Reddit mentions: The best electric motor mounts

Well thank you. Now I get to expand the text field to full size, so that's fun. Warning, this is gon' be long. You might wanna grab a snack, or start walking to get one if you're reading this on your phone. I've got a full bottle of Shandy, and another round of four Team Valor keychains to print, so I've got about an hour to blast this out.

Alright. We'll start from the top. First, I'll go with the basics, the hardware, and I'll work up from there.

So, the motors. The Tiko uses the 28BYJ-48 motor as its base. Running flat out, this motor can achieve 15 RPM, and output about 7% of the torque a typical NEMA17 shelled motor could. Now, you'll notice something. Compared to the NEMA17 I listed, the 28BYJ-48 is cheap. Really cheap. As in, five of them costs the same as one NEMA17. Due to this, a lot of people look at these motors and go "wow, these are just barely strong enough to move a carriage. I betcha I could make a printer out of this!" After a little bit of work, most people give up, or by the time they're done, they've realized exactly why everyone else did. See, the 28BYJ-48 is cheating. That torque, the one that literally is only barely pushing above a 20th of the power a normal motor does comes from a 1:64 gearbox made of plastic inside the casing. If the machine ever exceeds that force, the motors start to lose teeth faster than a hockey team. The Tiko team claims to have fixed this problem with a nylon gearbox. I have to tell you, with the experience I have using these motors, a nylon gearbox really isn't that much of an improvement. The plastic in there is already some tough stuff, and it's really only treating a symptom, not the problem. Keep in mind, the people at M3D have replaced the gearbox in their 28BYJ-48 powered printer (the only other printer to ever reach the market with these motors, by the way) with a metal one, and they're still blowing out.

To compound this, the team at Tiko, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to create a "unibody" printer. Meaning the linear motion is handled by its plastic body. I really don't have to explain why this is a bad idea. Combining a plastic gearbox with a plastic motion system is just begging for trouble. Printers really do need metal, just because plastic wears away. The Tiko team boasts "we've tested our printers for days, so we know they're durable!" But that's... That's not impressive. Given the time that can be expected from a typical printer, having a few days under the belt isn't something that matters a whole lot. Plastic wears down. That's what it does. If steel can get smooth patches rubbed into it from use, imagine what can happen to even the toughest polycarbonate.

But enough about the longevity of the device, let's talk quality. See, the Tiko is brilliantly priced. The Tiko is priced right at the range for people to say "well yeah, the prints aren't great, but what can you expect from something this cheap?" From your flair, you have a Maker Select. You know for a fact that cost doesn't really scale linearly with quality in printing. That thing can easily outclass a lot of machines five times its cost. This is because printers are tools, not electronics. Sure, they've got electric guts, but so does a drill, and you know that with a pretty damn cheap drill you can still make a good enough hole. The Tiko relies on being classified as a consumer electronic. They want to be classed like a cheap laptop, or a cheap phone, where "yeah it's not great, but hey, for the price..." But, yeah, for the price, the Monoprice Mini can kick ass and take names with a skilled operator. That's another fun thing. Their ultra-closed down control system keeps would-be tinkerers and hackers from actually using these things to their full potential, and their use of a proprietary firmware combined with a proprietary design means repairing and extending this thing is next to impossible. You, with a Maker Select, know that the extensions the community comes up with are the best part. The things missing out of the box on a lot of printers are a huge pain to work with. Imagine not having the option to add those. This is, in essence, the Tiko. The king of "well, yeah, but it works."

About those missing things. No layer fan. No heated bed. 30mm/s max "safe" movement speed. A layer fan on a PLA only device is kind of the ultimate must-have. You need that shit to bridge worth a crap, or print anything small, which is also important on a printer with such a small bed! That bed, being unheated, means that while they say it can use other materials, it kinda can't. Yes, PETG can be printed without a heated bed, yes, a lot of materials can be, but it's in the same way that you can make a cross country road trip on nothing but a mountain bike and a massive stockpile of turkey jerky. You can, but dear god, don't. Lastly, that low mm/s. That's a product of that 15RPM those poor motors are capable of. Bridging with no layer fan is hard at twice that speed, but at such a low speed, you're looking at major sagging. As in, just, don't make things with gaps in them. They claimed something about their titanium nozzle compensating in some way for this, but that literally makes no sense, and I honestly felt personally insulted when I read that. This brings me to my next point...

