Maintenance

Maintenance tips and guides for your Replicator 2, 2X and 5th Generation.

Greasing a Replicator 2 and 2X

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The Replicator 2 and 2X both require minimal maintenance to keep them performing at their best. Every 50 hours of printing a small amount of grease should be applied in two locations. If your printer is squeaking, applying grease in these locations generally will stop the squeaking as well. Applying this grease is done to keep them quiet and prevent excess wear on parts such as the Y-axis secondary. When we are greasing a Replicator 2 or 2X we use this PTFE Grease. The first point we apply grease to is the Z axis threaded rod. This is the one that controls the height of the platform and is pictured below. The method to applying the grease to this threaded rod is to raise the platform all the way up and apply a small amount of grease below the platform. After that lower the platform and put grease above it … Read more

Applying Blue Painter’s Tape

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Applying blue painter’s tape to you platform can be done in a number of ways. Below we will discuss one method of applying it that consistently works well for us. Materials Needed: Build Plate(easiest to apply tape when out of the printer) Blue Painter’s Tape Sheet Squeegee(A credit card or similar will work in a pinch) Rubbing Alcohol Paper Towel Sand Paper (320 grit works well) Process The First step is to remove all pieces of the last sheet of tape on the build plate. If there are any large chunks of adhesive left over scraping them off may be necessary, but leaving some adhesive residue from the last sheet generally doesn’t hurt anything. The first step is to peel half the sheet of tape off it’s backing. This should be done starting at one of the shorter edges. With the backing removed align the edge with the side of … Read more

Installing Replicator 2X Extruder Upgrades

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We sell an Extruder upgrade for the Replicator 2X. It is an upgrade over the original style with a lever you flip left and right to adjust tension. There is a newer version that also uses the new style that requires a vertical squeeze in order to release the tension. This is newer version will perform similarly to the 3D printed upgrade version so upgrading that version is not necessary. These newer squeeze style drive blocks have over double the pulling power and will often work well beyond where the old style would fail. This is an upgrade we recommend on every Replicator 2X we sell. When you go to upgrade you will need to reuse one of the longer bolts that hold on your original extruder to go through the corner of the new drive block that acts as a lever. Over tightening this bolt may cause feed issues, … Read more

Tips for Printing with a Raft

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When printing we generally try to avoid a raft as it often adds unnecessary time and cost to the print in addition to sometimes reducing the finish on the bottom of the print. With that being said there are many times where a raft is useful and will improve your overall results. Below is a short list of such cases: Tall and skinny objects that may either wobble or have trouble sticking to the platform Large flat bottomed objects that have a very strong tendency to warp or not stick Objects that you don’t want to have squished into the platform Objects that are difficult to remove from the build plate Objects with support material directly on the build plate that doesn’t stick well These objects are being rafted for a variety of reasons and it is important to be aware of some of the very basic settings on rafts … Read more

Helping PLA Stick to Blue Painters Tape with Glue

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If you run into issues with a big flat print warping in the corners and you can’t seem to get it to stay stuck to your blue painters tape we have a simple trick that might help. As always if possible redesign your piece to have small portions that break up long flat portions on the build plate and include recesses or other relief areas to make it smaller chunks of warping rather than one big area. To make your prints stick to the blue painters tape you can simply apply a thin coat of UHU glue where your print will be and slightly further out to ensure you get the edges well. If you just need a tiny bit of help to make the print stick, tracing the outline of the print or even just a good coat in the corners can be sufficient. This glue stick is easy … Read more