Build Plate Not Level

[N5QM]

All,

I seem to be struggling to get the build plate as level as possible. It would seem that the center of the plate is higher than any of the corners.

Is this normal on a week old machine? I guess the glass build plate is the answer to this?

Robert

[jfkansas]

Yep it is normal gantry sag. Just never check the center. lol Warm build plate (not extruder) up to 60-80c then set the gap over the 3 adjusters. Don't go all the way out to the edges, the plate teters a little. Just over the adjusters is good enough.

[N5QM]

Ha!

Ok, that makes sense given the weight of the extruder assembly. I'll warm it up and give it another shot while trying not to burn my fingers.

Robert

[thevaporhouse]

Yep it is normal gantry sag. Just never check the center. lol Warm build plate (not extruder) up to 60-80c then set the gap over the 3 adjusters. Don't go all the way out to the edges, the plate teters a little. Just over the adjusters is good enough.

So JF I understand what your saying about the sag..when I use my dial indicator I can see the sag when I move the gantry close and then push it away. Thats understood..but as N5QM is saying,--- if you run a dial indicator over the entire plate from front to back while attached to the gantry, you can see the indicator show 5-8 points of height increase in the center and when we are adjusting in basic "mm" multiple point increase is terrible and renders nothing but a headache on a FF Creator. You have to check the center because if you set the level over the adjusters, the center is still way to high. I find myself adjusting it level, and then running a bed leveling print to fine tune it. Once again, this should not be warped in the middle. I am sure its the plate causing this issue, but the 4pt leveling system on this machine is insane..

I also have the Creator Pro sitting right next to it and its perfect. No issues at all.

I am going to be calling FF USA today and seeing about a new plate or a possible solution. I am tired of that machine already and I have only had it 2 weeks. It will not hold level to save my life. Its very frustrating too.

[N5QM]

I followed Jeff's recommendation, but I altered it to monitor the height at the center of the bed.

If I just concerned myself with the area over the adjusters, I could not slide a sheet of paper between the nozzles and the bed in the center area.

Robert

[jfkansas]

I assumed you had a Creator pro in the original post. If it is a 4 point leveling system then that is the old wood box that they still sell. Can't help you on that one since it used a thinner build plate that was more prone to warping. Maybe a 1/4" piece of glass on silicone pads are in order. I only print on glass on the creatorX/Pro.

[jfkansas]

Don't worry about not being able to slide paper under in the center. The extrusion doesn't start in that height position. The build plate moves down an equal value as the layer height then starts printing. This isn't true in all slicers, some move down half the distance then .2 each layer after that for example. On my creator Pro I can never slide paper under the nozzle when I get the gap at the adjusters set. You can lift the gantry up a little and slide the paper under though and feel the resistance that way. But it isn't necessary.