Steppers stuck with Klipper but work with Marlin I replaced the fans of my ender 3v2 with Noctuas & Buck converters. During the replacement, I made a mistake and burnt the motherboard (shorted one of the fans). I replaced the motherboard, finished the wiring. The new motherboard is the Creality Ender 3 V2 V4.2.7 Silent Motherboard 32 Bit Mainboard with TMC 2225 Drivers from amazon. The old board with the exact same, but in version 4.2.2
The printer works and auto-home runs normally with marlin (all options by default). Name of the binary: Ender-3 V2_32bit_4.2.7_BLTouch_Marlin_2.0.1_V1.1.1_TMC2225
Klipper version: FIRMWARE_VERSION:v0.9.1-160-g8a6619d1 FIRMWARE_NAME:Klipper
When the printer is running Klipper, controlled by an Octoprint, the steppers dont spin. I can hear the gentle "thud" of the motors being energized when I send a "auto-home" command, they rotate for like a baby step (feels like a single vibration more than a spin, like they're "trying" but don't have the power to actually move) and stay stuck there until the auto-home times-out.
I tried running STEPPER_BUZZ STEPPER=stepper_x and the same for the Y axis, but it doesn't look like anything is happening.
I am more or less sure this is a software problem, since the printer works just fine with Marlin but I never had this problem with Klipper before I replaced the motherboard.
I have put aside my custom config and am using the "default" printer.cfg config that I found here (copy/pasted below)
# This file contains pin mappings for the stock 2020 Creality Ender 3
# V2. To use this config, during "make menuconfig" select the
# STM32F103 with a "28KiB bootloader" and serial (on USART1 PA10/PA9)
# communication.

# If you prefer a direct serial connection, in "make menuconfig"
# select "Enable extra low-level configuration options" and select
# serial (on USART3 PB11/PB10), which is broken out on the 10 pin IDC
# cable used for the LCD module as follows:
# 3: Tx, 4: Rx, 9: GND, 10: VCC

# Flash this firmware by copying "out/klipper.bin" to a SD card and
# turning on the printer with the card inserted. The firmware
# filename must end in ".bin" and must not match the last filename
# that was flashed.

# See docs/Config_Reference.md for a description of parameters.

[stepper_x]
step_pin: PC2
dir_pin: PB9
enable_pin: !PC3
microsteps: 16
rotation_distance: 40
endstop_pin: ^PA5
position_endstop: 0
position_max: 235
homing_speed: 50

[stepper_y]
step_pin: PB8
dir_pin: PB7
enable_pin: !PC3
microsteps: 16
rotation_distance: 40
endstop_pin: ^PA6
position_endstop: 0
position_max: 235
homing_speed: 50

[stepper_z]
step_pin: PB6
dir_pin: !PB5
enable_pin: !PC3
microsteps: 16
rotation_distance: 8
endstop_pin: ^PA7
position_endstop: 0.0
position_max: 250

[extruder]
max_extrude_only_distance: 100.0
step_pin: PB4
dir_pin: PB3
enable_pin: !PC3
microsteps: 16
rotation_distance: 34.406
nozzle_diameter: 0.400
filament_diameter: 1.750
heater_pin: PA1
sensor_type: EPCOS 100K B57560G104F
sensor_pin: PC5
control: pid
# tuned for stock hardware with 200 degree Celsius target
pid_Kp: 21.527
pid_Ki: 1.063
pid_Kd: 108.982
min_temp: 0
max_temp: 250

[heater_bed]
heater_pin: PA2
sensor_type: EPCOS 100K B57560G104F
sensor_pin: PC4
control: pid
# tuned for stock hardware with 50 degree Celsius target
pid_Kp: 54.027
pid_Ki: 0.770
pid_Kd: 948.182
min_temp: 0
max_temp: 130

[fan]
pin: PA0

[mcu]
serial: /dev/serial/by-id/usb-1a86_USB_Serial-if00-port0
restart_method: command

[printer]
kinematics: cartesian
max_velocity: 300
max_accel: 3000
max_z_velocity: 5
max_z_accel: 100

What could be causing the steppers to be stuck with Klipper, but work with Marlin ?
What I tried, with no success (as advised by the internet):

Untighten the belts
Remove the ! from enable_pin: !PC3 in the config
Re-build & flash the firmware instead of reusing the old bin I had kept

It seems the pinout scheme changed on the Creality board between the versions V4.2.2 and 4.2.8. For example, PB9 & PC2 were inverted between step_pin and dir_pin.
Using the following Klipper config (found here) allows the motors to do their job again.
[stepper_x]
step_pin: PB9
dir_pin: PC2
enable_pin: !PC3
step_distance: .0125
endstop_pin: ^PA5
position_endstop: 0
position_max: 235
homing_speed: 50

[stepper_y]
step_pin: PB7
dir_pin: PB8
enable_pin: !PC3
step_distance: .0125
endstop_pin: ^PA6
position_endstop: 0
position_max: 235
homing_speed: 50

[stepper_z]
step_pin: PB5
dir_pin: !PB6
enable_pin: !PC3
step_distance: .0025
endstop_pin: ^PA7
position_endstop: 0.0
position_max: 250

[extruder]
max_extrude_only_distance: 100.0
step_pin: PB3
dir_pin: PB4
enable_pin: !PC3
step_distance: 0.010752
nozzle_diameter: 0.400
filament_diameter: 1.750
heater_pin: PA1
sensor_type: EPCOS 100K B57560G104F
sensor_pin: PC5
control: pid
# tuned for stock hardware with 200 degree Celsius target
pid_Kp: 21.527
pid_Ki: 1.063
pid_Kd: 108.982
min_temp: 0
max_temp: 250

[heater_bed]
heater_pin: PA2
sensor_type: EPCOS 100K B57560G104F
sensor_pin: PC4
control: pid
# tuned for stock hardware with 50 degree Celsius target
pid_Kp: 54.027
pid_Ki: 0.770
pid_Kd: 948.182
min_temp: 0
max_temp: 130

[fan]
pin: PA0

[mcu]
serial: /dev/serial/by-id/usb-1a86_USB_Serial-if00-port0

[printer]
kinematics: cartesian
max_velocity: 300
max_accel: 3000
max_z_velocity: 5
max_z_accel: 100

