How to lubricate the Bambu Lab A1 & A1 Mini

Learn how to properly lubricate the Bambu Lab A1 & A1 Mini and what supplies you'll need. LINKS:
Get our FDM-optimized gaming terrain and miniatures here: www.fatdragonga...
For help printing our Dragonlock and Crypt Classics models join our Facebook group here: / 528423924186756
Bambu Lab affiliate link: shrsl.com/2dml2...
Amazon affiliate links (as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases):
Sponge applicators: amzn.to/3U00JnD
Super Lube Oil: amzn.to/3SnHiDK
Super Lube Grease: amzn.to/3vL7tvi
Non-woven Wipes: amzn.to/4aZLQI6 OR amzn.to/3SlWYGo
Nylon Brush Set: amzn.to/3UipFqH
Fat Dragon Games supplies list:
www.fatdragong...

[@ALL_OUT_NERDDOM]

I literally just got the notification on my A1 that it’s time to lubricate the rails haha. Thank you so much for all the knowledge you share with the community. Your Ender 3 assembly video is how I began my 3D printing journey (watched it 12 times before even ordering my printer) and I have come a long way since then thanks to you ❤

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@ShortyNE]

I abandoned my 3D printing journey a while ago when real life got too busy, I had an ender 3 then and my main interest was making minis for a Strahd game I was running. Your videos were so helpful in ugprading, tweaking, dialing in back then. Been many years since then and I'm thinking about getting the A1 Mini, and then I find a whole new range of videos by you singing it's praises. Guess it was meant to be 😊

[@TheoLcr]

Definitely get yourself a Bambu, if you had an Ender 3 before you won't believe how superior these printers are. Almost stopped 3D printing because of my old unreliable Ender 3 and having to constantly calibrate it, bambu is literaly plug and play!

[@nctinman8775]

Nice to see Super Lube has survived. I ran a Radio Shack in the 90's and this was a great product. I'm hyped to be able to order more.

[@xGILOW]

I only got a „lube Y axis please“ message and I only did that, but now I learned how to safely and efficiently super lube up my printer. I feel like the video is a bit too long but on the other hand I will only need to watch it once to understand it for life. Thanks!

[@Skullyweb]

I'm glad you put this out with a suggested maintenance schedule. Many people see printers as just another appliance and do not realize you can't just add plastic and have parts pop out like a toaster.

[@KBShroyer]

Where was the schedule? I kissed that, but would love one.

[@user-uk3gc2dk3h]

@@KBShroyer The printer will tell you when it's time to lube it, and when doing so it's a good idea to check for loose screws, wear on belts, etc. :)

[@KevinInlay]

Dude this is awesome, thanks for the guide. I want to baby my machine to make it last (especially in this economy). This was perfect!

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thanks!

[@carlfranz2046]

Talk about timely! I got my first "clean me" message from my newish A1 this morning, then stumbled across your video. Thank you for this.

[@coloradocornbread6996]

I just noticed yesterday, after 2 weeks of owning an A1 Mini, that my rails were getting small scratches all over them. I cleaned and lubed the rails right away. I wish they told you in the quick start, or the manual, that you need to clean/lubricate anything besides the y-axis rails. Thanks for your wisdom ❤

[@davey3765]

I never heard of your channel before... You Tube recommended it... Saw the intro and instantly subscribed! xD

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thanks!

[@hyozanhades09]

I have a Kingroon KP3S these instructions will apply to that kind of machine as well because it has linear rails !!! Thanks for the video I have been looking for a video like this for quite a while.

[@dzines65]

I spit my coffee out when you said, " reload for the rear" lol

[@Antman1968]

Thanks Tom! I purchased all the items via your website links. Very through procedure, much better than the Bambu Lab instructions and video. Thanks again!

[@arranwilliams2523]

Ahead of it now and have my grease and applicators ordered before the A1 tells me it's time! Thank you!

