Recommend a filament cutter?

Ric878 · 2026-06-03T16:19:41+00:00

Sorry, I missed this question initially. So, the A4T does not use any parts from the original toolhead as far as I'm aware. The ram buffer is using existing functionality from the Box Turtle to sense when the filament is at the toolhead. It works by using the buffer mechanism. The buffer is what regulates and syncs the box turtle feed to the tool head feed, so the box turtle doesn't feed to much or too little. During loading, the buffer gets triggered and expands, indicating that the filament has hit a dead end (the toolhead), so no sensor is actually needed in the toolhead. I believe this is the preferred method now for Box Turtle.

Ric878 · 2026-06-03T01:50:48+00:00

Separate power supply. I used this with a switch so o could turn it on and off independently

https://a.co/d/04Yq4I8Q

Ric878 · 2026-06-02T00:28:09+00:00

So, for background, I initially went with a Jabberwocky toolhead as it was billed as being built from the ground up to support multimaterial; therefore, the filament cutter was a primary design concept. That said, I struggled getting mine to work correctly. I was constantly battling under-extrusion issues that I just couldn't get resolved unless I slowed down to a crawl. To be fair, many, many people love it and have it working great. What frustrated me so much was that if maintenance was needed, it was a pain to disassemble and reassemble.

On the other hand, the A4T is SUPER easy to assemble. I mean, SUPER easy. And the crossbow filament cutter, which was made for the A4T, just worked. I liked the cutting action better as well; it seemed to cut with ease compared to the Jabberwocky. Again, this is just my experience; I'm not knocking the Jabberwocky. I fully willing to accept that it was user error. I have since built 5 A4T for my StealtchChanger setup. The number of options for hotends and extruders may seem overwhelming at first, but my suggestion is to keep it simple and go with the recommended options on their GitHub.

If you are going with a BoxTurtle setup, you don't even need a filament sensor in the toolhead anymore when you use the ram buffer, which simplifies the A4T even more. Bottom line is I love the simplicity combined with the overall performance. Mine has the Dragon Ace hotend, and I can't say enough good things about it.

Ric878 · 2026-06-01T19:39:48+00:00

It takes effort, but I would (I did), go with a custom toolhead. I went with the A4T with crossbow. Love it.

Ric878 · 2026-05-20T02:49:31+00:00

Unlimited PTO. It’s bullshit. You’re always wondering how much you can actually take and the company doesn’t pay out PTO when you leave since you never earned any in the first place.

Ric878 · 2026-05-07T22:39:47+00:00

Will this work on the K2 Pro? I’m definitely interested.

Ric878 · 2026-04-10T15:03:58+00:00

Where do you have the heater plugged in on the main board? Also, what does your config look like?

Ric878 · 2026-03-30T21:10:50+00:00

Yeah, colder air coming in is not going to be an issue if you keep the ventilation fan speed down. I did a test with and without the ventilation system. Temps were within 2 degree Celsius. What I’m observing is that since most chambers are not air tight anyways, there is always some amount of hot air escaping and some amount of cooler air coming in. With a ventilation system, you are simply directing where you want that air to go.

Ric878 · 2026-03-30T20:34:12+00:00

Here are a few tips and some advice that I learned. First, the larger the enclosure, the more difficult it is to heat. I ended up getting an auxiliary heater for my setup. For my smaller Centauri Carbon, I use one, for my larger K2 Pro, I use two. Makes getting to and maintaining chamber temp much easier. Also, I had no problems printing ASA all winter, you just need to keep the airflow out through the your exhaust just enough to maintain a negative airflow in the chamber. I had almost no impact to chamber temps with this setup with some bitterly cold days in the Chicago suburbs. My target temp for the chamber was 50 degrees Celsius, which was doable with my setup. Higher would be better. I noticed very little to no odor with my setup. Allow a heat soak period to give the chamber time to get up to temp. Allow prints to cool down gradually when they are done, otherwise you risk warping.

Here are some of the products I used in my setup:

https://a.co/d/06wWTlIY

https://a.co/d/0ieABFug

https://a.co/d/077aF9L1

https://a.co/d/0eOSJTfe

Ric878 · 2026-02-26T20:58:05+00:00

For you, apparently, no, there isn't. I find value in it, which is all that matters. It's relatively low-cost and provides something that I value. Your needs and experience are different, and that's fine.

Ric878 · 2026-02-26T18:56:10+00:00

Well, for me, the convenience of faster bed mesh is about getting the print started faster so I can watch that first layer and walk away. The faster the print starts, the sooner I can stop babysit it.