The people running Tiko seem to think they're the smartest people in any room. In one of their AMAs, I asked them why they used a leveling system that puts extra strain on already overtaxed motors, and they compared themselves to Elon Musk for some reason. This is a group of people not used to being called out to actually explain what they're doing. Every question is met with buzzwords and the conversational equivalent of jazzhands. Seriously. take a look at their AMAs. The utter contempt they seem to express for the community they're trying to enter is astounding. With such choice, juicy lines as "Open source is great, but it's time to leave the nest," they really solidified their reputation. The best part is that, despite closing everything they could about their printer, they're using a delta design. Delta printers are the most open line of printers there are. Almost entirely a priori from the rest of the printing industry, delta printers were spawned when a bunch of hardware hackers looked at an industrial robot and said "hey I betcha we could make that thing barf plastic into Yoda heads." So Tiko took every bit of the last half decade of work that's gone into the Rostock and Kossel designs that they could manage, and decided that contributing back to the community was for chumps. Like all of us, they stand on the shoulders of giants, but unlike everyone else, they chose to piss in their hair.

Speaking of that behaviour, that brings me to their litigiousness. In their first AMA, they opened by bragging about the law firm they'd hired to pursue "false innovators" (ironic) for copying anything they'd created. They claimed they needed to jealously guard every idea they'd ever had, and that this was how they'd succeed. When informed by /u/jebba (the CEO of Aleph Objects, AKA the guys that make the fucking LulzBot) that this behaviour really wasn't helpful in the printing industry, they redoubled their efforts, contending that these were to protect their work producing products in China. When informed by several people in the manufacturing industry that, haha, no, it's cool if you want to patent stuff, but the Chinese do not give a single solitary shit about if you have a patent or not when they rip stuff off, they stopped replying. But again, this is them positioning themselves to look like electronics, instead of tools. To people outside the industry, the idea that you need to guard your ideas closely and keep your code internal is commonplace. It's just how it's done in a lot of tech. But in printing, the best machines are open, and even ones that cost as much as a decent used car use firmware with almost 100% community developed code, and open slicers. Home printers developed in a way wholly alien to the rest of the tech world of the last two decades, radiating out with community development like the old home computer clubs, and even further back with home radios hand soldered together on wooden cutting boards (fun fact: that's where the word "breadboard" came from. Early home radios made by hackers were made with cutting boards as backing. Neat right?). Not centrally developed, and given to a begging public. Printers are the ultimate Bazaar and any attempts to drag them into a Cathedral should be met with hostility.

Alright, I think I could go on for a few more paragraphs, but this seems a good stopping point. If anyone who's bought a Tiko is reading this, I want you to know I sincerely hope you enjoy your purchase. That's not sarcasm. Printing is fantastic, and whatever you use, I'm glad you're here. Everyone loves their first printer, regardless of what it is, and I'm sure you'll get some great stuff from it if you give it some work. However, that doesn't change what I think about the company that made your product.

Yes, electronics can cost a lot, and many of the telescope manufacturers make things, that when I look at them belong in the 1990s or 2000s, in terms of the way they work, and honestly could have been $400. It's basically the TI calcuator system: https://xkcd.com/768/

People have replaced those control systems, using technology (especially things like improved stepper control) which has come about for various reasons, like 3D printers, and simply faster microcontrollers.

Here's one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCBgmgc8qiA conversion (I suspect based on that it was using one of the faster controllers, but mine can do fine with an Arduino Mega + Ramps (the cheap controller))

• SVP $300 New
  
• RAMPS kit: (https://www.amazon.com/Eiechip-CNC-3D-Printer-Kit/dp/B07BKVPZ71) $27 (Not the best drivers, but this can be upgraded if you want later probably also want a PPS source, but it can be dealt without. As can the board.)
  
