Printer noob - Can't print consistently on FFCX

[lucidpsykosis]

I guess I'm more resourceful than I thought then...

Via 4 x $6.29 part, high torque metal geared servo, an ATtiny mega chip for $5 (provided you have a preexisting arduinio or similar to flash the tinyMega) some good eyesight, the IR sensors from a VCR and it's remote and a fine tip soldering iron.

OR even better - go and dumpster dive at a phone company and grab 4 spare handset lifters, each of which contain metal geared servos that have over 1kg of torque (as in real torque, not this BS hobby torque rating), more than is required for levelling screws.

OR if you have an extra $50, google for the guy that hacked a Gibson robot guitar and shows how to re-create the winding mechanism for your own auto tuning guitar - a mechanism that simultaneously and individually adjusts between 6 and 8 tuning knobs. We only need to worry about 4, and we are not tuning the thing, we are getting it level.

OR you could use an arduino and a laser pointer and a reflective reference and just use your fingers for less than $30.


I could go on... But these are 3D printers yeah, essentially you have a machine that can create the entire system housing for you, you are simply adding electronics and assembly. I am building my prusa on friday, I will add an auto level to it for as cheap as I possibly can. I will make it independant seeing the prusa doesn't have a raising Z level.

You seriously should do an Instructable. I wouldn't even know where to start with any of that, but it sounds amazing. If your prusa is done, will you upload pics?

[Geoff]

You seriously should do an Instructable. I wouldn't even know where to start with any of that, but it sounds amazing. If your prusa is done, will you upload pics?

Yeah sure, it's been shipped and happily on it's way here now

It comes with a perspex frame but since they are pre-cut I am going to have those made into aluminium templates (I will have several made at the same time, might as well, if the build goes well it will be something I could offload, tho im not into the kickstarter thing, I'd just sell one here or there)

Living in the country now it's alot easier to get that sort of thing done, I pass 10 metal workers driving from here into town, as soon as I get these perspex pieces Ill have them just laser trace them and cut me some. I've seen people charging $300 for metal cases, they are not that pricey!

[curious aardvark]

from what I've seen the autolevelling does not actual level the printer plate. It adjusts the offsets within the firmware so that the printer knows exactly how the plate is angled and adjust s for that. There's a video on youtube where a guy autolevels at a 30 degree angle and it prints fine because the printer knows about the angle.

Now that's going to be impractical with a dual head system.

But essentially it's the firmware that adjusts not the print table.

And to the guy having printing problems.

put some blue painters tape on the bed, use makerware NOT replicatorg. Use a raft and 120-130c for bed and 230 for head. Using these settings I've had 100% success in the last 24 hours.
And orient the print so it's front to back - not side to side.

Print speed - between 60-75mms move speed i just leave at 100.
This is with the white abs that came with the printer.

The raft from makerware peels off really easy - in fact the bigger the print the easier it comes off, the raft from rep-g does not peel off at all !

[lucidpsykosis]

from what I've seen the autolevelling does not actual level the printer plate. It adjusts the offsets within the firmware so that the printer knows exactly how the plate is angled and adjust s for that. There's a video on youtube where a guy autolevels at a 30 degree angle and it prints fine because the printer knows about the angle.

Now that's going to be impractical with a dual head system.

But essentially it's the firmware that adjusts not the print table.

And to the guy having printing problems.

put some blue painters tape on the bed, use makerware NOT replicatorg. Use a raft and 120-130c for bed and 230 for head. Using these settings I've had 100% success in the last 24 hours.
And orient the print so it's front to back - not side to side.

Print speed - between 60-75mms move speed i just leave at 100.
This is with the white abs that came with the printer.

The raft from makerware peels off really easy - in fact the bigger the print the easier it comes off, the raft from rep-g does not peel off at all !

So I've decided to give PET a break and go back to trying ABS. I tried it at your settings (with Makerware), the raft started peeling off just as the part started printing...I think Geoff stated that if its peeling/warping, the bed's too hot, so I'm going to drop it back down. Now, to be honest, I wasn't printing on blue tape; I hate the texture on the bottom. I have no idea how people print on plain glass, and still have it stick...I guess I might have to make up some of that ABS juice. That should still give me a somewhat shiny base.

[curious aardvark]

Now, to be honest, I wasn't printing on blue tape; I hate the texture on the bottom.

then it won't stick - period. Conditions for working prints are situation specific. If I give you specs for blue tape printing and you don't use blue tape - It's not my settings that are wrong.
And don't forget the tape pattern is on the bottom of the RAFT.
If you don't like that - then you'll hate the pattern the raft leaves :-)

That said - I couldn't give a rat's arse what the microscopic texture on the base of something is. Hell if it matters that much sand it with 600 & 1000 grit and then wipe it with acetone. That'll get it smooth as a baby's behind :-)
We're all different.

if the rafts warping - the plate heat is too low.

Printing on abs deposited by acetone doe work quite well - not as well as blue tape - but I have had prints with it.

For me the drawback is the you have to repaint the bed after every print and that means using a lot of acetone that you end up breathing in.
The tape, so far shows zero signs of wear. works every time in a predictable manner and will be an absolute doddle to replace should I ever need to.

Currently printing a full size stanford bunny at .4 layer height and 75cms speed. Interested to see if the ears are as good as the .2 prints :-)


Did a big print last night with plate at 130. Had minor curl right at the front of the plate. basically there's a hot spot about 4 inches wide in line with the power plug to the bed, that starts to cool down about 4 inches out. Hence curl on the shuttle's tail but nowhere else in the print.

shuttlecurl_800x470.jpg

8 hour print and that was the only issue.

Even with rafts the blue tape is the only thing I've been able to get abs to stick to reliably - and it works best at lots of heat.

Didn't try the abs paint at anything higher than 110 - and it was okay, but nowhere near as realiable or easy to use as the blue tape.

Another way to get smooth base is to simply paint it with abs 'paint'. More acetone - but is real quick and works :-)

[lucidpsykosis]

I got the ABS to print pretty good, using the blue tape, platform at 120 and the extruder to 230. When I tried it with the raft, not only would the raft start to lift at the start of printing the part, but the raft was VERY secured on to the part...like it melted together. So, I ditched the raft, and go the part to stay attached for about halfway through the print, then it started to come up. I hate ABS with a white-hot passion . I went back to using PET+ and a purple glue stick, which omg it worked great for it; the parts look phenomenal. I may have to just stick with that since I just can't get the hang of printing ABS completely. Thanks again for the help.

[RobH2]

I'm glad you have found love for PET+. Since one of the guys turned me onto it a few months ago I've never looked back. Unless I need to smooth, I never use ABS anymore. A bunch of posts ago in this thread you were doubting if buying the printer was a good idea. I'm glad you stuck with it and are enjoying it. Everyone goes through a tough learning and configuring period. But, once you come out on the other side with a few successes, things seem to take off.

[kdurbs]

I'm a newbie as well, so I'm curious. Did you fix your issue, or did you throw in the towel? I'm having similar problems.

[kdurbs]

Never mind. Didn't realize I wasn't at the end of the thread. Very informative. It should help a great deal.

[jdg56]

Sigh,

I just posted a response that was based on a few responses early in the thread. I'm pulling it. It was not quite on-topic.

Sorry.

Cheers,

John