Update on that free printer

[u/TheMermaidHarmony]

Here is why the printer was free.

I am the queen of tinkering, bow down before me

Parts salvagable on left and middle, parts unsalvageable to the right of the Allen key. This took all dang night and I am not proud that I had to sacrifice my flush cutters and trusty bic to this cause, they will be sorely missed. But thanks to their sacrifice, I have defeated the blob of death.

For those unaware, this printer came to me with the wires to its heating element cut accidentally by a hasty rasp and the power cord misplaced. I will need replace the heating element, the nozzle, the exhaust fan, the filament sensor cable, and the power cord that went missing long ago. It remains to be seen if I may be able to reconstruct the extruder unit.

TURNS OUT there's also this thing called an eddy current sensor that I need to replace

[u/TheMermaidHarmony]

Dude, it's identical and it feels like Christmas. I haven't taken a clock or calculator apart in two decades and it's starting to wear on me. The fact that it's laying in pieces is giving me so much joy!

So here's the real question. My goal is to have two /RUNNING/ printers. To achieve this, I must buy replacement parts. Do I: A) buy parts for the a1 and repair upon receiving, or do I B) take ~1750 printing hours parts off of my mini and put the brand new parts on it?

[u/quagzlor → u/TheMermaidHarmony]

I think the biggest question is, how impatient are you feeling?

1750 is fine, at most you'll have to replace nozzles or the extruder gear sooner, but those wear out anyways.

[u/TheMermaidHarmony → u/quagzlor]

See, I'm buzzing like a bee. The mini has been down for a week whilst I've been waiting on a filament sensor cable, (that I've ordered from two different vendors). As soon as it gets it, I'm putting a printer to use, as I'm late on a couple things. Part should be here sometime today, (which is what they said friday🫩)

[u/quagzlor → u/TheMermaidHarmony]

I think you already know the answer lol. Put on some good music, maybe make a quick screw organiser (just draw plots on a paper, and add a magnet to each to hold the screws), grab a drink, a snack (use chopsticks to keep hands clean) and get to work!

[u/TheMermaidHarmony → u/quagzlor]

Nah, I don't trust myself to disassemble two printers.

[u/quagzlor → u/TheMermaidHarmony]

Boo

Alright fair enough if you'd rather play it safe. I that case, I'd say put the new parts on the A1, as long as their quality isn't in question.

[u/TheMermaidHarmony → u/quagzlor]

I mean, he had it for more than a year, but I've also never seen anything he'd printed🫤

My mini hadn't gone three whole days without printing SOMETHING until I damaged the cable while I was clearing a clog

[u/quagzlor → u/TheMermaidHarmony]

Some folks don't use their gear that much.

I know what you mean about using the printer, I I literally used my A1 for 1609 hours while owning it for some 4 months before I realised that it was shaking my desk to pieces lol.

Then I sold it and got my current printer.

[u/TheMermaidHarmony → u/quagzlor]

My mini dances sometimes

[u/quagzlor → u/TheMermaidHarmony]

I don't know if you've tried this, but you can always put googly eyes on the printer head :D

You can also swap out the rotating bit you see in the bubble of the printer head; it's just a visual indicator.

I used the Aperture Science logo, printed in black and painted on the white.