My Biggest Creality K1 Max Complaint (And Current Fix)

[@FuttFel]

I had to mechanically level the bed on my K1 and I did it by skipping teeth first, which got the 4 corners within 0.4 of one another. And then I took the thinnest shims I had at home and put one shim in a corner between the bed and the nylon standoff, then ran the bed leveling again. I repeated this for each shim I added or moved until I finally got the result I wanted. Now the automatic bed mesh barely needs to compensate for anything, in fact, I can't even see the Z axis move when I print. The difference between the highest and lowest point is for me now is about 0.1 mm.

[@mahmga1]

Oh man, I wish you had done this a month ago..I've already been so far down this rabbit hole on my Max. Phew, it is just not good that the bed is so far off. At any rate the silicon spacers are perfect, so definitely check that out and avoid the negatives with springs. Literally everything you covered I went thru - Hopefully you save everyone else the hassle!

[@TheFilamentFrontier]

I love that I pointed these issues out when the printer launched and I got the whole community telling me I was wrong. Pulled the video and now everyone else has videos out showing the same thing lol.

[@ModBotArmy]

Never saw the video before you pulled it. 🤷‍♂️ I have posted plenty of videos with comments saying I’m wrong. I think that’s just the way it does a lot of time.

[@TheFilamentFrontier]

@@ModBotArmy I will repost it

[@AndrewAHayes]

Despite me buying many Creality machines in the past, when it came to buying a new fast enclosed printer I did not even consider the K1 Max, I just knew there would be issues with any Creality machine and this video is just one of many issues this printer came with. I bought the X1 Carbon and AMS and although not perfect it is an amazing printer!

[@briankale5977]

There is a reason Creality attempted to copy the X1, it is the best in the segment.

[@PommelKnight]

Yea and it only cost twice as much...

[@AndrewAHayes]

@@PommelKnight But three times better a machine!

[@SteveBennet500]

@@PommelKnight the p1s + ams is the same price as the k1max

[@Bicloptic]

Money solves everything.

[@Waltkat]

Thanks for this video. I especially like that you have a Kingroon KP3S because I have two of them myself and they've been printing great for several years and have been very reliable. The bed level on those stay adjusted and never have to be touched unless I do major PM work on the printer. One tip when using springs and adjustment knobs for bed leveling: before doing the bed leveling, tighten the knobs until the springs are coil bound (fully compressed), then back off one full turn. This will provide enough tension to the knob to prevent unwanted movement once final adjustment is done. I've been doing this on all my printers and have not had to touch the bed leveling once set.

[@timpatton3948]

Mine is working pretty good so far. I chose the K1 Max so I didn't have to mess with it all the time. I built my last printer and it worked out pretty well but I got a little burned out on tinkering with it. I almost fell into the rabbit hole of fixing what was not broken ( At least in my case) with the K1 Max after reading all of the complaints. I have been away from 3 d printing for a little while and I'm amazed how tribal the 3d printer world has become. I guess it's competition or just a sign of the times.

[@redkingrauri3769]

Tribal attitude is probably the same mentality as console wars: you had to spend money on it therefore to justify it you're willing to die on a hill to prove it was worth it and anybody that says otherwise/complains needs to be put in their place. Got a few of those when I said I didn't like my Prusa XL. "Obviously the recurring problem you're having is user error." Said problem was a recurring underextruded line at a specific height range that would make any print above 14cm have a weak point.

[@davidthurman3963]

people if we could do this without others!. My degree is in tribalism called theology. I am kind of a tribalism justificationist expert. Kind of like a Cos play expert "star wars is real harry potter is nonsense" type of degree. That said creality is the bestest cuz i have one.

[@ZeroAnkoku]

Started with an ender 3v2 and am super grateful for learning with machine, but I absolutely love my Bambu P1S and not having to worry about leveling etc

[@Kevincole87]

$949 vs. $649

[@BlueMax717]

@@Kevincole87 Just works vs kind of works after you fix it before every single print...

[@notchipotle]

All I need is a bigger bambu printer, I will never buy anything else until they get their shit together.

[@michaelcalvert3136]

I have been through the same issue over the last 3 months. TPU suffers from compression set so will only be useful for a short period of time. Also the sheer speed and acceleration of the K1 Max results in the bed hitting resonance really easily. You will notice more ringing and waves on the prints due to the use of any flexible spacers. The orange springs are better but not ideal as there is clearance between the inner diameter of the spring and the M4 screw, again resulting in resonance and movement in the areas that aren't fully compressed. The standoffs need to be solid/rigid for this printer to achieve its maximum printing speed and so a combination of shims and solid spacers are ideal (without the ability to fine tune less than 0.1mm).

[@OmegaGamingNetwork]

I'm going to say it. These issues are inexcusable on a $800 printer. Creality owes everyone who bought one of these a recall to fix their screwup.

[@anbu94]

Creality is going to be Creality, they just made a more advanced tinker machine.

[@OmegaGamingNetwork]

@@anbu94 Except they are charging non tinker machine prices which throws that argument right out. Sorry but at this point they can no longer hide behind the "Well it's for hobbiest and purists" argument. They rushed out a piece of unfinished hardware because Bambu labs was affecting their bottom line and are charging premium pricing because they know people will buy it on name brand alone. That is taking advantage of their customers good will and is inexcusable for a manufacturer with as much experience as Creality has. People need to stop making excuses for them and demand they step up to the plate.

