Alkmaar, Nederlands. March 2021. In the garage.
The printer comes with a USB stick which contains an older version of Chitubox, a slicer that converts STL files into code that the printer uses to know what to print. I'd already downloaded a later version of Chitubox onto my PC and had decided that's where I'd do the slicing.
Now, the USB also contained a couple of models already. I suppose so that you can test the printer and get busy straight away. Although, you can't start printing straight away. There's something you need to do first before you can start printing. And that is to level the build plate.
The method is straightforward. Take a piece of paper that fits between the holding nuts of the resin vat and lie it on the LCD screen. Make sure to loosen the nuts holding the build plate, so that it can freely swivel. Select the levelling option on the menu. The build plate will slowly make its way down the Z-axis and eventually press onto the LCD. The first time it did this I didn't think it was going to stop and thought I could hear the LCD screen cracking. But it was just my imagination. The build plate moves up and down a little bit until it thinks it's in the right place. Put a hand on top of the build plate and tighten the two nuts in the correct order. Now, try and pull the paper from beneath the build plate. If it comes out too easily, select the menu option to move the build plate down by 0.1mm and try again. If you struggle to remove the paper, select the option to raise the build plate 0.1mm. Do this until the paper comes out with some resistance, but not too much.
Okay, I hope that you can see how simple the process is. Also how vague terms like too easily, some resistance etc. are. So setting it up for the first print was something of a nervous experience.
As well as the Rook model, the standard for all resin printers, I'd added a calibration model from Amerlabs to help me see if everything was fine. I'd used the default settings for the Mars 2 from within Chitubox.
Wearing the Nitrile gloves, mask and safety goggles, I opened the bottle of resin and poured enough into the vat so that it was about 1/3 full. I had the air filters on, but I didn't notice any particularly bad smells. I put the cover back on and pressed the print button.
I stood waiting to see if it was working properly for ages. However, the resin vat and the tinted plastic of the cover make it very difficult to see anything until the build plate actually clears the resin vat. It was like watching paint dry.
I returned to the printer about an hour or two later.
I had a single lump on the build plate. Closer inspection revealed it to be the Rook. There was also a faint imprint of the calibration tool on the build plate. I pushed down my disappointment and scraped the two items from the build plate. I popped the Rook into the cleaning basket and set the cleaning station going. A few minutes later I removed the now clean Rook and set up the Mercury to cure the model. A couple of minutes under the curing lights and it was ready. Simple really.
It left me with the question of what happened to the calibration tool? I also needed to clean the build plate and the resin vat. After pouring the remaining resin through a strainer into the resin bottle I discovered the calibration tool. Well, what should have been the calibration tool. At least I assumed that's what the amorphous lump of resin stuck to the bottom of the resin vat was supposed to be. To remove this I needed to use the supplied plastic scraper and be very careful not to puncture the FEP. While cleaning the build plate I discovered that one of the locking nuts holding it level wasn't. Wasn't locked and wasn't holding it level. That probably explains what happened to the calibration tool. Note to self, every time you print, make sure the build plate is locked tight and level.
Job done and lesson learned. If a print fails always clear and clean the resin vat so that there's no hardened resin left in it to bugger up the next print, or worse still, puncture the FEP.
No photo of the Rook. It was nothing special and eventually, I threw it away as it had served its purpose.
Lots of excitement for the first print attempt. Hopefully, it won't always be this way.