Ender 3 Extruder First Layer Perfect But Then Starts Clicking Afterwards All of a sudden I seem to be having a lot of issues with under extruding on my Ender 3. The bottom layer (of height 0.1 mm) prints perfectly fine. This is done at 15 mm/s speed. However, The moment the print moves to layer 2 and above (at the default speed of 60 mm/s), I start hearing a lot of clicking noise on the extruder.

So far I have tried the following

Replace nozzle to eliminate clogs
Cleaned the inside of the hot end assembly
Calibrated extruder steps/mm
Reduced the layer height from 0.3 mm to 0.2 mm
Reduced feed rate to as low at 50 %
Cleaned the filament feeder assembly and verified that it is able to push the filament properly (Extruding when the print is not happening works just fine with no clicking)

Even with all the above, the issue is still persisting. I am not what else could be causing this.

I am printing with PLA at 200 C

Not allowed to comment, so have to answer:

The temperature sensor is a thermally sensitive resistor. Unfortunately, the temperature is near the high limit of that sensor, and the manufacturing tolerances are very significant. That is why a temperature tower is important for each printer, as well as each filament. (I have 4 printers and each requires a different temperature for the same filament. My worst-case is out by 25 degrees! - it's the one I bought second-hand because the original purchaser couldn't get it to work. I could replace the NTC, but it is easier just to have settings to suit that printer.)
Filament does change over time. Lots of theories about why, but the practical response is to tune settings to suit the filament. The alternative is to modify the filament (eg drying, adding oil to surface, etc.), but even with really old filament, I've found adjusting settings (in the slicer, like Cura) to be the most generally workable solution.

Bottom line is to test, adjust settings and repeat until the system achieves the result you need. Treat most recommendations as serving suggestions, so use them as clues (but not rules) for the puzzles presented as 3D printing.


BLTouch calibrated, nozzle still dives into the bed I am having a few problems with my BLTouch. I have calibrated it several times using different methods and get the nozzle being 1.3 mm lower than the BLTouch pin so a Z offset of -1.3 mm. This works fine for auto homing, bed levelling and using code G1 Z0 to lower to where needed. However when using Cura to print the nozzle homes exactly as it should then drives the nozzle in to the bed as it starts or tries to start to print and not just a little bit either. Anyone have any ideas?

Start G-code is:

G28 ;Home
G29 ;Probe
G1 Z15.0 F6000 ;Move Platform down 15 mm
G92 E0
G1 F200 E3
G92 E0

This answer is intended to be a generic answer for Z-offset determination. The question is not clear on how the Z-offset has been determined. It appears as if this distance is measured, while in reality this cannot be measured.

A touch (or a inductive or capacitive) probe uses a trigger point to determine the distance of the probe trigger point to the bed print surface. Correct installation is trivial, as is the determination of the nozzle to trigger point definition. For a touch sensor, the probing element is either stowed, fully deployed, or pushed in during leveling up to the point that the trigger point is reached and the probe stowes the rest of the pin, see figure:

The M851 Zxx.xx offset is determined by lowering the nozzle beyond the  trigger point until the nozzle hits a paper sheet. If the stowed position to nozzle distance is used, the distance is too large and the nozzle will dive into the bed on printing.


How can I convert STL files into PDF drawings? Does anyone know of an easy and free way to convert my STL models to a PDF drawing for CAD and metal CNC machining?

I've created some great designs that are all STL files and want to somehow send them to a CNC/milling machine to make my designs in metal parts.

I've had good results with using the free web-based program known as Onshape which allows you to import/create 3D models. One of the features built into Onshape is a drawing tab. You can select the views desired or use a standard layout, as well as add dimensions to the individual drawing views.

This image above was of a model created in and exported from Tinkercad. No dimensions have been added in this example, but it's available as part of the software. Being browser based, the program will work for any platform.

In order to make this answer more accurate, I attempted to duplicate the results shown in the drawing.

I've discovered that I used Fusion 360 to import the STL. The next step involved turning off history feature, then converting the STL to BREP. Once in BREP form, the no-longer-STL file can be exported as .step, which is accepted by Onshape.

Fusion 360 is a free-to-hobbyists program, but does not run in a browser. There may be other programs which will convert STL to .step and there may even be a browser converter-specific site to accomplish this.

I recognize that this is a convoluted solution, but it's not particularly burdensome, overall.


Open Source 3D scanning I am trying to make a structured light 3D scanner using single camera, light projector and a turntable.

After days on Google I did not find any reliable open source project which I can get to work.  SLStudio really seemed a good choice but did not compile properly.

I was wondering if anyone knows a good open source which they have used with the same kind of setup? Any help would be really appreciated. I am blocked here.

I did find only one 3d scanner which uses structured light. There is many projects using a laser diode. And these systems are completely opensource.

Structured Light

Structured Light 3D Scanning by kylemcdonald

http://www.instructables.com/id/Structured-Light-3D-Scanning/?ALLSTEPS

Laser diode

Sardauscan

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-30-laser/?ALLSTEPS
https://github.com/Sardau/Sardauscan
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:702470

ATLAS 3D Scanner

http://www.freelss.org
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1280901
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1545315380/atlas-3d-the-3d-scanner-you-print-and-build-yourse/posts/1475722

Ciclop

http://diwo.bq.com/en/tag/ciclop/
https://github.com/bqlabs/ciclop

3D(ollar) Scanner

https://hackaday.io/project/2021-3dollar-scanner
http://www.instructables.com/id/Lets-cook-3D-scanner-based-on-Arduino-and-Proces/?ALLSTEPS

"Super Make Something" Tutorial On How To Build a Simple 3D Scanner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qeD2__yK4c
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1413891
http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.de/2016/04/super-make-something-tutorial-on-how-to.html

Different method

$15 3D scanner consists of a tub of milk and a smartphone

Interesting idea of using milk and phone.

http://www.instructables.com/id/GotMesh-the-Most-Cheap-and-Simplistic-3D-Scanner/
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20160423-this-3d-scanner-consists-of-a-tub-of-milk-and-a-smartphone.html


TinkerCAD Align to Odd Shaped Object I have an odd-shaped object (I'll call it "A") that I have imported into a TinkerCAD drawing. Its dimensions do not align to any specific size, and therefore I can't really use the grid lock to help.

However, I need to get some other objects (called "B+") a specific and precise distance from the outside edge of "A". I was trying to get the ruler to lock to the edge of "A", but I can only get close.

