Update 29 july 2023.
On this page I have collected my experience with the Creality CR-10.
I bought it in mid-july 2017 at https://www.gearbest.com for ~350 Euro and
it passed customs (post route via UK to NL) without paying any taxes... how good is that :)))
but it took 4 weeks before it was delivered.
Currently prices are going up because the printer is very popular.
It is just a 3-part (control box and 2 pre-assembled frame parts) build with 4 big bolts, 2 T-plates with 4 bolts each and wires.
The kit is really VERY complete. Everything is included (tape, filament, any tool you could need, spare parts, usb-stick with documentation) to assemble it and to make your first print.
Ad by Google.
The box that I received.
It is well packed.
The first layer has the fully assembled bottom, including: 2 wide heatbed stickers and documentation.
The second layer has the ..., the processing/power unit, tape, and a box with parts.
The box contains: usb cable, tools,power cable, spool with PLA, spool holder, bolts and T-plates, usb-stick, tube, some spare parts and very minimal documentation.
The USB stick contains the extensive documentation and some print examples (The gcode of the CAT is corrupt, don't use it).
The assembled Creality next to the Prusa I3 Steel.
The picture is distorted. Note the clean wires of the Creality and the chaotic Prusa.
The printing tape on the Creality is already damaged because the PLA sticks so well to it.
Normally I use PETG that is printed directly on the glass plate (80 derees C) and comes of easy after cooling down.
But it is not all perfect. After a few days the heat cartridge died... and I still have to fix it.
Disassembling...
Today I have opened the control box and measured the voltage for the heat cartridge on the board
(see "CR-10 Motherboard Swap" to check how all wires are connected).
It was the first thing I found as a probably cause.
I measured ~12Volts and thus it is OK. Then I tried to measure the voltage close to the heat cartridge to exclude a wire break or bad contact.
I removed the kapton tape which binds the heater cartridge wires and the thermistor wires.
Then pushed the red isolation close to the cartridge up to reveil some metal contacts... and voila I measured ~12 Volts, what...?.
My conclusion is that there are bad electric contacts close to the heat catridge.
Wait and see.
The problem is the wires of the heat cartridge...
Next day the problem returns: the heat cartridge is not heating.
Just a touch with a needle of the right-side wire of the heat cartridge was enough to start heating.
I pushed the isolation up, freeing the clamps and and used pliers to squeeze them tight. I hope that helps but...
I will do some prints without filament to check if the problem persists... to be continued.
The heat catridge problem is solved.
Small vase (60% of original) printed in ~9+ houres and the original vase (19+ cm height) in 23h 22m without any problem.
Because PLA did not stick to the glass plate I tried an acrylic 2mm thick sheet (31*31cm), not sanded.
That only gave problems (with blue tape, ABS sludge, hairspray, sanding with > 80, etc) until I grinded the tape with 80 sandpaper.
The big advantage is that the part can be removed by bending the acrylic sheet.
The 2 mm sheet is a bit to thin because the printed object does wobble sometimes.
This is the upgrade kit,I bought it at about 50 Euros from
www.aliexpress.com but again prices went up. It was delivered with in week after ordering. I have installed it.
See the "How to" on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJKDMQ5It4E.
It is not difficult to do.
Heatcartridge isolation could be thicker... On the bed the cotton I used for the underside of the heatbed.
2017-27-12: The heat catridge is now dead. I replaced it with a version I already had.
The instruction video on how to do that is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkjc10TKZhE.
You will also have to do some Pid tuning (http://reprap.org/wiki/PID_Tuning) which refers to
the parameters adjustment of a proportional-integral-derivative control algorithm used in most repraps for hot ends and heated beds.
The procedure is easy to do. The result (example: M301 P18.8 I1.25 D70.7) can be added to the Start-Gcode profile for the slicer or
stored on an SD-card, as auto0.g , which is read at power-on of the Creality (only when the SD-card is in the Creality).
2018-04-20; Replaced the 4mm glass plate that came the CR-10 with 3mm mirror (31*31 cm).
It is 1 mm thinner, thus 25% lighter and should heat up faster.
2018-04-23; Turned up the power supply from 12.0Volt to 13.2Volts (+10%) .
See this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U8ymhArTL4.
This should help to get the heatbed faster on its temperature. For PETG the heatbed is at 87 degrees Celsius so the PETG sticks to the glass.
I do not use glue or hairspray or tape. After printing just wait until the temperature of the glass is back to room temperature, the parts can then be removed without using force.
2019-02-28: Update glass plate for heatbed to a coated glass plate and added larger turning wheels.
Both come from the Creality Offical store on www.AlieXpress.com .
PETG sticks very well starting from 70 degrees Celsius for smaller objects.
2020-03-24: Installed a lineair slider rails X-Axis kit from AlieXpress.
Its probably not needed but why not. The rails and slider are greasy and have to be cleaned with alcohol (a bath or shower of alcohol) for better sliding.
All parts fitted without a problem and the rails is just long enough. Only one wheel remains but maybe that can be removed as well...