[display]
lcd_type: st7920
cs_pin: PB12
sclk_pin: PB13
sid_pin: PB15
encoder_pins: ^PB14, ^PB10
click_pin: ^!PB2
```


How to build this part using 3d printing I am completely new to 3D printing. I need to build a calibration plate, which I was told can be built using  vero back plastic and a 3d printer. But I am afraid I need to know more if I give this to someone for fabrication. In particular, I am wondering how to get the white dots on the surfaces. My question is probably ill-posed, but I am trying to get as much info as I can before I consult any 3d printing vendors. Thanks

The photo is too small to be clear about the entire objective and there are no dimensions provided. A quick google search returns nothing 3d printer related to "black vera plastics" other than a reference to vera bradley, vera wang and an obscure reference to a woven black carpet with white spots of increasing size.

Even within those limitations, one can certainly print a strip of black with white dots. One method involves a dual extruder printer, enabling two colors to be printed, one layer at a time. The black layer would be extruded with suitable holes and the white layer would be place within those holes.

Another method involves printing the black layer with holes, swapping out the filament with white and creating white plugs of appropriate sizes for the necessary fit.

You've used the term calibration plate, which implies some level of precision. Is the precision related to spacing, dot size, dot color, or a combination of the above?

Such requirements may make the cost slightly higher, but not excessively. I can print up to to 290 mm long strip, possibly longer by going diagonal on my 290 mm print bed, with or without the two colors done simultaneously.

If you require crisp edges to the white/black transition, the holes-and-plugs method will give best results and require a bit of post processing. It may be necessary to ream the holes to correct diameter and sand the plugs to fit. Dual extrusion rarely provides sharp delineation from one color to the next.


Is there a slicer that can set the print speed for each layer as a function of the layer area? Is there a slicer that can set the print speed for each layer as a function of the layer area? Larger areas give the layer a longer time to cool off before the next print layer.  When the layer areas start to get small (usually at toward the end of a print if so) the layer may need a slower speed to cool off.

Most slicers have a feature in their cooling settings to "slow down if layer print time is below xxx".
Setting this to a higher value should ensure that small / short layers aren't printed too fast, so that cooling is still reliable.
Shorter layers are slowed down linearly to reach the specified minimum time - unless a "minimum print speed" is also set.


Differences between moving build plate vs. extruder What are the differences, and pros & cons, between 3D printers with varying layouts for moving head vs. moving build plate?

Example layouts would include:

X Head; YZ Bed;
XY Head; Z Bed;
XYZ Head;
etc.

In particular, what are their respective strengths, weaknesses, specializations, maintenance considerations, etc.?

Without going into too much detail, since this is a very exhaustive topic, I'll write some pro's of each down from the top of my head:

Cartesian XZ hotend, Y bed (eg. Prusa Mendel):

easy to build (relatively)
easy to maintain
easy to modify
understandable kinematics
with the right frame, no x-y-z orthogonality (90 degree angles) needs to be adjusted
affordable
bad for timelapse recordings
print quality will theoretically always be inferior at the same speeds and accelerations to kinematics that have less mass to move (heavy printbeds will lead to ghosting)
z-wobble is only existent in this approach
big build-plates are no option for this design (last feasible size might be 20x30 cm)

Cartesian XY hotend, Z bed (core-XY, sparkcube, Ultimaker, Makerbot)

less mass to be moved -> faster print speeds possible
almost no size limitaions
construction is easy to enclose in most models due to the cubic frame
looks almost always professional
enclosure can be hard to modify due to constraints in space

XYZ hotend (Delta bots)

master of circles
less mass to be moved -> faster print speeds possible
impressive to watch
more load on the processing unit due to more complicated kinematics (32 bit needed for fast print speeds and responsive control with display)
kinematics not easily understandable
error-cause search can be very complicated
more accurate in the center than on the outer limits due to the kinematic approach

The list is for sure not complete, and as a major disclaimer: print quality will always, with every approach, depend more on the setup and calibration of the printer than on the model. There are people around that produce great prints from an acrylic frame cartesian printer and lots of people that produce mediocre results with expensive printers in fancy designs.

I will add some links to the list items when I find the time, for now you have to believe me. I am highly appreciating corrections and additions!


My Hatchbox PLA filament only allows me to use rafts When I first got my 3D printer (a FlashForge Adventurer 3), it came with a sample pack of filament. With this filament, I was able to use skirts for my first layer. When the sample filament ran out, I switched to Hatchbox PLA filament. For some reason, I cannot use skirts with the Hatchbox filament. Now, whenever I try to print something with a skirt, the print moves around, ruining it. The only first-layer that works now are rafts, which I do not like, as they use up more filament and are more of a pain to remove. Is anyone else having this problem? If so, what are some workarounds to this issue?

Here are the failed prints. I terminated them mid-way, as they started
to shift on the build plate.

It is unlikely this is a filament material issue since many of us have used Hatchbox PLA without this issue.  This is a first layer adhesion issue.

Your bed may not be clean, or the bed may have had an adhesion layer you cleaned off.

Your nozzle may be too high on the first layer.

Your bed my not be level.

Glue sticks can help adhesion.  Glue sticks usually don't post the composition on the packaging, but Elmer's glue sticks work.  Elmer's washable makes it easy to remove the old layer before adding a new one.  There are also glue sticks specified for 3D-printing.

Here's a discussion on glue sticks: Are all glue sticks PVA-based? How to find out?


Make smooth curves in GCode I am getting started with GCode, and I don't know all the commands. Is there a way to smooth a path between two points? I wrote a program which makes GCode from a silhouette. Problem is, when it looks at the individual pixels, its path becomes a bit choppy. Is there a command that will make a more natural path. Attached is a close up picture of the path simulation.

Curves are normally approximated with straight-line segments. However, some firmwares (e.g. Marlin) support arc commands. See:

Marlin: Controlled Arc Move
RepRap: Controlled Arc Move

Note that the RepRap Wiki is not always accurate in its list of supported commands.


Infill failure at the far corner of two different prints I am a complete newbie at 3D printing (although learning fast). I switched from the default Qidi slicer to the Cura slicer on a Qidi X-Pro machine (which is wonderful). Using: plate 50 °C, 0.4 mm nozzle 200 °C, 1.75 mm PLA, print speed 20 mm/s outer wall, 40 mm/s inner wall, travel speed 100 mm/s (the cura default, I think).

On two different prints, the same far corner (front left) had initial infill problems. Does anyone know why, or how I can solve it? My working theory is that the nozzle shoots across the whole print at high speed to start again at that corner and sometimes the infill filament doesn't bite enough to stick.

Eventually one of the infill layers gets a bite and the rest of the print is fine. But it's disturbing that it occurs on different prints. (I carefully level the plate before every print, so I don't think that's the issue.)

UPDATE

In another question here, turning the Cura combing setting off solved an issue. It probably solved the issue described here, too, or at least contributed to solving the problem described here.

My theory is that with combing on (as it was for that question), the oozing pulls filament out of the nozzle during the travel, so there's not enough filament at the destination corner to bite and bond to the corner wall. Turning the combing setting off seems to have solved the missing infills in the corner. It also greatly improved the quality of the infill walls, too, which relates to the problem described in this question.

UPDATE: Here's a paragraph from a forum posting here that explains how oozing caused by combing can result in "underextrusion effects." That's what I think is happening in this post - the nozzle gets to the corner, but it has no filament to bite and bond with the wall. Credit to @0scar for giving me the forum link. Quote from the link:

  Even on interior layers, combing as implemented in Cura is a bad idea,
  as it doesn't perform retraction, and that can result in the head
  oozing as it moves, especially as each time the head crosses a line of
  infill it can tend to pull our some plastic. You can also get some
  long moves (e.g., all the way around the curve of a 'C' shaped object
  when moving from one side of the opening to the other). This can
  result in the head being empty when it starts printing the perimeter
  again, with resultant under-extrusion effects.

Now that you are using Ultimaker Cura, the default (probably hidden) parameter Z Seam Alignment is set at Sharpest Corner, so it will always start in a sharp corner. The default retraction settings are pretty high in Ultimaker Cura (I think about 6.5 mm as default Retraction Distance). What happens here is that the filament is not available for printing in time (this is dependent on the extruder type), so the distance should be less than the current value.

It is highly recommended to print a retraction test to find what is best for your setup. For me the 6.5 mm works very well on my Ultimaker 3 Extended and my large custom CoreXY printer as they both use a Bowden extruder setup using 2.85 mm filament, this can be different for your printer. Choosing a different Z Seam Alignment option, e.g. random prevents the use of the same location at every height, but could result in a less aesthetic print.

Furthermore, you could try to visualize the G-code in a viewer, this can be done in the Ultimaker Cura slicer itself, but online viewers are available. After slicing your product, change the combo drop down box from Solid view to Layer view to show the sliced object. Nowadays there are 2 sliders to interface with the model; the vertical sets the layer, the horizontal the progress of the layer. It is advised to play with this to understand how your print is actually printed.

About your settings, print speeds are not high (could be increased), travel speed is fine (is only for non-printing moves). The brim is looking good and the level of your bed is also good.


stable FDM materials What materials, available as filaments for use in FDM printing, are known to be the most physically and chemically inert? In particular, stability (not necessarily simultaneously) in the presence of the following should be assumed:

pH 0-14
oxidizing agents (ozone, permanganates, dichromates, acidic hydrogen
peroxide)
organic solvents (particularly acetone, methanol, toluene, formamide)
temperature up to 160 degrees Celsius
pressures between ~10^-7 torr and ~2 bar
oxygen or argon plasma

Tough set of requirements and definately pushing into the professional domain.  I would recommend checking out ULTEM 1010 Resin which is similar to PEEK but has a higher glass transition temp of 215 °C.  Check out the spec sheet from Stratsys.

I hope this helps.  :-)


Conversion of DICOM files to STL files Good morning everyone,

I am developing a consulting job in a clinic of dental CT scans.

This work involves the development of administrative software, and preparing a routine for conversion of tomographic files in DICOM format to STL format. The files in STL format will be used for both visualization and analysis of 3D models, such as printing in 3D printers.

Our problem is just the conversion DICOM to STL.

Has anyone come across this kind of situation? We did not find any documentation or tool for this purpose in our searches and we are really with a gande urgency in the solution.

Advance grateful for any assistance.

The marching cubes algorithm can convert voxel data into a surface mesh. A global threshold to determine the surface in the greyvalues is used.
This article might be helpful.


What is this part and does it have to do with my my z-position is messed up? I recently bought my first 3d printer, a monoprice maker select v2.

After a couple of print jobs, this piece fell out.

I have no idea where it came from.

But afterwards, I notice that my Z-positioning is all screwed up.

When I select "Home All" to reset all positions to do bed leveling, the extruder tries to push down pass the build-platform, puncturing a hole into the plastic bed cover.
There was a lot of clicking from the motor so I immediately turned it off.

