text:
Do you know the inductor L3 value of the Creality V2.2 controller board?
The extruder stepper 'E' of my Ender 5 stopped working some days ago and by looking at the motherboard I found out the inductor L3 burned.
I have a Creality V2.2 (CR-10S motherboard) and I would like to change the inductor but I can't find a single datasheet of the motherboard to help me find out the inductor value.
Does anyone know it ?

Do you have experience soldering surface mount elements? A new board is relatively cheap.

Perfect excuse to upgrade to a modern board. Similar boards seem to use 30 Ohm (100 MHz, SKR Mini E3) to 120 Ohm (100 MHz, Fysetc Cheetah)

Also the skr board (e3 mini v2) is same priceish, much better (tmc's properly connected), and dropin replacement.

(The Creality silent boards have the TMC stepper drivers connected in a legacy manner where they're just emulating old-style drivers and can't be configured via the firmware. Other boards connect them properly in UART mode.)

Well I have some SMD soldering experience and I did buy a new one but it was only to repair it to have a backup motherboard in case of a new disfunctionning


text:
Manual Color Changing
Ive been experimenting will multiple color filament but the colors a more or less blended. Is there are filament that goes from one color directly to another without having transition color ex. red to green immediately.
I've been tinkering with Filament Hub Filament and it is very good (some of the best I've ever used)  however I've had to essentially melt strands of one filament to the next and this is unsustainable.
Anyone know any filaments or methods to have an immediate color change

Welcome to 3D Printing SE and thank you for your contribution. When you get a chance, please take the [tour] to understand how the site works and how it is different than others.

Really, the best way to control when a color changes is to have multiple heads (one color each), and code in tool changes where you want a color change.

It takes at least a few cm of extrusion to purge the old color before switching to a new one due to mixing in the melt zone, and possibly much more depending on the particular pigments. If the old color is something bright like red and the new one is white or something close, it can even take many tens of cm before you get a clean new color.
Multi-color extrusion setups either use separate hotends per color or fancy retraction setups where each color can be retracted separately, along with purge towers. You cannot get a clean color switch in the print just by having one in the input filament, and this is probably why all the mixed color filament that's sold is blended - so customers don't get disappointed when it doesn't work like you expect.

Anyone know any filaments or methods to have an immediate color change

There is a solution (or multiple) where you can have multi color filament without a gradual transition from one to the other color (seen from the filament side, not the extrusion/nozzle side), i.e. immediate color change. This requires an additional piece of equipment to do this automatically, or could be done even manually1).
There are systems that calculate what color is needed for which part of the extrusion process and cut and pastes (welds) multiple colored strands of filament to a single strand of filament, see e.g.:

If you look closely, you see that the single filament strand is composed of various colored strands welded together (4 colors, fifth being welded).
Using multiple colors and single hotend wil require an extra extrusion of the new color to purge the hotend for a clean and crisp change. Slicers are already equipped to to this task for you, these are called purge towers, they print alongside the print and prevent too much blending of colors.

Source Peter Leppik

1)Note that an expensive device is not specifically necessary, with a little effort you can do it yourself. This requires slicing the part for multi colors (including a purge or printing purge tower to prevent mixing of colors) and parse the obtained G-code file to find all the respective lengths of the colors. These are easily found as a color change implies a tool changing script to be active in the G-code file, summing the individual lengths you could created your own filament by welding the individual colors together. Now remove the tool changes from the G-code file and you have created a "manual" multi-color print using a single hotend and extruder.

among the machines that can do this is the Palette system

@Trish I did not want to be too obviously hinting to an expensive solution ;-), but yes this is an option. There have been opensource and Kickstarter attempts.

Prusa MMU2 does it without welding iirc.

Correct, and that works too! So does the SMuFF. Either way, you need to purge a certain amount to account for the mixing problems.

When calling for a manual color change, Marlin is set up to allow to extrude extra filament. This is to ensure that the new filament is in the hotend, but it also allows to "purge" the old color from the hotend by extruding till no mixed color comes out anymore.

There is a way that you'd be able to do it but its not really conventional and could use up some filament:
Calculate out where you want it to stop. Then, when you want to change colors, you set your slicer to print a floating object in the air that isn't part of your print to purge out the old filament and prime the new one.
That way, when it goes back to the print, there won't be any of your old color. You will just have to pause the print when you get to the point where you want to change color, and make sure it's not over your print, then takeout the old filament, and put the new one in.
Then let it purge, and you can grab the string of filament before it goes to the print. Or just pluck it off when the print is done. This is the only way that I could see this working without multiple spools of filament and multiple extruders.

Welcome to 3D Printing SE and thank you for your contribution. When you get a chance, please take the [tour] to understand how the site works and how it is different than others.

It might also be worth using a full purge tower or ooze shield to eliminate the need for mid print intervention or extra post processing. I might add a little more detail about how one accurately calculates the lengths for splice overs, too.

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

sort: votes


text:
How to setup PrusaSlicer to support long bridges
Don't support bridge is a good idea to reduce support with acceptable print quality. But in this case, if I have a very long bridge and a short bridge, how do I tell the slicer to generate support only for the long bridge. How can I set some parameter like bridge length threshold?

Please clarify, do you want support for the long or short bridge. Your title question doesn't match with what is mentioned in the body.

@agarza I just edit my question.

Regardless of the choice of long bridge support or short bridge support, Prusa Slicer 2.3.0 has a feature which allows forced support or allows forced no support.

In Advanced or Expert mode, there is an icon in the left tool bar for "paint-on" supports. The left mouse button paints on supports, while the right mouse button creates support blockers. Shift-left mouse button erases errant paint splatters.
There are more details in the linked video. It's not a parameter, but it is a means to determine where you want (or don't want) the supports.
According to a thread in the Prusa support forum, in order to have the enforcer and blockers operate as expected, configuration settings should be for supports off. This may have changed as the thread is older and may have been modified in newer releases.

Your answer is useful but I forgot to tell you that I used prusa slicer in repetier host.  If there are no solution in repetier host I might change the slicer.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
How to center print head after Marlin upgrade?
Flashed Marlin to my Tronxy XY-2 Pro but two things are happening:

I tried printing a rook but the print got shoved to the front left corner.

X is way off to the right when it homes.

The computer homes the project to the center of the print bed  but when push comes to shove #1 happens.
Is their anyway I can get the machine to start printing in the middle of the bed.
Using Cura slicer.

This can be caused by either incorrect slicer settings (origin at center is notorious using Cura) or "How to center my prints on the build platform? (Re-calibrate homing offset)". If firmware related this question is a duplicate, please check your slicer settings first. Please provide additional information on Cura printer settings and possibly an image of sliced rook, and printed rook. Which firmware did you install, pre-compiled or self-configured?

Thanks for the additions you added, but it still isn't enough to answer the question. Can you add a screenshot of the "Machine settings" window (showing the tab sheet called "Printer").


text:
First layer problem
I have Ender 3 v2 with BLTouch and Marlin 2.0.x software
There is a problem on the first layer it allows come wrong the last problem I have it is the first layer it is not constant on the bed it comes good in some area and the worst in other areas with BLTouch install any help why did that happen?
These parts are printed together:

Edit: this is photo after z hop the extrusion is not constant.

Have you checked that the Y-axis is not wobbly?

Considering this is a wheel carriages operated printer, you should definitely check the rollers of the Y carriage and the non driven Z side carriage. Although a popular design, it has its flaws, problems with the (eccentric nut) rollers is one of these.

Yes I checked Y-axis and there is no problem. For the Z-axis I already ordered the second rod drive for Z

There could be multiple reasons for this happening, the most probable cause would be that the bed isn't leveled properly, if you have an auto leveling bed I'd suggest that you give that a run through, I also found it personally helpful with mine (Ender 5 Plus) that if I did the manual leveling, so the four corners, then go and do the auto leveling. Another thing could be that the tip is snagging on the print, so make sure you clean that, and its also helpful if you add z hop if your printer supports that (the extruder will hop up when its not pushing filament out

Already the four corners are leveled manually before the print and I already make auto bed leveling with BLTouch, what do you mean by the tip is managing on the printer? Also, I will try z hop to see if that will solve my problem.

After add ing z hop there is improvement but still the result a bad print

@HazemIsmail You should try to do a temp tower so you know what temp your printer prints best at. And also if you change the filament print width, even if you have a .4mm nozel, if you choose something like .3mm or .2mm it will print the lines closer together and that might work.


text:
Heater cartridge extension wiring
I recently bought a Titan Aero hot end which came with a 24 V 30 W heater cartridge from E3D.  I'd like to use this but the cable length is only 1 meter long and I need it to be 2 meters.  The ends terminate with prong connections and there is no polarity to the prongs.  How can I safely extend the leads one meter and then connect to my Duet 3 Mainboard 6HC?
Should the cable terminate with a JST connector instead of the prongs to connect to the Duet board?

Heater polarity doesn't matter
The heater cartridges are just large resistors and so polarity is irrelevant. Either can be positive or negative.
You can extend the leads by cutting and splicing in ~20 gauge wires* to a two pin JST connector line you suggest.

*At 24 volts and 30 watts, you need wire that is rated to carry at least 1.25 amps. The US National Electric Code dictates that this should be 20 gauge wire, but their standard is very conservative. Since you don't need to adhere to NEC codes, you could get away with something thinner (ie higher gauge number).

1 meter puts you far enough away from the heater than you don't need high temperature wiring to extend it.  The larger the guage(e.g. 20 guage) the less resistance you will add to the heater circuit.  This doesn't matter as long as you can still achieve your maximum temperature (if you can still achieve the same current without maxing out your voltage on the heater).
Your sensor is where added series resistance is critical. Series resistance to the thermistor will give a negative error in the temperature.

I see, looks like for 100k thermistor sensor the difference in resistance is less than 1 Ohm when comparing 250C and 249C so resistance drop here will matter quite a bit.

Tarnished or worn out connectors can be an issue with thermistors.

@Feynman137 The absolute value of the temperature doesn't really matter: you just adjust the setting used in the slicer. What would matter would be a poor connection that changes the resistance during a print.

