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Hi everyone

Quick question - I'm about to begin the build of my rostock max v2 (it's in the post still).

If you had the option, knowing what you know now, would you start with the stock hot end or swap it out for an e3d v6 right from the get go?

I was leaning towards learning how to print with the stock hot end then prgressing, however I'm not sure how much hassle it is to change them out....

Thanks for your help!

I would stay with the stock hotend for now, perhaps install a ceramic heater cartridge in it instead of the resistors.

The only advantage I see with changing out, or modifying the stock hotend are if you want to use filament that requires a hotter temperature, or if sourcing the replacement tips would be difficult.

The stock hotend is great. Definitely do the heater cartridge mod, if you feel like you can manage it. If you put a 40w cartridge in, set your max PWM settings (two places) to about half (128 or less is what I run).

I would start with the stock hot end, it prints nicely. If you install it with a quick connect it will make the switch to the e3d v6 a little quicker. Mine took about 40 minutes to change out

jram wrote:I would start with the stock hot end, it prints nicely. If you install it with a quick connect it will make the switch to the e3d v6 a little quicker. Mine took about 40 minutes to change out

Cool. Was that 40 minutes with the quick connect? Any idea where to source the parts for it?

bot wrote:The stock hotend is great. Definitely do the heater cartridge mod, if you feel like you can manage it. If you put a 40w cartridge in, set your max PWM settings (two places) to about half (128 or less is what I run).

Sorry to ask a dumb question but what is the heater cartridge mod? I've read up a fair bit about max v2 builds and this is the first time I've heard about it.... does it make it come up to heat quicker or is it about maintaining a more consistent heat?

Thanks for your help Bot

Here's a video: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvXKt3xDt4E[/youtube]

That video shows the exact mod I was talking about.

It's just a nicer way of heating things. I came to dislike the way the resistors were setup in the stock kit.

I would advise, though, that if you are using a 40w heater cartridge, to lower the power output with these two values:
Change the values to both be around 120-128. The heat up times will go slower than if you don't change them, but without lowering them you might get a lot of overshoot on the target temp.

(incidentally, my EXT1_PID_INTEGRAL_DRIVE_MAX was set to 205 by default, I think. Weird. SeeMeCNC must have changed the default value)

didymus wrote:

jram wrote:I would start with the stock hot end, it prints nicely. If you install it with a quick connect it will make the switch to the e3d v6 a little quicker. Mine took about 40 minutes to change out

Cool. Was that 40 minutes with the quick connect? Any idea where to source the parts for it?

Actually it was just bullet connectors instead of the red connectors that come with the kit, I think maker hive has a full quick connect platform, I remember seeing a thread a few weeks ago.

bot wrote:That video shows the exact mod I was talking about.

It's just a nicer way of heating things. I came to dislike the way the resistors were setup in the stock kit.

I would advise, though, that if you are using a 40w heater cartridge, to lower the power output with these two values:

Code: Select all

#define EXT1_PID_INTEGRAL_DRIVE_MAX 130
...
#define EXT1_PID_MAX 255

Change the values to both be around 120-128. The heat up times will go slower than if you don't change them, but without lowering them you might get a lot of overshoot on the target temp.

(incidentally, my EXT1_PID_INTEGRAL_DRIVE_MAX was set to 205 by default, I think. Weird. SeeMeCNC must have changed the default value)

OK thanks for this - I have ordered the 40w heater cartridges which bizarrely come in a 3 pack (do they go wrong that often??). I am planning on using bullet connectors, XT60 etc wherever possible in the build to make sure as much as possible is modularised. Thanks for the tip on the code changes.

So with this instead of two resistor heaters I will have one heater cartridge - are there any problems with it being "lop-sided"?

Now all I have to do is build the thing

OK. I am pretty sure I don't want to change out for an e3d v6 straight away....... but.... does anyone have direct experience with these e3d v6 hotends from Aliexpress?

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/E3D-V6-3 ... 14653.html

The price is insane....

didymus wrote:OK. I am pretty sure I don't want to change out for an e3d v6 straight away....... but.... does anyone have direct experience with these e3d v6 hotends from Aliexpress?

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/E3D-V6-3 ... 14653.html

The price is insane....

The price, to me, is an indicator that it is a knock off, and not an E3D V6. I bet they want real money for it, not counterfeit.

Anything on Aliexpress is 100% a clone.

http://e3d-online.com/Genuine-Check

It will not be supported by E3D, and it most likely will be an $11 box full of headaches.

elmoret wrote:Anything on Aliexpress is 100% a clone.

http://e3d-online.com/Genuine-Check

It will not be supported by E3D, and it most likely will be an $11 box full of headaches.

Thanks dude that's exactly what I hoped to hear - btw the link you provided is super useful... not only has it helped me find a place to source (eventually) a e3d v6, it has also pointed me towards a couple of really cool 3d printing suppliers in Germany... thanks :)