I turned it back on and then tried to move the z-position back up. But it moves only about an inch up before the motor starts clicking again.

I was reading some other posts about a "Z-axis limiter switch". Could that be what the little metal fork-like piece is?
Where does it go and how do I put it back?
And how do I reset my z-position?

Any help appreciated.

Limiter Switch/Endstop
That is the lever that is meant to trigger your Z-Endstop. The variant used in your case is on the cheaper end and is meant to look similar to this QIAOH KN12-1 limit switch:

You will either exchange the endstop as a whole, somehow reattach the/a lever or change the physical position of the endstop so that the moving X-axis is triggering it (again).
Replacement & Wiring advice
Pretty much any switch that can have both an NC/NO (normally closed/normally open) state will function in its state, but it is usually a good idea to have all safety switches (like limit switches) be NC types and have the firmware detect the loss of signal as a safety feature. In case of a broken cable, this will automatically force the machine to halt, instead of keeping the machine moving despite having reached the maximum position.
Normally Open/Closed
It is even possible to wire up a number of redundant switches into one circuit. For NC setup, all the switches need to go in series, so that any switch getting toggled cuts the signal at that point. On the other hand, if only NO switches are used, they have to be wired in parallel: the signal passes when any number of switches is closed.
NO switches, because they are parallel, do cost us in the security department, as a broken lead does not halt the machine's use, but they are easier to troubleshoot as a broken component only takes out its specific arm of the parallel circuit. On the other hand, the NC-series does give us the broken lead security, but a single broken component that stays switched to open disables the whole series and identifying the broken component can take more time.
NOT-Gates
As you can imagine, some clever electronics allow us to use us to turn an NO into an NC and vice versa. This clever piece is a NOT-gate, sometimes also called inverter. They take a logic signal and a supply voltage lead, and only allow the supply voltage to pass into their output if there is no signal in their input side. So, they allow using a NO switch as an NC switch or vice versa. In any case, the NOT-gate needs to be on the output side the switch(es) it shall invert as it only inverts the signal that happens before it in the circuit.
With this clever piece, one can use a combination of NO and NC switches, if one so desires: The NO and NC parts are to be wired separately in groups (the NC group in series, the NO group(s) in parallel). To combine the two signals, there are two ways: Either run the NO output through the NOT-gate into the NC circuit's input, putting it into the series (and making it technically function as a single NC-element), or put the NC group output signal into the NOT-gate and put both groups in parallel. In either case, the NOT-gate 'flips' the function of the switches to behave as if they were the other type: from NC to NO and vice versa.


Is it an issue when X-axis rods are able to slide in their mounting bracket? While disassembling my printer, I found that the X-axis rods were able to be slide back and forth within their mounting bracket. This seems like it could lead to this axis shifting from vibration alone.
But, it might not matter, I think, because the extruder carriage is tensioned by a belt and it simply uses the rails as a guide to slide across. Even if the rods were to move, it wouldn't take the carriage along with it.
Will the X-axis rods sliding in their mounting bracket have an affect in print quality?
Here is a video:

If the x-axis rods only move in the x axis then there’s no problem, but if they aren’t firmly secured in the other axes then there could be issues.  If they’re able to move then presumably they aren’t secured that well.  Given the relatively small forces involved in 3D printing though, you may well be fine.


How can I best clean the print bed after a print? I've occasionally had issues with excess filament residue getting stuck to the print bed. There are ways to prevent this, but sometimes even these precautions aren't enough. Over time, residue can build up. I've observed this in some printers, though not others.

Are there any techniques to best clean print beds? In the past, I've used various typical cleaning supplies, with different degrees of success. However, I don't know if this will lead to damage to the printer over time.

The printer I'm using has a glass print bed, which I occasionally partially cover with blue painter's tape during printing.

If you are printing with ABS (or PLA), acetone will dissolve it.  Simply pour
some on the bed and wipe it off (beware, acetone can damage beds that have a coating or a plastic sheet over them, be sure to test this first).

Heating the bed back up may make the plastic softer and easier to
remove.

If you are using tape on the bed, you could remove the tape to remove
the plastic stuck to the tape.


How to setup Marlin to use a moving bed (up-down)? I am building a 3D printer from scratch, the bed will only move on Z and the head will stay at the top of the printer and move X and Y.
How do I modify the Marlin firmware to have the bed lower as it prints instead of lift like most printers.

You can control in Marlin what the direction of the stepper motor is, e.g. my Hypercube CoreXY printer (which has a similar setup like you described) has the following set (in the Marlin Configuration.h file) to ensure the platform raises when it has to decrease height:
// Invert the stepper direction. Change (or reverse the motor connector)
// if an axis goes the wrong way.
#define INVERT_Z_DIR true

Furthermore, it matters where the Z endstop is located, e.g. using a bed probe sensor or a min Z endstop, you need to home towards a decreasing height (in the direction of your probe/endstop):
// Direction of endstops when homing; 1=MAX, -1=MIN
#define Z_HOME_DIR -1

Don't forget to set a max Z height that falls within the printer volume, e.g.:
#define Z_MAX_POS 345

If the bed is heavy, you should also prevent the steppers to lose power when not being used, so at least set Z to false:
// Disables axis stepper immediately when it's not being used.
// WARNING: When motors turn off there is a chance of losing position accuracy!
#define DISABLE_Z false


Can you help me improve my Renkforce RF1000 print quality? I've got a Renkforce RF1000 which should be a good 3D printer. I got it second-hand for my birthday one year ago. I've got no way of contacting the old owner.
I spend a good amount of hours fine-tuning the slicer settings last year but at best got mediocre prints. Between September and a week ago I lived somewhere else and didn't touch my printer.
Now here's what I don't know:

I don't know what parts are replaced
I don't know what my nozzle size is
I don't know if the limit switches are calibrated correctly

Though I think they are. This doesn't seem to be a problem. I did re-calibrate the Z-axis

Here are some important details:

I use 3 mm Renkforce PLA filament which I print at 190 °C on a bed heated at 60 °C. The PLA is over one year old now.
There's a fan on the motor on top that isn't connected to anything.

Here are some of the problems I've got:

I've had multiple prints failing due to the extruder not working properly. The motor keeps on spinning but the "feed knurl" remains stationary
I can't seem to get the right extraction settings
I can't seem to get my prints to consistently stick. It tends to work when I heat the bed to 60 °C and use glue and get lucky.

Feel free to give any thoughts you've got. These are the most important questions I've got:

Should I replace the nozzle with this one so that I know what nozzle I've got and so I'm sure this isn't a problem?
Should I replace the filament with new 1.75 mm PLA? If so, why?
How do I fix the extruder?

I tried getting the "feed knurl" off but can't seem to do this easily. I've got some super glue I could try to put in there but something's telling me this might be a very bad idea...

Is the unconnected fan important and if so: what do I do with it? There's no remaining wire to connect it to.
How tight should the 4 screws that hold the filament between the extruder and the rolling disk be?

For now, these are all hardware problems. I can post my Slic3r settings too but I believe the hardware should be fixed before going into slicer settings.
Here are some pictures showing the problems:

This is the extruder. The feeding mechanism can be seen in front. It shows the "feed knurl" of which the inside spins while the outside remains stationary (question 3). Next to it are 4 screws which determine how tight the filament is held against the extruder (question 5). On the back it shows a black fan, this got placed by the previous owner but isn't connected (question 4).

This image shows the unconnected fan (question 4) to the right. Behind it is the motor that's connected to the extruder. The motor works but the extruder doesn't spin with it. The extruder has a little black hole on top.

This shows the extruder from the front. The inner layer spins, the outer layer doesn't (question 3)

These are some of the prints when the extruder was still working.

Nozzle and print bed (question 1)

Should I replace the nozzle with this one so that I know what nozzle I've got and so I'm sure this isn't a problem?

That is not really necessary. The exact nozzle size does not really matter.

  Should I replace the filament with new 1.75 mm PLA? If so, why?

No, there's no reason to do that. Going from 3 mm to 1.75 mm filament usually requires replacing the entire extruder.

  How do I fix the extruder?

Tighten the grub screw (the "black hole") with a hex key.

  Is the unconnected fan important and if so: what do I do with it? There's no remaining wire to connect it to.

The fan appears to be cooling the stepper motor. This shouldn't really be necessary, the stepper should be fine without any additional cooling. People tend to "upgrade" their printers by adding unnecessary bells and whistles so it is possible the original owner added this fan just because they wanted to, and not because it is necessary.

  How tight should the 4 screws that hold the filament between the extruder and the rolling disk be?

Tight enough that the extruder grips the filament and is able to extrude it consistently. If it is too tight it might deform the filament too much which could cause printing problems but it should be obvious if this is the case. There is a wide margin here so don't worry about this too much.


Wanhao Duplicator 6 / Monoprice Maker Ultimate thread pitch or number of steps? Does anyone know the the thread pitch or number of steps for the Wanhao Duplicator 6 / Monoprice Maker Ultimate?

If you navigate to e.g. the Marlin printer firmware configuration file for the Wanhao Duplicator 6 you will find that the steps per mm are defined as:

/**
 * Default Axis Steps Per Unit (steps/mm)
 * Override with M92
 *                                      X, Y, Z, E0 [, E1[, E2...]]
 */
#define DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT   { 80.0395, 80.0395, 400.48, 99.1 }

Sidenote, somebody who posted this has diligently tried to tune their machine, this should read:

#define DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT   { 80., 80., 400., 100. }

From these values you can tune your own if needed.

Now we do the math with the following assumptions:

400 steps per mm,
standard 200 steps per revolution stepper motor (1.8°) and
assuming that your board uses 1/16 µ-steps

Dividing the physical stepper steps per revolution by the firmware steps per millimeter we can calculate how much the nut advanced in a single revolution, i.e. 200/(400/16) = 200/25 = 8 millimeter. The nut therefor advanced 8 mm per complete revolution of the stepper. This means you will most probably have Tr8x8(P2) lead screws.

Do note that there are online calculators that can help you out doing the math for you, e.g. this RepRap calculator page.


Increasing hotend temperature to compensate for increased filament throughput It seems that when filament throughput is increased (by increasing movement speed or extrusion width/height), printing temperature also has to be increased to compensate, because the filament will have less time to spend in the melting zone. That much seems clear from practical experience. But I have two questions (or to be more precise, one question on two levels):

Is there a good rule of thumb for this, to help people calibrate their settings?
How much do we know about the formula governing this behavior? Can we calculate the required hotend temperature precisely based on the increased throughput?

For anyone who has studied physics / thermodynamics, this is probably simple stuff. But has the work been done for 3D printing specifically, in a way that is practically applicable?

I share the following train of thought to start off with. Let me know if I make any errors in reasoning.

Presumably, every material has an optimal printing temperature just above its melting point.
But the thermistor doesn't read filament temperature. It reads the heat block temperature.
