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thread-18851 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18851 | What Setting In Cura Determines The Value Of "G1 E-{switch_extruder_retraction_amount}" At The Beginning Of A Print? | 2022-02-03T07:50:52.647 | # Question
Title: What Setting In Cura Determines The Value Of "G1 E-{switch_extruder_retraction_amount}" At The Beginning Of A Print?
I am trying to print the Chep calibration cube sliced in Cura on my new Sovol SV04 Dual Extrusion printer. When I print the model the extruder prints the wipe line on the left of the bed, moves to the centre of the bed to begin the print and does a huge retraction (enough that it's almost the amount needed to change filaments), enough so that there is no filament in the nozzle and nothing comes out, I had to manually feed the filament back down in order to get it printing again.
The beginning of the G-code that Cura produces is as follows:
```
;FLAVOR:Marlin
;TIME:2593
;Filament used: 1.41417m
;Layer height: 0.1
;MINX:133.2
;MINY:133.2
;MINZ:0.2
;MAXX:168.8
;MAXY:168.8
;MAXZ:21
;Generated with Cura_SteamEngine 4.12.1
M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
;Single 01 start
M140 S60.0;
M104 T0 S210.0;
M280 P0 S160;
G4 P100;
G28;
T0
M190 S60.0;
M109 T0 S210.0;
G92 E0;
G1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0;
G1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15;
G1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0;
G1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30;
G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000;
G92 E0
G92 E0
G1 Z{retraction_hop_height_after_extruder_switch} F12000
G1 E-16
G92 E0
G92 E0
G1 F2400 E-3
;LAYER_COUNT:199
;LAYER:0
```
The problem seems to be caused by the line `G1 E-16` which I think comes from the extruder start G-code, however, I cannot seem to find what causes the retraction to be so large. The Start G-code for my printer is:
```
;Single 01 start
M140 S{material_bed_temperature};
M104 T0 S{material_print_temperature};
M280 P0 S160;
G4 P100;
G28;
T0
M190 S{material_bed_temperature};
M109 T0 S{material_print_temperature};
G92 E0;
G1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0;
G1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15;
G1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0;
G1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30;
G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000;
```
And the Start Gcode for the extruder is :
```
G92 E0
G1 Z{retraction_hop_height_after_extruder_switch} F12000
G1 E-{switch_extruder_retraction_amount}
G92 E0
```
All of the settings that I have for the printer in Cura are copied over directly from Sovol's own version of Cura as I wanted to try and use one programme for all of my printers. When I slice the model in the Sovol Cura it does not seem to produce the same problem with the G-code for the model as follows:
```
;FLAVOR:Marlin
;TIME:2394
;Filament used: 1.43625m
;Layer height: 0.15
;MINX:136.5
;MINY:136.5
;MINZ:0.2
;MAXX:165.5
;MAXY:165.5
;MAXZ:20.3
;Generated with Sovol Slicer 1.3.0
M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
;Single 01 start
M140 S60;
M104 T0 S190;
M280 P0 S160;
G4 P100;
G28;
T0
M190 S60;
M109 T0 S190;
G92 E0;
G1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0;
G1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15;
G1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0;
G1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30;
G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000;
G92 E0
G92 E0
G1 Z{retraction_hop_height_after_extruder_switch} F12000
G1 E-3
G92 E0
G92 E0
G1 F2100 E-3
;LAYER_COUNT:133
;LAYER:0
```
The `G1` command is set to `-3` instead of `-16` and I cannot determine why.
Any help that you can give will be greatly appreciated.
# Answer
The `-16` is an option in Cura, please filter on `switch`, to make it visible:
The search for the "switch" option shows a default value of `16` for the `Nozzle Switch Retraction Distance`.
---
*Your interpreted G-code contains the line `G1 Z{retraction_hop_height_after_extruder_switch} F12000` which is not expanded/translated. This is defined in your extruder change start script. Please check if the `Z Hop After Extruder Switch` is enabled.*
> 2 votes
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, g-code, slicing
--- |
thread-18843 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18843 | Are those cheap ANYCUBIC 3D printers worth it's money? | 2022-02-02T05:38:25.080 | # Question
Title: Are those cheap ANYCUBIC 3D printers worth it's money?
I would need a simple 3D printer for small 3D objects. I have seen that for example ANYCUBIC has very cheap ones. Are they worth it's money?
# Answer
> -1 votes
From what I have heard from a friend using Anycubic printers is that they are good for the money. They claim that the printers are reliable and rarely get any faults in them. Some cheaper printers may not have the most up-to-date spec however if you're going to be doing just basic printing then I'm pretty sure it'll be good enough to get you going. The budget here isn't clear however my current printer for the last 2 years has been the Creality Ender 3 Pro. It is an extremely good printer for the money (around $200) and has everything to get you going as well as being fully upgradeable if you are into that and I personally would argue this is as good as you can get for the money.
---
Tags: print-quality
--- |
thread-18834 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18834 | Ender 3 inconsistent Z homing | 2022-02-01T09:10:58.547 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 inconsistent Z homing
I have an Ender 3 with an MKS GEN L V2.0 with Marlin firmware and a BLTouch.
When I first turn it on, it homes all axes correctly but after the first print it thinks the z axis is off anywhere from .02 to .06 mm when really it still homes to 10 mm.
What would be causing this? As you can see in the picture it thinks it's at 9.94 mm when it's really at 10 mm after homing.
# Answer
The height after leveling is determined by the firmware configuration.
```
#define Z_AFTER_HOMING 10 // (mm) Height to move to after homing Z
```
After `G29` the display of my machine doesn't show 10 mm either, it shows 11.8 mm instead:
The difference is exactly the Z-probe offset (trigger point to nozzle distance + paper thickness).
> 0 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, homing
--- |
thread-16439 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/16439 | Weedo Tina2/Monoprice Cadet auto bed leveling: Sensor not moving down to touch the print bed | 2021-06-04T16:09:15.853 | # Question
Title: Weedo Tina2/Monoprice Cadet auto bed leveling: Sensor not moving down to touch the print bed
So I bought this printer three days ago as a way to dip my toes into the 3D printing world, and it was working great at first. But at some point, the ABL procedure started behaving oddly: Instead of moving down to touch each corner of the printing bed, it's now only doing so for one corner, then moving to the next, but instead of going down, it goes up. It then continues to the third corner, stops, and moves up again. After that, it returns back to home position. The result is that the extruder hovers way above where it's supposed to be --or alternatively bumps into the printing bed when it's near the origin corner-- thinking it's adjusting for some nonexistent slant, dripping filament all over the place.
The gantry itself is totally level, and I can't see any mechanical faults. As far as I can tell, there's no way to manually level the bed, the only option is to use ABL.
I found out that the Monoprice Cadet printer is the exact same one as the Tina2, so if anyone has experience with that printer in particular, it'll apply here too.
# Answer
This is a community wiki answer from an answer on Reddit - Monoprice Cadet auto-leveling question, for those who stumble upon this question:
> Then I tried their text chat support and the response was basically:
>
> "It is a bad level sensor, which we've never heard of happening to a 3 month old printer and is very rare in general. You are under warranty so here's a preprinted return shipping label, and we'll send you a new printer once we receive your busted one."
---
*From the many "me too" answers, this appears to be a genuine issue rather than a "one-off" issue...*
> 1 votes
# Answer
According to the manufacturer's page for the Weedo Tina 2, the bed sensor for the ABL is magnetic -- which means that if you've removed the magnetic build surface you likely have removed the printer's ability to sense the bed height. You most likely need to replace the worn out magnetic build surface for the (mandatory) ABL to work.
Weedo ought to sell replacements for a part that wears out, but if not, you can buy one made for the Ender 3 (and cut it down to fit) on Amazon (very reasonably priced, too) and have it in your hands in a couple days, though I have no way to know the original didn't have specific poles in particular locations on the sheet. You'll likely need to remove the base sheet from the Tina 2, if there is one, so as to follow the instructions on the Creality and ensure the upper, removable, flexible sheet actually sticks to the adhesive-backed lower sheet.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: bed-leveling, z-axis
--- |
thread-16279 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/16279 | BLTouch not levelling correctly (it does seem to work, just not accurately enough) | 2021-05-12T06:54:54.580 | # Question
Title: BLTouch not levelling correctly (it does seem to work, just not accurately enough)
**My setup**
* Ender 3
* Creality glass bed
* Creality 3D BL Touch auto bed levelling kit v1
* Creality 3D silent mainboard v4.2.7
* OctoPrint running on a Raspberry Pi 4 connected over USB (with the 5 V pin covered with a piece of tape to prevent powering the mainboard)
**Problem**
Despite starting with `G28` & `G29` in my G-code file, and the printer & BLTouch doing a proper bed levelling (the BLTouch seems to work as intended), the first layer comes out uneven. Please find some pictures below of a test print (this one). I hope the pictures show clearly that the nozzle is too close in the bottom left, and too far in the top right (top left is also a bit far, and bottom right a bit close).
I've done days of research, all over the web, Reddit, forums & YouTube and tried numerous fixes, to no avail
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 1: Observe z compensation**
When I do a test print with a bed levelling at the start, I observe the z-axis go up and down during the print, suggesting the printer is trying to compensate based on the readings from the start of the print. It just seems it's not compensating enough (or too much).
When I run a `M420 V` I get (which implies it has the mesh loaded):
```
Send: M420 V
Communication timeout while idle, trying to trigger response from printer. Configure long running commands or increase communication timeout if that happens regularly on specific commands or long moves.
Recv: Bilinear Leveling Grid:
Recv: 0 1 2 3 4
Recv: 0 +1.245 +1.257 +1.282 +1.332 +1.342
Recv: 1 +1.187 +1.167 +1.130 +1.127 +1.147
Recv: 2 +1.082 +1.080 +1.057 +1.077 +1.085
Recv: 3 +1.202 +1.147 +1.057 +1.000 +0.957
Recv: 4 +1.192 +1.180 +1.117 +1.085 +1.027
Recv:
Recv: echo:Bed Leveling ON
Recv: echo:Fade Height 10.00
Recv: ok P15 B3
```
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 2: Level the bed as much as possible**
I've tried to level the bed as best as possible. As you can observe from the `M420 V` command the bed is pretty level. This was done using the Bed Level Visualizer plugin from OctoPrint.
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 3: I've changed from a 3x3 grid to a 5x5 grid**
As advised in several places the bed levelling is now done with a 5x5 grid. This didn't make a (noticeable) difference.
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 4: I've updated the firmware**
I used to run on the Creality firmware. I've downloaded new firmware from `marlin.crc.id.au` (did that today, so using `Ender3-v4.2.7-BLTouch-20210511.bin`). Didn't help.
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 5: I've calibrated the Z-offset**
I've done a lot of tests, tweaking the z value to the current value, where part of the bed comes too close to the nozzle, and part of the bed stays too far away. So the Z-offset is not going to be able to improve anything I believe.
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 6: I've done all the regular hardware tweaks**
I've checked all the common things: Belts are tight, wheels are properly tightened, nothing is wobbly, Z-axis is clean.
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 7: I've tried to add M420 S**
I've tried to add the `M420` command after the `G29` command (I know it shouldn't be needed, as `G29` enables bed levelling, but just wanted to make sure)
**Reference: My printer M503 settings**
```
echo: G21 ; Units in mm (mm)
echo: M149 C ; Units in Celsius
echo:; Filament settings: Disabled
echo: M200 S0 D1.75
echo:; Steps per unit:
echo: M92 X80.00 Y80.00 Z400.00 E93.00
echo:; Maximum feedrates (units/s):
echo: M203 X500.00 Y500.00 Z20.00 E50.00
echo:; Maximum Acceleration (units/s2):
echo: M201 X500.00 Y500.00 Z100.00 E5000.00
echo:; Acceleration (units/s2): P<print_accel> R<retract_accel> T<travel_accel>
echo: M204 P500.00 R500.00 T500.00
echo:; Advanced: B<min_segment_time_us> S<min_feedrate> T<min_travel_feedrate> X<max_x_jerk> Y<max_y_jerk> Z<max_z_jerk> E<max_e_jerk>
echo: M205 B20000.00 S0.00 T0.00 X10.00 Y10.00 Z0.30 E15.00
echo:; Home offset:
echo: M206 X0.00 Y0.00 Z0.00
echo:; Auto Bed Leveling:
echo: M420 S1 Z10.00
echo: G29 W I0 J0 Z1.24499
echo: G29 W I1 J0 Z1.25749
echo: G29 W I2 J0 Z1.28249
echo: G29 W I3 J0 Z1.33249
echo: G29 W I4 J0 Z1.34249
echo: G29 W I0 J1 Z1.18749
echo: G29 W I1 J1 Z1.16749
echo: G29 W I2 J1 Z1.12999
echo: G29 W I3 J1 Z1.12749
echo: G29 W I4 J1 Z1.14749
echo: G29 W I0 J2 Z1.08249
echo: G29 W I1 J2 Z1.07999
echo: G29 W I2 J2 Z1.05749
echo: G29 W I3 J2 Z1.07749
echo: G29 W I4 J2 Z1.08499
echo: G29 W I0 J3 Z1.20249
echo: G29 W I1 J3 Z1.14749
echo: G29 W I2 J3 Z1.05749
echo: G29 W I3 J3 Z0.99999
echo: G29 W I4 J3 Z0.95749
echo: G29 W I0 J4 Z1.19249
echo: G29 W I1 J4 Z1.17999
echo: G29 W I2 J4 Z1.11749
echo: G29 W I3 J4 Z1.08499
echo: G29 W I4 J4 Z1.02749
echo:; Material heatup parameters:
echo: M145 S0 H200.00 B60.00 F255
echo: M145 S1 H240.00 B70.00 F255
echo:; PID settings:
echo: M301 P21.73 I1.54 D76.55
echo:; Retract: S<length> F<units/m> Z<lift>
echo: M207 S3.00 W13.00 F4800.00 Z0.30
echo:; Recover: S<length> F<units/m>
echo: M208 S0.00 W0.00 F4800.00
echo:; Z-Probe Offset (mm):
echo: M851 X-45.00 Y-7.00 Z-3.30
echo:; Filament load/unload lengths:
echo: M603 L415.00 U450.00
echo:; Filament runout sensor:
echo: M412 S0 D8.00
ok P15 B3
```
**Reference: The start of my G-code file**
```
;FLAVOR:Marlin
;TIME:775
;Filament used: 0.480677m
;Layer height: 0.2
;MINX:16.516
;MINY:16.515
;MINZ:0.2
;MAXX:218.485
;MAXY:218.485
;MAXZ:0.2
;Generated with Cura_SteamEngine 4.9.0
M140 S60
M105
M190 S60
M104 S215
M105
M109 S215
M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
; Ender 3 Custom Start G-code
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
G28 ; Home all axes
G29 ; Auto bed levelling
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed
G1 X0.1 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to start position
G1 X0.1 Y200.0 Z0.3 F1500.0 E15 ; Draw the first line
G1 X0.4 Y200.0 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to side a little
G1 X0.4 Y20 Z0.3 F1500.0 E30 ; Draw the second line
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed
G1 X5 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move over to prevent blob squish
G92 E0
G92 E0
G1 F2700 E-5
;LAYER_COUNT:1
;LAYER:0
M107
G0 F6000 X26.14 Y20.098 Z0.2
;TYPE:SKIRT
G1 F2700 E0
```
**Reference: Congifuration.h**
As I've used two precompiled firmwares (see point 4 above), I don't have a `Congifuration.h` to share.
**Concluding**
I hope I've given a detailed enough account for you guys to help me. If you have any additional questions I'll try to answer them as quickly as possible. Thanks a million!
# Answer
Had similar problems. I even did a 10x10 grid just to find out that my printing bed wasn't actually flat.
It actually had dips in it.
I would have to look up the command, but I actually just lowered the nozzle by 0.050 mm at a time. Eventually it got too low, and then I backed it off in even smaller increments.
I also had to print with a raft so any extreme dips are held together on top of the raft.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I had the exact same issue as you and had done all the fixes you mentioned. The only thing that solved it for me was to make sure the model in the slicing software was flat to the "bed".
I use Cura and it has a "flat the bed" option which I only discovered due to a model that was slightly off which caused the top and bottom layer to half.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, bed-leveling, bltouch
--- |
thread-18857 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18857 | Which K-Value would you choose here for linear advance? | 2022-02-04T03:58:26.573 | # Question
Title: Which K-Value would you choose here for linear advance?
I'm new to 3D printing, but my printer supports Linear Advance. I heard that it offers improvements in print quality. I used Marlin Linear Advance Pattern Generator to generate a print with horizontal lines at a variety of k-values.
Which K-Value would be best from my below image?
# Answer
As a general answer to evaluate the effectiveness of the K-factor, when the K-factor Calibration Pattern generator output print is inconclusive (probably not in this case), printing a tower at various K-factor values might give you more insight, e.g. like:
To vary the K-factor with height, a similar procedure as in How does one use a heat tower? can be followed to insert a new K-factor with G-code `M900`.
> 6 votes
# Answer
Go with the sort of tower 0scar suggested and look for corner bulge/rounding. It's a lot more useful than the single-layer test pattern from the Marlin site, which I've found can be misleading.
With that said, just looking at your test print, I would go with the lowest K factor that gives acceptable-looking results, so around 0.5 or so. Overshooting is more likely to harm your print quality than undershooting, and will limit your print speed too. When I used the original bowden on my Ender 3, my calibrated K factor for PLA was 0.6, so I think this is in the range of what's expected.
> 5 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, marlin, calibration
--- |
thread-18867 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18867 | In Cura, is it possible to display where retraction occur on any given model? | 2022-02-04T21:14:47.957 | # Question
Title: In Cura, is it possible to display where retraction occur on any given model?
In Cura slicer, it is possible to display\visualize where in the print process retractions occur for any given model?
For example, to have them highlighted in the preview window.
I'm making my own models\sculpts and want to optimise them to reduce the amount of time that retraction occurs.
# Answer
Yes, it ss possible to visualize the retractions in the preview of the sliced object in Cura.
In the "Preview" window mode with "Layer view" option enabled (after you sliced the object), you are able to select the "Line Type" of the "Color scheme" and enable travel lines. Dark blue lines are unretracted and light blue is retracted.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: slicing, retraction
--- |
thread-18869 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18869 | Extruder Motor knocking backwards and forwards even when removed | 2022-02-05T14:28:52.090 | # Question
Title: Extruder Motor knocking backwards and forwards even when removed
I was printing something using TPU via my Micro Swiss extruder and hot end on my Creality CR-10. Unfortunately the filament started squeezing out of the extruder because the nozzle was too close to the bed. I raised the Z-axis, kept the nozzle heated, and retracted filament. I had to go backwards and forwards a bit and ended tugging quite hard to finally get the filament removed.
When I loaded filament again (any type) I just got a knocking sound but no movement.
I removed the extruder motor and tried driving it again and it was just making a small step forwards and backwards continually while trying to extrude or retract.
I ordered a new extruder motor and fitted it today but found it was doing exactly the same. I am using the EZBoard Lite from TH3D and am worried that I might have damaged the stepper driver. Has anyone got any advice about what I can try next? It was printing fine, with well calibrated E-steps prior to the TPU filament problem, so I can't believe this is in any way related to a firmware/settings problem. I would appreciate any ideas, particularly if anyone knows whether a stepper driver can be replaced on the TH3D EZBoard Lite. Yes, of course I am heating the nozzle.
# Answer
You've not noted if the Bowden tube was connected to the hot end during your testing process. Consider to disengage the Bowden tube at the hot end/carriage and command an extrusion. This will tell you which side of the tube should be checked.
If the stepper motor feeds filament with the tube disconnected, the problem is in the nozzle. Ensure to heat the nozzle prior to removing it. Exercise appropriate hot item caution. Alternatively, perform a nylon cold pull cleaning process, but that works best with nylon.
If the stepper motor does not feed filament with the tube disconnected, your focus on the stepper driver may be accurate, especially considering the replacement you've performed.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: extruder
--- |
thread-14361 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14361 | New RAMPS 1.6 not working | 2020-09-02T05:13:19.757 | # Question
Title: New RAMPS 1.6 not working
I just bought a new RAMPS 1.6 shield to replace my old RAMPS 1.4 shield. The problem is that it's just not working, the motors don't move, heatbed/nozzle don't get heated. It was all working with the RAMPS 1.4 shield.
I checked the RAMPS 1.6 and there's no bridging in the solder joints.
The DRV8255 is drawing current also but the motor doesn't move.
I am using Repetier Firmware. I tried Marlin (default) and even it's not working.
# Answer
So In my case, the RAMPS were defective, I returned them and got a new replacement from Amazon. The new one worked just fine.
> 0 votes
# Answer
Pins are sometimes different between the two shields. I ran into one a while back... Go over the pin specs for the 1.6 one at a time.
Correction: pins are SUPPOSED to be the same. I've however experienced them not being the same. I don't know if my 1.3s were the oddballs or if the 1.6 was.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: diy-3d-printer, arduino-mega-2650, ramps-1.6
--- |
thread-18873 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18873 | Can I safely look at my Resin printer screen while it's printing? | 2022-02-06T11:19:55.473 | # Question
Title: Can I safely look at my Resin printer screen while it's printing?
I have an Elegoo Saturn resin 3D printer. I'm getting floating pieces of resin in my vat that 100% aren't just pieces that have broken off of a print (I found a huge piece in the VAT that absolutely couldn't have come from any part of my model). This was from a freshly cleaned VAT and the piece couldn't have been in the bottle as I would have noticed when pouring it out.
Can I remove my vat and build plate and run a print dry. And look directly at the screen while it's printing, to see if there is any damage or light bleed. Or if there is some kind of corruption in my file that's causing it to create floating blocks of resin from geometry that shouldn't exist?
I'm more concerned about damage to my eyes from looking directly at the LCD than damage to the screen. I've got a welding mask that should filter out any UV, but it might make if difficult for me to see if there is a problem.
# Answer
> 3 votes
Your printer has a cover that blocks UV light from getting into the resin vat, but also prevents it from damaging your eyes. There should be sufficient illumination passing through that filtering for you to determine flaws in your LCD panel.
I'm not intimately familiar with that model and my Elegoo Mars has a test pattern that is a non-filled rectangle. To test my panel, I created a 1 mm block model to cover the entire bed size and "test printed" it in the manner you've described.
As you can see in the photo, I placed a sheet of paper over the LCD panel to get a clearer visualization of the now-obvious damaged LCD.
---
Tags: lcd-screen
--- |
thread-18876 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18876 | Adjust E-step on Ender 3 | 2022-02-07T03:16:59.410 | # Question
Title: Adjust E-step on Ender 3
I was getting some weird under extrusion and noticed that the gear on the extruder was a bit worn.
I decided to replace it with a dual-drive extruder, but that makes the E-step way off. I tried to run 100 mm through without any PTFE tube and only got 67 mm.
I am trying to figure out where I need to change the number.
I have the 4.2.7 motherboard, and I also put on the Creality touch screen.
It doesn't seem to have any place to enter those settings that I can find.
# Answer
> 4 votes
If there is no interface to set the value through the display, you can always set the E-steps per G-code.
> `M92` **Set axis\_steps\_per\_unit**
There are at least 2 options, the first is to connect a USB cable and connect to a console (What is a printer console/terminal?) or second "print" the applicable G-codes by creating a text file (with a `.gcode`/`.g` file extension) and place the `M92 E139` on the first line and `M500` on the second line. The latter option requires you to print the file once as it stores the new E-steps value.
---
*E.g. the current value for the Ender 3 is 93 which gives you 67 mm, to get to 100 mm you would need: $\displaystyle \frac{93\times100}{67} \approx 139$ steps, so `M92 E139` would set a new value. Store the value with `M500`. Note that this board stores the settings on the SD card as it has no EEPROM, so have an SD card present in the slot of the board! If you're unable to store the value you can also put it in the start G-code of the slicer, but that is not a preferred method.*
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, extruder, stepper
--- |
thread-18877 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18877 | ABS bed adhesion on a textured glass bed (AnyCubic Chiron)? | 2022-02-07T06:35:09.447 | # Question
Title: ABS bed adhesion on a textured glass bed (AnyCubic Chiron)?
I have printed a lot of ABS in the past and understand the issues of shrinkage and adhesion. My previous printer had smooth window glass surface, and both clean surface and hairspray would usually do the trick.
My new AnyCubic Chiron has a textured surface and heat bed, which has so far worked great for PLA. For ABS however it de-laminates before the print is even 5mm tall. Tried the print with a clean surface and with a hairspray coated surface; the part quickly de-laminates. Any one with experience using these textured surfaces for ABS?
Don't really want to go the ABS juice route if possible. Just debating if I should cover/replace this fancy new textured glass with old-school smooth window glass.
# Answer
> 1 votes
The (basically) BEST way to optimise bed adhesion is to follow the instructions from https://magigoo.com/blog/3d-printing-perfect-first-layer-magigoo/
The summary is: print the wedge they provide at different bed temperatures (keep the filament constant) and see which one adheres the best. You will build a table like
then you can see what works best.
I did it with nylon and it improved things a lot. Since I use bed levelling, I printed the wedges on different spots of the bed because it was faster (print the coldest, remove and heat the bed further, and so on), but another option is to remove the wedge, clean the bed, reapply spray, and proceed.
I haven't printed much ABS since I got my current printer, but when I did I can tell you that Dimafix worked very well, holding the print flat when hot (90+ °C) and releasing it by itself below 40 °C. It needs to be reapplied each time, contrary to hairspray (which I usually use, it also works).
---
Tags: adhesion, abs, glass-bed
--- |
thread-18889 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18889 | Can you have a perfect seal to maintain moisture? | 2022-02-08T17:22:36.207 | # Question
Title: Can you have a perfect seal to maintain moisture?
I would like to create a water chamber (Box) that maintains moisture. My main idea right to use a snap-fit model (Two faces). However, I feel that the areas where the two face snap-fit will allow air to go through and evaporate the water. In simple terms, I would like to create a snap-fit box that can maintain water inside like a water bottle. (Moisture cage)
Note:
* the snap-fit edges are small (gasket is hard to implement)
* the web part will be covered (ignore it)
* I use Formlab 3 SLA resin printer
I there something I can use to perfectly seal the moisture inside? or coat my box from the inside to prevent air exchange?
# Answer
I don't understand how you can keep moisture, since the model you show is full of holes.
However, assuming you are closing them or something else, then you can use "rotational moulding": put some liquid sealant inside the box, close the box, then start rotating it in every direction so that the sealant coats all the internal surfaces.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: 3d-models, 3d-design, resin, water-resistance
--- |
thread-18888 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18888 | G29 difference between Q and D | 2022-02-08T12:08:53.350 | # Question
Title: G29 difference between Q and D
I was wondering what the exact difference between the switches Q and D for the `G29` command is? They seem to do the same:
```
[D<bool>]
Dry-Run mode. Just probe the grid but don’t update the bed leveling data
[Q<bool>]
Query the current leveling state
```
# Answer
> 0 votes
**TL;DR**
Yes they are different, but whether `Q` is active depends on the a configuration setting, else it gets ignored and a regular `G29` will be executed.
---
## Option 'D'
With option `D` the `G29` code is being run in dry-run mode:
```
* D Dry-Run mode. Just evaluate the bed Topology - Don't apply
* or alter the bed level data. Useful to check the topology
* after a first run of G29.
```
If you look into the source code of `G29` for ABL the `D` option will set the boolean `abl.dryrun`:
```
abl.dryrun = parser.boolval('D') || TERN0(PROBE_MANUALLY, no_action);
```
This boolean will cause many parts of the code to be excluded, e.g.:
```
// Unapply the offset because it is going to be immediately applied
// and cause compensation movement in Z
...
// Auto Bed Leveling is complete! Enable if possible.
...
probe.preheat_for_probing(LEVELING_NOZZLE_TEMP, LEVELING_BED_TEMP);
...
// vector_3 planeNormal related code
...
extrapolate_unprobed_bed_level();
...
// Create the matrix but don't correct the position yet
...
// Correct the current XYZ position based on the tilted plane.
...
// Unapply the offset because it is going to be immediately applied
// and cause compensation movement in Z
...
// Auto Bed Leveling is complete! Enable if possible.
```
## Option 'Q'
Option `Q` in command `G29` code is available when manually probing is active in the configuration.h file:
```
/**
* The "Manual Probe" provides a means to do "Auto" Bed Leveling without a probe.
* Use G29 repeatedly, adjusting the Z height at each point with movement commands
* or (with LCD_BED_LEVELING) the LCD controller.
*/
//#define PROBE_MANUALLY
```
From the sources:
```
*
* To do manual probing simply repeat G29 until the procedure is complete.
* The first G29 accepts parameters. 'G29 Q' for status, 'G29 A' to abort.