Is there a way to do this so that I can get "B" perfectly positioned from the edge of "A"?

Consider to construct an object of any suitable shape that will properly align with the edge of "A."

The attached image is certainly an odd-shaped object (from a previous test project).

Add a regular/symmetrical object such as a cube and size it appropriately for your purpose. It would not have to be a cube, although such a shape provides for convenient alignment in this case:

Use the alignment tools feature in Tinkercad to align the desired edge(s). In this case, alignment is common right side, centered top to bottom.

After clicking on the alignment button, lower right corner:

Group the two objects using the Group feature.

I created a sample alignment reference in this image and placed it in contact with the group.

Move the group or reference item the desired distance:

Select the group and ungroup it.
Select the initial alignment item and delete it.

Objective completed.


Reinforce screw holes I made some 3D printed supports for tools, using screws to fix it to the wall, some of them broken because of the screw forces. Is there a way to reinforce only the screw holes where it will have more stress/compress? I am using PLA, Fusion 360 and Ultimaker Cura.

You can test different print settings. Trying to visualize, but I believe you can increase the perimeter lines, since there is a hole, this will increase the resistance in that area. Or try to change the orientation with which the part will be printed


Is there an easy way to split models in OpenSCAD? I'm wondering if I can take one OpenSCAD object, and cut/splice/split it into two different objects that can then be manipulated independently?

One approach is to duplicate the object, difference it along the cut border with a 3rd object, and then difference the result with itself. This seems overly complex and I suspect I'm missing something

PS - the point of this is that I have a nicely designed part where I need to create an interlock. I want to first cut the part in half, and then create some interlock mechanism

Rather than differencing a copy of the object from itself, which is subject to numerical instability, choose a box ("cube" in OpenSCAD terminology), and intersect it with one copy of the object, then difference it from the other copy of the object. This is all easy if you use modules to encapsulate your parts, and it also works with imported STL files.

Specifically, it should look something like this:

module mycut() {
    translate([x,y,z]) cube([w,l,h]);
}

difference() {
    myobject();
    mycut();
}

translate([u,v,w])
intersection() {
    myobject();
    mycut();
}


mjpg_streamer, Octopi, Kubuntu Running my Flsun 3D Cube from a Kubuntu PC using Octopi, and trying to get my webcam to work with it. I've followed the instructions on Github for mjpg_streamer to the letter. Everything I've read says, "Sure! The Raspberry PI directions will work with Linux, you bet!" but they don't, at least, not for me, a beginning level Linux user.

I know that my webcam works with Kubuntu since I can load it and view it using VLC, but I've been unable to figure out how to get Octopi to read the stream from VLC (the documentation could use some improvement) or even confirm if the stream works.

Back to mjpg_streamer: when I issue the command

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./mjpg_streamer -o "output_http.so -w ./www" -i "input_raspicam.so"

I get

bash: export: 'mjpg_streamer': not a valid identifier
bash: export: '-o:' not a valid identifier
bash: export: 'output_http.so -w ./www': not a valid identifier
bash: export: '-i': not a valid identifier
bash: export: 'input_raspicam.so': not a valid identifier

I don't know what I don't know, and I don't know how to proceed. The goal is to view my webcam in Octopi/Octolapse on a Kubuntu PC. (Windows with Yawcam, no brainer; Linux, not so much.)

Going to post the answer here for posterity and for those, like me, trying to cope with Linux after making a career in Windows.

I'm running Kubuntu 18 because I didn't want to have to buy an operating system or install a bootleg copy of Windows. The most important thing for a Windows user to know is that the readme.md file is important. Think of it as a .chm file, or a series of linked help documents. What you want to know is THERE, not on the github page.

Using the following command in the mjpg-streamer-experimental directory got me where I needed to go.

mjpg_streamer -i 'input_uvc.so -d /dev/video0 -r SVGA -f 30' -o 'output_http.so'

e.g. webcam, 800x600, 30fps to http (port 8080 is the default) The MD files break it down. I also found two web pages very useful:

http://skillfulness.blogspot.com/2010/03/mjpg-streamer-documentation.html
https://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/MJPG-Streamer/

In OctoPrint the streaming setting is then:

http://127.0.0.1:8080/?action=stream

In my case, I use the network IP rather than local host so I can monitor the print from my upstairs PC. For snapshots:

http://127.0.0.1:8080/?action=snapshot

I'll admit that Octolapse doesn't work for me yet because I'm still trying to work out ffmpeg, but that's another issue. EDIT: got that done, too. Useful command:

whereis ffmpeg


Artillery Sidewinder X1 3DTouch not working The printer I am working on is an Artillery Sidewinder X1.
I have fitted it with a 3DTouch (BLTouch clone) bed leveling probe purchased from Bangood.
I have printed a mount for it and plugged it into the main board. Once that was done, I edited the firmware and enabled all settings for the 3DTouch roughly following the directions from Teaching Tech's video here.
After flashing the firmware, an error message appears on every boot saying:
Failed to enable Bed Leveling
echo: Bed Leveling off echo:
Fade Height Off ok

After pressing confirm, ABL routine does not work. It homes the X-axis, then the Y-axis, deploys and stows the 3DTouch probe once. It also will show an error message for a split second (so I am unable to know what it says) the comes up with an EEPROM message.
Auto homing does the same thing as ABL routine but with a different error:
STOP called because of BLTouch
error - restart with M999
Error:Printer stopped due to errors.
Fix the error and use
M999 to restart. (Temperature
is reset. Set it after res[e]t

I have also zipped up my Marlin firmware configuration I am currently using. They can be found here: here.
My servo pin is connected to D11 and my two wire pin is connected to the ZMAX endstop. Here is a diagram:

Ok so I did a bit of testing with the wiring and it turns out I just had the 3DTouch in the Z- socket instead of Z+ :-) .
Another idiot mistake from me!


ABS or PLA for structural printed parts? TL;DR
Is ABS a better material to use for structural parts of a 3D printer, as opposed to PLA?

I have been looking at various suppliers of printed parts for a Wilson II, on eBay.
One supplier supplies all of the parts printed in ABS, whereas another supplier provides the structural parts, which form part of the frame, in PLA, and the remaining (non-structural) parts in ABS. The second supplier states the following:

This kit is printed in two materials, the structural parts are printed on high-quality PLA to provide the necessary rigidity, and the others in premium ABS.