Below a certain throughput, the temperature of the filament will have time to equalize with the temperature of the heat block before it leaves the nozzle.

For those slow speeds, heat block temperature should be set exactly to the material's optimal printing temperature.

For greater speeds, however, heat block temperature will always have to be higher than the mark, because the filament doesn't have time to equalize.

At that point, it becomes a balancing act. Find the best heat block temperature (°C) given a rate of throughput (mm³/s), the optimal printing temperature for a given material (°C), the volume of the melting zone (mm³) and < some other property of the material >, which determines how fast it heats up. I don't know what that last property is, nor can I come up with the proper unit. The material probably approaches the temperature of the environment asymptotically. This is where thermodynamics comes in, I guess.

Theoretically, running filament also cools down the heat block, but we can ignore this. If this effect is significant at all (is it?), this is already compensated for by the PID controller.

I'm almost certainly missing some key insights. I'm curious to know what work has been done.

I think I see what you're asking, but I think you may be thinking about it incorrectly.  It's really all about heat being added to the system at the same rate that it's leaving.  The heat block is there as a heat reservoir from which the filament draws heat for the glass transition.  The heat in that reservoir is maintained by cycling the heating coil to add energy (more heat) to the systems as it's lost.

In the very local vicinity of the nozzle, the temperature will decrease slightly as it's being transferred to the filament, but because the heat block is massive in comparison to that drain, and because the heat block is a good thermal conductor that temperature reduction is very small.

I do not know what tolerance and hysteresis are built into the temp controller, but think the variation is likely small.  The difference in additional heat required (more energy into the system) for any practical difference in feed rates (40 instead of 60) is thus likely to be very small compared to the filament cooling experienced immediately after it leaves the nozzle.

Bottom line: the adjustment you would want to make is not to increase the temp, but increase the duty cycle of the heating element to maintain the desired temperature.


Why not use GT2 en lieu of a Z-axis threaded rod or leadscrew? Having just re-read Tom's excellent answer to my question Advantages of GT2 over a rack, as my comment ponders1:

Why is a threaded rod, or lead screw, used for the Z-axis movement in a Prusa (and its derivatives) given the inherent problems relating to backlash?

Indeed the majority of, if not all, delta printers generally use GT2 for the three vertical movements, presumably for this reason (of reduced backlash). Maybe cost and simplicity also play a part? I am purely speculating on these three reasons. The mass of the three vertical carriages and the associated carbon rods, would certainly seem to be a lot less than the mass of a cartesian X-axis gantry.

Is it purely for reason of the mass of the X-axis gantry (especially if the extruder is mounted upon it - in a non-Bowden solution) that mechanical rods are used, as GT2 would not be able to lift the weight, without stretching (both over time and flexing slight upon each movement)? If so, then surely wire reinforced GT2 could be used?

As a potential aside, would another consideration be to compare the inertia of a GT2 solution to that of a threaded rod, leadscrew solution2?

1 I have a nagging worry that I have already asked this somewhere else, but after having spent the best part of a day looking for it and failing, I am asking here.

2 Although I am not entirely sure how that would be measured/compared, as one solution (leadscrew) is rotational, with a translation to linearal via the screw thread, and the other (GT2) is (effectively) fully rotational? I am going to ask about this particular point on SE.Mechanical Engineering, and will update this question as necessary.

A lead screw can be fitted with a anti-backlash nut to get past your concern about backlash. Generally, backlash is not that of a problem considering the weight of the carriage (e.g. Prusa), or whole bed (e.g. CoreXY or Ultimaker). Certainly if you're not using Z-hop, the Z screw will only advance in a single direction!

GT2 belts are always reinforced with fibres either glass, steel or some other fibre, all with their own (dis)advantages.

As far as I have learned is that lead screws are far better capable of transporting higher loads at the cost of speed. Also, a leadscrew will have more resistance so that if you unpower the steppers, the gantry will not plummet to the bed.


Which filaments actually do need to be stored in a drybox? As I started to learn about 3D printing, the gist I learned was "it's better to store the filaments in a drybox." As I rechecked these notes, they were to a good degree from an era when PLA was rather new to the market and ABS was the goTo.
Then I learned "PLA is not really hygroscopic and can be stored freely."1
Now, I know some materials are pretty hygroscopic, but not all. So, let's try to pin it down:
Which materials are hygroscopic enough to demand a drybox?
I know that it is good practice to store all filament in a somewhat dehumidified or airtight box, but there are some materials out there that become unprintable and need drying before printing if improperly stored. This question is to point out these "special storage mandatory" filaments only. If a material can't be printed without dry storage it belongs here. If it is a nice to have, it doesn't.
This is a Back It Up question: answers need to provide one of two:

explain personal experience, marked as such.
provide an authoritative source (scientific paper/videos, manufacturer papers, quote from an experienced maker).

1 - For some time (month?). I do store my PLA in a closed but unsealed IKEA container with all the desiccant bags I can find as it is clearly benefitial.

PVA
From experience I can tell that PVA filaments need to be stored with silica beads in a plastic bag or in a specific dry-box. PVA is soluble in water and is very hygroscopic. With moisture it gets soft and swells. My Ultimaker came with an open spool of PVA which popped when heated (steam bubbles popping) resulting in very poor quality supports and clogging of the nozzle. A newly bought spool which was properly packed did not have these issues.
Nylon
Some Nylon filament brands require to be stored dry or need to be dried before printing. I have a spool of Nylon that has taken up some moisture although carefully packed, the only time it was out is when it was being printed. This experience applies to Ultimaker Nylon; I've learned now that not all Nylon filaments are behaving the same, it is suggested to look-up the specifics from the manufacturer or from reviews prior to buying.


I want to use my 2 extruders simultaneously I am using 2 extruders. Is it possible to use them both at the same time.
Now I can use one at a time but not both at the same time.
Is there a gcode that supports this action?

To print with 2 extruders simultaneously you need a firmware that supports that. Luckily, there is a firmware called Sailfish that is able to do that. The feature you are looking for is called Ditto printing.

Sailfish firmware is found here


Ultimaker Original temperature sensor replacement? The title almost says it all.

I was searching on websites like amazon.com and ebay.com for a replacement of the temperature sensor of my Ultimaker 1, but could only find replacements for Ultimaker 2 (PT100), but I know those aren't compatible.

What specifications have replacement temperature sensors that work with the tc2 signal amplifier of the Ultimaker Original?

You need a thermocouple, not a thermistor. Also, as you say the Ultimaker Original+, and the Ultimaker 2, (which both use version 2.x.x boards) use a PT1001.
According to this post, on E3D Thermocouple mount on UMO+, a k-type thermocouple will do:

I am changing over to E3D V6 on my UMO, and have elected to used the k-type thermocouples sold by e3d with the standard/original UMO amplifier board.

Or to be more precise, from this post, on
THERMOCOUPLE SENSOR REPLACEMENT, it is a 3 mm k-type thermocouple:

I would ask the reseller to measure the thermocouple to be really 3mm. I never bough a thermocoupler so no idea. I know that some aliexpress sellers did sell me a pt100 with 3.05mm (it doesn't fit in) so is good idea to ask for a photo with a caliper before paying.

The thermocouple in question, on AliExpress was this, SWMAKER Thermoelement Typ K (TC) für Ultimaker Original 3D drucker 3mm K thermoelement typ für Ultimaker Original 3D drucker, ~$10
Or this, considerably more expensive at €33, Ultimaker Original - Thermocouple Sensor (out of stock):

With respect to the firmware, from this post, on E3D Thermocouple mount on UMO+

Normally you won't have any modifications to do cause your UMO already works with a thermocouple.

So, assuming that you have an AD595 amplifier and not a MAX6675, ensure that you have
#define TEMP_SENSOR_0 -1

set in Configuration.h
//===========================================================================
//=============================Thermal Settings  ============================
//===========================================================================
//
//--NORMAL IS 4.7kohm PULLUP!-- 1kohm pullup can be used on hotend sensor, using correct resistor and table
//
//// Temperature sensor settings:
// -2 is thermocouple with MAX6675 (only for sensor 0)
// -1 is thermocouple with AD595
// 0 is not used
// 1 is 100k thermistor - best choice for EPCOS 100k (4.7k pullup)
// 2 is 200k thermistor - ATC Semitec 204GT-2 (4.7k pullup)
// 3 is Mendel-parts thermistor (4.7k pullup)
// 4 is 10k thermistor !! do not use it for a hotend. It gives bad resolution at high temp. !!
// 5 is 100K thermistor - ATC Semitec 104GT-2 (Used in ParCan & J-Head) (4.7k pullup)
// 6 is 100k EPCOS - Not as accurate as table 1 (created using a fluke thermocouple) (4.7k pullup)
// 7 is 100k Honeywell thermistor 135-104LAG-J01 (4.7k pullup)
// 71 is 100k Honeywell thermistor 135-104LAF-J01 (4.7k pullup)
// 8 is 100k 0603 SMD Vishay NTCS0603E3104FXT (4.7k pullup)
// 9 is 100k GE Sensing AL03006-58.2K-97-G1 (4.7k pullup)
// 10 is 100k RS thermistor 198-961 (4.7k pullup)
// 11 is 100k beta 3950 1% thermistor (4.7k pullup)
// 12 is 100k 0603 SMD Vishay NTCS0603E3104FXT (4.7k pullup) (calibrated for Makibox hot bed)
// 13 is 100k Hisens 3950  1% up to 300°C for hotend "Simple ONE " & "Hotend "All In ONE"
// 20 is the PT100 circuit found in the Ultimainboard V2.x
// 60 is 100k Maker's Tool Works Kapton Bed Thermistor beta=3950
//
//    1k ohm pullup tables - This is not normal, you would have to have changed out your 4.7k for 1k
//                          (but gives greater accuracy and more stable PID)
// 51 is 100k thermistor - EPCOS (1k pullup)
// 52 is 200k thermistor - ATC Semitec 204GT-2 (1k pullup)
// 55 is 100k thermistor - ATC Semitec 104GT-2 (Used in ParCan & J-Head) (1k pullup)
//
// 1047 is Pt1000 with 4k7 pullup
// 1010 is Pt1000 with 1k pullup (non standard)
// 147 is Pt100 with 4k7 pullup
// 110 is Pt100 with 1k pullup (non standard)
#define TEMP_SENSOR_0 -1

However, according to
Questions about thermocouple and thermistor, the UMO board is 1.5.7, and can use NTC100K thermistors and (maybe - but it isn't clear) a 4.7K pullup resistor:

Firstly we have to do the Challenge with a Sainsmart UM Kit with that UM 1.5.7 Board.
We also have bought the print heads by E3D model V6 which have including ntc 100k thermistors which have already tables in marlin. As the V1.5.7. Board works with thermocouple, there was the question how to connect this. I got already an answere to just connect Signal and GND, to the board but I'd have to look for the resistors behind the connectors. Is it true, that I need a different resistor for each type of thermistor?

However, it is probably advisable to stick with the 3 mm k-type thermocouple, for simplicity's sake.

Footnote
1 Apparently for these reasons, from this post, on
THERMOCOUPLE SENSOR REPLACEMENT:

The UMO has the 'old' UltiBoard 1.5x which is a shield for an Arduino Mega, with the Pololu / Allegro stepper drivers plugged on it (Like the RAMPS controllers).
At that time RTDs where not very popular, and most printers came with thermistors. To improve the temperature feedback loop Ultimaker decided to use a thermocouple with an amplifier on top of the print head, which gives better results in particular at higher temperatures.
If you want to use a thermsitor instead of the thermcopule, you just have to swap the connections, and add a resistor on the board (the place for the resistor is foreseen on the board).
You can even go for an RTD using E3D's adapter plate.
The UMO+ is using the UltiBoard 2.x which is the same as in the Ultimaker 2, so it is PT100...

Note: RTD = Resistance Temperature Detector (such as a Pt100). A thermistor is similar to an RTD, but contains a ceramic or polymer resistor en lieu of metal.


Marlin "Tune->Bed Z" vs "Tune->Babystep Z" vs Z Offset? What is the difference between:

Tune -> Bed Z
Tune -> Babystep Z
Control -> Motion -> Z Offset

And when are you supposed to use "Bed Z"?

