The Bambu Experience - One Month with the Bambu P1S

[@aeonjoey3d]

I'm sure others have mentioned this, but the 'Support for PLA' material should come with a leaflet on how to use it, because like most users, you and I both used it incorrectly on our first tries. So the support material is *not* for printing supports, it's for printing only the *interface layers*; when you insert the roll into the AMS and tell Bambu Studio or Orca Slicer to detect it, it knows it's PLA support material (or you can also use other brands like Polymaker's Polysupport, which BBL's is identical to) you go into the Support section, and change the INTERFACE filament type to the Support PLA, a dialog box will flash asking if it's okay to change a couple of settings for you based on this choice, and then - amazement happens. Both faster because you're printing the actual supports with the regular PLA so less filament changes, and the interface does its job finally. The reason the supports stick so hard to the PLA in your prints is in part due to it's less shrinking than PLA, and the other due to... drumroll please... not drying it. According to the webpage for the Support for PLA, like TPU, the Support material REQUIRES drying before use. A before and after test will confirm this. My first use was printing 2-sided boardgame coins with it, and i did the entire supports using the material and it stuck on as if it were a glob of super glue. Once found out you have to dry it, it went into my SpacePi for 12 hours and I tried it again, of course using it as INTERFACE - and it came RIGHT off.

[@aeonjoey3d]

BBL should change the name of the product to 'Support Interface for PLA' or similar. Also note, they've just reformulated a new product that is a 2-in-1 for both PETG and PLA, and discontinuing the 'for PLA' and 'for PETG' varients, beta testers say it's even more forgiving without drying.

[@TapticDigital]

Very interesting, good information. The primary issue I encountered was the interface layer itself though, while it certainly was my mistake for assuming “Support Material” would be the material used for… supports, it was the layer that contacted the PLA I had the most issues with. It completely fused itself to the flat supported layer, I was only able to remove it by using a sharp tool to “cut” it away, and even then some remained. I don’t believe dryness was my issue, all materials I use are stored in a heated, actively ventilated dry box for between 8-10 hours before use On the flip side, I printed supports with the filament itself, this resulted in superb quality supports that instantly detached from the bottom layer, despite being the same exactly material.

[@WallyUK]

sorry to revive a long dead comment thread, but do you mind elaborating on what you mean by drying? - do you just let the print sit for a while before breaking off the supports?

[@Neomaster67]

As already mentioned, the support material is for the interface layer/s. I believe it is supposed to dissolve if submerged in a container filled with warm water.

[@michaels3003]

​@@WallyUK, in the context of this thread, drying meant reducing water content in the support-type filament.

[@dannyfpv123]

I just got my P1S combo and it has completely changed the way I think about 3d printing. Rather than the printer being the limitation (print quality, reliability, materials) it really comes down to how big your imagination is. One of the best things i’ve purchased for sure

[@TapticDigital]

This couldn’t be more true, I’m not hesitant to print bigger and more complex things, I trust that it will work.

[@3dPrintingTimeLapse843]

I’m glad I know this as of right now I have a creality ender 3 and older one and yesterday I ordered the p1s combo

[@Thebigskullman]

Heyyy, so I went from an Ender 3 I modded & upgraded to the absolute brim, to an Ankermake M5 which made everything easier OOB (UI, bedleveling, slicing, uploading to, updating, and just printing)… and now to the P1S with AMS. P1S with AMS from the Ender 3 is like going from a Model T to a 60’s muscle car. Still plenty to improve on, but absolutely night and day in usability, speed, new features (aka AMS) and reliability.

[@CJxys]

Just ordered my p1s, this video made me feel more comfortable on my purchase, thanks for this.