MJRice, who developed the printer, also supplies the printed parts, which are made of PLA.
Is PLA really a better choice for structural components? A quick google lead me to ABS or PLA: Which 3D printing filament should you use?

ABS is going to give your projects better structural integrity and will be more suited to mechanical use given the material can better withstand the elements, but it will also require specific types of printers and printing surfaces. On the flip side, PLA will give you more precise prints and better aesthetic quality, as well as more flexibility with printing conditions if you can do without the strength and resilience of ABS.

Another link, What's stronger? PLA or ABS?, also implies that ABS is stronger than PLA:

The strongest ABS is stronger than the strongest PLA

and

ABS is much less brittle than PLA

although warpage could be an issue...

I choose ABS for it's strength over PLA.  I would love to avoid the warpage/shrinkage problems of ABS.

Heat seems to affect PLA more than ABS (obviously, due to the lower melting point),

FWIW, I know a guy who had a reprap using PLA-printed parts.  He was taking his machine around to do demos and he left it in the car mid-day once.  It melted the parts enough that prints were coming out very poorly even after his best effort at recalibrating the machine.

and as I am in Thailand, my room gets up to 50°C some days (it is unbearable), I wonder if that would be cause for concern?
So, from the above nuggets of information, wouldn't ABS be a better choice? I am surely missing something, as both the second supplier, and MJRice, use PLA.

To answer the main question "Is ABS better for structural parts of a 3D printer as opposed to PLA".

The answer, unfortunately is it depends.

ABS has lower yield and ultimate strengths compared to PLA. This means that at room temperatures, ABS is weaker than PLA. However the difference between yield and ultimate for ABS is much larger than PLA, meaning that ABS parts will deform, noticeably so before breaking. This can be a good thing. If your ABS part is highly loaded, you may want to be able to inspect it for overloading. The plastic deformation that occurs in ABS may be sufficient for you to identify, and modify your parts before a catastrophic failure. With PLA though since the two strengths are quite close, your part would more than likely fail completely without any warning or deformation before it. So in terms of strength, it's a design consideration. Would you rather have a slightly weaker part that shows signs of load failure, or is a catastrophic failure acceptable. There are use cases where either may be better.

As Ecnerwal pointed out, PLA has a lower Tg (glass transition temperature) compared to ABS. If your printed parts are going on a 3D printer and aren't sufficiently isolated from the hot parts (print bed or extruder) then you may end up having some localized deformation. That being said, the extruder is generally pretty localized and likely won't cause you too many issues assuming you're using any of the already available 3D printer designs out there, same for the print bed. However by the sounds of it your 'room' temperature is a fair bit higher than here in North America, by a factor of almost 2! This could cause you some issues if you're printing parts in the high heat with PLA. Your best option would be ABS, but even with it's higher Tg (roughly 90C if I remember correctly) you may still run into issues.

The warping and shrinkage issues mentioned in the question seem to be more about parts being built by a 3D printer. Once the parts are built warpage and shrinkage are essentially a non-issue unless you've heated parts back to within their melting temperatures.

Depending on where you're getting your plastic parts, there may be a third option. By the sounds of it you're looking at building your own printer. You may be able to get the STL files of the printed parts you need and then have someone print them for you in a stronger material such as Nylon.

Assuming alternative materials aren't an option I would personally suggest going with ABS for your use case. My reasoning is purely due to the potential operating temperatures. While 50C is below the Tg for PLA it's getting very close.


Setup Creality CR-10 in Cura Can anyone help me find/confirm the information needed to setup the CR-10 in the Cura Software

I have following settings from research:

Printer Settings

x =  300 mm
y =  300 mm
z =  400 mm
Build Plate = Rectangular
Machine Center is Zero = Checked
Heated Bed = Checked
G-code Flavor = RepRap (Marlin/Sprinter) -- Uncertain - please help confirm this

Print Head Settings

X min = Unclear where this comes from
Y min = Unclear where this comes from
X max = Unclear where this comes from
Y max = Unclear where this comes from
Gantry Height = Unclear where this is measured from
Number of Extruders = 1
Material Diameter - 1.75 mm
Nozzle size = 0.4 mm

GCode flavor: the firmware your machine uses. Google tells me CR-10 uses Marlin, so you should select that. Volumetric Marlin is not very common.

Print Head Settings
X/Y min/max define the bounding box of the area your print head takes up. Measure the distance from the centre of the nozzle to the left-most point of the print head and do the same for the right-most, front-most and back-most.

Gantry Height is the distance from the tip of the nozzle to the lowest point of the gantry, which is the axle on which the print head is mounted.

These print head settings are only used for one-at-a-time printing.


Marlin Firmware Auto Leveling only re-centers the XY-axis (Delta printer) I'm trying to get my printer to auto level its bed, with Marlin firmware using the following:

Printer: Kossel Linear plus (Delta 3D printer)
Board: MKS Base V1.5
Firmware: Marlin customized

I go into the menu on my LCD, and go to the prepare screen. The screen has the following options:

Auto home
Level Bed
Bed leveling: off

When I select the "Auto home" function, the printer uses the stops at the top of the delta to zero itself.
When I select the "Level bed" function, the printer once again uses the end stops to level itself.
If I turn the Bed leveling to ON, then the Level Bed function will do the exact same thing.

My auto-leveling device is connected to the Z-axis end-stop, and looks like so:

I have the #define AUTO_BED_LEVELING_LINEAR line in my config.h, as well as the #define Z_MIN_PROBE_USES_Z_MIN_ENDSTOP_PIN line. I'm not sure why the printer doesn't actually lower the head to the plate and press the endstop.

Any clues as to how to make the printer level the bed and not home the XY axis?

You are correct to define the constants AUTO_BED_LEVELING_LINEAR and Z_MIN_PROBE_USES_Z_MIN_ENDSTOP_PIN, be sure to define the following also:

#define Z_MAX_POS MANUAL_Z_HOME_POS

and

#define MANUAL_Z_HOME_POS 300 // Distance between the nozzle to printbed after homing

Note that 300 should be the distance from nozzle to bed after homing.

Please look into the configuration files of this Kossel Linear Plus and compare them with your own configuration files, you may have missed something.


How can you both reliably print and remove your item, without breaking it when detaching it? I have had problems with items sticking on the build plate, especially when they were big (as they didn't stick well, they corners warped -> all kind of problems).

I also wanted to upgrade my printer (Scratch XYCore-Bowden) to have the ability to use flexible filament so first I modified my extruder motor/cog-wheel so it pushes the filament straight into the Bowden tube (classic modification).

