These are the upgrades and mods that I?ve done to my Maker Select Plus with some useful information about them. I?ll continue to update this as I do more.
These are listed in no particular order.
Y Carriage Plate
An aluminium Y carriage plate wont warp as much as the stock stamped steel one and it?s lighter to boot! It?ll improve quality be reducing the weight of the build plate and help to keep the bed level.
Y Carriage Plate for Wanhao Duplicator i3 or Monoprice Maker Select 3D Printers
This is second revision of Wanhao i3 / Maker Select Y carriage plate. Y carriage plate compatible with popular Wanhao?
gulfcoast-robotics.com
Glass Bed and PEI Sheet
Borosilicate glass is pretty much guaranteed to be smooth and flat. It will get rid of many bed leveling issues.
PLA sticks like glue to PEI, so it works really well applied to the top of the glass.
Gulfcoast Robotics Glass
Borosilicate Glass for Wanhao Duplicator i3 Anet A8 MP Maker Select, 4mm Thick.
100% borosilicate glass, flat, heat resistant plate, does not warp during long term use. 4mm thick – will not break?
gulfcoast-robotics.com
PEI Sheet 8.66
This is real PEI (Polyethermide) – manufactured from Ultem 1000 and has an amber color, ideal for high temperature 3D?
gulfcoast-robotics.com
ADVi3++ Firmware
Installing the ADVi3++ firmware will allow you to tweak many more settings in the printer.
andrivet/ADVi3pp-Marlin
a custom firmware for Wanhao i3 Plus printers. fork of Marlin Firmware (https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin) ?
github.com
Hardened Nozzle
A hardened nozzle will let you print with abrasive materials without having to worry. I have the Micro-Swiss kit, so I got their nozzle too.
Micro Swiss nozzle for MK10 All Metal Hotend Kit ONLY (Plated A2 Hardened Tool Steel)
This is Micro Swiss MK10 All Metal Hotend ONLY style nozzle, it will ONLY fit our MK10 All Metal Hotend Kit. This?
store.micro-swiss.com
Z-Brace
A Z-Brace can improve quality by add more rigidity, which can also help to print faster. I went with the Gulfcoast Robotics kit. It?s nice, simple, and strong.
Gulfcoast Robotics Z-Brace
Rear Mounted Z-Brace Frame Support Kit for Wanhao Duplicator i3 and Maker Select PLUS 3D Printers
This kit is our newest design that replaces previously popular PLUS 3D Printer Z-brace kit. New kit is rear mounted and?
gulfcoast-robotics.com
Y Belt Tensioner
Replacing the spring belt tensioner with one that is not flexible can improve print quality by reducing ghosting. The momentum of the bed could lead to the spring tensioner flexing.
Example ghosting
Super Simple Belt Tensioner by berky93
Super simple belt tensioner for the Wanhao Duplicator i3 (and clones). Using this you can have easy-install and?
www.thingiverse.com
DiiiCooler
The DiiiCooler is an upgraded print cooling solution. With it, you can increase quality/speed and bridge better. The downside is that it?s a bit harder to see the nozzle.
DiiiCooler for Wanhao Duplicator i3 / Maker Select by Pawpawpaw85
The DiiiCooler is a cooler that is to be mounted around the hotend of the Wanhao Duplicator i3. It provides a 360?
www.thingiverse.com
Here?s the blower fan that I used.
At first the fan didn?t work. Apparently the fan header on this fan is backwards. It is possible to pull the pins out and reverse it, but it?s a big pain. I destroyed the connector on one of the fans I got in the process.
Printing this in PLA is doable, but it?ll warp due to the heat, which leads into the next upgrade to print in PETG.
All Metal Hotend
An all metal hotend will let you print at higher temperatures. I used the Microswiss All Metal Hotend Kit. You?ll want to use this for printing the DiiiCooler with PETG so it doesn?t melt.
There?s a PTFE tube in the default hotend that will breakdown at the temperatures required to print PETG.
Note that normal nozzles will no longer work with this upgrade. If you want/need another nozzle, make sure it?s from the kit?s manufacturer or listed as compatible.
You?ll want to do a PID tune to adjust how the printer maintains a consistent temperature.
Better Cooling Fan
I bought a Noctua 40mm Fan from Amazon to replace the stock cooling fan. My fan was making grinding noises and having issues running at full speed. Most 40mm fans will be 12 volts, but this fan includes a silencing kit. It ends up running around 16 volts while still being quieter than the stock fan.
OctoPrint
OctoPrint is a web application that you can use to control and print remotely.
OctoPrintPlugin can be used to print to OctoPrint using Cura. I use this Docker image for running OctoPrint.
Spool Holder + Filament Guide
You can use the The Universal Spool Holder and a Filament Guide to take some weight off of the gantry. It can also help if you have a spool with snagging issues.
