From Ender 3 Pro to Kobra S1: Sovereign 3D Printing with Rinkhals
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A root-cause-first troubleshooting guide for 3D printing — learn to diagnose stringing, warping, layer shift, under-extrusion, over-extrusion, and Z-banding using calibration baselines and first-party diagnostic tools
I've been 3D printing on and off for a few years now, starting with an Ender 3 Pro and recently upgrading to an Anycubic Kobra S1. This article documents my journey from entry-level printing to a fully sovereign, cloud-free setup using Rinkhals and OrcaSlicer.
Why sovereignty? Cloud-based slicers and printer management services are convenient, but they come at a cost: data collection, forced updates, and platform dependency. Sovereign printing means everything happens locally using open-source tools you control.
In this guide, I'll cover:
The Ender 3 Pro is a fantastic entry-level printer:
Despite being a workhorse, the Ender 3 Pro has some drawbacks:
The Ender 3 Pro handles USB printing well. I used PrusaSlicer and Cura with G-code saved to SD card or via USB connection. The printer accepts standard G-code, so virtually any slicer works.
After a few years with the Ender 3 Pro, I was ready for something more capable. The Anycubic Kobra S1 caught my eye for several reasons:
The Kobra S1 ships with Klipper firmware out of the box. Klipper is an open-source firmware that offloads repetitive motion calculations to a more powerful host (like a Raspberry Pi). This means:
The Kobra S1 is significantly better built than the Ender 3 Pro:
At ~€300, the Kobra S1 offers excellent value for native Klipper support and improved hardware. It's a clear upgrade path from entry-level printers without jumping to high-end kits.
OrcaSlicer is a fork of PrusaSlicer with additional features focused on Chinese 3D printers (like Anycubic). It's my go-to slicer for the Kobra S1.
OrcaSlicer runs on multiple platforms:
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):
wget https://github.com/SoftFever/OrcaSlicer/releases/latest/download/OrcaSlicer_Linux_AppImage.AppImage
chmod +x OrcaSlicer_Linux_AppImage.AppImage
./OrcaSlicer_Linux_AppImage.AppImage
macOS (Intel):
brew install --cask orcaslicer
Windows: Download the installer from OrcaSlicer releases
For the Kobra S1:
After importing the profile, I made these adjustments:
In Klipper, bed mesh calibration is essential for first-layer uniformity. From OrcaSlicer or your host interface:
This compensates for any unevenness in the print bed.
Pressure advance improves print quality by compensating for extrusion lag during speed changes:
Typical values: 0.03-0.06s depending on your hotend.
Rinkhals is a Docker-based Klipper host with a modern web interface. It's fully open-source and gives you complete control over your printer.
git clone https://github.com/jbatonnet/Rinkhals.git
cd Rinkhals
# Create a backup directory for your configuration
mkdir -p backups
# Run Rinkhals with Docker
docker-compose up -d
# Access the web interface at http://localhost:7125
Backups: Create an automatic backup schedule:
# Back up configuration weekly (example cron job)
echo "0 0 * * 0 tar -czf backups/rinkhals-$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).tar.gz ./" | crontab -
If you prefer a backup solution over raw Docker entries, use Easy Backup:
This is particularly helpful if you're experimenting with different Klipper configurations.
On first launch, Rinkhals walks you through:
Follow the wizard; it takes about 10-15 minutes.
Connect the Kobra S1 to your host via USB:
Linux:
ls /dev/ttyUSB* /dev/ttyACM* # one of these is your printer
macOS:
ls /dev/tty.usbserial* # use the path you find
Windows: Device Manager → Ports (COM & LPT) → note your COM port number
In Rinkhals, enter the device path (e.g., /dev/ttyUSB0 or COM3) in the printer settings.
The Kobra S1 supports network connection via Wi-Fi:
192.168.1.100)7130 for the Moonraker API on Klipper setups)Configure OrcaSlicer to print directly via Rinkhals:
http://localhost:7125 (or http://192.168.1.x:7125)Now you can slice and print directly from OrcaSlicer without saving G-code files.
Rinkhals supports webcam integration for timelapse recording:
/dev/video0 on Linux)Your timelapses will automatically sync with print progress.
The Rinkhals web UI provides full control:
This is where you'll do 90% of your print management once everything is set up.
Since Rinkhals exposes printer controls over your network:
7125 (Rinkhals) and 7130 (Moonraker) only need internal accessIf you must expose Rinkhals externally, use:
Sovereign printing means you are in control—you don't want strangers printing files to your printer!
After the upgrade, I noticed:
The combination of Rinkhals + OrcaSlicer + Kobra S1 has been rock-solid:
Future improvements I'm considering:
Sovereignty isn't just for software—hardware matters too. By using Rinkhals, OrcaSlicer, and open-source firmware, you're in complete control of your printing workflow. No cloud dependencies, no forced updates, no data collection.
If you're new to 3D printing, start simple. The Ender 3 Pro or similar entry-level printers are fantastic for learning. When you're ready to upgrade, Klipper-based setups like the Kobra S1 with Rinkhals give you the next level of capability without sacrificing freedom.
Happy printing! 🖨️