How to 3D Print with CURA on Creality's Ender 3

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You unpacked and assembled your brand new Creality Ender 3/Ender 3 Pro and now don’t know what to do with it? 3D printing is an educational and rewarding pastime anyone can enjoy. With the 3D printing program CURA and a Creality Ender 3/Ender 3 Pro, you will be able to make things beyond your wildest dreams.

Part 1
Part 1 of 7:

Downloading

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  1. 1
    Download and install CURA from https://ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura
  2. 2
    Download or create an .stl file.
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  3. 3
    Download the bed level file, CHEP_Ender_3_bed_level.gcode, from https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3235018 . Transfer to a microSD card.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 7:

Setting Up CURA

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    Go to Settings > Printer > Add Printer... .
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Part 3
Part 3 of 7:

Using CURA

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    Go to "Print Setup" area with "Recommended" selected to adjust the Layer Height , Infill , Support , and Build Plate Adhesion .
    • Layer height - Select your desired layer height. The lower the layer height, the higher quality the print, but the longer it takes to print. [1]
    • Infill - Select desired infill percentage. The higher the infill percentage, the stronger the print, the longer the print time. [2]
    • Generate Support - Used for overhangs greater than 45 degrees.
    • Build Plate Adhesion - Brims or rafts may be used to help plate adhesion and to reduce warping.
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    Click Custom and go to Material to adjust printing temperatures based on the material's manufacturer recommendation.
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    Then press Save to Removable Drive .
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Part 4
Part 4 of 7:

Loading the Filament

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    Rotate the control knob to highlight desired selection, and press it to confirm selection.
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    Wait for the nozzle to reach 185 degrees.
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    Squeeze the extruder lever and feed the filament through the extruder hole. [3]
  8. 8
    Turn off the printer or proceed to Leveling the Print Bed .
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Part 5
Part 5 of 7:

Leveling the Print Bed

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  2. 2
    Turn the printer on.
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    [4]
  4. 4
    Turn off the printer or proceed to Printing the Object .
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Part 6
Part 6 of 7:

Printing the Object

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  1. 1
    Insert the microSD card if not already inserted, and then turn the power on.
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    • The circled numbers on the bottoms will match the ones on top.
    • Caution: Do not touch print bed or print nozzle at this point. It may cause burns!
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    • The material will stick to the bed in an even layer if properly leveled. If little to no material is extruding, then lower the print bed. If the material is not sticking, then raise the print bed.
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    • Check to see if the object is printing properly. If not, press on the control knob, select Stop Print .
  6. 6
    Turn off the 3D Printer by switching the power button into the on position.
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  8. 8
    Remove rafts, skirts, and/or supports from the object if necessary.
    • Use sandpaper to smooth out object if needed.
    • If printing an object with multiple parts that need to join, sand the adhesion area and use superglue.
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Part 7
Part 7 of 7:

Cleaning the Build Plate

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  1. 1
    Remove the binder clips and remove the build plate.
  2. 2
    Clean the build plate bed by scraping off excess material with scraper tool and washing with warm soapy water and let dry.
  3. 3
    Align the build plate onto heat bed. Secure with binder clips.
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      Warnings

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      Things You'll Need

      • Creality Ender 3/Creality Ender 3 Pro
      • microSD card (comes with 3D printer)
      • microSD card adapter (comes with 3D printer)
      • Snippers
      • Scraper
      • PLA
      • Dish soap
      • Printer paper
      • Sandpaper (Optional)
      • Superglue (Optional)
      • Computer with:
        • Operating System (one of the following):
          • Vista or higher (64-bit)
          • Mac OS X 10.11 or higher (64-bit)
          • Ubuntu 14.04 or higher (64-bit)
        • System requirements:
          • 4 GB of RAM
          • 205 MB of Hard Drive Space
          • Intel Core 2 or AMD Athlon 64 or newer
          • Open GL 2 Compatible Graphics Chip
          • Open GL 4.1 for 3D Layer view

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.3dhubs.com/knowledge-base/impact-layer-height-3d-print
      2. ↑ https://www.3dhubs.com/knowledge-base/selecting-optimal-shell-and-infill-parameters-fdm-3d-printing
      3. ↑ https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/3dprintersbay/ender-3-deliverables/Ender+3+quick+start+guide.pdf
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EfWVUJjBdA

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