*
* Q Query leveling and G29 state
```
Using the `Q` in the command will set the boolean variable `seenQ` which enables extra output as if in debugging mode.
```
// G29 Q is also available if debugging
#if ENABLED(DEBUG_LEVELING_FEATURE)
if (seenQ || DEBUGGING(LEVELING)) log_machine_info();
if (DISABLED(PROBE_MANUALLY) && seenQ) G29_RETURN(false);
#endif
```
When going through the code, you stumble again on:
```
abl.dryrun = parser.boolval('D') || TERN0(PROBE_MANUALLY, no_action);
```
In the first option ('D') the first part of the statement already was `true`, so the latter part was of no interest as this statement is an `OR` statement. Now (for the 'Q' option) the latter part is of interest, the first part rendered `false`. The latter part is a Marlin ternary macro:
```
TERN0(OPTION, T) If OPTION is enabled emit T otherwise emit 0 (false).
```
So, if `PROBE_MANUALLY` was enabled/defined in the configuration.h file, the ternary macro returns the `no_action` (a "one"/`true`, as this a boolean: `no_action = seenA || seenQ`), otherwise a "zero"/`false`. And if so, the `abl.dryrun` is `true` and all code as listed in the 'D' option will be omitted as well. But, additional exclusion apply for the `no_action`; this will cause the function to be exited early (line 478):
```
if (no_action) G29_RETURN(false);
```
---
*So far a generic answer, the following is specific for the Ender 5 Plus.*
In looking into another question from you it appears that the printer used is the Ender 5 Plus. If you are using stock firmware, you can peek into the sources as they are being shared (through their Google Drive) by Creality for the Ender 5 Plus.
Digging into the sources, the firmware version is from the 1.1.x branch, they reference to 2016/2017 Marlin development. If you look into the sources, the configuration file doesn't define the needed `PROBE_MANUALLY` for the `Q` to become active in a `G29 Q` sent to the printer, in such a case the `Q` is ignored and a regular `G29` will be executed. Do note that the implementation of the `G29` code is able to handle the `Q` option, but because it is not enabled in this configuration it will not work.
---
Tags: marlin
--- |
thread-8159 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/8159 | Creality CR-10S Pro 3D printer heated bed turns off after first few layers: normal? | 2019-02-04T02:40:16.637 | # Question
Title: Creality CR-10S Pro 3D printer heated bed turns off after first few layers: normal?
When I run prints on my Creality CR-10S Pro 3D printer (using Ultimaker Cura as slicer), I set the heated bed to around 70 °C for PETG. after the first few layers, the heated bed set point changes to 0 °C.
Is it normal for a 3D printer to turn the heated bed off during a print, or is this a problem?
I have had some parts warping, and wonder if this is a potential cause.
# Answer
**No**, this is not common behavior, and **yes** this can cause your prints to warp or detach from the build plate.
The question is whether you instructed this (by accident) or not (e.g. it can be a result from slicing or some economy mode of the printer). This should be clear if you look into the G-code file that you print. The typical commands that concern bed heating are `M140` and `M190`.
Please note that this a generic answer to find bed heating operation in your G-code file. Other answers, e.g this one and this one hint to a specific ability of the printer that shuts off the heating of the bed when it is working in an economic mode. Note that this is printer specific.
> 4 votes
# Answer
Cr-10 S Pro has an eco mode make sure it's not turned on because this will turn your bed off after the first few layers have printed.
> 5 votes
# Answer
If you start a print there is an "Adjust" button, that will take you to a screen where there is an option "Economic". It that is left on it will turn off the bed heater during the print.
> 5 votes
# Answer
The heat bed turns off because economy mode is set to on ***by default***, change this in the adjustment menu.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I do have the CR 10S Pro as well and for me it does the same but only because it's a setting in the slicer I enabled. Make sure you check the slicer settings to make sure it is not a setting which is turning it off.
Personally I do let it cool down after 10 layers since it does save energy, and I've not seen any negative effects because of it when printing PLA. Have not yet tried PETG or ABS on this printer.
> 1 votes
# Answer
That is not normal behavior for the heated beds. I don't have that exact model, but when I print the heated bed will stay to whatever temp was set in the slicer program. Unless you override it manually on the printer itself during the print. I would check slicer settings ensuring temp doesn't change after it's first layers.
> 0 votes
# Answer
I have a new CR10 max.
I can't find any adjustments for the bed temperature settings other than the basic ones in the Creality slicer. I'm not sure if the latest software has got this facility.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: heated-bed, creality-cr-10, heat-management, warping
--- |
thread-5618 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5618 | Cooling fan noise when head is moving in the X axis | 2018-03-11T11:32:40.657 | # Question
Title: Cooling fan noise when head is moving in the X axis
I have this fan model, it is a SUNON model number MF50151VX-B00U-A99 and it is a blower type.
When the head is moving in the X-axis it makes noise.
I think this type of fans is not suitable for rapid movement and rapid changes in directions.
I think the noise is coming from the axial of the fan because I think there is a clearance in the axial for moving up and down.
When I put my finger on the fan body(the rotating part) the noise stop!
**My question, What type of fans suitable for rapid movement and rapid direction change? and if this is not the problem what is the problem in my situation?**
I have tried searching but I can really find a direct answer!
# Answer
As discussed in the comments...
The problem with the fan seems to be its flimsy attachment to the printer head. The fact the fan chassis is not firmly kept in place allows for it to act as a soundboard, amplyfing whatever vibration nomally occurs in the motor.
You could probably get a fan that is more silent in the first place (noctua is a known brand for silent fans, and it is used on the Original Prusa MK3 for example), but since there's nothing inherently wrong with your current fan, I would simply design a custom, more beefy mount for it. For added dampening effect you could also use small o-rings as washers for the screws.
> 6 votes
# Answer
MagLev fans with Vapo bearing are (like the name suggests) magnetic levitation bearings - the rotor "floats" in the air, it's not press-fot like in ball bearings, therefore it has movement in perpendicular to the axis.
MagLev fans are great at low acceleration and low jerk (or in stationary applications) but their bearings will bang on sudden movement changes. Just take a MagLev (with Vapo bearing - VX, V1, V2..), there actually are Dual Ball Bearing versions of MagLev fans (BX, B1, B2..) which are way better suited in moving applications.
> 4 votes
# Answer
In response to the answer from mac above. The Sunon Maglev Fan is actually an exceptional fan that is superior in all aspects: static pressure, CFM, Decibels et cetera. Far superior to that of a radial fan like a Noctua.
Sunon - DC Brushless Fan & Blower
The noise probably comes from the way it's been attached to the printer.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: diy-3d-printer, cooling, mechanics, print-fan
--- |
thread-18891 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18891 | Reinforcing inter-layer seams | 2022-02-09T06:57:57.597 | # Question
Title: Reinforcing inter-layer seams
I'm using my printer for some baby toys. My last print was one of those pillars for stacking rings, base 5. The basic format includes a base and a pillar coming up perpendicularly in the middle. A box with a cylinder sticking out of it.
Settings:
* 0.3 mm layers,
* 5 layers of base/bottom/shell,
* 20 % gyroid infill,
* PLA,
* 80 mm/s,
* 210 °C, bed at 60 °C.
Three hours of printing later, I took it out of the printer, it feels *really* solid, all the surfaces are rigid, no compression or anything.
I hand it to my kid, she drops it and the pillar just detaches along the Z layer seam at the base.
Is there anything I can do, either model or printing-wise to reinforce it, aside from printing it horizontally with a bunch of supports?
# Answer
So you are printing at 80 mm/s speed * 0.3 mm layer height * something about 0.5 mm line width, which is about 12 mm<sup>3</sup>/s which is likely too much for many printers.
Try keeping linear speed at 60 mm/s and, if you have a 0.4 mm nozzle, never go above 0.24 mm layer thickness if you care about strength.
That will likely solve your problem.
If you want to go further, try to print this test piece at 210-220-230 °C (if you notice the walls are not nice anymore, increase cooling). Change ONLY the temperature.
Try then to break them and see which one is the strongest. PLA can be quite strong but not at 210 °C, it's too low. I can tell you that you will likely need 220-225 °C to squeeze every possible strength from PLA.
> 4 votes
# Answer
The problem, in this case, is in part the missing internal support at the change from the elevated cone to the base plate.
This could be helped with a geometry change - I personally would add a bevel in that area, which gives us a little wider area over which the pressure will be dissipated.
Another option would be to use an intersecting circular disk or hollow cylinder that is set up to modify the infill to 100%. This would transmit the force down to the base plate.
As R. correctly notes, changing from a 3D to a 2D infill also can increase the strength, as now the layer boundaries in the infill have about twice as much crossection.
> 3 votes
# Answer
The other answers are good, but a big part of your problem is also the gyroid infill, which has very poor layer adhesion strength due to being a 3D infill pattern where there's very low surface area contact between consecutive layers of infill. This isue is amplified by the thick layer height, which makes the gyroid paths differ from layer to layer more than they would with thin layers. If you switch to a fully 2D pattern like triangles where the overlap between consecutive layers is 100%, it should be stronger.
If your extruder is strong and you're not pushing the limits of your printer's extrusion rate, this doesn't matter so much. But I found it was a big issue on the original ungeared extruder of my Ender 3 (before replacing that) when trying to print at anything above 30 mm/s or so. For example, printed M8 bolts came out looking fine, but immediatey snapped at the head when tightened - a failure mode very similar to what you're seeing. Switching to a better infill pattern mitigated it.
> 3 votes
# Answer
If you don't object to using adhesive to assemble the model, consider that you can succeed with your objective by performing a plane cut in the vertical direction. This allows you to print the model in the strongest orientation without supports. It will also result in an internal set of faces due to duplication of (as-printed) bottom surfaces in the best orientation.
For plane cuts, Meshmixer (free) and Fusion 360 (hobbyist version, free) as well as other programs, will allow you to chop the part directly in half and export the individual pieces. I'm unfamiliar with the software for your printer, but it may also have the ability to cut a model in this manner.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: pla, troubleshooting, adhesion, snapmaker-original
--- |
thread-18898 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18898 | Can 3D printed bottle caps make a perfect seal? | 2022-02-09T15:44:02.963 | # Question
Title: Can 3D printed bottle caps make a perfect seal?
I am using a Formlabs 3 resin printer and I am would like to create a bottle design with a cap. my objective is for the cap to completely prevent any liquid from going in or out of the bottle (even it was shaken) and also prevent dry air from seeping in and effecting the moisture inside.
(Note: I am not planning to cure my print with UV light as I feel it ruins the smoothness and flexibility of the model. tell me if I am wrong)
**Is that possible by just printing? or do I need some coatings or extra steps?**
# Answer
## Yes and no
If you can print very tight tolerances and the bottle itself does deform a tad to press into the cap, then yes, you will get a perfect interference fit.
If you want to go absolutely sure, a little seal of rubber into which the mouth of the bottle presses can add the last bit needed. alternatively, a viscous grease on the threads can act as a sealant.
In case you want to pretty much seal the bottle forever and not remove the cap, you might just as well add a few droplets of liquid resin or glue to the threads of the cap before screwing it on, then make sure that it sets and seals. Loctite is one such sealing glue often used.
## CURE IT
However you are wrong not to cure your model: unless cured, the model is not safe to the touch without gloves as the bonds are not set and liquid resins are dangerous skin irritants. If you want to use the flexibility of not fully cured resin to seal your containers, you might want to seal the bottle with the *raw* caps and then cure the combined item right after.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: 3d-models, 3d-design, resin, resolution, water-resistance
--- |
thread-18910 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18910 | What is the maximum input ratings for current, voltage and power for RAMPS 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6? | 2022-02-12T04:17:46.943 | # Question
Title: What is the maximum input ratings for current, voltage and power for RAMPS 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6?
I need to know the maximum input for current, voltage and power for:
* RAMPS 1.4
* RAMPS 1.5
* RAMPS 1.6
I want to build a DIY 3D printer. RAMPS 1.6 can deliver only 270 W. but if I total my heatbed + hotend + other components, it will be 300 W which exceeds the amount of RAMPS 1.6 output.
I have 24 V 24.5 A power supply. Is it okay if I connect it to RAMPS 1.6?
# Answer
# RAMPS power consumption
The power consumption for all three versions of the board should be, essentially, the same.
## RAMPS 1.4
The info is on the RepRapWiki - RAMPS 1.4 \- Power supply:
> The board has two pairs of connectors for power, one labeled 11A and the other 5A, both of these pairs are 12V connections.
and
> Your power supply should be able to deliver 16 amps, is ok if it delivers more.
and
> Other variants are the S-480 and S-600 for 480W and 600W respectively.
So, $I = 16 A$, $V = 12 V$
You can then calculate the power from $$P = IV$$
$$P = 16 x 12$$
$$P = 192 W$$
Alternatively, considering each circuit in isolation:
* $I\_1=11 A$ for the heated bed only;
* $I\_2=5 A$ for the stepper motors, hotend, etc.
$$P\_1 = I\_1V$$ $$P\_1 = 11 x 12$$ $$P\_1 = 132 W$$
and
$$P\_2 = I\_2V$$ $$P\_2 = 5 x 12$$ $$P\_2 = 60 W$$
so the overall power consumption,
$$P\_T = P\_1 + P2$$ $$P\_T = 132+60$$ $$P\_T = 192W$$
***Important note: While the overall power may indeed be 192 W, it is important that you only draw the maximum individually rated current/power (5 A and 11 A) from each of the respective circuits - you can not draw 16 A (192 W) from just one of the circuits alone. To attempt to do so would be dangerous and may result in a fire or worse.***
## RAMPS 1.5
From RepRapWiki - RAMPS 1.5
> The layout of the RAMPS 1.5 is virtually identical to that of the RAMPS 1.4. The only real difference between the two are the MOSFETs and the fuses.
Only the form and type of the fuses are different, not their ratings. Therefore, the voltage and current specifications would appear to be the same as RAMPS 1.4
## RAMPS 1.6
From RepRapWiki - RAMPS 1.6
> It maintains the surface-mounted fuses and flush MOSFETS of the RAMPS 1.5.
Therefore, the voltage and current specifications would appear to be the same as RAMPS 1.4
---
Note that there are other variants of the RAMPS board that you may need to consider, such as the 24 V version and so forth.
# Supplying additional current and/or power
## Using an External MOSFET
To draw more current than the RAMPS can supply for the various heating elements, you could use an externally switched circuit (whose MOSFETS are triggered by the RAMPS outputs), *in place of the RAMPS outputs*, to supply this additional current.
See Modify RAMPS 1.4 adding external MOSFET for heat bed: can I remove original mosfet? which links to the excellent Howto Connect your Hotbed (and or extruder) to a Mosfet:
> ### External MOSFET schematic
>
> ### Apply a second PSU ( 12 or 24 volts)
>
> ### Apply a second MOSFET (for the extruder)
See also **MOSFET Band Aid** in 0scar's answer to Which 3D printer controller should I use?:
## Power consumption rethink
Alternatively, and probably better, rethink your power consumption, so that it matches that which can be supplied by the RAMPS board. Your current draw, and hence power requirement, shouldn't need to be so high.
## 24 V capable RAMPS
Another alternative is to get a RAMPS which can handle 24 V, which, whilst not supplying more current, will provide you with *more power* (approximately twice as much). However, this may require that you get a different set of heating elements (if your current set isn't dual voltage capable) - which obviously isn't ideal and will entail even more expense. See Do I have to buy all new components if I were to get a RAMPS 1.4 that supports 24 V power?
> 2 votes
---
Tags: diy-3d-printer, ramps-1.4, arduino-mega-2650, ramps, ramps-1.6
--- |
thread-18907 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18907 | Best way to print a very thin rod? | 2022-02-11T14:51:06.327 | # Question
Title: Best way to print a very thin rod?
I'm working on a project using 3D printed parts, everything is working very nicely except for one part that needs a 3 mm x 1.2 mm diameter rod. I can print with PLA/PLA+ but such a thin object doesn't seem viable for 3D printing. Is it still possible or am I better off using a 1.2 mm metal dowel?
The bigger part (5 mm x 7 mm diameter) near the back isn't an issue, it's the small rod that I can't seem to print correctly
# Answer
It would be impossible to print this standing with the rod straight up, and even if you got it to print the part would be very weak due to the thin cross-section of the rod aligning with the layers.
The only way to print this part and get a usable result is to print it in the orientation shown in the picture, with the rod part being horizontal. Because the layers will now have a much larger cross-sectional area, this not only makes the print much stronger but also prevents issues with the plastic not cooling off sufficiently between layers. Though this will still be a tricky print, because now you'll need lots of support material.
Using a metal rod is probably the better option. Another option is printing the rod lying flat on the bed, and gluing it in place later. This would avoid the issue with support material.
> 1 votes
# Answer
If you insist on printing it entirely, I would suggest cutting the model in two halves through the centerline, printing them flat and gluing both parts together after printing. This will make sure the axial direction of the rod is in the XY plane, and doesn't require support.
However, the beauty of 3D printing is that it can be easily combined with other materials and techniques. In this case, you are far better off by printing the big cylinder with a hole in it and glueing a metal rod in. It is less trouble, stronger and possibly more functional since it will have a much better surface finish.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3
--- |
thread-18913 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18913 | How to calculate a rough 3D printing time? | 2022-02-13T00:03:15.497 | # Question
Title: How to calculate a rough 3D printing time?
So I have little to no idea regarding 3D printing and was building web-based software for a client, I have 3 values in my access,
* Material: PLA
* Material Cost: 1300 kr per kilogram
* Infill Percentage/Density: 50 %
* Material length: 13000 mm
* Printing Cost Per Hour: 70 kr
Given this information, what would be the formula to calculate the rough estimation of the time required to 3D print this? I know that it's different for all the 3D printers but still, I would like to have a way to calculate a rough estimation of the 3D printing time, that possibly but not necessarily, touches the reality of most 3D printers.
# Answer
> 1 votes
You'd certainly need to know more information than that provided. 3D printers have speeds ranging from 20 mm per second to as high as ten times that (extreme 3D printer sports!) and the speed during printing varies with the geometry of the object being printed.
More considerations involve printer nozzle size, object layer thickness (if uniform throughout), printer model, slicer software used, slicer software profile used.
For a rough estimate with the information, you could expect a variance fifty percent or more, if someone was willing to take the risk of making an estimation.
---
Tags: cost, estimation
--- |
thread-18906 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18906 | I'm having a weird issue with bed leveling (Z-Axis) ?? Ender 3 V2 | 2022-02-11T03:01:56.623 | # Question
Title: I'm having a weird issue with bed leveling (Z-Axis) ?? Ender 3 V2
I'm having a weird issue with bed leveling (Z-Axis) ?? Ender 3 V2
Every time I try to level it when I go to the bottom left corner and so on and come back to that corner the Z-axis drops about .1 mm each go around. It used to drop more than that, this is the lowest I've got it to drop by and can't stop it.
Still nothing, I squared everything off with a T-square and tightened everything precisely.
I watched these and did one by one:
I did what this site recommended which was part of the first video:
https://3dsolved.com/ender-3-x-axis-sagging-how-to-solve/
Mind you I've checked numerous sites and videos and these explained everything properly and were the most up-to-date.
I ordered another Z-axis making it a dual and seeing if that will fix the problem.
# Answer
> 1 votes
The extra Z-axis did help but it was all the eccentric nuts. Make sure you can move them with little force, not you trying to open a bottle of soda but a little lighter than that
I solved the issue by just adding another Z-axis, I also printed a spacer for the bottom of the Z motors at 1.4 mm and leveled both sides with corner levels (post pipe levels) from Lowes. Add a washer to the nuts towards the backside inside of the new Z-axis lead screw bracket and done. No more sag.
Creality Ender 3 Accessories Dual Z-Axis Kit
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, z-axis
--- |
thread-17840 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/17840 | Extruder stops printing before finishing first layer (Ender 3 v2 w/BIQU H2) | 2021-08-03T19:31:43.540 | # Question
Title: Extruder stops printing before finishing first layer (Ender 3 v2 w/BIQU H2)
Let me preface this with me being quite a newbie to 3D printing, however, I am an engineer and coder, so tinkering with stuff like this is quite the norm for me. Don't be afraid to be too technical, knowledge is power!
I recently purchased a new Creality Ender 3 V2 based on a friend's recommendation and within a week or two, started getting terrible screeching from the print head fan. I already knew I wanted to get better PETG (and in the future, TPU) prints so I went ahead and bought a direct drive extruder (BIQU H2) to replace the Bowden setup.
I got everything tuned pretty well (or so I thought), which included tuning the E-steps (945 which is 10x the original value of 93, however normal for this BIQU H2), my home position, changing the retraction setting, setting my K-factor for linear advance, tuning PID, etc. I flashed these settings into a custom Jyers Marlin firmware. Everything was working fine, and I was starting to get some really high-quality calibration tests, so I then began tuning my slicer profile.
Then, yesterday, all of a sudden it is no longer printing correctly, even older G-code files before I messed with the slicer settings. It prints the prime line, retracts, moves, prints the brim, then retracts again, but doesn't start extruding to actually print the model. I've tried multiple G-code files that were working, and seem to get the same results, nothing prints beyond the first layer retraction or two. There is no clicking/vibrating or any attempts to move the extruder again after it stops printing.
After some more reading, it seems that maybe I should have adjusted the vRef on extruder driver pots, as the new stepper motor is 0.8a (I believe the original 4042 extruder is 2a). Is it possible I damaged my stepper driver for the extruder? From my understanding, it would be moving at 10x the speed of the old stepper attached to the Bowden tube extruder.
Some things I have done:
* Completely rebuilt the BIQU H2. There is no sign of jamming or that there has ever been a jam. The gears all move smoothly with no areas with additional resistance. The PTFE heatbreak was clear and freely allowed filament through. Once re-assembled, I can freely turn the extruder gear when heated and the stepper disabled, and I can extrude/retract using the printer GUI (even after a failed print). I also checked to make sure the gear was firmly attached to the stepper motor while apart, and it was. I also added some gear lubricant while I was in there.
* Tried a print with the BIQU H2 stepper detached and the wires attached to the old 4042 stepper (and adjusted the steps back to 93). It seems to stop moving the stepper in about the same place, so I don't believe the issue has to do with the stepper motor which has led me to believe this must be firmware or driver related.
* Tried letting the printer sit idle overnight, thinking maybe it was just an overheated driver after running calibration tests almost continuously for 2 days.
* Tried printing the same known working G-code with the speed adjusted to 25% and 50%, the same issue occurs around the same position in the print process.
For reference, I have an Ender 3 V2 with a 4.2.2 Motherboard. I'm not sure what stepper drivers it uses as there seems to be conflicting info online and I don't really want to remove the heatsinks if possible (but I will if I need to get this info and can't obtain it directly from the firmware). Unfortunately, the drivers are soldered to the motherboard so I guess I will need a new motherboard if I destroyed the extrusion driver. I do feel I probably should have made some driver adjustments given this stepper motor is 40% the amps, and runs at 10x the speed of the old stepper.
I'm sort of at a loss as to what to try next, any thoughts would be appreciated. I plan on flashing the stock firmware back later this evening to see if that helps, but I doubt it will. I have only made some small tweaks mainly related to home offset, build area, PID tune, and K-factor for linear advance (which were previously working fine).
**Edit:** I did some further testing yesterday. Flashing back to stock firmware didn't help at all. It also seems I may have been mistaken as further testing of the old 4042 stepper was successful if I attached it to the motherboard and ran the G-code which fails on the first layer, however I attached it with a spare cable as to not have to take apart my harness going to the X carriage. Using the same spare cable with the BIQU H2 unfortunately did not help. The issue is reproducible without any filament loaded at all as well. There is an ever so slight play in the motor drive, so I am going to disassemble the extruder again tonight and see if the issue is reproducible with the motor detached from the extruder drivetrain.
Also, just an interesting point, but multiple times after the failure I quickly checked the temp of the heatsinks on the drivers. Ironically, the only "hot" ones were the X/Y/Z steppers, and the extruder driver was only warm. Also, when the issue happens, the stepper becomes completely disengaged (I can turn the wheel freely without feeling the resistance of the stepper holding the position). Not sure if this is indicative of a driver failure, or standard practice for the driver if it encounters significant resistance.
Another interesting point, the motherboard was not grounded. Although attached indirectly to the frame using screws, the panel the motherboard was attached to was not making contact with the frame. Some minor sanding resolved this issue. Once done, I notice the exterior case of my Y motor is grounded, but the X and Z as well as the extruder do not seem to be grounded. Is it typical for the exterior of the motors to be grounded? Perhaps there are some other ground faults I need to sort.
# Answer
Okay, so after yet another frustrating night of troubleshooting. I believe I have identified the specific problem. I reduced the G-code file to about 100 lines of code, that 100% reproduced the issue on the BIQU H2 stepper. With the original 4042 stepper, the problem was intermittent, but did occur from time to time in the same part of the print.
I pulled the motor from the transmission on the BIQU H2 and observed the issue happen without it attached to the extruder and it still failed at the same place (so confirmed it wasn't an issue with the extruder/clogging/etc). This specific place in the G-code had many quick short movements of the extruder. Commenting out this block of code allowed it to get past, until it did similar movements on the next layer. This pointed me to it having to be an issue with either the stepper (which tested fine on my ohm meter, so unlikely), the controller, or the firmware.
Long story short: **It was Linear Advance being enabled in the firmware.**
I was too hasty to initially disregard the firmware being at fault. When I retested the original firmware, it was unusable as my offsets have changed with the new print head, so I rebuilt the Jyers Marlin with just a couple small changes for changing the homing as the original Jyers builds works fine. However I missed that I still had my Linear Advance settings enabled.
After doing some searching regarding Linear Advance and extruder motors, it seems this is a known issue with certain TMC drivers, and my board is one that can potentially have these drivers installed. It seems the "stealthChop" feature within the drivers causes issues with Linear Advance. It sounds like it can be disabled via UART but I do not believe there is any interface to the UART of the individual controller chips exposed to my mtherboard. I believe I will probably need to swap motherboards if I want to be able to use Linear Advance. I'm still pretty new to 3D printing, so maybe I don't need LA at all, however it did seem to make a positive impact on my prints before I ran into these issues which is why I had it enabled.
Some related references I found:
https://github.com/KevinOConnor/klipper/issues/196#issuecomment-383122655 https://www.reddit.com/r/ender3/comments/bncr8w/silent\_board\_and\_linear\_advance/
> 2 votes
# Answer
Check your retraction and run some experiments with it. I just had a very similar problem, when I switched from 0.6 mm retraction to 0.8 mm filament tended to get stuck between rolers and the cooler on layer change. I don't have and never had linear advance enabled, so it's not the issue. Unless I've misunderstood and your extruder didn't move at all (mine did move properly)
> 1 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, extruder, extrusion, extruder-driver, jyers
--- |
thread-18901 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18901 | Is it normal for clear resin to lose transparency after curing? | 2022-02-09T18:13:11.570 | # Question
Title: Is it normal for clear resin to lose transparency after curing?
I am using a FORM LABS 3 printer with clear resin. After printing the model, I wash it with Isopropenyl and dry it. Then I cure it using Formlabs Form Cure for 5 minutes under 60 C°. After curing the model, the clear print loses some of its transparency.
Is this normal? can it be avoided?
# Answer
> 2 votes
This happens to most resins and the amount of haziness is directly related to the type of resin. Not all clear resins do this mind you, but it has to do with the curing sprlectrum of light(natural sunlight cures do this way worse.)
# Answer
> 1 votes
Clouding is a known issue with colored transparent resins, as is yellowing with clear resin.
Uncle Jessy did quite a good video explaining the issue and how to best avoid it.
The conclusion was that you should wash and dry them with as little UV exposure as possible (Drying them inside a box in a warm room rather than in direct sunlight), then coating them with Clear Coat lacquer or a similar product, then curing them.
enter link description here
---
Tags: troubleshooting, resin, color, uv-printer
--- |
thread-18921 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18921 | Formula of calculating 3D printing time | 2022-02-13T17:58:47.500 | # Question
Title: Formula of calculating 3D printing time
So I have the following pieces of information based on which I want to calculate the estimated time It would take to 3D print something.
* 3D Object's width, height, and depth (millimeters)
* Its weight
* Printing Speed (millimeters per second)
* Layer Height
* Printer Nozzle Diameter
* Printer Nozzle Height
Given this info, how to calculate the 3D printing time?
# Answer
In general, there is no easy way to compute 3D printing time from those quantities. Unless you have a printer with **extreme** kinematic capabilities (and to some extent even then), print speed is highly limited by acceleration and deceleration for toolpaths that are deeply a function of the specific geometry of the model to be printed. This makes it really hard to get a good estimate for time without actually slicing the model and simulating the printer's execution of the resulting gcode.
