Priorities for "Hot Rodding" My M2E?

[Gwhite]

I've got a off the rack M2E. There are all sorts of mods folks have mentioned to improve build quality, reduce noise, etc. Before I head down that road, I'd like to get a sense of where I should devote my time & $ to get the most bang for my buck. I'm more concerned with build quality than noise level. Things that would minimize warping, for example, would be really helpful. I'f I change material and/or models, I'm looking for a higher percentage of 1st pass success and less scrap in the dustbin.

In my perceived order of importance:

1) Enclosure

2) Fan duct to control cooling (what kind?)

3) Bigger fans or blowers

4) Fancy build plates (MIC6, etc.) I'm currently using either the factory polyimide on glass (sometimes with glue stick), or glass with hairspray.

5) Motor mounts

6) Quieter fans (probably a very low priority for me)

Is this a good order to focus on? The fan duct would be quick, but there are dozens of designs out there to choose from. The enclosure will take some time to build right.

Are there other things I should consider?

Thanks!

[insta]

Flip that list upside down.

[Gwhite]

Flip that list upside down.

You must be more sensitive to the noise than I am. My biggest issue these days is adhesion & warping. I think one problem is it's Fall, and my basement is a good bit cooler than when I first got the machine.

I got some new PLA filament, and I've tried plain polyimide, glue stick on polyimide and hairspray on glass. I still can't get a print without at least some warping, and it's usually significant. Eventually, I plan on making a heated box, but for now I'm playing with extrusion & bed temperatures, and I'm about to back off on the fan. A brim helps, but one piece is pretty intricate, and it takes about 20 minutes to carve the brim off with an Xacto knife. I need to make about a dozen of these things, and dealing with the brim on every one will be a serious drag. The warping is significantly worse towards the front of the machine, which is why I suspect cooling. This is also where having a duct that blows in a more controlled location might help.

[willnewton]

Flip that list upside down.

You nailed it Insta. Plus, the other mods are very easy to knock out first. I have not met an “enclosure problem” that could not be solved by better adhesion, leveling, or software tweak as long as you have reasonable surrounding temps.

Constant warp in front sounds like a bed level issue, not a fan one. It really depends on what you are printing. The further out from center you go, the better the bed level needs to be.

You also get into situations where the bed is level at corners and prints well at proper height around center, but nonetheless adhesion falls apart near the edges. We used to blame this on warped glass (it still could be in some cases), but someone discovered the X-axis could have an arc in it caused by bolt tension and/or slight frame distortion in the assembly process.

A thin shim of paper under the center of the X-axis linear bearing rail solved it for those with the issue. It is not a common issue or one that may ever come into play even if you do have it. I have it in mine and it is so small I don’t care. If the print is big then I just change the head offset in S3D .05ish mm closer to the bed. I get more squish in the center, but the far edges stick better.

[Gwhite]

I've largely licked the warping & adhesion problems by backing off on the fan & using glue stick on the factory build plate surface. I think my problems were a combination of lower room temperature, and a fussy brand of PLA (Paramount 3D). Based on my results now, I don't think the bed leveling is out of whack, but when I get a chance, I'll check it.