My printer arrives last week. I was in california for under a week (I.e, I wasn't at home, with my printer, in massachusetts), but I finally got it running two days ago. My first experiences with Replicator-G_37 and pronterface were pretty mediocre. Same with skeinforge, but I suspect I didn't put the work into optimizing skeinforge because I was just struggling a bit.
However, the next day, I started using repetier and slicr3, and watched a software tutorial by IanJohnson, and I've been printing for the last 24 hours some great stuff!!
. I'm super excited. So far only one disaster print, which was a twisted cup overnight that got halfway before it turns into a crazy angry birds nest. I suspect slicr3 hadn't properly sliced it, because the slicing time had been over an hour and it usually doesn't take remotely that long.
I'll try to get up pictures soon. So far I'm just dumping loads of thingiverse files in an attempt to better see what works and doesn't, and what I need to do. I really need to focus on a project at work though, so I haven't had time to really post-process or document much of the files I'd I've printed (what needs to be fixed, etc.) I hope I'll have time to do my own files and print those after the next week.
I also had problems with sticking. I replaced the kaptop tape and at the same time starting using a small bit of unscented hair spray, and that's done wonders. I also have a heated bed, which can only reach ~100C with the resistors it's using (takes quite a while to get to temp- this is a lowend heated bed), but I put some cardboard on it while it heats, and set to 110c, so that the cardboard (insulation) allows the bed to get up in temp for the first few layers. I take off the cardboard before I start running the print, of course.
I am trying to decide between all the printers <$900 and it is making my head hurt. I am leaning towards prusa mendel version 2.
