MayDay, only because it is May1, 2022. No distress, yet.
CETUS2 (production) is coming along very slowly. I am so blessed in a non-religious way (ok - lucky) to have a pre-production version with which I can play. I call it play because I have no instructions. I just learn by playing. It works for me.
I am able to create very decent prints. I have had prior experience with single nozzle dual and triple filament printers. So I know what to expect.
Expectations
On the Kickstarter forums I was concerned that some “investors” may may consider what I call “features” of single nozzle mixed filament printing as “issues”. The Tiertime marketing folks do get a bit carried away describing what “can” be done with single nozzle printing. No mention of real expectations. Information originally missing about how the colors do not truly mix. They extrude in stripes, side by side.
CETUS2 support teams would have been blown away by this hidden stripe extrusion "feature" from upset customers if not openly discussed, pre-release.
It’s a feature to me as it provides a very rich and mostly serendipic result in the color blending. Yellow and blue do not make a pure solid green. Sometimes it will. But the process also produces every color in between depending on direction of nozzle travel and a few other variables.
The results are far more “organic” natural looking than a solid color print. It’s the number one reason for me wanting to use a single nozzle, multi-filament printer. Standard 2-color (no mix) prints are the number two reason.
Multi-Purpose
The CETUS2 is in my opinion, not the one and only printer to do everything one may desire to 3D print. My reality is there are no decent “do-everything” machines in any workshop. “Doing everything” requires a compromise of “not doing the best” in every option they try to offer. Woodworking, machine shop, 3D printing; the do-everything machine is a huge compromise.
The only application for a do-everything machine tool is use in a very limited work area with very little need to use more than one feature. It’s a stand-by single use machine. Constant multi-use change-over is usually a big pain...
The sweet spot for CETUS2 and all single nozzle 3D printers is color mixing, but not in the sense of RYGB and produce all pure color mixes. It’s a blending and shading tool that only a single nozzle can achieve.
Material Mixing
I have not tried material mixing at this point. Tiertime claims to have done that with CETUS2, so I must assume that it can be done. However, the process MUST be extremely experimental with desirable results very rare if not pure luck.
I can imagine dissolvable support being the first (mixed) alternate material printing process to attempt and most likely to succeed.
It is perfectly reasonable to me to purchase a CETUS2 just to experiment with what can be done with material mixing in a single nozzle. But, my personal opinion is dual material is more the realm for a high quality dual nozzle printer.
Dual material extrusion with the CETUS2 is extremely dependent on the knowledge. experience and abilities of the user and the print design being attempted. There is no “plug-and-play” designs for this until someone finds a demand and makes examples available.
Multiple Build Plates
I have noticed a few folks who are going “bonkers” (Ha!) over the multi-plate production building system that is available for CETUS2. I have no idea why. Production is the LAST thing I want to do with a large format machine. Many of my prints are at least four hours and some run for as high as 24 hours with no plate movement. The concern is running out of filament more than having a build plate that can change itself without human intervention.
But that’s my thinking. I do not kid myself into thinking with FDM, there is a business opportunity in doing production runs so large, I need automatic build plate changing. Obviously, some folks do have a plan or a dream…
Exotic Material
CETUS2 is a dual filament dual color open build medium large size hobbyist FDM printer. Honestly, in my opinion it not an “exotic material,” controlled print environment, machine. Not a good choice for carbon fiber, nylon, or any “special needs” materials. Nor high temperatures extruders and exotic steel and ruby nozzles. Go find a $5000 professional needs machine. The exotics don't offer much of a color selection, Ha!
Final Expectations
Decide if your main hobby focus is modifying machine hardware or creative 3D plastic printing. One can do both, they are not mutually exclusive pursuits. You might thoroughly enjoy knowing every component on your printer is the best it can be. It's hard to use a machine for printing that is always being updated.
But if your goal is to make 3 inch PLA figurines, it is certainly a bit of over kill to build an all metal single nozzle dual filament hot end with ruby nozzle end within a heated inert glass filled enclosure and automatic change build surface. At least… It is not my goal. Ha!
CETUS2 will be what it will be. Kickstarter offered opportunity to offer suggestions. That was wonderful. Like brain-storming. There are no wrong suggestions. But I still had a good chuckle. I don’t hate any suggestion offered.
All most buyers want is a machine that meets expectations. Those expectations were a bit open at the start. I thought a few were over-stated like full color mixing. The rest will sort out when more users voice their likes and dislikes.
I am pretty sure I will receive what I expect since I have had the opportunity for my jump-start. My presentations here are just my personal thoughts and what I can get CETUS2 to help me create.
I am not a CETUS1 or CETUS2 fan-boy. I have always had a love/hate relationship with my CETI (plural?) as you can find and read elsewhere in this blog.