Hictop Upgrades

Share your hardware improvements for your HIC i3, the good and the bad!
Ctx32
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3D Printer(s): Hictop

Hictop Upgrades

Post by Ctx32 »

So, My printer is going through some changes to get this printer up to it's max.
Everything from the power supply to the basic screws.
The Hictop in stock form is very capable in producing good prints but there's always room for improvement in any brand of printer.
My goal is to get this $230.00 printer to compete with the high dollar printers.

I have uploaded Chip's new firmware and it is working great, I will be fine tuning it as far as I can to fit the Hictop only.
I have a YouTube friend that has trusted me with his Hotend Carriage design for the E3d V6. This carriage has been tried and trued by him and he is constantly improving his designs.

I'm using at this time a Bowden extruder I found on Thingiverse. Not sure at this time if I will continue on with it or opted for another design.

I also have Linear Screws on order and will add them at a later date.
I've also found Z mounting ends on Thingiverse that are improved versions of the Hictop and will fit the Linear Screws.

Anyway, More to come. Failures will happen but that's how it goes.
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Chip Luck
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by Chip Luck »

Good stuff. Let us know how it goes with the upgrades.
Ctx32
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by Ctx32 »

Little update.
I actually started a print today.
I have to reprint the base for my extruder so I can add the Bowden locks, It pushed the tube out.
I did have to change my firmware to a modified stock version.
Chip's firmware is awesome but it's set for a stock or his printer, All the changes in hardware on mine caused problems.
My extruder was offline and couldn't get it running so I uploaded my own version of firmware.
I did take allot of changes Chip made to the software and incorporated it into mine.
Would have taken much longer without Chips for a base.
The short print was not enough to even show a picture but I can already tell the print is much better than the stock hotend.
Once this printer is running 100%, I'll modify my other Hictop to match and then add the Linear rods to this one to improve on the
Z banding.
This little print is on it's way to AWESOME!!!
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Chip Luck
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by Chip Luck »

Calvin, do you have the source for the modified stock version? All you have to do is go through the Configuration.h file and apply any changes to the one I'm using and you should be good to go. If you have the firmware source, send that to me or .zip it up and post it here, I'd like to take a look at it.
Ctx32
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by Ctx32 »

Progress,
Here's a link to the video of the printer on Ebay.


Still more to do.
Ctx32
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by Ctx32 »

Ugly and all over the place
Image

Now under control.
I need to add the fan but that will come later.
Image
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Chip Luck
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by Chip Luck »

Looks great, keep up the good work and thanks for sharing.
Ctx32
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by Ctx32 »

More pics of various upgrades.
I'll explain each after I get everything complete and I post links to all of these.
I'm not just randomly adding each upgrade just for the looks, Each has a purpose and makes the Hictop a better and easier printer to work.

Image

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Image

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RednKentucky
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by RednKentucky »

I like how you put your end stop. I need to do that one.
JoelR
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by JoelR »

May I suggest taking the quad-y-linear bearings to the next step? I upgraded to supported 12mm with adjustable bearings and won't go back. I loose some z height, but the bed is rock solid with no play. Next will be ballscrews for the z-rails and a dual bowden setup for the print heads. People forget that extra weight on top leads to perimeter waves. Worst thing to do is run fast with a full spool on the top of the printer.
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Chip Luck
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by Chip Luck »

JoelR wrote:May I suggest taking the quad-y-linear bearings to the next step? I upgraded to supported 12mm with adjustable bearings and won't go back. I loose some z height, but the bed is rock solid with no play. Next will be ballscrews for the z-rails and a dual bowden setup for the print heads. People forget that extra weight on top leads to perimeter waves. Worst thing to do is run fast with a full spool on the top of the printer.
So, you are saying that a full spool of filament on the OEM rack on top will induce waves? Interesting and could be true. Sort of like a improperly bedded/supported rifle barrels harmonics/wave throwing off a projectile POI...
rellik1000
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3D Printer(s): CR7,Hic Al i3

Re: Hictop Upgrades increase printing speed?

Post by rellik1000 »

This was my first printer a CR-7 https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32505584402.html purchased about a year ago.
150x150x120 PLA only,no heat bed,minimal footprint.

FYI PLA can print fine with no heatbed.

Funny... my son taught this to his CAD/tech instructor,with their $3500 3dp.

The beauty of DIY.

It is a really great entry level 3dp.
Kinda looks like a toy but is a full blown printer.
I learned a lot building and tweaking this thing.

A little bummed out though,I expected the Hic aluminium i3 to be an upgrade.

Using my tweaked CR-7 slic3r/repetier settings as a baseline for the Hictop it sounds like it's going to explode.

I have to bump the feed rate down to 80% or less to print without any grinding or growling noise.
Everything has been realigned/retightened three times now.

The Hic prints nice,just slowly

My little CR-7 can print almost twice as fast with equaled quality.I can bump the feed rate to like 150% or more to quick print pieces without fine detail.

I already did a bowden mod to reduce the mass of the x carriage.

I'm looking for other mods to increase the print speed.
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Chip Luck
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by Chip Luck »

I run about 40 to 50mm/sec max print speed for 'detail' parts, non-printing feed rate of about 200mm/sec, all accelerations capped at 1200. I'm happy with mine, it's no speed demon, but it has printed perfect a '3D Benchy', 'Ulti'robot', test objects et. all at 0.1mm height with outstanding results. Considering it was ~$300 delivered and having to put in some a few more $ for basic and need upgrades (updated PSU, some linear bearings, z-rods, etc.) and modifying the firmware and 3 months of time tweaking it, well this thing has served me well so far. I have no regrets, it's a learning curve. One day I will get a 'real' printer, but if I want a basic and cheap do it all 3D machine, I'd buy more HIC i3's in a millisecond.
NotMe999
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by NotMe999 »

After getting the shipped HICTOP printer working well, with much thanks to Chip, I worked on getting dual extrusion using the Chimera from E3D Online. Many attempts at a 3D Printed Mount to adjust my design (have a colleague who also has a 3D printer, so I didn't have to keep taking apart mine), I got a good design only to find it warped when I heated up the extruders. After 5 weeks of waiting on the fab shop, I got a metal x-carriage, and now have the dual extrusion working. I still need to tweak a bunch of settings (using Marlin 1.1.0-RC6), but the dual extruder test cross shows the head alignment is good. Found a nice picture showing the pin designations for the MKS v1.4 so I could power both hot ends and the cooling fan. Changed to Bowden extruders to make the implementation easier.
Attachments
Dual Extrusion.jpg
NotMe999
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Re: Hictop Upgrades

Post by NotMe999 »

Update. Got the heads as close to level as I can get. Printing good quality. New PID settings for new hot ends and new temp settings for hot ends for the thermistors that come with the chimera. Here's a closer picture of the x-carriage mount.
0910161310 - Copy.jpg
Recommend the Dual Extruder Calibration Cross .4 mm nozzle if going to Dual Extrusion with 0.4 mm nozzle.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1023194

Here's a picture after a few changes to the X offset in the firmware. Apparently my x-carriage puts the nozzles about 0.3 mm of in the x direction. Still using 18 mm on the y.
0910161311 - Copy.jpg
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