Custom heater block to fit E3D nozzle on Ultimaker 2 ("The Olsson Block")

[chrisr 18]

How's the custom block working Chris?

I'm also very interested in the fan mount. I was thinking of trying that one out myself but was worried the radiated heat from the block would cause problems.

 

It's superb! imho this is an upgrade I think all UM users should get.

Last night printing with the 0.8mm nozzle was quite an eye opener, that 0.8mm really puts the layers down fast and being able to easily switch nozzles feels like having several printers rolled in one. Imho the v best upgrade I've got. Delighted!

The fan shroud works well, it provides a more balanced flow of air from both sides than the stock metal UM shroud and it directs the air more towards where the nozzle is printing, so something like the UM robot right ear gets printed very nicely. The down side is that at low heights or large flat surfaces, you can't use 100% fan as the backwash hits the underside of the block causing it to cool and you then start to see underextrusion. I printed my shroud in PLA & with hindsight it would have been sensibler had I chosen XT or PLA-HT instead. As well, the front surface of the shroud has become slightly buckled through heat. Although that doesn't affect it's performance, it just doesn't look as 'straight' as it did before.

I think it's a worthwhile addition though. Now I'm going to nurse my hangover, as one bottle of wine turned into several... :???:

 

[tsagos 8]

will you share the link for the fan mount please?

 

[chrisr 18]

https://www.youmagine.com/designs/ultimaker-2-fan-mount-dual--2

 

[ultiarjan 1,223]

Tried it in xt. Did deform due to heat in the end. If you use it you need some heat shield. Tried it as instructed with some alu from a coke can but did not like it. Never got it to fit properly.

I did like the effect of this mount. The improved symmetry is a real improvement imo. Would love to have a metal version.

[chrisr 18]

Yes I agree, a metal version would be the business!

 

[pm_dude 27]

On the zetoff mount I use a few layers of aluminum paper and it works great. I think I have 3 or 4 layers top.

I'm starting to work on an aluminum bottom to protect the heater block from the air flow. I'll post an update when I get something up.

I'm still using the UM2 nozzles for now (still waiting for the new one) so the comments about could not apply to this new heater block.

 

[jhertzberg 19]

taulman t-glase PETT filament has a glass transition of 76C. Do you think that would hold up without a layer of alu foil?

 

[chrisr 18]

After printing this whole weekend :grin: (yup divorce is in the offing) I took another look at my Venkels shroud and it's just slightly buckled, in so far as you have to know where to look to see it. So in all, I'll probably leave it as it is. I did try a heat shield cut from a tin can with the Zettof. There's provision in Venkels design to fit the same. Probably something I should try. tbh I don't think Anders block affects these shrouds any more noticably than the stock UM heater block does, although granted - the front is marginally closer to the shroud than UM's stock block.

One thing I have noticed -pretty quickly- with the 0.8mm nozzle is that I'm having to tweak my cooling fan speeds especially when printing at 0.6mm layer heights, as the extruded material retains it's heat for much longer staying soft, than the stock 0.4mm nozzle produced at 0.2mm heights. Hardly surprising really.... but something I hadn't factored in at the time. I am so, so loving this block!

I bought S3D recently and it has provision to adjust all sorts of printing parameters, a very useful feature being to set different printing parameters across various heights. Fan speed by layer I'm finding especially useful. It's a bit of a voyage of discovery for me, just as there's so many more settings to play around with.

All great stuff!

Edit: My apologies for meandering a bit 'off topic'

 

[nallath 1,120]

Oh and it's not just costumers that are interested in what people cook up in their basement. If you have something that works well, don't hestitate to gloat in our face when you show it to us

 

[Anders Olsson 136]

One thing I have noticed -pretty quickly- with the 0.8mm nozzle is that I'm having to tweak my cooling fan speeds especially when printing at 0.6mm layer heights, as the extruded material retains it's heat for much longer staying soft, than the stock 0.4mm nozzle produced at 0.2mm heights. Hardly surprising really.... but something I hadn't factored in at the time. I am so, so loving this block!

 

At what speed did you print 0.6 mm layers? (If 50 mm/s, we are talking about some serious extrusion rates :smile: )

I played a bit with the thermal camera last time used the 0.8 nozzle and just as you say, the plastic cools much slower when printing thick.

It seems that layer adhesion is better with ABS too, so for large structures that has to take some load I really recommend going for the 0.8 nozzle and thick layers.

Another thing that is quite interesting is that at 10mm3/s you can empty a 750g spool of filament in less than 24 hours. :smile:

 

Oh and it's not just costumers that are interested in what people cook up in their basement. If you have something that works well, don't hestitate to gloat in our face when you show it to us

 

There should be a heater block V1.2 and a few nozzles somewhere in the Ultimaker HQ.

So if you want to play this too, go find it! :smile:

 

[nallath 1,120]

Yeah about that. Finding stuff in the R&D department. Lol. I'll try to poke some people to find out if they know.

 

[chrisr 18]

At what speed did you print 0.6 mm layers? (If 50 mm/s, we are talking about some serious extrusion rates :smile: )

 

I set off at 50mm/s @210C but quickly saw some underextrusion, so I raised the temperature to 217C. The actual speed gets complicated... as I reduced it in the UM2 to 88% but I think as well, I'd 85% set for perimeter outlines in S3D... (it's default is to lower this value?) so the actual speed would have been 50x0.88x0.85 = 37mm/s ish. The infill and supports were at 100% in S3D so they would have been printed at 50x0.88 = 44mm/s - although they used a thinner looking extrusion. There's a lot of settings you can muck about with in S3D. I'm still very much a novice with it!

