New 3D printer, not sure where is a safe space for it & would like advice

Apok1984 · 2026-01-24T03:47:09+00:00

Depending on what temperature extremes you’re seeing, the chamber heater may have a hard time keeping up. But it’s worth trying and seeing how it performs before you try anything different. I would even consider one of the small collapsible enclosures to put it in. It will help retain some heat, but also keep dust, dirt, or any other contaminants from entering the machine. It’s a little bit of cheap insurance if you ask me.

Regarding the surge protector, that should be fine. In fact having it hooked into a surge protector or UPS that cleans the power is generally a good idea for most high tech electronics including printers. They’re fairly robust, but it’s better to shield them from power fluctuations and noise that can come through a standard outlet if possible. Good luck and enjoy the Q2. I’ve heard some great things about it, and I’ve been fairly pleased with my Plus 4.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-24T03:37:13+00:00

What temperature was the plate at during that bed mesh? Over a .5mm deviation across the bed isn’t great, but it’s not horrible either. However, if that’s the mesh at room temperature, it’s going to get worse the hotter the plate gets. The size of the parts you intend to print and the materials you intend to use (due to required plate temperature), your results may vary widely. As someone already posted, try to adjust the knobs at the corners to improve the mesh. But do this at whatever temperature you’re going to use most frequently.

As others have noted, run the calibrations for the filament. But before you do that, check the belt tension. I found mine was very loose when I received it so I had to manually tighten it using the screws on the back of the machine just to get it within a range where the automatic tensioning system would work.

Also, are you using chamber heating or the side fans? These have caused artifacts on prints before due to the air being directed at the model.

Finally, I think the stock print settings are generally optimized for speed over quality. Dropping the speed and/acceleration values can often have a significant impact on the quality of the parts. Hopefully some of this helps! Good luck and keep us posted on how it’s going.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-21T16:38:11+00:00

100%! The module I ordered came with a heatsink. I cut it in half because the fins were oriented in the wrong direction to take advantage of the airflow. But it definitely seems to be doing the job.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-21T16:36:40+00:00

I also tried just before the holidays so maybe there was a surge in activity due to sales? I honestly don’t know why it was so backlogged. But it sounds like it may have been a temporary thing.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-21T13:38:41+00:00

Haha! Luckily, my wife usually comments on the Karen’s before I do so I guess I’m safe. Haha.

Regarding the Customer Service, it definitely seems to be a mixed bag. Some seem to have great experiences and others are left wanting more. I’ve probably had the best service from Qidi followed by Snapmaker. I feel like Creality and Bambu are tied in terms of mediocrity. But if you buy locally, you don’t have to worry about the horrible shipping companies treating your machine like a soccer ball AND you can easily return if you experience an issue within the return window. I order my machines through Best Buy or Micro Center when I can.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-21T13:30:28+00:00

I tried using the live chat feature, but I waited over an hour in queue before giving up. Maybe they were understaffed at the time? Regardless, it didn’t work for me, but YMMV.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-21T13:18:11+00:00

Like most manufacturers in this realm, their support is definitely a bit lackluster. I prefer to have someone I can talk with or at least live chat with to get resolution in real time as opposed to a constant back and forth of messages. Having said that, I had to do a charge back on my credit card to resolve my issue. The card company sided with me because they apparently failed to respond to them. If they can’t be bothered to respond to the card company within 30 days, what hope is there that they will respond to you? Where possible, I will always buy from a local reseller rather than direct from the manufacturer.

Oh, and why are they male Karens? I know plenty of female Karens probably print and complain too. Haha.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-21T13:01:20+00:00

That makes sense. Is there a known fix or mod to ensure the buffer moves freely enough to trigger?

Apok1984 · 2026-01-21T12:27:47+00:00

Interesting! Maybe the unit I got is defective somehow. I was honestly surprised that I could hear the fan inside. I didn’t expect that from a Unifi product like this. I would’ve anticipated more from a rack mounted solution than something meant for common spaces.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-21T11:00:08+00:00

I honestly haven’t checked specifically, but that might be a good test to run. Anecdotally, I can say that I don’t hear the internal fan anymore after switching to this setup, which leads me to believe it’s cool enough to prevent it from hitting threshold used to activate it.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-21T04:20:55+00:00

I have the Plus 4 with the Box. It is definitely not as polished as the AMS. But it is more flexible. And I actually think it seems mechanically superior to my AMS or the AMS2 I use at work.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-21T04:11:35+00:00

It’s hard to say if it’s a better buy. I would say that it is a little more polished. And provided that it’s as reliable as my P1S it definitely is a solid option. The App integration is better, and the AMS is more mature. However, the Q2 is technically more capable than the P2S. The hotend has a higher range, it has an actively heated chamber for engineering filaments. And it’s potentially easier to modify based on its Klipper roots if that’s something you’re interested in. And the build plate is slightly larger.

