All 3D printer upgrade guides
157 pages in 13 sections. Each section opens with an overview, followed by its guides, comparisons and how-tos.
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Bambu Lab25 pages
What each Bambu Lab printer can print stock, where its nozzle, bed and chamber limits sit, and which upgrades help with engineering filaments.
OverviewUpgrading Bambu Lab printers for engineering materials
Guides (10)
- Bambu Lab A1 mini upgrades: what each one changes
- Bambu Lab H2C induction hotend explained
- Bambu Lab X1C upgrade path: what to change, in what order
- Can the Bambu Lab A1 print nylon, PC, ABS or ASA?
- Can the Bambu Lab P1S print TPU?
- The Bambu Lab firmware update controversy: what changed
- Venting a Bambu Lab P1S for ABS: filter, fumes and exhaust
- What filaments can the Bambu Lab P1S print?
- Which Bambu Lab build plate to use for nylon and PC
- Which Bambu Lab plate to use for ASA and ABS
Comparisons (7)
- Bambu Lab High Flow hotend vs standard and third-party
- Bambu Lab hotend types: which hotend each printer uses
- Bambu Lab hotend upgrades by printer series
- Bambu Lab X1E vs X1C for engineering materials
- Build plates that fit the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon, compared
- Which Bambu Lab printers can print nylon?
- Which Bambu Lab printers can print polycarbonate?
How-tos (7)
- ABS warping on the Bambu Lab P1S: causes and fixes
- Bambu Lab firmware update stuck or failed: what to do
- Bambu Lab nylon settings: temperatures, plate and drying
- Drying nylon and PC for Bambu Lab: temperatures and times
- Hardened steel nozzles on Bambu Lab: models and how to fit
- Printing PA-CF on a Bambu Lab printer without clogging
- Upgrading a Bambu Lab A1 mini to the Combo with an AMS lite
Voron3 pages
What a Voron is, what it prints in a 50 to 60 °C chamber, where its limits sit, and which hotend and chamber upgrades fit for engineering materials.
OverviewVoron printers for engineering materials: builds, upgrades
Guides (1)
Comparisons (1)
Heat & hardware
Temperature limits4 pages
What caps a 3D printer's nozzle, bed and chamber temperatures, part by part, and what has to change before you can print hotter materials.
Overview3D printer temperature limits: nozzle, bed and chamber
Guides (2)
How-tos (1)
Hotends16 pages
How to pick a hotend for nylon, PC and PEEK: all-metal vs PTFE-lined, heat breaks, sensors, heaters, and every 400 to 500 °C hotend compared.
OverviewHow to choose a hotend for engineering filaments
Guides (8)
- All-metal hotend retraction settings
- E3D Revo hotend: max temp, thermistor, flow and nozzles
- Ender 3 hotend specs: voltage, wattage, thermistor, max temp
- Hotend silicone socks: what they do and their limits
- Hotend vs nozzle: what's the difference?
- Printing PLA with an all-metal hotend without clogs
- Signs of nozzle wear, and how to test a nozzle
- When to use a hardened steel nozzle, filament by filament
Comparisons (6)
- Creality K1 hotend upgrades: Unicorn and alternatives
- E3D Revo vs Phaetus Rapido, Dragon and Mosquito
- E3D Revo vs V6: differences, fit and specs
- Ender 3 hotend upgrades compared
- Hardened steel vs stainless steel nozzles
- Wear-resistant nozzle options: hardened steel, ruby, carbide
How-tos (1)
Extruders14 pages
A direct drive extruder upgrade moves the extruder onto the print head for TPU and 1 mm retraction. Upgrade types, kits from $18 and the E-steps each needs.
OverviewExtruder upgrades: direct drive, dual gear and geared kits
Guides (7)
- Creality Sprite extruder: Pro vs SE, fit and settings
- Micro Swiss NG direct drive extruder: fit and settings
- Orbiter extruder v2.0 vs v2.5: weight, gearing, sensor
- Sherpa Mini extruder: weight, gear ratio, motor and build
- What is a BMG extruder? Gear ratio, clones and setups
- What is a direct drive extruder? Pros, cons and printers
- What is a dual gear extruder, and is it worth it?
Comparisons (2)
How-tos (4)
Chamber heaters4 pages
How chamber heater retrofits work, which materials need one, the risks to motors and electronics, and every commercial retrofit kit side by side.
OverviewCan you add a chamber heater to a 3D printer? Your options
Comparisons (1)
How-tos (2)
Upgrade order5 pages
Upgrade a 3D printer in the order your next material needs: enclosure, bed, hardened nozzle, hotend, then chamber heat. With a filament-by-filament chart.
OverviewWhat order should you upgrade a 3D printer in?
Guides (1)
Comparisons (2)
- Ender 3 upgrades list: what each one fixes, costs and needs
- Upgrade a consumer printer or buy industrial? Costs compared
How-tos (1)
Multi-material
Multi-color4 pages
How multi-color 3D printing works with one nozzle, two nozzles, IDEX or a toolchanger, and how each handles purge waste and mixed materials.
