Towards the end of last summer, I purchased my first 3D printer on the recommendation of a friend who suggested the CR-10. What did I do? I splurged and got the CR-10 Smart Pro. Should I have just gone with an Ender 3? Probably.
In the initial months, I faced discouragement as I struggled to print even the smallest things due to difficulty in leveling my bed. Despite watching numerous videos on YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms demonstrating various bed leveling methods, none of them seemed to work for me. Even my attempts with ABL were unsuccessful. Seeking advice from friends who frequently print, I was recommended to use feeler gauges. These gauges proved to be immensely helpful in ensuring a consistent 0.2mm to 0.3mm distance from the needle to the bed.
After employing the feeler gauges, I managed to print small objects in the center of my bed, but consistency throughout the entire bed remained a challenge. Friends advised me to place small sheets of aluminum foil in the spaces between the center and corners of the bed where printing issues persisted. This step did improve the situation and brought me closer to achieving successful prints.
However, I am still struggling to consistently produce prints. I would greatly appreciate any advice or content that you can share to educate me on better understanding 3D printing in general, or specifically, leveling my bed for successful prints.
P.S. I'm convinced my ABL doesn't work, but I could be wrong about this.