• Motors (Honestly cheaper, but at 0.9 degrees these are a bit better than the normal 1.8 degrees) https://www.amazon.com/0-9deg-Stepper-Bipolar-42x42x39mm-4-wires/dp/B00W98OYE4 2x$20
  
• Pulley for mount (60 tooth) https://www.amazon.com/Timing-Pulleys-Aluminum-Printer-Wrench/dp/B07QH1ZJ9L $8 (2x)
  
• Pulley for motor (16 tooth) https://www.amazon.com/Anet-Timing-Pulley-Aluminum-Printer/dp/B07D294B2T/ $8
  
• Belts https://www.amazon.com/132-2GT-6-Timing-Belt-Closed-Loop/dp/B014QI4PU2/ $12 (I think those are what are needed, I'd have to look again to make sure. I use 110s, but have 20 tooth 1:1, as I use geared steppers, with upsides and downsides.)
  
• Bracket (3D printed) or something made: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2278288
  
• M6 screws and 2 nuts (<$5 at local store)
  
• Onstep https://groups.io/g/onstep/wiki/home
  
  So At 408 + a bracket (Easy and simple 3D print or easy to DIY, look at the OnStep Showcase for a number of them.)
  
  Along with a 1/4-20 screw and a dovetail (Oh look: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2039785) , and you've got all of the functionality of a one of the Star Adventurers, along with the ability to mount pretty much any telescope up to 8" with a vixen dovetail.
  
  Plus, unlike from what I can tell of almost all commercial ones, they don't seem to compensate for misalignment when tracking. (Ie, they only move RA, not DEC, unless guiding.) Here are some examples of unguided long exposures with dual axis compensation. (Also, He doesn't usually process them, these are per other discussions straight off the camera) https://www.flickr.com/photos/11381732@N08/albums/72157683118306836
  
  Though that uses PEC (Periodic error correction, because worm gears often have high/low spots, so it can be corrected by basically guiding a few times and storing the corrections, which are then replayed). If you want that stored, which isn't included on what I mentioned above, but can be added for the cost of a magnet or two and a hall sensor ( https://www.amazon.com/WINGONEER-Effect-KY-003-Magnetic-Arduino/dp/B06XHG9CYN/ $8 and magnet https://www.amazon.com/Personalized-Multi-Use-Whiteboard-Magnetic-Refrigerators/dp/B075PMV2BC/ $8 ) Otherwise you'd have to retrain it each time.
  
  One thing is that the microcontroller and drivers aren't the most advanced, but you can upgrade them if you want. (STM32 about 3x as fast, but it's rarely needed, except for better alignment is about $60, but add two drivers, so call it a net of +$40 extra but that the kit adds wifi ($6 and a bit of wiring to the original) and a hand controller to it. the faster processors ESP32 and Teensy cost more but are something like 14x as fast allowing better alignment. Mind if you use Howard's Sky Planetarium, it won't matter too much, and it'll be able to process on the computer.)
  
  All new, and unless you have space taken up as your main concern the above setup is in pretty much all respects better than that suggested by dan.

I am an absolute noob too, just two months ahead of you now.
These are the upgrades I am beyond happy that I got :D I'm gonna do two sections. One with upgrades you can buy and one with upgrades you can actually print!


Upgrades you can buy:

(Links mostly from Amazon for international convenience, but there's a chance you can get them cheaper/faster if you check webshops in your country):

- Vibration dampers! These will reduce the noise made by your printer by a LOT. I can actually sleep in the same room as my printer now. They can be installed on X, Y and the extruder, but I don't suggest the extruder, that can impact print quality.
https://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Stepper-Vibration-Damper-Screws/dp/B07415B39B/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540932756&sr=8-3&keywords=ender+3+dampers


- Tougher steel springs for your bed leveling knobs. Bed leveling is an absolutely essential thing to get down for print quality(or even to be able to print at all), and the stock springs get worn fast. Before my replacements arrived, I had to re-level every 5 or so prints sometimes, and that just gets really old really fast. These springs should let you keep your bed level longer and wear out a LOT slower, and they're dirt cheap. Be aware that not all Ender 3 are made equal, so some springs might need to be tightened a lot while others barely need to be tightened. This means you might have to shorten a spring, and these are very tough so you'll need either a very tough cutter to cut them shorter or a grinder/metal saw/something that can assist you in cutting hard metal without ruining the spring)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B013G5I4US/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