This worked okay for small parts (as was the case with PLA).

The heat-bed seems to flex when heating in an uniform manner so it's not perfectly flat which means the Marlin 3-point test doesn't work out.

To alleviate this I added a borosilicate glass on top of the heat bed for perfect 'flatness', but the inductive sensor didn't reach through those extra 3 mm of the glass, so I bought another inductive sensor (old was 4 mm LJ12A3-4-Z/BY PNP with a voltage divider, new is 8 mm NPN) and this started to function somehow:

As the sensor doesn't sense the surface (or the glass at all), but senses the heatbed under, which isn't either flat nor stable according to temperature, I added aluminium tape under the glass pane. This actually works perfectly well!

Now I am able to tune in the first layer distance really well, but still the flex filament floats around on the glass so I added blue painters tape which makes it work, very very well!

All well for flex printing!

Switched to PLA (which always worked okay whatever some small errors in print height, and not too wide items) and I have all pieces sticking to the bed in a manner I just cant get them off...

They get big scratches from the pincers, get broken, etc.,...

I have tried:

Pincers (works for some items, doesn't work for some. About always makes marks);
Ripping off the blue painter tape (the tape was removed everywhere except where the item was stuck. Plus now I have to add new tape);
Chuck the build plate in the freezer for an hour. It helps a lot but:

Still not easy to remove without making marks;
It's a serious hassle;
It's also a time waster.

My question is: How can you both reliably print and remove your item without breaking it?

Little image of the last part that I broke (the square impact in the middle is after ripping of the "hook" from this hanger when I tried to detach it from the heat bed), as it didn't work at all I had to put it in the freezer for an hour or so to be able to remove the rest:

If your print is sticking too well, try printing directly onto the glass.
If then, your print isn't sticking well enough, try using something like a glue stick instead.
Most people use a paint scraper (a small one, like this) to remove prints from build surfaces.


Looking for information on modifying Boots Industries 3D printers About two years ago I purchased a Boots Industries v.2.5 3D printer in a delta configuration. The wiki is still up at this location where you can see what the printer looked like.

The printer is prone to break and slip because the design uses thin wire to move the carriages up and down. I'd like to convert my printer over to using a belt like the one on this page, but the conversion kit is no longer available. I believe I can 3D print the carriages, but would anyone be able to point me toward the resources to convert my printer over to using a toothed belt?

Contact Brian or Lykle.  We all have Boots Industries printers and have heavily modified it to belt drive and magnetic effectors.  The print quality has improved drastically.  The old Boots support group has since moved on to Slack and we are in constant contact everyday.

https://biv25.slack.com/messages/@slackbot/

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1843195


How thick does an aluminum print bed need to be I am extending the bed of my TronXY X3 FDM RepRap printer.

I am extending the bed from 220 mm x 220 mm to 220 mm x 300 mm.  For now, I will keep the existing bed and add and aluminum sheet on top.  That leaves 40mm on front and back of the original bed.

Right now I only plan on running PLA; but, I do plan on heating the bed.

How thick does the aluminum sheet need to be?

Main factors that control the process of the print bed selection are

weight: too thick plate increases inertial force, limiting maximum acceleration/jerk (decreased print speed)
stiffness: too thin plate will warp when heated or bend during calibration (decreased print quality/printer reliability)

For table sizes around 400x400mm I would think of 4mm plate, but it still can warp if heated unevenly.

Sometimes it makes sense to use a sandwich-type table: lower level is MDF, cork panel for heat insulation and thin (1.5-2mm) aluminum heated bed on top.


Not Heated Build Plate Glue Amount and Dry Duration Background:

I am using the Flux Delta 3d Printer, and it arrived with a glue stick. Now on their forums it said to apply 2 layers of glue and let it dry, there's supposed to be a link there on how long it should dry. However that link is broken.

My question:

On a not heated bed, how much glue-stick should I apply and for how long should I let it dry?

As a fellow Flux Delta owner, I can answer this question with certainty. Two layers is sufficient. Be sure to consider the size of the model being printed and the additional area covered if you are using skirts or rafts.

If you apply the glue stick at the moment you turn on the printer, it will be dry enough to work properly. The printer "uses time" to initialize and to calibrate which provides enough drying time. You will also "use time" to load the software and import the model.

It is not necessary to remove the glue from the plate after a print. For succeeding model printing, ensure that you've filled in the areas missing glue from removing the previous model.

You will want to remove the glue (hot water works good, but the build plate gets hot!) when you feel that the glue build-up changes the texture of the bottom layers.

You may have already learned from the forums that you print on the non-grid side of the build plate.


Nozzle height adjusting for every print I'm new to the 3D printing world and got my first Ender 3 (with the 32-bit controller board).
I have a problem with every single print. I've upgraded to the newest Marlin firmware, did the mesh leveling then started printing and fix the Z bed option in "Tune - Z bed" during the print (so the first layer is perfect). Please note that I save all the data of the mesh before end of the print. Then, when I start the same print again, the nozzle height is wrong. This happens every single print. The strange thing is that I need to adjust the height differently after every print. Like, the first print was -0.055 mm, second print was 0.30 mm, then it was +0.25 mm somehow.
I really like to print without these constant adjustments.

It sounds like your bed is unstable. This is what I had to do with my Tronxy X1, and I fixed it by installing a decent bed stabiliser. Now that I have a stable bed, I only have to re-level it occasionally. However, the Tronxy X1 is a cantilever printer with a single rail for the bed, not an Ender 3.
I would suggest that you tighten the bed-levelling springs as far as they will go whilst still leaving sufficient movement for bed levelling, and re-position the end-stop switch. Then re-level the bed. If that doesn't work, try fitting stiffer springs. Upgrades are available for the Ender 3. If that still doesn't work, look for bed stabilisation solutions for your printer.
Note also that the bed-levelling knobs have a reputation for coming loose on the Ender 3. Tightening the springs (or fitting stiffer springs) may cure this, but some users fit locking nuts to stop the knobs moving.


Ender 3 Power Problem: Not starting up I have a Creality Ender 3, I've had it for just under 2 years and during a print one morning it suddenly stopped and powered itself off. After checking the fuse and other electronic components it still didn't power on. I purchased a new switch as I thought the problem was there but after replacing it is still did not turn on.

The printer has been working fine and there were no visible or audible anomalies. I urgently need this to be fixed.

@trish Thankyou for your help.

I did purchased the new power supply and everything works fine now.