@Feynman137 That's true for extensions, but worn our connectors may not keep a constant resistance.  That's why they are more of a problem.


text:
Source of design advice for modeling functional parts
Where do I go for deeper knowledge about 3D printing functional parts?
I want to up my game a bit and design some more functional parts. In particular, I want to do more with boxes, organizers, and moving systems.
For instance, I've found some YouTube videos showing hinge design, but I want more. I want more details on WHY they chose the pin to be 1.5 mm diameter, etc.  I want design options (can the hinge be somewhere other than halfway between top and bottom).
I'd also like to know how to do enclosures that snap together (same problem: YouTube shows me one or two designs, not much detail on why they are designed that way or how to change them if they snap off).
I want box tops that can stay on. How do I make clasps? Sliding lids? Hinges with stops? Snaps?
I haven't even started to mention my desires to learn about levers/gears/etc.
Can anyone recommend a good book? Or a course? Or a really good YouTuber?

This is incredible wide. You should read special considerations for 3D printing

@Trish, thanks for the pointer.  But, I'm not looking for that kind of advice.  I understand the 3D printing process pretty well, and can design parts with the right overhang or bridging factors, for instance.  What I'm searching for is design advice for how to model the actual parts.

Then this is a recommendation question, which is disallowed on the stack unless extremely specific. You are looking for an engineering and/or product design class/book at that scale. You can ask about specific problems, but for that Engineering SE might be the even better choice.


text:
Ender 3 V2 Z-axis base value changes for each print
I'm new to 3D printing, I just bought an Ender 3 V2 and I am having a lot of trouble with bed adhesion. After a lot of playing around it seems that the base value for Z is changing for every print.
I have been using this Z-offset test model, dialing in my Z-offset during the print until I hit an acceptable value (eg. -0.15)
If I then print the same model again, using the value I found above, it is way off again, and I have to dial it further down to maybe -0.40 and, if I repeat again, to 80.
I have, of course, tried leveling my bed multiple times
I've just been scribbling down numbers and seeing them fail for two days now, so any help is much appreciated.

Hi Viggo! Are you using a BLTouch (or similar) sensor? If so, are you saving your Z-offset adjustment to the EEPROM?

@Rykara I don't have a BLTouch, but I am considering buying one.

After tightening the screws on the X-axis gantry and doing the bed leveling and test prints again it seems to have gotten better.
Also, while I was under the impression that the V2's heated glass bed should work well without adhesive, I applied a bit of glue stick and now my first print seems to have a perfect first layer.
I may just have been confused because I needed to turn the Z-offset way down to get it to stick in the first place, and then tweaked it upwards to get nice lines, meaning I would have to dial it back down on next test print and so forth.

I found the bed levelling knobs on the Ender 3 v2 are prone to be easily nudged and vibrated out of position over time requiring regular relevelling. I use gluestick for every print even with a heated glass bed


text:
Prints are mirrored in X-axis and inverted in Y-axis direction
My custom 3D printer prints everything inverted. I guess this is a homing problem as the motor moves in correct direction.
In Pronterface,

if I press -Y — bed moves forward (towards the Y endstop)
if I press +Y — bed moves backward (away from Y endstop)
if I press -X — hotend moves left (towards the X endstop)
if I press +X — hotend moves right (away from the X endstop)

on RAMPS 1.4:

X endstop is connected on the 1st pin
Y endstop is connected on the 3rd pin
Z endstop is connected on the 5th pin

(Pin 2, 4 & 6 are not used (are these for MAX_ENDSTOP ?))
Below is my Marlin config
#define X_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING true // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Y_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING true // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Z_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING true // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define X_MAX_ENDSTOP_INVERTING false // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Y_MAX_ENDSTOP_INVERTING false // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Z_MAX_ENDSTOP_INVERTING false // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Z_MIN_PROBE_ENDSTOP_INVERTING false // Set to true to invert the logic of the probe.

#define X_HOME_DIR -1
#define Y_HOME_DIR -1
#define Z_HOME_DIR -1

#define INVERT_X_DIR false
#define INVERT_Y_DIR false
#define INVERT_Z_DIR false

I have attached 3 photographs.

Shows the Home position of hotend. Y Motor on back and Y endstop at front.

Shows inverted print.

Pronterface screenshot (shows actual G-code file)

I tried flipping the motor cables, but that inverts the motor direction
I also tried INVERT_Y_DIR true, but no luck.
Please help me. What am I doing wrong?

it's odd that neither of the solutions works...

Doing both at the same time could have caused nothing to happen..

thank you guyz... i think you are right... doing both at the same time caused nothing to happen.. .lol... i should have tried one by one.. i tried multiple configs about 50 times so i was frustrated... thank you all.

The firmware configuration setup is incorrect with respect to your mechanical layout. You need to change the firmware or change the hardware to reflect the current configuration in firmware.

For most Cartesian printers, the homing position is at the front-left corner of the build plate. End-stop switches can be at either end of each axis (and even both), but the firmware must be configured accordingly.
A common arrangement is to have end-stop switches at X-min, Y-min and Z-min positions. You will see this on pretty much all budget printers, but things may be different on high-end machines. For the Y-axis on a cartesian machine, this mean placing the end-stop switch at the rear of the printer. A CoreXY machine on the other hand has the Y-min sensor on the front left corner.
So, unless your intentions were otherwise, you have simply got the Y-axis end-stop switch in the wrong position. For your design, it should be at the back of the printer, triggered by the bed in it's most backwards position. You will also need to reverse the direction of the Y-axis stepper motor, do that +Y moves the bed towards the operator (like you have it now).
If you want to have the end-stop switch at the front of the printer for some reason, you will need to re-configure the firmware accordingly - it is an Y-max sensor in that position!

Sorry Mick, bit this answer is wrong, you can have the endstops at every side, so at the max or at the min position, as long as you tell the printer where the endstop is in firmware. What you actually mean is that generally the origin of the build plate is at the front-left, but this doesn't have to be the homing position. Please change the answer to state that for the current firmware setup your printer has the incorrect mechanical layout and reason from there that for the current firmware the OP needs to do some hardware changes.

@Oscar Thanks for the feedback. I have updated my answer. Hopefully, it addresses all of your points.

Clarified some things

@Mick ...  Y-max ... yes that's what i am looking for... as i have some design issue... i want to put the endstop at the front... thanks again.. but i think my bed is moving wrong way when clicking -Y or +Y button in pronterface... or that's correct behavior ?

It is outside my area of expertise, I'm afraid. We shall have to rely on @Trish's help.

Certainly, if you press -Y, the bed should move to the Y-min position (i.e. to the rear), and if you press +Y, the bed should move to the Y-max position (i.e. to the front).

Yes, -Y is backwards and +Y forwards

Instead of changing firmware or changing the wiring, I flipped the motor direction. See the first photo below. Motor shaft was on the right side, now, the motor shaft is on left side, so the the bed moves backwards. I moved the Y endstop to back and now it prints fine.
only the problem is
In Pronterface,
if I press -Y -- bed moves backward (towards the Y endstop - new position)
if I press +Y -- bed moves forward (away from Y endstop - new position)

--- is this normal ?

the endstop behavior says, that you have your endstop at Y=0, which is a fine way to do it.


text:
GRBL with low feed rate not working
I have a cheap 3000 mW laser cutter that I'm trying to cut 3 mm black acrylic. I'm lowering the feed rate to try to get it to cut in one pass.
I have the G-code for a small circle (16 mm) but it seems any feed rate below about 25 mm/min is being ignored and it uses 25 mm/min anyway. The laser cutter has been set up with GRBL 1.1h and I have checked that feed rate is being read in by GRBL correctly. If I set a feed rate of 35 mm/min, that is processed correctly - but it needs two passes to cut the acrylic.
Please see G-code below:
G90 (use absolute coordinates)
M4 S0
S0
G0 X9.6 Y18.16
S1000
G1 X10.98 Y18.21 F20
G1 X12.27 Y17.99
G1 X13.48 Y17.55
G1 X14.58 Y16.9
G1 X15.56 Y16.07
G1 X16.41 Y15.1
G1 X17.12 Y14
G1 X17.68 Y12.82
G1 X18.06 Y11.56
G1 X18.26 Y10.28
G1 X18.27 Y8.98
G1 X18.08 Y7.7
G1 X17.82 Y6.88
G1 X17.48 Y6.11
G1 X17.06 Y5.39
G1 X16.56 Y4.72
G1 X16 Y4.11
G1 X15.37 Y3.55
G1 X14.7 Y3.06
G1 X13.98 Y2.63
G1 X13.22 Y2.27
G1 X12.43 Y1.98
G1 X11.62 Y1.77
G1 X10.8 Y1.63
G1 X9.15 Y1.6
G1 X7.62 Y1.89
G1 X6.23 Y2.47
G1 X4.99 Y3.3
G1 X3.93 Y4.34
G1 X3.06 Y5.55
G1 X2.41 Y6.89
G1 X1.98 Y8.33
G1 X1.81 Y9.83
G1 X1.91 Y11.35
G1 X2.3 Y12.85
G1 X2.99 Y14.3
G1 X3.38 Y14.87
G1 X3.8 Y15.4
G1 X4.27 Y15.87
G1 X4.76 Y16.29
G1 X5.29 Y16.67
G1 X5.84 Y17
G1 X6.42 Y17.29
G1 X7.02 Y17.53
G1 X7.64 Y17.74
G1 X8.28 Y17.92
G1 X8.94 Y18.05
G1 X9.6 Y18.16
S0
M5 S0
G0 X0  Y0 Z0 (move back to origin)

This G-code was produced with LaserGRBL (and modified by me, to no effect). I have tried F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F10, and F20 and they all take the same amount of time to complete.
What can I do to perform a cut in one pass since these low feed rates appear to be ignored?

This was likely due to reaching the limitations (maybe minimum step rate) of the stepper drivers which were 4988 drivers. I updated them to 8825 drivers which were able to support a speed of F20 correctly. I have not yet tried them at lower speeds.

