@@dangerous8333 not really you cant make a new hydrallic press as a factory worker or design a new substation as an electrician or make a new water pump/water pressure system as a plumber
Hi David, thank you. If you have a major issue with reels not fitting or fitting tight, it might just be the solution. But as there is always a risk you can break something, I would consider using the reel that doesn't fit on the external reel holder first. As far as the parts, you can buy feeders, PTFE tubes, and the AMS Hub on Bambu Lab website. But the controller board, hub motor and screws cannot be bought of they break or get lost (screws that is). If you don't break anything, the install is reversible, you will need some glue for some items to refit back in the original tray, e.g. the NFC cards. Hope, whatever you decide it works out for you.
@@T8Maker Thanks for your input. I am going to leave mine stock, at least for now. I have been talking to a lot of filament companies and many are trying to switch to AMS compatible spools. This should not be that difficult and could be a new standard for spool size. Another would be the actual implementation of master spool and a standard.
I think that is a wise decision. Unless you have major issues and this is the only way forward, or you're just a risk taker, its not worth the risk. Standardized master spools are an essential change needed in the industry, not just for fitment, but also for our environment. There is already too much waste in 3D printing. Next big issue to solve is a realistic way to usefully reuse waste filament and failed prints.
Great info and walk through for install... but what does the Hydra DO? Could have used a bit more info on the front end as to what the purpose is, what the use case for someone would be, and why we'd risk the void of our warranty to implement it.
@mackobun You are right, I went into this making assumptions everyone knew what it was so never stopped to explain it. I should have spent a little time demonstrating the issues with odd sized reels not fitting the standard tray in the AMS. I do at the end show a few different reel sizes in the Hydra, but its probably not enough to explain it. Thanks for the feedback.
@@T8Maker I watched till the end and gathered what Hydra does. So it was all good after all. Happy to provide an outside opinion. The rest of the video was super detailed and well put together. Cheers
@phigri33d Glad you liked the video. Good catch I forgot to add the spool adapters to the description, corrected. But here you go also, hope its what you need. They work great with and without the hydra ams modification. Jayo Spool Adapters by Jack Siegel on Printables.com - www.printables.com/model/365766-cardboard-spool-adapter-jayo
Thanks v much for doing this. I am planning on buying some colours I use regularly from Bambu Labs so that when they run out I can re spool my cheaper filaments onto the empty spools. Will that work? The ones I’m buying are fitted with the RFID things
@Chazmills, Thanks for the feedback, I am glad you found it useful. Re the Bambu Reels, there is no reason it shouldn’t work. Just note the Bambu reels I have seen have no hole on the core to hook your filament into if you plan to spool it from reel to reel. They are designed for the side to come off, to have a bound reel of filament slide on, then you reattach the side and cut the binds. If you want to feed it reel to reel, you will likely have to drill a small hole to hook the filament into to start the reel. Or you could try taping the start of the reel to the core of the Bambu reel. Other thing to be careful of, if you use the AMS with cheap filament, is shredding of the filament, caused by the filament disintegrating as it’s fed back and forth through the motors. In my experience this is most common with cheaper filaments. See my previous video, Mastering Your Bambu Lab AMS: Overcoming AMS error for Multi-Color 3D Printing. th-cam.com/video/FmaxuqtDDrM/w-d-xo.html
You have to firmly push the button in the AMS to feed the filament. It's not good just to shove the filament in. It's in front of the hole you pushed the filament into.
@JesusMartinez-zu3xl I wonder if that is specific to the kickstarter. You can now purchase a replacement shell from Bambu, or just glue it. A crack risks impacting on the moisture levels inside the AMS.
installed the hydra mod and reverted the ams back to stock. So many things wrong with the hydra that I just decided to move back to stock. Holes didn't align, lid failed to fully seal, RFID sensors failing to pick up the filament being inserted. I though I messed up the RFID sensors with those awful friction fits. Personally wouldn't rec doing this mod since you can easily damage something if not enough care is given in the disassembly and reassembly of the AMS, especially whenever installing those RFID plates into the hydra.@@T8Maker
@JesusMartinez-zu3xl Mine is still in place and working, but generally I would agree with you. It might be the issues you saw are related to the dimensions of the kickstarter version possibly being slightly different from the production. For most people the advantages over the risks, its just not worth it, ts really only for tinkerers who want to play around with it and don't mind the risk of breaking something.