[@davedshot8949]

this filament dissolves in water hence support filament is actually amazing when you print with this stuff over hangs are amazing

[@TapticDigital]

@@davedshot8949 other brands of support filament dissolve because they are PVA, unfortunately bambu has gone with a mix of PLA and TPU for their support material, at least according to the MSDS. I had tried letting it sit in water overnight too, no dice. :(

[@geoffreyhowells7290]

My introduction to the world of 3D Printing was the P1P. It was a complete 'plug n play' experience. The largest learning-curve is routine maintenance. (Thank God for YT) I have had this machine for over a year and it has been pretty much flawless. Customer support has been superb and replacement parts & upgrades are reasonably priced. Yes, it is proprietary, but it has to be for the preservation of performance. I have found that placing it upon concrete block on the ground eliminates the majority of noise, for a bedroom setting. The aesthetics are amazing and highly customizable to one's personality. Over-all, this has been one of the most enjoyable and satisfying purchases ever. For someone new to 3D printing and on a budget, I would highly recommend the A1-Minni, for testing the water. Otherwise, the P1S is surely to please and is very capable machine. FYI: If the primary use is for prototyping , printing tools, etc, having multi-colored capability may not even be necessary.

[@TapticDigital]

At first I debated if I wanted the AMS or not, as most of my multi colored prints were just simple layer changes up to this point. But once I saw something that was printed with multiple colors on a single layer, I was hooked. It’s a very capable machine, and fantastic for rapid prototyping.

[@uberjedisniper]

I had a creality ender 3 for 5+ years. Spent more time tinkering with it than using it. I got a Bambu A1 + AMS Lite 3 months ago and have printed more on the Bambu printer in 3 months than on the Ender printer in 5+ years. Like you said, it just works!

[@TapticDigital]

@@uberjedisniper it’s absolutely crazy! Every time I go to start up my Ender I realize I have to clean and recalibrate it, get two or three fails before getting a marginally decent print off it. Bambu? I hit print and walk away. I don’t even check first layer most times. But the Ender did teach me a TON about how 3D printers work and how to solve common problems, so I’d still say it was well worth it.

[@SmoothbassmanStudios]

I went from an Ender 2Pro to a P1S and never looked back. The only issues I have had was filment breaking at the hot end. I fixed that with the Bowden tube support mod to keep it straight and it's never failed since. The Bambu printer just works. Makes 3D Printing so much more enjoyable.

[@zyskowsky]

After some tuning (returned to 0.4mm HS nozzle, calibrated, bumped bed temp to 100 degrees, added outer brim, activated outer-walls-first option) my ABS prints are nearly indistinguishable with fabricated elements. Best 3D printer ever and one of the best things I ever purchased.

[@dewet2wet]

I've owned an Ender 3 Pro for quite some time now. I use my printer almost completely for functional prints. Compared to some other people with enders, I've had an excellent experience. Very minimal maintenance required after I swapped to a full metal hotend + steel nozzle. Almost every print is good quality. However, I achieve this with extremely slow print speeds + NEVER changing the filaments I use + NEVER changing the bed I use. I have a dialed in profile for Overture PLA+ and Overture ASA. While I seldom need to change filaments/colors, I wondered if part of that feeling was due to the difficulty in tuning+filament changes. I just picked up a P1S and it'll arrive tomorrow. The reason why I finally sprung for a Bambu were for the reasons outlined in the video.

[@TapticDigital]

@@dewet2wet my Ender is still great for functional stuff, I just don’t have the time to tinker as much as I used to. It’s a phenomenal printer. I’m hoping you’ll come back and let me know how you like the P1S after a few prints! 🙂

[@dewet2wet]

@TapticDigital I still plan on keeping it. Two is better than one. But it'll be 100% dedicated to Grey Overture PLA+ 😂 My setup for next year is going to be multi material in a AMS. Possibly two. One for materials. Another for multiple PLA colors.

[@b-e-a-r6166]

This video has made me even more excited for the P1S I am waiting for. Great job.

[@Traitorman..Proverbs26.11]

BAMBU LAB. Send me a P1S and I will review it. AND I WILL BE HONEST. You know I am one of your staunchest adversaries. If I am convinced, you know many others will follow.