This doesn't sound plausible. There is no such thing as a minimum step rate for a driver. The whole point of steppers is being able to arbitrarily position them. It's likely the firmware just has a minimum feedrate set, wrongly.

I guessed a minimum feed rate because it is a very low rate and if the intention is to move smoothly between two positions at a slow rate there are only so many steps between them. If the speed is too slow, the steps will become jumps. Also, if it was the firmware, then why did it work with the same firmware and different stepper drivers (that support finer microstepping)?

Two thoughts; I have noticed problems with Marlin2 and really low acceleration. There are probably limitations. Going more laps at higher speed might help creating nicer cuts, because the surrounding material is not heated as much.

@dotswe - Thanks. I didn't adjust the acceleration to see what difference it would make. I did notice that a G-code that has more points in the circle would support a lower speed. I have also done trials with more laps and faster - and it can work. It is slower overall though - and at the speed I'm trying it's already very slow. More laps on acrylic doesn't seem to give a cleaner cut either - it does make a difference on wood.


text:
PETG and Clear Aligner?
There is a material called PETG. In addition, there is a medical solution called Clear Aligner to fix perplexed teeth.
Can I use a 3D printer using PETG and make transparent apparatus?
The program I use gives transparent apparatus, 3-dimensional output in STL format. Do I get results if I send the STL file to the printer?

No
PETG is a material that can only be used in FDM machines. This precludes any internal medical use, as FDM prints can't be made sterile or even hygienic - the sterilization processes would destroy the print, and FDM layers create many spots for germs to grow. Atop that, you can't get the needed precision with FDM - which means any FDM prints are at best waste at worst endangering the patient!
In contrast, 3D printed metals and laser-printed nylon can be created and post-processed in ways that do not have layer lines. Resin prints do not have layer lines that offer these discrete hiding spots for germs. They all are made in a fashion that kills germs or disallows them from being embedded and they can be properly sterilized or made hygienic.
No!
PETG can't be printed completely clear in FDM. By the processing method, air and layer boundaries are included, making prints at least somewhat opaque.
Only Resin prints can be fully transparent as they contain neither boundaries nor air.
NO!!!
STL files contain only surface data and need to be processed into printer readable format. G-code is one of those formats, commonly used in FDM machines and CNC machines.
The processing from STL or other surface data into FDM-3D-printer G-code is done by a program called a slicer. Examples are Cura, PrusaSlicer, Slic3r, and many others.
Resin printers using DLP use different slicers that create images of the model's crossections together with some sort of machine code for the movement. For SLA machines, the code is entirely different again.
Further Reading
I highly suggest you read more about 3D printing dental applications before trying anything for dental use, and especially anything that is printed for any medical application!

+1 for emphasizing the danger to the patient. Even if the patient had access to a specialized 3D printer of the kind that is becoming common in dental and orthodontic offices, the patient does not have the knowledge/training that the doctors do to use the tool correctly.


text:
What volumetric extrusion rates can the Ender 3's stock hotend achieve?
With a fully stock Ender 3, the limiting factor is almost surely the extruder, not the hotend, so I'm asking from a standpoint of having an upgraded extruder (mine is direct drive) but stock hotend. I'm particularly interested in PLA but other materials would be nice to know as well.
I seem to be able to get PLA rates up to at least 12 mm³/s without skipping, and possibly higher - I haven't conducted any rigorous tests yet but with models where the max speed hasn't been sustained I've had success with rates as high as 16 mm³/s. If nobody has answers I may try to make this rigorous and post a self-answer.
I'm asking this question both to choose speeds I can consider reliable and as a starting point for readers considering whether an upgraded hotend is worthwhile for increasing print speed.


text:
How can I get my printer to home correctly?
I have a Creality CR-10 with EZABL (bed leveling sensor). I'm not sure what prompted the printer to think the center is the origin.
The printer homes in the dead center of the bed to start the auto bed leveling process from there; it seems to think it's doing that at X=0, Y=0 (when the printer receives the command to auto-home and it's already positioned at the center of the bed, it interprets that position as X=0, Y=0.). I've got it set to probe the bed at 9 points, in a 3x3 grid, it starts in the center (as in: it doesn't move to the X and Y endstops), then moves to the right and grinds hard against the right side, then grinds hard against the back.  I'm not sure what to do, I've already tried recompiling and uploading and even resetting to firmware defaults with M502. How do I get my printer to home correctly?
Here's my start G-code:
M75 ; Start Print Timer and Engage Fil Sensor if USB Printing
M84 E ; Disable E Motor for probe accuracy on direct drive systems
M117 Antiblob retract...
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder distance to 0
G1 E-2 ; Retracts filament to prevent blobs during probing
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder distance to 0
M117 Homing All...
G28 ; home all axes
M117 Homing Z Probe...
G28 Z ; home z again
M117 Generating mesh...
G29; auto bed leveling
M117 Heaters Recovering...
G4 S10; wait for heaters to recover
M420 Z0; Z fade
M900 K0; LA

Hi Jack, I've rearranged your question. Please note that the stated G-code is not relevant at all, you can leave it out (good you did because it has a lot of instructions on it that can be deleted). It is perfectly fine that the nozzle homes Z in the middle of the plate, this is how it is instructed to do in the firmware. The most relevant part is what your firmware settings are, so please link to the config file on PasteBin for example, other members will be able to use this for an answer and update your question.

I did try to re-compile and upload that firmware and I tried a test print this morning.  The same thing happened, only this time, because the homing problem is so bad, the printer head assembly banged into one of my binder clips and snapped my EZABL mount. So now I'm really out of commission until I get this figured out. I was able to post my configuration on textuploader: http://txt.do/ts4zt

Have you checked the endstop status with M119? You need to connect a console. If the endstops are thinking to be triggered, they won't allow movement in the direction of the endstop, only the other direction. If you move the carriage manually to another position, the printer probes from there? If the endstops are never hit, the printer does not know what coordinates it is at, presumably it assumes it is at 0,0 as the endstops are triggered.

Okay, I sent a command to the printer from Cura to home X and Y.  It homed Y correctly, but X did not; the print head is positioned just a little right of the center of the bed.  I shut down Cura, opened Arduino, and sent M119, and it shows both x_min: TRIGGERED and y_min: TRIGGERED.  This is correct for Y, but not for X.
I then used the printer's console to auto-home.  It functioned correctly, ending up in the middle of the bed as it should, and all axes endstops are showing "open".  Just to be sure, I repeated this process, and it worked correctly again.
Maybe the problem is with Cura?

I've been experimenting with Cura to see if it's the problem.  There seems to be no consistent reason why sometimes it homes properly and sometimes it doesn't.

Maybe you should change the cables of the endstops for new ones.

Well, I thought of that, but I don't see how that can be the problem.  When the errors occur, the assembly isn't even reaching the endstops. I just downloaded a newer version of the firmware. I'm compiling it and uploading it now. Maybe this problem will clear up.

I give up.  I've been working on this for three days, and I can't figure it out.

Shorting or failing of the cables (depends on the firmware configuration of the endstops) would show similar symptoms. I'm still curious of the endstop states when it doesn't move to the endstops on homing.

I just had a print fail because of this nonsense in Cura.  I tried sending G1 X0 Y0, which returned to Y0 correctly, but remained in the middle of the bed on the X-axis.  I shut down Cura, started up Arduino IDE, sent M119, and x_min is TRIGGERED.  I sent G28 and it homed properly to X0 Y0, and x_min still shows TRIGGERED.  I've tried moving the X-axis to various positions, and x_min always shows TRIGGERED.


text:
Nozzle too high on first layer after leveling
I've had my Ender 5 Pro for 6 months now, printing happily and quite a lot. Some days ago, a print failed mid-way, and since then I've not been able to make it print properly. I've now spent days trying to trouble-shoot with no luck. I've changed the nozzle and capricorn tube, and have endlessly tried to level the bed, with no luck.
The symptom I'm facing is mostly that the first layer doesn't print. Filament is extruded seemingly fine, but it is not squished properly into the bed. If I raise the bed sufficiently (and way too high according to my paper-test) to make the first layer stick, the print fails around layer 3 with what seems to me to be either over- or underextrusion, but may also just be a nozzle at the wrong height. The filament never sticks to the plate and just slowly accumulates around the nozzle.
I've read the endless amounts of "First layer problems" guides out there, and have tried to level the bed. While owning the printer, I've done that quite a few times in the past, and I think I got it right - but this time, no matter how much I try, I can't even get the initial Cura test-lines to stick. I've tried changing the print temperature, bed temperature, tried a different roll of filament, glue-stick on the bed. I also tried a different slicer, exact same results.
It seems no matter what I do, even after levelling the bed, the nozzle is just too high up to make the first layer stick. I'm out of ideas now, and quite frustrated. Perhaps there's some z-offset I don't know about that makes the printer lift the nozzle too high when print starts? When levelling the bed, I do the paper-test, and the paper sticks quite tight between nozzle and bed. When the printer is in the home position, it says that it's at X0 Y0 Z0.
Any ideas what I should try?

Hi welcome to 3DPrinting.SE! Note that this isn't a regular forum, if a question is similar to another the community can vote for a duplicate and hence link to previously answered questions. The question has a lot of text but would benefit from some photos of the offset and some print results. A printer will not apply an offset to Z when you have not instructed it to do so.

An offset is only one way to regulate the Z distance, but indeed quite convenient. Theis, there is a list of possible root causes and factors to consider - and remedies to try, so giving just some examples will make people give just another hints (which you could already try, but didn't tell). For example: if you soap-washed the hotbed? if you could use the filament which you did succeed in the past? etc. I even started thinking of some todo-list to go through and confirm before asking ;) Checked this question? Also I once wrote of using salt brine, but only on my old printer.


text:
How can we control the airflow in a fan which can be 3D printed?
I am new to 3D Printing and I have taken up a summer project. The project requires a fan 3D Printed, If I use a normal fan the airflow will make my project (i.e. a air-propelled car) go backward. Can we modify a fan so that when the fans spin my car goes forward? If yes, how?

