Reality Check! – Animated Adventures of a D20

Follow the life of your everyday twenty sided dice and see him as he explores his new world.

Beating “the Peel” at his own game! – Proline Villains Cartoon

Join the Peel as he foils 3d printer’s around the world. Just how well will his skills stack up in the end?

Updating the Firmware – Anycubic Mono X Resin Printer



Every machine runs off of firmware, and the Anycubic Mono X is no different.  While in most case, updating the firmware isn’t necessary, it can sometimes address certain issues that come stock with the machine.  In this article, we’re going to go through the process for this particular machine.  As always, there’s a certain element of risk involved when doing, so I’m in no way responsible if any damages may occur.  

Updating the firmware is important for a couple of main reasons. If you’re upgrading the free license of Chitubox from an earlier 1.8.1 version, then this update will make it compatible with the software.  These updates also help address some common bugs and on other machines that can sometimes included additional functionality. 

Before updating anything, you’ll first need to reformat a USB stick to make sure there’s nothing can can interfere or cause issues. In windows, you’ll right-click this drive and select the format option.  In this case, we can simply use the Quick Format while making sure it’s set to FAT32.  Once completed, we can then begin downloading the files.

Currently, there are two versions of the firmware for this particular machine, and they currently come bundled together when you download them from the main website.  Luckily, Anycubic realized this could cause issues and made it so that only the correct version would install, so long as the proper order is followed.  Going to the main website, you’ll download these by going to, 3D Printers + Photon Series + Mono X. You’ll then scroll all the way down until you reach the firmware section where you’ll be able to download the package.  Be very careful about installing these files in the correct order.

Once you’ve unzipped the files, you’ll notice 4 files within the folder.  There’s the ReadyMe document along with the 3 firmware files.  You’ll transfer the .bin files to the root director of the USB stick and plug it into the Machine.  In order to run these updates, we need to print them.  So we’ll first Print the P_MXV5_4_0812(1).bin file.  It’s important to start the update process with this file, otherwise you may run into issues.  After confirming that you want to update, the process will begin and the machine will be restarted.  This can take a couple of minutes, so be patient. With the first part is completed, you can then run the remaining two updates.  Only one of these two files will work, the with one will be showing an error. With the update completed, you’ll remove the USB stick and restart the machine to make sure that everything has been enabled.  I personally didn’t need to change any of my settings after doing this update, however your millage may wary.

Unlike many of the original machines, this one lacks a protective glass layer to protect it from spills and damages.  To keep your machine in good working order, you can view this article here for information on how to protect your machine’s screen. Protect your LCD Screen



Saturn Vs Mono X – Resin Printer Showdown


It can sometimes be difficult to tell which resin printer might be better for your needs, so today’s we’ll be going over both the Anycubic Mono X and Elegoo saturn.  While both being very similar, they have quite a few important differences in their overall design and function.  What you’ll read in this article, represents my own opinions and no money has exchanged hands.

Both have similar specifications and build style, but their implementations are quite different. While the Saturn has a build volume of 192 x 120 x 200, the Mono X has a slightly larger one at 192 x 120 x 245.  As is common with newer machines, each uses a mono screen to mask out the UV light for the curing process.  Both work with the Chitubox slicer, although they will need to have the firmware updated if using the latest version.  Unlike most FDM printer’s today, neither company has currently released a wiring diagram to make repairs easier, so I’ve released my own that you can find here DOWNLOAD PAGE.  One great feature is the inclusion of the raised feet for the vats of both machines.  This is great news for most user’s since it prevent accidentally damaging to the FEP sheet when it’s placed on a surface. It also has the added benefit of locking the vat into the correct position for printing.

The Elegoo Saturn when it was first released was quite innovative in its offerings.  It was the first to use a mono screen and implement raised feet to lock the vat into place.  During the initial release, it was an extremely affordable machine, but was limited in its availability.  Currently, at the time of making this video, the price is no longer as competitive, but it’s still quite affordable for the features which are included.  The build plate design uses a ball joint mechanism, which makes it easy to un-level during the print removal process.  It’s well worth considering a flex build plate to prevent this issue for arising. On my particular machine, I did in fact notice some Z wobble, but I haven’t seen anyone else complain about it, therefore perhaps only a few machines have been affected. The Saturn and the Mono x both require a firmware update prior to using the most recent Chitubox release.  The Saturn does use a Chitubox board, which does limit which slicers can be used with the new firmware. Chitubox does provide a free version at this time, but this is not guaranteed to be the case in the future.  While inspecting the wiring, I did discover that it had tinned connections, which I recommend replacing with ferrule one’s instead.  I do have a video walking through that process that you can check out here. 

When the Mono X was first released, it was several hundreds of dollars more than the Saturn, however at the time of recording this video it is no longer the case.  In fact, if you keep an eye out for the sales, you can get it at a much cheaper price point. The Mono X uses its own proprietary motherboard, which does allow Anycubic more flexibility in how it’s implemented.  For instance, some great features include the ability to change the UV light strength for the machine overall, rather than relying on the slicer to do so with exposure settings. Additionally, this machine isn’t locked within the Chitubox ecosystem, and they’ve readily made it available for other slicing software.  This more open approach makes it more flexible in the long term, but it also means, you will need to purchase any replacement components through their company, which is good so long as they are still available for purchase.  Unlike the Saturn, this machine does have proper wire connections and is the only company that I’ve found doing this so far.  Both their curing station and their Mono X use proper connectors, which is a great sign.  Along with these proper connections, we also have the integration of Wi-Fi, which thankfully is an optional implementation.  This coupled with the sturdy build plate and linear rails system has made this by far my most used resin printer.  But there’s also one huge problem with this machine.  The knobs have a nasty tendency to melt when exposed to isopropyl alcohol and to this day, machines are still being shipped with the defect.  You can see the MELTING Knob Fix at this link.

So with all this information, what is my final verdict?  Well, it’s going to depend on what you’re planning to do with your machine.  I found that the Mono X was very reliable and consistent, however the knobs were a pain to deal with until I printed new one’s.  The Saturn was much more capable at printing detailed pieces once properly calibrated, especially once I added a flex build plate.  With the release of new versions coming to market, their prices have become a great value for what they offer.  I was very tempted to pick some up for my production runs but since you guys want to see more videos I’ve pre-ordered some newer machines instead.



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