I received My Cetus2 on Tuesday, January 18th, 2022.
This was a very exciting day! I think Tiertime Cetus2 folks and DHL Shipping really hustled to get this to me in such a sort period. The box with printer is very heavy. The Carrier person actually carried the box to my porch and set it inside my front door. It was all I wanted to do to move it around for unpacking and assembly. This work was done very close to the front door where I set up a table! Ha!
Here is what I posted on the Kickstarter.:
Hello Kickstarters! Just wanted to post I have received by New Years Wish Cetus2 printer today. I have it assembled and running. It’s making a truly beautiful 2-color print from a file that was included on the SD card.
For your information and per my expectation, it is NOT a fresh new production version of the Cetus2. In fact it could well be one of the Cetus2 printers seen is some of the demo videos.
It arrived well packed with a few puncture wounds to the cardboard box. The printer is VERY heavy and certainly hard for the shipping personnel to man-handle. Although the DHL delivery man was able to carry to my front door. Happily, absolutely no internal damage to the package and to my Cetus2.
There were NO ASSEMBLY Instructions, This is a pre-production unit with a bit over 90 run hours. This is my 11th printer assembly and I am also extremely knowledgable of control systems and particularly CNC machinery.
The operational machine was torn down for shipping and well packed as I said. There was a baggie of the assembly bolts and the usual tools. Ribbon cables were disconnected and poked into very strange innards. All there. Just had to figure where they might connect. No issue there at all.
It was obvious where the Z-axis assembly bolted on (4 bolts and a bottom brace bracket and Cover.
The power connector cable was the wrong plug for the USA, but I have half a dozen new and unused in my stash. I did have to use a dental mirror to inspect the voltage (115V/230V) internal PS switch. There is a hole in the bottom so one can check, but the voltage change switch can’t be seen directly.
The print nozzle was scabbed up with 90 hours of burned on PLA, et.al. On first heat I easily scrubbed off all the nozzle debris with a steel wire brush. The nozzle is now bright and shiny as a new penny. Good or perhaps better than new.
This particular used machine is NOT THE FIRST MACHINE for newbies here on the Kickstarter. Feel happy that you were not chosen. I am certain the production unit will be a far better machine to assemble and get running. And will certainly include an assembly guide.
But for me I am totally impressed. It is an awesome 3D printer, and will certainly improve before final release. I eagerly anticipate my Cetus2, number two when it ships in May (or thereabouts).
I post more information and links about this machine to my website where I will be able to post pictures of the machine and the things I intend (and will) make.
Give me a fews days (maybe a week) to get a total “handle” on this new machine and the things it will do.
Next job is to get it communicating with UPStudio3 (Cetus2 version)
I captured some pictures of the printer packing (well done) as there was some external box damage bot nothing damaged inside. The printer is VERY heavy. I don't have a scale but there certainly is something posed about weight (or there will be) on the CETUS webpage.
I have made a few prints of my own multi colored designs I have printed with other multi filament, single nozzle FDM printers. I will post them later. NOTHING spectacular at this point. The UPStudio3 software and the CETUS2 printer are both at a very early point in their development. Presently I am learning both without documentation and with a lot of experimentation. I am loving it!
So am I!
As a token of gratitude, we are pleased to introduce our 2022 New Year Comment & Win Giveaway! We are gonna give out a FREE Cetus2 Deluxe to one of our beloved backers who contributed. Comment your New Year Wish and your favorite feature of Cetus2 in the comment section of our campaign page, then you get a chance to win a FREE Cetus2 Deluxe! We will send this one to you as a gift before everyone else, so you can taste the fresh technology yourself. We'd love to hear your feedback as the earliest adopter!
New Year Wish I believe a wish should be short and direct. A New Year wish is about looking at a clean new page of history about to be written upon. My wish is that what gets recorded reveals far more positive human centered events than negative. The only thing we really control for certain is our own thoughts and actions. Make love, not war… The new Cetus2 is a work of love by the Chinese design team to be shared with the world. Of course for corporate profit. That is a required goal. But there is clear evidence that Cetus2 is a new fresh new design built with quality precision components like linear bearings and powerful electronics and software. But the best new feature is a unique dual filament single extruder. Accurate color mixing and blending brings an entire new, exciting and positive creative experience to 3D (FDM) printing.
