 point. I used the same 4 brackets with new bearings on mine. But with this one you can try both setups out.
I'm still bed leveling with 4 points, a pain to get it just right. Might try a 3 point bed level at some point.
upgrade your carriage plate. the stock one is flimsy and prone to warping and bending.
This is a good replacement
Love my i3 plus (Maker Select Plus branded)!
I did the reprap y carriage upgrade as the stamped sheet metal that is stock is super thin and warps really easy. I was still getting great prints but had the itch to mod and upgrade. Y carriage is here:
RepRap Champion Y Carriage Plate Upgrade for Wanhao Duplicator i3 and Monoprice Maker Select V1, V2, V2.1 and Plus 3D printers [link]
Since I was going to have it all taken apart I went on and got upgraded bearings too for the Y axis:
CTYRZCH 12Pcs LM8UU Linear Bearings for 3D Printer, RepRap Prusa Mendel DIY CNC Motion, Prusa Mendel, reprap(8mm x 15mm x 24mm) [link]
It was a pretty damn big difference on the y axis noise level. There are 12 bearings in this $10.99 pack so I'll do my xaxis too eventually and have a few spares for inevitable wear and tear replacements. So it's another return or a $11 fix that you'll want to do on your replacement anyway.
That is the carriage
Is there any reason why you are trying to get a custom Y-plate machined? Any reason why this wouldn't work? It's a direct drop in replacement no additional holes need to be drilled.
Installation was actually pretty simple; I watched [link] a couple of times first to familiarize myself with the process, tho I got the cheaper version of the kit without a replacement cooling block. As to recalibration, I am having to do some tweaking, however, I also upgraded my Z-axis carriage plate at the same time, to a much thicker (heavier) plate ([link]) which has (along with z-brace mod, done a couple months ago) practically eliminated the need to bed-level after every print. The heavier plate introduced some Y-axis ghosting, which lead me to lower y-axis acceleration, as well as adding some belt clips (www.thingiverse.com/thing:1784375) & tightening the X- and Y-axis belts. The one issue I'm having with the new hotend specifically is that it tends to extrude a bit while heating up. I've played with some retraction settings, but haven't really resolved that yet.
My roommate and I got a Select v 2.1 a few weeks ago (most that ship out from any retailers are 2.1s now, you can tell because the bed leveling screws are thumbscrews instead of wingnuts).
Just to get it out of the way early, just print a filament guide. Enough said about that.
You're absolutely right about the z-brace, worlds of difference. We also did the z-extension, not quite as important but it gives you the full print height potential. The fan upgrade doesn't do much for PLA from what we've tested but it helps on overhangs for ABS and the type.
I've noticed ringing pretty recently, which is from the springs used for belt tensioning. You can print belt tensioners that use screws instead to help alleviate that.
Bed warping is an annoying issue as well, that'll have you leveling your print bed at least twice a week. We got a y-carriage and got a piece of glass cut 8" x 8.5" x 1/8" for a print surface, which you can just secure down with scotchblue tape. Glue stick on the glass helps with print adhesion.
And just some tips for the road: Do not underestimate the amount of bolts/nuts/screws you'll need. It'll take at least a week and a half to get all the mods you want done, and it will never feel like you're finished. Finding a cabinet or some kind of enclosure is nice if you need it in the same room as you do your daily stuff/sleep in (like if you're in a dorm). Print settings like temperature and speed do more for print quality than any mods you can find. You will fail most of your early prints while trying to find the right settings. The bearings used are kinda crap and they make a cringey crunching noise, but I'm convinced it isn't affecting the prints much, if at all.
Any other questions, feel free to ask. We don't have the most experience with it yet but we've gotten a feel for the ins and outs. Welcome to the club!
i've modded mine to try and compensate for it and still getting some issues. It could be that I just suck at leveling.
So far I've bought a thicker aluminum Y carriage plate ([link]), done the Z-brace mod ([link]) and tried to make sure my X-gantry was level using these [link]
I haven't messed with seeing if the Y carriage rods need to be modified though.
I did swap the carriage plate with a thicker one already here, it was recommended to do this early one. Is this the same carriage plate you have?
This is back in stock by the way. The below link is a newer version of the one in the original post. I just ordered one. :)
Click the link, it has a picture and description.
> I got it in November 2017, I've only had to level it about a dozen time or so.
Is that supposed to be impressive? A quality machine NEVER needs leveling, unless it falls off a table or something. Not to mention 4 screw leveling is fundamentally retarded from a mechanical design POV.
> I haven't had any misaligned rod issues nor any problems with the Z screws being out of sync.
Trying putting it in a shared makerspace where an absentminded noob will twirl one of the Z screws, not realizing the clusterfuck they're creating and nobody notices for a week.
> The carriage is flat enough for all intents and purposes
LOL then why does amazon have half a dozen replacement parts like this.
Look it's an amazing machine for $250, but you're delusional if you think it's not garbage tier mechanics and electronics.