Tune -> Bed Z

http://marlinfw.org/docs/features/lcd_menu.html#tune

Per description in this table, this refers to the Mesh Bed Leveling process. It allows to modify all saved mesh z-offsets by the given amount.

Tune -> Babystep Z

http://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M290.html

This just instructs the motor to move the given amount, once, without changing any parameters.

Control -> Motion -> Z Offset

http://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M851.html

Here we are talking about the offset of a z probe (e.g. BL-Touch) from the nozzle.


Anet A8 & BLTouch not homing Z I have an Anet A8 with Marlin Firmware 1.1.9 and I installed a BLTouch sensor. When I start the system the BLTouch does its self test (extend and retract the probe twice) and then lights up red. When I "Auto Home", it homes X, then Y and then extends and retracts the probe and moves up a few millimeters. Then with the probe retracted it moves down until the nozzle crashes into the table. The same happens when I select "Level bed".

Safe Homing is active.

What am I doing wrong?

My current Configuration.h can be found here.

You must invert the logic of the endstop Z_min.
define Z_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING true
To
define Z_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING False


Is the Prometheus system compatible with Wanhao Duplicator i3 Plus? I'm trying to figure out whether the Wanhao Duplicator i3 Plus can easily be extended to print with two separate filaments using the Prometheus System by DisTech Automation using a single hotend (NOT with two separate hot ends/nozzles).

According to DisTech, the Prometheus System is compatible with 3D printers that support the following:

Dual extruder stepper motors on the controller board
CURA slicer engine (Simplify3D support is in development)
Marlin/Repetier based firmware (this includes almost all desktop 3D printers)

As I'm not an expert on 3D printing and don't own the Duplicator yet (making up purchase decision right now), I'd appreciate if you could help me with your past experience with Duplicator and/or Prometheus.

The Prometheus system is pretty much a Y-coupler and two extruders. So, you need your Wanhao Duplicator i3 Plus to have the connection points for two extruders and the axis, which means you need one free, 4 wire connection slot from a stepper driver. So, let's look what kind of board is in there...

This Melzi Hypbrid is the mainboard the Duplicator uses, similar to a lot of other Melzi derivates (itself as it seems a Sanguino Derivate). The green 4-pin terminal is the extruder. There is only one of these. So it is not useable with Prometheus. You would need to get a mainboard that is able to run dual extruders.


X and Y homing issues I get an error: printer halted. (kill() called! Any time I home my machine's X or Y axis. I have just installed a 3D touch auto bed level sensor, ironically it works fine. I was using Sprinter firmware but it doesn't support auto bed level, so thus I'm using Marlin. I am using the latest version of Marlin and it gave me nothing but issues, printer wouldn't move or home at all. I used the latest Marlin 1.1.x bug fix edition (1.1.9) and now everything is working correctly except X and Y homing, the machine throws the error: printer halted. (kill() called! on Repetier-Host.

When I use the M119 command all endstops (optical, not mechanical) show as open unless triggered, the endstops are working correctly. When I home the X and or Y it will do as it should and stop when it hits the endstop but that is when the errors pop up and the printer freezes/no longer to gives commands without disconnecting and reconnecting to the printer again.

If I home my Z axis it will deploy the probe and come down and touch the bed 2x and no error code and I can still manually move the printer around with the program movements after homing Z axis. I'm not sure what would cause this to happen only on X and Y but any help would be appreciated.

I use Repetier-Host but I downloaded Printrun just to see what would happen and it shows the exact same effect/errors. I also tried the Marlin bugfix 2.0 and it gave the same errors too.

Without the images of how you connected the endstops, the best guess for your problem is that the endstops cause a short circuit, once pressed, the microprocessor trips and shuts down. If you provide more information, other people may even add better answers based on your added information.

E.g. how is everything connected at both sides of the cable (board and endstop), does the message occur when you press an endstop, maybe it is even wise to add a link to your configuration files.


What can I do to remove the rounded corners using Junction Deviation? I recently upgraded my Creality Ender 5 with an SKR Mini E3 V2.0 running Marlin 2.0.7.2.  The printer has also been modified with an all-metal hotend and a direct drive conversion kit that uses the extruder stepper motor.   In test prints of the XYZ calibration cube, I have found that the edges of the cube are rounded over.  After some research, it appears this is due to either the acceleration/jerk settings or the junction deviation settings.
The issue now comes in that no matter what setting I change, the prints do not change.  Currently in the Marlin firmware, I found that the Classic Jerk is disabled in Configuration.h line ~786.  The default JUNCTION_DEVIATION_MM is 0.013. Since Classic Jerk is disabled, Junction Deviation shows up in the menu under Menu --> Configuration --> Advanced Settings. I printed 4 cubes for 4 different Junction Deviation settings:  0.013, 0.075, 0.130, 0.300.  All cubes have the same characteristic over-corrected corner with no visible changes (Picture below)

My questions are:

Why aren't the prints being affected by changing the Junction Deviation setting via the menu?  The Junction Deviation setting is stored in memory using Menu --> Configuration --> Store Settings and I have confirmed the values remain in memory after cycling the printer.
If Classic Jerk is disabled in Marlin firmware, would an M205 X[Jerk] Y[Jerk] Z[Jerk] command before a print enable Classic Jerk for that print?
What happens if an M205 command is sent that sets XYZ as well as J? (e.g. M205 X[Jerk] Y[Jerk] Z[Jerk] J[Dev]).  Would it ignore Classic Jerk values if Classic Jerk is disabled in firmware?

I have read through the following posts already

Setting Junction Deviation in firmware has no effect
https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,739819
https://blog.kyneticcnc.com/2018/10/computing-junction-deviation-for-marlin.html
https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/dx8bd/here_is_why_you_should_disable_junction_deviation/

My next steps:

Re-enable Classic Jerk in Marlin and see if the print behavior changes
Other?

Contrary to what's implied by its name, junction deviation does not produce rounded corners. It merely allows violations of the acceleration profile at corners that would be allowed if the corner were rounded by the deviation. So you should not expect changes to it to create or eliminate unwanted "rounded corners".
However I don't think what you're seeing are rounded corners. They're bulging corners, likely produced as a consequence of the toolhead moving slower just before and after the corner in order to honor the acceleration profile. My guess is that your acceleration limits in Marlin 2.0 (500 mm/s² if I recall correctly) are a lot lower than on the original Creality firmware.
You can and probably should increase the acceleration limits. The machine should handle 1000 mm/s² easily and up to 3000 mm/s² or even higher with some ringing; I use lower acceleration for the outer walls and let it run wild for inner walls and infill. But the real solution to your bulging corners problem is to enable and calibrate Linear Advance to get a consistent extrusion rate with varing speed. For my Ender 3, the right constant is around 0.5-0.6 s (yes the units are seconds - it's mm/(mm/s)) for PLA. You can use the calibration pattern generator to run the calibration yourself, but I would expect the same results.
This will significantly impact your print speed, since Marlin applies E-axis speed, acceleration, and jerk limits to the advance offsets. You can get a lot of it back though by increasing those limits though; the defaults are a whole lot lower than what the machine can handle. 200 mm/s speed limit and 10000-15000 mm/s² acceleration limit (vs 25 and 5000 defaults in Marlin, respectively) are within reason.


Using dollar-store picture glass for print bed on top of original heated aluminum bed? I'm having a really hard time printing on my aluminum heated bed... Cleaning it just results in it being scratched (trying to scrape dried hairspray/glue/etc off) and I don't think it is particularly flat either.

I was thinking of stopping by the dollar store on my way home and getting several picture frames and using the glass from them as interchangeable glass beds - this would also make it easier to take them off the printer to clean without needing to re-level the bed every time as the aluminum base would stay-put.

Do you guys think the quality of it would be okay to print on? (withstand the heat, be flat enough, etc) I'm planning to coat it in purple-glue-stick as I have heard that works well for adhesion purposes.

For reference: Printing PLA, Prusia i3 printer.

Picture frame glass (generally float glass) will work well enough, but count on it eventually cracking/getting chipped. It's always very flat (due to the way the production process works).

Taking it up to 100-110C for printing ABS should not be a problem, but you'll want to avoid sharp changes in temperature, and should be careful that your prints don't adhere too well: I've had PLA/PETG prints take out pieces of glass with them due to the force required to remove them from the build plate. You might want to try without any (or very little) adhesive first, and make sure your nozzle isn't too close to the build plate.


Printing .stl file using ObJetPro 3D Printer I am trying to 3D print some shells for a project, and would like them to be about 5 cm long.

I created the shells in Blender and converted them to .stl files which the printer requires, but it tries to print them as 0.02 mm long. I am not printing them myself, so I have to rescale the files without access to the actual printer. I have tried scaling the object both in Blender, and when exporting them to .stl files, but can't figure out how to tell what size the printer will interpret the shells as.

Is there a way to make sure I have the objects scaled properly before printing them?

the best way is to install slicer on your pc and open the .stl file.
Most slicers will tell you the size of an object and there is an option to rescale resize.

Using Slic3r you will have object details in the corner

Using CURA you will have a detailed view in scale mode

Also you can use online services CLICK


How to level bed after applying glue stick for bed adhesion I'm pretty new to printing PETG, and my Creality Ender 3 now has a glass print bed. I've done some research, and it looks like a pretty bad idea to try and print PETG on a pure glass surface for fear of the print pulling chinks of glass along with it.

So, I've looked into various bed adhesion options. I've already used blue tape, but I'll need to purchase some wide stuff, and in the meantime, I want to investigate using PVA-based glue stick. However, one question does come to mind: how can I set the bed-nozzle distance after applying the glue stick layer?

Do I even need to? Will the extruded plastic just crush it into the build plate without a problem, saving me the trouble of lowering the build plate? My normal method of sliding a paper sheet under the nozzle at Z = 0 mm would take the glue stick layer along with it if I tried that.

How much glue do you put on it? I use PVA based spray, barely visible, very evenly spread and no problem whatsoever of sticking paper to the glue layer.

Just level the bed as you normally would and apply a sparsely coat of glue, preferably from a spray can.

Having printed literally kilometers of PETG on various build platforms (various glass sheets with or without PVA based glue, Aluminium and PEI), chipping of glass is not something I have seen happening. Perhaps is very low quality glass is used, chipping may occur. Whether your glass is of decent quality can be tested, just print on one side, and if it chips you always have the other side. Printing on PEI with PETG is another chapter, PETG just fuses to PEI and is very difficult to remove, a PVA based glue helps, but still prints were very hard to remove.

Invest in a can of build plate adhesion spray, it lasts long, never gives you problems with adhesion and probably is even cheaper than glue sticks (per mass unit).


Scanning 3D with a Kinect v2 on AMD Ryzen 7? My processor is running at 4.70 GHz and has 8 cores.  I also have 32GB RAM. I have a USB 3.0 and a USB 3.1 xHCI hub, and Nvidia 1700 graphics card.

Can I use the Kinect v2 and the adapter to scan rooms, and objects, quickly, without trouble with the USB?

In short with the hardware you have it should be no problem. In actuality your specific setup, how you move the scanner, how stable is the scanner, what software you are using, and how you've calibrated the kinect will most likely have the largest impact on the quality, and speed in which you can scan.