[@anbu94]

@@OmegaGamingNetwork That's the advanced part. You pay more for advanced tinkering haha. Jokes aside, I 100% agree with you. It's a rushed cash grab for sure but hopefully now that companies got products out as a defense to Bambu, they can take some time to refine and polish. Except Creality... Creality doesn't refine.

[@OmegaGamingNetwork]

@@anbu94 Right and here is the thing. I am not a Bambu fanboy. I am loyal to no brand and will buy whatever the superior product is. There are things Bambu does that deeply irritates me, but the fact of the matter is Prusa, Creality and Qidi are still frankly behind the ball. I want the major players to not only get caught up but to surpass Bambu as I'm not interested in having them become the "Apple" of 3d printers and the best way to prevent that is real competition. However the major players in the 3d printer market did in fact stifle innovation by releasing very incremental upgrades at an absolute snails pace until Bambu forced their hands. I find that kind of behavior from a company far less tolerable than a company making their system more closed. Don't get me wrong, I would absolutely prefer completely open systems that I have absolute control over. However right now the choice is "Just an overwhelmingly better product and experience" or "over pay for our inferior product and experience because we were first damnit". That is obviously a gross oversimplification, but I believe you get my point and we are largely on the same page.

[@SteveBennet500]

Creality will include bed leveling knobs in the K1-max V2 lolol

[@nickvee9468]

Upon further review with my 1 week old K1 Max I got the bed mesh to .4719. I just did the klipper upgrade to find out what I needed to know. 1st when the programed bed mesh is done it takes 4 points on the corners which happen to be on the embossed "caution hot" triangles and other embossments on the front and back sides of the Creality smooth (A sheet) pei sheet. The included metal scraper tool was good for "smoothing" those areas for .2mm more "flat" on the mesh. 2nd I did the piece of paper level and lose z belt click tooth method. I calibrated the front screws to the back screw. The front screw adjustments effect a tilt to the back of plate. That got me under .5mm. Now as far as I can tell Creapity in it's wisdom ships the unit with a lot of weight ON TOP of the build plate. My Ghost 6 had the weight packed under the bed. I believe that weight caused the remaining .5 mm of sag in my mesh. I already ordered a 1/4" Mic 6 plate so I'm going to remove the stock bed and "unbend" it in a controlled manner. I don't think I'm going to need the springs. Hope this info/theory helps.

[@josephrumpsa180]

Man. I have been printing since '14, and I bought a second-hand K1 (looks like a MK2 based on the hardware). Even with all the little issues here and there, this thing prints better than my old Ultimaker IDEX clone, and cost less upfront. I guess I don't mind doing a little tuning on a crazy cheap Chinese machine, because I remember working with a $25K stratisys and hoping one day I could get something even close to it! I tried hard by heavily modding/tuning an ender 3, but it just never really hit "set it and forget it" territory as 1 out of every 20 prints required a levelling. The K1, for me, after a few hours of tuning, has been flawless! I test out new filaments when I get them, and that helps greatly! I will say, Creality Slicer is straight up garbage. It's resource intensive, it's jumpy, it's slow, the phone app looks like it was designed by Temu, and it often drops connection with my machine (even though I can access it fine on a browser). I much prefer Cura's UI and speed! If you want something that just works, buy something that requires a price quote. If you want to learn something, buy a creality, lol.

[@vaughanza]

I went and bought a K1 max and can not believe for top of a range printer there are these kind of issues ? I thought Lidar and software was sorting these type of problems out. I use a mirror on my older printers and have absolutely no issues with the old printers beds. Pity I did not watch a ton of videos and reviews first before placing my order as I like to print ABS & PETG etc . Well lets see what happens Thanks for a great channel.

[@ThiVitorino13]

How is your printer going so far? While watching this video, I thought that if mine came with those weird warped beds, I would just put a glass/mirror like my old ender 3, no problem at all.

[@Waltkat]

I haven't taken my K1 Max out of the box to set it up yet, but I'm hoping it will print well. I know someone with seven of them in a print farm and he hasn't had any issues yet. My feeling is that Creality should have increased the thickness of the bed given it's size. Although a little expensive, Funssor makes a 6mm thick bed (vs 3mm stock) that has built-in neodymium magnets to hold the build plate down. They also have a kit that includes said bed plus a silicone 120/240VAC, 750W bed heater, and a PEI build plate. The kit is expensive, but since I print a lot of ABS and ASA, it should be very beneficial, in particular that bed heater. Should allow the bed to get up to 100-110 C faster than it takes my beard to grow. It should also raise the temperature within the enclosure too, which is a good thing for ABS and other high temperature filaments.

[@sethalbert1239]

When you remove the belt the screws you used on the initial setup must be installed. Then take the Slack out from behind the 2 front z axis belt drives. When the Slack is removed replace the belt back onto the 3rd drive, but you have to make sure it's exactly in the center. Then the tension can not rotate any of the z axis because there is no Slack to rotate with and you are in the center, so it's impossible. My bed is now as close as it's going to get unless its removed ground flat and reinstalled. My printer prints flat so I won't bother.