[@PWfrom92807]

I've had my P1S for about the same amount of time as you. I've had the most success using the support filament as an interface material only, with the supports built from the build plate and not on the piece itself. I've had good luck with it personally and like it.

[@TapticDigital]

I’m definitely going to give it a few more tries. The planter I printed using it just wasn’t satisfactory, the interface layer ended up bonding to the PLA and I needed a blade to cut it out.

[@PWfrom92807]

@@TapticDigital It certainly didn't look good based on what you showed the video and I would've felt the same way you did!

[@MCTolmay]

Great video! With information that no other review that I have watched mentioned.

[@TapticDigital]

@@MCTolmay glad to hear it! I try not to just echo everybody else

[@justinsyoutube1386]

Im so ready for mine to arrive, just pulled the trigger last night! Itll be my second m, i bought an anycubic kobra 3 combo and its pretty cool but after digging in snd saving a little bit ive done it and after the videos and research ive done i know ive made a solid choice until get the prusa xl with the five heads!!

[@TapticDigital]

@@justinsyoutube1386 this one’s gonna blow your mind

[@rockels_journals]

I already had some 3D printers. Just printing some little statues or toys will be work out great on almost all 3D printers these days. But printing out verry precise and tight fitting parts seems to be a challenge. Tweaking one thing, eventually results in other "problems". Or it seems to be an endless search in calibration. My last printer was a multicolor printer from Geetech, well this was a total nightmare to calibrate. I've ordered myself the P1S with AMS a few days back, and the Panda Touch is on it's way too. Maybe I will just buy another one when it suits me. Prices are acceptable with the current sale now.

[@michaels3003]

Some ideas. Different materials have different shrinking ratios. There are also problems with a lack of symmetry: a printed round hole may not be exactly round. Deeper holes are unlikely to have uniform diameters top to bottom. Flat surfaces may not be exactly flat, etc.

[@koushyk]

I've got my p1s couple days ago, it awesome

[@MountainCreations0]

On your Ender 3 v2 you had belt skipping and on the ender 3 I got just got rid off barely could do 50 without absolutely failing. I am excited to get a printer that I don’t have to tinker with every print

[@TapticDigital]

@@MountainCreations0 my only regret is not getting one sooner. But I still say the Ender taught me everything I need to know about printing and problem solving

[@cainam24]

I own a Ender 5 Plus and I fully agree with everything you said about the Ender experience. Don't get me wrong - this is not a bad printer and I loved using it with OctoPrint. But it took time to get good quality prints. I'm really looking forward to my P1S which should arrive tomorrow...

[@TapticDigital]

@@cainam24 it’s hard to look back. I also have an Ender 5 Plus and while I love the huge build area I’m also having to constantly tweak and adjust things. Great printer, taught me a ton about how printers work, but I’m also happy to have one that just works

[@cainam24]

@@TapticDigital True - I think it is good to learn about these things. The one thing I learned: Leveling, Leveling, Leveling. Thanks for the video.

[@Matt-dk3wl]

My Ender5 Plus is currently sitting with a spagheti monster and a blown out hot end and is waiting for me to get the motivation to fix it - again. Then to remember I can't print anything that requires a lot of retractions and here I am eyeballing a P1S... Maybe I'll fix my ender 5 plus and only have it setup with a .6 nozzle and keep if for the huge prints. I do envy the EZ Mode Bambu seems to offer.

[@cainam24]

​@@Matt-dk3wlyeah, sound very familiar. After a few weeks now with the P1S I don't regret buying it. It is way faster, the prints are easier to set up and look better. More time for the CAD. The only downside is that the camera only works with the cloud on the smartphone - the APP does not support the LAN only mode. But that can be easily solved with a RPi...

[@KITT-K2000]

i got a AQ combo last month and now i am looking at maybe buying a p1s combo before the sale ends not sure yet butthinking of it

[@TapticDigital]

@@KITT-K2000 I really can’t recommend it enough, especially with the sale

[@TillTheCollapse]

i just ordered my p1s after my ender3v2 x axis belt broke in half. ofc gonna fix my ender and still use it for basic prints but looking forward to the bambu and hopefully headache-free prints :)))

[@TapticDigital]

@@TillTheCollapse so far the worst thing to happen to my P1S was jammed filament from heat creep. It automatically paused, sent my phone a notification, and waited for help. I just made a video on it actually! Aside from that, no leveling, no e-steps, no calibrating, just printing!

