So ... 3d Printers....

[JDFan]

Looks like a hell of a deal to me.  I ended up spending another $10 on a spool holder like that to go with my monoprice mini.

I also picked up a little needle nose pliers & sidecutter set at Walmart for 3 or 4 bucks.  Also had a flexible scraper.  I already had this stuff, but it's nice to have a set that stays with the machine.

Yeah - I was surprised the price had come down that much recently - they were quite a bit higher when I was looking a few months ago so was hard to not order when I came across it.(esp. since they had stock in CA rather than having to wait for shipping from China !) Completely agree about having a set of tools specifically for the printer (otherwise it can get hard to find the correct one when needed - since I tend to leave tools laying where they were last used at times  )

IMO, buy the three spools. If you enjoy 3d printing at all, you will end up buying a lot more than that in the long run.  Plus it's always nice to have a variety of colors to use. I have not used the Monoprice filament but it is a brand that I have heard others using and those prices are good at the 2 roll option and very good at 3 rolls. For one roll $28 is fairly expensive for basic PLA.

Thanks for the response - interesting links - seems it goes a bit further than expected on a roll - but agree having the extra never hurts and I can see it becoming a matter of getting all the right colors for each project. Went ahead and ordered the 3 rolls so should have plenty to get started and play with for awhile 

[Howard_Casto]

So 1.75mm pla is on the way.  You know I think that might be the thing keeping these rigs from going mainstream.  My local hardware store sells some rep-raps and such, but you can't buy filament.  They need to keep filament in stock at the hardware/electronics/hobby stores.

[JDFan]

So 1.75mm pla is on the way.  You know I think that might be the thing keeping these rigs from going mainstream.  My local hardware store sells some rep-raps and such, but you can't buy filament.  They need to keep filament in stock at the hardware/electronics/hobby stores.

Would be nice if the Hardware stores carried it ( even nicer if they sold it by the meter/foot for a decent price so you could quickly pick up any color that you wanted for a project for a few bucks )

[05SRT4]

We actually have a few 3d print stores that popped up in the Utah area. They carry most of the main stream printers and they make and sell there own filament. They also have 3d design classes and other lessons about the printers and print ideas.

[Howard_Casto]

So 1.75mm pla is on the way.  You know I think that might be the thing keeping these rigs from going mainstream.  My local hardware store sells some rep-raps and such, but you can't buy filament.  They need to keep filament in stock at the hardware/electronics/hobby stores.

Would be nice if the Hardware stores carried it ( even nicer if they sold it by the meter/foot for a decent price so you could quickly pick up any color that you wanted for a project for a few bucks )

Man that would be nice if you could just pull out a length and cut it off like you do rope and chain. 

I'm going to make a filament extruder eventually.  I'm hoping I can recycle plastic water bottles.  Save the planet, make cheap stuff. 

[JDFan]

Printer arrived today along with the order from Monoprice with the 3 rolls of filament - Now just need to find the time to put things together. ( Busy laying tile this week - so not much free time )

Opened the box after getting home and it actually seems to be decent quality for the $154 shipped - will know more after assembly. ( noticed the price went to $209 from the same seller, when I went to check the order status yesterday - glad I purchased when I did ! )

[knave]

I'm hoping this thread re-motivates me. Bought a new nozzle and extruder. only found the time to install the nozzle. Lost motivation/time to finish leveling the bed and test.

Saw a interesting article that suggests that dusty filament can increase clogs. saw that some folks install gizmos to wipe off the filament as it enters the extruder. Go figure.
I'll just be happy once I start printing again.

[Howard_Casto]

I would think printing out one of those filament guides and wrapping it in a baby wipe would clean it as you go. 

[knave]

I would think printing out one of those filament guides and wrapping it in a baby wipe would clean it as you go.

Most definitely. Thingiverse is full of designs, many use olive oil to clean and lubricate the filament.

[pbj]

Get the butter.

[knave]

Get the butter.

But don't tell the filament, we want an authentic reaction.

[pbj]

[SammyWI]

I wouldn't recommend using anything that will leave a residue on the filament.  Could easily cause printing issues or clogging.  Don't leave your hotend heated up for long periods when not printing.  If your hotend has a cooling fan, leave the fan running after shutting off the hotend heater until the temp drops below about 40C.  Both of those things will help prevent clogging.

[Howard_Casto]

Ok so I finally got my filament.  I'm running into problems. 