[@givemeanameman1]

Having this exact trouble... Over Xmass and live in a rural area and I don't have the needed bolts/nuts to make my own knobs... so I just used paper shims to level the bed. I got the bed deviation down to 0.4mm but it still wont print first layers properly on parts of the bed, to the point functional prints such as small 10mm solid wheels in TPU fail due to the first layer errors. Need the wheels for fixing window runners that no longer have runners made for them... I am effectively limited to 15cm-10cm bed space where i can print functional prints. My bed isn't all that wraped, deleting the bed mesh before a print and not doing calibration actually results in better prints... So not only is it a bed problem, its a programming problem ontop. wasted 2-3kg of filament on failed prints I was trying to print people for xmass... could work out why they would fail... benchy would print fine... but as soon as I go over that bed area they have first layer problems which mess up everything after. I will say, for a printer that is suppose to be PLUG AND PLAY, having all these problems and likely needing to replace the bed myself(first time with a 3d printer) is quite annoying... I have reached the point I feel like sending it back and getting a Bambu with AMS.

[@malloot9224]

0.4mm is waayy to much, that's 1 to 4 layer. Definitely contact support

[@givemeanameman1]

@@malloot9224 Already did... they want me to do manual bed reset like I have already tried... again... Also did a bed warp test that shows 2mm of warping which they claim is acceptable...

[@tactikool4740]

So glad I dont have any plans to purchase one of these at this time. I have heard way to many people say the same stuff. On another note I did have a similar issue with my switch wire. I noticed when printing PLA it was fine but when I went to PETG or more often ABS I was getting the same issue. I noticed that when the be heated up the build plate would sort of bubble in the middle from the heat. The heat from the bed was causing the metal to expand and the magnet was not holding it down. Lucky for me I had a spare MK bed that I was going to use for my Enderwire build and swapped it out. I was able to level and heat up without the same issue. May not be the same issue but thats what happened to me.

[@Badjujubee]

Can you do the Nylock mod on a Switchwire like the Prusa Mk3?

[@tactikool4740]

@@Badjujubee don't see why not seeing as ur using the creality bed. I would go with springs though. Less variation. IMO

[@Badjujubee]

@@tactikool4740 I apologize for going off topic, but that was more directed at your switchwire bed issue. I can understand if you were having issues with the creality bed though. That thing wiggles like a water bed when thermal cycling

[@tactikool4740]

@@Badjujubee No worries. Like I said I have the prusa MK bed on my switchwire.

[@Horsenb]

I went through this process yesterday. My bed was out 1mm with the center being low. The front was about 1mm high and rear being about .75mm high I tried all of the methods besides skipping teeth. I ended up using rubber faucet washers like you did with the tpu to get the front and rear at the same height. then I used aluminum duct tape to build up the center of the bed. Its practically level now but not perfect by any means. I'm printing a abs chain riser right now so we will see how it holds up to 100deg c bed temps. This printer kicks ass compared to the Slovol sv01 I upgraded from but the bed is an issue that should be dealt with by Creality.

[@mikestewart4752]

When I first saw the topo of my bed upon first calibration, I thought Creality had tapped into Hubble Space Telescope and I was looking at a crater on Mars. But, after looking at the numbers, it’s only 0.41mm of delta.

[@cnc-maker]

The last firmware update appears to have broken the Z-Offset. The previous version had been working perfectly, but you had to know where to get it, and you had to install it manually. P.S. Those front 2 screws are attached to the front 2 load cells. Making any change to them will permanently damage them, so NOBODY should make any changes that affects them. The third load cell is connected to the center back assembly. You need to ensure that NOTHING affects any of these load cells, as it will permanently damage the load cells. Hitting the build plate, dropping something heavy on the build plate, or the print head pressing into the build plate with force, will all permanently damage the load cells, requiring them to be replaced.

[@theundeadempire3640]

What does this mean? Like if I unscrewed my heat plate to try and level it it permanently screwed now? After I messed with it the mesh on the computer says it’s even more messed up now. Is it because I undid the four screws holding the heat plate down?

[@cnc-maker]

@@theundeadempire3640 the load cells are extremely delicate. If you didn’t take proper care when removing the screws, putting them back in, or if you placed any force on the load cells through various means, they are most likely permanently damaged and will need to be replaced. You will need to contact Creality for verification, but this is most likely the case. I worked on electronic weighting systems back in the 80s, and they haven’t really changed all that much. Load cells that are designed to weight 10lbs or less, are extremely delicate and almost always made out of very thin aluminum. So, any pressure that exceeds whatever the maximum weight is, causes the metal to deform, which causes permanent damage to the load cell.

[@TitouFromMars]

I was hesitating between a K1 max and a P1S, with a preference for the K1 for its more open system, but I really didn't think I'd have to go back to springs or manual bed leveling... I already have an ender 3 for that lol.

[@Dalroth]

Seriously. I have an S1 Pro and I am so done with this crap.

[@mikedixonphoto]

Exactly, this would be an utter deal breaker for me. I had an Ender 3 S1, and although it was pretty good, my Bambu's are great (although not without issues when running PLA-CF).

[@givemeanameman1]

after the trouble I had, I would just go bambu. An expensive 3d Printer that is suppose to print straight out of the box. I also shouldn't have a 300X300mm area reduced to 150mm-100mm functional print space. I went the K1 Max over Bambu X1C because I needed the bigger print bed... so go figure.