[@robparker1944]

This is hilarious. I used your other video to help set up my Ender 3 V2 with the pad+sprite. Igot it working but not consistently and also threatened to replace it. I called its bluff and now I have the same Bambu!

[@TapticDigital]

I love it! It’s consistent, something my Ender really wasn’t.

[@Dirt33breaks]

Im currently looking at hundreds if videos to decide my next printer. My OG Ender 3 is now a Frankenstein's monster and has very little original on it (heated bed and frame are the only things left lol). So I too now want to soend more time printing and not calibrating. But I do love Klipper... Lol So now im torn between a Bambulab P series or ine of the many others out now. K1C, or Flashforge Adventurer 5 series even the Sovol sv08 beast has ne thinking, but ill probably be back at tweaking again then.

[@TapticDigital]

I was in the exact same boat a month ago. My Ender 3 v2 is absolutely decked out, Sprite Pro extruder, dual Z, custom enclosure (previous video), silicone bed spacers, running custom Klipper. But I kept needing to adjust it, just one more tweak to get good results, readjusting Z offset every print. I love my Ender, I wouldn’t know more than half of what I know about 3d printing if it weren’t for that printer. I thought about the K1, looks great, compatible with what I’m using and all. But I knew I’d likely still be needing to do some tweaking, some calibration and manual offsetting. I’m tired of that, I just want to print stuff. Time is very valuable. I ended up getting the P1S after a friend had been using theirs for a month. Honestly wish I’d done it sooner. It’s a lot of money, but you definitely get what you pay for. I haven’t had to adjust the Z offset a single time, in fact I don’t think I could even tell you where I’d go to adjust it. I haven’t had to level the bed a single time, not even initial set up. Haven’t needed to do any pressure advance calibrating or anything else, it just PRINTS.

[@Dirt33breaks]

@@TapticDigital yeah i was thinking of getting P1P then then adding enclosure kater but again its more fiddle lol. I have watched videos on the P series extensively. Strange how you say its loud though as many people say the P1S is one of the quieter core XY's. I know the MCU fan xan be swapped out for a Noctua in the back there, and there was a Firmware update a while back that reduced movement noise but thats probably what you talked about when u said you ran input shaping many times . Maybe we didnt expect such loudness coming from totally silent Endersteins lol

[@hrdcpy]

@@TapticDigital I"m in the same benchy right now. Hah. Creality had promo last week and I had a dual-z kit and x-axis linear rail kit in my car for ~$50. After considering what is now available (A1 mini is a competitive "lateral" move) I made the decision to wait. Now I'm wondering what the future will hold for all the existing Enders in the world. How can they be salvaged and upcycled?

[@TapticDigital]

@@Dirt33breaks by comparison I think my Ender 5 Plus at work is actually quieter than the P1S, but I’d have to get a decibel meter to check.

[@Dirt33breaks]

@@TapticDigital well i was talking about the fresh race horses compared to our old donkeys

[@dragonfir3114]

not sure if any one else mentiond it but you used the support material wrong youre only suposed to use it on the interface layer { it tells you this on the bambu website too} and the rest is w/e colour you ar using when used this way it works really well and you dont have to change filiment a million times.

[@TapticDigital]

@@dragonfir3114 yup, I made an entire follow up video doing that just to show that it’s still terrible and useless compared to just using PETG as a support material.

[@o-manthehuman7867]

This is a quality channel, love your style! I'm getting strong jerryrigeverything vibes, very good review and very good quality. Subbed :D

[@TapticDigital]

Thanks! Jerry (Zack) is definitely a big inspiration!

[@deeber35]

After set up testing, when I print the nozzle stays about an inch above the plate. That's not right,is it?

