I've had my Aquila for over a month now. You've given me more info about 3D printing in these two videos than I've been able to find anywhere else. Thank you very much!
I'm so glad! That's absolutely my point with these videos, trying to get as much information for newer people entering the hobby as I can. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and let me know! Makes my day!
Great job sir! FWIW, I no longer use Cura for prints on my Aquila. I went back to the Voxelmaker slicer and I can say with confidence that the prints are (for me at least) significantly better. I would encourage anyone using an Aquila to give Voxelmaker a try for the best prints. No, it's not fancy like Cura, but for a great print you don't need fancy but you do need dialed in settings and Voxelmaker has the Aquila nailed. I do use Cura for my Delta printer and it works fine.
Thanks for watching, commenting, and adding to the discussion! I've actually never used VoxelMaker because I've become so comfortable with Cura, but I'm glad people are able to get some use out of it. It's always good to have another slicer waiting in the wings whenever you want to experiment with the process. I actually began using SuperSlicer for a short time, I really liked it, but was having some Start_Print issues with a few of my Klipper printers. Ended up working well with Cura so I haven't tried migrating back over, but now I think it might be worthwhile to take a look. Thanks for watching and leaving a well thought out comment !
You're very very welcome! I'm happy you stuck around for Part 2 as it does go into some niche areas of the program. Happy to help and I hope your printing experience continues to grow!
Thank you so much for this! I just got my first printer and have been online for 2 days trying to find help to get started and was so overwhelmed. Your 2 videos got me from set up to my first print in an hour! I'm on my 4th print playing with different supports and prints now. Thanks so much for breaking it all the way down for a true beginner!
You're soooo welcome! Thank you for leaving a comment like this! My goal is to make all this information easy to understand, so you can get up and running . I'm glad it's having a positive effect!
Thanks for this video! I look forward to putting this knowledge to use going forward. I learned a lot about all these damn settings that I was tweaking without really knowing what they all did. I look forward to more content from you as I become more familiar with Cura and getting the best print quality I can on my Aquila.
I'm glad this video was helpful for you! All these settings can be overwhelming and have a large learning curve, but getting a good base knowledge of them and how they interact with our finished model is a huge advantage. Thanks for the comment !
I filmed the install of a Haldis Direct Frog extruder. It was a slightly tough install but it was worth it! I can't wait to get some more prints with it and finish the video!
Hello from Ireland. I ordered the Voxelab Aquila C2 yesterday, as a complete novice in 3D printing. I feel so lucky to have found both of your videos on Cura, as you explain things in such a careful and detailed manner. I have been following the tutorials in Cura, with one of the files from your website (the fan shroud), and have gained a lot of insight into the software in an hour! Thank you (from a university teacher with 30 years experience).
Thank you so much for your kind comment! The language of 3d printing can be complicated and confusing, so I always do my best to boil down the concepts into a digestible manner. I'm glad these were of help. If you need anything else going forward, once you have your printer, leave a comment or email me printsleo3d@gmail.com and I'll help!
Awesome vid! Im familiar with router and laser CNCm for about a year now, but just got the kid an Aquila C2 a couple days ago for his 12th bday.. let the learning begin! Thanks for the excellent run down, and flattening that learning curve :P After a few prints playing around, You've already pointed out several things I can tweak to fix some minor annoyances Ive already encounterd :D Thanks for the rundown/ tutorial!
Welcome to the community! Glad to hear you're starting them young too, that's the best way to get into it! I try and lean my videos towards people who are just starting out so I'm happy this made it to you! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. If you have any more questions during your journey come on back!
You're welcome ! There's so much stuff to learn, and all this new terminology. I just try to make the entry as easy as possible. Thanks for commenting !
I'm really sorry I didn't respond your comment. For some reason RU-vid flagged it and it never got published. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment, and I promise to keep putting out videos that help those that are new to 3d printing. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the Video...you have help me so much with troubleshooting the Voxelab Aquila that I got...still I've having some issues but at least I am closer to a good printing! Thanks!
That's great to hear! There's always something new to learn with these printers but it's worth it in the end ! If you need any help you can always find me on my discord (link in description) for more active troubleshooting. Thanks for leaving the comment !
A couple things: somewhere along the line I learned to add more walls for added strength as you mentioned, but to add them under infill rather than line count. Not sure how that makes a difference but I assume nozzle path would treat the infill wall as part of the infill rather than another wall? Another good "extra" to turn on under special mode (I think) is bridging, it allows for better roofs in unsupported sections. There was something else, oh yeah, non printer related, you made me laugh with your comment about the pagan symbol, sometimes a star is just a star Great video, sure coulda used it 8 months ago but I still learned something new (like I never knew I could actually click and drag the settings menu 🤦♀️) Thanks another Leo, great job!