Can photopolymer resin colors be mixed? Can different resin colors be mixed to generate new colors? I use eSun water washable resins, but I am happy to switch if this is a different vendor's capability.

Yes and No at the same time
First of all, yes, you can mix resins. However, you should only mix resins that are of the same makeup, as in one brand and type. Why? because different types of resin have different compositions and different polymerization types. Mixing different types can result in unpredictable behavior, and not working at all!
To test, use a tiny amount of your brand and type matched resins and apply to the vat, then print something really tiny, like just 2 or 3 layers of a 20x20x20 mm cube.


Anet A8 Marlin BLtouch moves up instead of down during homing I have a previously working Anet A8 that I just flashed to Marlin 1.1.9 (bugfix) and installed a real BLtouch sensor. I followed setup instructions and believe my wiring is correct. When I try to do a G28, the extruder moves to the front left corner properly, then moved to center the BLtouch over the bed. Then, it moves up instead of down, the BLtouch drops the probe, the extruder moves up again, the BLtouch drops the probe again and the extruder moves up again until the carriage is near the top. Using Pronterface I can move the carriage back down, but have to use M211 S0 to let me get it close to the table. X, Y and Z move properly in Pronterface. I have changed the relevant settings in Marlin and recompiled with no success. The BLtouch does it's self test correctly and I can control the probe with commands.

SOLVED -- The problem turned out to be that the BLtouch was set up for 3.3 V and my Anet board is 5 V. The docs were not clear on what the BL defaulted to and I mistakenly thought 5 V. After I did a M280 P0 S140 command, the carriage would home properly with G28. Why it was going up instead of down was a Red Herring. I changed the settings in configuration_adv.h to force 5 V and did the EEPROM one time write. Now the A8 works correctly. Thank you for your help Oscar.


Anet board - MOSFET replacement? To learn about printing, and to print the parts for a printer of my own design later on, I've ordered an Anet A8.

I just saw this video, Anet A8 3D printer Review. all you need to know. This guy recommends using an external MOSFET. I was wondering if using a relay instead would also make it safe?

There are two areas of this design which seem to pose a risk of connectors overheating, the hot end and the heated bed. The heated bed runs at about 6 amps, 12 Volts. The hot end runs at a lower current, but can itself overheat if the thermistor stops providing feedback.

The problem in this design with the heated bed is mainly the connectors - they work OK when they are good, but can easily come a bit loose. This has two side effects. The bed heats less well, and the connector itself heats instead. Replacing the 2mm plug connector, and 2mm molex with direct soldered connections will help (the on-board mosfet seems OK with the current, unless you increase the power rail voltage).

A mosfet is a good solution for high current switching, the modules available have good screw terminals which should be OK for maybe 25A (well in excess of what you need). Mosfets are efficient when switched fully on, so there won't be much heating.

You would also use a relay (rated for at least 10A), but this will be noisy since the heater is switched repeatedly to maintain the target temperature. A relay also takes more power itself and will ear out if repeatedly switched under load.

Bottom line, if you have a good relay already, it is OK as a temporary (safe) solution. Longer-term a mosfet is better. Pay attention to the connectors at power supply, board (in and out) and heated bed. Using an additional mosfet for the hotend is maybe overkill.


Lines of PLA not sticking to the bed When I am printing objects that have a lot of surface area on the first layer parts of that layer will rise up causing there to be gaps in the first layer. Here are two pictures. The first one was printing with a raft and the second one was without a raft. I am printing on 3M Painters tape, extruder temperature at 200, bed temperature at 60. I am using Hatchbox PLA Filiment.

You got a few things happening. First that temp seems low. I am printing PLA at 215.. but there are a lot of factors. Start with a simple calibration thin wall test. Which is just a wall, no body.

From there your bed could be closer. Maybe. I don't think that's really the issue. Slower speed and heat will make more of a difference. That said. I take a piece of paper and calibrate it so there just a little, but not too much, friction.

Make sure you are printing at 30% speed for first layer.

Last use a glue stick.


Filament Guides Drag Backstory

I've had issues in the past with my drive gear "eating" my filament. It seemed that the filament quit extruding for one reason or another and the drive gear would slowly eat away at the side of the filament.

I eventually assumed it was the plastic filament guides causing unnecessary tension that the drive gear couldn't compete with, ultimately keeping the filament from moving forward. Thusly, allowing the drive gear to continue "trying".

My solution was to hang my spools above the machine to avoid using the filament guides feeding from the back of the machine up through the top.

Question

Can the plastic filament guides really cause that much drag? What other variables can I expect to look out for?

Machine: MakerBot Replicator Dual (1st Generation)

For an easy test, try manually pulling the filament through the U-loop of guide tube. How hard is it to pull through? It should only take 1-2 lbs of tension at most.

Then do a "tug test" on the extruder. Start it loading and grab the filament by hand to try to stop it from extruding. The Replicator 1/2/2x extruder style can typically pull ~8-10 lbs of tension and it should be fairly difficult to stop the filament. When you do stop the filament, you should hear clicking/thumping from the stepper stalling, NOT quiet grinding as the drive gear chews through the filament. If the grip slips rather than stalls, your extruder hardware needs to be tuned or replaced.

There are three common causes of excessive feed tube drag:

Use of polyethylene tubing instead of PTFE -- this makes a shockingly large difference in drag friction. You can use a heat gun or torch (outside!!) to tell the difference between PE and PTFE. PE will soften quickly and then melt fairly easily, whereas PTFE will simply go clear and eventually char without melting. Nylon is also sometimes used for feed tubes with acceptable results, but if you have any suspicion about the tube material, just buy new PTFE tubes from a reputable vendor like McMaster.
Too many loops/curves in the tube. Total drag friction is an exponential function of the total amount of curvature in the tube. You should have one good U-loop, no spirals or floppy zig-zags.
Excessive friction on the spool rotation. Any spool back-tension gets greatly magnified through the feed tube per the capstan equation. This can be caused by a bad spool holder, or if the filament is knotted on the spool due to letting the end of the spool loose during handling.


Long Print with Lotmaxx SC-10 I am trying to print something that might take 15 hours. I don't want to risk my printer so if I print for 15 hours, what is the worst that can happen? So far, I haven't printed anything for more than 5 hours.

I've printed jobs taking as long as 50 hours over a weekend using a German Reprap x400.

Used a large enough UPS to support the printer and the computer.
Printed the gcode file from a USB card instead of the computer, so that a computer update or reboot doesn't interfere with the print. [If you can't print from media independent of the computer, you can disconnect your computer from the network and/or internet.]

Overnight prints still fail sometimes, probably from power issues the UPS doesn't filter out.  Often this means the filament material melts all over the hot end instead of sticking to the print on the bed and leaves a mess to clean up.
Other than that, I'm not sure of the risk for your particular printer model.


How to combine difference with concatinate object The following creates an object with two slots:
 translate([-40,-40,0]) difference() {
     cube ([90,28,12]);
     translate([12,-.01,5]) cube([12.7,28.02,14.02]);
     translate([65,-.01,5]) cube([12.7,28.02,14.02]);

How can the first main cube be extended to be a complex object of the syntax:
cube([60,20,10],center=true);translate([0,0,5])cube([30,20,10],center=true);

and then use difference to create holes?

The union syntax addresses this:
translate([-40,-40,0])
difference() {
    union() {
        cube ([90,28,12]);

        translate([20,0,20])
        cube([12,12,12]);
    }

    translate([12,-.01,5])
    cube([12.7,28.02,14.02]);

    translate([65,-.01,5])
    cube([12.7,28.02,14.02]);
}

It supports creating an object before the difference syntax is applied.


Why does my Ender 5 Pro bed stops heating 10 °C below the set point After a long battle with SKR Mini v2, TFT35 and BLTouch and creating the right firmware. I thought I was through it all and ready to start printing again after finally being able to set the Z offset and auto level the bed. My printer has other thoughts. Now my bed temperature will only heat up to 10 °C below the set point temperature and after a few minutes it starts beeping and says this on the screen "Heating Failed: Bed Printer Halted, Please Reset". As an example, set it to 60 °C, it will get up to 50 °C normally and stop at 50 °C.
Anyone gone through this? I'm sure there is some setting in the firmware that I have missed up. I'm hoping someone can educate me on my mistake.

Searching the error message "Heating Failed: Bed Printer Halted, Please Reset" seems to indicate that the bed heater is timing out from not reaching temperature.

If you measure the voltage applied to the bed heater before the error message, does the voltage stay at Max.; i.e. 12V for a 12V bed heater?  Or, does the voltage stay constant?

If you raise the target bed temperature, does is still error out at stop at 50 °C?

Since you only indicate changing firmware, we would assume the bed heater is the same as when previously working.  Is this true?

Is the resistance of the bed heater a few ohms and not megaohms?


How to prepare bed for printing ABS filament? I have never used ABS filament before, so my question is, how do I prepare my glass build plate for printing ABS filament?
My second question, is, after you have prepared it, and have finished printing, can you 3d print with other plastics, such as PLA after?

ABS can be a problem to print, but there are generally a couple well established methods to prepare your glass bed, which might be combined for best results:

Heated bed. A heated bed is almost a must for ABS and would be set to about 75 to 90 °C for most printers. Often this can suffice on its own, but keep the bed running for the whole print!
ABS-Slurry. One of the best functioning adhesive helpers is ABS-Slurry, which is made by mixing a little acetone with as much ABS filament as it will solve, then applying a thin layer of this compound to the glass bed right before the print. It will stink a lot, but it most certainly will offer one of the best adhesions you can get and might even prevent Warping due to the stronger bond to the bed.
Rafts. You might want to add a raft of at least 2 layers under the print. The Raft can be removed in the end, but it increases the surface area and can often help to reduce the chance of warping.

Now comes the good part: you just need to remove all the ABS residue and the bed is ready for the next preparation for any other material. This can be done with a scraper blade quite easily, maybe some Acetone and then alcohol if there are some really nasty bits.


CTC Formaker Air Printing I have a CTC Formaker 4 in 1 3D Printer. It has worked great for a long while but now it is messing up. It will print fine for awhile and then the filament will stop coming out but the printer keeps moving like it thinks it is still printing. If I clear the print job and start over, it again prints fine at first but then I get the same end results. Please help me fix this problem. I have not been able to find a solution on Google.  Also I am using the latest version of MatterControl.

This sounds like a clogged nozzle. Try driving the filament into the hot end manually to verify that the plastic is flowing correctly. If there is a clog or other impediment in the nozzle, the filament will become curly as it is exiting the nozzle. A clear nozzle will always result in the filament extruding as one straight piece.


Poor adhesion only for first couple of inches I have a QIDI Tech 1. It has a heated bed, and a cooling fan attachment. Whenever I print without a raft, the first inch or two of material laid down does not adhere to the bed, but the rest of the first layer is flawless.

I have tried speeding up and slowing down the first layer walls, but the problem remains. It also seemed to get a little worse when slower. I also tried not turning on the cooling fan for a bit to see if maybe the material was cooling too quickly, but that had zero effect on it.

