Hi can someone help please, I am new to 3D printing & to this forum. The printer is set up but not sticking to the base so failing at the starting point. Its a Labists. OOL
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Hi can someone help please, I am new to 3D printing & to this forum. The printer is set up but not sticking to the base so failing at the starting point. Its a Labists. OOL
Are you saying that the print isn't sticking to the build plate? Your nozzle might be too far from your build plate. Try leveling your build plate.
Hi Thanks for the reply, Yes that's correct. Its self leveling but I will try to lower it. Is there a way to stop the print head from moving while I adjust it? Should the base plate by luke warm , warm or hot to the touch? Also the PLA material comes out very curly & not straight from the print head is that normal?
well labists sell two printers an et4 and a mini x1.
Both look to have bed levelling knobs - so you should be good there.
The onbly one with 'auto-levelling' is the et4 - so well assume that's the thing you have.
If the filament comes out curly, it usually means it's not hot enough or it's being extruded too fast.
Okay looking at the machine it appears to be a pretty standard ender 3 design.
So if you look up 'help with and how to' videos for ender 3 (and there are millions) - most should be relevant, to one degree or another.
Lets get this clear:
Auto bed levelling does NOT level a bed.
It simply maps the bed topographically and allows for beds that are not perfectly flat (ie: the manfacturers can use thinner and cheaper surfaces).
You still need to actually level the bed using teh levelling knobs at each corner.
This actually means that you determine how far from the bed the printhead is when you start printing.
Remove filament from the nozzle - heat it first :-)
Heat the nozzle to 200c (it's an arbitrary number but as it's what you should be printing most pla at - a good number to pick)
Get a sheet of printer paper - 80-90gsm works best, rip a piece off about 3 inches square.
From the control panel Home the z axis.
This 'Should' put the nozzle as close to the bed as it can get.
Sometimes the firmware will home and then move the nead up a bit - this is just to piss people off and has no real purpose.
You might need to select bed levelling from the control panel to get an unadjusted home - or possibly use something like repetier to communicate with the printer from a connected computer and use the bed levelling wizard from that.
Unfortunately with so many machines and types og firmware and controlling software around - I cannot say what you printer does, without being there or you actually telling us :-)
For the purpose of this post we'll assume it has homed with no post-homing adjustment.
move the nozzle above one of the knobs (it should move easily just using your hand). slide the paper between the nozzle and the bed.
If the paper won't fit, turn the levelling knob anti clockwise (you thumb moves from left to right).
When you can slide the paper between the bed and the nozzle with a little resistance. Stop
If the paper slides easily under the nozzle, turn the knob clockwise (thumb moves from right to left).
Until the paper slides between the nozzle and the bed with a little resistance.
Repeat this above all 4 levelling knobs.
Then do it all again - you will be surprised to find that it's changed and you will need to do each knob again :-)
Repeat until the paper slides with a little resistance at all 4 positions.
Then move the nozzle to the centre of the build plate.
If the paper slides with the same resistance as at the corners - congratulations you probably have an actual physically level bed and the auto levelling is not needed.
If, on the other hand, the paper either sticks and won't slide or slides with no resistance. You will need to run the autolevel as your bed is NOT physically flat and will need to be topographically mapped.
The whole levelling process takes a couple of minutes once you've done it a couple of times.
And is one of the most important skills the home 3d printer owner needs to master :-)
For future questions please give as much information as possible. You cannotgive us toomuch information, but people frequently give far too little.
And good luck !
Hi Thank you, that gives me quite a bit to go on. Its the ET4 model, I also adjusted the sensor on the print head as it was hitting the print plate. Should I try adjusting that a little at the corners first or middle?
I found a slight dip in my Ender 3Pro bed. I put a square of thin vellum paper under the mat to raise the center a little.
Success! We got it working & printed fine.Thanks again for your help on the forum, the bed leveling & print head was the issue. OOL.
Question on PLA or ABS for ET4 printer. What is the best to use PLA or ABS. Any brands recommended or to stay away from?
I am not familiar with that Printer but the most vital think with all is that the bed is level and the distance between the bed and nozel is correct. Might I suggest that you look on youtube for videos on your printer and bed levelling. Make sure the bed is level and correct before you start using bed adhesive
Stay with PLA until you get the hang of printing. With ABS you need/should use a VENTED enclosure to outside.Quote:
Originally Posted by OOL
Which material you use depends on what you want to do with your printing! PLA is the easiest ! Find a filament that works for you and stick too when you find you need to use a different filament material for good cause only then expand you portfolio otherwise that way madness lies.
@axl -Brilliant - and very simple. That's a simple and ingenious solution, I would not have though of. NICE !Quote:
I put a square of thin vellum paper under the mat to raise the center a little.
And yep - stick with pla.
There are only a couple of very specific reasons for ever using abs. And you will most likely find that easier to use filaments like pet or pet-g will do a better job anyway :-)
If 3d Printing is hobby it unlikely you will find any good reason to use anything but PLA or possibly PET-G other than just trying it to see if you can make it work. If you are using 3D printing commercially the story is different you choose the filament for the job which sometimes makes life much more difficult. In any case find a filament make and material that works for you and stick to it ! Not all PLAs o ABSs etc are the same . For example of the 4 types of ABS we have tried only 2 can be relied upon to print reliably on our set up . Nylon is the same 5 tested 3 work for us.
After you level your bed plate, check that the center of your plate where most of your print is formed is low enough to really squish the first layer down on the plate. Also I have my plate temp. at 65 and have no adhesion issues at all.
@ gambo - 3 nylons ?
Which ones are they ?
I find that taulman 225 (245 ?) works well and mymat nylon from italy - work well in an unheated enclosure. But everything else had no luck with at all.
Taulman bridge is one of the worst - but, as mentuioned this is all in an unheated build volume.
Hi If it is any help I use Spectrum PA6 LW Taulman 230 and I have to say Taulman Bridge. I use that at 260C first Layer 255C following layers and a 60C bed 70mm/S I don't use bridge often I preferer Taulman 230 for soft nylons printed at 255C all layers with 55C bed.
Spectrum PA6LW I really like it is a hard nylon which gives a very good finish. I print that a nominal 260C other wise as the Tauman 230.
When I started with the nylons I fiddled around with a lot of different beds including several of the much praised proprietary beds but came down to using Tufnol Sheet lightly sanded ( re-sanded very rarely) with no coating at all but cleaned every print with Acetone.
I have made a lot of valve assembly parts this way including some designs 30mm high 15 mm dia but only having the periphery 1 or 1.5 in contact with the bed plate using a skirt. No adhesion problems ith either 230 o PA6LW.
Bigger items Large vessel tops with integrated valves 75mm by 30mm have printed in PA6LW without any sign of warping.
In an enclosure but un heated
Hmm search for 'Spectrum PA6LW' turns up exactly no matches.
where do you get that from ?
Taulman 230 c !
That's the fella :-)
Hi Spectrum Filaments in Poland make it http://en.spectrumfilaments.com
search for Poliamide_Nylon-PA6-Low-Warp
I buy it direct from them .
How do you convert STL to Gcode.
You must use a software program on your computer like “Cura” and “slice” it, so you get the .gcode file.Quote:
Originally Posted by OOL
You have to use a software program on your computer like “Cura” to “slice” the file and it will turn to a .gcode file. Before you slice make sure the parameters are set ok for your printer.Quote:
Originally Posted by OOL