[@andreamitchell4758]

As someone who is not a machinist or metalurgist can anyone please explain to me why it is so difficult to consistently produce a complletley flat sheet of metal? it seems like it should not be that difficult at this point. Also what abut glas is a glas bed a soluttion ? aren;t they typically more fla and inform or is hat passe not that everyone has mooed on to pe whaterver coated sheets?

[@andreas.grundler]

Just as a little hint. Bambu Lab printers also had this problem in the beginning. There are some videos out there showing how to fix your bed on the X1C or P1P. So it's not a case of "Bambu Lab good", "Creality bad". Print beds are simply metal plates that can warp. That is a simple fact.

[@UncleJessy]

Fantastic video! Really hoping this is improved with the K1C

[@ModBotArmy]

Thanks brotha! It’s such a bummer. Honestly the rest of the hardware has been fine but not being able to depend on your bed/leveling sucks. Reliability weighs heaviest to me. Fingers crossed on K1C 🤞.

[@joshc511]

Absolutely spewing I bought a k1 max, needed the build volume but honestly wish I went for the sv08. My bed came way out of level and is massive bowed. Contemplating the funsoor 6mm option that is on AliExpress.

[@ocraftyone]

Orca also contains a gcode based z offset as well. It should be under the printer config :)

[@charocco6]

Hi. I had same problem. Belt adjustment couldn’t work because the under-adjustment spring tensioner is jammed and doesn’t slide when the screws are loose. Thanks Creality. Anyway, I then just bit the bullet and removed the magnetic plate entirely from the K1 removed the spacers and replaced them with 3V2 springs and M4 screws. It now levels to between 0.00 and 0.05. Hooray! But you will never remove the “tiger stripes “ completely. I’ve been trying to do so for weeks with a range of profiles without success. This is far from a self-leveling machine. To those who wish to access bednet without rooting just use the LAN connection for your WIFI entering the machine’s IP address in a browser. As you said at the beginning the K1, (I thought) was going to be a change from the usual Creality repair requirements. Wrong. Maybe next time…

[@rafaelguida2317]

As a wise man once said, when ModBot uploads, it's a good day

[@ModBotArmy]

I appreciate it 🙌. Have a happy new year! 🎊

[@rafaelguida2317]

@@ModBotArmy you too! Your K1 looks SO dope btw, never seen It modded like that

[@ModBotArmy]

@@rafaelguida2317 thank you! It’s called D3vil Burner if you want to look up more about it. I really like the design of it.

[@MySkullzDented]

Yep same issue, in addition to a constantly clogging extruder(despite being the updated one). Stock bed is ridiculous. I just talked to my local machine shop and put in an order for a machined bed plate, it'll be 6mm thick out of 6061. It's a good thing i like to tinker. I wouldn't even consider a Creality printer for any kind of frequent or professional use, they're just not reliable. Not bad products for the price, but kind of "unfinished" by design. I hope they put some more effort into the K2...

[@studywithme8055]

So how did it go? Plan on doing the same.

[@MySkullzDented]

@@studywithme8055 got the plate, but haven't had the time to do the upgrade, sorry

[@nickvee9468]

Great video! for the size of the K1 Max the bed is too thin and restrained. A thicker cast aluminum plate with a kinematic support system would be the answer. I posted a link to this video on the Creality Community forum. Nikoli who seems to be part of Creality marketing said your video is "outdated". I asked if they had something newer. The response was to block me from the Creality community forum. Headsup, I hope Creality does not force you to take the video down.

[@ngdeez]

If I had to do this with my x1c or p1p I would have just sent it back. Still doesn’t excuse the warped beds they shipped with, but at least manually adjusting them with the knobs fixes the issue (mostly)

[@thomasheisler]

I'm sure they'll be a K1C-max version in about 8 months. I'm thinking using/buying parts from the C version and mounting to the eariler version. I'm also thinking someone in our community that has access to a machine shop could make a thicker version and mount the heating elements to the bottom and mill the top or the perfect surface, maybe even give it a rough enough cut for perfect adhesion.

[@nickjeffrey8050]

Just buy a Bambu instead of messing with the printer ffs Yeah let’s merge 3 printers into 1 just to get it printable 😂😂😂 fools all of you

[@edenrabian1337]

Some people have fun upgrading more than printing, it's a big chunk of my enjoyment

[@edenrabian1337]

​@nickjeffrey8050 oh yes let's just buy an IPhone equivalent 3d printer so bambu will have a monopoly , genius

[@themountain59]

@@nickjeffrey8050 yyeh if you can find one with the same bedsize as the K1max🙄

[@PommelKnight]

@@nickjeffrey8050 Double the price, parts hard to get and expensive and closed source.

[@turkotv6815]

i think for the bad you can just purchase a Voron Trident/2.4 300 mm bed

[@reprinted3D]

Warped beds have always been the bane of Creality printers. I would love a 6mm milled aluminum bed for my K1 Max.

[@AetherProwl]

Something I’ve come to realize is that a lot of the ‘warping’ people see is intentional. Mine is very bowl shaped at room temperature 0.8mm top to bottom, but once heated to 100C it’s as flat as can be 0.2mm. That said it wasn’t level out of the box. The first mesh I did was 1.1mm variance since it was tilted. I printed a shim for the low corner to get down to the 0.8mm room temp variance.

[@crowguy506]

I never regret swapping yellow springs for silicone for consistency on my creality machines. The og parts from creality have one of them being shorter for the heater.