Look at your fan: it spins in one direction, and the blades push the air from one air to the other side. In fact, the fan is nothing but a propeller! There are ways to optimize them. The Rotation goes for example clockwise, the leading edge grabs the air and the trailing edge releases it on the other side, and if the leading edge is towards you, then the air is pushed away. In the simplest way, it would suffice to physically flip the fan around.
A 3D printed new fan would need to have the whole geometry of the fan blades "flipped" (mirrored around a non-rotational axis). Now the leading edge of the fan is away from you, the trailing edge on your side, the airstream is again from the leading to the trailing edge, and the air comes out on your side.
cave!
Not all fans can be made to reverse the airflow by flipping the fan geometry: Radial fans just because less efficient.
Other fans can be made spinning backwards by swapping the polarity, but others use a simple diode setup and always spin their way. Also note that fans spinning backwards often suffer from reduced efficiency, as the blade geometry is optimized for one direction of spinning.

@DaVinziBoi for what? designing parts or making them printable? Many slicers allow to mirror items designed one way to create a mirror image - if the item has its "rotational" axis up, mirroring over either X or Y will create a "reverse".

Just making designs which are printable.

Any CAD suite works. I like Autodesk Fusion 360,;others like different software


text:
Ender 3 Pro with BLtouch + BigTreeTech Auto level not compensating
As the title says, I have an Ender 3 Pro + BLtouch v3.1 and BigTreeTech SKR mini E3 v2.0. I have the SKR loaded with "firmware-bltouch-for-z-homing.bin" but my printer does not seem to be auto leveling. I'm fairly new to 3D printing and I have no idea what I am missing. My bed seems pretty warped but that isn't an issue for small print. For larger prints I think I think I need to enable mesh bed leveling but I'm not sure how.
I have my start G-code setup as:
; Ender 3 Custom Start G-code
M140 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ; Set Heat Bed temperature
M190 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ; Wait for Heat Bed temperature
M104 S160; start warming extruder to 160
G28 ; Home all axes
G29 ; Auto bed-level (BL-Touch)
M420 S1; enable auto bed-level?
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
M104 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ; Set Extruder temperature
G1 X0.1 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to start position
M109 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ; Wait for Extruder temperature
; G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed
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
; End of custom start GCode

It heats up the bed, does the 5x5 auto level and then heats the extruder but when printing I do not see the Z axis moving throughout the first layer to compensate for the warped bed.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Should I be using "firmware-bltouch.bin" instead and reinstall my Z switch?


text:
Horrid issues with printing with Anet A6?8?
I just recently got a printer, supposed to be a Prusa i3 Reprap clone. It came with Repetier firmware on it, and its previous owner had no idea about any calibration. I calibrated X-, Y-, and Z-axis along with the extruder, and now when I print a test cube it comes out with the right dimensions. But, the quality is horrible.
I'm printing with 30 mm/s speed as shells, 15 mm/s as infill, infill percentage is above 60 %. I've tried everything I can think of, including suffering a temperature tower (which came out just wrong). What am I missing?

[

Looks like it is printed way too hot, what is the temperature setting? I'm curious what the real temperature of extrusion was.

I used 200 for this. 8th image in the below link is my attempt at a temperature tower from 220 to 180 in 450 layers.
https://imgur.com/a/zHI6TpO

How did you "calibrate" those? Hopefully not by measuring printed parts?

By using G1 and measuring the distance travelled with a caliper really. I'm familiar with their internal firmware.
By the way, problem has been solved. What the seller advertised & I thought was a 0.4mm nozzle. In reality, it was so beat up that it was 1.2mm. New nozzle & everything works great.

For the community, could you turn you comment with the solution into an answer?  That way, others will benefit from both your problem, and your solution.


text:
Creating a 3D modelled "mold over" an imported object
Let's say I've made a 3D scan of my face and managed to get that into FreeCAD. How might I then create an object (it's a mask, okay?) that conforms to the shape of my face, with a given thickness, such that I can export and 3D-print that part only?
So if I printed it, it would fit over my face, but still look like my face from the outside, too. It would be, say, 3mm thickness througout.
To be clear, I'm not looking to make a 3D model of my head (the world does not need such a thing), or 3D model of a mold that I can use to replicate my head. I just want to make parts that conform to the shape of other, complex, parts.

Instead of using FreeCAD, I would import the mesh data into a vertex-based 3D modeling software, such as blender.
After stitching the model in any areas where you still have gaps, you remove any vertex belonging to areas you do not want to use for the mask. This leaves you with pretty much a skin-tight base for your mask. Select all the remaining surfaces and scale S them in all directions in regards to the origin so you create a little airgap 5% extra (1.05) should create enough space to sit somewhat comfortably, but you might prefer a little more. As a stand-in for the face, I use this approximation of a forehead...

Next, we thicken that surface using the modifier menu: Select the Solidify modifier and set a thickness that looks good to you and that might be printable. Then make sure it pushes away from where your face is. Also make sure the Offset is at 1 or -1 to ensure that it does not stick out from the face-scan surface to the back!

Now you got a perfect base to model on the outside of using the sculpt features while retaining the inner surface! Do yourself a favor though: print at least part of this model as a test fit and adjust the mask as needed.

Excellent point. Maybe I'm using the wrong tool for this particular job. I'll try Blender as you suggested and see where I get to. :)

note that cast would be the wrong term: you mold an item over a base/buck

Great stuff. Always happy to learn and use the correct terminology. I'll correct the original post as necessary.

It depends on the software you're using, but here is an example with TinkerCad.
Step 1: Import your 3D model (imagine that the ball is a head):

Step 2: Change its type from "Solid" to "Hole"

Step 3: Create a "Solid" box around your imported model.
Here is the inverted Solid/Hole version:

Here is the Solid version with the Hole model inside your Solid box:

Step 4: Select both models and group them:

Step 5: Add a box covering half of your mold (ideally splitting it in half):

Step 6: Duplicate the mold and the box

Step 7: Group the left mold with its surrounding box:

Step 8: Invert the box of the left mold by taking its left corner and dragging it over to the right side of the mold:

Step 9: Group the right box and the mold.
Step 10: You now have two molds for each half of your model:

Based on your comment, I'm adding a couple more steps:
Step 11: Take your cast, duplicate it, enlarge the duplicate, make it a hole and fit it over your cast (like so):

Step 12: Group the left cast with the larger "Hole" copy:

And if you're going to 3D print it and fit it over the old model, then you might want to enlarge the cast by a few mm.
It's now up to you to figure out how to clamp the molds, inject them, and then separate them.
A few things to keep in mind:

You might want to play with the placement of the model inside the mold a little better so it's not at the bottom of the mold but more towards the middle.
You could also get a bit more creative with the joining of the two molds by adding channels or some kind of way that they can fit into each other with greater precision. Here is an example: .
If the parts are more complex, then the cast will be more challenging and might require to be split into more parts.

Good luck! :)

That is excellent, thanks! I should perhaps have been more clear, though. What I want to do is use a casting-type method in software, such that the final object can be 3D-printed and will fit over the base object but also look like it from the outside.

Aaah, got it... well, that's a bit more tricky and doesn't work too well with complex models, but I'll add a couple of steps at the end to show you how.

Different Software can do this much easier: Vertex based ones.

@Trish that's an excellent point and very useful for 3D prints that require more precision.


text:
Filament jam on the tube entrance
I have a problem in regards to filament jam, however I don't think that my case is any related to the extruder nozzle.
After 30 to 40 minutes printing my filament bends and get stuck on the tube entrance.
To print a nut wheel which comes as a demo file, I had to repeat the operation 4 times, and I had to stop printing when it got stuck, and continue with the printing, which led to a small imperfection.
What's the problem? The filament? The printer? Myself?
I have a Voxelab Aquila (completely new) and the filament u just a generic PLA from Amazon.

Something is stopping the filament from going down the tube 30 to 40 min. after you start printing.  You are correct that this doesn't sound like a clogged nozzle.  It could be deformed filament, but the closeness of the timing after the start sounds like heat creep.  Other possibilities are also listed at the linked stackexchange article.
Note: with heat creep the filament will not jam in the tube.  It will jam just above the nozzle on a Bowden tube extruder; thus the filament stops going down the tube.  The tube entrance is probably the largest location the tube can kink, although not very large.
What are ways to avoid heat creep?

First, remove the Bowden tube coupler from the extruder and clip that mangled end. If the tube isn't straight, it will cause friction and other problems.
Second, your filament should not have gear marks biting into it but the white tube shouldn't be visible between the gears.

You need a better filament quality I have the same printer and I had switched to Overture. Know use PLA Plus  or (PLA+)due to not sticking to the bed well enough and your issue. And this issue may be the way the entire module moves up and down the threads may need better positioning like tighten loosen or even level it out check for a bend.

Hi, welcome to 3DPrinting.SE! Could you clarify the answer, as it is now, it is pretty hard to read. I think that there is some useful information, but there are also parts that can be left out (Overture, PLA+ and not sticking to the bed). When it is more clear, you might receive upvotes. Thanks.


text:
Error "TMC2208 or TMC2209 on Z2 requires Z2_HARDWARE_SERIAL or Z2_SERIAL_(RX|TX)_PIN
I am getting this error when I try to enable the Z2 driver for MKS Gen L V2.1
Could anyone help?
Error "TMC2208 or TMC2209 on Z2 requires Z2_HARDWARE_SERIAL or Z2_SERIAL_(RX|TX)_PIN.

Your question is missing important information, but I can try to figure out something. You didn't say what kind of firmware it is. I assume it is Marlin.
Your problem is that there are no Tx Rx pins specified for Z2 (because there is X, Y, Z, E0, E1 by default on the MKS Gen L board)
I assume you want to use the E1 driver for the Z2 instead of a second extruder. In that case, you have to tell the firmware that you want to use that driver for Z2.
Search the source code for file "pins_MKS_GEN_L_V21.h"
There should be E1_SERIAL_TX_PIN and E1_SERIAL_RX_PIN defined.
Rename them to Z2_SERIAL_TX_PIN and Z2_SERIAL_RX_PIN.

In "pins_RAMPS.h" file, find a block of a few lines that starts "E1_STEP_PIN", and rename E1 to Z2 for all those lines.

