If you’ve got a popular 3D printer that has been on the market a good long while, you can probably get any old nozzles you want right off the shelf. If you happen to have an AnyCubic printer, though, you might find it a bit tougher. [Startup Chuck] wanted some specific sized nozzles for his rig, so set about whipping up a solution himself.
[Chuck]’s first experiments were simple enough. He wanted larger nozzles than those on sale, so he did the obvious. He took existing 0.4 mm nozzles and drilled them out with carbide PCB drills to make 0.6 mm and 0.8 mm nozzles. It’s pretty straightforward stuff, and it was a useful hack to really make the best use of the large print area on the AnyCubic Kobra 3.
But what about going the other way? [Chuck] figured out a solution for that, too. He started by punching out the 0.4 mm insert in an existing nozzle. He then figured out how to drive 0.2 mm nozzles from another printer into the nozzle body so he had a viable 0.2 mm nozzle that suited his AnyCubic machine.
The result? [Chuck] can now print tiny little things on his big AnyCubic printer without having to wait for the OEM to come out with the right nozzles. If you want to learn more about nozzles, we can help you there, too.
Don’t get the point?
The Anycubic Kobra 3 I have bought from Anycubic directly has regular off-the-shelf nozzles. Same ones I have already used 10 years ago for 3D printing. You can get a sorted 6 piece set fr9m 0.2 to 1.0 diameter for 5 Euros off eBay.
Kobra 3 max uses a different nozzle than all the rest. Not back compatible.
Sounds like a good reason to avoid buying an AnyCubic printer.
Yeah, different sized and material nozzles are a very common thing now, there is no excuse for anycubic to not offer lots of nozzle options or make it compatible with an existing system like the V6.
I have the AnyCubic S1C. The hardware is amazing, but the software is a reason not to buy it.
You have to use the AnyCubic Next software. It’s OrcaSlicer turned closed source with some silly branding on it and it uses the AnyCubic web thing to connect through an account to your printer. It’s a pain to use. I’m glad the hardware is great but honestly, I’m not a fan of this printer because of the software. I tried running OrcaSlicer and it has a preset for the printer but it can’t connect to it.
The software refuses to run on my Linux machines, so what I currently do is run a Windows virtual machine just to use the software. And don’t think that works by itself. It turns out, you can’t use a VPN while using the software, so I also have to turn off my VPN for who knows why. Probably to spy on me.
It’s that I was able to get a brand new S1C, worth 600 euro’s, for 200 and the closest competitor is the Bambulab P1S that’s 850 euro’s, which I can’t afford and is also locked down. So I’m keeping my AnyCubic but I’m not very happy with it. When it prints it’s great. But getting there is a pain.
Install Rinkhals and most of these complains evaporate.
The community has already fixed the artificial problems AnyCubic somehow created for no good reason :)
Very cheap replacement hotends are also already available on AliExpress or Amazon now.
You can buy these well under USD$2 each delivered on AliExpress , a full range of standard sizes, 0.2mm-1mm and in Brass or Hardened steel… This is totally unnecessary hassle (spend hundreds of dollars in time to save $20 for a full set delivered to your door) and also really misleading article.
You can buy them off AliExpress, full range, both brass and hardened and they are inexpensive… This is a total waste of time
I have a kobra 2 Mac and it does not have any special nozzle. F om everything else I have read they just use standard replaceable ones
Kobra 3 Max and the S1C they started to bond the hotend and nozzle together with thermal compound. So they ceased being replaceable parts.
There are available drop in replacements on AliExpress and Amazon now though, so it’s kinda moot.
When drills and taps are outlawed, only outlaws will have drills and taps.
That kind of BS only works for Veblen goods.
You know, Hermes/Rolex/Apple 3d printers…
Can’t drill and tap a jewelry grade diamond one piece hotend/nozzle.