- Glass bed. Don't question it. Your stock bed cover will break and it will break faster than you think. One bad print, one piece of filament that won't let go and you have a hole in the surface. Just get a glass bed as soon as you can afford it. You can go for the specialised glass or you can also just get a size cut mirror or window glass piece. But if you don't have glass cutters that will do it cheap nearby or can't cut glass yourself, there are plenty of stores that will sell you glass beds. Usually filament dealers have spare parts too. You can also print on tape or other things, and if you ask 10 different print enthusiasts, you'll get 10 different answers. But glass beds are supposedly good, will last you long and are super easy to clean off.
https://www.3dprima.com/parts/spare-parts/creality-3d/creality-3d-ender-3-build-surface-235x235mm-with-glass-fiber-plate-and-clips/a-23390/?Currency=DKK (Not from Amazon, I know)

​

Upgrades you can print:

- LCD display back cover. The LCD display has no back cover for some weird-ass reason, and that is just inviting dust to come in and kill your expensive printer. But for the price of a little filament and 10 minutes of work, you can take care of that problem.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2858209/


- Bottom fan guard. The bottom fan of the Ender 3 is an exposed sinkhole for loose filament bits, spiders, flying food and dropped screws. I don't think I need to explain why you don't want that stuff in your cooling fan. This will protect the fan and lead the airflow out instead of up. This should be one of the first things you print when you are ready to print actual real things.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2935204

​

​


Many of my upgrades were from this article:
https://all3dp.com/1/20-must-creality-ender-3-upgrades-mods/
I definitely suggest giving that article a whirl, it has several other upgrades I'm eyeing when I can afford them.


Software suggestions:
Your first printing will likely be taking all the awesome models from Thingiverse and burning a spoon of filament on Luke Skywalker riding a dragon slaying Uther Pendragon. But eventually you might want to make your own models or at least try. These programs worked really well for me:

- Making technical parts. Fusion 360 is a Computer Assisted Drawing(CAD) program for 3D. It's made by Autodesk, and you can obtain a non-commercial license so it's entirely free and entirely legal. You can use this to make tools, boxes, parts, handles, replacement parts for things you have broken or whatever else. It specialises in precision, but you do not want to do sculpting or mesh work in this program as that's not what it was made for. I daresay it sucks the biggest, hairiest meatball if you try to use it for that.
- Mesh modification. You ever think "Wow, it would be cool to have a Batarang with a penis on it" but can't find it on Thingiverse? No worries. Meshmixer, also from Autodesk, is a simple program excellently suited for light modification of meshes as well as merging several mesh models together to make one(or splitting one up in multiple parts because it's too big). This still isn't the software to sculpt that intricite original design with a thousand details, but it is excellent for manipulating existing mesh models.

- Sculpting. Are you willing to spend $900? Then get ZBrush. If not, Blender is a pretty safe and free bet. It's an open source project and a pretty good 3D sculpting program. It has been known to cause migraines when you wanna learn to navigate it or work in it, but it is really a safe bet if you don't want to buy expensive software. Sculpting environments is where you take your idea for that sword with your initials, a demon skull and an edge spelling out the word "DOOM" in fancy curls.

​

The software choices are another one of those things where everyone has an opinion, but this combination works really well for me, even if I am still just a beginner.


​

On a final note:
Filament is not just filament. The same kind of filament is not even just the same kind of filament. And some filament can go bad if you store them wrong for longer periods of time. So if you use one spool of filament and think "Awesome!" and then you switch to another brand that acts totally different, that's not you being crazy. That's the unfortunate jungle of filaments. I'd say do some research of course, check out reviews and find a brand that works for you and stick to it like a clingy dog to a leg until you get your 3D printed sea legs and feel confident you can start trying out other brands without being scared if they're giving you worse prints. I ordered a spool of generic PLA filament from a brand I'm not entirely convinced actually exists, and it gave me prints that were orders of magnitude better than a PLA Pro filament from a named brand. Either my PLA Pro spool had gone bad before I got it, I'm stupid and couldn't figure out how to print it or Spectrum Filaments suck ass. I'm still not sure which, but it was far different from the generic "Should have been worthless" filament, and I made far better prints with my first filament.

​

​

Have fun with your printer! You are opening up a new world of awesomeness!

That's kinda what happens when you buy a cheap clone. However, we can attempt some simple remedies to fix this. We're gonna go all the way from the nozzle to the motor.

First of all, the nozzle needs to be checked out. Is it clean? Does it look blown out in any way? If it is, it will look like the one on the left, and not the one on the right https://i.redd.it/ziz8dqwamvbx.jpg Best way to clean your nozzle is to blowtorch it. There's really no other option if you're printing PLA.