It may (or may not) work now. If it doesn't, please somehow post those configuration files.

BTW: do you really want to have two independent drivers for Z? You can just connect two Z steppers to a single driver.

Thank you so much for your response. unfortunately, I tried what you send and the motor still gets hot and now it developed noise!
I'm sorry for the inconvenience but I don't know how to share the files, so in the following link I uploaded the configureation.h, configuration_adv.h, pins_RAMPS.h, and pins_MKS_GEN_L_V21.h files.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1V8Yw628a-RnjJeKxWd4wU0pyVEelkrGe?usp=sharing

I was getting the same issue/error code, but for my Y2 axis:
TMC2208 or TMC2209 on Y2 requires Y2_HARDWARE_SERIAL or Y2_SERIAL_(RX|TX)_PIN
I'm running Marlin 2.0, on an MKS Gen L V2.1 with TMC2209 (BigTreeTech v1.2) drivers. I have X, Y, Y2 (Running on E1 driver) and E0 for a custom scientific instrument (that is not a 3D printer, but it uses the same firmware and G-Code to move about so it is all the same). I initially tried to get this all going on the MKS Gen L V1, however, it only has UART for 4 Drivers (see the video by Teaching Tech). You can not get 5 drivers controlled by UART moving on this V1.0 board. For this reason, I moved over to the MKS Gen L V2.1. If this V1 board is all you have, I guess you could leave one driver as an A4988 or DRV8825 and accept the loss of the upgrade to the TMC2209 for one axis. This was the firmware that won't ask for Serial Pins, which is where most of this issue comes from.
SOLUTION:
The above solution by 'Jiří Maier' mostly fixed my problem. There are a few things to note and modify though:
In configuration.h, #define EXTRUDERS 1 defines the number of extruders. This is important here I think (I'm 85% on this). This value will push the 'extruder' down onto the next available stepper driver, which will be E0. Therefore I moved my Y2 driver to E1 as E0 was 'occupied' by the extruder.
In configuration.h, make sure the DRIVER_TYPE axes are all set correctly to the number of drivers you actually have. For example, I am using a driver for X, Y, Z, Y2, and an extra one E0 (for pumping liquids), so 5 total. Here, Y2 will replace the E1 driver, so E1 is commented out. Therefore, all used drivers have the TMC2209 commented in here. Everything else should be commented out.

After this then you can assign the pins as mentioned by Jiří Maier.
In the pins_MKS_GEN_L_V21 file I changed all starts of the code for E1_SERIAL_TX_PIN to Y2_SERIAL_TX_PIN, like below:
#ifndef Y2_SERIAL_TX_PIN
  #define Y2_SERIAL_TX_PIN                    20
#endif
#ifndef Y2_SERIAL_RX_PIN
  #define Y2_SERIAL_RX_PIN                    12
#endif

Similarly, in the pins_RAMPS file I changed the E1_STEP_PIN to Y2_STEP_PIN and so on, see the image below.
#define Y2_STEP_PIN                           36
#define Y2_DIR_PIN                            34
#define Y2_ENABLE_PIN                         30
#ifndef Y2_CS_PIN
  #define Y2_CS_PIN                           44


text:
Printer shaking - Marlin 2.0
I just replaced the board on my Creality CR-10 with a 32-bit SKR Mini E3 V2.0 control board that runs Marlin 2.0.  With the new control board, the printer's Y-Axis moves vibrate so much that it blurs the camera I am using that is connected to the bed.
I have checked the mechanical stuff and it seems like the issue is the stepper motors are running choppily instead of smoothly.
I know that 32-bit Marlin has lots of things I can tweak.  Are there settings I should be checking?  Where do I start?

Are you sure you're just not using different acceleration/jerk limits than with the original board's firmware build?

I'm using the Marlin defaults for both.  However, the choppiness happens even during long straight moves (like homing) so I don't think it is a jerk/acceleration issue.

Do you have video/audio showing the issue? I'm not sure I understand what "choppiness" means here.

I mean that the Steppers aren't rotating at a steady speed.  It seems as they are stepping, stopping, stepping, stopping creating a very choppy movement of the axis.  You can feel the studdering by hand and it is painfully obvious through the picam..  (With the steppers off, the mechanism is perfectly smooth)

Did you do anything odd with the microstepping configuration?

Nothing that wasn't in the provided config for the SKR Mini E3 V2.  What should they be set to, and how can I check?  The Configuration_adv.h shows it is set to 16 microsteps, but I'd like to be able to config that it actually is working that way

The problem turned out to be mechanical.  The arm that I mounted the camera on had developed a crack where it connects to the build platform.  I used some superglue to repair the crack and the camera shaking went away.
The lesson here is to check EVERYTHING mechanical before trying to blame shaking on the firmware.


text:
Best filament to use in high humidity environment?
I'm working on a project to design some custom 3D printed parts for an indoor urban farm where the environment has a very high humidity of above 80%. What would be the best filament to use that will be able to handle this conditions. Are there any coatings that I can use to protect the parts from absorbing moisture?

Which kind of part is it? is it under significant stress? how long should it last? Most filaments absorb moisture, but then they are fine. Moisture is an issue BEFORE printing, if the filament is humid.

Too many factors not listed, making this opinion based or requiring focus

How is this question closed? The answer is simple: ASA.

You don't provide information about the part, but in general PETG, ABS, ABS plus/Pro and ASA are not going to have any issue with humidity for a long time. If it's outdoor, avoid ABS and use PETG or ASA.
What is important is to keep the filament dry BEFORE printing. After printing, no problem. In fact, nylon after printing can be wet on purpose to significantly increase impact strength (and reduce tensile strength).
PLA in high humidity environment may lose some of its strength, but there are PLA parts under the rain which hold perfectly for long time, if they are not loaded significantly.

PLA works perfectly fine in submerged saltwater application (which is often considered corrosive) if printed well enough (5 walls, 10 tops&bottoms, printed sealed), but indeed, it does creep under stress and deform permanently. The test part I have experience with is a simple swimmer in a tidal measure device, carrying a little lead weight inside and a metal foil reflector on the top.

PLA becomes brittle under moisture.  So, you want it thick enough to stay rigid.  PLA doesn't seem to work well on flex designs anyway.  PLA's strength is dimentional accuracy, but I don't know if moisture causes it's dimensions to change.

Note: PET is used for bottled water bottles.  Glycerin is added (PETG) to make it 3D printer friendly.

@Trish my answer was based on https://web.archive.org/web/20160330042542/http://www.protoparadigm.com/news-updates/weathering-of-3d-printed-pla-objects

@FarO Sure PLA ages and will crack some day, but with some 2 millimeters wall thickness that bulb was able to stay a floating item after spending almost a year in harbor water. It was a simple flotation device, but it spent about half its life underwater: it got submerged when the water in a particular flat spot was giving enough depth for ships over a given draft but swam at surface level when not.

@Trish I believe you, I just provided the source for my statement. It could even be that between 2013 and today the blends have changed. PLA in 2013 was quite a new thing.


text:
What is the best way to adhere an old printed part to the bed?
I am currently trying to print a company logo on another part I have printed in a different colour. To try and maximise the strength of the part, I need to print the part on a different orientation to what I intend on printing the logo on. As a result I need to in a sense re-adhere the part to the bed so I can print the logo. I am using PLA filament on a spring steel sheet (the default sheet with a Prusa Mini).
Any ideas would be appreciated before I accept defeat and just glue the parts together.

Hi, welcome to 3DPrinting.SE! Interesting question! Note that you might be facing some positioning and levelling challenges, also applicable for those having an extremely long print that failed mid-printing and want to continue and reattach the model to the plate.

I have not done this, but I believe this is the best method and I want to test it at some point soon:
Model a negative for the footprint of the part you want to adhere to the bed, in the orientation you want to adhere it, with just a few mm of height, and clearance suitable for your printer (probably around 0.25 mm) in the XY plane, and print that with thick extrusions on the initial layer so that it adheres well to your bed. It should look exactly like a "thickened brim" for the part you want to re-adhere. Don't let the bed cool after printing it.
Now, you have a slot to insert your part into that will not only hold it to the bed, but holds it to particular coordinates you chose to print at, which you can align to the coordinates of the new model you want to print on top of it.
If you can't get the clearances right to hold without knocking off the negative footprint from the bed, you could try adding some threaded holes to it, so that you can put a couple set screws through it to hold the part in place. This technique can also be used if you want to avoid modeling a full negative (e.g. if you don't have the original in CAD form where you can easily negative it) - just print a few posts to hold set screws in approximately the right places on the bed.

It is actually a brilliant idea! One more hint: adding hooks/holders for rubber bands, if they can be mounted below the top, far from the hotend, and maybe also from bed (depending on its temperature, my rubber bands could not persist long at 90-115 C).

Worked a charm, thank you! The part already had a dovetail join so it was easy to remake the 3D model of the part it was joining to.

Adherence is the 3D printer's worst enemy.
I use painter's tape, but I heard that you can if you need to remove and re-stick it back, heat the part lightly with a lighter and re-stick it back to the bed. Never tried but I'm guessing you would need to cool the bed, heat the part, and stick it back then reheat the bed and continue to print.
Glue sticks can maybe help or even hot glue. But I would be afraid in that case that the part wouldn't be level hence the glue would be to tick.

It seems the printer would need the ability to offset the z-origin to the mounted part; maybe even planarize to the part.

For sticking a bit wrapped part again to glass I used isolation tape, not always with good results (glue melts down). Never tried to reheat to stick it back... But: a hot glue will ruin the printed part more or less (I tried to fix something this way, and glue just slowly dissolved the wall and went inside). I think similar about lighter flame, you can't control it. The heat blower gun worked best for me, when trying to soften some decoration details roughness. Though still it was easy miss the point when plastic started to melt too much.