Hi there. I was installing the new HYDRA from MATTER HACKERS and screwed up twice. 1, I stripped out the lower two female receptors for two of the four screws. Fortunately the unit was replaced. 2. In the process, I managed to lose two screws and the rubber on them (I looked all over the area I had been in and didn't find them.) Do you know how I can do to replace them?. or what I can do?
@terrylindsay445 Hi, thanks for the question, as I am sure you already checked, or at least last time I asked BL support they don’t supply spare screws. I am currently travelling so I am not able to check the size of the screws, but you can get small self tapping screws from a local or online hardware store, if the screw hole was stripped when you put a screw in you can purchase a slightly wider screw to replace it and it should screw in if your gentle. But this is always a problem dealing with small screws and plastic. I should be back this week and when I get a chance I might be able to check the size of the screws, so these are the screws were for the hub on the back of the printer, or the hub in the AMS under the tray?
I can’t believe the discussion. I had filament spool issues, and stepped over to the hydra. I solve some issues and introduce some new ones. I did rebuild to the standard bambu setup. I design a way to respool the filament to bambu spools. After, all my problems where solved. Now I have runnen two bambu x1’s with both 4x ams installed, and i did not face any issue in 1000+ hours printing. Just respool your filament and stick to your supplier standards. Feel free to experiment, but stop solving issues what are no issues.
Hi Eric, I don't think your wrong, the AMS is designed with a certain specification and if you stick in the specification it will work perfectly well. Use spools that fit, use quality filaments and only use the recommended filaments staying away from soft and abrasive filaments because they will stick/jam or ware your parts away. Respooling reels is a valid solution for odd reels that don't fit also, but this is not an idea solution for everyone. And while it works great for you, which is excellent, I personally have had issues with respooling also that left me with reels messed up and unusable. So in short, its great that your having a great experience and that your solution (which is a solution also) works for you, and long may it last, but what works for you may not work for everyone else.
@@T8Maker putting the wrong tires on a Porsche and complain the car isn’t handeling well. Stick to the supplier designs, will increase your joy and quality. I did learn my lessons in the last 10 years 3d printing. If you like to tweak, just tweak. If you like to have no problems, stick to the defaults. When I stop tweaking, modifying, experimenting, etc my prints came out flawless. Read 10 years of printing, 62 years of life experience, make life easy and stick to the standard. Just spool your favorite filament to bambu spools and enjoy printing. I don’t have ANY issue with ASA, ASB, PA, TPU, PC, PP in any way. My 2 printers with 8x ams running with now issue. Use standard profiles, I only change some minor settings. Again if you like to play, feel free. I just tell you my experience, feel free to join my ideas, feel free to do your own things. I only like to tell you my vision
Hi Eric, I do like your analogy, its actually a personal pet annoyance, cheap tyres on a good car :) and as I said in my first response your not wrong. For most sticking to the specification is the way to go. But for some tinkering, pushing the boundaries and customizing is what make using a product interesting, and in this what works for some will not work for others. Am I reading your comment correctly, you used TPU in the AMS and it worked? Would be interested to know what hardness and brand of TPU you used. Appreciate the feedback.
@@T8Maker whahaha your are reading correct and sharp 👍👍👍👍👍👍🥇. No tpu is not via the ams. I print tpu direct into the extruder, I even switched of the extruder during direct input. Same for some cf filaments
@MannyCo That's interesting. I wonder if anyone else is having issues with the 3rd slot of the AMS? Just the other day I was swapping out my ABS for PLA+ and it was a disaster, it would not retract the 3rd slot and kept tangling the filament inside the AMS. I have a spare feeder, so I may try replacing it, to see if it fixes the issue. As with everything, its just a matter of finding the time to do it...
@pedrosanchezpena7 Thanks for the comment, and great question. Firstly I would suggest if you are unsure of what it is and don't know why you would need it, then I would just ignore it, move on and don't try it, keep you AMS as it came form the factory. this is my recommendation to 99.9999% of people. But to answer your question in some detail, there is no standard size for Filament reels/spools, and this becomes an issue with the stock AMS if you have an odd size rspool that doesn't fit the AMS and you want to use the AMS with that filament. There are a few potential solutions with associated risks and costs. 1) buy Bambu Lab filament which is designed to fit the AMS. (or some other filament that is confirmed to fit) then you will have no issues and will be covered. 2) re-spool your filament onto a reel that fits (there are some projects out there to build re-spooling devices), this has risks that if you mess up the re-spool you could end up with a tangled mess and a spool of filament you can't use. 3) Modify the AMS itself to fit the reels you want to use (Hydra AMS is an example of this). Risks, you void your warranty on your AMS and maybe your printer, you break your AMS modifying it, and no guarantee it will fit your spools or resolve your problems. If your unsure, in any way, about any of this, DON'T do it. Just take option 1. buy the spools you know fit and you will be fine. This is really for people who don't mind, or want, to take their stuff apart and modify it, and are OK with the fact they could break everything and if they do they are on their own, no warranty, no indemnity, no comeback, and Bambu Lab won't help you. Hope this answers your question.
