3D Printer Modifications

Like many people in the 3D printing hobby, my first printer was a Creality Ender 3. It worked fine enough out of the box, but soon my needs outgrew its abilities. Nearly every part of that printer has gotten the Ship of Theseus treatment. the only unchanged parts are the power supply and the gantry frame. Every other part has received some modification. It started small with a new thermistor and better bed leveling springs. Then I replaced the hotend and built plate. The go alongside the new hotend, I upgraded the nozzle. I wanted a silent mode and faster print speeds, so the next things to go were the motherboard and stepper motors. The final upgrade was an automatic bed leveling system. Much like working on a car, working on this printer constantly gave me a deeper appreciation of the technology and a more robust sense of its capabilities. I carried this on as I took on 3D printing technician roles through out high school and college.