Thank you! We genuinely appreciate all your comments and wish everything you’ve been hoping for coming to life in a short period of time. We are absolutely grateful for your support along the way.❤️
Especially Dan Kautz, your comment and short yet direct wish really inspires and motivates us to keep improving and going forward. Congrats Dan Kautz! You’re the lucky winner of the Cetus2 New Year Giveaway. We will send you a FREE Cetus2 Deluxe in the next few days. Please message us with your shipping info and phone number, we’ll follow up with you.
Hope we all can bring more positive energy to the world and learn to prosper without unnecessary weight dimming our light. Don’t be upset if you’re not the winner this time, more awesome giveaways are coming up in the future! Stay tuned!🤗
Wish you and yours a happy and healthy new year!!
Best regards, Cetus2 team
Oh my goodness! I am so humbly honored for my selection!
I am an experienced multi-filament single nozzle 3D print creator. I will do my best to showcase the Cetus2 with my creations and display on my personal and Cetus websites. ~ Dan
One thing I see with a Kickstart comment forum. It helps clear the ignorance of the new product. Some of the folks asking concerning (worry) questions need assurance they have invested in a good product. It’s human nature.
The more experience folks (myself 5+ years) who understand the FDM 3D printer hardware design and especially the FDM single nozzle printing process, have great success doing it. We ask few questions of concern.
The Cetus2 is going to be a good dual filament single nozzle printer. It really does have the right stuff. The only component that is truly experimental is the new nozzle design - shown in the lead picture.
I have explained on the forum that mixing DOES NOT occur within the nozzle. It is an external process. It’s clearly apparent and confirmed by Jason Wu, forum moderator. So it works the same as all other single nozzle mixing designs.
What I like is that its new design keeps colors (filaments) separated as long as possible within the nozzle. This greatly reduces the purge amount when doing a 100% feed change.
I decided I am willing to wait for the final design. I can see the print results in the material examples in the photos and videos. They appear excellent which of course should be expected with “product display” examples.
Nozzle fouling has not been an issue in my FDM printing experience. I usually run one nozzle for many months of constant printing and use many type of <150 deg. filaments without clogs or need to change. I usually wear the ends down, making the tip wider. My method: Never leave a nozzle set at full temp without filament flow.
I am not going to speculate about the new Cetus2 nozzle. It’s not in final design. However Jason has stated the development nozzle is welded on and fowling has never been an issue. The release version will have a replaceable nozzle.
Multi-filament single nozzle printing is certainly not for everyone and every possible need. Good operation and expectations require understanding design limitations and capabilities and a certain amount of operator discipline (operation knowledge).
I my opinion, color change and blending of same base filament type are the Cetus2 strong points.
Mixing base material (type) is certainly getting into the experimental printing. A good area to explore but this is not typical with single nozzle printers. Cetus says they have accomplished this.
My advice: Order a Cetus2 if you wish to explore color mixing and blending. (I love the color effects achieved.) Cetus2 will read gcode and work directly with 3rd party slicers. UPStudio will offer additional capabilities and an OctoPrint type network server is in the works.
Mixed filament types are an area for me to explore. I expect results will vary with user understanding and abilities. Tiertime says the hardware design is intended for this application. I strongly suspect operator finesse will be a factor.
I have posted a request on the Kickstart forum on Cetus2 about filament management and individual (if possible) temperature control. Not a worry, just informational. <grin> It looks like the barrel type devices on each filament side may be individule heaters... So I have inquired about temp control.
The Tiertime Cetus2 two filament single nozzle FDM 3D printer is an interesting new approach to single nozzle printing. The filament blending occurs at the very tip of a totally new design nozzle system.
The supreme test is to see if the design will “hold up” under the limited printing skills of the “joe average” customer. I can sense from the KickStarter forum that some contributors are not seasoned and experienced multi-filament single nozzle operators. Visions and questions about “exotic” material combinations (sugar-plums?) dance through their posting rather than questions grasping basic single nozzle print concepts.
I have posted on the Cetus2 Kickstarter forum, my color mixing experioence with dual (and triple) color, single nozzle extruders. I hope it helps others to understand the extrusion mixing process.
The post product release period should prove interesting as first time owners experience dual filament single nozzle operation.
What I have done is create a totally separate sub-category for the Cetus2 in this blog. The new Cetus2 deserves its own niche and special attention. As a category, the informational postings will be grouped and easy to find.
In my humble opinion, The Cetus2 is more an “artsy” color switcher/blender than and industrial exotic material printer. But there are no hard rules. Understand the hardware then go push the limits. That’s my plan.
Not much will be posted here until the hardware is released. Then I will post a big announcement, for sure!
Use THIS LINK for more CETUS2 kickstarter information and I will get credit for the referal. Thanks!
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