DIY Blog

3D Printing

Trianglelab CHC or Rapido?

Rapido, CHC Pro Volcano and CHC V6

Rapido is one of the best high flow hot-ends, but it comes with a premium price tag. Trianglelab recently announced CHC series hot-ends that feature a similar ceramic heater (and similar performance?) at 1/3 of the price. I will compare both hot-ends and tell you how they stack up.

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Why I prefer Klipper over Marlin?

When it comes to 3D printers, there are three firmware options you can run: Klipper, Marlin, or RepRap firmware. Most printers are shipped with a customized version of Marlin configured for the specific hardware and manufacturer’s branding. If you decide to modify the printer, you will likely have to flash the firmware. Let’s look at their differences and why I prefer Klipper over the others.

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Which controller board to choose for your Voron?

Voron controller boards

Voron 2.4 and Voron Trident are advanced 3D printers running more stepper motors than a basic 3D printer. You used to need two controller boards to run these printers, but recently multiple affordable 8 stepper boards were released. I tested and compared BIGTREETECH Octopus, Manta M8P, FYSETC Spider, Makerbase MKS Monster 8 and Mellow Super 8.

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TinyXL: Compact 3D Printer Concept

TinyXL

I was looking to build a smaller printer, and I liked Tiny-M’s overall size and design, but I also had some ideas for improvements. I wanted it to be more space-efficient, and I started tinkering in the CAD. When PrusaXL was revealed, I thought the open front was very practical and decided to use the same approach in my design. That’s how the concept of TinyXL was born: based on Tiny-M and inspired by PrusaXL.

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Choosing a 36mm extruder motor

NEMA14 36mm round steppers

NEMA14 36mm round steppers are becoming increasingly popular extruder stepper motors due to their small weight and high torque. I have tested LDO-36STH17-1004AHG, LDO-36STH20-1004AHG, and Moons’ 36mm 20mm steppers, and I will share my thoughts on them.

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Tips For Building A Voron

Voron 3D printers are great but building one can be challenging. The assembly manual is a great resource, and there are plenty of YouTube guides you can watch. I will share some of my own tips to help you with the build.

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Phaetus Rapido: What's New?

Phaetus Rapido

Phaetus recently announced Rapido hotend and it packs some of the advantages of E3D Revo in a more traditional package. Let’s break down the new features and compare it to other hotends.

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E3D Revo: Is It Worth It?

E3D Revo Micro

E3D just introduced a new Revo hotend, and it took the attention of the whole 3D printing community. There’s clearly a lot of innovation going on with the Revo, and I’m going to try and break it down whether it’s worth the hype and your money.

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DIY Open Source 3D Printers

Once you start tinkering with your 3D printer, it can turn from a tool to a hobby. If you get there, you should consider building a DIY open source printer. They are great for tinkering because you get access to the CAD files and you can modify any part on the printer.

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3D Printer Extruder Comparison

A new extruder can significantly improve your print quality and speed. If you are still running a BMG extruder you should know there are better options out there.

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