If the object is sufficiently simple, or if your print speed is so slow as to make acceleration to the max speed nearly instantaneous (but travel speed isn't so slow as to be a dominating factor), you may be able to use any one of the quantities you know to estimate print time half-decently.
* Weight/mass: if you actually know the mass when 3D printed (with the wall/infill settings you'll be using) then mass divided by material density gives you material volume, and you can divide by the extrusion rate in mm³/s (computed from layer height, line width, and print speed) to convert volume to seconds.
* Object dimensions: if it's roughly a cube or other geometric object you know surface area and volume formulae for, you can compute surface area, multiply by shell thickness, then add the infill percentage times the volume to get an estimate for printed material volume, and use the same above volume to time conversion.
If the conditions under which you might be able to get a reasonable estimate don't apply, your best bet is to actually slice the model and see what the slicer software estimates, or feed its output to a gcode analyzer/simulation software.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: estimation
--- |
thread-18809 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18809 | Ender 3 print temperature | 2022-01-26T16:10:12.303 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 print temperature
I've tried different retraction speeds and distances using calibration models, Z-hop, coasting but nothing prevented stringing. Now I tried printing at 230 °C and that seems to do the trick. Even 220 °C gives me strings. The filament is quite new.
Has somebody had a similar experience and could you tell me if something else is wrong maybe?
# Answer
It just needed drying, even though it was brand new. Thnx @R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, pla, temperature, stringing
--- |
thread-18924 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18924 | Only Z offset for BLTouch? | 2022-02-14T07:49:38.547 | # Question
Title: Only Z offset for BLTouch?
I'm having a hard time getting my Ender 5 Plus (I'm using stock firmware 1.70.2 BL) trammed and in the pursue of that I decided to check my probe offset values. As it seems there is only a Z offset configured? Or does `M851` only show the Z value?
```
Send: M851
Recv: echo:Z Offset zprobe_zoffset= -2.08
Recv: ok
```
# Answer
> 1 votes
For Marlin 1.1.x, the Z-offset is shown with `M851`.
For Marlin 2.0.x it is also possible to change the X and Y offset values through the `M851` G-code using `X` and `Y` (outside the default `Z`) parameter options. Without parameters, `M851` returns the following in a terminal:
```
Send: M851
Recv: M851 X0.00 Y55.00 Z0.00 ; (mm)
```
Considering this from All3DP:
> First up is the official Creality firmware, which is based on older versions of Marlin. Creality doesn’t mention which exact version of Marlin it’s based on, but it’s likely a variation of Marlin 1.9 that’s slightly changed to match Creality’s needs.
What is meant here is that Creality is secret about their use of which version of firmware they use, but it is most likely based on the 1.1.9 code base. If so, this implies that in your case, while running stock firmware, you should only see the Z-offset, not the X and Y offsets.
---
Digging even further, it appears that Creality has released the Ender 5 Plus firmware through their Google Drive. When you look into the code, the firmware version is indeed from the 1.1.x branch, they reference to 2016/2017 Marlin development. If you look into the sources you will see that `M851` indeed only returns the Z-offset.
---
Tags: marlin, g-code, bltouch, creality-ender-5
--- |
thread-18531 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18531 | What techniques are needed to minimise layer separation after filament change? | 2021-12-09T03:36:56.110 | # Question
Title: What techniques are needed to minimise layer separation after filament change?
I have been trying to make some small signs, and to highlight the text by changing between black and white filament at a layer just above where the text comes out of the back plate.
I've used Cura 4.12 and the "change filament" script to make the printer pause at the right layer. The change and purge process works fine, no issue there.
However the second colour adheres poorly to the first. Doesn't matter if I print Black then White, or White then Black. Both filaments are the same brand.
* Should I dab gluestick into the print at the same time as changing colour? (read on)
* Is there some way to re-preheat the object and get a better adhesion?
To save the print I've used superglue to stick the letters back on that have fallen off, but is definitely not ideal.
---
Here's an example:
The loose letters are held on well enough for printing, but only barely. They can knock loose at a touch of a finger afterward.
I have tried changing filament on the first layer that is not the back board, and one or two layers up the letters. One print I even changed filament a layer too low, and surprisingly that did not have adhesion problems. Perhaps it is merely a function of surface contact area ?
Gluestick on the exposed surface while changing filament was useless - the whole thing simply didn't stick and the second colour never got any adhesion at all, merely wiping off.
As for timing, it seems to make little difference if I'm there waiting for the last layer to print, or if I let the printer sit for half an hour before noticing and changing colour. The bed stays hot at 50 degrees, and the hot end is permitted to cool off.
There is a heating cycle, and then a purge/discharge-into-air that shows the transition between colours, so its not that the filament has lost a prime.
At the moment, a much more effective solution is to use a paint marker and colour-in the top layer with a contrasting colour.
# Answer
It might be worth a try to manually kick the flow rate setting up 5-10 % and temperature about 5 °C for the first layer after the filament change, then returning to the original settings. Consider too killing or reducing the cooling fan speed for the first layer only. The benefit of a skirt to get things flowing is not available when starting on the second color.
Another approach would be to make the letter-layer a negative image so it would be more of a flat, contiguous piece with letter shaped holes in it. Printing time and filament usage would both be somewhat higher, however, unless the thickness of the letter-layer was reduced. It would only need to be a few layers thick.
Color order could be changed with this method too if black letters on a white field is the desired scheme.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I never had layer separation when changing filament to a different color. Even with three different colors within the same print. Or five layers of two different layers.
Both filaments should be made of the same material, for instance PLA. The filaments should be printable with the same settings. A test print should work well with both filaments.
Try a print with a pause and a simulated filament change. Printing with the same filament before and after the pause. You may try different durations of the pause. Is there layer separation even with a very short pause?
> 3 votes
# Answer
Most of your settings will not change with changing filament, if the new filament is the same material and OEM as the old. The main settings to check after changing the filament are the initial z-height and planarization of the bed. If the z-height is too high the first few layers may not stick together well.
If you change filament materials or OEM, change the settings to match the new material. The layers may have trouble sticking together if the extrusion temperature is too low.
> 1 votes
# Answer
After much fiddling about, the only positive conclusion I could come up with was to not make the letters too thin. A chunky thick letter has more surface area to adhere, whereas a thin spidery letter is too fragile.
So print fewer words on each label, make the words more-bold, and if they still fall off after printing then CA glue/superglue is good enough to hold them together.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, ultimaker-cura, adhesion, change-filament
--- |
thread-18938 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18938 | Can you use OctoPrint on an Ender 5 pro with the stock firmware? | 2022-02-16T08:53:46.320 | # Question
Title: Can you use OctoPrint on an Ender 5 pro with the stock firmware?
Is it possible to use OctoPrint with an Ender 5 Pro that is still using the factory default firmware (any version) from Creality, or is changing the firmware an absolute pre requisite for even basic functionality.
This is for a situation where there are a dozen Ender 5 printers on lease hire, and no unauthorised modifications are permitted.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Yes, OctoPrint is a print server which works independently from the controller board hardware. It simply sends commands to the printer. If you have a USB socket on the controller board and know the communication speed you can connect the printer to OctoPrint.
It will not work if the printer has a faulty or no USB connection. From an internet search it appears that the economical Ender hardware does have some issues with USB, but in theory you should be able to connect.
You only need to flash the Ender 5 controller board if you want to use Klipper firmware and use the OctoPrint Klipper plugin.
Here is a video showing how to setup OctoPrint in conjunction with an Ender 5:
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Tags: firmware, creality-ender-5, octoprint
--- |
thread-18940 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18940 | Is resin printing correct for my needs & limitations? | 2022-02-16T18:23:28.403 | # Question
Title: Is resin printing correct for my needs & limitations?
I'm considering buying my first 3D printer. The only place in my house where I have enough space is the garage, and I fear a PLA printer will suffer from the possible temperature differences I may have there.
For this reason (And also the fact that it seems smoother) i'm considering buying a resin printer (like the Elegoo Mars), but I wanted to know if the fact it will be in a garage could be a bad idea? I imagine resin printing is far less sensible to temperature variations, but I may be wrong.
I will only print as a hobby, probably some figurines for me and my kids to paint, or small hardware pieces / boxes for electronic components.
# Answer
## Resin likes it warm and dark
Resins increase in viscosity at low temperatures, so having low temperatures may have bad effects on the prints. However, Resin also likes it dark, so if your garage has a temperature above about 10 °C and is dry enough to prevent condensation, then your garage would be a good place.
## Figurines and high detail models are a common use case for resin
It is near impossible to print miniatures for wargaming and similar in FDM, but resin printers are a very common type for this use case. Similarly, Cosplay props with a very high detail grade can benefit from being printed in resin, either directly or as an intermediate step to create a mold.
With the proper equipment, one could make flexible molds to cast wax positives which then can be used with the lost-wax-technique to create many high detailed metal copies of the printed first positive.
## Containers are a possible use case for resin
Resin prints are more brittle than FDM prints. While limited in size, such containers, just as much as casings for electronics, are a possible usecase. In fact, replacement casings for retro electronics (think SNES controllers or N64 Cartridges during restoration projects) are somewhat common, even though they have not the same sturdiness as the original ABS casings. Here, the high detail grade makes the cut.
## Tooling is a poor use case
Resin prints are very brittle and have little to no ductile movement. While I have used FDM-printed parts from PLA in a few projects to make adapters between machines and my shop vacuum as well as to create an aluminium bending tool, resin printed parts with their near to no flexibility are generally a poor use case to create hardware or tooling from.
> 4 votes
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Tags: resin
--- |
thread-7836 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7836 | What do you use to keep your blue tape from lifting? | 2018-12-31T20:52:16.257 | # Question
Title: What do you use to keep your blue tape from lifting?
I have a few issues with the blue tape, which I'm trying out for the first time.
The tape seems to warp, bubble and lift from the aluminum plate when it heats and cools and during printing. I put some clips on it, but not sure if this is standard.
It also seems the print is lifting off the tape itself (bottom left corner). I applied some magigoo glue to it. Maybe I shouldn't have done that.
I feel like this print isn't going to make it...
I'm printing with a Monoprice Select V2, with AmazonBasics ABS with 100 °C bed and 250 °C extruder temperature, at 15 mm/s initial layer speed and 60 mm/s print speed sliced with Ultimaker Cura.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Your printer has a build-tac clone surface. Blue tape does not stick well to that: you would get better results printing directly to the Build-Tac clone.
Painter's tape I use only on a flat surface: it works well directly on glass, aluminium or an unheated fiberglass surface, but you absolutely need to include its thickness in the leveling.
# Answer
> 4 votes
The tape probably would stick better to the Aluminum bed than the BuildTak clone sheet you have as it would have had more surface area to bond to.
What I found that works best is to print on the bare aluminum bed using a PVA based spray, this can be hairspray or a specific 3D printer product like 3DLAC, or just glue stick. I ditched tape after day one (for reasons you mention) and solely print on aluminium or on glass without a problem, sometimes it sticks too well and the bed needs to cool down to room temperature before I can remove the print. This has been described as an answer to: Should you use hairspray on a metal bed 3D printer?.
Removing the BuildTak clone sheet may be quite laborious if a very sticky adhesive is used (it took me a long time and lots of solvents to remove the goo/glue from a PEI sheet I used once) it is better to try and print on the BuildTak sheet, maybe use PVA based (hair)spray or glue stick.
Furthermore, ABS is more difficult to print than PLA or PETG. Printing ABS is difficult because of the relative large shrinkage when the filament cools. It therefore requires careful heat management (no part cooling, no draft, enclosure, etc.). This filament needs a good surface to build on and requires brims, "mouse ears", adhesive spray or glue to get the first layer to stick and not curl up. Tape at temperatures of 100 °C will become soft and loose its power to stick. Kapton tape might work better.
# Answer
> 2 votes
My Dad uses prittstick on the bed before the print and the bed keeps the prittstick just abbout the right temp for it to stick.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Old thread, but I have a direct answer to the specific question asked. This is a technique I haven't seen documented elsewhere and works quite well for me.
* Clean glass plate with an isopropyl alcohol swab - allow to air dry thoroughly.
* Apply blue tape (two best known, big-name brands work best) to glass plate assuring no overlaps - slight gaps OK.
* Put the plate on the heated bed, tape side down.
* Turn bed heat on to 50 °C for about 3 minutes.
* Quickly remove the plate and firmly roll the entire surface of the tape with a wallpaper seam roller while the tape adhesive is still warm.
* Proceed normally, with or without a glue stick on the tape.
# Answer
> 1 votes
While the other answers are correct, I would say that another correct answer is: you don't keep it from lifting up.
If it lifts up it means that the part is warping significantly, and blue tape has never been meant to deal with those.
Blue tape was introduced in the 3D printing when PLA took over ABS (like 8-10 years ago), therefore specifically because with PLA you didn't incur in the warping ABS had.
If the part is curling up, go for better solutions. You already have the PEI, so use that one.
If you print ABS with an open printer, which is totally possible, you should ditch the blue tape and check my other answer.
# Answer
> 0 votes
The absolute best way to solve sticking problem is Overture build surface. I could not get anything to stick. Got a free build sheet when I bought some filament from them. What a difference, everything sticks now, just clean with alcohol between uses.
---
Tags: adhesion, build-plate, monoprice-maker-select, masking-tape
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thread-18948 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18948 | OpenSCAD can't render union of two polyhedrons, but can preview just fine | 2022-02-18T03:52:43.093 | # Question
Title: OpenSCAD can't render union of two polyhedrons, but can preview just fine
I am running into what honestly seems like a bug in OpenSCAD, but I can't believe that something so simple could reveal a bug. I am trying to render the following code:
```
module tri_prism(base1, base2) {
polyhedron([
base1[0], base1[1], base1[2],
base2[0], base2[1], base2[2]],
[[0,1,2],[3,4,5],
[0,1,4,3],[1,2,5,4],[2,0,3,5]],
convexity=5);
}
union() {
tri_prism(
[[0,0,0],[0,1,0],[1,0,0]],
[[0,0,1],[0,1,1],[1,0,1]]);
tri_prism(
[[2,1,0],[2,0,0],[1,1,0]],
[[2,1,1],[2,0,1],[1,1,1]]);
}
```
This should render two (non-overlapping) triangular prisms, like so:
However, this image is only the preview. When I hit `F6`, it renders this, with only the triangular bases being rendered:
And the console shows this warning, which I don't know the meaning of because I am a beginner:
```
UI-WARNING: Object may not be a valid 2-manifold and may need repair!
```
Each of the prisms individually renders just fine, but the two of them together don't. Also, it is not merely a problem of appearance since exporting it as STL and opening it in Cura, I see the same useless nonsense.
Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong? And if it is a bug, how do I work around it?
# Answer
This is a case of "Mis-ordered faces".
That means the order in which the vertices making up one or more faces aren't in the correct order. The vertices of a face should be listed in clockwise order from the perspective of a camera looking at the face form the exterior of the polyhedron.
In this case, the problem can be solved by reordering the `[0,1,2]` face of the `tri_prism` polyhedron as, for example, `[0,2,1]`.
The misordered face(s) can be found by enabling the **Thrown Together** option from the **View** menu and **Preview**ing. The faces in question will be shown in magenta.
Why, then, if the faces are mis-ordered, did the prisms render just fine individually? My guess is that faces have to be properly ordered to be sure to get a correct Render. The behavior of Render is simply indeterminate for polyhedra with misordered faces. It can work in some situations, but it's not guaranteed.
Edit: I forgot to add that, in my opinion, this shouldn't be an issue, and that if it's such a big problem for the Rendering subroutine, it should intelligently reorder the mis-ordered faces in a prelude. It would avoid beginners such needless troubles.
> 10 votes
---
Tags: openscad
--- |
thread-3591 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3591 | I am using a stereo 3D pen. What surface should I use? | 2017-02-14T11:25:55.430 | # Question
Title: I am using a stereo 3D pen. What surface should I use?
Using a 3D pen I printed a small box. However, I was doing it on plain paper and of course the paper didn't come off the plastic very well. It didn't matter for that specific case, but if I want to print something else, which non-sticky surface would you recommend? Is there any way to use transparent surface (so that I can put a paper with picture as a guide under it)?
# Answer
You could use a piece of glass, that's what most people using 3D printers have as a build surface. An easy source of glass for pen use would be a picture frame but the edges are likely sharp so be careful. Acrylic would also work and is easily obtained in small pieces from places like Lowes/Home Depot, I used Acrylic for some time on my Kossel. The plastic can stick to Acrylic very well but I had no issues using it with my printer, just test it out and see what process works if you go that route.
> 5 votes
# Answer
Someone trying to get a surface to not stick. This is a first. I would try glass first. If you still have issues, I would look into coated surface, like an old tefflon pan (do not cook with PLA residue). I would suggest oil but you might start a fire..
> 0 votes
# Answer
You might want to experiment using Kapton tape. Although it's yellow-coloured, it is transparent and provides a good surface for hit-bed adhesion. You should be able to remove it from your print by flexing it.
Attaching it to your paper sheet is a one-way process, but you can use guide marks on the paper below.
> 0 votes
# Answer
I use parchment paper, the kind that you buy on sheets for baking.
It come off nicely but there are adhesion problems if you want to do sharp corners.
I prefer using ordinary printer paper for that. You can simply soak any scraps of paper off in a sink.
> 0 votes
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Tags: build-surface
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thread-18943 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18943 | Converting .print file to STL | 2022-02-17T14:28:37.807 | # Question
Title: Converting .print file to STL
Hi I am trying to obtain the STL for the automatically generated support structure for a part that has been 3D printed, is there any way of doing this from the GrabCAD .print file? Or any work-arounds?
# Answer
> 1 votes
STL files represent solid objects as triangles covering a surface.
Most support structures are not solid objects, but thin walls whose size depends on the diameter of your nozzle, and in some cases, calling them walls is generous.
Support structure is usually generated at the slicer level, which generates images of layers or gcode tool paths, and it does not make sense to translate that back into an STL.
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Tags: stl, grabcad-print
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thread-18954 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18954 | Issues with layer changes/z-seam | 2022-02-18T18:59:54.770 | # Question
Title: Issues with layer changes/z-seam
I have a Creality cr-10 printer. Everything is stock except for the direct drive extrusion system (I bought a conversion kit from Micro Swiss).
I have been working to dial in my settings, and I think they are almost there, with a few exceptions. There seems to be roughness/blobs at the layer transitions on my prints. This was present before my conversion to the direct drive system as well. I calibrated the steps/mm after the change as well. What settings should I focus on to try to get rid of this? Or is it some sort of mechanical issue? I've included some example pictures:
# Answer
> 0 votes
From your pictures, the blobs are (at least mostly) not at layer changes but at *speed changes* where the toolhead has to drastically slow down and speed back up to go around a sharp corner (including as a special case a corner in the Z direction, i.e. a layer change). This happens because, when the toolhead slows down, there is still pressure in the nozzle due to forces that cause the plastic to resist being extruded to a degree that scales with the speed of extrusion.
The right solution to this problem is enabling and calibrating Linear Advance, which directly models and compensates for the phenomenon. Unfortunately, most printers including yours are still shipping with firmware too old to have this feature, or built without including it. So, your options are:
1. Update to firmware with linear advance and calibrate it. The factor for PLA on a direct drive is likely to be around 0.04-0.06. This is the best solution but might be unnerving if you're not comfortable with making that kind of change to your printer.
2. Print at lower speeds, so that there's less difference between the cruise speed and the speed at/near the corners.
3. Print at higher acceleration/jerk, so that the decel/accel cycle at corners happens much faster giving less time for the residual pressure to push out more material.
Some of the issues in your pictures, however, look similar to "blobs" but apppear to be warping/curling from insufficient cooling or excess bed temperature. These are the ones in the first few mm of the print, below the lettering on the back (the lettering clearly has actual blobs). Using a lower bed temperature or even unheated bed, and/or improving your cooling (replacing the part cooling fan with a larger one, or pointing a desk fan at the printer during printing) should make these issues go away. You can probably also avoid it by printing significantly slower, or possibly by reconfiguring your slicer to print the outer wall first, before inner walls.
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Tags: print-quality, creality-cr-10, direct-drive
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thread-18918 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18918 | PLA not sticking to the build plate | 2022-02-13T12:28:30.613 | # Question
Title: PLA not sticking to the build plate
I have an Anycubic Chiron printer and use Ultimaker Cura for slicing. Recently I printed a simple clip, had no problems whatsoever.
I have since upgraded Cura to the latest version, and now the PLA will not stick to the build plate. The printer will make 3 passes whilst printing the brim, then it all collects into a ball. I have checked the level, all is OK, I have increased the temperatures, with the EO now at 225 °C (was 200 °C) and the bed at 75 °C (was 60 °C)
Does anyone know how much or what was changed by Ultimaker in the latest upgrade?
# Answer
> 2 votes
I don't think it's because of Cura. You can try if it still works with the older version.
Otherwise, clean your print bed with isopropanol before printing to remove residues or level again. Without pictures of the condition of the print bed or the first layer, it is difficult to help.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Have tried all the possible answers and found the older version of Cura works better with the Chiron. The printer is 3 months old, bed is cleaned after each print.
I then tried the new Cura version again but with glue for adhesion, that works. It seems that it is changing the bed temperature, and using a lower default. Have tried changing the bed temperature in the software before slicing, but found I have to manually set the temperature on the printer, I have been using the generic settings for the PLA, as the ones I have (E-DA) are not in the selection or in the market place. TPU and PETG are printing fine.
Will have to determine the optimum set-up and create my own defaults.
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Tags: pla, ultimaker
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thread-18932 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18932 | How do you make a new CR-10 Smart do auto bed-levelling? | 2022-02-15T02:54:12.907 | # Question
Title: How do you make a new CR-10 Smart do auto bed-levelling?
I have just bought a Creality CR-10 Smart 3D printer, and - as part of the rite of passage of newbies - I am struggling with getting a usable initial layer. Whilst trying to make sense of what I was seeing in the net and correlating it with what I was experiencing with my printer, I thought to check the printer's credentials (I had assumed it was a recent model). However, looking at the information on the LED screen, I see:
| | |
| --- | --- |
| Machine type | CR-10 Smart |
| Firmware version | HW 1.0.6 |
| Screen version | T18 |
| Hardware version | DWIN 4.3 |
Can anyone comment on whether this is recent or ancient? Is it a V1 or a V2?
As a software engineer of several decades standing, but a complete newbie to 3D printing, I'm suffering from culture shock, and I'm struggling to understand why my printer doesn't just work "out of the box" like my line printers do.
I find it particularly difficult sorting out the information about Creality's various CR-10\* models, partly because of the naming conventions, but chiefly because my CR-10 Smart doesn't look like any that I have seen referred to anywhere in the net. I was told that the CR-10 Smart had auto bed levelling (ABL) built in, but when I search for `CR-10S ABL` I only find stuff about add-ons like BLTouch, and nothing about the CR-10 Smart with built-in ABL.
Add into the mix the now traditional Internet problem that the date of web pages and whether they are still relevant is often unclear.
Then I found a Youtube video by WillCaddy, which suggested that CR-10S printers with Creality firmware do not have ABL enabled, and that to get functioning ABL you had to install TH3D.
Is this true?
If anyone can help me with any of this, I would be very grateful. I am working my way slowly through Michael Laws' excellent "Teaching Tech" channel, but I'm impatient...
# Answer
> 3 votes
@0scar asked me to post this answer and accept it (see the comment above). I'll try to describe everything I did, most of which helped a little bit but didn't really solve the problem. Bear in mind that I'm a complete newbie to 3D printing.
1. Although I knew my printer was a Creality, I didn't know that a CR-10 Smart is not the same thing as a CR-10S. Mine is a CR-10 Smart.
2. I upgraded the firmware from 1.0.7 to 1.0.10. I managed to brick the computer entirely doing this, but I managed to fix it in the end. I found this post particularly helpful whilst doing this.
3. I used OctoPrint's Bed Visualizer to update the mesh for my printer's ABL. The mesh is stored in EEPROM, so this doesn't have to be done often.
4. I didn't understand how OctoPrint's Bed Visualizer managed to produce the shape for the print plate that it did, so I checked the bolts under the glass plate, discovered they were loose, tightened them up, re-ran the mesh generation and got a considerably more plausible plate geometry.
5. I discovered that Creality Slicer (a variant of Cura) does not include `G29` or `M420 S1` in the G-code that it generates by default for the CR-10 Smart, so I added `M420 S1` to the printer's machine settings which tells it to use the mesh stored by Bed Visualizer.
6. I have been following Teaching Tech's 3D Printer Calibration and, after upgrading the firmware, I started setting up my first layer generation and got a reasonable result. At this point I thought the problem was solved.
7. I celebrated by printing a 3D Benchy, but that was a sobering experience and I returned to Teaching Tech.
8. The next step in Teaching Tech's 3D Printer Calibration that I tried was temperature tuning. That was a complete disaster, so I moved on to retraction tuning, since the Benchy had lots of stringing. Retraction tuning was also disastrous, so I decided to stand back and think a bit.
9. For some reason I looked more closely at my printer's nozzle. For some reason, I assumed 0.4 mm was a kind of standard for a hot end nozzle, so I was using that in my settings, also because I thought my printer had a 0.4 mm nozzle. However, closer examination revealed that the nozzle is at least 1.0 mm, if not 1.5 mm. Not surprisingly, once I told the slicer the correct nozzle size, printing improved dramatically.
In the meantime, I believe that my basic problem was always the nozzle size, though – as you can see above – there were a number of other things that I corrected on the way.
So now @0scar and I believe that the problem addressed in the title has been solved, and – in accordance with @0scar's wishes – I will accept my answer, though his input was instrumental in finding the solution.
I shall now devote myself to the rest of Teaching Tech's 3D Printer Calibration.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Leveling (actually scanning the surface) can be done manually prior to executing a print job.
From the graphical interface you can command the Automatic Bed Leveling on the CR-10 Smart (Settings -\> Level):
It appears that the print head is sensitive to the pressure the head (nozzle) exerts to the build surface.
The procedure start in the middle of the bed for you to determine the nozzle to touch the build surface. The printer will then proceed the scanning of the surface (25 point in the video<sup>1)</sup>). This procedure is done prior to printing a print job and stores the scanned surface into memory. Unless you hit the gantry, put extreme pressure on the build surface or move the printer to a different location, this scanned level should at least last for several prints. Alternatively, you could add G-code `G29` to your start G-code which will cause it to scan the surface before each print, see for details Using auto-bed leveling, do I need to initiate G29 before every print?.
So far, this is how it is supposed to work! Does it actually work?
According to this review,
it clearly does not compensate for the surface geometry. The reviewer hints that this is "not optimized or not activated in the firmware".
> to get functioning ABL you had to install TH3D.
> Is this true?
So activating this requires a firmware update to become active. From a notice by Creality on this leveling issue:
> After receiving feedback from a number of users regarding the leveling capabilities of the CR-10 SMART 3d printer, Creality's product researchers quickly responded with an update to the CR-10 SMART firmware.Following are the Tips for better leveling.
> One-click upgrade to the latest firmware version v1.0.10.
it appears that it is fixed if you update to the firmware version v1.0.10 released at 10 Sept., 2021.
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<sup>1)</sup> *It is not advised to do a 25 point scanning of the surface before each print, this takes about 3 minutes. These higher scanning grid points meshes are useful for once in a while scanning. The validity of the use of 25 point is also up for debate, the build surface is glass which is inherently flat due to its production process, less points may work as well to scan the print plane/mesh.*
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Tags: bed-leveling, creality-cr-10
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thread-13776 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/13776 | How to prevent model from peeling off of resin printer buildplate during print? | 2020-05-29T09:20:40.480 | # Question
Title: How to prevent model from peeling off of resin printer buildplate during print?
Recently I have started using a fairly large LCD resin printer. (Yidimu Falcon Pro) It has a fairly large 260x160mm perforated and coated steel build plate and a decent dual rail Z axis with a ballscrew. It has a 10" LCD. It prints ChiTuBox files from a USB stick.
I have been having a mostly successful print, at good quality, but the bed adhesion keeps haunting me. The best print on this machine had parts curling up from the build plate, however most of the print succeeded.
* Two times I have had a very well adhering raft, however delamination occured directly after the raft.
* Usually the left side lifts from the bed while the model stays on the build plate.
I have tried:
Changing resin (tried Druckwerk Pro D Black and Anycubic Black)
* Decreasing lift speed
* Increasing lift distance
* Increasing bottom layer exposure time (from 60 to 180, as suggested by Druckwerck supplier)
* Increasing bottom layer count to 9
* Using a large raft
* Using a very large raft
* Using a very small raft
* Leveling build plate without vat in place, using paper
* Leveling build plate while keeping vat in place
What would be a good next troubleshooting step?
