Serious help here.... The Ultimaker 2+ is designed to accept only 2.85mm filaments, but...

[Rygaard 0]

Hi everyone,

I know there must be a lot of articles about what I would like to talk about and ask you for guidance.

The Ultimaker 2+ is designed to accept only 2.85mm filaments.
My biggest problem is that here in Brazil, there are almost no places that manufacture 2.85mm PLA filaments. Everywhere I try to buy PLA filament sells 1.75mm filaments. The 1.75mm filaments are more varied in color and type.

So, I would like to know these days:

1) Is there any way to make Ultimaker 2+ use 1.75mm filaments without physical changes to the machine?

2) If changes are made physically to Ultimaker 2+:
- Would serious problems happen that would stop working on Ultimaker 2+ through this conversion?
- After the conversion, could I still use the Olsson Block kit?
- Where could I find the best conversion kits?
- Would it be difficult to perform the conversion?
- Ultimaker 2+'s gcode is UltiGcode, so would I have to change gcode?
- If I want to go back to 2.85mm filaments would it be possible?

Please help me find a solution so I can use Ultimaker 2+ with 1.75mm filaments.
I would like to remind you that this is an urgent need because the 2.85mm filaments are very difficult to find here.
But the 1.75mm I would find very easily and in different brands (national or imported).

Thank you so much for your patience and help.

[vpswboces 0]

I don't know the answers to many of your questions, but I did convert the UM2 that I am helping someone with to use 1.75mm.  Here is a link to the Adafruit guide that I used.  Go through the whole guide, ot just the video.  The video is abridged and misses several key steps in the regular guide.  

 

https://learn.adafruit.com/using-1-dot-75mm-filament-on-ultimaker-2 

[Rygaard 0]

Thanks for answering me and for the link. I'll take a look. I don't know if it would work with Ultimaker 2+ since the process is done in Ultimaker 2.

I think to change the diameter to 1.75mm in ultimakerCura would be only in Preferences / Machine Settings. Or would I have to change elsewhere too with for example in the Material settings?

Many features of nozzle diameter, first layer initial temperature, retractions and many others are hidden because of the gcode Ultimaker2 I use.

At the moment, I don't have a 1.75mm filament on hand to be able to take the test.

Most important for me is making the Ultimaker 2+ work with 1.75mm filaments because I have no other way out. I cannot become hostage to whether or not I have 2.85mm filaments in which there are few options or not (including color) or if the store sells me only if I order 8kg (8 filament units) to have 2.85mm filament .

[ClausJ 5]

I recently wanted to do this on my 2 extended+, bought a kit from 3dsolex. He also makes compatible nozzles. Several problems, the filament would not pass through the new bowden tube, it’s a thin tube inside a larger one and the thin tube would curl up. I tried to order other bowden tubes but could not find a working solution. Next problem was the feeder, it would not grab the filament. There are some plastic walls inside the feeder that prevents the wheels from touching the filament. I broke off those walls and could get it to feed. However because of the bowden tube problem I finally gave it up. Waste of time and money.

[Rygaard 0]

8 hours ago, ClausJ said:

I recently wanted to do this on my 2 extended+, bought a kit from 3dsolex. He also makes compatible nozzles. Several problems, the filament would not pass through the new bowden tube, it’s a thin tube inside a larger one and the thin tube would curl up. I tried to order other bowden tubes but could not find a working solution. Next problem was the feeder, it would not grab the filament. There are some plastic walls inside the feeder that prevents the wheels from touching the filament. I broke off those walls and could get it to feed. However because of the bowden tube problem I finally gave it up. Waste of time and money.

I'm so sorry this happened to you. 😞

I was thinking of doing the same things you did. In one of my searches, I went to the 3dsolex website, just where you bought your kit.

Before I physically made any changes to ultimaker 2+ extended, I thought about testing the Feeder tensioning technique the same way that this person did.  https://learn.adafruit.com/using-1-dot-75mm-filament-on-ultimaker-2/overview

For me it's a case of utmost importance and need to make Ultimaker 2+ Extended use 1.75mm filaments. Because here I only find 1.75mm filaments. And importing 2.85mm filaments would be very bad for me.

Perhaps the Ultimaker manufacturer could create a specific solution or kit for users who need to use 1.75mm filaments. And if users wanted to return to using 2.85mm filaments again, this return could be accomplished easily and smoothly. (The ultimaker would give users a chance to work with both 2.85mm and 1.75mm filaments.)

I realize this suggestion of this possible 1.75mm filament kit would be a successful sales suggestion. But I know it would be very difficult for them to create and manufacture.