If it aint broke dont fix it. I likely wont upgrade tbh, ill just figure out what spools work and buy only from those suppliers. Luckily bambu is having a sale on filliment right now so i might just buy their crap.
Makes sense, unless you must use a particular reel the Hydra is not a perfect solution. Will meet some needs but not all. I also tried the reel to reel using a printed Bambu reel, but the filament got tangled up during the process and it was a real mess. Ended up throwing out the filament because I couldn't untangle it.
I don't care for this mod to be honest. Over-designed, too much material required, another mod needed to close the lid. I'm sure I will figure out a simpler way when I receive my AMS unit.
Easiest solution is buy reels that are no more than 200mm in Diameter and 65mm in width. Then you will have no issues with reels catching. Bambu Lab have a good selection of filaments that are designed to run in the AMS. The also sell empty reels and you can also print reels, I recommend printing the reels because they come with holes to catch your filament in to start the reel, the ones you buy don't have that because they are designed to slot on refills.
This is why i love 3d printing. If something doesn't work or exist, we manufacturer the thing ourselves
Yes, its a great community.
This happens in every trade.
Fyi.
@@dangerous8333 not really you cant make a new hydrallic press as a factory worker or design a new substation as an electrician or make a new water pump/water pressure system as a plumber
Thanks for posting, I have been thinking about the Hydra, but am not sure - been trying to watch everyone's experiences
Hi David, thank you. If you have a major issue with reels not fitting or fitting tight, it might just be the solution. But as there is always a risk you can break something, I would consider using the reel that doesn't fit on the external reel holder first. As far as the parts, you can buy feeders, PTFE tubes, and the AMS Hub on Bambu Lab website. But the controller board, hub motor and screws cannot be bought of they break or get lost (screws that is). If you don't break anything, the install is reversible, you will need some glue for some items to refit back in the original tray, e.g. the NFC cards. Hope, whatever you decide it works out for you.
@@T8Maker Thanks for your input. I am going to leave mine stock, at least for now. I have been talking to a lot of filament companies and many are trying to switch to AMS compatible spools. This should not be that difficult and could be a new standard for spool size. Another would be the actual implementation of master spool and a standard.
I think that is a wise decision. Unless you have major issues and this is the only way forward, or you're just a risk taker, its not worth the risk. Standardized master spools are an essential change needed in the industry, not just for fitment, but also for our environment. There is already too much waste in 3D printing. Next big issue to solve is a realistic way to usefully reuse waste filament and failed prints.
Great info and walk through for install... but what does the Hydra DO? Could have used a bit more info on the front end as to what the purpose is, what the use case for someone would be, and why we'd risk the void of our warranty to implement it.
@mackobun You are right, I went into this making assumptions everyone knew what it was so never stopped to explain it. I should have spent a little time demonstrating the issues with odd sized reels not fitting the standard tray in the AMS. I do at the end show a few different reel sizes in the Hydra, but its probably not enough to explain it. Thanks for the feedback.
@@T8Maker
I watched till the end and gathered what Hydra does. So it was all good after all. Happy to provide an outside opinion. The rest of the video was super detailed and well put together. Cheers
@mackobun Thank you, glad it was useful.
Great video. Quick question where can I find spool adapters you were using?
