Seems like an empty complaint without specifying what you have for Layer Height and Line Width, among other details. You didn’t even mention the filament type. That plays a huge role in the quality of prints.
When I got my X1C late last year, I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Talk about plug-n-play, I was up late for a couple of weeks playing and printing. It was so much fun, I ordered another AMS, then another and another. I now have shelves of filament. You couldn’t pry this printer out of my hands.
I’m no expert but after reading about all the problems with other printers, I went straight to the X1C as my first printer. I couldn’t be happier. If I had the room, I’d be buying another just to keep up with the never-ending free models. I’m hooked. I haven’t had time to get back to my Laser. It’s gathering dust out in the shed.
I’m sort of surprised.
When I bought the X1C about a year ago, I was so concerned about calibration my models were friction fitting 32mm bearings, so I wanted ~0.01mm tolerances, I modelled a suitable calibration plate graded at 0.005mm - or so. I was surprised and happy to see 32mm holes within my tolerances. I may have slowed the printer down a bit.
Sure - with pin-holes of 2.5mm or under (I ran a few models with 1mm holes) one needs to calibrate those, but I don’t see much variation across the plate.
My only gripe with the printer (for its price) was to do with PEI adhesion failing after a firmware upgrade.
I do not have other printers. I do have a laser cutter, and I’m lucky to get 0.25mm tolerances with that.
I’m not saying that you are wrong - but it’s not my experience.
Printing a 5um calibration thingy for my exemplar would be completely pointless. Depending on neighboring ‘shapes’ or other parts on the same plate I get up to ~0.25mm deviations.
When I did my research before deciding to order the printer I encountered an older YT-Video of a guy that printed a whole RC-Scale Crawler (buy-to-print STLs) including the mechanical bits like bearing seats, telescoping axles etc. and raving about how everything fitted perfectly. So I considered accuracy to be a no-brainer.
Not sure if it was the same or a previous video but the same guy also talked about the printer failing the self-calibration unless it was sitting right on the floor instead of a ikea desk he shows.
I happen to have the very same desk and no such issue. Actually it passes the calibration run even sitting on a wobbly cart I initially tested it on.
So there might have been a change in the firmware or hardware along the way that is less stringent in terms of requiring ‘terra firma’ and at the same time putting accuracy at a disadvantage.
Oo-er, I got my numbers wrong by an order of difference. Eg, the calibration guide was 0.05, not 0.005. But regardless 0.25 is … erm … pretty rubbish, and I’ve not seen discrepancies anything like that large - except for very small holes, as I mentioned before.
The things TS says dont match with my experience with the X1C.
Mine is dead accurate. Printed several test shapes and all we spot-on. 25.00mm cube was 25.00mm in XY and 24.98mm in Z. I also work alot with ball bearings and they fit perfect when i use a 0.1mm tolerance.
I think i printed somewhere between 500 and 1000 things and nothing was disappointing, except small pinholes <2.0mm (which was already mentioned by another person).
Also the detail of letters is perfect. I use letters quite alot and they come out perfect every time.
Maybe you have a machine with a hardware problem, because as you can read they can be great. Shame you dont have the same experience as me.
I started printing after building my own MendelMax 1.5 (reprap from 2013-ish?). This is probably my 7th or 8th printer over the years. I currently also have a Voron v2.4r2 350^3 that I built, and a Tenlog IDEX printer. The latter will be going away here shortly as I have no more use for it. It’s just taking up space now. I’ll tune it up and sell it off. And I’m contemplating doing the same with the Voron… I might then turn around and pick up another X1C or A1 (maybe even mini) with AMS-lite for quick jobs while the X1C is busy. I can honestly say that since the X1C w/AMS arrived not a single day has gone by that it wasn’t printing. The IDEX has seen none, and the Voron only a few jobs.
The X1C competes well on build quality, speed, price and print quality. I used to build my own PCs as well - because I couldn’t get what I wanted ‘off the shelf’. I don’t have to do that anymore… BL has done same thing for 3D printers for me.
I’m curious what you didn’t like about your voron? Usually the people who own them become nearly evangelical about them, whereas you are the first I’ve encountered who didn’t seem to like it much.
Sorry I didn’t reply sooner I’ve had a lot going on. Thank you for the almost accusational reply though lol. You got me, I’m a sleeper agent troll for another 3D printer company
So anyway, here is a pic I put together, as you can see the CP2 creates a way stronger X which is basically exactly how it is modelled in the 3D software, where as the X1C just can’t match it for accuracy. The 0.4mm has too much webbing in the centre and the 0.2mm has flared ends.