Ok, the nozzle is fine, let's check out the heatbreak and heatblock. Is it restricted in any way? Take the entire thing apart and try and move some filament through the heatbreak by hand. Is there any resistance at all? There might be, if you ran your extruder too hot with a cheap clone and the PTFE tube melted a little bit (since I bet its not all metal, even if they advertise it that way).

Ok, all that's fine, is the heatsink working? Does it actively feel cool to the touch when you heat up the nozzle? Is your fan for the heat sink actually on?

Hmm, ok that means nothing is really wrong with your hotend itself, there's extruder problems. Most commonly, that means you're just not getting enough torque. Make sure your bearing that is pressing the filament into the drive gear is TIGHT. You basically want it crushing the filament, but then back off some. However, clicking indicates that the grip is good, otherwise you would see stripping.

The reason your motor clicks is because there is too much backpressure in the nozzle and the extruder can't push plastic out even when its pushing as hard as it can go. Well, first thing to do is up the temps, really crank that shit up to like 230C, maybe 240C. That'll make sure the filament is getting melted really fast.

Still having issues after upping your temps? Try increasing your motor's voltage. This is basically last ditch effort. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bItYRMLGoVc Here's a handy video guide by the best 3d printing YouTuber. Do not up your voltage so much that the motor is hot to the touch, I have read that the heat of the motor can actually cause issues with the creation of the magnetic fields that causes motion and decrease your torque instead of increasing it due to the temperature.

Try different filaments, I know from experience that difference filaments create different back pressures and need longer times to melt down. So try some different filaments and slow down your print speed. The plastic needs time to melt! The more time you give it, the better off you'll be. 30mm/s is snail speed, but give it a shot for the sake of troubleshooting.

Check your bowden tube length. The shorter the better, if you can cut it shorter, do so. Also make sure the filament flows freely between it. You might've noticed a trend here, but the filament needs absolutely as little forces restricting movement as possible. You basically want it sliding on ice all the way up until it hits the brass in that nozzle to melt and be extruded.

Still having issues? Buy a big ass motor that puts out shitloads of torque. https://www.amazon.com/Stepper-Bipolar-4-lead-Connector-Printer/dp/B00PNEQKC0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498240425&sr=8-2&keywords=nema17
That guy has 60NCm of torque, that's probably double if not 3x what you have now.

If after ALL of that, you're still seeing jamming, go buy a genuine E3D hotend, you'll thank yourself later.

I'm very happy with my CR10S, but less so now that I saw the 10S pro lol. The pro looks soooo sleek, I think you made the right call! I'm looking at all my wires, no-abl, and separate psu/computer thingy and am a bit jealous of your pro's form factor. I would have gone in an extra 150 if it was available when I pulled the trigger. The Capricorn's a nice touch and all but its only 15 bucks or so.

I am quick to recommend stepper dampers, they make a huge difference in sound. I'm less familiar with the pro, esp the y axis. Check that these are the right size. They also aren't needed on the two z axis motors. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07415B39B/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

is what I have, and also just ordered some of these to test out https://tiny-machines-3d.myshopify.com/products/stepper-dampener

You kinda nailed it, the pro has a lot of stuff you'd buy already included. Make sure to get some filament! I thought I'd use what came with the printer, but I've found eSun PLA Pro to be easier to work with and troubleshoot out of the gate.

Very very cool!

I really feel like the auto bed leveling isn't that necessary. I level my bed every once in a great while, more because I've jiggered with the printer and feel like it might be out of whack than any pure necessity. It really does seem to maintain level pretty well with the stock glass bed.

1. Octoprint - a must
   
2. Vibration dampers on the X & Y steppers is really nice and cheap (z and extruder don't make as much noise). Something like this - My only problem was that the X stepper for my CR-10 mini has a fixed pulley that you can't take off. So I'll have to get a new stepper and pulley before I can put a damper on it. :-/
   
3. Spool Holder - the stock spool holder kind of sucks. Print something like this.
   
4. Replace the power supply fans with quieter ones. Seriously - they are so loud. This is a pretty good guide to silencing the CR-10 in general
   
   The CR-10 and CR-10 mini are mostly the same, I think the only real difference is the bed/frame dimensions. The mini is a pretty solid little printer, most of the upgrades are quality of life improvements more than anything.

