Thanks a lot. I have to replace my FEP too and was afraid to mess up. Even though everything is printed out on the package your explanations gave me the last bit of confidence to actually do it 🙂
I didn't see you do anything for proper "slack" on the fep, it looks like you just straight laid the sheet and screwed it in and that makes me so relieved. I was worried I'd have to find something to give the proper slack. Thanks for the chill video!
While I have seen people recommend this, using a little sponge or a folded up paper towel. I haven't seen a need for it using the FEP sheets I have. They seem to be perfect with just a casual treatment. I'm glad you found the video useful. Take care and happy printing!
I'm a newbie, just fitted my fep on my saturn, but I fitted it tight, no slack, but it works perfectly 🤷♂️..no printer errors, I do use a little PTFE spray on a cloth and wipe the fep on the inside of the vat just to aid the lifting process ..I think when I replace the fep again, I'd do the same thing again, ( assuming i have no problems) I dont think it needs any slack, I think it may even last longer without slack as it will naturally slacken a little with use as the fep stretches.
Great advice there telling everyone to use an exacto knife to cut a slit into each screw hole. That's a HUGE step imo. Ya just gotta be careful not to scratch or put a hold in the fep.
@MechanicalFrog I'm about to change the fep on my Saturn 8K and being the old grognard engineer that I am, I even checked the proper torque rating between the stainless steel screws going into the holes in the frame! I'm crazy, I know. But I know if I strip out any threads, that section will get loose over time. And I've seen resin leaks. They aren't pretty! Thanks for taking the time to make the video! Appreciate your efforts!
@MechanicalFrog Thank you! I develop drill fixtures for high security gov filing cabinets out of aluminum. Those use S.S. screws and to insure the longevity of the fixtures in the field I recommend toque values to the locksmiths. Our fixture vendor also roll-form taps the holes instead of cutting the threads. That ensures a stronger thread. But.. the Chinese don't know what a roll-form tap is so I'm always wary of stripping threads. Lastly, it's hard to manage fine metric threads in such a shallow depth. Sounds anal, I know but sometimes it's the little things that can extend product life.
I did my first fep change yesterday and only got 1 print to stick to the build plate out of several. I was taught by another video to put a spacer under your fep (stack of 25 playing cards) for your first set of screws to leave slack for the second set of screws to use. I think it made my fep too loose, causing failures. I'm about to try again with your method and see if I start getting successful prints again. I'll come back and drop an update if it works out for me this time.
Thank you for sharing. Do you know if it makes a difference if it is the Saturn 8k? My instructions that came with it say to insert a foam piece under the screen during installation.
Looks new compared to the one I'm away to change lol mine from new on Saturn 2 has completely delamination of the PFA it's like a wet and dry sand paper I've used it to the max still not effecting the quality of prints inface improved now its took the smotheness off the top layer but I had a stupid tiny part that came off its support and has put a crease dint in the film so I'll change it out but almost 8 months from it printing everyday I'm very very impressed with PFA
I'm a newbie, just fitted my fep on my saturn, but I fitted it tight, no slack, but it works perfectly 🤷♂️..no printer errors, I do use a little PTFE spray on a cloth and wipe the fep on the inside of the vat just to aid the lifting process ..I think when I replace the fep again, I'd do the same thing again, ( assuming i have no problems) I dont think it needs any slack, I think it may even last longer without slack as it will naturally slacken a little with use as the fep stretches.
The hardest part is cutting away the excess film. I wasn't able to cut through all of it and it left very tiny strips of film along some of the edges. :(
I can't imagine what I'm doing wrong. I replaced my fep and tried to make it as slack as possible, but when I bolted the frame back into the reservoir it was still really tight. Every subsequent print was sticking in a blob to the fep rather than the plate. It was so tight the fep was ripping the prints right off the plate! So I decided to look up videos to make sure I did it correctly this time, and I can't see you doing anything differently than I did. If anybody could offer any suggestions I'd really appreciate the help Otherwise I just have a £400 ornament sitting there doing nothing 😭
@MechanicalFrog Yha is for the swift reply Yeah I do all the usual levelling procedures and whatbot before and after every print The FEP just keeps ripping the prints off the plate. When I tap the FEP it's tight enough to drum like a tom tom. Sounds like a cheap bongo drum in fact
@@MechanicalFrog I can't see what would've changed, as it was never a problem before, but it's a good suggestion I'll have a look, and tha ks for the reply 👍
Right so you don't need a stupid bottle cap for the tension no? I've not replaced one yet I'm doing it now but reme people saying and showed the bottle top tension I'm sure it will tension fine once screwed back onto vat your's looks a tidy job looks nice n tight lol
Do a search for your printer and slicing software and see if you can find places where people have shared their ideal settings. Often that can help spot the issue and prevent many others.@@averagemordhauplayer4821
@@MechanicalFrog even though a frog elemental would be a clanner.. I won’t hold that against you. But as a fellow printer dweeb and battletech fan, subbed
This is probably the most chill 3d printing video I've ever seen.