# Answer
looks like you have done a lot of work to try to get it working.
considering you are having issues on one side of the build plate my thought is that it is a levelling issue or an issue with the plate itself. Try levelling it using the video "Getting Started: Leveling the Build Plate" it's for a different printer but pay attention to the part where he goes over making sure the left and right sides are level and how to check that. I had a problem like yours, and the issue was that as I tightened the screw to keep the build plate in the levelled position I ended up causing it to move. I made the same mistake a few times before realizing that I was messing it up the same way every time because I'm right-handed. after realizing that it was easier to fix.
If the issue is the build plate it's self it may be a matter of it not being flat (unlikely), Or not providing a good bonding surface. if the latter I suggest you do some research and decide for yourself as there are a lot of dividing views on how to fix that issue.
It also looks like you are having issues with the print after the bottom layers. It could be caused but the separation issue but it could be that you just need to increase your exposure time for your non-bottom layers
> 2 votes
# Answer
I had an issue with my Vat Bolts, one being cracked and leveling at a greater tension than the other. With the compressible feet of my Vat this caused a problem in the FEP. This was enough to cause failure on one side more than the other. Cause was verified by switching the left and right knobs, thus shifting the failures to the opposite side of the print.
Just a thought.
> 0 votes
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Tags: sla, resin
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thread-18960 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18960 | How Do I Determine The Appropriate Magnet Strength For A Tight Seal On A Box | 2022-02-20T22:28:43.913 | # Question
Title: How Do I Determine The Appropriate Magnet Strength For A Tight Seal On A Box
I want to use magnets to hold the lid of a box down tight enough to keep it relatively airtight (along with a rubber seal etc.), but I am not sure what strength of magnet to use, that will still allow it to be opened without causing damage either by having to be pried open or by crushing the print layers. I cannot seem to find any guide to how magnets are used for 3d printing at various strengths and I cannot afford to buy too many types that I am not then going to use.
Any help that you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
# Answer
You can vary the “strength” of the magnet by making a membrane of 3D printed plastic in between the magnets. The strength of the attraction is something like a logarithmic relationship to distance- small changes in thickness of material in between the magnets have a large effect on how strong they stick to each other. You could dial in your print by buying strong rare earth magnets and experimenting with attenuating the strength with the membrane. Could even use sheets of paper to get the right feel, then measure the thickness of the stack.
If using an fdm printer, it could be helpful to insert the magnets with a pause in the printing, and print over the top, if there isn’t a good way to otherwise capture them.
> 3 votes
# Answer
I had a similar experience using magnets to hold two plates together. Currently also building a device (3d-printed) that clamps together with magnets. For both of these scenarios, I typically start by looking at what size and force you need. I would look into maybe 3 options of different magnets to start with. It could be in the range of 0.6 lbs, 4lbs and 6lbs. Do you know how much the "opening force" would be? As in what would keep it opening? If its substantial, I could see more the 6lbs but this is a very very very rough estimate that honestly would be best supported with trying a few ranges of magnets first. Try McMasterCarr if you're in the US. They have affordable sized magnets that I've worked with, ranging from different sizes, thicknesses and magnetic forces.
> 1 votes
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Tags: 3d-design
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thread-18944 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18944 | Advanced Delta Printer Calibration Question | 2022-02-17T17:56:02.920 | # Question
Title: Advanced Delta Printer Calibration Question
Specs: Printer Configuration: Delta Firmware: Marlin 2.x Probe: Conductive nozzle (Verified repeatable 0.01 mm accuracy)
I'm working on calibrating my delta printer to 0.01 mm +/- 0.02 accuracy. Every guide I see either says "run G33 that should be good enough" (news flash it isn't lol) or they reference this Advanced Delta Calibration tool.
Which relies on your filament/nozzle diameter/flow rate/temperature to all be exactly precise (which isn't physically possible if we're talking about differences small enough to affect dimension calculations in some way).
I'm essentially looking for a precision tuning guide for a "delta robot with a probe" rather than one for a "delta 3D printer". Does a guide like this exist?
If not, maybe you guys have calculations that may help. Right now I'm working on tower angles and individual rod offsets using this script.
It probes towers and opposite towers in the order of: Z-ZY-Y-YX-X-XZ-Center.
With a loosely leveled bed (+/- 0.05 mm @ towers) and a `G33 P2` I get probe values:
**Z: -0.08**
**ZY: -0.21**
**Y: -0.01**
**YX 0.23**
**X: 0.02**
**XZ: -0.66**
**C: 0.01**
Which is essentially a "tilted pringle" shape which can be visualized here with this input.
Just wondering what to do about inaccuracies in the diagonals. Is there a formula for tower angle/rod length based on probe points? And if not is there a more accurate way of doing this that doesn't involve printing something?
# Answer
I designed and built both a full Stewart platform, 6-dof router, and a "delta" style, constrained Stewart platform 3D printer with 3-dof.
For the 6-dof machine, I postulated a set of error variables and used simulated annealing to find a good estimate of the error values. Those error values were inputs to the kinematics and gave much better results.
For the 3-dof machine, I found it difficult to calibrate love the whole 18" diameter print bed, and decided that a real fit may not be worth the trouble. Instead, I mapped the surface using a probe, and fit an error function to that data.
After trying a few methods of measuring the bed surface, I settled on using a strain gauge to measure nozzle contact. I had tried electrical contact, IR parallax sensors, and inductive sensors, but all had unfortunate ways to give bad measurements. A strain gauge worked better, although it, too, is subject to problems if there is debris on the bed, or plastic that flows through the nozzle.
When I make my next set of changes to the 3-dof delta 3D printer, given the superior sensing of the strain gauge, I may go back to a scheme of estimating error variables.
There are a lot of potential errors, all of which affect a delta machine's ability to know where the Z=0 cartesian plane lies. Any positioning error of the joints, any error in the spacing between joints, any racking of the printer structure, and any non-orthogonal-to-the-bed movements of the top joints will give you various compound cup and disk errors. Even the uncertainty of the home sensors adds an expected curved error to what should be the Z=0 cartesian plane.
My experience has been that the most important thing in 3D printing -- knowing exactly where the bed is and maintaining a uniform height for the first layer -- is the hardest thing to get right with a delta machine.
> 2 votes
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Tags: calibration, delta
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thread-18957 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18957 | New Ender 3 Pro Thermal Runaway | 2022-02-19T20:54:35.933 | # Question
Title: New Ender 3 Pro Thermal Runaway
I just assembled my Ender 3 last night, this is my first printer and I’m new to this all. After about 10-15 minutes into printing it consistently gives me a thermal runaway error. Any help would be appreciated.
The (part cooling) fan is spinning.
# Answer
Thermal runaway occurs when the hotend is on, but the sensor does not pickup any temperature increase. In many cases the thermistor is broken or the connection is bad. A friend of mine had the thermistor broken on his Ender 3 pro. It worked sometimes and sometimes not. Buy a new thermistor.(a few $ only) and replace it to be sure.
> 0 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, thermal-runaway
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thread-18975 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18975 | What cause the pattern in a large area? | 2022-02-22T18:22:08.747 | # Question
Title: What cause the pattern in a large area?
Every time I print a large area I get the pattern in the middle.
Below picture was taken during printing. The material isn't evenly laid flat on the bed and some are being scraped up.
It appears from some centimeters away from the edge and extends perpendicular to the nozzle moving direction.
The pattern appears at the similar position when I print the same model again.
It's a delta printer. Print PETG on glass bed at 75 °C.
**Update**:
After adjusting delta height to add clearance, the first layer is super clean without any wave.
# Answer
> 1 votes
The wavy lay down on the first layer usually indicates one of two problems:
* The first layer is badly calibrated (too much distance, laying down in waves or too little, squeezing out in waves).
* The plastic doesn't stick to the bed well enough.
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Tags: print-quality, petg, delta
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thread-16210 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/16210 | Ender 5 Plus - does not level, the Z axis goes down, always | 2021-04-28T16:18:48.587 | # Question
Title: Ender 5 Plus - does not level, the Z axis goes down, always
My Ender 5 Plus (original) does not perform leveling.
After the self-leveling command, the Z axis only descends. I have already exchanged the BLTouch three times, and the problem remains unchanged.
I bought my E5P in December, in America, to bring it to Brazil, I had to completely dismantle it.
Machine reassembled, I start work again, everything works very well. But, one day, I made the mistake of stopping an impression (due to problems with the appearance of the piece) and, before removing the piece from the bed, I pressed the HOME command, which caused the hotend/BLTouch to rest on the printed part, forcing the whole mechanism.
Well, I changed the BLTouch and the problems really started.
When I send the leveling command, the Z-axis behaves erratically, going down instead of returning to the beginning and, with each command, it goes down more and more.
I changed the leveler again, the problem persisted, I disassembled piece by piece, wiped a general cleaning, applied a clean solution to contacts all over the electronics, reassembled, reinstalled the firmware (Version 1.71.0 KF), and everything went back to work.
Yesterday, I sent a piece for printing (PLA nozzle 1.00 mm, layer 0.36 mm, speed 100 mm/s, infill 40 %), and left for my morning walk. When I returned, there was a huge ball of melted material, adhered to the hotend, again more problems. I disassembled the entire hotend, carried out the total cleaning, reassembled it, and let's go back to work.
Leveling OK, there was a problem with the thermistor and the heating of the nozzle, I changed the thermistor and the heater cartridge (taking the opportunity, since several times the system had heating problems, when the temperature should be above 230 °C / 446 °F). Everything ready, come on...
* Leveling problem has returned.
* BLTouch exchange done, nothing done
* Loading the firmware again, nothing done
* Review of connections, nothing done
The Z-axis continues to descend, not responding to commands, and in the Pronterface the message appears:
```
Error: STOP called because of BLTouch error - restart with M999
Error: STOP called because of BLTouch error - restart with M999
```
I've already exchanged BLTouch 2 times and it didn't work out. I have 2 inductive levelers here, maybe the solution is to install them and forget the BLTouch, or do the leveling manually.
Questions:
1. Has anyone had this kind of problem with the printer? If so, what is the solution?
2. removing the leveler and performing manual leveling, has anyone tried this? What changes in Marlin need to be made?
3. Does the replacement of the BLTouch by an inductive sensor imply in what firmware changes? Is there a tutorial about it?
I appreciate any help you can get from friends
# Answer
I had the same problem with my Ender 5 Plus.
There is a small set screw at the top of the BLTouch you will need to tighten this in to adjust the location of the sensor pin. Keep screwing it more and more until you see it initialize reliably that is it should move out and back twice to initialize.
When the BLTouch initializes correctly then the leveling can be completed.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I had the same issue. The probe for the BL touch was just stuck.
I manually pulled it out and tightened the screw and then the problem was fixed.
> -1 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-5
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thread-18987 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18987 | Swapping magnitized bed plates? | 2022-02-23T16:58:51.587 | # Question
Title: Swapping magnitized bed plates?
I print a lot of stuff, and I was thinking I could get several magnetic bed-plates and when 1 print is done simply have my wife pull the plate off and stick on clean plate and start the print again. But a friend of mine says that won't work. Because even if the plates are made by the same manufacturer you can't guarantee the bed will be level. 〰
Has anyone ever tried this?
# Answer
> 3 votes
It is a question of quality:
You better make sure that your plates are the same thickness evenly, and level very similarly. If that can be assured, they can be swapped easily.
In case you have a bed leveling sensor of some sort, you might include a whole bed-leveling cycle in front of every print and exchange between numerous beds, even of slightly variant thicknesses and with dings.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Yes ,I was also facing the same problem couples of month ago and to solution I had buyed extra plates and **It works perfectly** . Go for the extra beds and buy only from the same manufacturer.
Hope your get your answer
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Tags: bed-leveling
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thread-3519 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3519 | How to Make Use of 3 mm Filaments? | 2017-02-03T14:02:49.840 | # Question
Title: How to Make Use of 3 mm Filaments?
I'm not really sure if I'm asking the right question here, but I just made a noob mistake of buying 3 mm filaments instead of 1.75 mm. I have a Makerbot Replicator 2 which I've been using and so far it is pulling in 1.75 mm quite well.
Is there any way I can still make use the 3 mm filaments, or do I need to use the filaments on different models? If it is the latter, which particular model is able to pull in 3 mm filament well?
# Answer
This is not a definitive answer (and has turned into a ramble), as I have not yet had to change my filament size.
However, initially, I would have thought that only the hotend and the hotend's nozzle would need to be changed, from one that can handle the 1.75 mm filament to 3 mm. If the extruder is spring loaded, then it should adjust itself to the thicker filament, without a problem. If not, then you may have to do a slight manual adjustment.
However, after doing some further reading, there may be other factors that need to be considered, such as:
* Extruder gearing;
* Melt time (which would imply a different feed rate)
It could be worth having a close look at the aperture of your hotend. If, in the unlikely situation, it looks as if the hotend would accept 3 mm (or if you could remove the lining so that it can), you *may* not need to actually change any hardware, but instead just try tweeking the **feedrate** in the software, because as your nozzle is less than the width of the filament anyway, then it will be fine for both 1.75 mm *and* 3 mm. A 3 mm filament would require more heating, and therefore a slower feedrate than a 1.75 mm feedrate. Once the filament has melted, so long as the pressure from the extruder is sufficient, then the molten filament should come out of the nozzle. However, this may be a less than satisafctory method and result in some dubious prints.
There is an interesting thread on the RepRap wiki, 1.75mm Filament vs 3mm Filament, that discusses most of the points above.
It should be noted that the advantages of 3 mm filament has over 1.75 mm are that it is:
* cheaper
* stiffer (less flexible) and thus "easier" to push through the hotend.
As an aside, one interesting point raised in the thread, is that maybe a smaller extruder can be used, for the narrower 1.75 mm filament, thus resulting in a lighter print head. I am not sure how true that is.
This article, Converting a 3D printer from 3mm to 1.75mm, does the reverse of what you want, and comes with a video. It states that, as you have already found, that the hotend needs to be changed:
> The printer \[Thomas\] is changing out to accept 1.75mm is the Lulzbot Mini, one of the most popular printers that would ever need this modification. The only required materials is a new hot end suitable for 1.75mm filament, a 4mm drill, and a few wrenches and allen keys. It would be a smart idea to get a hot end that uses the same thermistor as the old one, but that’s not a deal-breaker as the problem can be fixed in the firmware.
Alternatively, you could leave your printer as it is and use a 3mm to 1.75mm filament converter, which may be a bit of overkill for just one reel of filament<sup>1</sup>.
### The bottomline
To be honest, is it worth the hassle, time and expense of having to modify and re-calibrate your printer (or worst case, change the model of the printer), just for the price of a reel of filament (assuming that you did not bulk purchase a bunch of reels)? It may be better to stick to one filament size (i.e. your original size) for all of your projects, and so resell the reel of 3 mm and stick with the 1.75 mm printer and buy the correct filament<sup>2</sup>.
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<sup>1</sup> See also Conversion of 3mm ABS filament to 1.75mm
<sup>2</sup> See also Tom's answer to Conversion of 3mm ABS filament to 1.75mm
See also Can 1.75mm filament be used in a printer that takes 3mm filament?
> 2 votes
# Answer
Well... Usually when one buys a 30 dollar roll of plastic they don't replace a 1k machine..
That said you can change out the extruder. The extruder is what matters. So if you have a Prusa i3, you can go and buy say a e3d hot end that is made for 3mm.
Usually we see 3mm on Bowden printers like the Ultimaker. Everyone else has moved to 1.8.
I would just toss this on craigslist and get the correct plastic.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Late to the party here but I am doing this exact thing. I stupidly bought like a dozen rolls of 3mm filament for about $6 a Kg. I think trying the switch should be fun...but I have 7 printers so its no big deal to tinker on one of them.
What you need to do is modify the extruder. I have done this successfully using the crappy plastic extruders which come with most budget printers. You have to drill out the filament path to fit the 3 mm filament. It does get a little tricky to get the filament to run through nicely.
You actually **do not** need to modify your hot end other than your Bowden tube and your nozzle. Regular Bowden tube is 2 mm ID and 4 mm OD, so you just order 3 mm ID and 4 mm OD tube. Please note that this plan **will not** work for an all metal 1.75 mm hotend.
For the nozzle you can often find 3 mm compatible nozzles. Unfortunately they don't seem to be made for the MK10 hotend. So I simply ordered big ole 1 mm nozzles made for 1.75 mm and I am going to drill out the back for the 2.85 mm (3 mm) filament.
I am excited to see how this all works. You can get some really good deals on 3 mm filament *and* I suspect that it will actually work much better for things like TPU since it is significantly more rigid due to the increased diameter!
> 0 votes
# Answer
Any modern and decent drive gear (single or dual) is shaped round (concave) to better grip the filament.
Some are flat, but only the cheapest and least performing ones.
(from Reprap wiki)
The concave part designed for 1.75 mm filament will be too small to accept 3 mm filament, it will grip it so weakly that it will skip or skid very easily, especially given the increased grip required for 3 mm filament.
1.75 \<-\> 3 mm is a complete overhaul of anything related to the extrusion path. I did it so I know...
> 0 votes
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Tags: filament, extruder
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thread-15051 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15051 | How do I fill missing corners in Cura | 2020-12-16T17:20:49.563 | # Question
Title: How do I fill missing corners in Cura
I'm trying to print a gear for a robovac deal.
The issue I'm having is with gaps between the walls of the top part of the gear. It needs to have the corners filled to provide stability or else the tabs easily snap. I've tried adjusting the nozzle size, line width, filter gaps and print thin walls but seems to slice with variations on the same issue. Is this a Cura issue? Is there anyway to slice and print this to fill those gaps?
# Answer
The problem isn't Cura, rather its the precision of the 3D model. If parts of the model is smaller than the line width the model cannot be printed. A solution to this would be to increase the thickness of the cylinder, decrease the size of the square or reduce the line width to allow that region to be properly fabricated, another solution would be to decrease the line width (line width option) however, keep in mind that you should not reduce the line width beyond the nozzle hole size (nozzle hole \> line width). As mentioned before, if the model requires sections that are smaller than the line width, Cura will ignore it. From the image you provided it would seem that the corners are extremely close to the wall of the cylinder which prevents Cura from making a extrusion path, the reason of which I explained above.
> 4 votes
# Answer
You can fix it by changing **Experimental** \> **Slicing Tolerance** \> **Exclusive**
> 1 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, slicing
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thread-8605 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/8605 | Progressively worse relative size error at smaller absolute sizes | 2019-04-02T21:07:45.463 | # Question
Title: Progressively worse relative size error at smaller absolute sizes
I'm having a problem where the relative dimensional error of cylinders is rapidly increasing as the absolute size decreases. Printing a calibration stack of cylinders of diameters 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3 mm, they come out undersized by 5%, 5.3%, 7%, 8%, 10%, and 13%, respectively, as measured by a digital caliper. Cubes exhibit a less severe version of the same pattern: 2.5%, 3%, 5%, 4%, 5%, 7%. The cylinders are generated with OpenSCAD using `$fn=180`, i.e. they're actually extrusions of 180-gons, so the error should not be caused by poor chord approximation; indeed, measuring projections of the model, or reading the gcode and accounting for nozzle width, everything looks right.
Printer is Ender 3, using PLA at 210. Slicing with CuraEngine.
Could this be caused by underextrusion or print speed issues - or some effect where the material pulls itself together under tight curvature? What techniques might be able to compensate for it, short of fudging the model?
Some additional information: As noted by Trish in the comments, the consistency of the absolute error, which is 0.4 for cylinders and 0.2 for cubes, is likely important. I've also subsequently tested with 110% extrusion rate and the errors for the cylinders dropped to consistently 0.2 mm (still a significant increasing relative error), but the skin layers at the top of the 3 mm cylinder bulged, suggesting the increased extrusion is wrong - an excessive total volume of material.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I've had this problem recurringly after marking this solved before, so I'm writing a new answer to revisit it.
Based on the magnitude of the error being absolute rather than relative, and not being direction-dependent (i.e. not backlash), it can't be caused by the motion system. I further ruled out inward warping of the material by running tests with 100% infill. When, even at 100% infill, the diameter (thus volume of material) was too low, the only remaining explanation was underextrusion.
Measuring the theoretical rotation distance of my extruder hob (now a different extruder from the original Ender 3 one), accounting for approximate tooth depth along with a precise hob diameter measurement, I got a value 15% lower than my configured value (E-steps 15% higher). I was already aware there was a discrepency here, just not the magnitude, and had purposefully kept it lower because of concerns that the full value would lead to parts that don't fit, due to imperfections in the walls, and especially that it might make the undersized holes problem worse.
In reality, it's done the opposite. The best explanation I can come up with for fixing holes is that, for extrusion widths narrower than the nozzle (which a 15% under-extruded 0.4 mm line is, since it's only about 0.34 mm), the line does not stay centered well, but gets dragged with the direction of curvature. I think I still have some problems with holes being slightly undersized, but they're at least no worse, and seem slightly better.
As for positive cylinders, at 5 mm, printed diameter is nearly perfect, only under by about 40-50 µm, which is very acceptable and better than being over. Getting this result does depend on having a 100% solid part, though; as soon as infill comes into play, the cylinder is undersized again. Setting Cura's "Minimum Infill Area" high enough, or using enough walls to ensure the cylinder will be solid, can ensure 100% fill without printing the whole part at 100% infill.
So, I think I can conclusively say the main likely cause for this problem is underextrusion due to inaccurate E-steps.
# Answer
> 4 votes
You should not look at the relative dimensional differences, you should be looking at the absolute differences. Multiplying the undersized dimensions in percentage with the cylinder diameter gives you a value of 0.4 mm for each cylinder give or take a few hundreds. So, basically your printer works very consistent it is just suffering from a systematic offset.
Basically, the printing process needs to adjust the X-Y dimensions to compensate for plastic flow effects. An option or setting in Ultimaker Cura to counteract this is called `Horizontal Expansion`. Slic3r and Simplify3d have similar settings. In Slic3r it is called `XY size compensation`.
# Answer
> 3 votes
The increase of the *relative error* is not an anomaly, it is a direct result of what is the actual error: There is a systematic, **absolute error**, which is almost the same for all the cylinders and all the cubes. +0.2 mm or +0.4 mm on progressively smaller items gets a progressively bigger relative error. But the source of the absolute error is what you need to compensate for.
## Fighting bulging for 0.2 mm accuracy
As you figured out that 110% extrusion did halve the absolute error of the cylindrical test, in conjunction with layer deformation, I suggest to try this:
* Extrusion/Flow Multiplier 100 %
* Linewidth 0.44 to 0.45 mm
This fights the die swell but also spaces the walls and roofing lines, allowing them to take the extra material. 0.2 mm accuracy is pretty good for a start, you get into the specs of many parts with that, but we want more!
For a slight increase, measure your filament in a couple of spots and do the average, then use that as filament diameter.
## Increasing Accuracy further
If you want to go further, proper calibration of the motion system and the extruder are the next steps.
### Short Calibration Rundown
The rundown is extruder first, then possibly the axis.
* Connect your printer to the PC with an interface such as Pronterface or Repetier Host.
* Place a mark 150 mm from the intake of the printer
* Extrude 100 mm via `G1 E100 F100`
* Measure from the intake to the mark.
* Get the current steps per mm via `M503` \- it is the E-entry that follows `M92`
* Calculate $\frac {\text{current steps per mm }\times 100}{150 - \text {remaining length}}=\text {new steps per mm}$
* Set the new steps per mm via `M92 E###.#` and save with `M500`, verify with `M503`.
The process for the XYZ axis is pretty much the same, but you don't need to mark filament. Instead, print a known size cube, best with a side length that is a multiple of 10 mm.
* Calculate $\frac {\text{current steps per mm }\times \text{ designed length}}{\text {actual length}}=\text {new steps per mm}$
# Answer
> 0 votes
This problem seems to have mostly gone away - at least any remaining error is within a margin explainable by my cheap/low-quality digital caliper. Since asking the question, I've made a lot of changes that could contribute, but the biggest factor was probably the loose X-axis timing belt and misaligned X-axis.
Slicer options may also have been involved. For example, Cura's Ender 3 profile attempts to set limits on acceleration speeds, but does so in a way that requires the GUI to compute derived accelerations; if you're using the command line CuraEngine (which I am), all the derived settings are left at the very high defaults.
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Tags: print-quality, calibration, creality-ender-3
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thread-16298 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/16298 | BLTouch type sensor Z not compensating | 2021-05-16T07:48:06.660 | # Question
Title: BLTouch type sensor Z not compensating
I have a BLTouch clone (3DTouch) on my printer (Artillery Sidewinder X1). I installed it on the printer ages ago and has been working fine since. Recently, I did a BTT smart filament sensor upgrade.
I updated and edited both the Marlin firmware and the MKS TFT28 screen firmware to get it to work with the smart filament sensor. The filament sensor runs through the screen not the motherboard so it is enabled in screen firmware instead.
The sensor works fine and every other part of the printer is fine as well, except that after the BLTouch does a `G29` (I have it do that before every print in my start G-code, followed by an `M500`), It will not adjust the Z-axis to compensate for the unevenness of the bed. I can see the Z motors not move and I cannot feel the lead screws rotate in my hand if I touch my hand against them.
I have been through several other forums, videos, etc. on the internet but none of them have the same problem as me and/or their solutions do not fix the problems.
I have also tried flashing the display with the original firmware, which did not work so I guess is that I have something wrong with the firmware. I have checked and double-checked my firmware but maybe there is something I missed or do not know about that could be causing my problem.
Firmware can be found here.
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*I have tried running the original firmware with changes only made to enable the BLTouch. The Z-axis does still not compensate.*
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*I have also replaced the mainboard. I don’t know if that could affect the operation or not.*
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*Recently, I needed to print a part so I put the default Marlin firmware using the Artillery SWX1 example in Marlin's collection of examples with modifications made only to work with the BLTouch. I can post this copy of the firmware but it is probably identical to the GitHub repo below. This way I could just print with no Z compensation, however, now whenever I try to home the printer or do a `G29`, the BLTouch doesn't deploy and it will crash into the bed. I posted an unlisted video on YouTube demonstrating the issue here. Also note that in the video, I attempt to move the Z-axis by 1 mm, but instead, the stepper motors spin at full speed and the gantry comes zooming towards the bed.*
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*I tried flashing the firmware yet again and for some reason, the BLTouch worked. it could home is and to a probing routine. I have been using the printer without the compensation and it works fine but it is really bizarre that this is happening. I know it is unlikely to solve the problem, but I am thinking of purchasing a replacement BLTouch. They are only 20 bucks to replace and I did accidental slightly bend the plastic probe before the Z stopped compensating. So is it possible the BLTouch is cactus?*
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*So recently, I noticed when running a G29 T through Octoprint or Pronterface, etc. that the printer will return a set of numbers for each probing point. Does this indicate that the BLTouch has taken the measurements but the printer will not use them to compensate the bed?*
I have tried all the answers below.
# Answer
So I discovered that the fade height must have been set to something really off.
I didn't know this at the time so I thought I should set the fade height to the default 10 mm just to make sure nothing was wrong and tested it. The printer now levels and compensates perfectly!
> 1 votes
# Answer
I am not the best with firmware modifications or anything like that, but you could try running your printer through OctoPrint and do the bed leveling through that and maybe that might fix the problem that you are facing.
> 1 votes
# Answer
There is something not correct in your configuration file.
You mention the use of an upgraded controller board from an MKS GEN L to a MKS GEN L v2.1.
> ...the original was MKS Gen L v1.0 , the new one was an MKS Gen L v2.1...
This change of hardware is not effectively present in your configuration.h file, it currently states the use of the old board:
```
// Choose the name from boards.h that matches your setup
#ifndef MOTHERBOARD
#define MOTHERBOARD BOARD_MKS_GEN_L
#endif
```
You should have used the board constant called `BOARD_MKS_GEN_L_V21`.
I honestly don't know if this could fix your problem, but at least all correct pins are then loaded and could help you start searching for the problem.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I have the exact same printer and had the same issue using the same probe. What fixed it for me was adding a `M420 S1` after `G29`.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Make sure `RESTORE_LEVELING_AFTER_G28` is uncommented in `configuration.h`.
> 0 votes
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Tags: z-axis, bltouch, z-probe, 3dtouch, artillery-sidewinder-x1
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thread-18959 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18959 | Ender 3 doesn't extrude enough? | 2022-02-20T15:45:03.297 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 doesn't extrude enough?
I tried printing something after 7 weeks of not using the printer (before it worked greatly) and I think it doesn't extrude properly (although I'm not sure about it).
When I tell the printer to extrude filament it works just fine, but during the print there seems to be a problem with it (see image below). When manually pushing the filament with some force, it works for a bit, but stops working after 1 minute.