The first problem was that I couldn't get the printer to take the filament... apparently the filament guide mechanism is designed poorly, so I had to remove the fan from the extruder (which essentially disassembles the whole extruder assembly), feed it into the hot end, and reassemble.  Then I had some really bad problems with leveling... I finally got it to an acceptable level. 

Ok now for the final problem.  The printer is printing the first layer of a file perfectly, but once it needs to move up, it jumps waaaay too far up and I've essentially got silly string from then on.  Now I haven't modded it or anything, this is the stock printer with the original firmware installed and I'm trying to print from the test files on the included sd card.  Do you think the examples could be the problem?

I'll install the software and find a file later tonight, but if anyone has had experience with this I could sure use some help.... worked on it about an hour at lunch.

[Howard_Casto]

So the sd card was corrupted, so that might be part of the problem.  I think CURA and/or the built in firmware might be the rest of the issue.  I tried some more prints and as per usual the first layer printed fine.  On the second layer it jumped up like an inch, so I'm not sure what is going on.  I used the included cura profile for my printer and I tried one of their models as well as one I converted... same problem with both. 

[05SRT4]

Whats the layer height set too? I usually start with .2 mm.

Sounds like the firmware might be having issues, could always flash it with the latest version.

Also does it do the same thing on the 3rd layer?

[BadMouth]

Post a screen grab of your cura settings.
(the ones on the left of where the model is displayed.)

If it is the settings and not a hardware issue, it could be that the layer height is set to something crazy high.
It has separate settings for the first layer height and following layer heights.

EDIT: was posting same time as 05SRT4....we're thinking along the same lines.

[BadMouth]

Only did a cursory search, but .....
http://shop.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-f23/cura-print-settings-t999.html

DO NOT USE CURA 2.1.X, IT DOESN'T WORK

[SammyWI]

I've never had the layer height jumping issue but I would not be surprised if the installed firmware was corrupted. I'm pretty sure mine was as it would not accept an auto level command and would not communicate temperatures with Octoprint.  Flashing to the Skynet firmware fixed both.  Not sure if still true but when I flashed there was no original firmware files available so a flash to Skynet was one way.

ETA: After some searching I see a lot of people say the included SD card is crap and can cause this.  Using a different card seems to fix it.  Also the filament loading is tricky but after a few times it gets pretty easy.  Straighten out the end of the filament and you'll need to get used to where that tube is that you need to hit.  I also replaced the socket head screw they used for the part you have to press on with a hex head so that my thumb has a more comfortable piece to press on.

[Howard_Casto]

Ok, to reply. 

I'm using Cura 14.7, which is what the documentation recommends.  The layer height is 0.2mm.  Tried with a different sd card... it didn't help. I tried a rep-rap stl file of the maker bot mascot and things got weird.  First time it just set at idle and did do nothing, the next time it make noises like the printer was moving and the percentage meter went up, but nothing happened.  Then I tried two of the models I tried earlier... they are still doing the same thing.   The printer is acting weird.... like when I browse files I can hear the fan ramping up as I go through the menu.   Can Skynet be configured to not use auto level?  I need to print the sensor bracket before I buy the sensor. 

[Howard_Casto]

Ok more stuff. 

I tried a different slicer, it didn't help, so I think that rules that out.  I haven't been able to do anything via a usb connection.  Cura will connect if I force the port number and the printer will reset, but then cura hangs.  I've had similar issues with other software. 

Skynet includes the stock firmware for A8, but I'm afraid to install it.  I used it in avrdude with the verify option (surprisingly avr dude can connect?) and it comes back saying some of the bytes don't match.  I checked what is supposedly an updated version and it doesn't match either (shows the exact same byte differences).  I'm just scared that I'll brick the thing because there are multiple driver boards and I'm not 100% sure which one I have. 

[SammyWI]

I found this link for original firmware in one of the Facebook groups. No idea if they are correct.

http://anet3d.en.made-in-china.com/custom-detail/xmQExQndGJUQxmQExQndGJUQ/The-Firmware-Links-You-May-Need.html

Also Skynet does not have to use autolevel. You would just ignore setting up any z offset for the sensor, set z height manually and don't use the gcode for autolevel in your slicer.

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah I've got a set of those as well.  What worries me is the fact that I can't get the bytes to match via verify with any version of the firmware.  I *think*  I dumped the firmware to a hex file for backup, but if there is any kind of strange bootloader or funny business going on it could corrupt the dump.  I've seen tutorials on how to use an uno to write directly to the serial port in case of issues after a bricked unit, but I would like to avoid that.