Deep calming breaths... Frustration can lead to silly mistakes.
Thanks a lot. I have to replace my FEP too and was afraid to mess up. Even though everything is printed out on the package your explanations gave me the last bit of confidence to actually do it 🙂
Glad I could be helpful. Good luck!
This was super helpful, calm, and direct!
As a new 3D printer user, I am very grateful to you for making this quality content!
I come back every so often to watch this to redo my fep sheet. You've been my teacher a half dozen times already! ❤
Well, I'm glad it's helpful!
Thank you. Newbie here and damaged my FEP. Your video really put me at ease. Ver much appreciated!!!
Wonderful!
I didn't see you do anything for proper "slack" on the fep, it looks like you just straight laid the sheet and screwed it in and that makes me so relieved. I was worried I'd have to find something to give the proper slack. Thanks for the chill video!
While I have seen people recommend this, using a little sponge or a folded up paper towel. I haven't seen a need for it using the FEP sheets I have. They seem to be perfect with just a casual treatment. I'm glad you found the video useful. Take care and happy printing!
I'm a newbie, just fitted my fep on my saturn, but I fitted it tight, no slack, but it works perfectly 🤷♂️..no printer errors, I do use a little PTFE spray on a cloth and wipe the fep on the inside of the vat just to aid the lifting process ..I think when I replace the fep again, I'd do the same thing again, ( assuming i have no problems) I dont think it needs any slack, I think it may even last longer without slack as it will naturally slacken a little with use as the fep stretches.
Great advice there telling everyone to use an exacto knife to cut a slit into each screw hole. That's a HUGE step imo. Ya just gotta be careful not to scratch or put a hold in the fep.
Definitely a handle with care situation.
@MechanicalFrog I'm about to change the fep on my Saturn 8K and being the old grognard engineer that I am, I even checked the proper torque rating between the stainless steel screws going into the holes in the frame! I'm crazy, I know. But I know if I strip out any threads, that section will get loose over time. And I've seen resin leaks. They aren't pretty!
Thanks for taking the time to make the video! Appreciate your efforts!
@@helixxharpell You definitely put more work into it than I did. Good luck!
@MechanicalFrog Thank you! I develop drill fixtures for high security gov filing cabinets out of aluminum. Those use S.S. screws and to insure the longevity of the fixtures in the field I recommend toque values to the locksmiths. Our fixture vendor also roll-form taps the holes instead of cutting the threads. That ensures a stronger thread. But.. the Chinese don't know what a roll-form tap is so I'm always wary of stripping threads. Lastly, it's hard to manage fine metric threads in such a shallow depth.
Sounds anal, I know but sometimes it's the little things that can extend product life.
I have to replace mine today. Kinda nervous but this video helped. Thanks.
Glad I could help. Happy printing!
Thanks, very helpful to have this run through. New FEP on!
Huzzah! Happy printing!
I did my first fep change yesterday and only got 1 print to stick to the build plate out of several. I was taught by another video to put a spacer under your fep (stack of 25 playing cards) for your first set of screws to leave slack for the second set of screws to use. I think it made my fep too loose, causing failures. I'm about to try again with your method and see if I start getting successful prints again. I'll come back and drop an update if it works out for me this time.
Yeah I heard it both ways but had a lot of luck not worrying about slack with cards or a piece of foam. Good luck!
Thank you so much for posting this.
You're welcome. I hope it helps a few people.
Thank you for sharing. Do you know if it makes a difference if it is the Saturn 8k? My instructions that came with it say to insert a foam piece under the screen during installation.
It shouldn't make a difference. Some like to have that little foam piece underneath but I never saw an issue without.
I am about to change the fep in my 8k this week sir. I'll chime in when it's done to let you know!
Do they have fep for the elegoo saturn 3 12k ?
Is it thr same as another model? Im only finding it for others and not the 12k
that is a lot less intimidating then i thought it was going to be. thanks for the vid time for my first FEP swap big scratch down it
It's not so bad once you get through the first time. Good luck!
Thank you for the tutorial. I managed to poke a hole in my film.
You're welcome and I'm sorry?
Looks new compared to the one I'm away to change lol mine from new on Saturn 2 has completely delamination of the PFA it's like a wet and dry sand paper I've used it to the max still not effecting the quality of prints inface improved now its took the smotheness off the top layer but I had a stupid tiny part that came off its support and has put a crease dint in the film so I'll change it out but almost 8 months from it printing everyday I'm very very impressed with PFA
I'm thinking about buying a 3D printer, mostly for battletech stuff (minis and scenery). Do you feel the saturn has been worth it? any advice?
The Saturn was very good to me. The only issues I ever had with mine were entirely my fault for not reading instructions or being a klutz.
Imagine looking for a video on Saturn FEP... and finding you have one :)
Surprise?