I'd like to avoid using tape and other methods since the rest of the print is perfect, and the bed already has a material on it to aid adhesion.

What else can I try to prevent the dragging for the start of the print?

I'd recommend using the "skirt" function if you're not already.

The idea is to print a few perimeter layers around where your part will be, but not actually touching your part.

Most slicers support this and you can choose how much skirt you want to print.  This addresses the issue you mention, and it purges old filament that has spent too much time in the nozzle.  As an added bonus, it gives you a good indication that your print location, print height, and first layer adhesion are all good.


TEVO Tarantula under extrusion I've built and done some simple tests on a TEVO Tarantula but I've noticed some pretty dramatic under extrusions.

My equipment:

TEVO Tarantula;
Jim Brown's easy config fork of Marlin;
Titan extruder (came with printer).

I've updated the firmware with the 400 steps as advised and calibrated the extrusion with the 100 mm method:

When I run the calibration with the Titan extruder, only the 400 steps is fine and works as expected;
When I connect the Bowden tube to the hotend and calibrate (at 200, 225 and 250°C), I see only ~50 mm of extrusion.

I've disassemble the hot end, changed filament and I can't see any signs of blockage. The Bowden tube in the hotend is not showing any signs of melting etc. and it is pushed all the way down to the hotend, as per the instructions.

So, what's going with this?

Summarizing for correct understanding: you measured 100 mm without the hotend heated and attached and about 50mm attached and at temperature but not hearing any clicks using a pretty long Bowden tube?

Bowden setups require a little more torque to push the filament all the way to the hotend. I've experienced this with my own 2.85 mm setup when I converted a 1.75 mm BullDog extruder to accept 2.85 mm filament. Your problem is most probably caused by filament not being gripped by the extruder gear and causing slipping on the filament (this does not necessarily mean that you hear clicking!). The Titan is a geared extruder so you should get more torque than a direct setup; this is exactly why you don't hear clicking, the gear turns but does not move the filament. Please inspect your filament after the extruder by removing the Bowden tube; ideally this should show you a regular pattern of the extruder gear.

What you can do to prevent this is to put more pressure on the filament by adjusting the pressure of the spring. In my setup I use some screws to get the spring out of the equation and clamp it directly only tightening the screws by hand (when switching filament I need to unscrew these).

You should also PID tune your hotend to be sure that the heater is optimally tuned to keep the hotend at a certain temperature level.


How does an H-bot printer work? I’m thinking of building a diy H-bot printer but I have some questions...

How can I tell the firmware that the printer is an H-bot one? I just need to uncomment the CoreXY option? Is it the same?

Does the print bed need to be square (for example 300x300) or it can be also a rectangle?

Are the steps/mm the same of the ones on a Cartesian 3D printer?

How can I recognize which motor goes on which connector on the motherboard? (The X and Y connectors I mean).

The CoreXY kinematics can be seen as an evolution of the H-bot kinematics. In Marlin, you both need to configure the printer as a CoreXY machine. Note that your steps are determined by the pulleys in the steppers and need to be the same for the steppers. With testing you will find out if you have the correct value.
There are many popular designs out there; e.g. the Hypercube and the Hypercube Evolution (I have built the latter myself).
I would not recommend building an H-bot, these have an inherent design flaw in that the load is asymmetrical causing the carriage to be stressed by a torque causing racking. To minimize this racking, you would require more expensive tight tolerance hardware like proper linear rails (usually not the kind that you find on typical auction or Asian vending sites, but actual pricy Japanese or German hardware). The CoreXY kinematics stress the carriage symmetrically. Note that the difference between an H-bot and a CoreXY printer is only the length of the belts, nowadays good quality belts can be bought for any length you need.
Note that a square or rectangular bed is a non-issue, just specify the dimensions in the configuration. The only thing you need to find out is how to wire the steppers. I connect one stepper to one driver and the other stepper to the other driver. I then did some tests and found out I had to flip one stepper motors connector to get the correct movement. I could have reversed this in firmware as well.


Why is it conventional to set line width > nozzle diameter? I recently became curious about the Line Width setting in Cura and why one might change it if they aren't using different size nozzle.

Since I've gotten my Ender 3, I've always kept the line width equal to my nozzle size (0.4 mm). I've looked around a bit, and it seems like most people actually set their line widths to be higher, depending upon who you ask anywhere from 120 - 150 % nozzle diameter.

Why is this? They mention that it helps with print adhesion, but why? Shouldn't a 0.4 mm nozzle create a line of plastic 0.4 mm wide, necessitating a line spacing of 0.4 mm?

There are several things at play that can make a wider line nice to have:
First layer adhesion
Due to some filaments having serious struggle to get the first line or layer stuck to the bed, it can be an easy fix to just increase the line width, generating a bigger Adhesive Force $F_a\propto A(l,w)$, where A is the area covered by the line, and thus simply $A=l*w$ with length l and width w of the line. So, a wider line means better initial adhesion and can lead to less failed prints in layer 1.
Plastic Goo
Plastics under heat behave in certain ways: they turn into a gooey substance that expands. This is also the reason why prints shrink a little as they cool. Now, if we press the plastic onto the bed with more force (as we force more plastic through than before to go from 0.4 mm to 0.5 mm) for the first time, we have a roughly flat area. The extra filament will make a wider line. The slicher can account for that, and does.
Now, next layer up: Where does the extra material go now? Plastic goo has one property that is very interesting: it tries to shrink its surface as much as possible. Heat a short piece with an airgun and it gets a little beady. But on the other hand, it comes hot enough from the nozzle to melt a tiny surface area of the already built layers, which is how layer bonding works in the first place. But our goopy plastic finds the layer below not exactly flat like the first layer found its lower surface, it finds a shape of ridges and valley. Taking into account that it wants to have the least surface to non-plastic (=air) and slightly cross bonds with the print, it will fill these nooks and crevices inside the print a tiny little better, as the increased force we use to push it out also increased the speed at which it expands to them: we reduce the time a tiny bit to reach there. How does it matter?

Well, heat transfer bases, roughly speaking, on a formula like this: $Q = mc\Delta T$ Q is the thermal energy of the object, m the mass of the object, c its specific heat capacity and T the temperature, ΔT the temperature change. But we don't have a homogenous object, we got pretty much a heat distribution with touching zones of different heat. The actual formula for the heat transfer inside the object is a long mess containing stuff like the gradient $\text{grad}T$, thermal conductivities, and integrals, but what matters is the result: The faster-expanding line of filament loses a little less thermal energy to its surroundings than the less forceful extruded line, which can increase the bonding between the two as the temperature on several fronts:

it enters the crevices further before reverting from goo to solid, leading to better adhesion for more surface.
it contains more thermal energy that can and will get transmitted to the layer below and has a bigger surface area, so it can increase the zone thickness that gets remelted a tiny bit, increasing the layer bonding strength a little.

This can result in a problem though: if you don't give the printed lines enough time to cool, it can lead to the material to accumulate heat more and more, leading to the whole thing to melt and turn into goop. An easy fix to this side problem is minimum layer time. But that would be only tangential to the original question, so look for example at the question here or the video the thermal picture above is taken from here.


Seemingly random lines on the surface I'm getting seemingly random lines scattered across the top surface of my prints:

Printer: Anycubic i3 mega
Slicer: Cura 3.2.1
Printer chosen in Cura: Prusa i3, Gcode flavor changed to RepRap
Cura Profile: Fine, "Outer before inner walls" enabled

What might be the reason?

This is the result of travel moves passing through/over the top surface. The combing setting can prevent this type of move (for walls, infill or top), and z-hop can avoid making any mark during these travels.

Both settings will affect speed. Z-hop will be active on every layer, for example.


PLA bubbling in the first layer of a print I am using a Prusa i3 printer and just recently I have been having problems with the first layer. Here is a picture of what it looks like.

I have tried levelling the bed and it seems to be level. I was using a glue stick before but it started bubbling on that, so I switched to tape and that worked once but it is not working now. I wiped the tape with rubbing alcohol and it happened again.

What else can I do to get the first layer right?

Oh wow. You are way over cooking your PLA. It is bubbling because it is BOILING. I can tell you have it too hot because the lines are all blurred as if they are liquid and pooled together.

That said I can't give you details because you didn't post settings. I would start by turning the temps to 170 °C for hotend and 60 °C for plate. Also the gluestick it self should never bubble. It is unclear if that is an issue..


Post processing FDM for strength I'm looking for a post processing method for increasing the functional strength of a 3d printed part originally made by FDM. I've tried printing my part with solid infill but the layer separation is still the primary failure point. I'm looking for a way to get something closer to a cast or injection molded part. Obviously less strength but there is a pretty big gap in material properties.

The only method I've thought of that might work is drilling a small hole, or series of holes in my part to inject an epoxy into the part. Haven't tried it.

I'm open to any possible ideas or advice if someone has tried something like this. Not sure if this is necessarily the best place but thought it's a good place to start.

Recognizing that the posting party feels that FDM constructed parts are of insufficient strength for his purpose and allowing for proper layer bonding, one can understand that the model can be perfectly constructed and not reach the strength objective.

Filling a model with an epoxy or a casting resin will provide additional strength. Testing smaller, non-critical models is recommended to determine the level of increase. The design has to be re-engineered to provide for resin/epoxy flow within the model. Some epoxy and resin formulations generate heat when curing and may soften the model. The solution in such cases is to mix and pour small amounts, allowing for a pause between pours.

An alternative to filling a model is to reduce the perimeter (if applicable)  and apply a reinforcing layer. I've constructed satisfactorily printed models with insufficient strength for my purposes, but then applied fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin to the outside. A single layer provided the necessary strength in my case.

One could apply sufficient layers to provide all the necessary strength, effectively turning the model into a positive mold. This is commonly done with amateur-built aircraft of the Burt Rutan design style. More recently, an article appeared on the internet of a model being printed with wash-away support material only, covered in carbon fiber. The wash-away was washed away and the wing structure became the product. For your application, it may not be necessary or practical to remove the inner model.

Just as with the injection concept, one must re-engineer the model to allow for this type of reinforcement. Edges will have to be radiused or the sharp termination of reinforcement layer will become a weak point. Tight inside angles will have a similar problem.

Fiberglass cloth comes in various weights, measured in ounces per square foot (US). The lighter cloth is more capable of "turning corners" and fitting into tight angles.


Does this microstepping test result indicate need for TL smoothers? Note: The "TL smoothers" referred to in the question title are an arrangement of 8 diodes that presumably both provide a voltage drop to address the minimum current output issue of some stepper drivers described in How Accurate Is Microstepping Really, and provide flyback protection and protection of the driver from currents induced by moving the motor in the unpowered state.