[@xsvforce3335]

I’ve been using TPU spacers on my K1 for 5 months and regularly have my bed at 110C with no bed mesh problems. I haven’t adjusted my bed in that time either and nothing has changed. So, if you don’t want to wait for silicone spacers or metal springs, a stiff TPU will work just fine (though they probably aren’t as good). That said, springs or silicone spacers are likely better as I occasionally get false trigger that the algorithm just filters out. Hell, maybe I’ll order some silicone spacers.

[@EXG21]

That K1C picture of the bed has a bed cover on it, it's a similar version that's available to print for the other K1s. Don't hold your breathe on a newer bed type. I've had to do this on my K1 and K1 Max.

[@nicksmackers]

Probably gonna get some fire for this comment, but this is the single reason I didn't buy a K1/K1 Max and went with a X1C. This was an issue on the Ender 3... as soon as I saw the thin heat bed on the new line of Creality printers I checked out. Unless it was running a thick boy like a Voron build or the X1C then I don't wanna waste time with first layers being inconsistent across the whole bed. I upgraded my Ender 3 with a gulfcoast robotics head bed and it's been the best upgrade ( from many ) that printer ever got.

[@Bennett_Lab]

So sick of Creality. I've never owned one of their printers that didn't need all sorts of tricks and mods for it to work somewhat correctly and usually only for a small period of time. Constant adjusting

[@rafaelguida2317]

Besides making huge contributions to the 3D printing community I also believe their products could benefit more from some quality of life features

[@SikhFPV]

To be honest mine is going great stock

[@Bennett_Lab]

Remember the Ender 7? That was their answer to a core XY until Bambu paved the way. What a disaster that was

[@fouroakfarm]

For the right price, they're ok IMO. But its a value proposition and not a quality one; never been their suit

[@atienne_navarre]

I bought an ender 6. Its a paperweight.@@Bennett_Lab

[@MTNDEWGANG]

I hope the new k1c style bed is good enough that they sell it as a addon for base k1/max users, mine is surprisingly alright but i want a flat bed.

[@EXG21]

That K1C picture of the bed has a bed cover on it, it's a similar version that's available to print for the other K1s. Don't hold your breathe on a newer bed type. I've had to do this on my K1 and K1 Max.

[@etx007blue2]

I bought the K1 Max as well and had the same warped bed issue. I was getting around 1mm+ variance in bed mesh, and I had to return the printer.

[@qwertyzxaszc6323]

Perhaps I have been lucky, I have nine maxes and i have never had any bed issues whatsoever. My only issue with them has been the eventual clogging and the pain of replacing hot end and nozzles. I wonder why s many KZbinrs are having so much trouble with bed leveling. I use the creality slicer exclusively which is not a popular slicer, but i think that may be the reason. It has to be the reason.

[@sanketss84]

thank you so so much , you just saved me money and above all my time. Now I am almost certain that it was wise to skip this altogether.

[@ModBotArmy]

Yeah I think the max was on crazy sale for Black Friday and I know some don’t mind modding going into it but I feel like they need to make some adjustments. The k1 line was a pretty big depart from their bed slingers so I can’t say I’m totally surprised there have been some pains.

[@sanketss84]

@@ModBotArmy I have been really thinking of upgrading from a Ender 3 S1 Pro to a CoreXY and it started with K1 vs Bambu Lab P1S and then I decided to just chuck all of this after reading all the reviews and finding something or the other just lacking here and there and decided to go with building a Voron Trident 300. Yes it will be painful but there will be complete control over every thing. and tremendous learning. Voron 2.4r2 while tempting the trident seems like a great first Voron to build.

[@ModBotArmy]

@@sanketss84 I absolutely love my P1S, but I also love my 2.4 & trident. As long as you go with a good kit, make sure parts are printed correctly and take your time either can be a workhorse. Trident is solid though. Stiff gantry and a bit easier of a build.

[@sanketss84]

@@ModBotArmy thanks to so many helpful videos by you, steve, nero, maple leaf and voron community as a whole. I gradually started understanding what goes into building vorons. You have a lovely day and keep sharing your findings and your journey. Thank you for taking the time.

[@sanketss84]

@@ModBotArmy the exact reason why I narrowed on the trident.

[@Tht1guy63]

orca slicer has a z offset box in printer settings within printable space. nobody seems to know this

[@ericwil76]

I have been working an entire day printing numerous first layer bed level test. The machine is dog snot for first layers. I am at -.04 bed offset and have tried several other things including increasing flow from 100-130% I can get great areas of first level and then nothing but waves for other parts. I have been able to reduce the severity of the waves by reducing first layer line width to .42mm down from .5mm which was default. I am convinced the issue is the extruder, it is not consistent, and the waves are some sort of artifact of the extruder and automatic bed level routine. It is less a result of the warped bed.

[@mp-xt2rg]

I looked at this machine then thought I'm done with projects printers and bought a Bambu. It appears I made the correct choice.

[@BeFree0_0]

You are printing ABS so will have a hotter bed temps over people printing PLA PETG so maybe thermal expansion is making the issue worse. I was going to buy a K1 Max but after seeing all the issues and your ZeroG build I decided to put the money into my E5+.

[@funkotalkzcollectibles]

I would love to know how you did the screen on the hotend cover

[@gaxon1920]

I was getting perfect first layers with mine, but shimmed it regardless. One corner is out .02. I can live with that.