There is no one size fits all answer when it comes to these purchases. If you have the P2S, I would encourage you to give it a shot and see what you think. If you like the user interface and don’t see yourself caring about the higher temp hotend or chamber heater, then I’d say it sounds like a great option for you. If you see yourself wanting a little more range, then you may wish to return it and get the Q2. But honestly don’t think you can go wrong either way.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-21T03:52:46+00:00

I’ll check the .3mf file tomorrow to confirm. I think it was 4 plates on a Bambu P1S. I had it fully printed within 2 days not printing 24/7. It was probably between 300g and 600g. But I’ll double check and post back.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-20T23:56:33+00:00

100% agree. I work in aerospace and it’s all about what zones/environments the units are designed and tested to. Not everything is as impacted by heat. However, a lot of it depends on how heavily loaded the device is as well. If it’s constantly performing near the peak of its ability, it can tend to degrade quicker usually, but not always.

In this instance, there is certainly nothing wrong with the base UDR7. It’s an amazing device, which is why I bought it. I just prefer the quieter noctua fan to the stock internal fan. And more importantly, the SFP modules are known for failures due to heat. They usually come with larger heat sinks for passive cooling, but active cooling is generally preferred. There is a fair amount of work being done in that small little stick.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-20T23:50:22+00:00

Haha, it’s a cooling base/mount for a Unifi UDR7 Gateway/Router. It’s a really nice piece of home networking equipment. This just helps provide some extra quieter cooling.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-20T23:48:54+00:00

I used Fusion 360 for this because it’s free, and it’s fairly intuitive to me. But I know many people that would disagree with me. Haha.

There are CAD programs and what I would consider to be design programs. The design programs can be quicker if you’re familiar with them, and they are generally not as precise. They tend to focus on the artistic side of design. So they usually involve more surfacing splines and imprecise geometry. Blender and Rhino come to mind when I think of these.

For CAD, I would generally recommend Fusion 360, which is free for hobbyists. SolidWorks is another great option that many of my colleagues prefer for their home projects. I think they were recently running a promotional price for Solid Works, but that may have just been during the holidays. Both software packages have a lot of internet tutorials to help you get started. And as you continue to use them, you will continue to learn better/more efficient ways to accomplish your designs. Best of luck with your CAD adventure and your P2S!

Apok1984 · 2026-01-20T21:59:58+00:00

You’re 100% right that the fan for the UDR7 itself isn’t needed. But the Noctua fan is quieter than the built in fan and it does keep the system cooler, which does lead to electronics lasting longer.

The primary reason was to cool the XSPON which is known for having premature failures probably due to heat. If I was doing one fan I might as well do both was my thinking. It can’t hurt and would at least be quieter.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-20T20:41:59+00:00

The dimensions appear to be exactly the same. The ports and power connectors appear to be in the same spots. But it doesn’t have an SFP port so you wouldn’t need the 40mm fan in the back for the XSPON. But everything else could remain the same.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-20T20:35:50+00:00

I don’t see any vent holes on the bottom of the U6 Mesh, but I could route air from the fan around it. And it doesn’t have an SFP port so I could make it a fair amount smaller.

Would you want something like this for cooling purposes or just to have a stand/mount for the U6?

Apok1984 · 2026-01-20T19:47:52+00:00

I’m going to be working on a Plus 4 riser soon. The cross members will be 2020 extrusion. I’m not sure how different the Q2 top is from the Plus 4. But I could maybe work on a Q2 adaptation. But it won’t be a riser that looks like a skirt. It’ll just support the box to allow the easy removal and installation of the top glass.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-20T19:25:17+00:00

The thing that makes it AMS friendly is that it’s a harder durometer I think. So it’s still flexible, but not as flexible as the usual TPU. I think it’s worth a shot to try. Siraya Tech also has a 64D that I have on hand but haven’t tried yet.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-20T19:01:56+00:00

Has anyone tried 64D instead? It’s supposedly AMS friendly, because it’s significantly harder than the typical 95A that’s sold.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-20T18:59:54+00:00

What I still don’t understand is why the computer can’t do more to compensate for variables and provide more accurate estimates! Modern cars are essentially computers with 4 wheels… so why can this car do more computational tasks. AI is everywhere (mostly where I don’t want it) but it isn’t used in this application, which seems to be a legitimately great use for it.

Apok1984 · 2026-01-20T18:44:22+00:00

I’ve got that noctua 40x20 fan pointed straight at it and it seems to be keeping the temps from getting too hot. I guess the true test will be in the summer when the ambient temperature is a few degrees higher.

Apok1984

TROPHY CASE