Prusa i3 MK2s owners thread

[Supercharged_Z06]

May as well start a first thread here!

Picked up a Prusa i3 Mk2s kit earlier this year. Fun kit to build and learned a lot putting it together. Love the quality of the prints as well. It was my first foray into 3D printers. It now appears that there is new Prusa i3 MK3 about to release... Anyone considering upgrading or buying it? Features wise, I like the direction it is going... Looks like a lot of nice innovation is going into it. Thoughts?

 

[CaptNumbNutz]

I just got a Prusa MK2S about 3 weeks ago. My friend essentially gave it to me on an interest free loan because he wants some projects made but doesn't know the first thing about CAD or 3D printing. Eventually I will buy it back from him, since I don't want him to sell it off once his projects are done.

The bed was a bitch and half to assemble. By some miracle I got it square on the first try. When I saw the MK3 released on their site a week after I bought it, I almost blew a fuse as the new 30/30 frame fixes EVERYTHING wrong with the design.

The trick to getting it square is to use calipers, preferably ones you can lock to a certain measurement so you can adjust both sides to the same dimensions. I read the manual and the online manual with all the user comments and picked up a few things about which measurements to use.

Setting the Pimda probe correctly is absolutely crucial. The included V2calibration file just doesn't cut it. However, I found a nearly foolproof method:
https://shop.prusa3d.com/forum/prus...print-main-f6/life-adjust-z-my-way-t2981.html

I will likely be getting the MK2.5 upgrade they are offering. The magnetic heatbed fixes every issue I currently have with the printer... which is dealing with prints that stick a little too well to the PEI film on the bed. I've already damaged the PEI film covering the glass trying to get prints to come off. I tried a dozen or so techniques like letting the bed cool, spraying some water on the object, to a razor... and that's where I fucked up. Oh well, Prusa has great instructions on how to replace the film, but I might just hold off for that sweet sweet magnetic bed upgrade.

It's been one hell of a learning process, but I love this damn thing. I had a couple long prints and noticed how hot the stepper motors and the power supply got. I researched a little and found out the magnets in steppers lose their magnetism prematurely if they are run too hot often... somewhere north of 70 celsius. I've already printed out my first mods for the printer, cooling fans for the steppers. Even if the part about the temp isn't true, it's a nice mod to have. Overkill is the way of the [H] after all.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1409754 .... my print: https://www.thingiverse.com/make:388695

I also designed Z-axis clip on fan coolers since no one else had made anything for the Z-axis steppers yet: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2563710

I really want to print out a new case for the RAMBO also, but everyone suggests doing it in ABS which I haven't figured out yet. I might just have someone on 3Dhubs.com make it for me.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2288236

Since I also wanted to light it up, I printed out a light bar:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2010897 ... my print: https://www.thingiverse.com/make:388703

Sometime next week, I intend on setting up Octoprint on a Raspberry Pi 3 and a webcam. I will eventually be making some sort of control box that will mount to the rails to house the Pi and all the switches to turn on the lights, fans, and Pi.

I've got so many projects to make. I can't get them out of my head fast enough. My fiance is wanting me to print out part of her costume for her when we go to SD Comic Con next year.

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

I'm torn between going after the MK2.5 upgrade or just buying a second full up MK3 kit. I'm leaning towards the latter. Probably going to wait till next year though - let them work all the kinks and bugs out of the newer MK3 model first.

The MK2S I have is still working great and I've gotten to become a real pro at carefully removing prints using this: https://www.amazon.com/ToyBuilder-Labs-Print-Removal-Tool/dp/B00VB1U886 along with a thin razor and this: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:45244

I'm also a really big fan of the Prusa i3 MK2S - really glad I purchased the kit and built it myself as I too learned a fuck-ton about 3D printers by doing so. Still amazed at just how well it was packed and thought out as an organized kit it was with really quality components throughout. Yup, it was somewhat of a bitch to put together, but was a fun learning experience as well. Definitely spent the better part of a weekend on assembling it and getting it fully dialed in. If you are thinking of getting into the hobby, I can HIGHLY recommend the Prusa i3. Stay away from the crappy wholesale Chinese kits. They may be a lot cheaper, but you'll regret it in the long run. The Prusa i3 kit from the guys at Prusa Research is the one to get.

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

Looks like Prusa Research caved and the are now also offering a complete upgrade option for MK2S owners: MK2/S to MK3 upgrade kit.