The infill wall line count is pretty interesting! I never knew Cura allowed you to add walls through the infill menu. Aside from the printing order of operations, speed is another variable that is affected by choosing to add walls within the infill menu. I just poked around a little with the subject but it's something I think I am going to explore a little deeper. Cool stuff! I haven't messed with the bridging settings much, so I didn't want to add it here. The reason I did this 'intro' data dump was so when I do explore those other unique settings I can send people here for the basic questions. Bridging added the list though, I think that's a common problem people encounter and being able to tackle it within the slicer is ideal. Yea, the star lol it's definitely just a star but while I was recording that section I had a flashback to the Tom Hanks/Dan Akroyd movie version of Dragnet. I forgot to edit the comment out, and it surprised me while editing and I almost spit my coffee out, so I had to leave it in lol Thanks again for watching. This was sort of a boring video, but I wanted to have something out there for people to be able to reference once we start hitting some more exciting topics.
@@PrintsLeo3D I didn't think bridging was something you would have wanted to cover in this video, it's more advanced but I did want to mention it because it made the difference on a few prints for me. As for adding walls with infill instead of straight up just adding wall line count is something I think I'll look closer at as well. Slicing something both ways and watching the nozzle path to see what kind of difference it makes . Thanks again. I'm still in fb jail but as soon as I'm out.... 😉 oh and I'd forgotten all about the Dragnet thing but now you've said it I'm totally on track with ya 😆
Been following all these Aquila videos to a T to get mine setup, and I tell you hwhat, dang ol thing is printing perfectly Using Voxelab black PLA+, 200/60
I'm so happy to hear that! These printers are really amazing! To be able to print such quality for what they cost is remarkable and I'm happy that a lot of people are able to now enter the hobby through the Aquila. Thanks for watching, thanks for leaving a comment, and happy printing!
I just got a roll of voxelab PLA+ and tried some things I designed today, used the normal PLA Settings and wasn't getting good adhesion, it would lift and warp. I did wash the build plate with soap to get dust off of it could that have effected its adhesion ability?
Not likely, it's usually advised to wash your build plate from time to time to get rid of the oils that your hands can leave behind. If you're using the stock glass plate, it's possible over time the adhesion can start to fade and then I'd recommend using a glue stick adhesive to increase your adhesion once again. Just a quick swipe over the areas of the build plate your model will print over should do. Also if you removed the build plate it's always a good idea to relevel the bed quickly(honestly it's always a good idea to relevel your bed lol) to make sure everything is in order. Then it can never hurt to recheck your z offset and make sure you're getting the proper squish (compression), so that first layer doesn't want to budge! Also because these are your own models and not something that's been shared , double check in your slicer that the finished model looks like you think it is. Make sure all the points of contact with the bed are there and nothing is printing in thin air.
Are stock PLA setting on the Aquila good to use for their PLA+ filaments? Also what's a good Z-offset? Did their paper thickness to get me going. Only had this for a couple days and trying to get it zeroed in so I can really get printing!
@@EricMcNettCorsairMan On the stock glass bed I had success with 200/60 for heat, if your prints are warping I'd try getting bed temp higher to like 65 or 70 and see if it sticks better. Tbh though, I upgraded my glass bed to a PEI sheet and couldn't be happier, I use 75c for my PEI sheet and stuff sticks amazing to it (bought a Hictop PEI plate/stick on magnet from Amazon). For Z offset its hard to say cause everyone's is a little different, just from my experience I found try it at 0 offset then start going negative with the value if it is not sticking until you find what works (sticks well, but isn't too close to the build plate where it causes the elephant foot effect)
@@PrintsLeo3D yes, I am computer illiterate and I purchased my first 3D printer last night off of eBay should be here within the week I'm going to need all the help I can get
Hey dude, there's like 8 different models of voxelab Aquila, can you be more specific in your title, Luckily yours is the one I needed but just throwing that out there for other RU-vidrs.
Thanks, I appreciate that. When I made this there was only about 2 different models so updating this is a good idea. That being said this should work for any Aquila regardless of the model because the structure is all the same (220x220x250). The only changes need be made would be to the start gcode or the retraction distance. It's really hard for me to think of new content, write new content, create new content, edit new content, post it all to the appropriate platforms while also maintaining my back catalogue for revision inclusion. So, I thank you for reminding me because these things would likely go unnoticed.
So when i print files on the sd card like the wheel for the printer it came out perfectly but when i try to print something that i sliced on cura It never sticks to the bed when i press print
Oftentimes z offset is the issue when models you slice won't stick. I have a whole seperate video that goes over bed leveling and z offset. It's such an important concept that does not get talked about enough. I'd suggest watching that video and giving it a try, if that doesn't work let me know and we can diagnose from there. m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BGdFcPKHbbg.html
I just got my my printer and I’m now to this so thanks for all your information it helps me out I need all the help I can get right now. And your the only one who made it seem easy to me. But the problem I’m having is when I’m building my model when it gets half way it moves away from the plate it’s like the nozzle is pushing down on the model to hard and breaks it from the plate can you help me with this problem???