My first attempt was with a glue stick and it ruined the bed adhesion. Ended up needing to wash it with soap & water and clean it with acetone. The negative footprint was much more effective and doesn't detriment the bed. At least this was the case for me

I like the idea of printing a holder, for the part-it holds the part laterally and indexes the new printing. I would maybe model it and slice it separately. Then model and slice the text as a first layer thing. It is important the slicer doesn’t think the text is floating in the air, or it will interpret it as a bridge, and do weird stuff.  Don’t use skirt or brim on text slicing. I’m thinking print the holder, keep the bed warm. Raise the extruder up out of the way. Get the plastic piece warm on the heated bed. Put glue stick on the part and stick it to the bed in the holder.
With the extruder cold, slowly bring the extruder down until it is the right height to print, could use a sheet of paper between the part and the nozzle as a feeler gauge. Now the Z is at the right height. Bring up the text G-code. At the beginning of the G-code, edit the homing command, G28, to be G28 X Y, no Z, so it won’t home the Z-axis. Also, delete or comment out G29 auto-leveling if present. Then type in a line G92 Z.1, this spoofs the position of the Z-axis so the printer thinks it’s at zero plus the thickness of your sheet of paper (.1 mm). Add in a move to prime the nozzle, after it is heated M109, right before it starts moving. G1 E10 F400. Then G92 E0, then a retract move G1 E-2 F3900.  This is right before it starts moving, with a long series of G1 commands. Note, ignore the prime, retract thing if your G-code already includes it. That should be good to print.
Dial down the speed and be ready to catch the plastic squirt from the prime move with some tweezers, you could even hold something flat and metal under the nozzle as it primes to simulate having a surface to build up pressure. Immediately after the prime, be ready to micro-step the Z-axis to dial in your first layer as it starts printing on your part. Turn up the speed if everything is going to plan.
You could pull the filament out of the extruder and do a dry run if you’re worried about the part. Or print a couple in case the first one gets messed up.

This comment would have helped before I started! I ended up having to move the negative footprint right to the top of the bed so the x-axis didn't take it out when it purges the filament prior to printing and removing the G29 auto-levelling command. After a couple failed attempts, I managed to offset the z-axis based on the 3D model and remove the skirting and it worked out fine.


text:
Ender 3 Pro, Motherboard v4.2.7, Marlin 2.0.1 Firmware reset
Upgrading motherboard to v4.2.7   How do I reset the firmware after making wrong mods?

You could download the firmware version directly from the vendor and choose the one that is supposed to be on the board when it was shipped to you.
Put the bin file on the SD card from your laptop/computer and reinsert the SD card in the printer and start the printer.


text:
My Monoprice Select Mini v2 isn't pushing out filament and it isn't the nozzle
The printer isn't pushing out filament.
I'm using the filament that came with the printer, and I know it's not the nozzle. I've tried to get the metal piece surrounding that goes from the Bowden connector to the extruder off, but I can't seem to.
Are there any ways to fix this?

To be sure, with "metal piece surrounding that", you mean the heatsink, the part with all the fins/discs?

The push to release connection on the top of the heat sink may be secured with thread lock adhesive, but you should not have to remove it. Push the blue ring downward while pulling upward on the bowden tubing. It may be necessary to work it up and down while you push down on the blue locking fitting. I have to use a pair of pliers to hold the blue ring down while wiggling the bowden tube up and down, as it is rather tiny.
Once you have the tubing removed, check for high friction in the now-released bowden tube. Push filament from the extruder drive mechanism and observe how easily it passes through the tube to the open end. If you do not experience clogging, the problem resides in the heat sink/heat break/heater block area.
It's not uncommon for the nozzle to have an excessive gap between the heat break and the nozzle. This will allow for cooled filament to jam, preventing normal feeding.
From the Prusa support site:

Notice that the collet is visible in the photo and appears to hold a longer section of PTFE tubing. It should enter your heat sink until it bottoms against the recess cut into the metal. If it does not, you have the possibility (slim) of jamming in that locations.
Notice also that the nozzle is not flush against the heater block. The heatbreak is threaded into the block with the nozzle slightly lower than flush. This ensures a proper flow from the entry point to the nozzle. If it is not properly secured at either end, the heat break can bulge with filament that cools and creates the jam.


text:
Random hot-end temperature spikes
I've been having issues with thermal runaways lately due to random temperature spikes on my Ender 3.
I figured it was out of calibration so I did a PID tune and still had issues. I then replaced the thermistor and I'm still having issues. I'm going to try replacing the heater element tonight.
However, if anyone has some suggestions, please let me know.

The image doesn't seem to support the thermal runaway issues, a runaway is not recoverable as the printer shuts down (if firmware is properly configured). Could you please give some more information? E.g. when does it happen; randomly, when the part cooler fan kicks in, when the head is a certain position over the plate, etc.

When I had similar issues, the crimp on the thermistor connector on the board was loose

The thermal runaway protection was activated when it would spike above 250C. The problem was the heater element. As I was removing it I found a bend in the wire that seemed to have been the bad connection point. My temps are stable now. At least this go around I installed quick connectors so I don't have to redo the wire loom every time I replace the heater or thermistor

It looks like a sensor issue.  Maybe a temporary resistance in a contact of the sensor circuit made the temperature look low to the controler, so it applies power to raise the temperature.  When the contection recovers, the temperature is too high, so the controller lowers the power to restore the temperature.


text:
Difference in weight from Cura to printed model
I've recently switched to PETG , and I'm using Cura as slicer and Ender 3 as printer.
I'm printing a model which Cura declares to be 35 g, but if I weigh the printed model it weighs 23 g.
I'm printing with just 1 line of skirt, so its weight is negligible on total weight.
I've replaced the stock plastic extruder with a double gears metal extruder (3Dman 11 Dual Gear Extruder ).

I've also replaced the stock springs with metals ones.
I'm not having a quality problem, just I want to understand if this difference is caused by a bad configuration that could be improved.
Which are the corrections/checks that I need to do in my setup (both printer and Cura) for fixing this difference?

In case Cura is being stupid, look at the final E-axis value in the output gcode file to see how much material it's attempting to extrude. Multiplying it by 2.4 ((1.75/2)² × pi) will give the volume of material in mm³ which you can then multiply by the expected density.

Also: Is it possible there's priming-line, skirt, brim, raft, or support material you're not counting?

Good guess, but I'm printing just 1 line of Skirt, just for clearing the nozzle...
totally negligible, I guess. Btw I'm adding this information to the question, might be useful.
I'm looking for the value you are referring to tomorrow and I'll post you back, thanks

The density of the filament can be specified in the material model of the filament in Cura (Preferences -> Configure Cura... -> Materials and click on the material/filament you are using to slice your model for PETG), look at the value behind Density, the PETG filament I use is using 1.28 g/cm³ (PETG Economy Black -> Specification >).

This field is user editable, so you can change it to your needs. Cura calculates the weight based on the deposited volume.

Thanks for your answer: I've setted the density to 1.27 , but I'm now getting 37gr, which leads to a bigger difference. Is there any other possible problem?

This setting is used to allow the viewer to determine expected filament use for the print. As you've already discovered, an inaccurate figure will present a disparity between the displayed value and the weight of the print. Changing the numbers will only provide for a value difference, not an operational difference. The other answer (currently) is not likely to be correct, unless you are having model quality problems.

@fred_dot_u actually I'm not having a quality problem: I'm only trying to understand if my printer is printing correctly or if something is not right setted. This difference has raised a warning in my mind...

I didn't think you were having a problem with quality, as that would have taken priority, in my opinion. The answer referencing underextrusion appears to be off-base for that reason. If you use trial and error to enter a weight value in the settings, until you get something that matches closely enough, you'll have done no harm.

Likely underextrusion. The Ender 3's extruder is particularly bad at PETG and slips a lot unless you go really slow, like 3 mm³/s (about 40 mm/s at 0.2 mm layers and 0.4 mm line width) or lower.
For a long time I thought this was a limitation of the material, at least without a really powerful hotend, and wondered why anyone liked it. But after replacing the extruder on my Ender 3 with one that grips the filament much better (among other differences) I can extrude at several times that rate with no extrusion issues.
My extruder has a lot of differences from the stock Creality one that might be making a difference. It's (remote) direct drive, has a cut-out hobbed gear that wraps partly around the filament tensioned rigidly rather than with a spring, and has net 10:1 reduction gearing. I suspect the hobbed gear configuration makes the biggest different to increased PETG printing capability but I'm not sure. Here's a picture of what I'm talking about

Actually I'm printing at 40mm/s , because that's the only way I've found to be able to work with petg and ender 3... and the first layer I'm lowering it to 10mm/s ...
Which extruder are you suggesting to upgrade to?

I'm not making a particular recommendation because there are lots of factors to weight choosing what you want and product recommendations are off topic for this site. I have a flex3drive remote direct drive but it's some work getting it setup well. Mainly for this specific problem I suspect you need either double hobbed gears (both sides of filament) or a hobbed gear cut to wrap halfway around the filament. Mine uses the latter and I suspect it's the better choice.

You might even be able to get away with just replacing the hobbed gear in the stock extruder, but some reduction might also be needed to increase torque too.

I've already mounted a double hobbed gears... and actually I'm not having a problem of quality in prints (just some filaments)... how can I measure if my printer is printing the right amount of filament?

This should be another question/answer pair... https://letsprint3d.net/how-to-calibrate-the-extruder-steps-ender-3-5-cr-10/ will show you how to check the extrusion values for your printer.

@Leviand: Can you show a picture of the extruder gear setup you're using or name/link the specific product if it's something commercially available?

@R..GitHubSTOPHELPINGICE I've added an image in the question, the name is "3Dman 11 Dual Gear Extruder ". I've never done a calibration before, I will give a try!!!


text:
Is 3D printing really just 2D printing? Because only 2 motors move per layer
I was wondering the other day why don't all three motors move at the same time? Don't normal paper printers move 2 motors at a time? they're 2D printers. It makes sense if a 3D printer really does print with all three motors moving. Won't it also be more efficient if they do 3D print in all axes?

I was wondering the other day why don't all three motors move at the same time?