But, at $499 the upgrade kit is not cheap! (Almost all of the core MK2S components have to be upgraded anyway.) I am still thinking I'd rather just spring for a complete new MK3 kit next year at $799 and then have two functional printers.... or perhaps sell my assembled MK2S to fund the new purchase.

 

[magictoaster]

Looks like Prusa Research caved and the are now also offering a complete upgrade option for MK2S owners: MK2/S to MK3 upgrade kit.

But, at $499 the upgrade kit is not cheap! (Almost all of the core MK2S components have to be upgraded anyway.) I am still thinking I'd rather just spring for a complete new MK3 kit next year at $799 and then have two functional printers.... or perhaps sell my assembled MK2S to fund the new purchase.

I'm really tempted to go for the full upgrade. I would go for a new MK3 kit but I'm not certain I'll be able to sell the MK2S/MK2.5 locally.

 

[guitarslingerchris]

I'd be very interested if either of you are unloading your MK2. I just got an Anet A8 at work to play around with and I'm in love already but feeling the limits on everything we print.

 

[guitarslingerchris]

Okay well I bit on a MK2S last night I couldn't stand waiting any longer. Going to have to go through and find all the things I want to do to it now

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

Okay well I bit on a MK2S last night I couldn't stand waiting any longer. Going to have to go through and find all the things I want to do to it now

Sorry meant to respond a while back - I've decided to just sit tight with my MK2S. While the newer features of the MK3 are nice and all, the MK2S is performing flawlessly and doing everything I need of it. Did you order the kit?

 

[guitarslingerchris]

Sorry meant to respond a while back - I've decided to just sit tight with my MK2S. While the newer features of the MK3 are nice and all, the MK2S is performing flawlessly and doing everything I need of it. Did you order the kit?

I did order the kit, not sure when it's supposed to be here so we'll see. I have a spool of this I bought to play with the cheap Anet A8 I have at work but I'm wondering if it's worth buying something a little better or if I should just deal for now until I really learn what I'm doing.

 

[magictoaster]

I did order the kit, not sure when it's supposed to be here so we'll see. I have a spool of this I bought to play with the cheap Anet A8 I have at work but I'm wondering if it's worth buying something a little better or if I should just deal for now until I really learn what I'm doing.

I would finish what you have before ordering something better/new.

You will probably use some during calibration. And on that subject, try this for calibration:

https://shop.prusa3d.com/forum/prus...print-main-f6/life-adjust-z-my-way-t2981.html

It’s a lot better than the included calibration file.

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

Also, Prusa includes a 1kg spool of PLA in their kits as well, so no need to run out and buy extra filament yet. You’ll love that kit! I was blown away by how well it was organized/packed.

 

[Paladin21]

Have a Mk2S, with the 2.5 upgrade on order. I've actually had it out at work for months now doing some prototyping, I have to schedule my stuff in between runs.

On the bright side, pretty sure we'll be getting a Mk3 at work sometime early next year, and I'm going to swap my 2.5 for the 3. Already talked to my boss about it, they're going to consider it as basically a usage fee for having my personal printer captive for the last 4 months (I print my stuff at night/weekends, so not that big a deal). From their perspective they get the proven workhorse without having to spend time debugging a new model, and for me it's an upgrade to all the new features, so we're all happy. Hoping the 2.5 kits ship relatively soon though, that flexible bed would make popping off full plates of parts much, much easier.

 

[Supercharged_Z06]

Josef and crew at Prusa are rocking it again... this time with a new set of drivers/software and a brand new firmware release for the Prusa I3 Mk2/Mk2S/MK3 as of yesterday!

More details here: https://www.prusaprinters.org/fw-3-1-0-linear-advance-drivers-1-9-1/

and linky to the downloads: Software/Drivers (Version 1.9.1) and Firmware (Version 3.1.0)
https://www.prusa3d.com/drivers/
Also, thanks for the alternate calibration link:
https://shop.prusa3d.com/forum/prus...print-main-f6/life-adjust-z-my-way-t2981.html

I discovered that my Z offset wasn't dialed in nearly as good as I thought it was using the above calibration test file. Seems because of this, I was compensating by upping my bed temp quite a bit to get things to stick better. I printed a few test sheets using the above file/guide. Went from printing a somewhat rough .3mm thick film sheet to a sharp/flat .2mm thick sheet (measured with a set of digital calipers). With the new calibration, I ended up lowering my Z offset quite a bit more (from -.480mm down to -.660mm). Prints are sticking better now and the first layer is much cleaner.