I need some serious help

[LuckyImperial]

People talk about Delta calibration like it's some sort of impossible VooDoo. It's not. There's only two damn settings that really effect your major calibration.

Diagonal Rod Length and Centered Rod Offset. Those two settings may be called something different in different firmware, but they're always there and they always do the same thing. Diagnonal Rod Length will affect the dimensional accuracy of your printer and Centered Rod Offset (smooth rod offest, rod radius, horizontal rod offset, etc) affects the "dishing" of your printer. If Diagonal Rod Length is wrong then your printer will print things either too big or too small. If Centered Rod Offset is wrong then things don't get printed on a level plane.

The next thing in calibration is leveling. Which is dead simple. You level the effector plane with repsect to the bed by adjusting endstop offsets, or trimming them using screws that are sometimes mounted to the carriages (for some printers). 3 points define a plane. Your job is to make it match the bed. Takes 10 minutes if you have trimming screws.

I still think there's something fishy going on with your Repetier-Host and firmware. I can help you get them both to latest, which is ultimately the best solution.

[Nickschaos81]

I'm at work right now, but here is what I'm going to do. When I get home I'll get you software versions... I'm going to make a short video showing issues, and set a file up so you or anybody can download exactly what I got with my printer. I'm feeling that there is an issue with the software as well. My wife is getting frustrated with my printer that she has now named veronica. The kids got projects lining up. I personally could care less about auto level. I'm going to look at my hotel tonight and probably order the sign wise one that was reccomended. Maybe I could share Skype info if needed , if you have time sometime.

[Alibert]

I agree with LuckyImperial that manual calibration is the best thing to do. I don't have a z-probe on any of my printers (2 replicator dual clones, a prusa i3 clone, and a kossel max clone, yeah I love the chinese...)

However, a few 0.1 mm difference in diagonal rod lengths for the 3 towers will induce a lot more z-error when you move away from the center. Simple mathematics can prove that. Were your rods ready made or did you glue them yourself?

I adjusted the individual rod lengths and reduced a z-error of 0.65 mm at the point opposite/farthest away from the y-tower (the difficult spot on my machine) to approx 0.1mm. There was approx 0.3mm difference in rod lengths......

Also, it would help all of us if you could post your firmware somewhere for us to go through. That allows to get answers to a lot of questions we have much faster.

[Alibert]

And as to the jamming, I experienced a similar frustrating problem. I found out that S3D was proposing a way too large retraction (8 mm!!!). This caused the hot platic to be pulled up into the cool part of the extruder and solidify there. As that part was wider than the throat of the hot part (edges), it jammed totally. I reduced the retraction to 3mm and the problem disapeared. Now I am steadily increasing the retraction bit by bit to reduce the stringing while not running in to the jamming problem again.....

[Roxy]

Okay first of all, I don't agree with all of these people telling you "autcalibrate autocalibrate autolevel auto auto auto". A good calibration can be and should be done manually. I know because I did both, and autocal never got my settings close to where they should be. It's just ballpark.

Agreed! But it sure seems to me like the Auto Calibration and Auto Bed Leveling should take care of everything for the user. Alas... We are not there yet.

[LuckyImperial]

And as to the jamming, I experienced a similar frustrating problem. I found out that S3D was proposing a way too large retraction (8 mm!!!). This caused the hot platic to be pulled up into the cool part of the extruder and solidify there. As that part was wider than the throat of the hot part (edges), it jammed totally. I reduced the retraction to 3mm and the problem disapeared. Now I am steadily increasing the retraction bit by bit to reduce the stringing while not running in to the jamming problem again.....

^^^ True and great advice ^^^

[Nickschaos81]

Guys im sorry , had a long day and was way to exhausted to go thru and make a short video on everything. I will tomorrow for sure , but in the mean time here is a link to the software that came with my printer https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hj2ixgh9g...ldXL1ciZa?dl=0. This software is as is ripped right off the thumb drive they sent it on. If you go in the user manual i was on page 23/39 doing the manual leveling as per their instructions just could not get any change like they describe on page 25/39 when adjusting the smooth rod offset. So in the marlin sketch in this file , the only thing that has been changed on my end is the manual z home in my printer it is set to 278.60, the copy I uploaded is factory default from them. I did order the signswise hotend and some extra nozzles, thanks for that suggestion. Should be here on tuesday. Ill make a video tomorrow showing you guys what im doing , and maybe you can spot something that im screwing up. Again I really really appreciate all the help. My first real print will be dedicated to you guys

[LuckyImperial]

Now that I have your config file I'll make you a configuration of the latest Repetier firmware that you can upload. It'll be way easier.

Oh and by the way, the Marlin Repetier mismatch was likely the your whole problem. We'll get you all on the latest Repetier versions which are way better.

Some relevant questions: What version of Windows do you have? Also, its an Arduino board with ramps?

[Alibert]

Thanks for putting up the sources and manuals. That makes it a lot easier for us to help you.

As I am in a different timezone, I can do some calculations for you this evening if you can get me those tower coordinates at 7 points. Do you see the frrmware dumping tower positions when it does the auto-levelling? If not I can adjust the firmware to do so for you. With a capture of the dumped output I can do the calculations.

As to your auto-levelling not working, line 1307 (and optionally 1311) in Marlin_main.cpp shows that the auto-levelling data is erased after a homing command (G28).....


Maybe this is why it does nothing? You must re-level after a homing. It could be that the startup code in Repetier does a homing before printing and thus resets the adjustments to zero? It may be obvious but as I said I don't do autolevelling myself.

[Nickschaos81]

Win 7 64bit and the board says it's an mks mini , here is a pic https://www.dropbox.com/s/15atujsp40...70948.jpg?dl=0

Also, if you tell me how to get tower posit ions I will