Will RAMPS able to control 4 stepper motors I am making a DIY 3D printer based on the prusa mini. So, I doubt is if RAMPS can only control 4 stepper motors as it has slots for 5 stepper motor slots and one will not be used in my case, if I can in what order should I connect the drivers and also ho will Marlin figure out which slot the extruder is connected? Sorry for the lack of knowledge if fit is really obvious  :|

There is no problem with using 4 motors instead of 5. The 5th slot is provided to enable use of a second extruders, but many people only have a single extruder printer and leave the 5th slot unused.

how will Marlin figure out which slot the extruder is connected

Which stepper motor is in which slot is something you can configure in the firmware. There is no way for the firmware to "figure it out" without help.
It is quite involved to change it in the firmware, so it is best to follow the default placement. You can easily find wiring diagrams for RAMPS (showing the default assignment of motors to slots) on various resources such as the RepRap wiki.


Is a dual extruder a reasonable choice for all-purpose printing I'm new to 3D printing and I recently got a LulzBot Taz 6 printer.

I'm interested in doing dual extrusion printing (especially with dissolvable supports), but I'm also interested in doing single extrusion prints. In particular, I would like to experiment with printing flexible filament.

The LulzBot TAZ Dual Extruder v3 Tool Head says that it can handle all the filament types that I am interested in.

Here is the question: can I use a dual extruder (in particular, the LulzBot TAZ Dual Extruder v3 Tool Head) for general purpose printing (read single extrusion) or do I need to use a single extrusion head for single extrusion print jobs.

If you can use a dual for single use, why buy single extruders (I've been looking at LulzBot TAZ Aerostruder Tool Head for flexy prints) if you can get the same performance out of a dual head?

If you should use a single extruder for non-dual prints, please explain the shortcomings of using a dual print head for general purpose use.

Not an expert by any means but I can’t see any reason you couldn’t use one half of a dual extruder. The benefits of not using one though would be decreased extruder weight. Especially given that this is a direct drive so there will be two stepper motors I believe. Reduced weight means faster print times and a reduction in certain print artifacts such as ringing etc.

Short answer, if your only ever going to need one extruder probably avoid a dual but if you want the flexibility this should work when a single extruder is required.


How to display images on DLP using HDMI for 3D printing? I am working on a DLP based 3D printer. I already sliced my STL file to multiple layers. Each layer is saved as a SVG file. Because its an SVG file, I can always convert each layer to PNG/JPG file if desired.

I have a TI DLP Lightcrafter 4500 module connected to my laptop using the HDMI. The DLP shows up as a second monitor on my laptop. I am using LabVIEW to control all components of the printer.

Question 1: How I can programmatically display my desired image file on the DLP projector. I would prefer to use Python or LabVIEW to display my desired image onto the entire screen of the DLP. Is there any way to achieve this on Windows? I also have the option of using Raspberry Pi + LabVIEW using LINX (http://www.labviewmakerhub.com/). I looked at nanoDLP (http://www.nanodlp.com/), which is a control software for DLP based 3D printers. However, I can't figure out how they manage to display the desired images to the DLP.

Question 2: Is it possible to display a SVG file to the DLP instead of PNG/JPG/BMP? If not, how do I know which resolution to use when converting SVG to PNG/JPG/BMP?

Q1: Printrun is 3D printer host software written in Python with limited DLP support. You can checkout how it display layers.
NanoDLP directly talk to GPU through Dispmanx which makes it Raspberry Pi only.

Q2: Printrun supports SVG. To convert SVG (multi-layer) to PNG you can use ImageMagick cli tools, you should consider your projector resolution too.


Adjusting Bed Temp values on Monoprice/Wanhao I3 (Repetier Firmware) I have a Monoprice Maker Select, which is a rebranded Wanhao Duplicator I3 V2 (Prusa clone).  I've found that the heated bed temperature values on the LCD are incorrect.  The heater works, and the controller maintains the bed temp just fine, but the temperature reported isn't the true temperature.  When using the PLA preset, with the bed set for 60°C, once the temperature stabilizes at 60°C on the display, I can measure it with a laser thermometer and get a consistent 54°C across the buildplate.  With the ABS preset of 90°C, I read 80°C.  And with the bed set for the maximum value of 120°C, I'm only reading 102-104°C.

I've checked these values with the bare aluminum build plate, and I've allowed the temps to stabilize for at least 10 minutes to ensure that I have consistent readings.  I believe the the firmware is using the wrong temperature curve for the thermistor in my device.

I had hoped that there was a simple scaling constant that I could adjust, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  I've researched enough to learn that my device is running Repetier 0.91 firmware, and this page on temperature control on the Repetier wiki says that each type of thermistor needs a custom voltage->temp lookup table, and talks about building a custom table in "configuration.h".  I've tried to follow this line of research but I feel like I'm going around in circles.  It sounds like I could build a custom version of the firmware to install on my printer, and in doing so I could potentially specify a better conversion table.  This gives me pause for several reasons:

I haven't found any online reference to other people installing a custom Repetier build on a Wanhao I3.
I have no idea what values to use for the temp conversion table.
I can't even find anyone else reporting my issue.
I'm fairly new to this; I rather not brick my printer, and I haven't found any good guides to installing firmware on the device either.
I'm not convinced this is the right option.  Should I be looking at replacing the thermistor instead?  And if so, what's the correct part?

I've also looked into the Melzi board inside the printer hoping for a variable resistor to tweak the thermistor voltage divider, but no such luck, at least in the schematics.

I could just live with it; I've been using a 67°C setting to achieve a true 60°C bed temp for PLA, but I'm starting to work with ABS and I'd like the option to get above 100°C bed temp.  Am I on the right track? Suggestions?  I'm still pretty new to the device and 3D printing in general, so I may have overlooked something obvious.

Update: additional question in light of Tom's answer: what is the expected max actual bed temp achievable on a Wanhao/Monoprice I3?  I'm measuring 100°C with an LCD reading of 120°C, but I'd like to get to 110°C if possible.

It is completely normal for the surface of the bed to be cooler than the indicated temperature. The thermistor goes on the underside of the bed, near the heating traces. The top of the bed (which is further away from the heating traces) will naturally be cooler.

It would be possible, though a lot of work, to build a custom thermistor table that more accurately reflects the surface of the bed, though that means your thermistor table will no longer reflect the characteristics of your thermistor, but instead reflect the particular circumstances under which you build your custom table (which would be affected by ambient temperature, any drafts, ...).