That is perfectly possible for most printers (with limitations, "3D Printing" with all steppers being used is called "non-planar" printing), but there are some major cons you need to deal with. First, there are not that many software suites that slice objects perfectly well like the "normal" per "fixed/variable layer height" slicing as the slicers are under developed. Second, it requires a specific tall and slender nozzle/print head, else the height of printing is very limited. Last, besides generally not being useful for rectangular prints (except for 90° overhanging structures1)), this method is only/best suitable for curved objects as the top layer will follow the contours of the object.

It makes sense if a 3D printer really does print with all three motors moving.

No, it does not make sense, the essentials of 3D printing it that it produces a 3D object, not that all stepper motors should be running simultaneously.

Won't it also be more efficient if they do 3D print in all axes?

Not necessarily, there are limitations to non-planar printing like geometry and print quality, but, you could (in some cases) print with less support material.

1) : From Rene K. Mueller, published March 3, 2021, https://xyzdims.com:

Note that these are demonstration pieces, normally you would rotate the print for 90° and print it sliced normal (planar).

Frame challenge: is it just 1D printing? Each G1 command moves linearly in a single one dimensional affine subspace of the build volume.
What makes 3D printing 3D is that the resulting object produced is three dimensional. There are indeed a lot of advances to be made in FDM printing by not working only within constant-Z cross sections at a time, but these are matters of surface quality/accuracy and the classes of geometry that are printable, not efficiency.

The Z axis moves between each layer so you are indeed printing in the 3rd dimension.  There are some techniques that move all three axis at the same time.


text:
How to create an air-free design?
I am creating a bottlecap-like design. The design is sealed by rotating the lid. I am adding a chemical to it for an experiment. I would like the inside of the design to have no air circulating to it through the lid tiny spaces.
My design:

Are there any simple solutions I can implement out there? Design-wise, material-wise, or maybe an extra piece?

Are you talking about sealing design or porosity of the objects when printed (it looks like the final sentence above the image hints to that)?

Are there any simple solutions I can implement out there?

A gasket made of rubber or other elastic or deformable material is probably the best option. Printing one or both of the parts using a deformable material like TPU might also work. Finally, if you don't need to open the unit during the experiment, you could use a sealant like silicone caulk might make sense.

Or a garden hose o-ring.

@caleb How about the air that is in before it is closed. is there a way to force it out?

@AnwarElhadad You could fill and close the device in an inert gas environment, like nitrogen, CO2, or argon. Or you could add a valve that lets you pump the air out after filling. I’m not sure that a FDM printed part would hold a vacuum — you’ll need to test that and perhaps take steps to seal the inside.


text:
Printer with 50 microns or close to 50 micron (z resolution)
We're thinking of buying a PETG-powered printer. When researching printers available on the market, there are machines with a 100 microns. I was wondering if there are machines with a 50 microns or close to 50 micros? Otherwise, why not?

I do not understand what you mean by "50 resolutions". Do you perhaps mean a resolution/layer height of 50 microns? If so, you might find this question on the meaning (or lack thereof) of this "resolution" figure interesting. It is usually not a good metric to judge (FDM) printers by.

Your edit has still not made this an understandable question. It now says "50 microns" but it doesn't say 50 microns of what. Layer height? Resolution (in X, Y, or Z)? Repeatability (in X, Y, or Z)? Tolerance of the final part?

PETG is a material for FDM type machines, not a power source. 0.05 mm is 50 µm aka 50 Micorn.

The Monoprice Maker 10 Mini claims to do this, but the devil is in the details. For example, you may need a special nozzle. https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=34438

@JoelCoehoorn a special nozzle and super slow settings and a perfect machine - which means it's anything but a production machine.

PETG is a material type that is only available for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) type printers. Those are limited in their achievable resolution by their nozzle size:

the Smallest depression in a surface that is printable is about half a line width in XY and 1 layer height in Z.
the smallest bulge from a flat surface that can reliably be produced by FDM is in the area of one line width in XY and 1 layer height in Z.
The minimum thickness of an item to be printable is one line width.
The maximum layer height in Z is 3/4 of the nozzle width.
Optimal line width is 1.1 Nozzle diameters.
That all is the theoretical limit, as machine movements and such push this minimum up by a factor of at least 1.5 and more likely 2-3, depending on how much your machine is tuned.

The smallest available nozzles that doesn't require specialty extruders are 0.2 mm. That means the absolute minimum detail that could in theory be reproduced on a surface of enough thickness is a 0.1 mm depression using a design similar to this picture:

As a result: NO FDM with PETG is not a solution to your requirements, you want reliable 0.05 mm resolution in XYZ, which is the area of Resin printers, especially DLP and SLA, but also Stratasys PolyJet can achieve this at the moment.
Estimating from your other questions (like this), I still suggest looking at a resin-based system that has materials that are certified for medical use!

I assume you mean a resolution of 50 microns (0.05 mm step size)
Most FDM printers can produce something useful upto 100 microns. If you want to print with more precision, try resin printers.
The reason for this is that an FDM printer uses an extruder with a specific nozzle diameter (typically around 0.4mm and minimum around 0.25 mm). plastic has too much viscosity to fit through a smaller diameter nozzle easy.

I don't think the question refers to printers with a step size of 0.1/0.05 mm. Most 3D printers have a step size that is far smaller than 0.1 mm. Most printers have about ~100 steps per mm in the X and Y axes (so 0.01 mm per step).

@TomvanderZanden but the best achieveable resoution is about 0.5 Nozzles area horizontally and 1 layer vertically.

@Trish Where does "0.5 Nozzles area" come from? You have to be careful what you mean by "resolution". The nozzle size limits the smallest things you can print but you can still position the nozzle more accurately, e.g., you can print both a 20.0 mm and 20.1 mm cube with a 0.4 mm nozzle and you would be able to differentiate between both prints.

@TomvanderZanden true, what I meant is "smallest achieveable depression in a surface that can be reproduced under perfect movement" - the other way round (extrusion) is in the 1-nozzle area. I elaborated on that in my answer

It's difficult to have a fast enough flow rate to prevent jamming with a 0.2 mm nozzle and 1.75 mm PETG filament.  This would be more practical with a smaller diameter filament.


text:
Ender 3 V2 under extrusion problems
Every time I start a print, midway during printing, my printer starts to under extrude.
I tried lots of different models every time the problem occurs.
What should I do about this?

If you could, please add some extra information on printing temperature, material type, and e.g. retraction settings.This is probably caused by insufficient cooling of the hotend or the extruder gets hot.

This is some kind of filament stuck in the hotend tube problem. Just like "heat creep" as mentioned above. PTFE pipes should be checked, all parts should be carefully cleaned. I also add checking the extruder (gears, tightness) to the list. The plastic extruder can structurally loosen or break over time. I switched to metal extruder a long time ago, but metal also breaks / loosens after a while. Finally I'm using a double gear extruder without any problem. And I replaced the stock pipes with more durable PTFE and "Pneumatic Fittings". Pneumatic fittings are also very important by the way.

If everything is stock on the machine and all other setting are properly configured, this is most likely heat creep.  This is caused when the PFTE tubing is not properly set within the hot end itself leaving a small gap.  As filament is fed into the hot end and heated to melting, some filament oozes out in the gap between the PFTE tubing and the nozzle. This melted filament then cools and hardens making it harder to extrude filament causing under extrusion.
You may want to calibrate your E-steps and flow as well, here is an excellent website.

I was getting intermittent underextrusion (to the point of brief "ghost printing") with my own Ender 3 over the past few days, after a couple weeks of exemplary operation.  In looking the machine over (searching for issues that could cause clogging, for instance), I discovered that the "extruder arm" (the spring loaded arm on the extruder that carries the bearing and channel that presses the filament against the actual extruder wheel) was badly cracked; the crack ran from the brass insert where the screw holding the pressure bearing threads in, up to the hole for the screw the whole arm pivots on; it was near breaking off entirely.
I was able to find a .stl file for a replacement arm on Thingiverse (search for "ender 3 extruder arm"), and dismounted the broken arm and super glued it back together, hoping it would hold up long enough to print a replacement (I also contacted the Amazon seller about warranty service, since I've had the machine only three weeks and there's a 90 day warranty).
If this is the cause of your own failures, it will likely go from "intermittent underextrusion" to "doesn't work at all" without any further warning.  Fortunately, that arm is made of a plastic that takes glue well (probably either polypropylene or ABS, as it appears to be injection molded); mine has held up for long enough to print a replacement, and (so far) through about eight hours of my next print in line (which is going perfectly).


text:
Replacing ceramic tape on Wanhao Duplicator i3
I need new ceramic tape for my 3D printer. Does it matter which I get? Can I just get the cheapest? Is there a quality difference?

I have a Wanhao Duplicator i3 too. It does not matter a lot which ceramic wadding and / or kapton  you use. The more you seal off, the better it works. If you have a full metal hotend and a powerful cooling blower and need temps above 250 °C, you might want to do the best you can with a good padding of ceramic and kapton. For normal operation, a half-done job will do just fine.
See this question too: Efficient and easy way to thermally insulate the heat block of the hotend?


text:
Adequate default filament diameter for Anycubic Mega X
Does anybody if the Anycube Mega X comes with a nozzle for 1.75 mm filaments or is it 2.85 mm?
I saw online that it works with 1.75 mm filaments but the Cura settings given by the manufacturer had 2.85 mm.
I should mention that using a 1.75 mm filament works BUT my designs have clear under-extrusion, which is very likely caused by having 2.85 mm in the settings. So at this moment, I am trying to gauge whether to change the settings to 1.75 mm or buying 2.85 mm filaments (this only works if the Mega X comes with the appropriate nozzle).

You can change the diameter of consumables to your own when you slice with Cura software

Reading all 49 pages of the manual was fruitless. I'm astonished that there is no reference to the filament diameter used in this printer.
From 3dJake's web site comes a confirmation that the printer uses 1.75 mm filament.
It's not a matter of changing a nozzle to use 2.85 mm filament, as the entire filament path is based, in this printer, on the 1.75 mm specification.
To find 3Djake's site, I used "anycubic mega x filament diameter" as the search terms. Many other links appeared, confirming the 1.75 mm filament size.