Did you flash yours with avrdude or arduino's toolkit?

[SammyWI]

I flashed using what was included with Skynet, arduino I think.

What are you comparing to match bytes? Just a non programmer guess but if you are comparing the fw that came on your board wouldn't you expect the bytes to be wrong if that fw was corrupt from the factory?

[Howard_Casto]

Well yeah that's true, but what concerns me is that it finds errors so early on... like in the first 30 bytes or so... that could be the boot loader.  I opened them up in a hex editor and they look nothing alike.  Mind you they are compiled, so a different revision would change things drastically.

I mean at this point it isn't working and I've heard very few complaints about Skynet, so I'll probably take a chance and update it tonight, I just don't want to have a gigantic project of getting things re-flashed if it doesn't work or the boot loader is corrupted, ect.

Oh and this morning just to make sure it wasn't a mechanical issue I used the position commands within the printer and the movement is dead on, down to the millimeter, so that rules one more thing out.  It's really odd, it's almost like it can't read the g-code properly, because everything else seems to work ok. 

[Howard_Casto]

Alright guys, I got it sorted.  Thanks a bunch for the help.  Part of the problem was on my end and the other part was on the printer's end. 

Ok now keep in mind that I can't see well yet, so don't make fun of me too bad.  It turns out my hotbed leads had a single strand of the braided wire touching and it was causing the sensor to go nuts.  The thing is, the crappy firmware that is included with the printer doesn't really have any status messages, and thus why some of the models I sliced myself yesterday were just hanging... the bed never read the correct temp so it just sat there heating up. 

Skynet also hang, but it hang at the "heating" message and the temp seemed off to me so I figured it out.

That still didn't explain the huge z-axis jumps though and why I couldn't connect the printer via usb in cura... that was all corrupted firmware. 

So yeah, for those that order one of these, just skip some frustration and install Skynet.  They even have a config file for the non-autolevel  version so if you are going to buy the better sensor later on like me you are still covered. 

The test cube turned out great.  No gaps, no distorted edges, ect. and keep in mind I had to pick the thing up to fix that wire and didn't re-calibrate afterwards.  I have a few issues to sort out though.  I couldn't figure out how to set the z-offset as the instructions are for the auto level sensor and some of the menu options aren't in the new firmware anymore.  So it's like .1mm off.... it still prints fine but if there is a bubble in my tape or something it drags.  Speaking of dragging... the cooling neck that goes on the fan drags really bad... I had to take it off to print.  I figure this isn't a big deal as I'm going to print a new one anyway. 

[SammyWI]

Glad to hear that you got it running. You don't need to set any z offset in software. Leave it as is and adjust the nozzel to bed gap by adjusting the z switch height or the bed height. The cooling duct height is probably off because the hot end height can be installed at different heights and it may be a bit high. Be very careful if you adjust it - the threaded tube is not strong and many people break them. But they are cheap to replace. Most people print a different cooling duct but you may find that the models out there will also run too low unless you adjust the hot end or adjust the duct model. You can do plenty of printing with no cooling duct.

[pbj]

No pic = no test cube

[Howard_Casto]

I figured somebody would say that.  I can't find the charger to my good camera.  I can take a crappy one on my phone.

[Howard_Casto]

I guess I'll just keep posting my progress in case someone else wants to takes the plunge on this particular printer and wants some tips.

So I printed out this:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1954001

It replaces the stock fan duct and it fits much better. It latches on the tab on the left wall of the fan, so it won't fall off anymore.  It also sets a few mm above the hotend and just blows the air downwards, so it's far less likely to hang. 

I'm done printing for the night so I'll report back if it works well when I print the next upgrade.  I think I'll print the power supply cover next because not getting electrocuted = good.  Also it might be nice to have a switch to turn the thing off.... I currently have to unplug it. 

[Howard_Casto]

Glad to hear that you got it running. You don't need to set any z offset in software. Leave it as is and adjust the nozzel to bed gap by adjusting the z switch height or the bed height. The cooling duct height is probably off because the hot end height can be installed at different heights and it may be a bit high. Be very careful if you adjust it - the threaded tube is not strong and many people break them. But they are cheap to replace. Most people print a different cooling duct but you may find that the models out there will also run too low unless you adjust the hot end or adjust the duct model. You can do plenty of printing with no cooling duct.