Now, on to the question:

I put together a simple test part to test Y (or X) axis microstepping accuracy:

Every 1mm in the Z direction, the face steps inward 1/80 mm (corresponding to my printer's [micro]steps per mm setting) in the Y direction and 1 mm in the X direction (to clearly show where the steps happen).

Here are the results (two runs, near-identical output):

Several of the steps are missing entirely, and it's the middle vertical surface, rather than the side two stepped-vertical surfaces, that shows a step-like texture.

Note that layers have been printed counter-clockwise, but the design with steps on both sides is to try to reduce the impact of print orientation so as not to depend on what the slicer decides to do. Print speed was 30 mm/s for outer walls, with outer walls set to be printed first so they're not affected by already-printed inner ones.

This looks to me like an indication that microstepping is not working accurately, and seems to agree partly with this article: https://hackaday.com/2016/08/29/how-accurate-is-microstepping-really/

Would TL smoothers improve this? My printer is an Ender 3, seemingly the latest revision at the time it was sold (December 2018) based on the bed and other aspects. Some threads I found suggested that this was a problem with older Ender 3s that was fixed in later revisions and that TL smoothers won't help, but it looks to me like it's not fixed.

Update: With settings adjusted for 0 jerk and 50 mm/s² acceleration in the outer walls, I got a somewhat improved result:

All steps are clearly visible, but at the reduced and more varying speed, artifacts of the extruder motor accuracy (or maybe just bowden latency) are much worse, and at the steps the "overshoot and bounce back" effect is still happening. Is this consistent with a situation where the TL smoothers I asked about could benefit?

Update 2: I've further tested with leaving acceleration at default (500 mm/s²) and just disabling "jerk", i.e. "instantaneous" change in speed. The results are at least as good as the above with slow acceleration. What strikes me most is that the "overshoot then bounce back" happens outward from the model on both edges, rather than inward on the righthand side where the (CCW moving) nozzle is turning inward. Could this indicate that there's no microstepping accuracy problem at all, and that the artifact is purely from excess extrusion as the corner is turned?

Updated pic (new one below):

It's worth remembering that the smaller the fraction of the step, the less torque is going to be available at that step. here is one link but there are many others that explain it as well. it looks to me like you have inconsistent friction in your system, or possibly some flex/warping of the frame. it might also be easier to see with a smaller nozzle

edit because i forgot to actually answer the question: no, by itself it does not indicate that smoothers would help. this does not mean that they wont, just that this does not look definitive to me


Using maximum width when slicing in Ultimaker Cura I am trying to slice a model that is half a mm less than max width, but not successful.

What am I missing? Is there some minimum value less than maximum allowed, or something?

Edit: after changing the width to 220 in machine settings, slicing works. This is a dangerous thing to do, as it could damage the printer.

Take a look at this post: https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/15588-cura-23-not-using-full-print-area/. As the raft/skirt/brim will fall outside of the build volume, Cura is not able to slice it. Look at the the answer by @ahouben. He suggests that if you want to use the maximum build volume :

  adhesion type = brim
  brim line count = 0
  travel avoid distance = 0
  horizontal expansion = 0
  support horizontal expansion = 0 (if support is enabled)
  draft shield disabled
  ooze shield disabled
  infill wipe distance = 0

  Note that in most cases brim with brim line count=0 will get you most of the way there

Try this and see if it makes a difference.


Botched firmware upgrade - did I destroy the stepper drivers? I attempted upgrading my Ender 3 firmware to Marlin 1.1.9, and due to inability to find the directions about the Sanguino variant pin layout file, stupidly built with the "standard" (Arduino) file. Various stuff didn't work, and I figured out my mistake and rebuilt, but the extruder motor does not respond even after flashing back to the original firmware.

Did I destroy the stepper driver with incorrect pin mapping? (Aside: if so, why just the extruder and not the others?) Is this fixable or should I just order a new motherboard?

About 15 minutes after posting this, it started working again. Either the driver had badly overheated and recovered after cooling down, or was never messed up and the firmware was just refusing to operate it with the nozzle cold. For the latter possibility, the stock firmware never had that behavior before, but maybe it's possible that some saved configuration to ignore nozzle-cold got lost in the flashing?


How to prevent model from peeling off of resin printer buildplate during print? Recently I have started using a fairly large LCD resin printer. (Yidimu Falcon Pro)
It has a fairly large 260x160mm perforated and coated steel build plate and a decent dual rail Z axis with a ballscrew. It has a 10" LCD. It prints ChiTuBox files from a USB stick.

I have been having a mostly successful print, at good quality, but the bed adhesion keeps haunting me. The best print on this machine had parts curling up from the build plate, however most of the print succeeded.

Two times I have had a very well adhering raft, however delamination occured directly after the raft.
Usually the left side lifts from the bed while the model stays on the build plate.

I have tried:

Changing resin (tried Druckwerk Pro D Black and Anycubic Black)

Decreasing lift speed
Increasing lift distance
Increasing bottom layer exposure time (from 60 to 180, as suggested by Druckwerck supplier)
Increasing bottom layer count to 9
Using a large raft
Using a very large raft
Using a very small raft
Leveling build plate without vat in place, using paper
Leveling build plate while keeping vat in place

What would be a good next troubleshooting step?

looks like you have done a lot of work to try to get it working.
considering you are having issues on one side of the build plate my thought is that it is a levelling issue or an issue with the plate itself. Try levelling it using the video "Getting Started: Leveling the Build Plate" it's for a different printer but pay attention to the part where he goes over making sure the left and right sides are level and how to check that. I had a problem like yours, and the issue was that as I tightened the screw to keep the build plate in the levelled position I ended up causing it to move. I made the same mistake a few times before realizing that I was messing it up the same way every time because I'm right-handed. after realizing that it was easier to fix.
If the issue is the build plate it's self it may be a matter of it not being flat (unlikely), Or not providing a good bonding surface. if the latter I suggest you do some research and decide for yourself as there are a lot of dividing views on how to fix that issue.
It also looks like you are having issues with the print after the bottom layers. It could be caused but the separation issue but it could be that you just need to increase your exposure time for your non-bottom layers


I'm searching for a tool to generate 2D PDF of one side of my model I've created a model in  OpenSCAD, mainly some cubes (not really cubes, but lengthy braces using cube()) and cylinders with cylindrical holes in them, to hold several PCBs.

The barrels will accept a 3 mm PCB standoff, which will then hold the PCB.

I would like to print the top view in the exact measurements on paper, to check for alignment before printing the bracing on my 3D printer.

The tool I'm searching for should be able to generate a drawing of all edges seen from one side, like a technical drawing.

I've used FreeCAD and OpenSCAD for now, but any tool running on Ubuntu should be fine.

OpenSCAD has a great feature called projection which allows you to select a vertical location and effectively "cast a shadow" of the part. The projection becomes a 2D object scaled to the original model.

One can rotate, translate or otherwise transform the model prior to performing the projection function, in order to get the appropriate 2D drawing.

The resulting "model" is rendered using F6 and can be output as .DXF or .SVG as well as a number of other formats that might not be as useful to you.

EDIT: I've been recently using Onshape to create drawings from 3D models. It's also a free program, browser based which allows you to import your STL model (or other acceptable formats). Once imported, a drawing can be created with three-view and isometric, or you can edit to create only a single view. This can then be exported/downloaded as a PDF.

The screen capture image below is from a project I've recently created. The original STL file was imported and the result is quite clean.


How to have double extruder and double Z motor on a 5-driver board? We are using the Board SKR 1.3 with the following pins:

/**
 * Trinamic Stallguard pins
 */
#define X_DIAG_PIN           P1_29   // X-
#define Y_DIAG_PIN           P1_27   // Y-
#define Z_DIAG_PIN           P1_25   // Z-
#define E0_DIAG_PIN          P1_28   // X+
#define E1_DIAG_PIN          P1_26   // Y+

We need a double Z motor, so We have defined the number of stepper drivers to 2 and it works like a charm:

#define NUM_Z_STEPPER_DRIVERS 2

Here is the problem, We need to have a single extruder with two heating zones, not a real second extruder. We have defined the number of extruders to 2:

#define EXTRUDERS 2

We want to reinforce that the second extruder does not exist, we only need the second heating zone. It's a big hotend with two different heating cartridges, that is, two different temperatures. So we do not need the stepper driver, only the temperature.
Then we get the following error messages:

We have thought of enabling the chamber and use it's pin, but we got stuck with all the structure for it:

#define TEMP_SENSOR_CHAMBER 5

#define CHAMBER_MAXTEMP  250  // Extruder first temperature zone

#define HEATER_CHAMBER_PIN 24

I second the previous answer if running second Z motor in parallel, just split wires or buy adapter consisting of two females to one male, Z motor on most printers don't draw huge current (or at least in smaller less frequent intervals to give things time to cool).

Erm I extruder with two temperature zones, hmmm buy a larger heating element, like a E3D Volcano or I believe they have an extreme version now, mine is rated for 40 W+.

Or you could use external MOSFET with separate Arduino PID.


Can a single line of Gcode have variable extrusion rate? Fairly long winded, but hopefully makes sense;

I understand that G-code is executed line-by-line, and in the main printing phase each instruction is effectively go to location XY (assuming staying within the layer) at a set speed with a set extrusion amount (not rate, as far as I can tell).

Imagine you were printing a single road width, say 10 mm long. If the single instruction says to move that 10 mm at a set speed and extrude 10mm of material (which is, I guess, not 10mm of filament), with infinite acceleration and deceleration of the nozzle and extruder gears, then a linear amount of material would be extruded per unit length along the 10 mm. However, given that there is some acceleration and deceleration, that extrusion must be non-linear.

My questions are as follows;
- Is it possible to counteract this within a single line of Gcode by having a variable extrusion rate?
- Can the machine do so regardless of the instructions given to it?
- Is this effect embraced somehow?
- Does the need to accelerate both the nozzle position and filament effectively cancel out?
-Would/could you aim instead to split a single straight line of filament into multiple lines of G-code, some extruding (say in the middle), and some not (say at each end)?

My understanding is that the printer firmware will define the maximum acceleration and speeds for each axis (X, Y, Z, and E). When executing a line of g-code that involves more than one axis, the acceleration for each will be limited such that they all begin and end, including acceleration together.

During the start and end of a line, when the print nozzle is moving more slowly, the extruder will also move slowly. In the middle of the line, the extruder will move faster. The amount of material extruded per distance will be constant over the length of the line.

Another way to look at it - suppose you could accelerate quickly on X with a high top speed, but slowly on Y. A move only in the X direction could happen quickly. A move only in the Y direction would be slower. If you want to move at a 45-degree angle,  you will need to slow down X so that it doesn't get ahead of Y.

If you did want to intentionally vary the amount of extrusion per distance during a line, you would need to break it into multiple segments with individual lines of g-code.