[@lukeyboi2204]

the devil burner looks sick!

[@ModBotArmy]

It took some work to get it assembled and Knomi configured but I am super happy with how it turned out 😊

[@rafcals]

this def got me. ecery time i use abs, it always fails… thanks

[@Daves3DProjects]

The corner of my K1 Max, which I love, is higher by 1.5mm than the rest. It bugs me, but everything is printing fine. I did install KAMP, which reduces the size of the bed mesh to just the part I am printing. I think that helps too.

[@oldman1944]

I've learned my lesson on a v3 KE. The Creality QC lottery is a game I'll only play once.

[@l____bugc____l]

Feels like im back to my Ender3v2 when putting those yellow springs in.. sign.. Im about to order my Creality K1 max and reeeaaly hope it wont be necesary to do so.. buying a machine that is supposed to not have these flaws and yet again have to go back to it.. omg.. haha Anyways, i havent checked yet, but i am higly interested in the cover you made for the nozzle with the touch screen.. is there a video about it? Thank you for this in depth video about the k1 max and the time and effort you put into making these videos !! 🥰

[@OliverRivettCarnac]

As an Ender 5 S1 owner and watching this is the exact reason I am going to get a Bambu Labs X1C. I want to print things, not fight my printer...

[@c0mputer]

Heads up that there MIGHT be a second gen X1C coming in early February.

[@NickBR57]

And this is precisely why I have resisted the lure of a bigger build volume and dumped all but my Bambu printers. Hacking into Linux, modifying printing code, modifying hardware to try to get a level bed, having to manually level... No thanks

[@TheDeeStain]

I just find it funny that people shit on the QIDI X max 3 for having the old paper test method but it has a much bed mesh than my k1 max. Thanks for the video! I will try these out and see how it goes!

[@fuijika]

@ModBot FYI, I suggested to Hector from Fabreeko to make ATP5 Beds for the K1 Max and he liked the Idea, I'm currently working with them to have a prototype made.

[@thomasheisler]

I knew it, you helped me with puttig reptier on my da vinci way back, thanks.........Your the 3D Boss, love ya.....

[@thethubbedone]

My bed is out of flat by about 0.5mm, so I reached out to Creality and they responded that they'd send a new bed if mine was warped 5mm or more after getting it leveled. In my mind that's wildly too out of flat(even 0.5 is unacceptable to me) , so I'm looking into sourcing the bed heater by itself so I can machine a Mic-6 bed plate. It's disappointing that the printer fails at this step because the motion and extrusion systems are really good in my opinion.

[@NavySturmGewehr]

I actually gave up and went to a glass bed. Next is to get the mesh closer!

[@rickyneeter69]

I dont even have this printer but still vid was entertainment

[@marceldegoede2281]

Nice video! What stable bed temp did you use while leveling? From my personal experience it is of key importance to preheat the bed to the temperature you typically use. Preheating is something which always gives me far better results. With a larger bed like the K1 Max I give it at least 5 minutes to stabilize. What is your experience?

[@philipershler420]

And BTW, very reasonable priced kits are available from Amazon with knobs, springs and bolts. I really don’t like dealing with AliExpress so Amazon is much easier.

[@FluxCharlie]

What size spings did you use for the K1 Max?

[@MAJ_T_Bagger]

Precise printer parts does a super flat bed for these but no heating element.. waiting for my k1 max to show up but am expecting some bed issues, hopefully not though..

[@RabidBadger_]

I'm amazed Creality is still putting the same old shitty build plates in the K series.

[@JohnOlson]

Gulfcoast Robotics has a cast aluminum bed for the K1 that I've been waiting for it to get back in stock.

[@ModBotArmy]

I just happened to see that in the last day or two here. Looks like no Max yet though. Hopefully they end up coming out with one.

[@JohnOlson]

@@ModBotArmy I heard if there is good response to the K1, that the Max could come next. Since K1 bed is out of stock already, I hope that means good sales.

[@olofskivarp]

There is a video on this from needitmakeit I mention it because he found a way to fix the issue you still have at the end of the video The main thing is that bed is calibrated at 50° by default and the bed warps more when it gat to 100° for ABS He published the video 1 month after you, don't know if anyone else talked about that solution before

[@Condamine123456]

I don't mind a few little issues on 3d printers.but it's big issues like this you can't ignore clearly they ain't making there printers very good

[@jeremypalmer9028]

When doing the Screw Tilt Calculations, can you explain what the numbers and arrows mean? First Attempt 10th attempt Front Left: -0.2437 -> -0.2673 Front Right: 2.1917 -> -0.6724 Rear Right: 0.0325 -> -0.4762 Rear Left: -2.7661 -> -1.0297 The circular arrow, does that mean go up, go down, turn clockwise from the top, clockwise from the bottom, counter clock wise from the top/bottom. I am confused what is telling me to do. Am I trying to get them all to same value -0.2437? If I run Bed mesh, at least it's between .8428 and -0.2871 (roughly +-.5 and -.1, which is not horrible but it's still not as flat as it should be. What is the goal with the numbers? FYI this is on my K1, somehow when I did my K1 max, it turned out a lot closer, I think larger beds are easier to level.

[@mtyler2469]

If you use some 85A like ninjaflex for bed spacers, they don't deform at 100C Like 95A will.

