Question I joined the club!

[jmhecker]

Printer Model

Formbot 2.4 R2

Extruder Type

Other

Cooling Type

Stealthburner

So I just purchased a Formbot 2.4r2 350mm and will be spending the next few days (weeks?) impatiently waiting for it to arrive. While I wait I will start printing out the plethora of parts that need to be printed.

What I am wondering is: Is there a way for me to determine which parts are strictly cosmetic vs functional? I'd rather save the cosmetic prints until after the ones that are needed for the printer to work are done.

 

[Oberon]

It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.

Good luck with the build !

Having built from a Formbot kit too, try to find a PA-09 it's the most essential tool you might not already have. It will save you from crimp / connector failures down the line.
EDIT : @LoadMaster7 pointed that Formbot now ships with pre-made wires, my early 2021 kit didn't have that. I would still personally recommend stocking up on necessary hardware to make your own wires, you're bound to need to do that at one time or another.
This is a fun kit to build from because it's very close to spec (the official BOM) so with the least amount of premade stuff. It means you'll have to do more yourself (wiring, crimping, routing, ...) but this will make you more knowledgeable about your printer and better able to maintain it at low cost because if something breaks, you're likely to be able to remake it yourself and not have to re-order a pre-made piece of kit.

Ask any question you might have and while I do love and prefer the forum to Discord, do join the channel as well for some live chat if you feel like it as well as for live help during the built.

 

[jmhecker]

It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.

You have no idea how much I appreciated reading that. Right there tells me that there are some good Down-to-Earth style people on this board. I'll certainly be sticking around (and joining the Discord as well).

Thank you for your response, @Oberon !

 

[LoadMaster7]

It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.

Good luck with the build !

Having built from a Formbot kit too, try to find a PA-09 it's the most essential tool you might not already have. It will save you from crimp / connector failures down the line.
This is a fun kit to build from because it's very close to spec (the official BOM) so with the least amount of premade stuff. It means you'll have to do more yourself (wiring, crimping, routing, ...) but this will make you more knowledgeable about your printer and better able to maintain it at low cost because if something breaks, you're likely to be able to remake it yourself and not have to re-order a pre-made piece of kit.

Ask any question you might have and while I do love and prefer the forum to Discord, do join the channel as well for some live chat if you feel like it as well as for live help during the built.

I have no idea on how long ago you received your Formbot kit, and maybe their wiring wasn't what it is now. I received my kit near the end of November, 2022 and the wiring was all there. No crimping needed. It is a pretty nice wiring set with the lengths enough to make the connections without much issues.

Jim, I am very impressed with my Formbot kit. Building it as a stock build 2.4 R2, you end up with a great performing printer. I bought the printed parts that ended up being just enough to allow the printer to print. In my opinion, this isn't really enough. Getting the printr enclosed made a world of difference on print quality. There are a number of other things, but you are free to ask when you run into something, and want to bounce it off of the people here. Have fun! I'm already thinking about which printer I'm going to build next...

 

[Oberon]

I have no idea on how long ago you received your Formbot kit, and maybe their wiring wasn't what it is now. I received my kit near the end of November, 2022 and the wiring was all there. No crimping needed. It is a pretty nice wiring set with the lengths enough to make the connections without much issues.

Jim, I am very impressed with my Formbot kit. Building it as a stock build 2.4 R2, you end up with a great performing printer. I bought the printed parts that ended up being just enough to allow the printer to print. In my opinion, this isn't really enough. Getting the printr enclosed made a world of difference on print quality. There are a number of other things, but you are free to ask when you run into something, and want to bounce it off of the people here. Have fun! I'm already thinking about which printer I'm going to build next...

I confess this was Q1 2021 almost two years ago. I got a box of connector housing (JST and microfit) and associated crimps with a spool of silicon wire, that's it.

Shame on the wiring, I honestly think being able to make your own wires, crimps and connectors is a very useful skill to have and it's easy to acquire. Thing it, lots of upgrades or any repair is likely to require you to cut cables and redo connectors, it's not only about the first time you build it.

I think OP is just asking that question regarding the printed parts to prioritize printing order. I agree that enclosing the printer is absolutely necessary for anything else but PLA, and even for that I would only open the front door and top panel keeping the other 3 to avoid drafts.

 

[Christian]

So I just purchased a Formbot 2.4r2 350mm and will be spending the next few days (weeks?) impatiently waiting for it to arrive. While I wait I will start printing out the plethora of parts that need to be printed.

What I am wondering is: Is there a way for me to determine which parts are strictly cosmetic vs functional? I'd rather save the cosmetic prints until after the ones that are needed for the printer to work are done.

There is a spreadsheet in the documentation page linked that helped me to prioritize the printing https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1njgHapSZLiQHobrEVkeuAuhhDsXzFOJOiIpvfVFeGxQ/edit?usp=sharing

 

[jmhecker]

I have no idea on how long ago you received your Formbot kit, and maybe their wiring wasn't what it is now. I received my kit near the end of November, 2022 and the wiring was all there. No crimping needed. It is a pretty nice wiring set with the lengths enough to make the connections without much issues.

Jim, I am very impressed with my Formbot kit. Building it as a stock build 2.4 R2, you end up with a great performing printer. I bought the printed parts that ended up being just enough to allow the printer to print. In my opinion, this isn't really enough. Getting the printr enclosed made a world of difference on print quality. There are a number of other things, but you are free to ask when you run into something, and want to bounce it off of the people here. Have fun! I'm already thinking about which printer I'm going to build next...

That does seem to be the case now, @LoadMaster7. The kit I ordered from 3dprintersbay.com (here) has everything pre-crimped, as yours did.

I confess this was Q1 2021 almost two years ago. I got a box of connector housing (JST and microfit) and associated crimps with a spool of silicon wire, that's it.

Shame on the wiring, I honestly think being able to make your own wires, crimps and connectors is a very useful skill to have and it's easy to acquire. Thing it, lots of upgrades or any repair is likely to require you to cut cables and redo connectors, it's not only about the first time you build it.

I think OP is just asking that question regarding the printed parts to prioritize printing order. I agree that enclosing the printer is absolutely necessary for anything else but PLA, and even for that I would only open the front door and top panel keeping the other 3 to avoid drafts.

@Oberon - No worries with the lack of having to crimp the wires (no worries for me, anyway). I have been doing microelectronics for years, and would have had no issues having to crimp everything by hand if that was still the 'norm' for this kit

There is a spreadsheet in the documentation page linked that helped me to prioritize the printing https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1njgHapSZLiQHobrEVkeuAuhhDsXzFOJOiIpvfVFeGxQ/edit?usp=sharing

@Christian - I appreciate the link, but I opted to save time and hassle and go the route that @Oberon did and purchased the 'functional prints'. I will print the rest of the parts myself on my CR-10 V3 or on the Voron once it is built.

 

[NoGuru]

My Formbot kit required me to make the wire terminals and I do not like this part of the hobby. My eyes are not good at seeing small close things and my fingers to big to hold the connectors.

I would not recommend Canbus to anyone unless they are up for a challenge but that let me remove the chains from the gantry and reduced the wiring by around 16-20 wires I think.
The reason for going Canbus for me was I had a wire break somewhere in the chain.