I’m wondering if I am I expecting too much from x1c benchy. The benchy looks good but the lower half looks different than the upper layer wise, the bottom lettering weren’t as sharp as I expected and the back lettering was unreadable with a couple of minor flaws throughout. Everything is default and the benchy is the supplied one.
It’s not that I don’t like the Voron. Have LOTS of hours of printing on it. It just seems like there’s always something I’m needing to fiddle with it. At this stage I’m more focused on what I need to print more than what do I need to do to the printer. I like the printer, though I wouldn’t do a 350mm^s again. It just takes up so much room. Plus the better half has said she wants to get into it. She’s seen me with the Voron and had no such interest. The Bambu she really likes. Partly why I’m thinking of swapping over to a A1 w/AMS. I admit I haven’t looked to see is Bambu Studio is on the Mac which might stop that process in it’s tracks if not.
I had a hunch that was the case. The urge to make improvement upgrades is always tugging on me, even with my X1C. There wasn’t much choice when 3D printers weren’t changing much, but the pace of change right now is fast enough that if you wait a bit you can get an entire new printer that works right out of the box with all kinds of upgrades, and all that for probably for less than what you paid for the printer you already have and maybe less than even the cost of just the upgrades you might have planned on.
I started with a ReRap, went to Lulzbot and maker bot. Got couple Creality then the BLX1C. I will say I have never been so impressed. This will only get better, if not someone will will make it better.
Thanks for the pictures.
While seeing what you are talking about accuracy, for me to understand the topic it would be great to have some more detailed information like size/ dimensions of that “X” modell, filament used and some basic settings like speed, temperature, etc.
I think the forum is willing to help here as most of us to not experience big accuracy problems with an X1C.
So maybe we find out if this is on your machine or on settings.
Filament on the X1C: Bambu Lab own brand white PLA with standard settings on 0.12mm High Quality profile. Filament kept in the AMS with fresh desiccant. Have also tried lowering temps from standard (220c) to 200c but no difference in output
Filament on the CP2: 3-year-old white Flashforge PLA that’s never been in a dry box is brittle as anything by now and is just left hanging on the back of my machine. Print settings are default FlashPrint 0.12mm Fine preset with temps at 200c.
I can clearly see the bulging corners on the 0,2mm. I have difficulties to evaluate the other two. The pictures look a bit blurred, maybe the camera did focus on the fabric below?
Anyway a few thoughts that might or might not help:
The 0,2mm result looks like wrong pressure advance value to me. Is that determined automatically by the lidar or do you have it stored in a material profile? If the latter, I think you have to use a dedicated profile for the 0,2mm nozzle, because PA values might be quite different. Lidar might be unable to find correct values with the 0,2mm lines. So I probably would create a new profile using the calibration functions in Orca Slicer to get around both issues.
Independently, I would vastly reduce acceleration for at least inner and outer walls to reduce the need for pressure advance in the first place.
Then for all those prints, which speeds are you using? I regularly forget, that before the X1C, I was used to speeds of 50 mm/s even going down to 30 mm/s for more delicate designs. Now I run most stuff at stock speeds, which would have seemed ridiculous at the time. But as pleased as I am with the results, that speed comes at a cost, which shows mainly in corner resolution. If that is a priority, I would reduce wall speeds to 100 mm/s just as a reference.
I recently got the X1C , had a Qidi ifast before that & what a pile of ■■■■ that was & was alot more $$ than this & everything was manual , no auto bed leveling , no multiple colour filament, etc .
The BL printers are domestic machines, not including the New X1E . Most commercial machines are 5k minimum, heck some are well over 30k … For what we get for the price its pretty amazing. In few years time it be far better & we be complaining that it cant cook for us at the same time lol
Hi, I’m having similar print quality issues I’m not seeing on my Voron as well. Do you recommend creating a new print profile with only the accel changes or is it possible to just use the speed slider and set it to 50%? I’m also surprised at how the suggested print temps differ from Voron to BL for ABS, I continue to test what I’m used to vs the BL defaults. Thank you for genuinely trying to help.
Also adding on here having Z banding issues which I am just beginning to troubleshoot. I have done the belt tensioning procedure and done the manual flow calibration.