[@jon1210]

Awesome step by step instructions! I was a bit weiry of Bambu Labs official maintenance instructions, and your video gave way better understanding of what oils/grease do and how we need to use them on our printers. Much appreciated for the lesson and information! 🫡🫡

[@spartacus317]

Another great video! Appreciate you doing these maintenance and fix-it focused videos on the A1 and A1 mini printers. Speaking of the A1, I'm really looking forward to your in-depth A1 video. When might we expect that?

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Whenever I find the free time to finish it. :)

[@spartacus317]

Looking forward to it! Thanks again for putting the time and effort you put into this content. That miniatures profile of yours was a God sent for my friend and I.

[@raybarron316]

Just ordered all of the tools and lubricants from your links on the website. Thanks for the tips!

[@DuyDepTraiPhoBaTrieu]

My A1 is literally 1 day old and I am already learned this lol. Thanks for teaching :)

[@Iguana240]

Thanks for this! Just assembled my A1. Will be sure to keep up on the maintenance!

[@herco2543]

Excellent detailed video on what to do. I used your links to buy the items you used. Thank you.

[@marklotzmann8043]

Very detailed videos. Everyone should watch these on your channel.

[@GreenAppelPie]

I tried white lithium grease first and found it gummed up after a month. Then tried to this and works great. I also use it on the bird feeder pole to keep the critters off

[@rasmanNEBR]

Thanks! I am new to printing and had an unintended unbased pattern powder out on me...a mess! This cleaned it up nicely!

[@bobandres5559]

Nicely done, going to buy both those printers soon. Probably should take the bed plate off or cover it while your cleaning, just in case. Thanks for a very good demonstration.

[@RobertGlazier]

I was wondering how to lubricate my A1. Thanks.

[@uncannyrecovery3980]

Great video. Just got my new A1 combo. New sub. Appreciate the easy to follow video.

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thanks for watching :)

[@knoxieman]

Good video, I use cheap white lithium grease works just fine, superlube is very expensive, normal mineral oil is fine for the rails and you only need a tiny thin layer of oil and grease, so many people over grease things which just attracts more dust and dirt and makes things more sticky.

[@pterrydactyl]

Thanks for the excellent tutorial.

[@garthd1627]

Just got the A1 mini and your videos are super helpful! Thanks!

[@BSDGuyShawn]

Great video. The maintenance guide for the A1-Mini also calls out filling the oil filling hole in the middle of the slider for the Z-axis.

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

If you watch the video closely, they are only lubing the upper half of the rail, then adding oil to the Z carriage and allowing it to lubricate the lower half of the rail when they move it down, which IMHO won't do a proper job. My way ensures total even coverage of the rail. A rail with full lubrication will also lubricate the rollers, just like on the Y And X axis carriages (note they don't have you add oil to those.)

[@BSDGuyShawn]

@@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors I do the same but wanted to call out the oil hole as it is part of the ‘official’ maintenance guide.

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

@@BSDGuyShawn they also tell people to use grease on the Y axis rods for the full size A1, which is also wrong.

[@BSDGuyShawn]

@@Tombof3DPrintedHorrorscrazy. I’ve never looked at the A1 stuff.

[@Oxie_3D]

Thank you i just got a notification about this and the wiki just shows the mini so i glad i found this for the a1

[@PaulB-justme]

My A1 Mini kindly let me know that I should lubricate the rails after my first use of the printer - having watched your video a couple of days earlier, it has come in very handy, as I am planning on getting a bit of printing time in today - but lube first! 😅

[@Thirdcast]

Been watching all your vids on the A1 mini, convinced me enough to invest as they look like a lovely machine to use. Bambu seems to have set the bar with it for an fdm printer! Thank you for the great and informative videos Tom, keep them coming!

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thank you!

[@TheRealFrostysaur]

Awesome. I just ordered my A1

[@dalecipperley40]

Thank you for this video. I am looking forward to your review of the full sized A1.

[@jasonalexander332]

Great tips to help stay properly lubricated, Tom!