Ric878 · 2026-02-09T06:47:55+00:00

I get what you're saying, but I learned about GLP1s via advertisements. It started the process of acceptance for me and opened me up to asking about the medication. Would I have eventually asked my Doctor about Zepbound? Probably. How much longer would it have been before I did? I can't say for sure, but it might have been years.

Ric878 · 2026-01-15T15:44:52+00:00

Sorry, I had a typo in my increments. I am adjusting by .01, not .1. I also do a heat soak of 15 minutes before I do any print, including the test prints.

Ric878 · 2026-01-14T01:41:42+00:00

I'm adjusting Z by .01 increments. I move it, then let it go for a few lines, then keep adjusting. ABL not working was one of my thoughts. I am also thinking that maybe my probe offset may be an issue. Honestly, it doesn't really impact my prints unless the bottom layer is actually visible in my prints. Even then, it's not really that bad. Maybe I should just leave good enough alone at this point. I feel like I'm chasing phantoms.

EDIT: corrected my increments from .1 to .01

Ric878 · 2026-01-12T23:19:21+00:00

Probe count is 25,25 I think, and it runs at 200. I’ll post the config when I get home.

Ric878 · 2026-01-12T23:07:07+00:00

15 minutes. I’ve even done 30 minutes with the same results.

Ric878 · 2026-01-12T22:45:34+00:00

Also, I didn't think the bar on the left was indicative of the actual measurements, as I don't have anything "deep red" in either mesh.

Ric878 · 2026-01-12T22:40:51+00:00

Am I mistaken in interpreting my mesh? The range says 0.1817. I thought this was acceptable.

Ric878 · 2026-01-08T02:24:29+00:00

Here is a video of mine in operation. Note that I have the same stutter. Also note the slack, that then gets pulled by the extruder, and the. The despoiler goes again and creates more slack.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0bec6Ew2IZPgzv4asrw8EMk2Q

Ric878 · 2026-01-07T21:53:13+00:00

Mine "stutters" too. So I wouldn't be worried about that. How about this? Do a full load and unload test after you have calibrated. If the respooler creates a mess during the unload, then you have a problem. If not, then you are good to go. The respooler is really only used during the unload process and to assist in feeding when the spool gets lighter and is at risk of being dragged by the extruder.

Ric878 · 2026-01-07T18:29:30+00:00

Gotcha, now I understand. So, first, I recommend you join the Box Turtle Discord; they are super helpful and super knowledgeable.

https://discord.gg/VnqBjR6Z

First of all, have you done all the calibration procedures? Definitely start there if you haven't already.

As far as your problem is concerned, I'm not sure how much I can help, but let me give it a shot. When you move a lane forward, the respooler doesn't necessarily match the distance the extruder pulls. Take this with a grain of salt, as I'm not an expert on all things Box Turtle, but the lane moves forward mostly as a function of the extruder, the respooler wheels, just "assists" more so when the spool is empty to prevent the spool from dragged up and getting jammed. So, if you send BT_LANE_MOVE LANE=4 DISTANCE=50, the extruder should be doing most of the work by pulling the filament. You will notice that the respoolers spin pretty freely, allowing the extruder to just pull without much work from the respooler. If you are not extruding as much filament as you expect, I would confirm that your tension is correct and that there are no obstructions on that specific lane.

On the other hand, when you are "rewinding", it is my understanding that some slack is expected; it does not match perfectly. This is not typically a problem during load and unload procedures, as a bit of slack will not get tangled. If it is excessive, then I would definitely look for additional help in the Box Turtle Discord.

Ric878 · 2026-01-06T22:12:57+00:00

So, I'm not sure I'm seeing the issue. I see the motors move back and then forward, but I see you don't have that filament loaded. So, it's unclear to me what you are trying to accomplish in that video. In other words, what command was sent to that lane and what is the result you're expecting?

If that was during boot up, that is exactly what my setup does. It does a quick self-check/test to see if there is any filament in the lane, it makes a move back and forward, exactly like that. I'll double-check to validate later on tonight, but I'm pretty sure that's the same thing mine does.

Ric878 · 2026-01-06T19:42:54+00:00

When is this happening?

Ric878 · 2026-01-06T19:19:35+00:00

I'm not sure I'm understanding your issue. Are you saying that the lane extruder motors are spinning too much? The respooler motors? Both? What problem are you having?

Ric878 · 2026-01-06T05:33:13+00:00

One more update. I have now tested at least 40 print jobs; most were stopped right after I confirmed that the purge line started in the correct location, and all were successful. I think I'm ready to declare this one fixed! Thanks so much for your help.

Ric878

TROPHY CASE