I did a 7 hour print last night after adding the damper. It had a bit more stringing than normal, but I'm mostly going to attribute that to running too hot. The print was beautiful. No real issues to say.

I picked these up from Amazon: (3 pack) NEMA 17 Steel & Rubber Stepper Motor Vibration Damper + M3 Screws - CNC, 3D Printer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07415B39B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_DlOUAbCFSFHGV

They seem pretty good quality and fit perfectly.

I gotta agree with /u/The_Bringer_of_Bacon on this one.

I have those from Amazon on my Monoprice, and when I got my dampeners from TinyMachines I was quite impressed by the quality.

These things ship with differing rubber, some are stiffer than others.

They have to be "married" to the use. Too stiff and they don't dampen. Too soft and they sag & wobble.

The ones from Tiny Machines seem to be the sweet spot, they did their homework. :-)

Hey /u/priestwithknives - Tip for posting Amazon links - The way you posted (grabbing the whole URL) often stops working after a while. The proper way to do it (and much shorter) is to copy from the item number to the beginning, like this:

Right:
https://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Stepper-Vibration-Damper-Screws/dp/B07415B39B

Wrong:
https://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Stepper-Vibration-Damper-Screws/dp/B07415B39B/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1522213043&sr=8-4&keywords=stepper+damper&dpID=41qzlY8DIyL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

All the cr*p at the end is unneeded, left from the search. Just look for the ALL CAPITAL LETTERS PART NUMBER like B07415B39B in this case, it's always caps, then copy to the start.

Later Buddy! :-)

PP

They're trying to using tuning to try to make 1.8* steppers produce the quality that 0.9* steppers are producing naturally. Actually, the biggest improvement can be made by upgrading to Moons 0.9* steppers and then tuning it, but close to the same improvement can be realized by just go with the much cheaper Stepper Online 0.9* steppers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W98OYE4

Maybe going to a 0.9* steppers on the extruder can also help, but I can tell you from first hand experience that going to 0.9* steppers on XY makes the VFAs almost entirely disappear.

The steppers I linked are less than $20. Buy one and try installing it on your Ender and see if you see any improvement.

These are the motor mounts and pulleys I used. Cheap, sturdy and easy. In the video above you can see how well the line up. The aluminum pulleys are okay, not great, but they seem to be wearing well and have not had any problems. There are better ones out there, but these are the ones from my amazon shopping cart and should be a good starting point.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HHPD7LY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/CTYRZCH-Aluminum-Pulley-Bearings-Printer/dp/B06XHY2RWZ/ref=sr_1_31?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1494562287&sr=1-31&keywords=gt2+pulley

https://www.amazon.com/BIQU-Smooth-Precise-Bearing-Printer/dp/B01FTZMXDW/ref=sr_1_27?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1494562287&sr=1-27&keywords=gt2+pulley

The Long:
-
I'm currently designing a core xy printer, the build specs for the machine are (LWH) 26"x26"x24" with a printing area 20"x20".

I'm stuck on designing the Z axis and would like to use two motors, I wanted to use a smoothie board for this project but this build requires 6 motors and thats where this issue starts. I'm aware that you can wire external stepper drivers but with all the talk about micro stepping I don't have the slightest clue on what I need If I were to go that route. I'm just really against spending that kind of money and having to hack it before I can use it.

I've seen people use pulley systems with one motor(how much torque do you need for that style application) and people using stubby stepper motors and wiring them together.

The heated bed is 18"x18" and I first designed a 20x20 aluminum build plate but started to wonder about warping and weight, I want to use glass as the actual printing area but designing the carriage is still on the drawing board.

The short:
-
So here are my questions:

If I wanted to use a smoothie board what and where would I find the stepper drivers needed? Motors I would like to use.

-

Why does it seem the standard of Z rod is 8mm? I remember reading somewhere that it has to do with the millimeter per degree of turn?

-

If I wanted to use 10-12mm z rod is there any cons to doing that other then overkill?

Here's an album of the design progress for those interested. The frame is designed around 20x60mm v-slot from open builds.

I just installed mine and yowza that is a world of difference! Now practically all I can hear are the fans, mostly the hotend cooling fan.