[@thomasmiller8962]

Again. An excellent video. Thanks for covering a topic that is often overlooked.

[@randyp9954]

Found this very useful. Thanks again Tom you are putting out some great content!

[@oliverqueen1215]

Indeed very good!

[@NeSBigbasher]

I was very confused about where to use oil/grease prior to your video. It was a great help understanding where to use which product

[@KentuckyFriedGamers]

Thanks Tom, my notification just came up this past weekend. Thanks for all you do in posting these videos!

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thanks!

[@robertspears8301]

Thanks for another useful and informative video. I just started using my A-1 mini yesterday. Thanks for the recommendation, I love it. I've been printing your Fat Dragon Mini Sets in 15mm. I can print an entire set at a time in about 1 1/2 hours using your settings and they come out great.

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Glad it helped you!

[@sharitambasco4981]

A1 mini is in the mail. Thanks for the timely video.

[@chestercwright6070]

A1 min is on the way along with the cleaning and lib, not just for the a1 but also for my C10 se.

[@aslskfan1]

I just picked up an A-1 on the same. Thanks for the tips!

[@dtarot]

Thank you something I was looking for

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Glad it helped you :)

[@wayne479]

Thanks for walking me thru it

[@lisaharm9134]

Great video. Thank you for all of your detailed explanations!

[@EarlRumburg]

Always love the advice and instructions you provide in these videos. Thanks for all the work you do for the FDM community!

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thank you for watching :)

[@kenspaceman3938]

I got some PRF Teflube H1 synthetic oil with ptfe for the rails from my local electronics specialist dealer, hopefully it’s good enough. It was only about €28/liter, that Super Lube was 10 times that here on Amazon in Europe. I’ll use some synthetic high quality grease with ptfe I bought from a bike shop, a few years ago, for the Z-rod. Haven’t received my A1 mini yet, their Anniversary deal in Europe is like €220. I want one to try to print out small figures for my son AND because the A1 mini is cute. 🙂

[@ToddRumbach]

Always great information in your videos. You put me on the right path with your Ender2pro. FTG stls fill up my hard drive too.

[@Mattycoolj58]

Thank you video was very helpful I bought the right stuff thanks

[@reg2590]

It might be useful to mention that you should not move the steppers to fast as it can cause damage to the drivers. At least that was the case on my old cheap Tevo tarrantula! I am awaiting delivery of an A1, hence watching all the videos here on KZbin...So thanks for the video.

[@TDHobbies]

Thank you for this video, FYI My Ender 3 that I built along with your tutorial on that printer is in operation, not with me, but it is still working.

[@TimDavis77]

Great video. Prefer this to the method Bambu shows in their y-axis lubrication video. How often do you recommend doing this?

[@frankmoore4754]

Thanks for this Tom, it's very helpful. Follow-up question: How often should I lubricate the printer? Weekly? Monthly? After every 24 hours of printing? Just trying to gauge frequency. Thanks!

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

The Bambu A1 & A1 mini will prompt you to do it (usually every 2 weeks or so)

[@FlyB4UDie]

Thank you sir

[@ShrimpyMaster]

it also helps throwing them into a ikea box and print some railcovers when you dont use them longer.

[@Waynes-Wares]

Thanks! Grease is the Word!

[@RG-ul7yu]

Thank you!!! Perfect, the info I needed!! Appreciate it!

[@michaelwuchitech7598]

I would pull the print surface before I lubed anything to prevent spillage

[@DougDorman06]

Nicely done!

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thanks!

[@BagaLagaGum]

I am still using your ender 3 nozle replace video as tutorial ) Thx for your materials, cheers

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@kenspaceman3938]

Nice vid! Please explain why oil and not grease on the rails?

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Grease is too thick/viscous for the mechanical operation of the rail system, you need thin oil for that.

[@nicolasheffner3488]

Thank you so much !!!

