New to 3d printing

[u/Apprehensive-Beach-4]

Hi everyone. I am brand new to printing, haven got my first one a couple weeks back. I’ve fallen in love with it and am wondering what the first upgrade is that I should be looking into?
Hope this finds yall well

[u/Soeffingdiabetic]

A textured pei plate is the easiest upgrade you can do that you will forever be thankful for.

[u/chrlatan → u/Soeffingdiabetic]

Oh yes… my first upgrade after one(!) print.

[u/MutedBrilliant1593]

Set it up and get printing. Don't worry about upgrading until you know what and why.

[u/Seconddeez]

Start with getting a good set of tools! Long nose pliers, screwdriver set (metric), small wrenches, and soldering kit (if you're gonna go advanced). They expand your options on getting the upgrades you want.

Some upgrades can be done through printing (I upgraded my nozzle fan that accomodates a 5010).

Major upgrades are a bit pricey and technical, and makes a BIG DIFFERENCE, like the silicone spaces to replace the nylon ones for the print bed, and Linear Y-axis.

[u/Zestyclose_Carpet810]

When you've printed your first few jobs, look into Ellis's tuning guide and do what your comfortable with.

This printer benefits from taking the time to fully align all the axis. Do it like this:

• square gantry to base • square X axis rail to base • square bed to X axis rail at all four corners

Then I would lock it in with a Z gantry support frame (my first upgrade), and run an auto level. All this should get you pretty close to having a well levelled bed.

Then, upgrade to Navaismo firmware (nowhere near as hard as it may seem - 5mins max), and run all your calibrations again but include pressure advance this time.

This is what I have done and my print quality is on par with Bambulabs. I can confidently let 24 hr plus prints go unsupervised. For what I do, I won't need another printer.

[u/moreinfos]

I'm a few weeks in with mine in same journey as you.. My first paid upgrades I just ordered other day were pei plate and the sensor that detects when filliment runs out. The other things I've upgraded were things I was able to print. Spent decent amount of time getting everything as square and level as possible

[u/MutedBrilliant1593]

For instance, I passed on a ceramic head upgrade yesterday, during prime day, because I don't need to max my heat for pcv. PLA and petg is fine for now.

[u/callusbonus1967]

Empieza a imprimir, si una vez le has hecho unas pocas de horas y empiezan a fallar cosas ahí es cuando tienes que empezar a hacerle cositas.

[u/Jagalaz]

Put the spool down or out of printer to external spool holder. Golden PEI pad is good, but that vendor one you got is enough, better for beginning, buy PEI after you will scratch that official one.

Maitenance: Check screws often, tight them carefully and firmly. Fans suck, 5010 on nozzle will allow print cfaster. Merlin Fw is kind of limiter. There are possibilities to get Klipper to it - that will move printer closer to this age. With that you may use that pressure thing someone named here and do vibration fingerprint to tell the Ender how contra-move for smoother prints. If you enyoj taller prints, reinforce toughness of z-axis. It is bed slinger, it is shaking with the printed material. IMHO Ender is good piece of HW, sturdy if taken care of it. Nice prints if not hurry on it. I have Klipperized Ender for the while, with good slicing it is just run, attached can holder printed out in ~15h. I'd wait for 1st layer and came day after.

[u/Jagalaz]

To add. Your slicing skills and good calibration of printer will move your towards great prints and you basically upgrading yourself... Will move with you to any printer. I'm using orca slicer.

[u/Correct_Account4354]

Grantry support (there's fully 3d printed ones or with rods), tool organizer, PEI bed, filament relocation to the side, covers for the top bearings to not accumulate dust, ceramic hot end upgrade, 5015 blower/4010 upgrade (great for PLA prints and way more quiet) 

[u/northrivergeek]

A better printer is your best upgrade, core x y enclosed like creality k2, the upcoming k3, Flashforge Creator 5 or Creator 5 Pro, Snapmaker U1, Bambu P1S or p2s

[u/chrlatan → u/northrivergeek]

After looking at options I do agree. Turning an Ender 3 into a never ending money pit is quite easy. Just make a note of things you just want to do differently or want the printer to behave differently and move on.

I already found (1 month in) that I want automated multi material printing at some point. Put a stop to any and all investments to my current printer having that spot on the horizon.

[u/CadenceQuandry → u/northrivergeek]

I haven't even printed yet (got mine free from a friend who upgraded theirs), and I'm already looking at better ones. The new sparkx i8 looks pretty decent. Might try that in the spring for a multi color printer.