The accuracy of an infrared laser thermometer depends on the characteristics of the surface you're measuring for, so unless you adjusted the thermometer specifically to measure the aluminium surface of the bed, it's possible your thermometer is off as well.

The exact temperature of your bed doesn't matter anyways (you just need it approximately in the right ballpark) so I would suggest to just live with it. The 60C/90C figures are not supposed to be for the surface of the bed. They're meant to reflect the temperature reported by the printer. That said, 90C is a bit low for printing ABS (but the bed/power supply on your printer might not be powerful enough to get any higher).


How to concave a cylinder with Onshape? If I have a 3D cylindrical extrusion (in Onshape), how can I scoop, carve, or indent a concave/parabolic curve in one of the ends?

The yellow surface is the target.

Here is the basic shape I'm trying to bore out (like a satellite dish, parabolic antenna, or even a contact lens.. You get the idea).

As is typical with many CAD type programs, a feature in Onshape known as revolve may be your solution. As you have a clear formula for the cross-section, half of the work is complete.

You would generate a sketch representing the curve, then use the Revolve feature with the axis oriented to vertical. According to the Onshape video, you can generate a solid or a surface from the options that appear when selecting that feature.

As you can see in the images above, the axis selected in the tutorial video is horizontal. Other features of revolve are covered in the video. Your post suggests it will also be necessary to perform a subtraction action on the assembly in order to get the scoop/concave result.


Curated resin size shrink (and methods to reduce it) I've recently purchased an Elegoo Mars Pro 3D printer.
I've read about that percentage of resin shapes going smaller and I understand that. But are slicers (or software which help with the joints) already taking that into consideration? Resines vary, and with them that percentage varies too, so is the software applying that error margin or am I the one responsible on this?
Also, is that shrink percentage constant? Like everytime I print 5 mm it will shrink to 4.7 mm, or it depends on how is curated and other random values so it could be one 4.6 mm and the next printed shape to be 4.8 mm?
It depends on the curation process, or the printing process? If I print 2 separated parts alltogether in one single print session, both will have the same shrinkage, or it will depend on the curation process of each of them individually?
If it's not constant...
How can I ensure that all parts printed separately will fit together when joined later on and it won't create a sort of Frankenstein figure where nothing fits? Is there any process to reduce that shrinking to a minimum, even if it takes longer for each shape to cure?
I'm not referring to "clipping parts", but edges and so. If I join two separate parts together, and one of them is smaller than the other because of the shrink of the resin, then the edges won't fit and won't be a clean join.

Generally, this behavior isn't well reearched as of this moment, and it would be dependant on your specific resin. While I can't tell you if your resin is affected by shrink or even uneven shrink, I can give you the method of how to investigate:

Download or design a cube with a well-known dimension. I'd suggest a cube of 20 mm side length. It's best to indent the orientation onto the surfaces. One such model would be thing 3090144, which has a version that is hollow and has a hole to let out resin, but there are others.
Align the X, Y and Z with the letter into the positive side of the axis in your slicer.
Print.
After Printing, clean and cure
Only after curing, measure the X and Y and Z dimensions with calipers.
Calculate shrinkage: Measurement divided by 20 gets you the shrinkage or expansion, multiply by 100 for percent.


Help fixing Prusa i3 MK3 print jams While printing a paint rack from thingiverse I keep getting jams. Other prints (shorter) work fine. Can anyone give me a clue?
Here's a video of the printer
I thought it was heat creep so I increased the speed and decreased the hot end temperature. It generally prints for several hours then jams.

When I started printing ABS with my Prusa i3 MK3 MMU2+ printer, I started experiencing jams on some longer prints, which was heat creap, possibly combined with old filament.
I improved the cooling by filling the gap between the sides of the heat sink and the plastic extruder body. I think I stuffed it with some soft foam rubber, but anything that can handle the (what should be fairly cool) temperature should work.
My hypothesis is that with gap allowed too much of the air to pass without engaging the heat sink, compromising the cooling.
With that change, I haven't had heat-creap jams.
You aren't printing ABS, but the temperature is high, and PLA softens as a low temperature. IMO, it would still be worth making the change.
It is the gap on the front and rear sides that I blocked.  The heatsink fins are fully open for air flow.
Some people here have changed out the Noctua fan for one that is noisier and pushes more air, which should also work. I appreciate the quiet fan, so I tried to get more work out of the fan I had.


Using extruder motor as 4th axis I am currently working with a hobbyist robotic arm (uArm Swift Pro) which runs a modified version of Marlin 3D printing firmware.

The arm can be used as a 3D printer as well thus it has an extruder motor. I am not using it as a 3D printer, instead I am reusing the extruder motor as 4th axis to move the arm along a rail. The problem I have run into is that the extruder motor is accelerating in steps, that is accelerating up to a certain speed holds that speed for a while (1-2 s) and then accelerates up to a higher speed holds that for a while. It then decelerates in the same fashion.

So my question is where in the Marlin code is planing made for the E-axis and is it any different from planing the speed of the other axis?

Movement of the steppers is controlled by the jerk and acceleration settings. Both are controlled/set in the Marlin configuration file.

/**
 * Default Max Acceleration (change/s) change = mm/s
 * (Maximum start speed for accelerated moves)
 * Override with M201
 *                                      X, Y, Z, E0 [, E1[, E2[, E3[, E4]]]]
 */
#define DEFAULT_MAX_ACCELERATION      { 3000, 3000, 100, 10000 }

/**
 * Default Acceleration (change/s) change = mm/s
 * Override with M204
 *
 *   M204 P    Acceleration
 *   M204 R    Retract Acceleration
 *   M204 T    Travel Acceleration
 */
#define DEFAULT_ACCELERATION          3000    // X, Y, Z and E acceleration for printing moves
#define DEFAULT_RETRACT_ACCELERATION  3000    // E acceleration for retracts
#define DEFAULT_TRAVEL_ACCELERATION   3000    // X, Y, Z acceleration for travel (non printing) moves

/**
 * Default Jerk (mm/s)
 * Override with M205 X Y Z E
 *
 * "Jerk" specifies the minimum speed change that requires acceleration.
 * When changing speed and direction, if the difference is less than the
 * value set here, it may happen instantaneously.
 */
#define DEFAULT_XJERK                 10.0
#define DEFAULT_YJERK                 10.0
#define DEFAULT_ZJERK                  0.3
#define DEFAULT_EJERK                  5.0

/**


What does the velocity profile of the motors look like when they change direction? The stepper motors usually have a constant acceleration profile (trapezoidal profile) of an even jerk limit profile (S-curve profile). In linear motion, it seems possible to conserve proportion between x and y speed as shown

My confusion starts when the direction of motion changed so the proportion of speed must change too.
That impossible to join two velocity profiles except we decrease the speed of both axis down to zero then start ramping up with a new profile which means the 3D printer will stop and move for every G-Code segment that apparently not true.
So my question is how does the firmware deal with these problems joining velocity profile?