I love to help, I'll give it a shot! It sounds like you might be having an adhesion issue. If your model isn't sticking to the build plate well enough, it will begin to separate. When the print seperstes from the build plate it will lift up, and possibly get into the oath of the nozzle on higher layers. What type of model w re you printing? What type of filament are you printing ? Also what type of bed are you printing on? (Glass, PEI, etc)
@@PrintsLeo3D I’m printing on a glass bead and I was trying to print a venom model of thingy verse. And I have a voxelad printer and I just have a regular PLA filament And I think my nozzle is 0.4
Hey so sorry I never answered this, RU-vid flagged a bunch of comments for some reason and this was one of them. If you're still having any issues with this or other models please respond to this message or email me at printsleo3d@gmail.com sorry about that but hope you are up and printing!
Tha sk for watching and commenting. The issue you are having is usually related to z-offset. Z-offset is the value that brings the nozzle closer to the bed which gives the filament proper compression and adhesion. Most people think leveling the bed is what creates the gap, but it doesn't. We use the gap during level as a device to get the nozzle and the bed lined up. I have another video called "bed leveling and z offset" I definitely recommend watching that because I break down both the procedures and the differences. Give that a try and let me know if it helps!
When you input a value and the box turns Orange that's Cura's way of telling you something might be wrong, it's not catastrophic and it won't fail to slice, but you should take a closer look. Cura calculates all different factors for your print, and for some reason it detects whatever you've input is not within its own specification, so it highlights the box Orange so you can re-examine it. Oftentimes it's fine, it's something you meant to do, like creating a larger than normal z offset perhaps. Sometimes though it does let you know something is up. Maybe you switched to a different nozzle size but are still trying to print at your old layer height. Cura might detect that layer height was not correct, highlight the box for your inspection, and then you could decided if that's how you want to proceed. A box highlighted in Red is when Cura is telling you some parameter is so far out of specifications it's dangerous or harmful to your printer, and it will not let you slice it.
When you slice your models do you save them to the SD card? Are the kept in the same folder (directory) as the files that came with the printer. Also do they end in .gcode ?
@@PrintsLeo3D it shows up on the 3d printer and when I go to print it takes a few minutes to at the center but doesn’t print the item it prints a line on the edge then it tries to print the item but then it doesn’t stick to the bed
Ok, so the printer is attempting to peform the print but the model is not adhering properly? This sounds like a z-offset setting. It's necessary to calibrate your z-offset , and then you can save that number within Cura so it applies to all of your prints. For now, as the print is beginning you can manually adjust the z offset through the menu. You want to make z offset a negative number which will bring the nozzle closer to the bed. I have a video that explains what z offset is. I recommend giving it a watch and it should make this whole method a lot clearer.
@@PrintsLeo3D yes is that normal tho? It moves into position to print but doesn’t stays there for maybe 5mins moves to the edge prints a line then it attempts to print. I’ve already calibrated the z offset I put slowly adjust but then the print rips off cause it gets close to the filament that didn’t stick then it messes up the whole print but I will try again
Absolutely! My profile is really just the default Ender 3 Pro profile that comes equipped with Cura, I just adjusted a few small things. I plan on uploading all my different profiles for different nozzle sizes and layer heights soon though. If you go to my website www.printsleo3d.com/firmware then navigate to the bottom of the page where it talks about Slicer Profiles and then click thr Aquila button. The page that hosts the profiles is very basic right now as I just created it but you can download the base 0.4mm nozzle 0.2mm layer height profile! Good luck!
There is! Printing in two colors can be tricky though. The Aquila can do a basic color change, I describe the process in an article on my website here: www.printsleo3d.com/filamentchange If you're looking for advanced color changes, like changing colors multiple times on a single layer, it's possible but very tricky (not too mention tike consuming). If you have any more questions let me know I'm happy to help, or if you want you can reach me on my discord: discord.gg/uBdsQbvj
@@PrintsLeo3D thanks for the info I will check out the article and if I have any questions will reach out to you. I'm a newbie at 3d printing and trying to learn all the Aquila can do.
@@PrintsLeo3D first thing I guess I need to know is the Aquila capable of filament changes out of the box or do I have to configure it for it. I'm kinda lost right now.
So to be honest it's been awhile since I've used the Aquila with the stock out of the box firmware(think of it as an operating system), so I couldn't say if it works out of the box. However I know it is enabled with Alex's firmware, which is a community made upgraded firmware that adds a lot of functionality. Within the firmware certain settings need to be enabled for the M600 color change to take effect. Alex's firmware has that enabled , I couldn't say for certain if the stock does.