OverviewHow multi-color 3D printing works: AMS, MMU and toolchangers
Guides (2)
How-tos (1)
Dual nozzle16 pages
A dual nozzle 3D printer has two hotends on one toolhead. What it prints, how it compares with an AMS or MMU, and which printers have one, with prices.
OverviewWhat a dual nozzle 3D printer is and what it is for
Guides (8)
- Adding a second extruder to a single-nozzle printer
- Do dual nozzle printers waste less filament?
- Does a second nozzle slow down printing?
- Does the Bambu Lab H2S have a dual nozzle?
- H2D print volume with one nozzle and with both
- How the Bambu Lab H2D dual nozzle works
- Running two different nozzle sizes on the H2D
- What the Bambu Lab Filament Track Switch does
Comparisons (2)
- Bambu Lab H2D vs X2D: the dual nozzle differences
- Dual nozzle printers with a heated chamber, compared
How-tos (5)
Toolchangers16 pages
How a 3D printer toolchanger docks, parks and picks up whole toolheads, how many toolheads each system takes, and the main printers and DIY kits.
OverviewHow a 3D printer toolchanger works
Guides (5)
- How the Prusa XL tool changer works
- How the Snapmaker U1 tool changer works
- StealthChanger: what it is, what it fits and what it costs
- What the Bondtech INDX tool changer is
- Which Z probe to use on a StealthChanger
Comparisons (4)
- Prusa XL vs Bambu Lab H2D for multi-material printing
- Toolchanger options for the Voron 2.4, Trident and V0
- Toolchanger vs AMS: which wastes less filament
- Which 3D printers have tool changers
How-tos (6)
Firmware & warranty
Klipper macros19 pages
What Klipper macros are, what they automate, which commands Klipper and Mainsail or Fluidd provide by default, and the macros most printers run.
OverviewWhat Klipper macros can do
Guides (6)
- How to make a Klipper macro wait
- If, else and loops in Klipper macros
- Klipper adaptive bed meshing explained
- Klipper macro parameters: passing values and defaults
- Klipper macro variables: storing and reading state
- Klipper rename_existing: overriding built-in commands
How-tos (12)
- How to add a purge line macro in Klipper
- How to add M600 filament change to Klipper
- How to add macros to Klipper
- How to ask for user input in a Klipper macro
- How to enable exclude object in Klipper
- How to run a Klipper macro on startup
- How to set a Z offset per build plate in Klipper
- How to set up a filament runout sensor in Klipper
- How to set up PAUSE, RESUME and CANCEL_PRINT in Klipper
- How to write a Klipper END_PRINT macro
- How to write a Klipper nozzle wipe macro
- How to write a Klipper PRINT_START macro
Warranty13 pages
Most 3D printers have a 1-year US warranty, or 2 years for Bambu Lab from Bambu Store US. Eight brands compared: parts, extensions and claim routes.
Overview3D printer warranties by brand: length, coverage and claims
Guides (10)
- Anycubic warranty: length, coverage and how to claim
- Bambu Lab extended warranty: eligibility, length and price
- Bambu Lab hotend warranty: which parts, and for how long
- Bambu Lab warranty: how long it lasts and what it covers
- Creality warranty: length, coverage and how to claim
- Elegoo warranty: length, coverage and how to claim
- Flashforge warranty: length, coverage and how to claim
- Prusa warranty: length, kits, extended cover and claims
- QIDI warranty: length, coverage and how to claim
- Sovol warranty: length, coverage and how to claim
Comparisons (1)
How-tos (1)
Offline & LAN18 pages
Most 3D printers print with no internet from a memory card or USB drive. The cloud adds phone apps and remote control; every major brand has a local route.
OverviewOffline 3D printing: running a printer without the cloud
Guides (5)
- Bambu Lab Developer Mode: what it is and how to enable it
- Does Bambu Handy work in LAN mode? Apps that do
- Does Bambu Studio work offline? Slicing without internet
- Is Bambu Lab's cloud down? How to check and keep printing
- PrusaLink default username, password and API key
Comparisons (3)
- Bambu Lab LAN mode vs cloud mode: what changes
- PrusaLink vs OctoPrint for Prusa printers
- PrusaLink vs Prusa Connect: local vs cloud control
How-tos (9)
- Bambu Lab camera in LAN mode: live view and streams
- Bambu Lab LAN mode not working: fixes, ports, Developer Mode
- Bambu Lab printer shows offline: causes and fixes
- Bambu Lab printers in Home Assistant: setup and dashboards
- How to run a Bambu Lab printer in LAN-only mode
- How to update a Bambu Lab printer's firmware offline
- PrusaLink in Home Assistant: setup and what it shows
- PrusaLink on a Raspberry Pi for the MK3S and MK2.5S
- PrusaLink setup: connect a Prusa printer on your network