Micron+ R1: Build Prep
Note: This is part of a series: Micron Build
Before I get into the actual build let’s review some of the preparations I’ve done to get ready to start the actual build. As I mentioned previously, there is no completed manual as of today to follow. It’s been started and gets you just about through building the frame. After that you’re on your own to source information. Luckily that info is fairly well documented – but requires comfort with using CAD and patience browsing a Discord channel and various threads. If you decide to take on a project like this, plan on spending time reading and absorbing, I found it very helpful to understand what the latest and greatest changes were.
The fact there is no currently fully complete manual is part of the draw for me. Having to figure things out as I go will help me understand it all better, and help with CAD and general engineering skills. This is going to be a ton of fun.
Discord
The Discord channel is your best bet to find the latest info. Search for the Doomcube server, there are a few channels and threads dedicated to the Micron. This is where Discord starts to annoy me – The various places within the channel that information is added, or conversations are had. The search is sort of your friend, but you really need to know what you’re looking for to actually find anything. You certainly could – and maybe should – just start asking questions, but most anything you need to know has been asked and answered, likely multiple times before. The linear nature of Discord means it’s just one long stream of conscious rather than digestible bits. But this is a work in progress, and I’m less complaining about it, more just pointing out things to keep in mind. Head over to Discord, lurk for as long as you need, then start asking questions. I’ve preferred to try finding things on my own, but questions get answered very quickly when I’ve been getting stuck.
CAD
The Github repo contains all the bits, including both the R0 and R1 STL files. There is also CAD files for R1 available. Currently v68 that can be viewed in a variety of CAD software. I’ve been using both Fusion 360 and onshape. I prefer onshape over Fusion, which seems to put me in the minority. It’s free however, you can find my saved document here. As a web designer getting around three-dimensional software has been a challenge after so many years understanding the 2d world of Illustrator, Figma and the like. But it’s been a fun challenge, and anything you have questions on with how the machine was designed to go together is there to be found. A lot of the answers you’ll come across in Discord will essentially be: Check CAD. I love too that I can export any part directly from onshape to STL without having to poke around the Github repo.
Github
And speaking of Github… it’s a bonus to learn a little bit about Git, and cloning the repository on your local machine. That way you can always run a pull down for the latest files and check the history for all the newest bits. I won’t get into things like pull requests – if you’re reading this and don’t know what a PR is, you’re like me and have no business contributing to this project. I mean that in the nicest way.
Upgrades
One of the reasons I was comfortable going with the Formbot kit was the fact I’d been slowly stockpiling upgrade parts over the last few months. I’ll detail them here quickly but will likely have more to say as this series continues.
Hotend: DropEffect neXt G
One of the downsides of the Fabreeko kit is that it’s almost a stretch to call it a kit. They leave out quite a few components, including the hotend. I’ve been using a Dragon High Flow in both Pippin and Panda, and had been pretty happy in general. I didn’t have much to compare to though – besides some bad times with a Bamboo clone referred to as a TZ-V6. Very cheap on AliExpress and so many people have raved about it. I tried it on both machines and never could get it to produce good results. So when I got a blob of death on Panda that destroyed the Dragon, it was time to try something new. For what ever reason I gave the DropEffect a try and have loved it. It’s been better for me than the Dragon so I plunked down for a second for the Micron. I mean Peri. Really loving this choice, at least as of now.
Honeybadger Rails & Bearings
I honestly have no idea how much different high end rails are than what comes in the kit. I’ve heard both sides of the debate – that you should never skimp on the rails, and that the Vivedino rails are just fine. Since I’ve only ever used rails that have been shipped with a kit I wanted to give an upgrade a try. With the money I saved on car insurance… I’ve been toying with the idea of building a second Micron after this, just using the stock parts and doing a side by side review… Wait, did I say that out loud? Yes I also splurged for upgraded bearings, but to look at them I can’t tell a difference.
Galileo Extruder
The kit comes with a simple extruder setup to build a Mini Stealthburner. I abandoned the Mini SB long ago in Pippin, I wasn’t about to go down that road again, no matter what. The Galileo extruder has done me very well and I have no reason to think it won’t be again. I haven’t seen much else out there that has grabbed me to try, even though there likely is.
XOL Toolhead
There is a brand new toolhead that was designed along side the R1 – The Anthead. I’m not a fan of how it looks, even though it seems to be the trend amongst most R1 builders. It feels too long to me even. I’d rather build another Dragon Burner – which I’m running on Pippin – but it would be good to try something else. As of now I’m planning on building a XOL. The only thing I need to check is clearance around the build area. The Micron is bigger than a V0, but it’s still not big…
Cartographer
I’ve got a Cartographer probe on Panda and I really couldn’t imagine printing without it. I got it when it first came out and it’s only getting better. It now has an auto-z touch feature that gives perfect first layer height every single time. So so so much nicer than the manual bed leveling and z-offset on Pippin.
Planned Micron R1 Upgrades
There have been quite a few upgrades that have been added along with the new R1 design. Features that have been getting pulled in from the mod community, and baked into the core design. Better versions of the front idlers – Beefy Front Idlers – are now default. Pinned mods are now default. Well, not default per se but included in CAD and the STL list as options. I’m here to try them all… All it takes is… well it takes kind of a lot – browsing through Discord and CAD to make sure I get the right parts ordered from Ali or Fabreeko… And then hope I didn’t get it wrong. The live idlers are going to be a fun one to figure out, as are the double-shear AB drive mounts. I doubt I need any of these things because I won’t likely be pushing this machine to crazy speeds but it’s fun to learn.
Feeling ready
I’m excited and ready to get rolling on the build. I’ve done as much homework as I think I need at this point and it’s time to dig in. This won’t be a fast build, but I’m expecting it to be pretty fun.