I tried cleaning the gear, levelling and cleaning the bed with almost no success.
I'm using a Creality Ender 3 with a (golden) PLA filament.
This is how the print error looks like. The first layer should be completely filled.
Note: I didn't change anything (neither the filament nor the software) and before it was printing fine with 200 °C.
# Answer
I would first check that your nozzle temperature is correct for the PLA you are using. If it is correct, try increasing it 5-10 °C. I experienced an identical issue and found that it was an incorrect nozzle temperature.
> 4 votes
# Answer
This has happened to me before. As suggested in another answer by @HandyHowie I would try to increase the nozzle temp. PLA usually requires around 190-210 °C however I have found this usually varies from PLA type. I would try using something like 230 °C as this seems to work for me.
Another issue could be with your slicer. It could mean that the slicer isn't correctly slicing the model and this is a result of it. I would try using a different slicer as well.
Finally, if this is a model developed by you or another person, there is a chance that it hasn't been exported correctly. If all else fails I would let the printer continue running.
From your image, it appears that it has only just started putting down the first layer. Sometimes my printer does this but goes and fills the holes in later on in the print.
> 1 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, troubleshooting
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thread-19027 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19027 | Why do most manufacturers recommend curing resin models before removing supports? | 2022-02-27T19:34:04.083 | # Question
Title: Why do most manufacturers recommend curing resin models before removing supports?
Why do manufacturers such as Elegoo always recommend that you cure your resin 3D prints before removing the supports, while hobbyist such as Uncle Joey usually recommend that you soak your models in warm water and remove the supports while they are soft, prior to curing?
Is there a firm and quantifiable reason for this difference, or does it purely come down to personal preference?
# Answer
It is likely that Resin manufacturers recommend this for two reasons:
1. Uncured resin is not safe to handle, and support removal requires handling and manipulating the part. Curing the part removes this safety implication, making support removal less likely to expose you to uncured resin via mechanical means and/or accidentally breaking your gloves with the tools for support removal.
2. Uncured parts are still malleable and prone to squishing or deforming under force. Curing parts will make them firm and insusceptible to deformation while attempting to remove support material.
However, Modern support patterns have become significantly easier to remove, Making it more of a personal preference rather than one with any merit behind it. Most recommend removing support material before curing as the 2nd point above can be taken advantage of to remove supports specifically, whilst keeping parts intact and accurate.
> 2 votes
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Tags: resin, post-processing
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thread-18999 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18999 | Stock hot end for Anycubic Mega Zero 1.0? | 2022-02-24T14:37:46.483 | # Question
Title: Stock hot end for Anycubic Mega Zero 1.0?
Does anyone know what hotend the Anycubic Mega Zero uses? I've found info on upgrading to a different one but I'm thinking of just buying more nozzles for now and trying other options later. I'm not sure if I'm looking at the right things when I did a Google search. The hotend I'm looking at looks like an MK8 or even a Mini Swiss but I've read it's a J-Head? Am I missing something?
# Answer
The picture you have shared leads me to believe that it is an MK10 style hot end (Sometimes erroneously referred to as a Creality-style hot end)
MK10 is identified by its 'Flattened' heat sink shape with screw holes through the heat sink for mounting, Along with the smooth, un-threaded geometry of the heat break entering into the heat sink.
MK8 is similar, Consisting of the same Flattened, screw-mount heat sink design. However, the MK8 hot ends use a threaded heat break on *both* sides, rather than only on the heater block side.
> 1 votes
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Tags: anycubic-i3-mega
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thread-18927 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18927 | Bumps on outer walls consistantly affecting lower layers | 2022-02-14T20:36:58.183 | # Question
Title: Bumps on outer walls consistantly affecting lower layers
I recently purchased a **Creality Ender 3 Max** as my first 3D printer and overall I am quite impressed with the print quality after only leveling the bed.
However, every print I have done so far has had **bumps on the outer walls, limited to a section of the lower layers**, usually around 6 layers in height.
Standard print settings:
* 1.75 mm PLA filament
* 0.2 mm layer height
* 20 % infill
I have tried:
* Prusa Slic3r (default settings) vs Cura for my slicing. Prusa Slic3r exaggerated the effect compared to Cura.
* Increasing the extruder and heated bed temperatures (200 °C & 50 °C, 210 °C & 60 °C, 225 °C & 70 °C). Higher temperatures seem to reduce the effect.
* Reducing the print speed from 50.0 mm/s to 35.0 mm/s. Slower print speed seems to reduce the effect.
My next experiment will be to combine a higher extrusion temperature with reduced print speeds however I suspect that this is just making the print more forgiving and masking a different cause.
**Does anybody know of a way I can eliminate these artifacts?**
Further experiments I can run to debug this or even the correct terminology or search terms for this (I'm having difficulty finding anything that looks like this problem online) would also be greatly appreciated.
**Updates:**
* Test print with 0.1 mm Z Offset shows a slight improvement but does not resolve the issue.
* Test print with 0.2 mm Z Offset shows no improvement over 0.1 mm Z Offset and nearly compromises bed adhesion.
* I printed a 20 mm cube benchmark. X and Y measurements are spot on but the Z axis measures 19.2 mm.
# Answer
I think I found an answer.
When the gantry is low (Z less than 100 mm high) the Xmax (right hand) side of the gantry has some play, if I move the gantry higher the rollers tighten up.
I went through Luke Hatfield's X Gantry Rework (PDF section 4.1.2, video tutorial), making deviations for my own machine (the vertical extrusions are mounted to the side of the base on the Ender 3 Max rather than the top).
Tightening the rollers using the eccentric bolts and trying to get the gantry as level as possible seems to have improved the issue immensely.
The Z measurement for the 20 mm cube benchmark is now 19.7 mm (0.5 mm improvement)
And the bumps on the boats are a lot less noticeable.
While reassembling I had some difficulty lining up the screws on the top horizontal extrusion, which would suggest that the vertical extrusions are not aligned correctly as suggested in item 1 of this post discussing problems found on a stock Ender 3 Max:
> The vertical extrusions are out, there appears to be a fault in the design and the extrusions are about 2.2mm closer together at the bottom than at the top.. what this means is if you move the carriage to half way up and adjust the wheels perfectly, when you move it to the top the outside wheels will be too tight, and when you move it to the bottom the inside wheels will be too tight!
https://www.reddit.com/r/Ender3Max/comments/qa93m6/problems\_i\_have\_found\_with\_stock\_ender\_3\_max\_and/
The suggestion in that post is to install a printed 2.2 mm shim between the vertical extrusion and the base. I'll give the shim fix a try at a later time, for now the quality of the prints is good enough.
> 0 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, print-quality, troubleshooting
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thread-18656 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18656 | Impact on 3D printer of movement forced over the limit | 2021-12-29T03:34:53.633 | # Question
Title: Impact on 3D printer of movement forced over the limit
Faulty endstop caused the printer (a traditional cartesian FDM) to try to move over the maximum axis limit at top, the noise has been atrocious, I don't see damages (apparently) but I'm wondering if this could have damaged something or the motors aren't strong enough to do any serious physical damage to mechanics of movement.
Could you clarify this?
# Answer
It's highly unlikely this crash caused any physical or electrical damage to your printer. Printers are designed to be able to withstand an occasional crash as typically, no Axis Maximum endstops are installed. The 'atrocious' noise you describe hearing is the sound of the stepper motor having lost (or, in this case, repeatedly losing) steps. If you are worried, I would check that the X/Y Gantries are still in-tram and that the printer can still home itself without any problems.
If this was a Z-Max runout (ie, printer tried to move too high), I would also check that the Z carriage is still on the Z axis Leadscrews before attempting to home, because if the Z carriage is not on one or both of the leadscrews, It is possible for the machine to engage them at different heights, throwing the X gantry out of tram or worse if only one leadscrew manages to re-engage.
> 1 votes
# Answer
The noise you heard was likely caused by the extruder keeping turning, resulting in the belt stretching enough to jump a tooth or more. I guess it was like "TRRRRR".
If the belt tension is properly set (not too tight), no damage can be caused. In fact, the belt should be loose enough so that such a mistake won't cause damages.
You could also reduce the current to the stepper motors in the future, to reduce even further the risk of damage.
> 0 votes
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Tags: endstop, axis
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thread-19044 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19044 | Little help on this Cura slicing or model error? | 2022-03-03T08:59:38.807 | # Question
Title: Little help on this Cura slicing or model error?
The left part of the first picture is giving an inverted circle when lying flat, but the right part of the first picture is how it should be. Same STL for both slice orientations. I tried toggling union overlapping volumes with no luck. I tried to invert face normals with Blender with no luck either.
This gives the error: The highlighted areas indicate either missing or extraneous surfaces. Fix your model and open it again into Cura.
Here is a link to the model, this is another link.
I have tried
* manually repairing faces with Blender,
* repairing the model with Autocad Meshmixer
both without success.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I've discovered via Meshmixer that there are duplicate cylinders for the counterbores. I selected "separate shells" which generated two sets of cylinders in the Objects Browser as well as the main body. Selecting each flawed entry in the browser left behind the main body, which is manifold and passes the Analysis/Inspector test sequence.
You can have the repaired file from my Dropbox, public folder, or you can perform the process on your own. If you select the former, please let me know when it's retrieved, as I endeavor to keep my space in the free category on Dropbox.
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, 3d-models, 3d-design
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thread-19042 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19042 | Deep ridges in all of my prints | 2022-03-03T02:43:30.967 | # Question
Title: Deep ridges in all of my prints
I'm using an Elegoo Mars 3 printer. For some reason, all of my prints are now getting these deep ridges. each layer I can hear it peel away from the vat before it lowers again for the next layer.
I've tried various exposure times as well as different approaches to supports.
# Answer
> 1 votes
## Open Resins degrade
If photopolymer resin is sitting open a long time, its curing behavior can degrade. One of the effects of degrading resin is, that it might not harden to the same point in the same time, requiring either longer exposure or not curing to hardness at all.
This can lead to the prints staying somewhat flexible when they get peeled off the sheet, and when they get pushed back into the print position, that can lead to the print having a misalignment in one direction. As the next layer is added, peeled and repositioned, this might very well result in the "banding" pattern in layers all orthogonal to Z.
That this is a systemical error that happens everywhere in the vat you can notice at the support structure: it shows the same banding.
### Solutions?
You might want to toss that resin, or at least add some virgin resin to it, so it can get refreshened.
As a general rule of thumb, it is not advisable to leave resin and vats out in the light for any prolonged time and if you don't print for several days, it is best practice to drain the Vats and store the resin in light-tight bottles.
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Tags: 3d-models, 3d-design, resin, elegoo-mars
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thread-19055 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19055 | Can I combine several ".CTB" files together into a single file? | 2022-03-06T15:12:54.907 | # Question
Title: Can I combine several ".CTB" files together into a single file?
I've used Chitubox to add supports to a number of models and saved them as .CTB files ready for printing.
If I want to print several of these models at the same time, is it possible to combine them into a single file and to assign each one a different location on the built plate?
# Answer
The files generated by a resin printer slicer contain exposure reference information as well as an image for each layer to be printed. One could consider to develop a reverse-engineering bit of code to read all of the image layers, overlaying the common z-height with the others to be printed and hope that none of them create overlaps that would destroy the models being printed.
One can, for example, configure PrusaSlicer to create a print file, change the name to \*.ZIP and extract the multiple \*.PNG files within. Consider how difficult it would be to composite these individual PNG files when combining them with another file or multiple files.
The web site 3dprintknowledge contains a beginner's reference with a useful image:
> 1 votes
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Tags: chitu
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thread-12087 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/12087 | Closed-loop stepper motors | 2020-02-27T08:57:23.307 | # Question
Title: Closed-loop stepper motors
I am thinking to use closed-loop stepper motors to prevent step loss and make the machine more accurate. What options (preferably low cost) are there for:
`stepper motor + driver + encoder + microcontoller`
Is building it from scratch worth it? E.g. Arduino Mega 2560 + RAMPS 1.4/1.5/1.6 + stepper motors (e.g. NEMA17) + drivers (e.g. A4988, DRV8825) + encoders (e.g. AS5047P, AS5047D, AS5048A, TLE5012B) + microcontrollers (e.g. STM32).
# Answer
A number of options exist, but keep in mind that cost will be a limiting factor.
*(Small sidenote: cost depends on persective, financial cost does not equal mental cost. The tradeoff between buy or make depends also on your willingness to persist when things don't work right away.)*
**Before you start:** make sure that your printer has enough space to accomodate bigger motors.
**So, what options are there?**
1. Change your current configuration. If you are losing steps, it could very well be that it can be fixed in firmware.
* Pro: No budget and nothing to lose.
* Con: No shiny closed loop system. (Is that bad though?) Possibly need to configure and compile your own firmware.
2. MacGyver / DIY solution based on low lever components
* Pro: Probably as cheap as you'll get depending on how you choose your components. Might be an interesting learning experience, not to mention the satisfaction afterwards. This could be the smallest build size you'll see in all the options.
* Con: You'll need a decent amount of engineering and debugging. Might be tricky to mount the encoders.
3. Same as 1, but now consider using of the shelf stepper motors with integrated encoders.
* Pro: Most robust option on a budget in my opinion due to the single mechanical piece (motor + encoder).
* Con: Integrated encoders have a considerable cost and are large compared to their vanila versions.
4. Go for off the shelf motor+encoder and drivers.
* Pro: No need to worry about driver configurations too much. Just plug in the numbers or set the dip switches. Very conveinient solution. Pretty much plug and play.
* Con: This will already be challenging on a budget. Making a wrong mix and match might lead to unpredictable results such as drives going in overcurrent. (Which, believe me, is very frustrating for your application!)
5. If we are allowed to consider servo motors: ClearPath-SD series (Or any alternative for that matter!) *I'm just including this for completeness.*
* Pro: Performance wise a clear winner on pretty much any relevant level.
* Con: You'll need a big budget!
**Bottomline**: You'll probably want to give the first option a go before spending money. Next stop, you might want to take the second option (you already did research on different specific low level components), and if you have time to spare I'd go with that as well. If you are also on a budget timewise, I'd definively suggest to take the third option with existing driver boards.
The other options are more cost heavy and become real options in produciton environments, where downtime is also costsing money.
As to the microcontroller, take whatever you have available. Just know that more computational power will allow you to output steps faster and will allow for smoother movements. Lot's to talk about there as well!
> 2 votes
# Answer
So, I am one of those who has implemented this on my big scale heavily modified cr-10 S5.
Why?
Well with bigger prints, the risk of crashing into itself because of a small blob is very real. Possibly ruining a 100$ worth of filament and missing deadlines. (We are using this professionally.) Blobs will happen, especially if you run low cost filaments and PETG, which is the only sane option for functional bigger prints from a cost perspective. We are using the BTT system S42B on all axis and it works well. A blob is now just a small distraction which can be polished away but the remaining print is still dimensionally correct.
However, it is not a trivial task to actually implement. To make this work one needs a printer main board allowing for external stepper drivers, like SKR E3 DIP,SKR V1.4,SKR V1.4 Turbo and so on. Also there one needs to tune the PID:s for the system in use which is not super simple.
If you are truly an expert and do big prints, I really think this is a must have upgrade. On the other hand if one are only printing smaller parts on a hobby scale this will not be a worth while upgrade. I am not talking about the money involved, the pcbs are just 14$/pcs but the work needed with new cabling pid-tuning marlin-digging and so on. For us it is just amazing to not have 30% failures any more, du to the inevitable blobs sometimes appearing in bigger prints.
> 0 votes
# Answer
I've implemented a closed-loop system about 25 years ago on an 8 x 32 erosion table scanning it at one cm resolution using laser triangulation. It took 120 hours to scan the surface. Most of the time was spent waiting seven seconds for the system to stop shaking. I put shaft encoders on the X, Y, & Z shafts, not the stepper motors. I wanted to sure I got the movement of the camera.
In the end, I settled on moving to a goal with a 1/10 mm tolerance and added any error into the move to the next goal. There was a sphere of confusion of the location of the camera of more than 2/10 mm. Moving back and forth to make up for a missed step at the cost of nearly 10 seconds a move could add days to a run. We were well past the end of the table's life.
> 0 votes
# Answer
It has been 25 or 30 years since I did my first closed-loop system. I was driving a syringe pump from a printer port on a MS-Dos PC that ran hot had to disable the timer interrupts to make the deadlines amount moving the plunger, updating the floppy drive reading and computing the new position, getting the time, and fixing up the timer.
I found moving to a goal with a tolerance of 1 or 2 stepper motor steps was on the money over 95% of the time and I made deadlines over 90% of the time. Any error was made up in the next move. I used the same scheme on an 8 x 32 foot structured light scanning table. I am pretty sure I saw memory errors from cosmic rays on this one. It took 500 hours to scan that with no parity check on the RAM. It had some wooden structures that changed size over time. I could track the movement with the error files from the shaft encoders.
On the x y scanning table, the wait time was7 seconds after a move before the camera stopped asking enough to capture an image. We elected to fix up the position in software and accumulate the errors in the next move in order to be able to finish the project.
> 0 votes
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Tags: stepper, stepper-driver, motor, arduino, ramps
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thread-19063 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19063 | Can I connect a PSU with a higher current rating than RAMPS 1.4 can handle? | 2022-03-07T13:04:30.940 | # Question
Title: Can I connect a PSU with a higher current rating than RAMPS 1.4 can handle?
I have a 12 V/30 A power supply. Will a RAMPS 1.4 shield burn if I use that power supply with it?
# Answer
Voltage and current behave differently and it is important to remember two essential points:
* PSU voltage specifications ***should never be exceeded***, else the circuit will (most likely) be damaged, and;
* PSU current specifications ***can be exceeded***, without any risk to the circuit<sup>1</sup>.
So, if your circuit requires 12 V and 3 A, then the PSU must supply a maximum of 12 V, but current can be 5 A, 10 A or whatever.
It may help to think of it this way:
* Voltage will force its way into a circuit, and if you exceed the specified requirement of that circuit, then the circuit will be damaged, for sure;
* Current passively sits there and is is only taken by the circuit as it is required - if your power supply can provide 1000 A, but the circuit only needs 11 A, then the circuit will only take 11 A. The remaining 989 A will be ignored.
**Note**: There is one caveat, where the mismatching is reversed: If a PSU can only supply 5A, but the circuit requires 10 A, then the PSU *may* be damaged as the circuit attempts to draw more current than the PSU can provide.
---
### The water analogy
You can think of electricity as similar to water in a water tank, and a tap as being the outlet/socket/circuit:
* The higher the water tank is above the tap, the higher the water pressure - **this water pressure is analogous to voltage**. If the water pressure is excessively high, then the tap could fail, in the same way that a circuit will blow,
* The larger the tank, the more water there is that can be provided - **This capacity of the tank is analogous to the current**. You don't have to use, or drink, all of the water in the tank, but (often) it's nice to have an excess available, even though it might be wasteful or not particularly cost effective.
---
### Footnote
<sup>1</sup> The only major downside to having an over rated PSU with respect to current, is that should the circuit that the PSU is supplying have a issue, such as a short circuit, then a lot more current will be drawn, than if the PSU wasn't so over rated. This could be dangerous, if, for example, you are touching part of that circuit. This is why the current rating of a PSU should closely match the current requirement of the circuit which the PSU is supplying.
Other considerations for using an over rated PSU could (arguably) include a longer life or increased reliability. This would be due to less stress being placed upon the PSU, if the current rating of the PSU is, for example 25 - 50 % greater than the current requirement of the circuit.
> 5 votes
# Answer
Yes you can connect that PSU to the RAMPS 1.4 shield, and no, it will not burn the shield under normal operation (too much and/or too high current draining peripherals attached or shorting of circuits).
It is not the PSU that determines how much current is being drawn from the PSU, it is the peripherals that determine this. The RAMPS 1.4 shield has (poly) fuses for 11 A and 5 A, so the maximum you can draw through the board is 16 A. You cannot draw more than 11 A for the heated bed, and 5 A for the hot end heater and the steppers combined. If your heated bed uses over 11 A or the rest over 5 A, the fuses will burn through cutting the circuit. These fuses are meant to protect your board from draining too much current.
Connecting a PSU with a higher current specification is perfectly fine as long as you do not exceed the board specifications with your peripherals.
In case your heated bed (which takes the majority of the power) requires over 11 A (which requires thick cables!), you need to use an external MOSFET; this doesn't add a safety, it merely allows to use more current from your PSU to power the high demanding peripherals.
> 4 votes
# Answer
No, it won't burn if you use a power supply that put out 12 Volts and tolerates up to 30 Amps.
> 0 votes
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Tags: diy-3d-printer, ramps-1.4, arduino-mega-2650, power-supply, ramps
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thread-19066 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19066 | Why is my PSU turning on and off automatically? | 2022-03-07T16:26:28.933 | # Question
Title: Why is my PSU turning on and off automatically?
I have 12 V/30 A PSU. I have also installed the firmware onto the Arduino Mega2560. But the problem is that the display on the LCD keeps turning on and off automatically (it's stuck on the Marlin logo because it keeps restarting).
When I hear the PSU fan, it also turns on and off automatically. I suspect that there is something wrong with my PSU because when I supply power directly using the Arduino Mega's port, the display didn't repeatedly restart automatically.
When I connect an LED to the PSU, it blinks. It blinks and continue goes normal. It keeps repeating like that.
# Answer
### Simple answer
If the PSU continuously restarts, even when not under load, i.e. nothing is connected to it, then it is clearly faulty.
If you then connect this faulty PSU to a 3D printer then the printer will not work either.
The long and short of it is: The PSU is faulty; buy a replacement.
*Given your previous questions, and apparent high current requirement (heatbed, etc), you may have damaged the PSU by attempting to draw too much current. **If so, then any similar spec'd replacement PSU will probably suffer a similar fate as this one.***
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### Guesswork answer
As to why it is restarting could be down to a number of factors. The most common failings of LED PSUs (assuming that is indeed what it is) is one (or both) are the power FETs (usually there are two of them), which are bolted to the side/rear of the case. This fix is to simply replace them, like for like.
The FETs are by no means the only possible issue - there could be a faulty/blown capacitor, or any other of the components. The only way to tell for sure would be to open the case of the PSU and visually inspect the PCB for burn marks, and maybe thereafter probing it with a DMM.
***However, if you don't know what you are doing, then don't attempt this as as mistakes could well be dangerous and/or fatal.***
IMHO, cheap unbranded LED PSUs have a notoriously bad reliability. You will probably find that you have better luck using a branded ATX PSU for a PC instead.
> 3 votes
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Tags: marlin, troubleshooting, ramps-1.4, arduino-mega-2650, power-supply
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thread-19072 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19072 | What polymers are used in 3D printed Alumide? | 2022-03-08T17:28:29.633 | # Question
Title: What polymers are used in 3D printed Alumide?
Does anyone know what polymers are used in 3D printed Alumide? I know it has Al and nylon, but does it have anything else?
NASA has a database of materials that out gas and I'd like to see if Alumide out gasses.
# Answer
Alumide is a registered trademark. It's source words are *Alu*munium and Polya*mide*. The first materials known under this name were sold in 2007.
According to my materials provider, the ratio is but for tiny tollerances exactly 50% Polyamide-12 dust that is enriched with 50% aluminium particles and the material is used without special alterations to the machine in a typical nylon Selective Laser Sintering machine using a modified profile for PA12. Its MSDS only lists those two components, so there is nothing but those in it usually.
As a result, the polymer binder is only Polyamide 12
> 1 votes
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Tags: print-material, alumide
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thread-19069 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19069 | Does 3D printed Alumide out gas after printing? | 2022-03-07T22:39:27.283 | # Question
Title: Does 3D printed Alumide out gas after printing?
Does 3D printed Alumide outgas or is it inert? I.e. If I printed a box with it and stored paper in that box for 100 years would the paper become damaged by out gassing?
I noticed that NASA has a list of materials that out gas.
But I'm not sure exactly what polymers are in 3D printed Alumide...
# Answer
> 1 votes
Alumide is, as this question explains made up entirely of Aluminium Grit and Polyamide 12 dust.
The Database contains one entry for Polyamide 12 (by filtering for it here):
Some other items of similar material (Nylon 6 & Nylon 12) are also in the database:
As a result of the material being essentially aluminium and PA12, I would take the PA12 values for an estimation until the material was tested properly.
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Tags: print-material, safety, alumide
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thread-19053 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19053 | Print Head Cable, does such a thing exist? | 2022-03-06T11:49:21.213 | # Question
Title: Print Head Cable, does such a thing exist?
As the printer ages, the constant motion of the print head wears out the conductors inside the cable. Creating all sorts of fun debugging scenarios.
Is there such a thing as a bundled cable, with all the necessary wires, for the stepper motor (in the case of direct drives), hot end, thermistor, etc... and when one of the conductors wear out just replace the whole bundle?
# Answer
> 2 votes
People have used parallel port cables (DB25) for a while. They are cheap enough and have enough pins for most uses.
Obviously you will need to use multiple pins for the power hungry devices (heater, stepper motor). Parallel cables often use 28 AWG (0.08 mm^2) wires, which carry up to 1.5 A @ 30 °C temperature rise over ambient. It's quite a lot, so better stick to about 0.8 A/wire, which means one pin or better two are enough for each wire of the stepper motor. A 12 V/50 W heater draws 4.2 A and will likely need 5 pins per each wire, to be safe while a 24 V/50 W heater could work with two.
See some ratings here.
You can also use Ethernet cables, they are even cheaper and more widely available, but each cable has only 8 of them. The advantage is that they are usually 23-24 AWG (0.21-0.26 mm^2), unless you look for slim or flat cables, 30-32 AWG, so the heater will need fewer wires. However, they are all twisted pairs therefore you may be forced to use more wires than you need: for example, you may have an accelerometer which uses four data wires: TX, RX, clock, enable. You cannot twist RX and TX to avoid interference, and also clock should not be twisted with either RX or TX. You may need to be creative (TX/GND, RX/VCC, clocl/enable), but in general it's uncommon.
# Answer
> 1 votes
The many manufacturers create the printer configuration in nearly as many ways as there are models of printers. I've seen flat flexible cables used in a manner akin to cable chains, which allows the ribbon to roll back on itself in the return movement. Minimal flexing at the end connectors and an acceptable radius on the bend. My BCN3D Sigma R16 has a ribbon cable from a fixed location out to the head, which travels in both x and y direction preventing a roll-back/cable chain type of configuration but also maximizes the radius of the bend.
If you are considering a DIY printer build, your options are open, but if you have an existing unnamed printer, your modification has to remain within the constraints of the manufacturer.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Have you thought of using a ribbon cable? I have/ have had similar issues with a large print area CoreXY. I'm not sure if the ribbon cable can handle the motor current or heater current but pairing up wires may help. One other issue you may have is electrical interference if you have bed leveling that uses a servo command.
I'm going to try a ribbon cable on my next print head rewire.
# Answer
> 0 votes
You may be able to find replacement wiring harnesses from a good manufacturer that supplies replacement parts for its printers, or possibly a 3rd party replacement for very popular printers, but there is no standard for length, number and types of conductors, gauge of wire, and types of connectors for the ends.
For connectors, many 3D printers have settled on “JST” headers on the ends. There are several types and pitches that aren’t compatible so identification is important when finding a replacement. Here is a good resource on identifying the connector: http://www.mattmillman.com/info/crimpconnectors/common-jst-connector-types/ An alternative to finding the correct pre assembled wiring harness (not out of the question with the explosion of 3D printers and CNC machines) is salvaging the original plastic header and crimping new connectors on new wires. This sadly requires a special crimping tool, but it is a worthwhile purchase if you do electronics.
If the 3D printer uses a ribbon cable, it isn’t terribly hard to replace those, if they use the rectangular IDC connectors at the ends. You can cut the cable to length and punch down the connector in a vise.
Whatever the connector or type of cable, for the wire, the finer the strands of copper the better, as far as resisting breakage from constant movement. One good source of salvaged fine stranded wire is the cabling in wall warts (so long as 2 conductor works for you, say for a heat bed).
As others have noted, the bend radius of the wire has a lot to do with its longevity. Sharp kinks will do the harness in, especially at the printhead end. Strain relief is key, as is not nicking the wire where it is stripped. Most cables, in general electronics, seem to break at the ends.
In shopping for a printer, it’d be good to check the cabling doesn’t pull directly on the connectors when it moves, doesn’t kink it, especially if it has DIY mods done to the print head. For printers you already own, check the strain relief. Other than that, wait for it to break, rather than ripping it out just because you’re worried it may break. It isn’t hard to diagnose with the continuity tester on a multi-meter. In a repair you can always leave the old broken wires in there and add a couple new ones. Pay attention to wire gauge, as others have pointed out- fans, thermistors, other sensors can be small, hotends and steppers larger, heatbed largest.
