¶ Getting Started with the M5
This getting started guide is for after you put together your M5 following the Quick Start Guide provided by Anker. The following information will be what the community has seen after the printer's initial setup.
¶ We recommend reading the following steps to ensure your printer is ready to go:
¶ Tools To Have on Hand That Make Life Easier
While this is completely optional, it is highly recommended to acquire calipers, a deburring tool, alcohol, a lighter (heat gun if you're fancy), nice hex tool set, a box of assorted metric [screws, washers, and nuts], and files (the type you use to sand metal, not the files you use to print). Also, if you want to store files for print and not send them wirelessly, a USB-C thumb drive or regular USB stick with a USB-C adapter.
¶ Check Bed Screws
Some print beds have come with loose screws. Remove your PEI sheet, and there are a total of 6 hex bolts holding the bed to the gantry. The supply kit that comes with the M5 will have the correct hex bits to tighten them down if they are loose.
Why may you ask? This can make your print bed wobble and/or lead to inconsistent first layers, which are the most important.
¶ Filament Placement
Many questions have been asked about filament placement. The most successful placement to date has been to place it where it is straight up from the M5. The bottom left and top left have shown to break filament consistently.
¶ Filament in Hotend
AnkerMake has been testing every hotend. You may encounter a different color extruding at first, or you may have a clog on the extreme side. Most users can heat up the hot end to 230-250C and push their filament through the hotend to get the existing factory filament out.
¶ Hotend Screws
The current hotend is held by two M2x16mm screws that are known to snap or break off incredibly easily. On top of that, these screws do come loose and need to be tightened to ensure the hotend stays level. 12.9 Hardened screws are recommended if you replace them.
¶ Nozzle Changes
This is an advisory to M5 owners ONLY that have the original extruder version (Version 1). Due to the hotend only being secured by small M2 screws, while performing nozzle changes, hold the hotend with a pair of pliers or you will risk snapping the hotend screws. To completely prevent screws from snapping, invest in
Second generation M5 extruders have hotend stabilizing metal pins on the heatsink to keep the hotend stable. If your extruder possesses this, please disregard the above notice.
¶ AnkerMake Slicer Region Issue
If you are having problems with using the slicer to connect to your printer, check to see that you are logged in and that you are in the correct region.
¶ Enclosure Warning
This printer can overheat and fail a print if your enclosure is completely enclosed. If you have the ability to vent the heat out, you should absolutely do that.
¶ Ambient Temperature Under 5C
If your ambient temperature, the temperature that surrounds your printer, is under 5C the M5 firmware will not start heating as it believes the thermistor and/or bed are faulty. You will have to elevate the temperature around your printer to above 5C before the M5 starts heating.
¶ Filament Not Loading?
Sometimes the extruder or hot end can develop a clog. So far the best way to clean that out is to decouple the ptfe connector at the extruder side, then feed the filament through the black ptfe tube until you can see it come out. Now, heat the hot end to 230C (for PLA), push the filament retention lever back to where you can see inside the extruder the hole line up. Once lined up and still holding the lever push your filament through by hand until you see it come out of the nozzle. Then you can recouple the ptfe connector and should be good. If you still can't get filament through you may have to check the inside of the nozzle or potentially your ptfe liner inside the extruder.
¶ Missing Voltage Switch
If your voltage switch is missing, it means your power supply is automatically switched. The default Anker instructions say to check its correct, if it is either entirely missing or just an empty hole in the side of the casing, you can safely ignore that instruction.
¶ Z-Offset Not Saving
If your Z-Offset is not saving, a reboot should fix it, if not try a factory restore.
¶ Models in internal memory
The provided gcode/models found in the internal memory of the AnkerMake M5 may only show 1 model. Once you sign up with an account and get setup with the phone app, Go to your app and explore the models there. It is unclear whether or not the models will download instantly without the app linked to your printer, but it was witnessed that models will auto download over time. It may require Anker to verify models. Or they may only download when firmware updates are provided.
Note: There is no way at this time to transfer models to the internal memory.
- To print without the app/without the AnkerSlicing program on the computer, load gcode on a USB-C equipped memory stick and insert it into the top of the screen casing. Then navigate with the screen interface.
- Note pre-installed gcode in internal memory seems to be perfect for Anker and not everyone else. It is speculated that it could be due to their branded filament, printing environment like ambient humidity/temp and speed. We recommend using Anker Filament with these files for best results.
- Warning/possible bug: Once a gcode is loaded and a print as begun, DO NOT ADJUST PRINT SETTINGS ON THE SCREEN. (i.e. Temperature, bed temperature, etc.) Anyone of these settings, once changed, will override all settings displayed on the screen at once.
¶ Hardware List
As recommend in above Tools to have on hand; This is a List to help identify what hardware is present in the M5 and hopefully help in finding a multi-pack of fasteners.
Link for best assortment/s: ________________
Note to editors/users: Below list is a work in progress. Item number is arbitrary for now.
|
Size |
Description |
Qty |
Location |
Material |
Supplied Hardness |
Link (may not be the cheapest atm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5x18mm | Socket Head Cap Screw (SHCS) |
8 |
Base, holding upright columns in place | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| M4x12mm | Socket Hex Countersunk (Flat Head) |
4 |
Spool Holder at upright column | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| M2.5x12mm | Socket Head Cap Screw (SHCS) |
4 |
Bottom of base, hold downs at USB-C connectors | SS/AL? | TBD Fragile | TBD |
| M2x16mm (12.9 Hardness) |
2 |
Hot End | TBD | TBD | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZRD1D6L | |
|
6 |
Bed top side? | TBD | TBD | TBD | ||
| Button head |
1 ea |
Top of Vertical column Back of plastic cap | TBD | TBD | TBD | |
| Button head |
7 |
Bottom of base, holding plastic cover on | TBD | TBD | TBD | |
| Socket Hex Countersunk (Flat Head) |
|
Top of vertical column, holding plate on | TBD | TBD | TBD | |
| Socket Hex Countersunk (Flat Head) |
2 |
Bottom of vertical column, holding plate/motor on | TBD | TBD | TBD | |
|
4 |
Bottom of base, Feet | TBD | TBD | TBD | ||
| M2x6mm | Pan Head Hex |
3 |
Filament Sensor Cover | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| M1.5x5mm | Socket Head Cap Screw (SHCS) |
2 |
Filament Sensor mounting to bottom/back | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| M2x8mm | Pan Head Hex |
3 |
Filament Sensor bottom/back to Z-axis Sliding Block Tensioner | TBD | TBD | TBD |