The answer depends on the kinematics model in use. In Marlin there are at least:
Classic jerk
The "jerk", in units of mm/s not the expected mm/s³, is actually a "maximum instantaneous change" in velocity. Without any jerk (set to 0), your analysis would be correct, and all changes in direction would require slowing down to 0 velocity. However, with jerk, it's only necessary to slow down enough to make the necessary instantaneous change in velocity components less than the jerk limit. For a very slight change in direction (e.g. going around a curve approximated by line segments) this amounts to no slowdown at all. However, in this naive model, arbitrarily many bounded instantaneous velocity changes can happen in an arbitrarily small amount of time, essentially requiring unbounded acceleration capability and leading to missed steps/layer shifts.
Junction deviation
At each junction between segments where direction changes, the acceleration profile is executed as if the motion were cutting the corner in an arc, deviating from the exact corner by a distance of the configured junction deviation parameter. The actual step path still follows the sharp corner.
Others
I'm not really familiar with S-curve acceleration, but as I understand it it's a more advanced model fitting smooth curves to the travel path so that velocity can vary continuously, with bounded acceleration, rather than having jump discontinuities.
Klipper firmware also has a model very close to junction deviation, which its documentation explains clearly.


Can't print on Wanhao Duplicator i3 Mini After unboxing and setting up my brand-new Wanhao Duplicator i3 Mini, I can't seem to print. When selecting a model to print, the extruder does not heat up and the whole printer does nothing, yet the progress bar moves from 0 to 100 in a few seconds time (VIDEO LINK).

Please note that

the extruder does heat up when adding filament and does extrude a
small amount when adding filament
the servos all seem to work, as the
extruder moves around just fine when leveling the bed using the
wizard

I have done the following as per the manual:

Removed the cable ties which held the bed for transport
Attached the spool holder
Connected power and switched it
On leveled the bed using the wizard multiple times
Added a spool of 1.75 PLA filament as instructed by the manual/firmware
The included SD card wasn't recognized, copied the files to a new one, which was recognized.

This is the link to the file I'm trying to print.

I have flashed the firmware as described here but it didn't change anything

I can print using the Wanhao Cura software and a USB connection. For the time being, this is an acceptable workaround.

The nozzle size is 0.4 mm

Please note this is not a full answer, but it does address a problem pointed out in the question.

The linked file does contain some strange information. Although in the comments it is said to use a layer thickness of 0.2 mm, see:

;   layerHeight,0.2

with a first layer being 90% of this size:

;   firstLayerHeightPercentage,90

it actually does not.

The actual sliced layers are measured in 0.5 mm and 0.222 mm and 0.45 mm for the first layer!?! The first layer is at:

G1 Z0.450 F1000
; process Process1
; layer 1, Z = 0.450

the next layer is 0.5 mm, so 0.95 for layer 2:

; layer 2, Z = 0.950
M106 S255
G1 X65.347 Y84.268 F4800
G1 Z0.950 F1000

And then it becomes strange,

; layer 3, Z = 1.172

for layer 3 (so a 0.222 mm layer height), and 0.222 mm for layer 4 and so forth.

This is a pretty odd sliced file, which basically is not possible to be printed with a 0.4 mm nozzle (you should never exceed a layer height of about 75% of the nozzle width, so max. 0.3 mm for a 0.4 mm nozzle).

I don't know the firmware, but I find it hard to believe that the firmware knows what kind of nozzle is present (although Ultimaker does know that with their nozzle core concept they launched from the Ultimaker 3 series). It could be that your firmware does know the nozzle size and does not let you print these layer sizes. It is therefore recommended to reslice the print and other objects and take a closer look at the G-code files.


Cement or another solid pore filler suitable for ABS? I want to paint my ABS parts. But I foresee a problem that will arise from 0.16mm layer - those layers will be perfectly visible, even with primer. Sanding them wouldn't be a good idea, because walls are just 0.8-1mm thick, and probably acetone bath isn't right thing too. I want to use some sort of cement or paste, and cover parts with it using some paint scraper or knife before painting. Do cements suitable for this task exist? Would they stick to ABS?

Some quick research shows me that ABS can be slightly affected by the composition of polyester resin. Automotive body repair filler, commonly called Bondo (brand name) is mostly polyester resin. I've found in my reading that some consider the "slightly affected" aspect to mean that it adheres well, others believe that the material will weaken and damage the ABS.

You could, of course, purchase some body filler and perform tests. It sands well and would certainly remove the layer lines.

If you determine that such material is not a good solution or would rather not take the gamble or perform the tests, you have an option with another product called microballoons or microspheres. It is a product that has an accurate description. The material is hollow spheres of glass of such tiny dimensions that they will blow away if you breathe on them.

The primary purpose of this product is to fill gaps, create fillets and similar structures without adding appreciable weight. One would use them with thin epoxy resin and mix to desired consistency. Some descriptions include "mayonnaise or peanut butter" depending on the application.

With both of these products, easily sanded is also in the description, although your choice of epoxy will also contribute to that aspect. Because the microballoons are mostly air, they do sand quite cleanly when mixed to heavy or thick consistency.


How To Trace The Line Of A Print With The Nozzle (With No Plastic Printed) I want to calibrate my printer for my new BLTouch (Ender 3 using Marlins 1.1.9), every time I adjust the values in the configuration.h and send it to the printer I end up having to wait for the nozzle and the bed to heat up, it also wastes plastic.
Is there a way to take out the values in the code that make the extruder turn without causing any damage.
the slicer that I am using is Cura and the print that I want to trace is this calibration crosshair. Any help will be greatly appreciated.


Printrboard Rev. D. 3.3 V source I am looking for a 3.3 V power source in the Printrboard Rev. D pins.

I think there should be one somewhere... I do not know how to read the schematics that well.

Also, I am going to connect an HC-06, which draws 45 mA or less during operation. So, I need to know if it safe to get the power from the 3.3 V rail (if I find it).