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Tags: maintenance, wire-type
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thread-11145 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11145 | Anet A8 Clone LCD not working after flash | 2019-10-09T19:25:38.403 | # Question
Title: Anet A8 Clone LCD not working after flash
My Alfawise EX8 (Anet A8 Clone) had an issue, so I flashed the firmware provided on the GearBest page. After the flash the LCD is no longer doing anything and I can't really identify the LCD to confirm whether the correct one is selected in configuration.h
Currently the firmware had 'Mini VIKI' selected, but I'm not confident it works.
I cannot see anything on the screen, but I can still turn the dial and click things to make it do stuff.
I really hope somebody can help!
# Answer
> 2 votes
According to the link to the fork of Marlin you need to be sure that a bootloader is present before flashing, see pins\_MELZI\_WYH.h:
> ```
> /**
> * Melzi (WYH) pin assignments
> *
> * The WYH-128 board needs a bootloader installed before Marlin can be uploaded.
> * If you don't have a chip programmer you can use a spare Arduino plus a few
> * electronic components to write the bootloader.
> *
> * See http://www.instructables.com/id/Burn-Arduino-Bootloader-with-Arduino-MEGA/
> */
> ```
From this same pins layout file you can find hints to the usage of the `REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER` display:
> ```
> // For the stock M18 use the REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER
> // option for the display in Configuration.h
> ```
Maybe you can use that one instead of the "Mini VIKI". Though, an internet search, does hint to the "Mini VIKI" being the correct display for this printer, but it does look different from other Mini VIKI displays.
Note that in the Configuration.h, by default this display is not enabled as can be seen:
> ```
> // RepRapDiscount FULL GRAPHIC Smart Controller
> // http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRapDiscount_Full_Graphic_Smart_Controller
> //
> //#define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER
>
> ```
# Answer
> 1 votes
I know this is a closed and already answered question, but for anybody having an Alfawise EX8 and wanting to update the firmware, I've changed some things in the Marlin bugfix-1.1.x version, so that it now works perfectly with this printer. You can find it here. The issue with the display is in the file ultralcd\_st7565\_u8glib\_VIKI.h. The Alfawise EX8 version contains added functions like contrast adjustments and addressing offset, which is not present in the Marlin vanilla version. Also, the original Alfawise firmware grabbed 93% of RAM for global variables, which lead to unstability and in my case to spliting screen and other issues. Now there are only 46% allocated. I suspect the SD alpha sorting of this, as you can clearly see in the advanced config, that it creates an array of more than 200 instances. 37B each. Sooo since I don't usually hoard gcode files on my SD card, I disabled the sorting completelly. Feel free to make adjustments to your own taste! Wish you luck and many successful prints! :)
EDIT: If you are still experiencing glithes with the LCD, try separating the LCD data cable from the extruder cables. I didn't. My bad. Also, don't add capacitors between power inputs. Caused more problems than it solved and yes, I know how to connect an electrolytic capacitor. The firmware is fully functional, working with a MightyCore bootloader inside. There was an issue with the SD print abort function. In the bugfix version, there is a gcode function added to abort SD print and it somehow doesn't work too well with the LCD option. So I removed the gcode from Marlin\_main.cpp and brought some things from the original firmware to get it working. Also since the SD was really slow, I had to re-enable the alpha sorting using RAM, but decreased the array size to 30 instances. For the memory it means, that right now it is at 89% Flash and 39% RAM usage. Enjoy! :)
BTW: For anyone saying that you cannot print good prints on this printer, I just printed tha Maker's Muse Gauge and clearance test model, and got it moving completely! That's pretty awesome for a printer that cost me less than 150€.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I have the same problem.
I think it is not a bootloader problem because the screen is all blue but machine can work with serial connexion. I tried to use the new Jakub's file but it doesn't work either.
I found new type of screen for EX8 on Marlin V2 called "WYH\_L12864\_LCD" - Has anyone tried this solution?
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Tags: marlin, firmware, lcd-screen
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thread-19071 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19071 | Can I plug in Arduino Mega USB input (to supply power) and RAMPS 1.4 power input at the same time? | 2022-03-08T14:07:21.527 | # Question
Title: Can I plug in Arduino Mega USB input (to supply power) and RAMPS 1.4 power input at the same time?
Can I plug Arduino Mega USB input (to supply power) and RAMPS 1.4 power input at the same time?
This is because when I plug the PSU into the RAMPS 1.4 alone, the LCD keeps restarting and it just gets stuck at the Marlin logo but if I plug the USB to the Arduino Mega alone, it works perfectly fine except the motor won't move (maybe not enough power) or maybe there is any other suggestions?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Yes you can, that is the purpose of diode `D1` on the RAMPS board.
It should be noted that if the RAMPS 1.4 does not have diode `D1` then the Mega2560 will/can not be powered via the RAMPS board and it is necessary to power the Mega2560 separately, for example via the USB.
See 2.7.1.1 Power for the Arduino Mega board on the RAMPS 1.4 RepRapWiki page:
> ### Power for the Arduino Mega board
>
> The RAMPS 1.4 has a 1N4004 diode labeled D1 which allows 12V to feed and power the Arduino Mega 2560 board. This diode is installed in most pre-assemble boards, thus the Arduino board is powered by the Ramps by default.
>
> When the RAMPS is not powered or if the diode is not installed or cut/removed, the Arduino gets its power from USB or a power supply connected to its 2.1mm (center positive) power jack.
>
> The Arduino provides a Vin connection to connect an external power source that can be from 7V to 12V, remember the diode D1 can not be connected if you plan to power the Arduino using its Vin.
>
> ***The Arduino Mega is not rated for voltages higher than 12V. If your board has a 1N4004 diode soldered in Diode D1 (which is the case with most assembled board), do not apply more than 12V in the 5A connector of your Ramps, refer to RAMPS 24v for more information.***
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Tags: diy-3d-printer, ramps-1.4, power-supply, ramps, arduino
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thread-19081 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19081 | How do you level (or tram) your build surface correctly? | 2022-03-10T07:16:30.433 | # Question
Title: How do you level (or tram) your build surface correctly?
There are numerous topics found on first layers that do not adhere properly causing prints to fail or cause print quality defects.
The advice is often to properly level or tram the build surface. How does one tram the build surface?
# Answer
### Definition of leveling
Tramming, often referred to as "leveling" in the 3D printer world ("tramming" and "leveling" is used interchangeably, but "tramming" is the correct nomenclature), is the process of creating a 2D plane of the build surface that is parallel to the nozzle at the whole print area (usually the X-Y plane).
### Why tramming?
In order to adhere the hot filament from the nozzle it is essential that the distance between the nozzle and the build surface is as constant as possible. Increase of the gap may cause the filament to not be squished enough and it may be dragged instead of deposited or create an insufficient bond to cause problems later in the print job when e.g. shrinkage of the object comes in play.
### How to tram the surface?
To tram the build surface (a build surface comes in many shapes and forms, sheet of glass, bare aluminum plate, some sort of coated heated surface, etc.) most printers are equipped with at least three so-called "leveling screws". Why at least three? It takes a minimum of three screws to fixate a plane in space, more screws cause the bed to be over-defined or indeterminate, but with a flexible build surface it is quite common to have 4 screws although it is causing a statically indeterminate system. So, these screws need to be adjusted as such that the build surface if parallel to the nozzle.
First step is to home (What is homing? What is the purpose of homing?) the printer, from the tag wiki reads:
> The process of determining the location of a 3D printer nozzle in three dimensions using a reference point (home location) is referred to as "homing". Homing should occur before every print and involves bringing the X, Y and Z-Axis motors to pre-defined limit locations (usually these are endstops). Pre-recorded homing data offset values determine the position of the build plate origin with respect to the endstop locations.
Once homed (with G-code `G28` or through the graphical user interface of the printer display) , the origin (0, 0, 0) of the printer is known, from this origin you can determine the level. Note that the X and Y is usually correct (if not, see How to center my prints on the build platform? (Re-calibrate homing offset)) the Z offset depends on the height of the Z endstop and the leveling screws. For a surface that uses a sensor as endstop (see e.g. Automatic Bed Leveling (ABL) with a sensor (BLTouch, inductive, capacitive), how does it work?) the offset is defined by G-code (`M851`) or through the user interface of the printer display. Note that automatic bed leveling (ABL) is not magic, you still need to provide a trammed bed that is as level as possible, the sensor merely scans the surface and adjusts for larger imperfections of the build surface. After homing, move the nozzle at a certain Z value to the corner of the origin, which is usually the front left) (0, 0, Z) or close to this corner (10, 10, Z), put a piece of paper (A4/Letter) on the build surface and lower the Z to 0 (or if you hit the build surface before you reach zero height, then lower the build surface) raise the build surface until you can feel the the paper drag slightly when pulled between the nozzle and build surface (alternatively you can use a feeler gauge, A4 paper is 0.08 to 0.11 mm thick, so a 0.1 mm gauge will do fine). To be sure that the carriage hasn't been moved by the tramming, issue a homing command and move to the corner to the right and repeat the process to crete a slight drag of the paper when pulled between the nozzle and build surface. Note that tramming this point may have influenced the first point. Now repeat the homing and moving (for corners back right and back left) to start over again at the front left corner and repeating the whole process at least one to two times. This iterative process will deliver a trammed bed, the bed should now be parallel to the nozzle.
### Trammed, but filament not adhering...
Once trammed the build surface should be parallel to the nozzle, if the distance (usually paper thickness) is too far or too close, adhesion or first layer deposition may fail or cause surface defects like ripples. If not adhering the initial gap between the nozzle and the build surface (paper thickness) might be too big, making this smaller may help squish the filament more so that it adheres better to the build surface. Alternatively use an adhesive in between the build surface and the first layer, nowadays there are multiple dedicated sprays and liquids available, but some house hold product like wood glue, glue sticks and hair sprays could be used.
### Build surface cannot or is difficult to tram
When the build surface isn't perfectly flat, tramming is a challenge, or doesn't provide a 2D plane at a fixed distance of the nozzle. In such cases, scanning the build surface and adjusting during printing might help to get the filament to adhere properly; this process is called automatic bed leveling or ABL (see Automatic Bed Leveling (ABL) with a sensor (BLTouch, inductive, capacitive), how does it work?). An alternative is UBL (see What is ABL or UBL? Is this the same?).
### Tramming frequently?
The frequency of tramming depends on the quality and (mis)use of the printer to maintain the 2D plane parallel to the nozzle. For good quality printers the tramming is performed very seldom.
> 3 votes
# Answer
For fine tuning I get good results by loading a model of any object with a rectangular footprint and scaling it to a size close to the printer's limits.
With the skirt set to around 10 passes, start the print job, let the skirt print then kill the job.
Peel the skirt from the bed and measure its thickness near the leveling screw locations with digital calipers or a micrometer and adjust the leveling screws as indicated.
> 1 votes
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Tags: bed-leveling, tramming
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thread-19078 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19078 | Why should the bed be leveled and isn't just fixed optimally? | 2022-03-09T21:41:35.673 | # Question
Title: Why should the bed be leveled and isn't just fixed optimally?
In every 3D print that I have seen, the bed should be leveled (manually or with some sensor-based system) on multiple points, pretty annoying because often when you reach the perfect distance on a point another point should be adjusted again repeating the procedure multiple time to have perfect leveling on all points.
I'm wondering why height isn't just fixed with the optimal leveling.
# Answer
> 3 votes
The point of "leveling" (tramming) the bed is to make it:
1. square with the coordinate system of the printer so that it lies in a plane perpendicular to the direction of Z travel, and
2. a known distance from the nozzle tip at one point (and thus, due to (1), all points) in the plane at any given Z value.
In theory, if the machine were all preassembled and sufficiently/perfectly rigid, this could be done once at the factory and never need leveling again. However, even if that were possible, there's at least one factor that will throw you off: you're going to want to swap/replace nozzles, and they will not all be exactly the same length - especially if you use different nozzle diameters, styles, materials, from different manufacturers, etc. This is why, even with an ABL system, unless it performs probing using the nozzle tip itself, you always have to calibrate out the offset between the probe and the nozzle tip.
In practice, many machines (especially affordable ones) require final assembly by the consumer, which necessitates calibration. They also have parts which can warp or wear and require adjustment - especially POM V-roller wheels - which will then throw off the squareness of the bed with the rest of the frame.
If you find you're having to re-level often, something is wrong with your printer. You may have play in the Z-axis/gantry - on Ender 3 style printers with only one side driven, the undriven side tends to wander up/down unless you get everything tensioned perfectly, and this manifests as apparent loss of leveling. You may have adjustment wheels working themselves loose (watch the end to see final findings) that mess up your leveling (I've had good luck mitigating that with this add-on). You may have an unreliable endstop switch (mine was acting up recently after years of use, and replacing it fixed the problem entirely).
# Answer
> 2 votes
Why? To provide a 2D plane of the build surface that is parallel to the nozzle at the whole print area (usually the X-Y plane). If not, this leads to problems in getting the first layer to adhere to the build surface (see the many questions on "leveling" on this and other sites).
Please note that for good quality printers the tramming is performed very seldomly. My CoreXY home built and my Ultimaker 3E are trammed once every few hundred prints! Usually as a result of misuse like in pulling of the print when it is still sticking too much to the plate. It is the quality of the printer and the handling of the user that determines how often this should be done, but it has to be done at least one time to establish that 2D plane.
# Answer
> 0 votes
In addition to the answers above, you can have perfect levelling for one filament that doesn't work with another.
So for instance my normal PLA works perfectly at one bed level, yet if I change to the generic silk I have it won't adhere unless I change the bed height fractionally. The differences are tiny but are make or break changes.
Copper PLA filament is slightly different to both in terms of getting a nice first layer.
ABS also requires slightly tighter bed levelling on my printer.
So while I rarely change bed levelling, I do if I'm changing filament. But quite often I don't bother with the whole levelling thing, I just adjust the knobs while the skirt is printing.
This is from my experience, your mileage may differ.
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Tags: bed-leveling
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thread-19021 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19021 | Nozzle not level and first print failed | 2022-02-26T01:32:34.343 | # Question
Title: Nozzle not level and first print failed
So I just got my first 3D printer the Ender 3 Pro. My nozzle is a bit too high (first image) and this is what happened after my first test print (second image).
I saved for a while to buy this and I’m really upset about this.
# Answer
> 5 votes
Your Z-endstop assembly is clearly too high. Referring to your own first foto you see that the switch on the Z-endstop mount is nearly touching the bottom of the X-Z mounting.
You need to adjust the whole mount by loosening the 2 hex key screws and lower the assembly (move in the direction of the blue arrow):
*Source: Larry Wood via All3DP*
Before lowering the Z-endstop mount first screw in all the levelling/tramming screws under the build plate/heated bef a little and position the nozzle a little above the build plate; when the mount is fastened you can move the build plate up a little and tram the complete bed surface.
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*This All3D article describes the above in more detail, but the basics are covered above.*
# Answer
> -1 votes
Flash the firmware. If that doesn't fix it then you have a defective printer assuming everything else in your question and comments is correct.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, heated-bed, bed-leveling, nozzle, bed
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thread-19023 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19023 | Post processing - How should I remove stringing for the smoothest surface? | 2022-02-26T14:10:02.863 | # Question
Title: Post processing - How should I remove stringing for the smoothest surface?
On a PLA print where stringing has occurred, what is the best way to remove it during post processing?
Should I simply cut it with a hobby knife and sand the surface or are the better techniques to use?
# Answer
Use a hobby knife with a chisel blade (straight edge perpendicular to handle, beveled on one side only).
Apply with beveled edge against workpiece. Raise the handle in small increments while stroking over the flaw until it is entirely removed. This provides pretty good control to prevent gouging.
Avoid sanding.
This method also works well for removing "ribs" caused by gaps in painter tape applied to print bed.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I pull them off by hand and then a few quick passes with a cigarette lighter works for me.
> 1 votes
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Tags: post-processing, stringing
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thread-14488 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14488 | Good lubricants for moving parts? | 2020-09-24T14:01:22.040 | # Question
Title: Good lubricants for moving parts?
What materials work well for lubricating moving PLA, ABS, or PETG parts? I'm talking items like the the Gear Bearings or Print in Place Engine.
I've played with a few lubricants on my own, including hand lotion, trumpet valve oil, and carmex/vaseline. Of these, the vaseline has worked best for me so far, but I'd like to hear what has worked well for others, or especially if there's anyone here who understands the chemistry involved and could explain what to look for in different situations.
# Answer
When dealing with lubrication of plastics, any solvent or reactive substance is to be avoided. Petroleum is risky and Vaseline™ is a brand name for petroleum jelly.
I've had quite good results using inert lubrication such as PTFE and silicone based lubes. PTFE is the generic term for Teflon™ and is quite a good lubricant. There are both silicone and PTFE greases for higher viscosity applications.
From the Teflon™ link:
> Teflon's amazing properties are down to its structure. Like most polymers, Teflon has a carbon-based chain. However, instead of reactive C-H bonds which occur in most polymers, Teflon has all its hydrogens replaced by fluorines. These strong C-F bonds are extremely resistant to attack by any other reagents, making Teflon very inert. This means that no other molecules will react with or stick to Teflon. The exception is Teflon itself, which will stick to itself quite readily, forming thick layers or solid blocks. With a friction coefficient of \<0.1, Teflon has the second lowest friction coefficient (surpassed only by diamond-like carbon), which makes it perfect for non-stick items e.g. pans. DuPont invented the non-stick pan coated with Teflon in 1956 and have manufactured it ever since. Teflon coatings are so slippery that they are the only material that a gecko cannot stick to.
Who knew that gecko testing was a thing?
Wikipedia for silicone grease:
> Although silicones are normally assumed to be chemically inert, several historically significant compounds have resulted from unintended reactions with silicones.
Powdered graphite is also a good lubricant if one can tolerate loose powder in some constructions.
I've read of others using lithium grease, but not for plastic lubrication.
> 7 votes
# Answer
After some testing, I can say that any oil is a bad option.
I've found that light oils tend to soak into and **through** any 3D printed FDM parts because of the small voids between lines and in turns and corners.
It is possible that resin-printed parts could be more oil-resistant, but I don't have any for testing.
> 0 votes
# Answer
Petroleum based lubricants are perfectly acceptable for use with PLA, as well as PETG and TPU, and will not attack the polymer. I use STP red high temp automotive grease in my printed gears with no problems. ABS and ASA on the other hand sould not be used with such lubricants.
If your print quality is poor and you have lots of extrusion gaps between layers or between walls, it seems plausible that *any* lubricant will work its way into these gaps and loosen any points where it's just friction between the extrusion lines, rather than actual fusing of the plastic, holding them together. But this should not happen in parts intended for serious mechanical usage, which need to be printed in a manner that's structurally sound.
> 0 votes
# Answer
Try aerosol silicone spray first. That's worked well for me in most situations. It is reasonably innocuous and dries so is clean and doesn't attract or hold particulate contaminants. If that proves insufficient then try other options.
Graphite powder is a good dry lubricant but has disadvantages; doesn't adhere so has limited "staying power", may be electrically conductive and is messy.
If grease is indicated consider an anti-seize compound, essentially grease with a large dose of graphite mixed in. It's messy but may be a good solution if dry compounds or oils don't do the job.
> 0 votes
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Tags: post-processing
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thread-19025 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19025 | Klipper: power on before homing | 2022-02-27T13:20:40.393 | # Question
Title: Klipper: power on before homing
I'd like to force Klipper to perform power on (using `M80`) before homing. For this purpose I'm trying to override `G28`:
```
[gcode_macro G28]
rename_existing: G28_BASE
gcode:
M80
G28_BASE { rawparams }
```
But for some reason this does not work, I'm getting the following error:
```
G-Code macro rename of different types ('G28' vs 'G28_BASE')
```
Isn't `G28` overridable? Is there any other way to achieve the desired behavior?
# Answer
> 3 votes
Because of the way parameters work differently (`Sx` vs `NAME=x`) for gcode style commands vs Klipper extended ones, the rename has to be to the "same type" of command. `G28_BASE` does not fit the pattern to be considered a "gcode style" one. Use `G9028` or `G28.1` or something instead and it should work.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Besides using a different macro, it is also possible to use \[homing\_override\] which allows you to redefine the homing sequence.
You can write a simple homing\_override like (untested!)
```
[homing_override]
axes: xyz
gcode:
M80
G28
```
and you are done.
Be aware that this very simple override will home all axes every time homing is called: "G28 X0" will home also Y and Z. You can put checks to home only what is requested, see here but it become more involved.
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Tags: g-code, homing, power-supply, klipper
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thread-19098 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19098 | "Blobs" at beginning and end of layer and no adhesion | 2022-03-15T12:30:40.287 | # Question
Title: "Blobs" at beginning and end of layer and no adhesion
I am trying to configure my Ender 3 v2, but I am having (again) trouble with layer adhesion: With the CHEP leveling test I am having these problematic "blobs" at each lower left of the squares (where the nozzle "leaves" the current square and "enters" from the previous (outer) square, touching the bed again). I don't know what the reason for that could be. I started with a 205 °C nozzle temperature and a 50 °C bed temperature and tried many versions with higher or lower temperature (both for nozzle and the bed), and I also tried various positive and negative Z-offsets. Sometimes the layer adhesion was slightly better (especially when raising the bed temperature to 60 °C and making the Z offset = -0.2), but the blobs persisted (and each time the nozzle scraped over it, the layer was pulled off again). Any idea what I should try next?
---
EDIT after your suggestions: While I have not reduced the distance between nozzle and bed further (a sheet of paper between them almost ripped when trying to move it), you got me thinking and I checked the extrusion. And indeed, the extrusion factor was way off. After calibrating the results look now much better:
The lines are squished much better into the bed, and also the blobs are much smaller (and less "prominent", i.e. lying flat). But I am still having (slightly smaller) problems at the same points (lower left corners of the squares): While the initial adhesion is fine (the nozzle starts at each square in the lower left corner and then travels "right, up, left, down", i.e. counter-clockwise), it comes loose when the square is completed (due to the nozzle "hitting" the blob in the lower left corner at the end of the square.
What can I do next in order to improve things? A lower Z-offset (trying to eliminate the blobs further) has not really worked.
# Answer
It looks like your nozzle distance to the bed is still too high, so the extruded material does not start sticking to the bed until there's a small blob of it on the nozzle end. This is consistent with how the extrusion lines in the photo seem to be round rather than flattened against the bed. Assuming 0.4 mm nozzle/line width and something like 0.2 or 0.3 layer height they should be a lot wider than they are thick.
It's also possible that you may have retraction speed or distance problems going on at the same time. If your retraction distance is too high, the material will cool while retracted and then will not be able to push through the hotend/nozzle until it re-melts, possibly causing skipping or delayed extrusion when you unretract and restart. But if so, I think this is secondary and you should fix the bed height first - then you can print retraction test towers to tune your retraction.
> 2 votes
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Tags: print-quality, bed-leveling, adhesion
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thread-19085 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19085 | How do I clean melted PLA form an Ender 5 Pro flex build plate? | 2022-03-11T18:23:57.140 | # Question
Title: How do I clean melted PLA form an Ender 5 Pro flex build plate?
I have an Ender 5 Pro with a flexible build plate (The factory default one).
There are multiple extremely thin tracks of melted PLA all over it. Too thin to easily peal off when cooled. Thin enough that you can run your finger over them and barely know that they are there.
What is the best way to clean them off other than simply brut forcing them with a scraper and risking damaging the surface.
Rubbing with IPA and a cloth isn't enough.
I have a plastic razor that's normally used for removing vinyl decal from vehicles without scratching the paint, would that be useful, or maybe just scrubbing for an hour with a nail brush?
# Answer
> 2 votes
## TL;DR:
Print more PLA on top of them, and pull it off together.
## Preparation
First, of course, clean it well with IPA. This will both ensure there's no oil or other material on top of the PLA that will prevent it from bonding well with new PLA, and start to work underneath it to get it loose.
## Printing
Then, print! Do a 2- or 3-layer square covering the whole buildplate if you need to, or just smaller ones in the affected areas. They should bond to whatever is there and pull it up when you peel them off.
## Prevention
To avoid this happening in the future, **fix your bed leveling**. The type of tracks that are nearly impossible to remove by themselves normally come from printing with the nozzle so low that the material is forced entirely between the texture irregularities of the build surface, with no significant layer on top, and this means your bed is at least a whole layer-height too high relative to the nozzle.
# Answer
> 0 votes
If you can feel it with your finger, then you can scrape it off. Just be careful. Keep the scraper closer to horizontal and don't dig in. It doesn't really need much effort.
If you can't feel it with your finger then it doesn't matter. Just clean as normal and carry on printing over it.
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Tags: creality-ender-5, cleaning
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thread-19103 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19103 | Ender 3 with BLTouch ignores Z0 | 2022-03-16T10:44:16.077 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 with BLTouch ignores Z0
I have a problem with my E 3nder3 (3DTouch, Skr mini e3 v1.2, Dragon hotend with afterburner mount, other parts are original), where after using ABL, at the start of the print the Z-axis just seems to ignore where the 0 point should be and keeps trying to go down for a good second, then it just starts the print as if nothing happened.
The things I've tried and the observations I've made:
* After reflashing Marlin, I've tried printing without creating a mesh, and it worked as normal (using the BLTouch as a Z stop, but not making a mesh). This should eliminate the Z stop being a problem
+ After creating the mesh even once, everything goes wrong like explained above
* I've tried leveling the bed with paper, and when using the bed visualizer in OctoPi, everything seemed pretty close to normal, so the sensor itself seems to work.
* Now the weird thing was, that the day this started happening, moving the Z-axis by hand seemed to be way harder than usual, as if the rod is not lubricated, so I lubricated it with my tool grease. That didn't solve the problem. It still feels as if some of the rubber bearings are stuck on the gantry. After checking them 1 by 1, none of them seemed particularly loose or tight compared to the others.
# Answer
Successfully solved the problem. Removed the Z rod from its socket, and greased up the threaded slot it goes into on the x gantry, that seemed to solve the problem.
> 3 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, troubleshooting, z-axis, bltouch
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thread-19107 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19107 | Obtaining a smooth solid .stl from voxel data | 2022-03-16T18:13:48.567 | # Question
Title: Obtaining a smooth solid .stl from voxel data
I have a (preferably in matlab) 3D array of Booleans describing a voxel structure. I want to turn this into an .stl file but I don't want the final result to have the jagged cubes.
I have tried putting the voxel array into a marching cube algorithm but the resulting STL is not a solid, some parts are infinitely thin sheets. I want every voxel to be represented by something solid.
Is there a way to achieve this?
# Answer
> 2 votes
Voxels are pretty much an interpolation of data points and you can only *smooth* them out by reducing the fidelity. Why? Because in acquiring the voxel, you already lost fidelity. Let me take you through an example.
## The basics
For our basics we take a circle of Radius $R$. It can be fully described the following: $$x^2+y^2=R$$ All solutions to this give us points on the circle.
Its representation as a single voxel with resolution length $r$ is that of a square. The square with its center on $\\{0,0\\}$ we will call the voxel of resolution $r$ around that coordinate. It is defined as $$x =\\{0.5r,-0.5r\\} \land y=\\{-0.5r \to 0.5r\\}$$ $$y=\\{0.5r,-0.5r\\}\land x=\\{-0.5r \to 0.5r\\}$$ Other squares then can be created by simply adding the respective cell's center's coordinates $\\{a,b\\}$ for $$x' =\\{0.5r,-0.5r\\}+a \land y'=\\{-0.5r \to 0.5r\\}+b$$ $$y'=\\{0.5r,-0.5r\\}+b\land x'=\\{-0.5r \to 0.5r\\}+a$$
Looks complicated? True, but you see: the first formula is a circle with radius $R$ containing an area of $A=\pi\*R^2$. The latter two blocks define the square of length $r$ and area $A=r^2$. By clever positioning, the grid with $R=r$ has its $\\{0,0\\}$ Voxel wholly contained in that circle. Or in a picture, it looks like this, using $r=R=50$ (and thus a diameter of 100).
As you see, there is an area between the circle and the square - this is fidelity that is lost when converting to voxels. In a typical voxel transformation, there is only one choice: at which point of filling does a voxel get filled to 100% and at which it gets filled to 0%. Let's assume the circle there is actually a cylinder of 50 units height. Depending on where we set the cutoff, we now get one of three solutions. We could end with one voxel, using 50% as the cutoff point. We could end with a plus shape using 45% as the cutoff point or a square using any filling above 0% as a cutoff, as shown in the following picture.
