In terms of maintenance, there’s not much a MakerBot needs to stay happy:
- Check/floss the extruder (may need to disassemble)
- Check/oil 2X, 2Y, and 4Z axis rods
- Check/tighten nuts/bolts
- Check/replace build platform
- Check/tighten belts
What did I miss? How often do you do these things?
I print a LOT – 10-15 hours a week usually. I have to oil the rods 1-2x a week, and I tighten bolts about once every two weeks or so. I don’t regularly have to floss, when things are running well I only strip the filament about once every two weeks.
@JohnA: Thanks for the input! I haven’t been printing nearly as much lately, but even when I was cranking out parts I probably oiled/tightened about once a month.
Another thing is to check how the Z platform is sitting on the nuts. If the Z stage moves into the platform then the nuts can get out of alignment. This could on rare occasions affect print quality. Just my 2 cents.