[johnse 31]

I have seen other threads on here about such conversions, so a search might be fruitful.

 

i have also seen where people were misled by the fairly common mislabeling of filament as 3mm. While some “3mm” filaments are really 3mm, many are actually 2.85 mm but the stores round up for whatever reason.

 

You did mention importing filament to be a possible option... there are many online suppliers with a very wide array of 2.85 mm filament.

 

Good luck on either finding a supply or making your conversion.

[Rygaard 0]

 @johnse I confused myself a while ago. For lack of experience, I thought 2.85mm filaments and 3.00mm filaments were the same thing. I thought people referred to 2.85mm or 3.00mm as if they were the same thing, just a way of expressing themselves.
But of course after much research, I realized that the filaments were completely different.

Last week I was able to buy from 2.85mm filaments and I ordered a 1.75mm filament sample. That way, I'll try to test the ultimaker 2+ extended without physically changing anything on the printer.
I'm not sure it will work, otherwise we would have already found someone who had positive results using 1.75mm filaments on ultimaker 2+.
The little I researched, I saw people succeeding in making physical changes to ultimkaer 2+ to succeed, just as you did. I was surprised that your changes didn't work out and that they gave you problems. Which made me very sad because I need to do something about it.

Importing 2.85m filaments is a solution, the problem is the delay in getting the filaments, and the high taxes when they get here in the country. But if I have no other option, the way is to always import 1.85mm filaments anyway. Or find another way ... I do not know.

I also wish you success.
And please, if you know anything about making the Ultimaker 2 + accept 1.75mm filaments, be sure to share things here.

I will report my experiences with my tests here.

[Smithy 1,144]

51 minutes ago, Rygaard said:

and I ordered a 1.75mm filament sample. That way, I'll try to test the ultimaker 2+ extended without physically changing anything on the printer.

 

Don't do it without physically changing the hotend, melted filament will not only come out of the nozzle, but also come out on the upper part of the nozzle and hotend, resulting in a mess of plastic.

[Rygaard 0]

8 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Don't do it without physically changing the hotend, melted filament will not only come out of the nozzle, but also come out on the upper part of the nozzle and hotend, resulting in a mess of plastic.

So I will not do that.
The support from which I purchased the printer told me that I could use 1.75mm filaments just by tightening the Feeder tension until I felt that Feeder would pick up the filament without problems.
They showed me a picture of a person tightening the Feeder screw.

Process similar to the link I put in the previous post.
They didn't tell me about the serious problems you just told me.

@SmithyThank you so much for letting me know.

[chuck-yanke 10]

Go to

https://thegr5store.com/store/

he has complete kits to covert. Also Bondtech has extruder for 1.75

[Rygaard 0]

Hi @chuck-yanke Thank you so much for sharing this information.

Have you used this place's kit on ultimaker 2+?
If so, did the 1.75mm kit work without problems? If you could share more information it would be great!

Thanks again for the info.

[johnse 31]

Tagging @gr5, I think he'll be able to give you a lot more information (he runs the store that @chuck-yanke referenced).

[Rygaard 0]

@johnse Thank you for letting me know that there is another hope.
Have you used this kit or do you still use this kit on your ultimaker 2 +?

[chuck-yanke 10]

Yes, gr5 has great support. Can not recommend highly enough. Very knowledgeable 

[Rygaard 0]

8 minutes ago, chuck-yanke said:

Yes, gr5 has great support. Can not recommend highly enough. Very knowledgeable 

Great news then! I was already giving up trying to figure out a way for Ultimaker 2 "+ extended to accept 1.75mm filaments.

If for some reason you want to revert back to 2.85mm would it be possible and easy to do?

[johnse 31]

7 hours ago, Rygaard said:

Have you used this kit or do you still use this kit on your ultimaker 2 +?

I don't have a UM2 of any kind. I have a UM3 and a Monoprice Maker Ultimate. The latter I modified with a Flexion extruder for printing Shore 60A TPU.

[Rygaard 0]

11 hours ago, johnse said:

I don't have a UM2 of any kind. I have a UM3 and a Monoprice Maker Ultimate. The latter I modified with a Flexion extruder for printing Shore 60A TPU.

Sorry, I thought you also had Ultimaker 2+. Thank you very much for your orientation and indication of the 1.75mm kit! I will get more information about this kit!

 

If anyone has used this kit on Ultimaker 2+, please share if everything is working out or if you had any problems.
Thanks.

[johnse 31]

I think it was @ClausJ that had gotten the kit. I had originally commented that some 2.85mm filament is nominally know as 3mm...and thus there could be suppliers you might have missed if unaware of that.

 

Good luck!