It gets even more complicated if you don't have the circle and the grid's center overlap like n the example above: there is a "2x2x1" voxel solution that reflects a *differently aligned* circle with the same cutoff point as the "1x1x1" solution! That circle is (in the next graphic) centered around $\\{3.5 r,0.5 r\\}$ and thus shifted half a unit up and right so its center overlaps with a corner of the voxels.
## Lost fidelity can't be regained
You see, you have lost a lot of fidelity in voxelizing. All circles have become squares. All squares **also** are squares. Likewise, all curves in between have become squares.
## The problem
So, it is nigh impossible for a computer to identify, what once was a circle square or square before all was made squares. Think... Colors: I take a picture of a smiley. I split it in half and then desaturate the upper half of the right side to black and white and totally saturate the lower. Those are two different ways to totally loose the color information. In the upper case you retain *one* information more, because the algorithm of making all colors but black white retains the black information, while the lower parts algorithm only retains the outer shape.
If you only had the black and white smiley, you have lost the information about its color in total. If you only have the black outline, you have lost also the information of the face.
Voxelizaion does loose about that much information, depending on the settings.
## Reversing Voxelisation is interpreting the voxel structure
It's not possible for a computer algorithm to simply invert the process. However, there **are** ways to interpret a voxelized object and try to re-create one of the possible objects that have led to this item, assuming that an "any fill is a voxel" algorithm has been used.
For such, you'd import the model into a software such as Blender, solidify it so that it is one mesh without internal faces, and then running a smoothing operation. You don't get *the* object that generated that voxel structure, but you get **an** Object that would generate that voxel structure.
How good the interpretation of the voxels is, depends on the resolution chosen in the start. If $r$ is small enough, then the resulting interpretation, together with some artistic definition of which corners are sharp and quite some manual post-processing (which requires the human eye) can lead to a somewhat good approximation of the actual object you believe lead to the voxel structure.
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Tags: 3d-models, stl
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thread-19117 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19117 | Print limitations with 0.4 mm nozzle | 2022-03-18T17:25:38.343 | # Question
Title: Print limitations with 0.4 mm nozzle
1. Is it possible to 3D print multiple 0.1 mm high layers with a 0.4 mm diameter nozzle in FDM while ensuring fidelity to the set layer height? The raster width is set at 0.4 mm and I am not touching that. The part thickness is 3 mm, so 30 layers of 0.1 mm have to be deposited for the completion of the print job. My polymer is PLA.
2. If not, should I be using a 0.2 mm diameter nozzle for this purpose?
3. Can a 0.4 mm print nozzle print rasters with higher width (0.5 mm, 0.6 mm, etc.)?
# Answer
1. Yes, absolutely. I believe the original sample file that came with the Ender 3 (0.4 mm nozzle) was sliced for 0.1 mm layer height. As long as your printer can get decently precise Z positioning at 0.1 mm increments, it should be able to do it.
2. I've never used smaller nozzles but they pose challenges that make them unattractive. It's hard to flow material through such a small opening, so you have to go slow and use narrow line widths. This may make sense for really small parts, but even then there are tradeoffs.
3. Yes, you can print lines wider than the nozzle, up to at least the width of the flat end of the nozzle, and with slightly reduced quality, even beyond that. Lost in Tech on YouTube has several videos showing his results doing this with very wide lines, up to nearly 2 mm if I recall. For 25% to 50% over the nozzle width, it's no problem at all, and a lot of people even recommend doing that. Wider lines improve overhang quality and part strength, but may compromise the ability to print fine detail.
> 6 votes
# Answer
The general consensus for nozzle diameter versus layer height is to limit the layer thickness to eighty percent of the nozzle diameter. For a 0.4 mm nozzle, one usually limits the layer to 0.3 mm. The printer on which the nozzle is installed will determine the minimum layer thickness, often a typical value of 0.10 mm. I have printed successfully to 0.10 mm layer thickness with a 0.40 mm nozzle.
The linked site says just about the same as above, but also provides useful information regarding appearance, speed, strength, etc.
With a "next size up" nozzle of 0.6 mm, you'd want to limit the layer height to 0.48 mm but you might get away with 0.50 mm layers as there is some wiggle woom.
For 0.8 mm nozzle, you can get your 0.60 mm layers as the max for that nozzle is 0.64 mm.
The article also references that one can print wider than nozzle dimensions by increasing the extrusion factor, which may go by other terms, depending on the slicer used.
> 3 votes
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Tags: nozzle, layer-height, dimensional-accuracy
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thread-19122 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19122 | Will prolonged expose to IPA damage uncured prints? | 2022-03-20T12:27:43.657 | # Question
Title: Will prolonged expose to IPA damage uncured prints?
If I leave an uncured resin print in an IPA cleaning tank for too long (For example, if I forget to take it out and leave it in over night) will this damage the print?
I'm using Elegoo gray.
# Answer
> 0 votes
EN Parts start to get tacky when the resin concentration is 5-10% in the IPA tank. It is advisable to shake the pieces for several seconds. In this way the solvent goes well in all the interstices. Then let the object soak for a few more minutes. We can repeat the action a second time before leaving a longer drying.
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FR Les pièces commencent à devenir poisseuses lorsque la concentration en résine est à 5-10 % dans le bac à IPA. Il est conseillée de d'agitais plusieurs secondes la piéces. De cette manière le solvant va bien dans tous les interstices. On laisse ensuite tremper l’objet encore quelques minutes. On peut refaire l'action une deuxième fois avant de laisser un séchages plus long.
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Tags: cleaning
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thread-18936 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18936 | Issue with uneven surface when printing speed changes | 2022-02-15T19:36:25.457 | # Question
Title: Issue with uneven surface when printing speed changes
I'm trying to get good-quality thin wall prints with PLA on my Creality CR10s Pro V2 using Cura. After hours of calibration and testing, I'm getting quite good results. However, there is one issue I can't figure out. It seems that I'm getting uneven extrusion and blobs when the printer deaccelerates or accelerates. This issue causes problems with rounded corners on my test prints (see photos). In Cura, there is no retraction or anything in the arc, just accelerations. I have experimented with acceleration and jerk without success. I also tried to decrease the print speed from 50 mm/s to 20 mm/s, and it seems to have a minor positive effect. Anyone got any ideas on what values I need to change? Can this be a mechanical problem?
### General print settings:
* Temp: 210 °C
* Layer: 0.2 mm
* Infill: 0 %
* Retraction distance: 3 mm
* Retraction speed: 60 mm/s
* Cooling: 80 %
* Flow: 102.5 %
* Acceleration: 500 mm/s
* Jerk: 20 mm/s (Tried values from 5 to 20)
### Printed at 50 mm/s:
### Printed at 20 mm/s:
### Cura:
# Answer
Look at the gcode for those curves either manually in a text editor, or with a gcode analyzer tool (e.g. gcode.ws) and see if there's anything strange about them. Cura is notorious for numeric instability problems with high resolution curves, where it will end up generating a few tiny moves (on the order of 0.005 mm) here and there that get truncated to zero motion on one axis and nonzero on the other (due to fixed rounding to 3 decimal places). To the printer firmware's motion planner, these look like sharp corners (because the angle changed severely from the last move), forcing it decelerate and re-accelerate.
The right fix for this is fixing Cura's numerical precision flaws. @piezoid has a WIP branch doing this that might eventually push upstream to improve, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Short of that, there are a couple good workarounds:
* Check the "Maximum Resolution" and "Maximum Deviation" settings in Cura. You might have to unhide them if they're hidden. The defaults on modern Cura versions are 0.5 and 0.025 which tend to avoid the problem well, but older versions had bad values. (And of course, make sure you're using a recent version.)
* Lowering the resolution (having it use a coarser triangle mesh) exported from your CAD software tends to avoid the problem.
* Some people have reported success with the Arc Welder plugin, but I'm not sure this is a good idea, and it depends on your printer having firmware that accepts the arc motion commands.
> 2 votes
# Answer
If you haven't already, try rotating the object about the Z-axis to give a different orientation with respect to X and Y. May not correct the problem but if the effect changes it may shed some light on the cause.
> 0 votes
# Answer
It could be that the pressure in your nozzle is too high. I would switch on Coasting in Cura and see what effect that has.
> 0 votes
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Tags: print-quality, ultimaker-cura, pla, creality-cr-10
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thread-19128 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19128 | Z-axis compensation | 2022-03-21T00:10:35.037 | # Question
Title: Z-axis compensation
1. What is the purpose of Z-axis compensation setting in the adjustment section of the Ender 6 screen panel?
2. Is Z-axis compensation the same thing as Z-offset?
3. If Z-axis compensation is the same as Z-offset, does it change each time when you do bed levelling manually?
4. Does Z-axis compensation setting have any influence on the successful printing of layers after the first deposited layer? If so, how?
# Answer
Generally speaking, the Z-offset is the distance between the trigger point of a Z-endstop sensor and the nozzle. But, the Z-offset can be seen as the build plate to nozzle distance, it is a modifier of the nozzle position in Z direction.
Mapping the surface of the build plate and storing the mesh to maintain a nozzle at the same distance from the build plate is considered Z-axis compensation, and is not the same as a Z-offset. These are separate things. However, the Ender 6 has 5-point assisted leveling, 4 corner and the middle of the bed. It is not capable to map the build surface as a mesh. Most probably the firmware could (as those functions are available in Marlin firmware for a long time), but the graphical LCD doesn't allow to interface with these functions of the firmware.
The Ender 6 doesn't have a Z-axis sensor (it has a Z-endstop), so automatic bed leveling is not an option and one has to do manual leveling by scanning multiple points of the build plate (as described above; 4 corners and the middle of the bed). Z-axis compensation is an offset to the level you have defined. Note the latter can be done in most slicers as well. E.g. many people like to increase the offset when printing PETG.
> 1 votes
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Tags: z-axis, creality-ender-6
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thread-19126 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19126 | Program Creality v2.2 board to use HEATER1 transistor for HEATER0 | 2022-03-20T21:00:01.917 | # Question
Title: Program Creality v2.2 board to use HEATER1 transistor for HEATER0
My CR10-S5 with Creality v2.2 mainboard recently suffered from the hotend heater transistor (MOSFET) failing short. After taking a look at the board, I tried to be clever and use the `HEATER1` output instead for my hotend. However, after swapping pins in `pins_RAMPS.h`, there is no response to turning on the heater. I have confirmed zero volts on the board output with a multimeter, so it shouldn't be a failed heater cartridge.
Are there any other lines of code I should be changing to get this to work? I am using TH3D Unified 2 firmware with BLTouch enabled.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Found the problem, apparently these v2.2, v2.2x boards have the `HEATER1` MOSFET controlled by pin 7, not pin 9 as in default `pins_RAMPS.h`. After setting `HEATER0` to use pin 7 everything works as expected.
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Tags: marlin, hotend, creality-cr-10, th3d
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thread-19129 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19129 | Tips on incorporating a robust hinge | 2022-03-21T10:11:29.947 | # Question
Title: Tips on incorporating a robust hinge
I'm working on a gadget a bit like a jewelry box. I want the lid on a hinge. Are 3d printed hinges robust enough for daily use long term? Perhaps with a metal pin?
I want to incorporate the hinge into the design but my thinking is that it would be a waste of time if the hinge will break as I'd need to reprint the whole gadget.
# Answer
> 2 votes
You can make a print-in-place hinge as a horizontal cone with a 45-degree angle. The opposing face will be a similar conical hole with a 0.25 mm gap between the faces (or whatever your printer's tolerance needs to be).
The strength of this (as in the other answers) depends on the diameter of the hinge. The strength you need depends on how heavy the thing it holds up will be.
There are many parts on Thingiverse that use conical hinges like this if you need examples.
The above is a disassembled conical hinge from thing:5143964 (sturdy infinity cube) which I split into parts and then arranged the hinged coupling next to the block it fits in. (Technically I suppose this is a frustrum. But things that come to a zero diameter pointy tip tend to not print well.)
There are 4 holes in the linkage, and the whole assembly is printed at once.
# Answer
> 1 votes
More detailed information would be valuable. A hinge the size of a soft drink can is going to be stronger than that of a pencil, generally speaking.
A substantial portion of determining the strength of a specific printed object relies on the layer orientation and of the material from which the object is printed.
Consider to examine others' creations on sites such as Thingiverse and PrusaPrinters to see how the result fare against your objectives. I've noted that the better designs will have substantial wall thickness to the barrel portion of the hinge. Additionally, if one can print the hinge with the cylinder axis oriented vertically, the layer lines will "encompass" the pivot. This provides the better strength characteristic of the layer.
The pin aspect is not as important when considering strength, although a 3D printed pin can be weak if printed vertically.
# Answer
> 1 votes
The reliability of hinges depends on the design, the material, and the slice parameters. I've printed reliable hinges that snap together using somewhat flexible materials such as PETG and ABS. PLA will tend to crack eventually if remaining flexed. Pins can avoid flexing the hinge. You could also use screws to hold hinge pieces together. Gluing pieces of a small hinge together would be difficult to do without interfering with the movement of the hinge.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Maker's Muse has a video on how to design hinged objects for printing. It's quite old and might be outdated with regard to materials, slicer functionality, etc. but I think it provides a good background on the topic and a source of ideas. One of the good tips is to look at the abundance of existing hinged designs on Thingiverse and other model sharing sites - that way you can study how they work and test print some before you spend time designing your own thing that might not work.
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Tags: 3d-design
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thread-18996 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18996 | Are "matte PLA" filaments abrasive? | 2022-02-23T23:31:22.110 | # Question
Title: Are "matte PLA" filaments abrasive?
I picked up a roll of Overture matte black PLA, and the surface of both the filament and the printed object *feel like* paper. This made me wonder if it contains wood-based fibers like "wood PLA" does, and if so, whether it's abrasive and harmful to the nozzle. In the past I wouldn't have cared, but I'm using a CHT now and would like to avoid ruining it since it's expensive and I don't have spares sitting around.
# Answer
You may be experiencing the feel of paper, which is typically a matte surface, when feel testing the printed item, as both would be matte. A search for your focus found one purchaser of this product (via Amazon) has left an answer addressing this question. The answer is on the last page of Q/A and is accompanied by another answer suggesting the white filament is abrasive. One has to click "see 2 more answers" in order to locate the quoted answer.
His reply was that he has printed 8 spools and found no deterioration of his nozzle.
> Not any more than any other PLA. I've gone through 8 rolls of this PLA so far with no noticeable degradation of my nozzle. D. DAmico · September 30, 2021
My own suspicion is that the filament has a chemical additive to create the matte finish, rather than any particulate that might cause abrasion.
> 3 votes
# Answer
At least one filament manufacturer, Protopasta, documents their "matte fiber HTPLA" as "containing plant fibers" but also documents that
> Matte Fiber does NOT require a wear resistant nozzle.
So I think fred\_dot\_u's suspicion that the finish is produced by a chemical additive is probably false; it looks like these finishes are created with something similar to wood, but softer than brass so that it's non-abrasive.
This also suggests that matte finish filaments (at least the ones that feel paper-like) might have additional benefits beyond cosmetic, such as the fibers helping to resist warping while the extruded material is cooling, which seems to match my experience using it (less sensitive to cooling performance than normal PLA).
> 0 votes
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Tags: filament, nozzle, print-material
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thread-19141 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19141 | Is it possible to manually 3D print on an uneven surface? | 2022-03-22T17:00:16.437 | # Question
Title: Is it possible to manually 3D print on an uneven surface?
I chipped off a bit of my otherwise perfectly usable laptop battery and would like to rebuild it. Consider the following picture:
Now compare it to what is visible e.g. here. I'm curious if it's possible to point a few cameras from a different angle at the bad and manually operate a typical 3D printer (let's say, Creality Ender 3) so that it's me operating the extruder, not a program. Does it have any chance working on that uneven surface?
# Answer
> 3 votes
In general, *maybe*. But you need to have plastics that will bond with each other (so you need to know what the existing surface is) and you need to have a clean unobstructed path for the nozzle to get where it needs to go.
In your specific case, this is a battery. Having a 200+ ˚C metal heater block and nozzle tip a few mm away from it, where any wrong move could puncture and short the battery, seems like a really bad idea. I would instead look at recreating the missing part with epoxy resin or something. You could 3D print a mold (note: apply a release agent to the surface!) for this, or you could just glob on more than you need and file the excess off.
If you have a steady hand, a 3D pen might also be an option, but the same concerns about "proximity to battery" as above apply.
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Tags: extrusion, recycling
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thread-19143 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19143 | Infill line distance at 100% infill density | 2022-03-22T19:16:24.250 | # Question
Title: Infill line distance at 100% infill density
I want to understand what the infill line distance of 0.4mm signifies. I am printing at 100% infill.
# Answer
Presumably your nozzle width (and thereby your default line width) is 0.4 mm. The infill line distance of 0.4 mm means that the centers of lines are spaced 0.4 mm apart from each other, so that they exactly touch their neighbors at their width (0.2 mm from the center in either direction).
> 1 votes
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Tags: infill
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thread-19140 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19140 | No distance between the nozzle and the print bed level at the center (1) position after bed leveling | 2022-03-22T16:27:12.387 | # Question
Title: No distance between the nozzle and the print bed level at the center (1) position after bed leveling
After I have leveled the print bed on all four corners manually, on moving to the center (1) position I still observe that there is no distance between the print bed and the nozzle. The nozzle literally touches the bed at this position. Furthermore, I am also getting nozzle scrapping on the print surface as the thickness of the printed sample increases (1 mm and above). I am printing 5-152 mm(L)x35 mm(W)x3 mm(T) samples using a commercial PLA filament with a 0.1 mm layer height (30 total layers). The raster width is 0.4 mm while the raster angle in all layers is 0/0°. The bed temperature was 0 °C, while the printing temperature was 220 °C. The printing speed was 60 mm/s. The Z-axis compensation value was 0. The slicer I am using is Ultimaker's Cura, while the printer is Creality's Ender 6. How can I rectify this issue and can anyone guide me as to why this is happening?
# Answer
> 1 votes
I would think your bed isn't flat. My magnetic bed has high spots in a couple of places.
Another cause could be that you're just levelling once. Sometimes you need to go around again and check the levelling.
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Tags: bed-leveling
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thread-19153 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19153 | G-code to get the 3D printer to shake resin bubbles off from a casting | 2022-03-25T02:06:58.490 | # Question
Title: G-code to get the 3D printer to shake resin bubbles off from a casting
While this is not directly 3D **printing** related, I intend to use my 3D printer (Labist's ET40) to shake air bubbles off of a resin casting.
I printed parts, made a mould of them in silicon, then cast a copy with resin. All works, great looks and all! Except... bubbles. Especially at ceiling parts that are away from the gas hole.
I tried a few different techniques to get rid of bubbles (heating, cooling, release agent, handshaking, high drop pouring, a mix of the above, different hole positions in the mould), and some I can't due to price restriction (different resin, vacuum removal degassing), but I was explained by an expert I could just have a machine do some low amplitude, high frequency shakin' for me. Again they proposed a specific machinery or DIY project, but I believe I already have the tool for it in the shape of a 3D printer's axes.
Is there a way to create a G-code that would simply move at relatively high speed back and forth on the Y- and X-axis for, say 15 minutes? I'm sure there would need to be some variation to ensure the temporarily repurposed machine doesn't self-destruct in one way or another.
# Answer
What you suggest is pretty straightforward with g-code. One would expect to have the item secured properly to the print bed. The printer you've indicated has movement only in the Y direction, which means your g-code should reflect that movement only. X-direction movement means the head will travel left and right and have nearly zero effect on the item. This also applies to Z-movement of the carriage.
Marlin (a common firmware) web page lists a specific g-code for repeat:
> The Repeat Marker command is used to define regions of a G-code file that will be repeated during SD printing. A marker is first set with M808 L\[count\], and later in the file a plain M808 command is used count down and loop. (By default up to 10 start markers can be nested.)
>
> In slicer software put M808 L to the “Start G-code” and M808 to the “End G-code.” But this command is not the only requirement. Before starting each whole object it’s important to actually clear the print area of obstacles and to reset the coordinate system with G92 or G28, so this command is best used with belt printers or other systems with automatic print removal.
From a different page on the same site:
> The G0 and G1 commands add a linear move to the queue to be performed after all previous moves are completed. These commands yield control back to the command parser as soon as the move is queued, but they may delay the command parser while awaiting a slot in the queue.
>
> A linear move traces a straight line from one point to another, ensuring that the specified axes will arrive simultaneously at the given coordinates (by linear interpolation). The speed may change over time following an acceleration curve, according to the acceleration and jerk settings of the given axes.
More details specific to this command are also on the linked page. A simple example of a movement g-code:
> The most basic move sets a feedrate and moves the tool to the given position.
>
> G0 X12 ; move to 12mm on the X axis G0 F1500 ; set the feedrate to 1500 mm/min G1 X90.6 Y13.8 ; move to 90.6mm on the X axis and 13.8mm on the Y axis
>
> There are some caveats related with feedrates. Consider the following:
>
> G1 F1500 ; set the feedrate to 1500 mm/min G92 E0 G1 X50 Y25.3 E22.4 ; move while extruding
>
> In the above example the feedrate is set to 1500 mm/min, then the tool is moved 50mm on the X axis and 25.3mm on the Y axis while extruding 22.4mm of filament between the two points.
>
> G1 F1500 G92 E0 G1 X50 Y25.3 E22.4 F3000
>
> However, in the above example, we set a feedrate of 1500 mm/min on line 1 then do the move described above, accelerating to a feedrate of 3000 mm/min (if possible). The extrusion will accelerate along with the X and Y movement, so everything stays synchronized.
Consider to limit your acceleration based on the weight of the secured item. You would not be worried about precision, but skipped steps due to weight could bring the bed travel to the physical limit stops, causing stepper grinding.
> 1 votes
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Tags: g-code, mechanics, axis, labists-et4
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thread-19152 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19152 | Micro swiss direct drive for Ender 6 | 2022-03-24T21:16:13.600 | # Question
Title: Micro swiss direct drive for Ender 6
Microswiss does not mention Ender 6 to be a machine that is compatible with its direct drive. However, I have landed myself in a position where the printer I am using currently has a micro swiss direct drive. The printer was printing the bunny etc. default prints in the creality SD card just fine but I am getting nozzle scrapping the print surface when I print 5 152(L) mm x 35(W) mm x 3(T) mm prints with 100% infill. Could the incompatibility between the direct drive extruder and the Creality Ender 6 be the cause of eventual nozzle scrapping (rubbing) the print surface as the part's thickness increases? I have tried all sorts of settings. Increased/decreased bed temperatures (I am using PLA filament), adjusted the bed level, Z-offset. Nothing seems to be working.
# Answer
After printing the printed filament level should be touching the nozzle (unless the filament shrinks considerably when the temperature decreases, e.g. when printing very big prints).
What is problematic is if the nozzle digs into already deposited layers when the printer over-extrudes, this has nothing to do with extruder compatibility, but with tuning the extrusion process.
Especially when printing 100 % infill, there is no room for the over-extrusion to go to than upwards in the infill region and outside at the walls. You need to further tune the extrusion process. First make sure the commanded extruded length is the actual extruded length (see How do I calibrate the extruder of my printer?), but further fine tuning may be required afterwards.
E.g. for one of the printers I have designed, the flow modifier in the slicer is set to 98 % in combination with the calibrated distance; it produce far better quality prints with this modifier.
> 1 votes
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Tags: print-quality, creality-ender-6
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thread-15131 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15131 | Problems with stock gear with no screw on Ender 3 pro | 2020-12-28T19:27:52.183 | # Question
Title: Problems with stock gear with no screw on Ender 3 pro
I am very new in the 3D printing scene. After a lot of searching for my specific problem (and didn't find any answers, of course) I decided to reach out.
I bought a Creality Ender 3 Pro in November and after a few days of lovely prints I decided to upgrade the printer with a glass bed and "Aluminum Dual Gear Pulley Dual Drive Extruder Kit".
The Problem, as you might expected already, is with the installation of the dual gear extruder. I have watched a dozen of YouTube videos, and all of them have something I don't – a screw in the stock gold gear on the extruder motor.
How can I install the Aluminum Dual Gear Pulley Dual Drive Extruder Kit if I take the gear out? Should I try remove it with force? Please if someone has come across the same situation, that there isn’t a screw In the stock gear on the extruder motor and mange to take it out, please tell me. I'm adding a picture so you understand what I mean.
# Answer
> 5 votes
This is an older Ender 3 Pro, they at one point came with these press-fit gears, these are not intended to be removed which is a poor design decision. I would recommend buying a new motor than going through the hassle of removing it.
# Answer
> 5 votes
I had exactly the same problem with an Ender 3 Pro I bought a couple of weeks ago (Mar 2021) and I was able to remove the gear easily with a small gear/bearing puller... take a look at Amazon and you will find plenty of selection.
The 3-arm puller works better as it's much more stable when pulling the gear (this is the one I have). Both work in the same way; the arms/jaws attache to the bottom of the gear and the tip of the top screw pushes the motor shaft down.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I had the same problem with the pressed on gear. With WD40 and a center punch the gear came off alright.
The next problem was the shaft that is to short and perfectly round. With a small grinder (Dremel) I created a flat spot. I carefully tapped the shaft from the bottom of the motor until it was sticking out enough on the top side. Now it works perfectly with my dual extruder.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I accomplished this by using a pair of open-end wrenches and some heat.
1. Heat the brass gear end with a butane torch or a MAP gas torch
2. Clamp the stepper motor into a vice
3. Position two open-end wrenches such that you can use the open-end part of one open-end wrench underneath the brass gear while the second wrench is positioned perpendicular to the first one, underneath it (photos in below article will help visualize)
4. ***Gently*** tap on the end of the first wrench, to release the brass gear
5. Install the new gear, but you will need to grind a small flat on the shaft of the stepper motor so that the set screw has a landing.
The idea is basically making a lever out of one wrench, and using impact force to release the gear.
See this article for visuals: Micro Swiss Direct Drive Installation for Creality Ender 3 Pro with a Press-Fit Extruder Gear
# Answer
> 2 votes
Heating it proved futile in my case (I didn't have a blowtorch either), I was able to get the gear off by using a Dremel, I also flattened a small side for the screw.
However, to my extreme frustration, I found out that the actual height of the shaft is not long enough to reach the dual extruder's filament hole and thus had to order another motor.
# Answer
> 1 votes
If you cant see any grub-screw on the extruder gear, it's likely that it has been permanently press-fit onto the motor shaft. It is possible to remove the gear if you have something like a Dremel to cut it off, however, do note that it would be a permanent modification, and that your warranty (if you had any) would be void. If you do go this route, be careful not to Dremel into the shaft of the motor, as this would likely cause the new gear to not fit properly.
If this is a new printer, I would recommend assembling it with the stock extruder assembly first, and ordering a secondary extruder motor without the gear press-fit onto its shaft. Then you could swap them out and not need to worry about damaging the existing motor.
# Answer
> 1 votes
This brass extruder gear is either press fitted (see other answer) or hot crimped onto the shaft. Brass has about twice the thermal expansion rate as stainless steel, so you could heat the gear while cooling the shaft (e.g. stepper upside down with the shaft in water, heating the gear with a small torch lighter, a makeshift aluminium foil shield could be used to protect the stepper base) to get the gear off.
Grinding it off would be easier (or even more easy is to buy a new stepper motor) as when you get the gear off, the shaft is round, so you need to grind a flat spot on the shaft anyway to make sure the dual extruder gear can be screwed on tightly.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I had the same problem. Bought my Ender 3 Pro in July 2021, so not sure if the new or old versions have this problem. I solved the problem slightly differently.
I could not pull out the gear it was too tight, so I put the pliers on top of the gear and then hammered the gear *down*, not up. Then on top of it I have put the gear that came with the dual drive on top of the old gear and screwed it according to nozzle position. After e-step calibration, to my surprise the whole thing worked and printing fine.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I picked up a used Ender 3 Pro, which needed a *lot* of work. I discovered the same annoyance, the extruder "gear" was press-fitted, and the shaft was too short for the manual add-on wheel. I had a look-alike motor (with the same connector) in my parts bin, so after some effort<sup>1</sup>, I removed the gear and installed it on the new motor.
Once in place, I have plenty of shaft to mount the handwheel. One additional comment, the connector was the same, but the wiring was not. I had to ohm-out the windings and move a couple pins in the female connector. Runs great now, and all is wheel (pun?).
BTW, I saw someone above using a pair of wrenches to remove the gear. If I understand what they're doing, it's likely to damage the bearings of the motor. Always best to support the shaft and never use the bearings as something to press against. My 2c.
