This page documents the yet-to-be-named, new 3D printer of the model Anycubic Kossel Plus. The printer is large, has a black aluminium frame and sits currently on the project bench.
Purchased mid-2018, nobody has managed to get it working reliably so far, however it has been known to work on occasion as evidenced by a number of successfully 3D printed objects.
It is currently configured with a version of the Marlin 3D printer firmware available on Gozz's GitHub, configured for the v1 probe currently installed on the machine. You can read up on installing Marlin here. Make sure you use the appropriate Configuration.h and Configuration_adv.h files, and follow the configuration instructions carefully before trying to print anything.
The recommended software to generate G-code from 3D models is Cura. Working profile can be found here.
It supports printing from G-code files on an SD card and directly from Cura via the USB interface. Using Cura with USB is known to be unreliable so it is recommended to export the resulting gcode to an SD card instead.
To encourage its use, filament is free for members (within reason, ie. less than 50g per person).
Using the machine
Generating gcode
Download Cura. Install the Anycubic Kossel Plus profile, found here. Note that you might need help doing this on a clubroom machine! Load your model into Cura and hit "Slice" to generate a gcode file, which the printer will use. Then save it to a SD card.
Zeroing
Just selecting "Auto home" in the menu (press the dial down to access) should be enough, but if the bed isn't leveled properly then you'll want to re-level it. Attach the probe (to the piece of metal to the side of the nozzle - make sure it's secure and in position), plug it in, then select "Prepare" -> "Bed Leveling" -> "Relevel"
Changing the filament
Under "Prepare" -> "Change Filament" select "Unload" (You may have to select "preheat PLA/ABS" in the unload menu.), the machine will heat up the head (to free that end), then run the filament back.
To load again, pinch the drive open and feed the filament in slightly (make sure that it's not tangled on the spool), then select "Load". The machine will pull it through, watch the hot end until it's dripping out then hit the button to stop the process.
Printing
Make sure you've followed the steps for "Zeroing" and "Changing the filament". Then navigate to your file on the SD card and print.
Make sure you unload the filament after you print! Otherwise it may break and waste filament, or it will clog up the hotend and make Gary cry.