[@nosenseofhumor1]

The trick to support pla is to use it only for interface support layers and to give it a .2 top and bottom z distance. I know it says not to, it says to set it to 0, but that just does not work. .2 works every time for me

[@TapticDigital]

Thank you! I had a feeling the overly tight interface was the issue

[@aeonjoey3d]

@@TapticDigital the overtightness is because it's not for printing the actual support, just the interface, PLA shrinks, so the Z height is lowered, it really depends on the height of the print wether or not to adjust the z distance, for some items (like some board game coins I did that ended up essentially being a raft of support material) this helped slightly, but what helped more than that was properly drying it first, it's similar to TPU in that it needs to be dried to work right.

[@xMINNASOTAx]

support filament is best used as an interface layer between the support and model. Not as a whole support.

[@TapticDigital]

I don’t think I’d even use it for that, the part that interfaced with the model was the least removable bit and required a razor blade to remove.

[@aeonjoey3d]

@@TapticDigital during printing because PLA shrinks, it actually doesn't end up adhering as strongly to the underside of the print (e.g. PLA printed supports + 'Support Material' as interface = lower z height of support in total) second, you do need to dry it in a dryer before use, BBL doesn't give enough documentation but they do say this on it's website for the material - requires drying before use.

[@aeonjoey3d]

this is not just a recommendation it's the intended use, unfortunatley BBL doesn't do a good enough job of communicating this unless you visit the material's website

[@infinitybeforezerollc7103]

some support material requires WATER. wash the part, it'll soften and assist in removing the support structure.

[@TapticDigital]

Interesting, I’m going to give that a try. Temperature have any effect? Warm water?

[@infinitybeforezerollc7103]

@@TapticDigital warm water certainly couldn't hurt if its in fact a water soluble support material like used on Stratus machines. That may not be how you're setup, but its definitely worth looking into.

[@ArabellaPottery]

Did you put glue on the bed? Great video! Thanks

[@TapticDigital]

Yes I had some glue stick on the bed at one point, rarely needed and only for some filaments.

[@ArabellaPottery]

@@TapticDigital Thank you!!

[@andrepoon]

Using a Spiderco to open a cardboard box is like driving a Ferrari in a demolition derby

[@TapticDigital]

@@andrepoon now that’s a demolition derby I’d wanna watch!

[@BelfastBiker]

i need this printer.

[@George-nx8zu]

Were you able to do anything to dull the sound?

[@TapticDigital]

Not much, I did run a second “calibration” where it did the motor vibration again and that seemed to reduce quite a bit. Otherwise reducing speed helps a lot. It’s definitely still a printer that I’d keep in a spare room or workshop. I may try printing some TPU feet to reduce vibration and see how that affects noise.

[@AlbertDongler]

Bambu labs. Kicking the ludicrously over priced Prusa and Ultimaker primitive rubbish into touch. Love'em. I own three now. No looking back once you use one!

[@EIEIOOOOO241]

Bro if this is your actual voice i will subscribe.

[@TapticDigital]

This is indeed my actual voice! I’m not a fan of it personally but my mom says it’s good

[@EIEIOOOOO241]

@@TapticDigital Personally a fan and now I'm subscribed! (also bc of the great content)😁

[@andrewstalinski7193]

Did you notice an increase in your electricity?

[@TapticDigital]

@@andrewstalinski7193 it’s usually not something I pay attention to, right now my bill is a bit hard to judge given a recent heatwave but overall I haven’t noticed any major impacts. I also leave my P1S on all the time since it has a “sleep” mode.

[@Mr.X3D]

As long as you don’t run a print farm it’s probably hard to distinguish from other power consumers Like ac/fridge/stove, tv, etc. I live off grid and at this moment with 1x1c and 1p1s printing abs simultaneously, they are averaging ~300w all together. In comparison that is equal to using my pc & tv at the same time. Heck, my tiny pool pump draws 100w 24/7 which is far more concerning 🙈