This is a well-known problem with Cura. The filament diameter is set to 2.85 mm by default (probably because Ultimaker printers use 2.85 mm filament). This will cause extreme under-extrusion if your printer uses 1.75 mm filament. Simply change the filament diameter to 1.75 mm in Cura's printer definition, and everything should be fine.
Older versions of Cura would reset the filament diameter to 2.85 mm if you installed an update or new release, but I think the Ultimaker have fixed that annoying little bug.


text:
First move after homing way too fast
There are a few hits on my issue title but could not find an actual answer/advice.
I burned my Ender 3 Pro Creality motherboard and replaced it with an SKR 1.4 + TMC 2209 + BLTouch.
Everything is moving like it should and calibrated.
However, at the end of the homing process, the Z-axis goes up, then it's supposed to move to the printing position.
At that point, the acceleration is so great that the Z-axis barely goes down and I end up printing about 4 cm above the bed.
These are the settings I changed on my Marlin 2.0.7 firmware in relation to the Ender 3 setup:
Configuration.h
set #define STRING_CONFIG_H_AUTHOR "Nicolas Rietsch v 0.1.2"
enable #define CUSTOM_MACHINE_NAME
set #define CUSTOM_MACHINE_NAME "Ender-3 PRO"
set #define TEMP_SENSOR_BED 1
set #define DEFAULT_MAX_FEEDRATE          { 500, 500, 5, 45 }
set #define DEFAULT_MAX_ACCELERATION      { 450, 450, 100, 10000 }
set #default DEFAULT_ACCELERATION          450
set #define DEFAULT_TRAVEL_ACCELERATION   500

set #define INVERT_X_DIR true
set #define INVERT_E0_DIR true
set #define X_MIN_POS -26
set #define X_BED_SIZE 230
set #define Y_BED_SIZE 230
set #define Z_MAX_POS 250
enable #define NOZZLE_PARK_FEATURE

Configuration_adv.h
set #define X_CURRENT       500
set #define Y_CURRENT       500
set #define Z_CURRENT       500
set #define E0_CURRENT      650
set #define CHOPPER_TIMING CHOPPER_DEFAULT_24V

What am I missing?

DEFAULT_MAX_ACCELERATION... what is your current value for Z in EEPROM? Have you checked acceleration settings using LCD or g-code? Or reset to defaults?

Maybe it would it help if you fix #default to #define in the current line:
set #default DEFAULT_ACCELERATION ...


text:
Trouble printing perpendicular walls
I'm trying to print the following model:

I'm using Simplify3d to print the model with the following settings on my Qidi X-pro:

Filament is ABS
Bed temp is 100 °C
Extruder temp is 230 °C
1 top layer
1 bottom layer
4 perimeter shells
The outside direction is 'outside in'.
Internal infill is triangular at 60 %.

I've tried numerous tweaks to the settings, but, I can't seem to get a perfect perpendicular exterior wall as seen in the photos. The print more resembles a trapezoid. It appears like the walls are bowing inward. This also seems to throw off the dimensions. They aren't consistent. For example, the height of the part is 6 mm, but, in measuring with a caliper it shows 5.8 mm to 6.2 mm.
Can anyone tell me how I can get my external walls perpendicular?

You may be getting shrinking due to cooling on the non-top and non-bottom layers. Sixty percent infill is rather substantial. I'm printing 20 hour pieces in ABS at 100 °C / 250 °C using ten percent infill and getting nothing like what your image shows.
Can you do with a lower infill? More isn't always stronger. Four perimeter shells may be a factor but you'll probably see a difference with a smaller percentage infill.

Thanks for the reply.  I will be trying with a lower infill.

If your object doesn't need to be flexible and can tolerate a more brittle material, PLA has better dimensional accuracy.  Thus, it would be easier to get your desired shape.
Try two perimeter shells, but slow down the print speed of the perimeter.

Actually, I've tried with PLA, and, the results are better, but, not perfect.

ABS shrinks about 1.5% as it cools from print temp to room temp. If your setup doesn't automatically account for this, you can scale up your STL 1.5% before slicing.
I also recommend more top layers - I usually use 4 for 50% infill or greater, and 6 or 8 for lower infill percentages.

Thanks.  I've already adjusted for .08%.  I'll take a look at bumping that up and adjusting the layers.

Already mentioned in an answer is that ABS has a relatively large percentage of shrinkage (about 1.5 %), this should be encountered for in your model. So, the top layers width being smaller than the model is perfectly explained by the shrinkage.
It is also this shrinkage that causes the excess width layers at the bottom in combination with the heated bed temperature. The bed is of relative high temperature, this is close to the glass temperature of the filament, this ensures that the plastic is soft and adheres well to the build plate. But, this high temperature also causes that the material doesn't shrink much (the cooler, the higher the shrinkgae), the further away from the bed the lower the temperature the higher the shrinkage. This causes each layer to be a little smaller than the previous layer. As the part progresses layers are build upon layers fixating the layers, so the material at the lower layers will not shrink back when the whole part is cooled down (it will probably cause for some compression stress in the lower region).
This defect is known as "elephant foot" as e.g. explained in this answer. Basically the bed temperature is too high (but the downside is that ABS needs a high temperature to prevent warping and loosening from the build plate), too less cooling (also not something you want when printing ABS as cooling causes warping and prevents layers to stick well to each other) or a too low distance between the nozzle and the build plate. You could try lowering heated bed temperature by 5 °C each print, print with a raft and increasing the nozzle to build plate distance (leveling with a thicker piece of paper or increase the nozzle by redefinition of the Z=0 plane).
This is a common issue for high shrinkage, high temperature materials. It is something to live with, try to balance out the problem or adjust the print object by changing the design to include a chamfer at the bottom of the print.


text:
Problem with BLTouch on Ender 3 Pro
I'm having some problems with my BLTouch.

Yesterday I got the 4.2.7 silent board delivered as well as the BLTouch and a glass bed. I was able to install the silent board without a problem and according to the many, many diagrams I've looked at, I also have my BLTouch installed correctly. I've installed several different firmware versions as well as manually compiling some.
I used the following diagram which was provided in a link by the seller. I also tried the firmware for Ender 3 pro 4.2.7 board on the Creality website as well as a few other firmware versions from various YouTube videos.

When I start up my printer the BLTouch does its normal startup thing and my printer says it's ready. But when I try to auto home, bed level, or even manually control the BLTouch it doesn't extend at all. I've spent about 4 hours trying to figure it out on my own and I'm throwing in the towel.

For anyone who has this problem in the future my solution was to loosen the screw on top of the touch just a little bit


text:
Pause, rehome X/Y, resume
Every now and then I'll have a problem with layer shift. Solving this is a separate issue, but it occurred to me: most of the time when this happens I notice right away because of the noise. What if there were an easy to to pause the print, re-home the X/Y axis (not Z), and then resume. I'd only have one layer that was a bit off. Sometimes that's enough to ruin the print but sometimes I could clean up with a razor knife later and just live with the small scarring and weakness.
Is there a way to do this during a print? I suspect it might require support within the printer (or print tool like OctoPrint), and might also depend on how the print is sliced in terms of knowing absolute vs relative coordinates at any given moment.

Have you tried this? It should just work, at least if you're using software like Octoprint to control the printer over serial interface rather than print-from-SD-card on the printer itself. In such a setup you're free to submit whatever commands (in particular, G28 X Y) you like while the print is paused. You'll need it setup to save and restore position across pause/resume, or the next command executed might start from the wrong starting position; this would be no problem if it's a travel command, but if it's an extrusion move it would make a mess.
If you're using the printer's builtin pause/resume functionality, I'm not sure whether it will work. It mainly depends on whether it lets you access the homing function while paused. If not this is more of a logic limitation than any fundamental incapability, and could be fixed in the firmware.

It might also be useful to tighten all the belts and try to reduce vibrations/shaking as much as possible to adress the underlaying problem. Is layer shift happening on one axis or both at the same time? Does it happen a little bit on each succesive layer or is everything fine and then you get one big shift?

Repetier software has a Pause button and works very well. I use it to change filament color in mid-print. When pause is invoked manual moves and homing of all three axes are available.
In my case, after pausing I quickly home X and Y so the nozzle is not over the in-progress print in case of oozing during the filament change.  I also move +10 mm on the Z axis to provide a little working space. When resuming, the print head moves to exactly where it was interrupted and goes on as before.
I can't see any reason a pause and home scheme wouldn't be an option after a minor layer shift.


text:
After sitting for a week first layer won't adhere
Last week I set up my Ender 3 V2 and it seemed to work perfectly out of the box. I leveled the bed, did a test print, and discovered that the nozzle was too low (successful print but elephant foot). Re-leveled at a slightly higher height (lower bed level) and was able to produce a very lovely benchy and dog.
Then I turned it off and let it sit a week until I had something to actually print. Now the first layer fails almost immediately. It will put down a line and when the nozzle comes back around it will knock it around producing a spaghetti monster. I've tried re-leveling, cleaning the bed with rubbing alcohol, using previous G-code that worked fine last week, positioning models in different spots on the bed when slicing, but no matter what I do, nothing seems to stick.
I've cleaned the bed as well. It is quite dusty here so it definitely needed that, but it doesn't seem to have fixed the issue.

See if this answer helps: https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11673/ender-3-with-bltouch-prints-slanted-lines

Give us a picture of the result mid-print, just before the nozzle wipes it off. It can give us a ton of information.

After a week, the springs may have settled and the bed may need releveling.  Did you level the bed again?

If your having first layer adhesion issues:
Please try one (or more) of the following (Start with #1), and remember that all of them are equally important!

Make sure your bed is level (Maybe use a leaving stick (or whatever those bubble things are called))

Be sure the bed is clean (I recommend glass cleaner 1-3 squirts and then a light scrub of a paper towel)

Change the temperature of your heated bed (50 - 60 °C)

Check your nozzle height (.15 - .25 mm is what I use)

Lastly, use bed adhesion. Start with painter's tape (least damaging, easy to remove), then use a glue stick or even hair spray if necessary.

Welcome to 3D Printing SE and thank you for your contribution. When you get a chance, please take the [tour] to understand how the site works and how it is different than others.