I just bought a new X1C with the AMS and I want to use it for printing PLA or PLA+ for starters. I read that it’s best to leave the door open or the lid open or removed and I even thought about that before researching the AMS risers. I really like this one:
But I don’t like the 60-70 hours it takes to print it. Does anybody know of a place that would print this for a reasonable price? I looked at other risers but this is the one that looks the best. I just don’t want to babysit my new printer before I am comfortable with it and would hate to have a major malfunction when I am sleeping or away from it while printing for so many hours.
Thanks
Welp,
I just checked out Craft Cloud and just to do the 4 biggest parts in PETG was $170.00 US so I guess after rethinking this, I don’t have to do the whole thing at once and can print the biggest prints on a day I can babysit them. Or just make a shelf out of wood.
Edit: I sliced the larger parts and with supports one of them is just over 24 hours to print. Looking for other risers now . . . And thinking about going out to the workshop and making something out of wood.
For PLA, you can just print with the door and lid closed. Printing warm is better for warping and curling reduction. I do a lot of PLA in this way and have never had a heat creep with it.
It would allow you to get familiar with the X1 before starting such a major print. In particular since you may want to print a riser sitting on top of a warm printer (think about summer) from something a bit more heat resistant than PLA.
As an after-thought: When I first got my initial X1, it took me 2 months to shake that old habit of needing to print printer parts to get it to do what I wanted. Slow learner …
Now, with over 3,300h on two consecutive X1’s, I feel more confident about my own “useful prints”:
I’d suggest to start with the AMS itself rather than the X1. In particular the various “AMS saviour” on MakerWorld help a lot against entangling. It still happens, but much rarer. Look for ones that still allow you to see the AMS lights, are simple to slide on and include a filament guide on the roll side.
You’ll want to print the PTFE and cable removal tool set.
Dessiccant holders for the spools. There are some really good ones out there. Especially the screw-in types. Just remember that they either need to be from a heat resistant material or need to be removed before putting them in the dryer. And do not dry your dessiccant in them when using a microwave. Otherwise, they’ll look like modern art afterwards
Dessiccant tray’s for when you replace the original dessiccant bags with reuasble dessiccant.
Dessiccant holders for the front row of the AMS. Those can be a challenging print, in particular in PETG. But you’ll learn a lot and can use them for extra dessiccant and acid free activated charcoal (against the smell). I also have one per AMS holding a cheap hygrometer as it allows me to know easily when to dry my dessiccant.
Only then did I look at the printer with any hope of making meaningful improvements.
A charcoal filter replacement container. I usually have acid free activated charcoal sitting on top of a cut-out from a FFP2 mask in the container. Works a treat as my nose and the air quality sensor I have sitting behind the “exhaust” tell me. Or I may just be deluding myself and it is only as good as the original solution
I did install ThruTheFrame’s HULA’s. Since the motor noise update last year they are not needed so much imo, but I have a background in vibration control and loved how much thought was put into them . And they do indeed reduce the vibration transmitted from the printer to the table.
What I would still like to print if my printer wasn’t so busy printing:
Build plate alignment tabs since I do occasionally place it wrongly
Something to ensure the poop chute congestion has no chance to occur as the sensor is not reliable and it occured just yesterday, leading to a slight bending of my ObXidian nozzle
I have read that people do print PLA with the lid on and door closed with no problems but have also read the same where they did have problems. Mainly with clogs in the nozzle.
I was planning on using PETG but I can’t even imagine printing an 80 hour print. I already have an MK4 and 3 A1 mini’s (2 with AMS) and also 2 A1’s. But I want to get set up and avoid any surprises.
Thanks for the info. For starters is this the AMS Saver you mentioned? And which one of the 10 different profiles id the best one to print?
I have some of the PTFE tools but will look into more for the AMS tubing tools.
I will look for the desiccant holders for the spools too. I have desiccant and charcoal and have made several Bento Boxes but haven’t finished assembling them yet. I will do some more research on all the desiccant stuff you mentioned. I have hygrometers.
Link for the ThruTheFrame’s HULA’s?
Thanks for all the good info on things that will make my AMS journey trouble free.
It’s going to print that in plates, so not 60-70 in one whack. Plus you could break it down to an object per plate to print plates over days(evenings after work?)
Here’s the one I went with, simple, effective, doesn’t use a ton of filament and has lid storage built in plus good, through the top, access.
Those AMS savers look very similar to what I am using. Mine were pulled from MakerWorld as they were probably ripped but these look pretty good. I’d try the second Designer print profile as it seems to have a slightly wider filament guide.