What about the foam piece they recommend putting under the fep while screwing it to the frame to get the tension the fep needs?
From doing it three times now, I haven't had any issues with letting the screws do the tensioning.
@@MechanicalFrog okay, i will test it 🙂
@@shaalomn3967 Did it work?
@@coetconley yes it worked
Came here looking for an answer about this! Thanks for asking and thanks for answering!
thanks for the help!
I'm getting little wrinkle creases on the FEP after one print. It's warping the prints as well. Same Saturn.
makes me think the FEP sheet wasn't pulled tight enough. it should be quite rigid and inflexible to the touch.
I'm a newbie, just fitted my fep on my saturn, but I fitted it tight, no slack, but it works perfectly 🤷♂️..no printer errors, I do use a little PTFE spray on a cloth and wipe the fep on the inside of the vat just to aid the lifting process ..I think when I replace the fep again, I'd do the same thing again, ( assuming i have no problems) I dont think it needs any slack, I think it may even last longer without slack as it will naturally slacken a little with use as the fep stretches.
I think the need for slack is just precautionary. If it's not drum tight after the screws, something went wrong.
Hi, very easy and understandable video, perfect, thank you ! 🙂
Glad it was helpful!
Nice
Thanks man
No problems for me
Glad to hear it.
Good video man!
Thanks. Hopefully it was helpful.
The hardest part is cutting away the excess film. I wasn't able to cut through all of it and it left very tiny strips of film along some of the edges. :(
It can be tricky but a good sharp x-acto helps a lot.
Timing I everything . I just bought a used saturn and I want to replace the fep. It's a little worn. Thanks
Good luck! 😎
Do you happen to know the sizes of the screws or somewhere you can get replacements if they happen to strip?
I don't, but I would likely head to Elegoo's site to see if they have the info.
What is the link so we can order on Amazon?
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091N3QVF9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I can't imagine what I'm doing wrong.
I replaced my fep and tried to make it as slack as possible, but when I bolted the frame back into the reservoir it was still really tight.
Every subsequent print was sticking in a blob to the fep rather than the plate. It was so tight the fep was ripping the prints right off the plate!
So I decided to look up videos to make sure I did it correctly this time, and I can't see you doing anything differently than I did.
If anybody could offer any suggestions I'd really appreciate the help
Otherwise I just have a £400 ornament sitting there doing nothing 😭
Before you undo that FEP, make sure all your other print calibrations are correct. It may be a different issue entirely.
@MechanicalFrog Yha is for the swift reply
Yeah I do all the usual levelling procedures and whatbot before and after every print
The FEP just keeps ripping the prints off the plate.
When I tap the FEP it's tight enough to drum like a tom tom. Sounds like a cheap bongo drum in fact
Check your resin bottle and make sure that the burn in time for those first layers is matched in your slicer.
@@MechanicalFrog I can't see what would've changed, as it was never a problem before, but it's a good suggestion
I'll have a look, and tha ks for the reply 👍
Are you poking holes into the fep where the screws are meant to be before inserting them?
Yes. I use the x-acto knife to poke a little guide hole.
Right so you don't need a stupid bottle cap for the tension no? I've not replaced one yet I'm doing it now but reme people saying and showed the bottle top tension I'm sure it will tension fine once screwed back onto vat your's looks a tidy job looks nice n tight lol
I never had issue with it as shown.
Do you tighten the screws all the way when putting it back into the main frame?
Yes but not excessively.
sounds good thanks. Great video!@@MechanicalFrog
Thanks... for this 🙏 informative video ❤❤
What if my fep looks incredibly damaged after only a few prints?
Then I would suspect that your print settings have it going down too low and mashing prints into the FEP rather than floating just above the FEP.
@@MechanicalFrogGot it! I'll try to nudge it up a little - my prints were looking fine, but i was concerned for my fep. Thank you!
Do a search for your printer and slicing software and see if you can find places where people have shared their ideal settings. Often that can help spot the issue and prevent many others.@@averagemordhauplayer4821
no tension object under the fep? elegoo asks for a sponge.
I never had any issue with it.
I clicked this video just cause the frog in elemental armor
I've heard worse reasons. Thanks for coming by!
@@MechanicalFrog even though a frog elemental would be a clanner.. I won’t hold that against you.
But as a fellow printer dweeb and battletech fan, subbed
@@ZOIMIBiIE Hah! Fair enough. Welcome to the fray.
I did this and I got resin all over my LCD ): why didn’t the fep keep a seal?
Screws not tight enough?
@@MechanicalFrog mid print failure caused puncture in fep ):
@@visioncorp5228 Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully the resin didn't get into the machine.
Where can i get ??
Get what? the FEP sheets?
@@MechanicalFrog yeah
@@rhohitgaur www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091N3QVF9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
@@MechanicalFrog thanks 🙏
It took me like a hour the first time