@phigri33d Glad you liked the video. Good catch I forgot to add the spool adapters to the description, corrected. But here you go also, hope its what you need. They work great with and without the hydra ams modification. Jayo Spool Adapters by Jack Siegel on Printables.com - www.printables.com/model/365766-cardboard-spool-adapter-jayo
Thanks v much for doing this. I am planning on buying some colours I use regularly from Bambu Labs so that when they run out I can re spool my cheaper filaments onto the empty spools. Will that work? The ones I’m buying are fitted with the RFID things
@Chazmills, Thanks for the feedback, I am glad you found it useful. Re the Bambu Reels, there is no reason it shouldn’t work. Just note the Bambu reels I have seen have no hole on the core to hook your filament into if you plan to spool it from reel to reel. They are designed for the side to come off, to have a bound reel of filament slide on, then you reattach the side and cut the binds. If you want to feed it reel to reel, you will likely have to drill a small hole to hook the filament into to start the reel. Or you could try taping the start of the reel to the core of the Bambu reel. Other thing to be careful of, if you use the AMS with cheap filament, is shredding of the filament, caused by the filament disintegrating as it’s fed back and forth through the motors. In my experience this is most common with cheaper filaments. See my previous video, Mastering Your Bambu Lab AMS: Overcoming AMS error for Multi-Color 3D Printing. th-cam.com/video/FmaxuqtDDrM/w-d-xo.html
You have to firmly push the button in the AMS to feed the filament. It's not good just to shove the filament in. It's in front of the hole you pushed the filament into.
I just want to know what STL for those cardboard spool rings you're using.
I'm about to install the hydra mod on my friends ams unit. His unit is a kickstarter one and noticed cracking in the shell.
@JesusMartinez-zu3xl I wonder if that is specific to the kickstarter. You can now purchase a replacement shell from Bambu, or just glue it. A crack risks impacting on the moisture levels inside the AMS.
installed the hydra mod and reverted the ams back to stock. So many things wrong with the hydra that I just decided to move back to stock. Holes didn't align, lid failed to fully seal, RFID sensors failing to pick up the filament being inserted. I though I messed up the RFID sensors with those awful friction fits. Personally wouldn't rec doing this mod since you can easily damage something if not enough care is given in the disassembly and reassembly of the AMS, especially whenever installing those RFID plates into the hydra.@@T8Maker
@JesusMartinez-zu3xl Mine is still in place and working, but generally I would agree with you. It might be the issues you saw are related to the dimensions of the kickstarter version possibly being slightly different from the production. For most people the advantages over the risks, its just not worth it, ts really only for tinkerers who want to play around with it and don't mind the risk of breaking something.
Nice. May try it at some point.
Thanks @Platoface. I still have it installed with no issues, except I still think I have an issue with my feeder on the 3rd slot.
Hi there. I was installing the new HYDRA from MATTER HACKERS and screwed up twice.
1, I stripped out the lower two female receptors for two of the four screws. Fortunately the unit was replaced.
2. In the process, I managed to lose two screws and the rubber on them (I looked all over the area I had been in and didn't find them.)
Do you know how I can do to replace them?. or what I can do?
@terrylindsay445 See your other comment. Thanks.
I left out. I was installing the Filament Hub. Hoping to fix this and hot have to buy a whole new unit Bambu. Help!!!!!!
@terrylindsay445 Hi, thanks for the question, as I am sure you already checked, or at least last time I asked BL support they don’t supply spare screws. I am currently travelling so I am not able to check the size of the screws, but you can get small self tapping screws from a local or online hardware store, if the screw hole was stripped when you put a screw in you can purchase a slightly wider screw to replace it and it should screw in if your gentle. But this is always a problem dealing with small screws and plastic. I should be back this week and when I get a chance I might be able to check the size of the screws, so these are the screws were for the hub on the back of the printer, or the hub in the AMS under the tray?
What does this fix? Just spool size?
@Drakanis25 Yes, its not for most people, better to find spools that fit instead, much less risky. But interesting to look at as an option.
I can’t believe the discussion. I had filament spool issues, and stepped over to the hydra. I solve some issues and introduce some new ones. I did rebuild to the standard bambu setup. I design a way to respool the filament to bambu spools. After, all my problems where solved. Now I have runnen two bambu x1’s with both 4x ams installed, and i did not face any issue in 1000+ hours printing. Just respool your filament and stick to your supplier standards.
Feel free to experiment, but stop solving issues what are no issues.
Hi Eric, I don't think your wrong, the AMS is designed with a certain specification and if you stick in the specification it will work perfectly well. Use spools that fit, use quality filaments and only use the recommended filaments staying away from soft and abrasive filaments because they will stick/jam or ware your parts away. Respooling reels is a valid solution for odd reels that don't fit also, but this is not an idea solution for everyone. And while it works great for you, which is excellent, I personally have had issues with respooling also that left me with reels messed up and unusable. So in short, its great that your having a great experience and that your solution (which is a solution also) works for you, and long may it last, but what works for you may not work for everyone else.