[@jorgechapero9531]

Excellent video. Very informative

[@joet9451]

Perfect timing. Had my A1 for 3 days and all of a sudden when trying PETG I’m getting this squeak. Does not seem to happen with pla. Almost makes me want to return it! I may give this a try. Then again I really don’t ever print in PETG so not sure I need to over react.

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Sorry, I don't use PETG as PLA is much better for miniatures and terrain models.

[@wildfire9887]

Thank you, thank you! Bambu's videos on this are not great. Seriously, they should pay you!

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thanks (and that would be awesome!) :D

[@sabrinag.5845]

Wonderful video. Thank you!

[@peterhendriks1972]

Thank you very much

[@DMsMixUp]

Learned alot

[@iblamelx4312]

Awesome! Could you may tell, how to lubricate the "idler pulley" ?

[@dreadknot69]

Thanks so much Tom!

[@dmhayes6]

Thank you for this!

[@tsguitar1]

Can I use singer sewing machine oil ?

[@raular5513]

WD-40 as a brand also sells White Lithium grease that can be used to lubricate a 3d printer.

[@Ebonyqwe]

Thanks

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thanks for commenting! :)

[@TwoBitDesign]

Great, thank you Tom.

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thanks for watching!

[@jessicaalvis7063]

It looks like Bambu lab has updated their recommendations since your video. Because now they only recommend using the grease for the lead screws and extruder wheels. I have no idea what that means, since I am completely new to the 3D printing world. I literally just ordered my A1 combo today :D Can you use a microfiber cloth or 100% cotton cloth?

[@anderdelrio]

This is great. Thank you!

[@HomesteadDork]

Thanks for the video!

[@johnwatrous3058]

Thanks for the info.

[@GeorgeSoftlySr]

Thank You!

[@ChrisGWilliams]

Great video, very useful. Thanks Tom! BTW, looks like Amazon no longer has the nonwoven paper wipes you recommend. Are cotton or bamboo ok or do we need to stick with paper?

[@xpainkillerx3143]

What should you look for in the name or description of an oil and grease to ensure it meets bambu requirements?

[@384life]

Great vid. Very helpful 👌

[@miniblaze4634]

Thanks. It took me a bit of time to remember that plate came off the A1 and I was the one that put it together. I just didn't remember it for a bit after I got the messages. I'm curious. How many uses do you get out of the sponge applicators? Is it one and done or what?

[@Michael_Greenhill]

Great information!

[@guillaumebellanger9716]

thanks very much for this video

[@apedullo]

Friend, can I use this oil and grease on the Bambu lab P1S model?

[@eXsoR65]

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation. I still can’t believe that Bambu tells you use WD-40, when that is not a lubricate.

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

You wouldn't believe how many angry messages I get from people telling me that standard WD-40 is a lubricant.

[@Thirdcast]

Hi Tom, good video. Ive just got my A1 and set it up. Its asking me to lubricate the y axis already, is this normal? Thanks

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Yes, they don't ship with much lubricant on them.

[@davidorr3874]

Is it a good idea to apply oil to the foam swab over the print bed? The non-woven wipes are no longer available. Do you recommend an alternative alternative?

[@filiepmaes9071]

Thx for the great video

[@LLJW4]

More great content :) I have your profiles for the A1 mini - do you have some for the regular A1?

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Mi miniatures profile will work fine on the A1, and it can get very close to the quality of the A1 Mini for miniatures with Sunlu PLA META. :)

[@joseluisgomezrodriguez9943]

I can use grease súper lube to lubricate eje z, x and y??

[@johnmolt3456]

Thanks so much as always. ++

[@lonerfamily5954]

hey good video but the non woven wipes where sold out and I was wondering if shop towels would work

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Nope, they still produce lint. I've added an alternative link in the video description for another product.

[@lonerfamily5954]

@@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors thanks

[@fumble_be]

Useful !

[@swedehog69]

Awesome channelname!

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Thanks!

[@kenspaceman3938]

How about using dry ptfe lube on the rails instead of oil?

[@Tombof3DPrintedHorrors]

Nope, scrapes off too fast. Use oil.