And of course the HULA’s: HULA v1.0 Anti-Vibration Feet for 3D Printers by thrutheframe - MakerWorld
Note that the “Air pad” is needed for its anti-skid function but works differently than intended regarding vibrations. You can just lower it below the build plate to leave a 3 solid layer lower surface and get better performance. Should also work for the A1 versions that way.
And sorry for forgetting you are well underway in 3D printing. Unless you are just unlucky with the printer you received, 80h prints should no longer be something to be overly worried about. You may even want to go straight for the (well dried) PETG HF for the spool dessiccant holders. I found that print much easier than anticipated.
The only problem is that a few of the plates are 24 hour prints! Thanks for the link on the other option. I also forgot to mention I have purchased a 2nd AMS so that complicates the riser issue. I will look at PVC pipe options or just build a book case sty;e one from wood. I am also wondering about the PTFE tube rubbing on the glass cover as I read of potential issues with that too. It’s always something.
Ok on the AMS saver using the 2nd designer print file. I hate when there are that many to choose from. I am sure there is a good reason for it.
I will print those tools today so I have them handy.
On the desiccant holders, isn’t there a good possibility of little pieces wearing off of the desiccant beads and causing some other problem?
Thanks for the HULA link. That will be a possible project for later.
No problem on thinking I am a complete noob. I just worry on long prints something will go terribly wrong and create a big printer repair. Even on my MK4 I keep a close eye an my prints although once you get the first layers down properly there is less to worry about. I started with a CR10S and then I put together a Prusa MK3 and that thing was problems from the get go. I only printed 4 little prints and then the other day I was printing some of those spool rings for using cardboard spools and the MK3 was 15 minutes shy of finishing the 3 hour print and the extruder started clicking. I tried all the normal checks and adjustments but i think the stepper motor is bad.But I have the 2 upgrades to rebuild it up to a MK3s+ so some day. . .
Added: I forgot to mention I have 2 AMS units for the X1C so I am going to rethink the whole riser plan.
Most dessiccant boxes and spool centre holders have enough clearance to avoid that. Despite that, I have two that are a bit tight. But they generate far less dust than the Bambu spool rims, so not much of an issue imo. As for the beads themselfes, if the centre spool holders are stuffed, they have little chance to move. I did generate some dust from them when I overheated them in the microwave though But do not put PETG containers in the microwave. They’d look different afterwards
I look forward to your view in 2 months time Things can indeed go wrong terribly (such as bending a hot end due to missed poop chute congestion), but they tend to be solveable and, in my experience, are much rarer than with pre-Bambu printers. I frequently do 24-96h plates, but I do have a fire alarm above the printer of course just in case.
I have both of mine to the left of the X1 which minimizes PTFE length for the main one. There are a number of AMS stacking stands on MakerWorld. I use this AMS stacking stand for P1P and X1 by MihaiDesigns - MakerWorld but am not 100% happy with it as theres an obstruction preventing fully free sliding of the lower AMS.
I download the swordix remix, I like the rear trays better. If you plan to use a hygrometer, you’ll most likely want the 30° offset version of the desiccant holders.
This is the hygrometer I buy, all have had the 30° offset lugs
I thought you were supposed to dry out the desiccant in the oven. That way you can use a steel or aluminum tray.
I hope you are right as I have to get over that issue of things going wrong as I want to print a lot of things that take longer than I would like. Just picture doing that stuff on an old CR10S. It would take a month!
That’s a long print too. I could knock one out in wood in a few hours or half a day if I do a nice job. Then a nice polyurethane finish. But I do appreciate the links.
They look identical, but the profile picture in your link gives me the impression the tension tabs are centered top and bottom.
I’d wait to print the desiccant holders until you have the hygrometer in hand for verification.
I’m not sure why the AMS desiccant holders designers decided to even mess with detents for those tabs as opposed to just making the mounting hole bigger and letting tabs do their job.
I’ve got a holder in my Ace that has not slots, holds the hygrometer excellent, and it doesn’t care about the offset
One more question on the AMS. Am I to assume that my new X1C combo and the extra AMS are the so called “new version” of the AMS? How to tell the difference?
Thanks
I bought my P1S Combo back in August, my 2nd AMS arrived yesterday. They are identical units, both having the 3 slots on the sides as opposed to 4 the older ones had (apparently)
And thinking about going out to the workshop and making something out of wood. 
. And they do indeed reduce the vibration transmitted from the printer to the table.
Things can indeed go wrong terribly (such as bending a hot end due to missed poop chute congestion), but they tend to be solveable and, in my experience, are much rarer than with pre-Bambu printers. I frequently do 24-96h plates, but I do have a fire alarm above the printer of course just in case.