CR Touch for the Ender 3 v2

The CR Touch bed levelling kit replaces the 3D printers Z-Level switch and maps the layout of the bed.

It was not a cheap purchase at 45, but it does seem to be doing a good job. So probably worth it.

I followed the video from The 3D Print Zone for the Creality Ender 3 v2, CR Touch (not a BL Touch).

This was necessary as the manual is very limited and the screenshots unreadable. It's physically tiny and the digital versions are not much better.

YouTube wanted a fight and had decided to add many long Ads in the way of me skipping back and forward. There certain video types where Ads just do not fit >:(

There are two things the video gets a little wrong. First of all the note about jotting down your main-board version number only shows when the demonstrator and you the viewer have closed and screwed together the base access bay. This value is VERY important for selecting the correct firmware and the second is related the changes Creality have made in the interface for newer firmware. More on that later.

The cable sleeve is VERY stretchable and can avoid the awkward "feeding" stage, other YouTuber's have given up and just cable-tied to the outside of the cable sheath, which is very ugly.

Oh and Warning the fan cable will pull out if the panel is dislodged . Ask me how I know :D

The CR touch main-board connector does not go into its socket very far and looks like you need to push further, but a closer look with a torch and there are clearly plastic flanges to ensure you cannot push it in too far. Ask me how I know :D

The CR touch cable on the sensor must be put in the right way around or you risk bending the pins! Ask me how I know :D

Once the new hardware is in place and the old Z switch disconnected, you have to tackle the software. I am not going to link to the firmware as Creality is famous for moving it. Just remember you need to get the right firmware for the version number on your main-board, see note above.

I downloaded the correct firmware ZIP file and unpacked it only to find I couldn't find the SD card that came with the printer... Maybe I could use the Raspberry Pi running OctoPrint. Well apparently you can, but it is not that easy. A short while later I had dug out a tiny SD card and it was actually the one that came with the printer. Had all my original early prints on it. Cleared all the files and copied on the .BIN file.

"Insert card", will not go in. Oh wait, it has to be contacts side up! Ask me how I know :D

This actually make sense as the main-board is upside down when the printer is right way up :)

Following the guide on the video was not working for me...

1. Prepare
2. Autohome
3. Move
4. Z-move
5. ...
6. STOP! I cannot set the value to a negative number and the head is way above the bed!
7. Turn it off and on again after removing the SD card, still no minus :(

Check Info : Version is V1.0.6B (correct for my 32bit V4.2.2 main-board)

Check screen layout and the new Level icon is there! So what is going on?

The firmware has changed in the years since the video was made and no one can set the Z-move lower than 0. But there is a new menu option in the Prepare menu called Z-Offset and this can be set negative. Neither is this noted in the tiny manual :(

In the video it is suggested you add the bed levelling command to ALL generated GCODE but ... nah!

G29 ; auto bed level

I can just hit Level every now and then and that works fine.

I later found lots of of the 600+ YouTube comments refer to the Z-Move going to 0 and no lower. I made a point of replying to some of the newest ones explaining the situation.

For some reason there was a pack of 5 replacement nozzles, which is nice. None of the reviews or videos I watched mentioned them or show them in the unboxing.

The packing box has magnetic lid which I thought was a bit over the top but, it makes a nice resting place for the spare brackets and the redundant Z-Switch assembly :D

So far all my prints have been good and I am playing with temperature and that Z-Offset to improve them further.

New magnetic bed for the Ender 3 v2

I have been planning to post about some 3D printing disasters and the minor upgrades that I have already done, but instead I am going to bypass that and blog about a magnetic bed for the Ender 3 v2.

It was easy to install.

1 - Remove the clips and lift off the old glass bed.

2 - Clean the surface - might of missed this step.

3 - Rotate the magnetic pad on the adhesive pad until it locks with magnetic polarity, then make sure you are orientating in this way when applying it to the bed.

4 - Apply the adhesive pad. This looked easy, peel the backing and line up against the bed plate, but as careful as I was I still didn't get it perfectly aligned, but it's really not noticeable.

That's about it.

Re-level your bed. I had to manually adjust the Z-switch height physically, as the new bed is thinner and so lower than the thick original glass one.

The magnetic pad can now be laid on your print bed and it will stick nicely.

When the print is complete the flange on the front will be cool and can be used to lift the entire pad off in one go, then flexed to remove the print.

Note that the rest of the pad will still be hot, so be careful when handling!

Not sure what is going on, but my test print went too well and I had to scratch it off where the filament was laid down in the single line, the print itself was fine.