[@amoyer1441]

I printed spacers to go under the bed attachment holder for each of the 3 connections at the bed riser/lower bar. It worked better then tackling the pulley and got my bed pretty darn level. My issue with the K1 is getting ABS to print. I print PLA great with no issues. I have Gen 1 of the hotend and extruder and waiting on Chinese new year to be over so their tech team can talk to me. I ran the temp tower and picked 185 degrees (had picked 190 previously based on a temp tower), ran the flow test and almost all of mine come out poor, picked the best and reran it. Adjusted then ran the pressure test but I dont understand the different levels and how to calculate it. I ran the flowrate and it prints a portion then gets to a level where the print gets stringy and then nothing extrudes after that. I am gonna try drying the filament inside the printer to see if that helps. Any other thoughts? I use the default ABS profile in Creality Print. Anyone have an ABS profile that works great with Creality Print? I switched to the K1 from a Qidi that printed ABS much better.

[@VampireOnline]

I did the belt skip method but just turned the rods without loosening anything. Fixed a lot of issues but sure was scary to do 😅

[@ModBotArmy]

Haha how did you manage to keep the other screws from moving? Did you bolt the bed to the base then?

[@VampireOnline]

@@ModBotArmy nope just grab with needle nose pliers and turn. The machine was on so the others did not move. I would link to the Reddit post but I don’t think KZbin lets me. The title on the k1 subreddit is “Guys, using fluidd+tooth skip method, you can make your bed extremely level. VERY.” by u/asmallman. Did it 3 weeks ago and haven’t ran into an issue.

[@ericbijkerk7834]

@@VampireOnline and @modbotarmy, I did also the asmallman method but I did undo the belt and you do need to be careful not to rotate the other spindles, so with a bit of time and trail and error. I got mine from 1.1 mm to 0.3 mm. Thanks to ModBotArmy for the video and sharing. keep up the good work.

[@highspeedpiTV]

Glad you can at least get decent usable prints from your printer. Still, Creality needs to up their game with QC.

[@philb2334]

I got mine at Christmas & I'm seriously thinking about returning it as not fit for purpose. It doesn't print straight from the box, not unless you like serious ghosting & bulging corners coupled with dimensional inaccuracy. I've tried nearly everything under the sun to fix it & yes I have improved it, but it's still nowhere near the quality I'm getting from my old upgraded Ender 3 Max.

[@freeforall825]

Nope. If i have issues like this out of the box it's going back to Creality. Im not doing all that work after spending 1k on a printer. There are other options for this price point that I would go with first.

[@philipershler420]

As I understand it, the beds are manufactured from aluminum coming from stock sheets. There is really no way to guarantee how flat each cut is. That’s why some beds are great and some are warped. The only way to guarantee a truly flat surface is to grind or machine both sides of the plate. Now if someone was willing to produce such pieces with the heater installed, that would be great.

[@RealSnail3D]

Man… i so appreciate this video

[@seanami8701]

In Orca Slicer under the machine settings, basic information there should be an option to set Z offset value

[@ModBotArmy]

I am not positive that it works with this printer. The implementation of the probe and Z is really odd.

[@seanami8701]

@ModBotArmy I tried on mine and it seemed too work ill have to see after multiple tries. My z offset was constantly too high for me. My bed warp was in the .5 range so not great but not horrible

[@ModBotArmy]

@@seanami8701 let me know. If that’s the case then that’s a simple way to do it.

[@milowmilo]

What if this is not due to the bed itself, but a wobbling z-axis? I do not have any fitting oldham couplings for testing this, but maybe you could give it a try and see if this improves the first (and potentially other layers), if you have the time and parts to do so? Could be a very unique video for the K1 series, as I have not found anyone trying this out since the release of this printer.

[@AirRifleReport]

Creality, this is NOT good enough, not by a long way. They never had the 'best' QC, we all know that, but they never charged this kind of money so I would expect considerably better then having to 'hack' a £750 machine with 10 year old bed adjustment knobs!

[@joseph-montanez]

I don't understand why this keeps happening with every large printer. If they come with springs and nobs, people complain, if they don't people complain. The Neptune 4 Max is a good example of this. I'd like to see them come with springs and nobs, because anything over a 0.3 - 0.4mm difference in mesh is too larger for the ABL system to deal with. The K1 Max's bed doesn't move so thats just enough, but the Neptune throws the bed around and needs something better like nylon lock nuts to go with the nob and spring, prevent constantly re-leveling after every print.

[@mouseFPV]

The answer? A flying bed with multiple mount points and auto tramming.

[@joseph-montanez]

@@mouseFPVsure but until then don’t remove the manual ability to tram or level the bed. Then ensure it won’t become undone after a single print or during mid print.

[@mouseFPV]

@@joseph-montanez the tram sequence should run at the beginning of the print, I imagine, though I've never had a bed big enough for this to be an issue. Isn't that how it works on a trident?

[@joseph-montanez]

@@mouseFPV correct, however the Trident's z-axis lead screws are independent. The K1 Max has them on synchronized belts, so its not possible. The TwoTrees SK1 also has independent z-axis lead screws "Z-tilt inclined leveling". I am just saying it they are going out of their way to ensure the bed cannot be adjusted, either make it work, or give the customer a manual adjustment, with a lock nut or something.