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<sup>1</sup> I mimicked the effect of a gear puller. Using a small arbor press I supported the gear with a cross bridge made of two short pieces of 1" dia. dowel (as the pillars on each side) and a pair of 1/4 inch square steel rods to span the distance under the gear. one on each side of the motor shaft. The motor is now dangling in free air, supported by the gear. I then pressed down on the end of the motor shaft, eventually the motor broke free and dropped, leaving the gear on top of the rods
# Answer
> 0 votes
Same problem here. I removed it by force using a pliers and a hammer, then drill a spot on the shaft using ikea drill. Everything works fine so far.
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Tags: creality-ender-3
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thread-18584 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18584 | Creality CR-10S Pro V2 Auto Bed Leveling probe sticks | 2021-12-17T16:18:43.933 | # Question
Title: Creality CR-10S Pro V2 Auto Bed Leveling probe sticks
My CR-10 is only a couple of months old. It came factory fitted with auto bed leveling.
Recently, the bed leveling probe has stuck in the withdrawn position whilst it is measuring prior to a print. Whilst stuck in this position the red light flashes. I am able to temporarily resolve the problem by gently pulling the probe down, but then have to start the measuring process all over again.
This problem is occurring more often and if I don't sit through the lengthy measuring process and restart if necessary, the printer will carry on printing in 'mid-air'.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Having moved the probe up and down gently to ensure it wasn't catching, I restarted the machine and have not been troubled since.
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Tags: troubleshooting, bltouch, creality-cr-10
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thread-19154 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19154 | Humidity sensor says drybox isn't that dry - are my expectations unrealistic or is something wrong? | 2022-03-25T08:03:49.500 | # Question
Title: Humidity sensor says drybox isn't that dry - are my expectations unrealistic or is something wrong?
I have recently, in anticipation of printing carbon-fiber-reinforced nylon filament (Polymaker PA6-CF) on my Prusa i3 MK3S, built a filament drybox. It is made out of a large aluminum equipment enclosure which I had spare, every seam, rivet, hinge mount, foot screw, sealing lip, etc of which has been sealed with copious amounts of high-quality silicone sealant (this is condensation-curing silicone, so it does release a small amount of moisture as it cures, but it has been in here several days and is about as cured as it gets now). The lip around the edge of is clamped hard against a rubber sealing ring, which I have cleaned meticulously, when the lid of the box is closed and latched. In short, it is, by 3D printer drybox standards, unusually well-sealed.
(yes, I know my silicone work is a mess, but let nobody say I missed a spot!)
For drying, I have poured two pounds of orange self-indicating silica gel, freshly regenerated, directly into the bottom of the box, exposing the maximum possible surface area (as opposed to having it in a container).
Humidity is monitored by a DHT22 temperature/humidity sensor, connected to an external microcontroller used for data reporting. The wire passthrough is a 1mm diameter hole in a custom 3D-printed passthrough (held in by a printed nut) with 3 pieces of magnet wire running through it, sealed with glue from both ends. I really doubt it's leaking through this either. The datasheet for this sensor indicates it should be accurate even at low humidities, and is accurate to +/- ~2.5% RH over most of its range and does not exceed +/- 5% anywhere. Per the datasheet, its accuracy should far-exceed that of the little battery-powered digital hygrometers many drybox builds seem to use.
Despite all of this, per the DHT22, it only reaches between 16.1 and 16.5% RH. As I understand it, a well-sealed drybox with well-exposed desiccant should be capable of better than this - I've seen sub-10% reported online. It's also worryingly close to the 20% maximum storage RH of the filament, per its TDS. What's going on here? My only real theories are:
* A lack of internal air circulation has resulted in stratification, with denser dry air close to the desiccant at the bottom and damper air at the top where the humidity sensor is located - this might be fixed with an internal circulation fan?
* My sensor is not as accurate as its datasheet claims
* The desiccant is somehow defective
* My expectations are unrealistic and 16% RH is normal and acceptable performance for such a drybox
Having tried most of the obvious things already (seal the box better, add more desiccant, increase desiccant surface area, let the box settle over days, install a high-quality sensor, ensure nothing inside the box is releasing absorbed moisture, seal the box even better), I'm beginning to expect it's the latter. Is it acceptable to remove my nylon from its sealed packaging and begin storing it in the drybox with this performance? Have others had success with nylon stored at 16% RH (as opposed to the sub-10% RH I've sometimes seen people talk about dryboxes reaching)? Are reported sub-10% readings for other dryboxes on the internet even accurate, or do the cheap little battery-powered hygrometers most DIY dryboxes use read inaccurately low at low humidities?
# Answer
> 4 votes
Track humidity graph over days (one measurement every 3 hours is fine). Be careful that polling the sensor too often may warm it up and cause inaccuracies, the temperature dependence is quite strong. Also, you may need to poll twice at 5 s interval and discard the first reading if you want more accurate values.
If the increase in humidity over a month is linear, the sensor is ok and you have a small leak. If the increase follows a non-linear curve, then the sensor is not reliable.
But I can tell you already: the sensor is not that much reliable. Use a Bosch BME280, which is reliable. I use a Xiaomi temperature/humidity sensor and it is reliable down to 1% humidity, which I achieve after drying the silica. Then it goes linearly up to 10-12% in three months time, when I dry the silica again. I use an IKEA Samla box with foam tape between lid and box.
Also, the silica that way does not expose the max surface: make rather some pouches using kitchen paper and put them vertical, or the upper layers will shield the lower beads.
For info, you may already know it: nylon filament must be dried in the oven upon opening, it's not dry enough straight out of the factory. Also, a dry box will not suck out humidity in any reasonable time, so it's only useful to maintain dryness.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Alright, there were some good suggestion in the comments, and I gave them a look, but I think I solved this myself.
I think, after a lot more testing, that it was some combination of stratification and a faulty sensor. I managed to find four more DHT22s with which I could test the box, and found that the sensor I had been using consistently read ~16% RH where others would read 6-9%. Additionally, I did some tests with the sensor at different heights in the box, which were somewhat inconclusive, so I attached a fan to the sensor's power to circulate the air inside the box, to avoid stratification if that was occurring.
Across my three best-agreeing sensors, with the fan (which I'm still not certain provides a major benefit, but certainly makes sense if stratification is assumed to be a problem), I'm now seeing values that seem to be around 6% to 8% RH depending on the sensor (this amount of difference between them is to be expected per the datasheet, 6% vs 16% is not), much more in line with the performance I would expect from what I have seen online. Time to finally unwrap the nylon, I guess.
I won't mark this answer as the solution until I see this performance maintained and get good nylon prints out of it, but for now, I think this is probably most of the way to an answer.
---
Tags: filament-quality, nylon, storage
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thread-19163 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19163 | Ender 3 v2 temperature drop | 2022-03-26T19:52:42.177 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 v2 temperature drop
I recently started printing with an Ender 3 V2. I got a few good prints out of it, and then I have had nothing but issues.
Basically, I can start a print, and after about 10-15 minutes, the temperature will decline from 200 °C to 195 °C, triggering a thermal runaway alert, (low temp), and then cancel the print.
Here's an example of the hotend temp profile:
I have tried testing the hotend thermistor, running PID autotune (multiple times, with up to 10 cycles), replacing the thermistor, running directly from an SD card (instead of OctoPrint).
Both thermistors worked, the first one read 108k Ω at room temp, and a new one is at 113.5k Ω at room temp.
I'm running firmware v1.0.4 on a stock v4.2.2 board.
One thing that did seem to save a print was that when I noticed the print temp dropping, I paused it for about 30 seconds and then resumed, and then the temp recovered up from 198-200 °C for a bit. But that's obviously not a solution.
I'm lost, don't know what else to test/calibrate, any ideas?
# Answer
Well, this was a setup error. I am amazed it worked at all, but the reason this was happening was that the power supply was set to 230 V from the factory.
I am in the US, so the household current is 115 V. Once I switched the voltage, the printer has been very reliable, and I am not seeing heat drop-offs anymore!
> 5 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, temperature, thermal-runaway
--- |
thread-19169 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19169 | Glass bed for Ender 6 | 2022-03-29T18:52:08.057 | # Question
Title: Glass bed for Ender 6
I have a warped glass bed on an Ender 6 that I recently bought. I want to replace this bed. However, the dimensions in which Ender 6 print bed comes (250x250x400 mm) are not available for purchase on sites like Amazon or Creality. Can anyone guide me about which bed I should buy?
# Answer
If you just want to replace the glass, then you *could* go to any local glazing/window store and ask for a sheet of glass to be cut to the appropriate size.
It will probably be a *lot* cheaper than a glass sheet marketed as specific for 3D printers.
There are just one or two caveats:
* Whilst the type of glass is (probably) unimportant (*if you aren't using a heated bed*) ensure that the sheet of glass that you get your bed cut from is ***flat***. Ask the merchant for glass sheeting that is specifically made as flat as possible, and isn't already warped or with defects.
* If you have a heated bed then you will (most likely) require heat proof glass<sup>1</sup>, i.e. borosilicate glass, one example of which is Pyrex. This may be not as easy to source as "normal" glass for windows, but it's still worth asking at your local store.
---
Note that if the printer was recently purchased then it should still be under warranty and you could ask the supplier to send a new glass sheet.
---
### Footnote
<sup>1</sup> You might (in all likelyhood) get away with just using normal glass plate, in junction with a heated bed, some glass is quite resiliant - it depends upon the quality and/or thickness (re. heat dissipation). Also, when taking into account the lower cost of normal glass, you might not worry about any potential cracking and/or warping. However, if you prefer to err upon the side of caution, then use borosilicate glass.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: glass-bed, creality-ender-6
--- |
thread-19172 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19172 | Why layer shifting prints on Ender 3 Pro? | 2022-03-30T11:43:51.800 | # Question
Title: Why layer shifting prints on Ender 3 Pro?
Prints on an Ender 3 Pro using a standard printing profile results in layer shifting or over extrusion. I can’t figure out what the problem is. I tried reducing the flow as well as print speed but nothing really changes. Any thoughts on the XYZ cube test print below?
# Answer
> 1 votes
This isn't what folks usually refer to as "layer shifts" - those are generally permanent (for the rest of the print) and don't correct unless you get an equal opposite-direction shift, and are caused by things like a stepper motor skipping a step, a belt skipping a tooth, or the print surface shifting on the bed.
Your problem looks more like excess play in the positioning, particularly on the X axis, likely due to a very loose belt. If so, it will manifest differently in different layers due to the geometry and the last direction of motion.
It's also possible that it's Z wobble, where the toolhead experiences a Z-coordinate-dependent displacement in the X and Y directions due to irregularities in the Z motion system. This could be a bent or nicked lead screw or nut, flat spots or other damage to the V roller wheels, or debris on the aluminum V slot extrusions that the V wheels are rolling on.
The fact that the top layer came out very clean and consistent makes me actually suspect it's the latter - some sort of Z wobble.
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, print-quality, layer-shifting, overextrusion
--- |
thread-19173 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19173 | Is there an extensive XYZ Cube diagnosis resource? | 2022-03-30T12:01:46.543 | # Question
Title: Is there an extensive XYZ Cube diagnosis resource?
I love the idea of the XYZ test cube to help diagnose my bad prints. I’m able to find online very common print issues however am looking for a resource that is more extensive. Often I run into a situation where my issue is not covered.
Would be great if there was a resource that had pictures of numerous bad or less than ideal XYZ prints with cause and fix for each. I’m thinking of more than 50 examples.
Does anyone know of such a resource?
# Answer
> 1 votes
An XYZ cube is a calibration test for dimensional accuracy testing, it is not meant for extensive trouble shooting. Therefor, there are no specific resources for cube irregularities, the regular resources can be used for trouble shooting.
One of the better resources for troubleshooting print problems is found at Simplify3D or one at All3DP.
---
*Do note that the dimensions in X and Y and Z are based on mechanical ratio's of the steppers with their pulleys or threaded rods, you can calculate the amount of steps required for the dimensional accuracy. It is only necessary to adjust this if e.g. the pulley is of a different diameter than the specification (as in poor quality dimensional pulley accuracy). In the basis you should not adjust the steps per mm based on small sized calibration cubes.*
# Answer
> 1 votes
One of the sites that I have gone to for identifying problems is All3DP.com's page "3D Printing Troubleshooting All Common Problems". Here are the FDM and SLA issues they cover:
## FDM 3D Printing Problems
**Nothing is Printing**
**My Print Failed**
**My Print Looks Bad**
**Something Else**
---
## SLA 3D Printing Problems
**Nothing is Printing**
**My Print Failed**
**My Print Looks Bad**
---
Tags: print-quality
--- |
thread-19178 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19178 | Setting Heat Bed Height Manually Mid-Print? | 2022-03-31T21:52:01.607 | # Question
Title: Setting Heat Bed Height Manually Mid-Print?
So, I've gotten the G-code to work regarding the waiting 10 seconds as I wanted it to. However, does anyone know if there is any G-code that exists that will allow me to manually set the height of the heatbed? I'm trying to find out after each layer if I give it 10 seconds to fully 'cure' or 'cool' to see if the results will be better. But I need to move the bed down away from the extruder.
# Answer
The way to do this is something like:
```
G91 ; Relative coordinates mode
G0 Z5 ; Move +5 on Z axis
G4 S10 ; Dwell for 10 seconds
G0 Z-5 ; Move -5 on Z axis
G90 ; (Return to) absolute coordinates mode
```
You can of course insert this manually in the gcode between layers, but most slicers have functionality (built-in or as plugins) to let you do that automatically, or of course you could use a text-processing utility like `sed`, `awk`, or `perl` to do the insertions automatically if you're familiar with something like that and it's more to your liking.
In a since-deleted answer, Trish raised some reasons you might not want to do this, including significantly increasing the time your print takes and possible difficulties getting the next layer to adhere to a fully cooled layer. I'm not convinced the latter is a real problem, but these concerns are worth considering. Some other reasons not to do what you're asking about include:
* Even with perfectly dialed-in retraction, a hot nozzle dwelling for 10 seconds will almost certainly start to ooze, giving underextrusion and poor surface quality right after restarting.
* Most cooling occurs via the part cooling fan. If you move it away from the part, it won't do much. So you might find even after wasting 10 seconds per layer, your layers still aren't cool.
If you want to cool the entire layer effectively before the next layer goes down, I would recommend "side fan" setups that produce a thin layer of airflow (ideally laminar) at the current Z height. You can find examples of this in lots of the #speedboatrace speed Benchy entries on YouTube, especially on Vorons and other CoreXY machines since it's the easiest to setup on a printer where the bed moves down (like yours) rather than the nozzle moving up, being that you can just mount the fans and ducts at fixed height.
If you want to experiment with this without actually making fancy fan ducts and mounts, just get a desk fan or box fan and point it at your printer. This works surprisingly well.
> 3 votes
---
Tags: g-code, heated-bed
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thread-5391 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5391 | My extruder does not reach the set temperature | 2018-02-03T22:46:58.343 | # Question
Title: My extruder does not reach the set temperature
Anet A8 with Cura. First time use. The extrusion temperature is set at 190 °C for PLA but the temperature never quite gets that hot, e.g. 189.2 °C. So the printer never prints.
The bed temperature is fine.
Any suggestions on how to fix?
# Answer
Two common problems to look out for in this situation:
* Make sure that your **part fan** (the fan that is supposed to cool the filament you just extruded, and that does not start spinning until the print starts) do *not* blow air on the hot end of your extruder.
* Make sure that your **hot end is well insulated**. If available for your printer, silicone sleeves are the best:
otherwise the most common, universal and low-cost solution are cotton pads:
> 4 votes
# Answer
It could be as Carl Witthoft said, that the thermistor is broken. But it looks like the PID is not calibrated correctly. It probably can reach higher T's but stops, because the P portion is not high enough. Anyways, before printing use a software of your choice (Repetier, Pronterface...) and perform a PID tuning specified here:
http://reprap.org/wiki/PID\_Tuning
After that everything should work out fine.
> 4 votes
# Answer
Take a careful look at the thermistor in the hotend. If it's defective it might well not be providing correct temperature information back to the control board. As a very quick check, try swapping the thermistor from the bed (if possible), or buy a replacement thermistor and drop it in.
I'm not familiar with the Anet controller but possibly there's a calibration pot on the board; if so it may be causing the digital hardware to mis-read the actual sensed temperature.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Please check that the power supply's (SMPS) output voltage is 12 V (while loaded).
**Note: Be careful while measuring, as there is a hazard of shock.**
In my case, the voltage was 10 V with one supply and 8 V with another supply. I bought a new one with 12 V and the printer is now running fine.
My printer Tronoxy i3 (Prusa i3 Mk-II).
Hope it helps you too.
> 0 votes
# Answer
Often it is the filament. Most PLA filaments start melting at 190 °C and have a good print consistency up to about 220 °C. If filament is ever getting stuck in the extruder, up the set temperature.
> 0 votes
# Answer
I had the same problem.
***If** your mains supply is 110 V*, then make sure that the voltage selector switch of your PSU is set to 110 V... it should then print.
If the voltage selector switch is set to the default of 220 V, *and the mains supply is only 110 V*, then the PSU will not provide enough current.
---
Note: If your mains is 240 V then changing the voltage selector to 110 V will damage your PSU or worse.
> -1 votes
---
Tags: pla, anet-a8, heat-management
--- |
thread-19162 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19162 | Best practices for handling units for 3D printing with Blender | 2022-03-26T13:42:55.163 | # Question
Title: Best practices for handling units for 3D printing with Blender
I've been trying to learn Blender as an additional tool for 3D printing (to prepare more organic or freeform models that don't lend themselves to a CAD style workflow I'm more used to), and one point of confusion I've hit is that Blender's default unit is *meters*, not millimeters. Apparently in older versions its default was an abstract unspecified "units" with metric-like base-10 grid, but no inherent association to physical scale, but now the default is "metric" with meters as the unit. I've found some tutorials such as this one for switching to millimeters, but it requires making a number of changes that I'm not sure are in line with what folks consider "best practices" for "modeling for 3D printing with Blender".
Is there any consensus on the right way to do this? Are there reasons I should prefer to switch back to the abstract "units", and just treat them as millimeters, versus using "metric" but switching the base unit to "0.0001" (maybe numerical precision reasons?).
I know this question is only borderline on-topic, but I think it is relevant as I'm looking for what the prevailing practice *in communities using Blender as a tool for 3D printing*, not for opinions of a larger Blender community.
# Answer
> 3 votes
## Make sure to set the scale properly for your use case!
In CAD, you define your measurement space in either Inch or in Millimeter units, and that is your grid. In blender, the native unit is the meter.
This can be easily converted in exporting (remember to set it to scale!), but it is best to just set the measurement scale to actually match what you design: if you want to design a 5 mm hole, set your scale to Millimeters and make sure you export in millimeters. If you want to design in meters (maybe you design a building), then work in meters, and set your export scale in the end so that 1 meter actually is represented as 1 meter - or rather as 1000 millimeters.
The STL in the end will not know the difference: it all is defined in scales of *unitary units*, and it doesn't even know if it was originally designed in meters, inch or angström. The typical slicer expects the unit to be either millimeters or inch, so any scaling of the exported model that does not result in units equivalent to 1 mm or 24.5 mm is bad procedure - converting between these two types is just scaling the model by 2450%.
## Make sure to design closed manifolds made up of triangles!
When working with blender, it is very easy to leave the item in a shape that contains multiple intersecting, non-manifold surfaces and areas of inverted surfaces. While *interecting shells* is not a problem (the slicers can handle those by unionizing the item), the intersection usually covers up the non-manifold areas, making them hard to spot.
As a result, before finalizing your project, I suggest follow this procedure:
* In Blender, turn on the visual for the normals of surfaces. If an area does not look like a hedgehog after that, the normals in that area are reversed and you need to flip the surfaces there or re-mesh it.
* Triangulate the surface using the triangulate modifier. This is to spot artifacts from conversion to STL early and be able to fix them: STL only knows triangles, while blender knows *bent* n-gons.
* Add a new object. A cube with side length 1.
* Do a test export to STL with scale 1, which also contains the 1-unit cube as an extra shell.
* Import the model into a software such as meshmixer, that has a command to separate shells.
* Separate the item to all shells. In Meshmixer this is in analyze, separate shells.
* After separating the shells, measure your 1-unit cube. If it is not 1 mm, calculate your scaling factor. It should be a multiple of 10.
* Next, you should check each shell for gaps or other errors. In meshmixer, the automatic analyze feature points to these areas with red, blue and magenta lines.
* Fix the marked errors in blender, then return to the test export. This time use the proper scaling factor. Repeat until no errors remain.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Being realistic, you only need to make sure that your on screen measurements and your export units are set correctly. That way whatever size you set on screen will be reflected in your print.
For example, I use the MeasureIt plugin to tell me the size on screen, and I set the scale to 0.004 and the units to MM, and when I export to an STL file I set the size to 4. That way Cura Slicer always prints to the exact right size.
You can use whatever scale you want so long as you use the equivalent when you export it. I just use this scale because it's the one used when exporting between Hexagon and DAZ Studio, so I did it as a force of habit.
# Answer
> -1 votes
It doesn't matter, you scale it in the slicer or elsewhere. You're not going to slice the STL file in Blender. You'll probably need to do more work to get things print ready outside blender anyway.
So when I use blender I don't even bother checking what units it's using. I don't use it for parts design or tech drawing.
---
Tags: 3d-models, blender
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thread-19106 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19106 | Hotend can't achieve temperatures over ~70 °C? | 2022-03-16T16:44:08.050 | # Question
Title: Hotend can't achieve temperatures over ~70 °C?
I am looking for troubleshooting help on my printer. Recently the hot end just can muster the courage to go past about 70 °C.
The hardware - Ender 3V2 with a E3D V6 hot end. 24 volts
I changed the thermistor to a new one. Before heating, it registers an appropriate 10 °C in line with the bed temp sensor.
With the thermistor checked good, I looked at the heater element. It is reading 22 Ω. The documentation from E3D is not clear in what wattage heater I bought, but if it is a 30 W 24 V heater, it's on the high end of acceptable.
* A 24 V 30 W heater cartridge will read between 16.7 - 22.6 Ω.
* A 24 V 40 W heater cartridge will read between 12.3 - 15.1 Ω.
If anyone is able to confirm how to know what my heater wattage is supposed to be, LMK. Options are shown for blue wires, red wires, and yellow. I have yellow.
If the resistance is in spec, I checked if the voltage being supplied to the heater is correct. It is reading 23.6 V which seems good.
I have attempted to PID autotune in Pronterface which I had also done several times previously before the issue. If I try to target anything over 70 °C, the attempt to tune fails because it can't get hot enough. I can tune if I set the temp to 65 °C by comparison.
The temperature trace in Pronterface shows the temp rising quickly through the 30s, 40s, then plateauing and maxing out in the high 60s.
I am looking for advice on where to look next for trouble shooting. Seems odd to suddenly have such a low temperature limit capability that I can't root cause.
# Answer
> 1 votes
There are several points to check to trouble shooting this issue but commonly there are a loose part.
1. The heating elements is loose, try to tight the cartridge to the aluminum block.
2. The Sensor temperature is not touching the aluminum block or is outside of its position. Maybe the heating element is correct but the sensor is not taking the right value.
If the temperature rises too slow and downs more quickly than normal is due the temperature sensor is out of it position.
Other issues: The PWM control is over heated, so this will need to replace it or change the transistor (FET), however this is not a common problem.
The other one and more common that PWM over heated is the Power Source, as well like the PWM control the power source decreases his potencial on current supply. For me is easier replace the power source instead verify the PWM control.
Now I´ve done that for second time in 6 years of printing. How Can I deduce that the PWM is not overheated?, I have a cooling fan for all PWM controls on the RAMPS 1.4 Module.
# Answer
> 0 votes
If you're using the same RTD for both tests you can rule that out as a source of the problem. At this point I'd suggest, A) thoroughly scrubbing all the machine parameters and software settings for something that's limiting temperature or duty cycle, and, B) buying or borrowing an O'scope to see what the board is really putting out. Connecting the heater to the bed heat pins will be limited to however high the bed heat can be set so may not tell you much. I don't know if it's possible to swap hot end and bed outputs in software. If so, I don't know how.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, e3d-v6
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thread-19184 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19184 | Remove irrelevant menu from Marlin 2.0 | 2022-04-02T20:22:55.187 | # Question
Title: Remove irrelevant menu from Marlin 2.0
I'm using a Velleman K8400 with a Velleman LED strips. The strips aren't able to adjust luminosity only color, so the Custom Lights menu item is irrelevant to my printer. How do I remove the menu item? I can see how to easily add menus and items, but not much reference as to how to remove them.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Based on your hardware configuration and the firmware setup of your Configuration.h, the LED menu will be made available through the menu\_led.cpp sources. Apparently, this work for you already considering you see too many entries.
To disable entries, you need to disable these in the afore mentioned code file.
To find where this menu is added to the configuration of the LCD menu structure you could search (*the GitHub.com website provides a powerful search tool to search within the sources of projects*) for the "Custom Lights" menu caption in the Marlin sources to find this caption is used by constant `MSG_CUSTOM_LEDS`, see the language translation file language\_en.h
```
LSTR MSG_CUSTOM_LEDS = _UxGT("Custom Lights");
```
Now searching for the `MSG_CUSTOM_LEDS` constant will lead you to the file menu\_led.cpp; more specific, this line:
```
SUBMENU(MSG_CUSTOM_LEDS, menu_led_custom);
```
If you disable this line, recompile the firmware and upload it to your controller board you would see that the submenu has disappeared.
---
Tags: marlin
--- |
thread-19187 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19187 | What is the optimum infill style for printing a roughly spherical object on an Ender 5? | 2022-04-03T12:30:21.733 | # Question
Title: What is the optimum infill style for printing a roughly spherical object on an Ender 5?
I'm going to print several fruit and vegetable on an Ender 5, with a maximum size of 6 inches. They are all roughly spherical in shape. Melons, squash, etc.
What is the optimum in fill type to use to balance printing speed and surface quality, rather than strength.
I'm using Creality Slicer
# Answer
> 2 votes
Infill should not affect the surface quality. It mainly affects:
* rigidity of the part (resistance to squishing in components where the outside surface geometry doesn't already make it rigid. Some infill structures are more rigid (or rigid in different directions) than others. For example, concentric and cross patterns intentionally provide very little rigidity and mainly serve to support what's above them, and 2D patterns like grid and triangles are maximally rigid in the Z direction while ones like cubic and gyroid provide more uniform rigidity.
* strength of layer adhesion. This is usually not an issue when printing with thick walls, but with thinner walls or large interiors, the bonding of the infill layers can play a fairly big role. 2D patterns (ones where each layer of infill lines up exactly with the layer below it) are much stronger than 3D ones (where the infill shifts as you go up, so all the infill lines are "overhanging").
* integrity of top surfaces above infill. If the infill density is too low, the first few layers of top surface will have very little (in some regions, nothing) to rest on and will simply cave in or even extrude as spaghetti. Usually this self-corrects after a few layers but it means you need many more (maybe 6+) top layers to get a reliable top surface
* integrity of details protruding above infill. This is similar to top layers, but even worse if there's not enough infill for the protrusion's walls to be supported by. Rather than self-correcting, you'll get very weak or no bonding, and possibly even a completely failed print.
For the type of object you're printing, I suspect infill is of very low importance. You would probably do best to use 3 walls (at least 1.2 mm total thickness) and something like 5-10% gyroid infill. Before you print, just look at the sliced preview and make sure anything printed above the infill seems to have infill supporting it from below.
---
Tags: slicing, creality-ender-5, infill
--- |
thread-19189 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19189 | I was updating my firmware for my 400XL kit for Ender 3 Pro and got an original firmware from the Creality website, but VSCode couldn't read it | 2022-04-03T16:33:17.373 | # Question
Title: I was updating my firmware for my 400XL kit for Ender 3 Pro and got an original firmware from the Creality website, but VSCode couldn't read it
Basically,
* I got the XL
* I installed the kit
* I downloaded the firmware from the Marlin GitHub page (Version 1.1.9 for Ender 3 Pro v2)
* I put it in VSCode but it says that it is not binary or uses unsupported text so VSCode can't even show me what is going on.
Question:
1. How can I make it into a supported text or read it?
2. Did I do it right using this method?
3. If not, what is my next option?
# Answer
What exact firmware did you download? One of the ".bin" files? Those are already compiled and can not be edited, you'll need to download one in .zip format, where the whole Marlin "configuration.h" etc. structure is present. Except for the very last option on their download page ("Ender-3 Pro\_1.1.6.2V\_Source Code.zip"), all files (illegaly) only contain the .bin or .hex files.
1.1.9 is ancient and obsolete.
It's probably a good idea to download a fresh copy of up-to-date Marlin (https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin) and copy over the correct configuration files from https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Configurations/tree/import-2.0.x/config/examples/Creality/Ender-3%20Pro to get you started.
> 1 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, firmware, file-formats, microsd, 400xl
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