 

[swordriff 119]

I received my 0.25 Nozzle today and installed it on my UM2.

Then I signed up with 3dhub by printing the obligatory test print at 0.1mm layer height.

Installed Bronzefill from colorfabb. 215/60, 40mm/s. Fan 100% (especially the ring in top is

really difficult!).

 

Then I did a 5 minute post-processing.

 

[gluetolf 5]

I didn't know that Bronzefill can be printed with such a tiny nozzle?! Guet gmacht!

 

[ultiarjan 1,223]

@swordriff, how did you do that in 5 minutes ???

I don't think your nozzle will stay 0.25 for long when printing brinzefill

 

[swordriff 119]

@gluetolf: Merci! I has au nöd gwösst, toll- oder?

My guess about abrasiveness is that the bronzefill does not so much gnaw at the inside of the

nozzle, but rather more "rubbing its nose" in the existing print while printing, and when the

layer is laid and "dry" it is much more like zandpapier!

Rubbing the nose in dry layers flattens the nozzle, increasing the bed gap (not necessarily a bad thing, I always try to print with as high an initial bed-gap I can get away with, but don't quote me, (topic not exhausted) ).

This flattening of the nozzle tip alone does NOT increase the nozzle diameter because there is quite a lead-out inside with a fixed calibre, all the length of the pyramid, but the rubbing of the nose and losing material DOES widen the shoulders of the nozzle. I know you are aware of this UltiArjan, thanks for handing it back to me...

The "shoulders" are the area around the plastic-exit. As the nose gets shorter, the hole stays more than less the same, and the shoulders widen, yes?

At a certain width of these shoulders, prints will just be not as good due to .. eh.. layer crash? --I am not sure. Just heard it from the oldies in here.. need to try it.

Luckily (thanks for the cue, UltiArjan), I can change the nozzle using Anders's Torque Wrench, in about

15 secs.

I plan to post a one-take video of the final layers of the little gnome, and the post processing. Should be less than 5 minutes, by a margin.

Mind you, the image in post #169 is not so good because there is poor scale; The thing is really small, 2.5cm, ca.

That's why you can still see the layers. IRL that is hard to see. When you click on it here it is many times bigger than the original. I will try to print it at 50 micron (0.05), this one here is 100 micron, and 250 micron nozzle. Standard nozzle is 400m.

I will not share the settings in Cura, because this is a test print to be accepted in 3dhub, and I do not want to ruin their fun and quality assurance. Dont even know if I am accepted! Will let you know..

There was quite a struggle to print it, had to do it 3 times, because I lack experience, and also because the

"envelopes" of bronzefill are much tighter, with less overlap between them than with PLA.

Everyone needs to try to print the thing themselves...

EDIT.

So.. 3dhubs accepted me! (thanks!) and asked me to share the settings and said the print is contending for "print of he week".. well that is something then!

Settings:

UM2, with 0.25mm nozzle.

Bed 60, no tape or glue but clean glass.

Layer 0.1mm.

Initial print temp 225 (sticks much better)

After few layers temp 215 (!)

Fan FULL after first few layers.

Fill 30%

Filament colorfabb Bronzefill

Speed: 30mm/S (Cura at 50 default, and UM2 at 60% = 30mm/s)

 

[danilius 118]

I'm coming a little late to the party here (force of habit :-P ), but where is this thing up to? Is anyone selling the block yet, or is it all still hush-hush?

 

[swordriff 119]

Dear danilius!

Sorry, it is hush and sold out, and maybe never be back!

-s

 

[danilius 118]

Now what a shame. Any reason no-one wants to manufacture it?

 

[swordriff 119]

Sorry again!

It was a joke!! !! (lots of guys in Switzerland and France had an extra heartbeat now... sorry again..).

Look danilius: They are not THAT easy to get just right, lots'a little corners that need to be just right..

They are in manufacture now for delivery in ca 12 days time.

-carl

 

[danilius 118]

They are going to shoot you for that, and I will stand by and cheer :-P

Super news then. Is it too early to ask what the price will be?

 

[swordriff 119]

Pls PM me about this.

 

[gr5 2,172]

I have a shipment of 10 sitting in New York for about a week now. I don't know what the hell takes so long. Customs I suppose. Anyway I will be accepting payment as soon as they arrive at my house. I am shipping only to USA, Canada, Mexico. I already have the first 10 "allocated" to people. When I receive the parts I will be requesting payments and if I don't sell them all within a week I will open it up to more people. I'm pretty sure I will have at least 2 extras. So if you are in the USA, Canada, Mexico and are strongly interested let me know soon.

 

[pm_dude 27]

When I saw "I have a shipment of 10 sitting in New York for about a week now" I said "WHAAAT!?!?"

lol

 

[swordriff 119]

@gr5: "I have a shipment of 10 sitting in New York for about a week now. I don't know what the hell takes so long."

My guess is that the customs officers have never seen anything quite like it! .. ("Mua-ha-ha...")