[@mouseFPV]

@@joseph-montanez right but aren't we talking about the ideal way to ship a printer? I'm basically saying "don't ship a printer with a bed this large without independent z tramming, it's a requirement"

[@jeremypalmer9028]

This is now out of date. The helper script fixes the screw tilt for both K1 MAX and K1 now, plus the z-offset fix.

[@stickel62]

Gulf coast robotics make a replacement bed for the K1. I am really hoping they do one for the k1 max!

[@Reds3DPrinting]

Bro, I could have sworn you had a video on the topic of rooting the k series creality printers.. did you remove it or am I blind o.O

[@ModBotArmy]

Never made it! I had it planned but think it just never materialized. I am pretty sure Nero made one 😊

[@spartanfoxie]

when i first got my k1 max it was quite obviously low on the front by 2mm which is pretty bad but i just opened the bottom and put a toothpick in-between the gear and belt and rolled it twice and it fixed that issue perfectly but now ive only got one low spot on my k1 max in the back left corner at some point ill just get a washer and put that underneath its about .4mm away from the others so if i get a washer of that thickness then thats all i need

[@lindeleasley]

Mine has worked well enough to allow for bed-sized prints, but this is good info, nonetheless.

[@kylitrixgames4980]

Brother, please use a glass bed. No warping whatsoever, perfect bed leveling with previous mentioned techniques. Range of 0.09mm deviation. I used silicone washers tho, no spacers.

[@MsJellyfan]

the question for me is, why does the printer not compensate that with Z-Stepping...it knows the Z-Height of multiple points of the bed, but doesn´t really compensate for that...i had to flatten my bed as well, was around 1,2mm of...now 0.23mm but i cant get a perfect first layer...with my older other printers bedslingers..much better

[@kougio97]

I have the same machine, With the same issue, Printing parts for the same conversion, Using the exact same material That's just crazy to me 🤯

[@shoebillstonk]

Genuine Question, Since I have spare yellow bedspring, they are 25mm in length will those still work or are those too long?

[@muuzen7731]

I've considered getting the K1 Max but it's things like this that make me realize it's not the best idea

[@atienne_navarre]

I have been converting to P1s. Replaced 5 Ender/Clones with 3 of them. Im waiting for a Large format Bambu. Ive had almost zero issues with the P1s and very few failed prints. I do not want to go back to Bed leveling BS like this.

[@muuzen7731]

@@atienne_navarreyeah I've got an X1C and a few Vorons. Was thinking about getting another out of the box printer. Was only considering the K1 Max for bed size and price. But again, videos like this make me realize how dumb I'd have to be to get one

[@atienne_navarre]

YEP: QC doesnt seem to be a priority of Creaiity. I just want somethng that works.@@muuzen7731

[@karlosss1868]

This is the very reason I've detested Creality right from the CR-10 days. Never again!

[@davincicosplay]

I work on a company that their K1 max had 3mm height change, and the bed has 0.6mm height in the edges and -0.2 in the middle 😢. What I need to learn is how to make the printer calibrate the bed level in the temperature I need and not in 50°c. 😢😢😢

[@MAJ_T_Bagger]

You can change the default bed mesh temperature, think it was needitmakeit who did a video on it, also helps to let it pre heat for 5-10 mins before hand so it settles

[@ja-no6fx]

You can skip the step of having to measure each corner of the bed with the klipper software and all the related work to that step by mounting and using a dial indicator

[@ModBotArmy]

Yes this is true, but then you need to print a mount for it. If your printer is not rooted then I think this is a great alternative.

[@ja-no6fx]

😂 when a mans got a hammer everything looks like a nail eh? Hahaha. There are actually magnetic, articulating holders for dial indicators. Usually if a guy has a dial indicator, he'll have the holder too as its only about 10 bucks. Great video man keep up the good work

[@adambakercollege]

Couldn't you take the bed to a machine shop and have them to level the print bed?

[@Hilmi12]

That little 3d printed spacer was a 2 minute fix that worked for me

[@ModBotArmy]

The little shims??

[@Hilmi12]

@ModBotArmy yep, I got the required height from the bed leveling plot and then printed the correct thickness, now the bed is within 0.3 mm which I find acceptable forn such a large bed, couldn't be bothered to go any further. I had 1.3 mm level issue. Got it on first try and did not have to take out the entire bed, just opened one screw to get the fix done. No need for springs as once I got it close enough ABL did the rest. The real issue is I found Z offset for ABS using the automated procedure wasnt perfect but CF PETG was spot on, seems the automated process doesnt work so well for 100c bed temperature

[@awesomusmaximus3766]

This is a firmware problem mainly or a bad plate I don't have this issue on my machine anymore

[@-SeanyBoy-]

i got all the way to the end, but cant find the last bit of script? I copied it word for word, but nothing happens?

[@skaltura]

You could simply increase mesh points ... Didn't realize K1 Max comes with so few and i own one :/ Zero issues apart from 110C bed temps ruined the smooth pei sheet, lifted of the glue with pc-abs :D Tho ambient is rather low typically 15-19C fluctuates.

[@ModBotArmy]

It’s running a 6x6 so it’s fairly dense. I also installed kamp but it didn’t seem to compensate correctly.

[@trugbilddrachen]

K1 Max C version will fix it. The k1c has changed the z assembly already. That’s the Creality lottery - new model fixing any issues.