Well yeah and for normal printing I'll just adjust the screws on the hotbed.  The thing is I would also like to experiment with a glass bed and perhaps print out a spindle attachment so it would be nice to be able to throw some g-code in there to change the offset.  I might not even bother with auto level.... it seems to do ok as-is. 

As mentioned, the duct I printed out is about right, so that much isn't an issue at least.

[05SRT4]

Glad you got it going. Having a 3d printer is 90% figuring out how to use it and making adjustments and 10% printing.

The printer I had was all about the Auto level feature but after awhile it just started causing more issues. I ended up removing the auto level Gcode and just put nuts and bolts on each corner of the bed. I rarely need to adjust anything once I get it dialed in.

[Howard_Casto]

Heh yeah tell me about it.  I'll be spending the next day or so printing out parts to make the printer better.  The duct was an instant improvement... much smoother texture on the objects now.  I just printed out z-axis bushings to fix a flaw in the design (z-screws were too short).  Right now I'm printing out a top-mounted spindle holder since the one that came with it is basically a stick and the spool wobbles like crazy when printing (which has to screw up the precision).  Then I want to design and print some tool holders since apparently fiddling is going to be a thing any time I change anything. 

After all of that I'll be able to trust it to print with a good degree of precision. 

I still need to print a power supply cover and motherboard cover as well... I might have to design my own for that as I can't find one that I like.

[SammyWI]

..... I just printed out z-axis bushings to fix a flaw in the design (z-screws were too short).  ....

This comes up on the FB groups a lot.  If the ends of the Z axis threaded rods don't quite reach to the holes in the top piece it's almost always because coupling to the Z motor is installed wrong.  It usually comes from the factory with the coupling pushed too far down on the motor shaft, and people often push the threaded Z rod too far in the top.  Both the motor shafts and the threaded Z rods should only be inserted about 5 mm into the coupling, then the threaded rods will reach into the upper holes and the coupling is free to flex correctly.  Also the top of the threaded rods do not need to be tightly restrained.  The smooth Z rods hold the alignment, small movements of the threaded rods will not hurt anything and trying to tightly restrain them can cause binding.

[Howard_Casto]

Nah it's a flaw in the design.  Even with the couplings raised to where there is just barely enough contact to grip onto the motor shaft and z screw the screws just barely make it into the upper holes.  I mean it's so little that if the axis were to have any kind of strain I would be afraid of them popping off.  Before I installed them the right z screw had a tendency to lay crooked and when the z axis got towards the top it squeaked horribly....I think it was rubbing on the frame.  Now it moves much more smoothly and their isn't any squeak.  The bushings I printed don't bind the screws as there is just a little bit of room. 

[Howard_Casto]

Printed out a new spool holder that mounts to the top of the unit and a power supply switch.  I think I might reprint both later on because they weren't designed real well.  I'm learning that blindly printing out stuff on thingiverse isn't always wise.  I suppose I'm going to have to download a 3d cad program and knock the rust off my old school skills. 

Oh and for pbj, because pbj:

[05SRT4]

Nice cube.

Tinker Cad is a great place to start. You can import stuff and make adjustments with it. Ive seen a few people on this forum that have been using it.

[BadMouth]

I suppose I'm going to have to download a 3d cad program and knock the rust off my old school skills. 

Tinkercad is stupid easy if you just want to get stuff done quickly.
It has spoiled me and prevented me from moving on to a real cad program though.
So far everything I've wanted to do can be whipped out in short order using Tinkercad, so I haven't had a reason to move on.

[Howard_Casto]

Bah!  Another day, another problem.  I was printing out a pcb cover, which is the last part I need to print and shortly after printing the bottom layer the printer throws a thermal runaway error and aborts the print.  I'm trying again, but I'm not too optimistic. 

The interwebs tell me that a drastic change in temperature will do this, but I didn't notice any change.  It certainly didn't overheat at least.  Re-checked the wiring and it looks secure and in tact.  Could my new fan duct be cooling too well?  Is there a way to stop the fan on a running print?  (Other than unplugging it of course).

[05SRT4]

Is there a way to stop the fan on a running print?  (Other than unplugging it of course).

I am not familiar with the printer you are using but on mine since I am using OctoPrint software I am able to adjust or turn off the fan mid print from my phone or PC. When connected to my PC and using simplify3d (slicer) I am also able to make the adjustments mid print.

But I doubt its because the fan is cooling it to fast. I would recommend checking the hot end and heated bed's thermistor, it may be loose or out of place or bad. Its a good idea to pick up a cheap laser temp gauge and use that to confirm the hotends actual temps.