I have the petsfang printed but I didn't feel like soldering the wires today. Perhaps tomorrow.

In case anyone wonders, I ordered this 5 pack of dampers from Amazon that came with screws. I'm sure I could have found them cheaper elsewhere, but they arrived quickly and work perfectly. I ordered more in case I needed an extra for the Y axis or the extruder, and perhaps to use on my other printer.

Already answered a similar comment with some questions so I'll just copy and paste them for you to make it easier.

Thanks for the recommendations. So I plan on buying these two items:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PNEQKC0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=AWQBCGWISS7BL&psc=1

But the guy above said I need a 24V supply. They seem to vary wildly and I have no clue what I need, like I said I'm very new and this kit is my only experience. Should I get this?

https://www.amazon.com/Excelity%C2%AE-Charger-Supply-Switching-Adapter/dp/B01GGAELKC/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=24v+power+supply+arduino&qid=1555342594&s=gateway&sr=8-5#customerReviews

or would something smaller like this work just as well?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JM6SWT/ref=psdc_10967101_t1_B01GGAELKC#customerReviews

And lastly will I need to order any other parts or take anything else into consideration for this new stronger power supply?

Printer: Powerspec/Wanhao Duplicator i3

Mods (some wholly printed, some partially printed and partially purchased, some wholly purchased), in no particular order:

1. AzzA's Z-Braces to reduce Z-axis wobble.
   
   
2. Dumbcomputer's filament guide. Since I moved my spool to the control box rather than the gantry, this seems to work the best.
   
   
3. Rawlogic's gantry feet just because I didn't like having that much weight unsupported.
   
   
4. Antscran's build plate spring cups to keep the springs under higher tension, and prevent them from buckling. I haven't had to level my bed since installing these!
   
   
5. Pawpawpaw85's DiiiCooler, using a 50mm Sunon radial fan. Bridging is now a breeze!
   
   
6. Polysquare's 120mm control box fan shroud using just some generic 120mm fan I had from an old computer to quiet the dang thing down. Control box is virtually silent now.
   
   
7. ProtoBuilds NEMA 17 stepper motor dampers. I know there are better-quality ones out there, but these were cheap and really did a good job isolating them.
   
   
8. Generic 4-foot LED strip I got from BestBuy. Mounted to the very back edge of the gantry, going all the way around, really does a good job of illuminating the entire build plate.
   
   
9. Magnetic parts tray because I got sick of screws walking away on me. The one I got was in a discount bin at MicroCenter for $0.99, so I'd advise checking that out before ordering one online.
   
   
10. 1/2-inch-thick piece of closed-cell foam for noise isolation. I just had this lying around from when I got my DXRacer chair, so...don't know where else you could go about getting one. Sorry.
    
    
11. Berky93's gantry-mounted tool holder. A little thing that adds a lot of convenience.
    
    
12. Supasorn's adjustable belt tensioner. It was designed for the Tevo Tarantula, but it works on pretty much anything with a belt. I've got one on both my X and Y axes.
    
    Prints featured:
    
    
13. CreativeTools' #3DBenchy because of course this post needed a Benchy.
    
    
14. Self-modeled dipstick for Yamaha XS1100 Special motorcycle. Not currently online as I personally sell them.

I would use this stepper motor:
STEPPERONLINE Nema 17 Stepper Motor Bipolar 2A 59Ncm(84oz.in) 48mm Body 4-lead W/ 1m Cable and Connector compatible with 3D Printer/CNC https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PNEQKC0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-9iTCb0Y9Z8Z1

It will easily be able to move a pair of scissors with enough strength and be able to do it quickly. This motor is extremely versatile and once you’re done with this project you’ll be able to use it for other cool projects as well. I’m using the DRV8825 motor control:
https://www.pololu.com/product/2132

I've read that Nema 17 dampers make a big difference. https://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Stepper-Vibration-Damper-Screws/dp/B07415B39B/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1540390028&sr=8-5&keywords=nema+17+dampers

I ordered some but they aren't here yet so no first hand experience for now.