@@T8Maker putting the wrong tires on a Porsche and complain the car isn’t handeling well. Stick to the supplier designs, will increase your joy and quality. I did learn my lessons in the last 10 years 3d printing. If you like to tweak, just tweak. If you like to have no problems, stick to the defaults. When I stop tweaking, modifying, experimenting, etc my prints came out flawless. Read 10 years of printing, 62 years of life experience, make life easy and stick to the standard. Just spool your favorite filament to bambu spools and enjoy printing. I don’t have ANY issue with ASA, ASB, PA, TPU, PC, PP in any way. My 2 printers with 8x ams running with now issue. Use standard profiles, I only change some minor settings.
Again if you like to play, feel free. I just tell you my experience, feel free to join my ideas, feel free to do your own things. I only like to tell you my vision
Hi Eric, I do like your analogy, its actually a personal pet annoyance, cheap tyres on a good car :) and as I said in my first response your not wrong. For most sticking to the specification is the way to go. But for some tinkering, pushing the boundaries and customizing is what make using a product interesting, and in this what works for some will not work for others. Am I reading your comment correctly, you used TPU in the AMS and it worked? Would be interested to know what hardness and brand of TPU you used. Appreciate the feedback.
@@T8Maker whahaha your are reading correct and sharp 👍👍👍👍👍👍🥇. No tpu is not via the ams. I print tpu direct into the extruder, I even switched of the extruder during direct input. Same for some cf filaments
Ah I was wondering, yes I have done that too and it does work well. Thanks again Eric.
For some reason my 3rd bay is wonky too.
@MannyCo That's interesting. I wonder if anyone else is having issues with the 3rd slot of the AMS? Just the other day I was swapping out my ABS for PLA+ and it was a disaster, it would not retract the 3rd slot and kept tangling the filament inside the AMS. I have a spare feeder, so I may try replacing it, to see if it fixes the issue. As with everything, its just a matter of finding the time to do it...
If there are any issues it's with the 3rd. I imagine any lacking QC parts are put in the 3rd slots due to the likelihood of customers overlooking it.
the third slot on my friends ams is bad as well! I'm hoping the hydra mod fixes the issue.
What is this for?
@pedrosanchezpena7 Thanks for the comment, and great question. Firstly I would suggest if you are unsure of what it is and don't know why you would need it, then I would just ignore it, move on and don't try it, keep you AMS as it came form the factory. this is my recommendation to 99.9999% of people.
But to answer your question in some detail, there is no standard size for Filament reels/spools, and this becomes an issue with the stock AMS if you have an odd size rspool that doesn't fit the AMS and you want to use the AMS with that filament. There are a few potential solutions with associated risks and costs. 1) buy Bambu Lab filament which is designed to fit the AMS. (or some other filament that is confirmed to fit) then you will have no issues and will be covered. 2) re-spool your filament onto a reel that fits (there are some projects out there to build re-spooling devices), this has risks that if you mess up the re-spool you could end up with a tangled mess and a spool of filament you can't use. 3) Modify the AMS itself to fit the reels you want to use (Hydra AMS is an example of this). Risks, you void your warranty on your AMS and maybe your printer, you break your AMS modifying it, and no guarantee it will fit your spools or resolve your problems.
If your unsure, in any way, about any of this, DON'T do it. Just take option 1. buy the spools you know fit and you will be fine.
This is really for people who don't mind, or want, to take their stuff apart and modify it, and are OK with the fact they could break everything and if they do they are on their own, no warranty, no indemnity, no comeback, and Bambu Lab won't help you.
Hope this answers your question.
If it aint broke dont fix it. I likely wont upgrade tbh, ill just figure out what spools work and buy only from those suppliers. Luckily bambu is having a sale on filliment right now so i might just buy their crap.
Makes sense, unless you must use a particular reel the Hydra is not a perfect solution. Will meet some needs but not all. I also tried the reel to reel using a printed Bambu reel, but the filament got tangled up during the process and it was a real mess. Ended up throwing out the filament because I couldn't untangle it.
I don't care for this mod to be honest. Over-designed, too much material required, another mod needed to close the lid.
I'm sure I will figure out a simpler way when I receive my AMS unit.
Easiest solution is buy reels that are no more than 200mm in Diameter and 65mm in width. Then you will have no issues with reels catching. Bambu Lab have a good selection of filaments that are designed to run in the AMS. The also sell empty reels and you can also print reels, I recommend printing the reels because they come with holes to catch your filament in to start the reel, the ones you buy don't have that because they are designed to slot on refills.