Question Success stories?

I'm looking for success stories people may have with getting a high quality print with stepcraft using PLA.

Photo evidence please
What slicer did you use? (Did you use UCCNC to drive?)
What imperfections do you still encounter?
What is your success rate? (Every print good or 1/5?)

Hi Rick,

I am printing on a 420/2 Stepcraft using the Stepcraft 3D 1.75 printing head. Over time and with the right software the results were getting better. As a reference of what is possible see attached photo. The cathedral is 33mm high and 70mm long- Printing with the standard 0,4mm nozzle in 0,1mm resolution with PLA. Windows are open and printed without support.



I am using my self designed heat bed (see: low cost head bed with height setup ) to print in PLA and ABS.
One of the important points for getting reliable results was to right software - I had no luck with the Stepcraft combination (repetier host) and do use KISSSlicer with Mach3 control on my heat bed. With this combination I am printing prototyping parts with >90% good results. Especially the KISSSlicer is producing very good results with and without support in extreme resolution and with very nice surfaces. It is extremely configurable what is an advantage in case you want best results, but may discourage frist time users with a quite steep learning curve.

Mike

I want to bump this one. Would anyone who has bought the 3D system say it's a good buy??? I bought a stepcraft a) because its the only brand of desktop I could get my hands-on buy (non postal) due to where I live b) I really like the idea that I could eventually have a 3D printer as well as a small mill. The re-seller I bought it from actually advised me against it. He said the print quality wasn't great and that I should buy a dedicated 3d printer. Now that tells me he was either being super honest or trying to upsell me a dremel brand 3d printer which he was also an agent for. Kind of wondering about that. There's so little information about step craft out there..perhaps even less on this forum

Can any owners recommend buying this???

To say the print quality is not good is simply not true. It may take some time to get the experience and the right parameter for high quality print, but it is possible. Look at my printed cathedral above. Should speak for itself.
But you should ask yourself how intensive your 3D printing use may get, cause the wear of the machine is quite high when used often.

I have been printing with the xyz Davinci 2.0 for almost 2 years. I recently bought the stepcraft 600 so far the $600.00 Davinci has provided much better quality time and time again. Not sure why such grief with getting the stepcraft to work properly?????

Pics look good. Any insight on the settings that are needed for similar results? I have the Stepcraft 2-600, using the repetier host 1.0.6 for stepcraft. I am having zero success.

3D printing have a lot of variables that might go wrong. I once tested repetier host and tossed it after some prints. Now I am on KissSlicer with very good and reproducible results. That one is much more flexible in configuration, but of course more confusing for starters, too. In case you are interested you can download my working kissslicer settings here: https://www.stepcraft-systems.com/en/forum/software/2777-mach3-auf-stepcraft (link in first post)

Other things, that might go wrong:
- extruder temperature: Here I am on 190 degree celsius
- pressure screw in printing head - screw it INTO the head for about 2-3 turns or more
- bad fillament - buy high quality and spend more money..essential!!
- easy fillament feeding - check resintance
- soot particles blocking the nozzle - hand cleaning with a 0,4mm mill

But however, it will take time until it gets better.

Mike

So I am new to stepcraft and this forum, however, I would like to have success stories to share, but dont. The truth of what I have seen on this forum and the quality of the stepcraft printer falls way short of my expectation. Here are a couple of pics of the failures from stepcraft 600. This includes tweaking the retract and temps. In comparison, a pic from my $600.00 davinci duo 2.0.

If anyone has setting configurations that you can share, I would be grateful. I cant get the stepcraft prints to detach from raft, they don't fill the upper and lower 3 layers at 100%. Infill is horrible, print quality is not acceptable at all.

Attached are pics in Red from Stepcraft ABS. Yellow and White are Davinci 2.0 ABS.

The fact you are failing is no proof that the Stepcraft head is crap. However, it seams you had a bad start. A very bad one, I have to admit. But I remember my fist prints and they were not that better.
First of all choosing ABS was not a good idea, I guess. I order to print ABS successful you need a head pad and a closed build room. I think, you have neither.
So, if I were you, I would grab a good quality PLA reel and start from scratch. When PLA is a success you can go on with PETG that has the better properties of ABS but without that warping problem. So, give it a new try..

MikeRD03 wrote: ... As a reference of what is possible see attached photo. The cathedral is 33mm high and 70mm long- Printing with the standard 0,4mm nozzle in 0,1mm resolution with PLA. Windows are open and printed without support.

This is the proof of a good result???? I assume my understanding for "a good result" must be different ....

It may be possible that a 3000 dollar Unimaker is delivering better results, but for my needs this is more than enough.

This is the best I get until now. Having a lot of problems, like warping, grinding filament and inconsistent extrusion.

Gents, on an open system (no housing) like the Stepcraft 3D printer you will never get good results with ABS. Stick on PLA and you might get some useful results.
But still, you will never get the same good results compared to a real 3D printer.
You can build your own for about 400-500€, there is no need to buy an expensive Ultimate.

Just to give you an idea: this is printed in 0,2mm layer height.

You can even build an Ultimaker 2, the plans are available at Github.

DerRoy wrote: Gents, on an open system (no housing) like the Stepcraft 3D printer you will never get good results with ABS.

Hi,

this is just not true. Yes, there is problem, mainly with warping with larger parts, but it doesn't mean that you can't get good stuff out with machine without enclosure. If you have problems printing small ABS parts with open printer, then you have a poor printer or something else wrong...

Also, materials are getting better all the time, currently the best ABS filaments are almost as easy to print as PLA...

Here's one larger example, ABS, BCN3D Sigma. Table temp 100C, no problem.

although i do not have the 3d print head but i do own a makergear mk2 which is open and i found the most useful item to be a PEI (Polyetherimide) Sheet as a print surface. it has almost completely eliminated the need for a raft. the other important is a level bed which the stepcraft does not easily allow but could be rigged. the huge advantage to the stepcraft is the potential for very large prints.

Hi-ya,
I found these two sites useful. Maybe there’s something on there that may help improve your results.
FYI, I’m not affiliated with either.
www.simplify3d.com/support/
rigid.ink/pages/ultimate-troubleshooting-guide