Yep, planning to post some latest findings and results there, just a bit busy with work lately. I'm determined to make it work with all the current hardware, before moving on with new motor and/or extruder.
I have just assembled an 8" I3v and printed several things successfully using makerfarm stock firmware and makerfarm's supplied slicer config settings. PLA. I did not measure or calibrate the driver voltages since everything was working fine. the only calibrations performed were bed leveling using a sheet of copy paper to measure, and the eSteps on the filament feed rate.
Observations: the stock makerfarm slicer settings came with max 60mm/s for infill and 130 for travel. Obviously a lot slower than Clough42 is tuning to.
At these speeds nothing gets hot and the retractions work fine.
So it seems like either the stock settings or motors have been changed. The printer works well as delivered and doesn't have to have upgrades to work. I can certainly understand how upgraded motors or added cooling could be required for maximum performance. When I get a chance i'll update this with identifying information from the motors themselves to see if they are shipping the same ones Clough42 measured. I'll also experiment with upping the speed and see what happens. I've got a non contact thermometer somewhere so I should be able to get decent temperature figures.
Cool. What retract rate are you using? Are you using RAMPS? Can you measure the reference voltage setting on the drivers?
The speeds I'm using were stock at the time I purchased my kit.
I provided some feedback to Colin regarding the current settings, but he didn't seeme very receptive. He just told me the heat shouldn't be a problem, and for the most part it isn't. I wonder if he's tuning something differently now.
I'll get some more info up toniight or in the next few days. However I strongly suspect based on my lack of vibration issues, belt slapping and heat that you reported, that the makerfarm provided slicer print speed settings are slowed down significantly. I can't see anything else that's different.
I'm not seeing these values in the current config files available through the Slic3r download link in the site's current build guide. Sometimes MakerFarm has more than one download path for what should be the same material, but isn't. So, through what link did you get the config files? What hot end type & size, and filament diameter are you using? Maybe not all the different config files have the same speed values. I didn't compare line-by-line, but at a glance the current config files for the 0.40mm nozzle 1.75mm hex hot end appear to have the same speed values as the files in late April.
In addition to the questions clough42 had, how long of a print have you ran without noticing the motors getting hot?
I did in the beginning but I've messed around quite a bit. I know I have more than one instance of slicer floating around because pronterface installed a second one. I'll report back. .50mm J Head.
looks like I'm using the config given for the .50mm 3mm j head. This hotend may not be capable of supporting the higher speeds.
Edit: confirmed - max speed with this hotend is 60mm limited by extrusion.
Code:# generated by Slic3r 0.9.9 on Sat Apr 5 14:38:22 2014avoid_crossing_perimeters = 1
bed_size = 200,200
bed_temperature = 90
bottom_solid_layers = 3
bridge_acceleration = 0
bridge_fan_speed = 100
bridge_flow_ratio = 1
bridge_speed = 60
brim_width = 0
complete_objects = 0
cooling = 1
default_acceleration = 0
disable_fan_first_layers = 0
duplicate = 1
duplicate_distance = 6
duplicate_grid = 1,1
end_gcode = M104 S0 ; turn off temperature\nG28 X0 ; home X axis\nG28 Y0 ; home Y axis\nM84 ; disable motors\nM190 S0 ; wait for bed temperature to be reached
external_perimeter_speed = 70%
external_perimeters_first = 0
extra_perimeters = 1
extruder_clearance_height = 20
extruder_clearance_radius = 20
extruder_offset = 0x0
extrusion_axis = E
extrusion_multiplier = 1
extrusion_width = 0
fan_always_on = 1
fan_below_layer_time = 60
filament_diameter = 3
fill_angle = 45
fill_density = 0.4
fill_pattern = honeycomb
first_layer_bed_temperature = 90
first_layer_extrusion_width = 200%
first_layer_height = 0.35
first_layer_speed = 30%
first_layer_temperature = 225
g0 = 0
gap_fill_speed = 20
gcode_arcs = 0
gcode_comments = 0
gcode_flavor = reprap
infill_acceleration = 0
infill_every_layers = 1
infill_extruder = 1
infill_extrusion_width = 0
infill_first = 0
infill_only_where_needed = 0
infill_speed = 60
layer_gcode =
layer_height = 0.4
max_fan_speed = 100
min_fan_speed = 35
min_print_speed = 10
min_skirt_length = 0
notes =
nozzle_diameter = 0.5
only_retract_when_crossing_perimeters = 1
output_filename_format = [input_filename_base]I38_50.gcode
perimeter_acceleration = 0
perimeter_extruder = 1
perimeter_extrusion_width = 0
perimeter_speed = 30
perimeters = 3
post_process =
print_center = 95,95
raft_layers = 0
randomize_start = 1
resolution = 0
retract_before_travel = 2
retract_layer_change = 1
retract_length = 1
retract_length_toolchange = 10
retract_lift = 0
retract_restart_extra = 0
retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0
retract_speed = 30
rotate = 0
scale = 1
skirt_distance = 6
skirt_height = 1
skirts = 1
slowdown_below_layer_time = 30
small_perimeter_speed = 30
solid_fill_pattern = rectilinear
solid_infill_below_area = 70
solid_infill_every_layers = 0
solid_infill_extrusion_width = 0
solid_infill_speed = 60
start_gcode = ; 8" i3 & i3v 3mm PLA for .50mm Jhead 4-5-14\nG28 ; home all axes
support_material = 0
support_material_angle = 0
support_material_enforce_layers = 0
support_material_extruder = 1
support_material_extrusion_width = 0
support_material_interface_layers = 0
support_material_interface_spacing = 0
support_material_pattern = rectilinear
support_material_spacing = 2.5
support_material_speed = 60
support_material_threshold = 0
temperature = 225
threads = 2
toolchange_gcode =
top_infill_extrusion_width = 0
top_solid_infill_speed = 50
top_solid_layers = 3
travel_speed = 130
use_relative_e_distances = 0
vibration_limit = 0
z_offset = 0