I had a warped bed so I bought a borosilicate bed to fix it. The problem was now my y axis was missing steps due to the added weight. I tried turning down jerk and acceleration but even at setting jerk to 1 and acceleration to 200 it was still missing steps. I decided to upgrade the y axis motor which had 2 benefits. First, I have zero missed steps even at higher than stock acceleration. Second, the new motors are MUCH quieter. I went a head and upgraded the x axis with the same motor and now my printer is very quiet. At $13 each these motors are an awesome upgrade. You do need to splice some wires and as you can see I needed to clearance the bed x brace for the y axis motor to fit. But totally worth it.
Here are the motors I used:
STEPPERONLINE Nema 17 Stepper... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PNEQKC0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Guarantee the price will go up now😁


UK link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00PNEQKC0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_OKXUCbN6X8BV9

It's also worth noting that, all other things being equal, the number of starts increases the amount of torque required to hold a position (or raise or lower the load) proportionally. So if replacing your Z Axis motor, lean towards the higher torque NEMA 17s, like this guy:https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PNEQKC0/. Measure for fit first, of course.

I use these and they've been going strong for years in my D-bot: https://www.amazon.com/Stepper-Bipolar-4-lead-Connector-Printer/dp/B00PNEQKC0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1517499156&sr=8-3&keywords=nema+17

Probably would be taken care of with stepper dampeners.

https://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Stepper-Vibration-Damper-Screws/dp/B07415B39B/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1522213043&sr=8-4&keywords=stepper+damper&dpID=41qzlY8DIyL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

They make the machine a lot easier to be around and are fairly cheap

^ This. I bought a 3 pack on Amazon for $11.45. They are very easy to install and cut down the noise a lot.

Hey, sorry. I just realized I'm putting your plan into action but never responded to it. I'm using a mirror plate with blue tape.

I'm not sure where to find the XY jerk settings on simplify 3D but I'm currently looking for it, I'm going to be printing both brackets once I'm done with printing some squash feet holders, and I'll be ordering an extra stepper for the Y axis motor. (I bought these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07415B39B/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It is currently on my printer now, just waiting for the extra one for the bracket.)

As a side thing, I've seen people with rods attached to the top of the Z axis, to the front of the printer. Do you know what those are, and could those help me?

This print is a large scale test of my newly upgrade D-bot using a Bondtech dual gear extruder, stiffer Z axis using Cbeam and linear rails. I'm printing at 80mm/s, .1 mm layers, .7% infil (grid), 200 nozzle / 60 bed. The model itself is scaled up to 175% I believe and will be about 11 inches on it's longest side. Not sure how tall it's going to be yet (I guess I could check cura when I get home). I also added stepper dampeners to my x/y and my printer is almost silent :)

​

This is the Notre Dame model found on MMF:

Are these usually listed? Looking at a few on amazon, they don't give a maximum rpm. An example

These? https://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Stepper-Vibration-Damper-Screws/dp/B07415B39B

I'm looking at these two:

http://www.amazon.com/Bipolar-Stepper-0-9deg-steps-62-3oz/dp/B00PNEQMLY/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1421105539&sr=8-8&keywords=nema17+stepper+motor

http://www.amazon.com/RioRand-57oz--Stepper-router-mill-K42HS40-1304/dp/B00JI5LTYE/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1421106142&sr=8-10&keywords=nema17+stepper+motor

Do you have any opinion on either of them?

Nema 17 Stepper Motor Bipolar 2A 59Ncm(84oz.in) 48mm Body 4-lead W/ 1m Cable and Connector for 3D Printer/CNC https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PNEQKC0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_JNFbzbHZY4JMB

The actual one I got is smaller, here it is: http://www.amazon.com/TSINY-500mm-12-24V-Linear-Actuator/dp/B00NTM7XW4/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1451518217&sr=1-2-fkmr1&keywords=50mm+linear+actuator+500n

It does not list the amps though, so not sure if I should try it.

I just added yesterday a glass bed and boy, that bed falling is annoying. Would that stepper motor be a proper upgrade? I've tried to find that 17HS4401, just to find this one that have more torque and isn't that more expensive.

There is such a thing, though, personally I used to use a motor base cover as far too many grilles and mirrors get broken that one time out of a hundred that someone forgets to unplug before backing away or driving off. Plus if one lives where the roads are salted the plug doesn't corrode nor does the socket end on the extension cord or get filled up with road grit after having a dirt encrusted plug shoved into it repeatedly so that the connection winds up being unreliable (Which is another reason why having a pilot light on the vehicle side is invaluable)