So, the questions are:

Which one is the 3.3 V pin?
And how much current can I draw from it?

On the schematic, the 3.3v is marked as "U7" and pointed out here:

The 3.3v is marked as pin #2. You can find the three pints from U7 here on the board (blue circle):

I'm not exactly sure if the pins are accessed from the other side of the board, or even if they are marked at all on there. You can always check them with a multimeter to see what their output is. More than likely the bottom single pin is the ground and the top two are one or the other (5v & 3.3v).

As far as amperage draw, I'm thinking 45mA is not a lot of draw, but I'm not an expert. I'd think it should be able to handle it, but again, I really don't know.


CubePro Alternative Slicer So, having bought this cube pro duo 3d printer a few days ago I have come to see how significantly limiting the default slicer software that comes with the machine is. For the prints that I am doing I've been looking around at alternative slicers however the cube pro has its own file format for builds and I'm not sure if any other software has the option to export those specifically and I also have no idea id the CubePro can read any files other than its own. On top of this whenever I download some other slicer it gets to the printer setup and there's a whole bunch of settings and parameters for the printer that I haven't been able to find, stuff like Firmware or Nozzle Diameter (Something that id expect to be easy to find).

In particularly a software called IdeaMaker is what I'm interested in since I've seen that you can make custom supports and that would be very useful for what I'm doing.

Does anyone know what I can do? Or is this a case of there's nothing I can do without some serious modification that I'd rather not do?

Any help is appreciated thanks! :D

As far as I understand, the CubePro 3D printers use their own format: .cubepro or .cubex.

It appears that a:

  .cubepro file format and found out that it only does a Blowfish ECB encryption of the .bfb file

This implies that you need to find a slicer that outputs .bfb tool path files (similar like G-code files) and a tool to encrypt the tool path file. The dubious CodeX tool and this alternative can do that for you.


What are the long term material properties of VeroWhitePlus 3D printer material? I have been 3D printing parts with an Objet 30 Polyjet 3D printer for about a year now, primarily using Stratasys VeroWhitePlus UV cured model material. In general, the parts seem to become more brittle over time, which I assume is due to the parts continuing to cure due to exposure to light. However, I have also noticed that when exposed to moisture for extended periods of time the parts are prone to warping even under little strain at room temperature.

I know that the material does display thermoplastic properties to some extent, but I was wondering if someone might be able to provide me with some additional information about the long-term material properties of either this particular material or similar UV cured 3D printed plastics.

The deformation of the parts in the presence of moisture, in particular, has me really confused, so any information about why this would occur would be greatly appreciated.

In our experience, the parts will continue to cure. I don't have the chemical science background to provide proof or evidence, but I operate from an assumption that if the part requires UV rays to cure, it will continue to be reactive to UV rays after it is considered "cured".

I too have found the same brittleness over long periods of time. The only experience I have with the moisture issue would be a small component designed and built for a cable pulley in the tail section of an aircraft as a temporary solution (acting on a non-critical trim control surface). The aircraft is based down here in Houston, Texas where we get some pretty gnarly humidity. The part did begin warping after a few months but we don't have definitive information indicating it was a moisture problem, or something more structural.

I do know however, that if you aren't absolutely meticulous about cleaning ALL of that gelatin-like support material off of the part, it does wind up being more susceptible to slight deformities, and when you DO remove it all thoroughly,  it is then slightly more susceptible to the brittleness issue. Not sure if I'm the only one finding this, and apologies for not having the chemical background to provide more quantitative support.


Clean or wipe move for delta 3D printers I own a delta 3D printer. The problem is that, at the beginning of a print the extruder outputs dirty filament. I want a clean filament flow at the start of my prints!

How can I make the hotend exit the print surface (glass plate) by 10mm, extrude the bad filament and go back to printing again? Can this be done with G-code?

My Z high is 190 mm and the glass plate diameter is 120 mm. I'm using Marlin + Ramps 1.4.

I'm using Repetier-Host and CuraEngine as Slicer, but I really would like a G-code that can work on multiple environments like Cura and Repetier. I just want to add it to the start G-code and print!

Slic3r, and all other slicers that I saw, have an option called Skirt that enables your printer to print a number of lines around your object before it starts printing the object itself.

This should ensure that both the nozzle is filled with filament and the printer got rid of any burned / dirty filament when it starts printing your object.

If you use Slic3r as standalone, you have to activate expert mode in the preferences. If you use it through Repetier-host it should already be in expert mode.

You can see all available options in the Slic3r documentation for Skirt.


Wanhao Duplicator i3 ABS settings I am looking to others who have successfully printed in ABS using a Wanhao Duplicator i3.

I have tried and get a lot of warping and delamination. I tried putting a large box over the printer which did help with the warping some but I am still getting some layer separation. I used 235 °C for the extruder and 100 °C for the bed. I am printing at 40 mm/s and 0.2 mm layer height.

If someone has ABS and PETG settings for this printer, your help would be appreciated.

I am an official Wanhao Distributor

By experience I can recommend you to print with this settings:

Extruder 230 °C
Heated Bed 65 °C
Have a glass surface
Use hairspray over the glass
Continue to enclose the printer or at least put it where there is almost no wind
Print at 45 mm/s

Note that this settings vary a lot depending on humidity and other factors related to where you are printing, so it would be very useful to know where in the globe are you experimenting.

Also note that humidity is very very bad for 3D Printing Filaments so keep them sealed while not using them.

Please do  comment if you have any more doubts.


Problem printing bigger models in the Ender 5 In all the bigger prints I print on my Ender 5 with PETG I have problems with warping and raft detachment during printing. I have a glass bed and I'm using Ultimaker Cura 4.6.1 standard printing settings for PETG (Recently I had some success using 245 °C nozzle temperature and 80 °C build plate).
Any ideas how to reduce those problems?

This sounds like a bed leveling issue.  As reported by others, I get much less warping with PETG than with ABS or even PLA, and deal with too much adhesion with PETG rather than too little.  With a Reprap x400, I printed a faceplate for the extruder to hold a electronic drop indicator.  This gives me much higher precision leveling. Of course, I remove the drop indicator after leveling.
If leveling isn't the issue, then you may be printing too fast.  The recommendations I've seen are to print PETG at 50 mm/s or less.  I print a a lower speed than that.


Displayed temperature jumping while printing for a long time I have a Felix Tec 4 (Single Extruder) and at the moment I print for a relatively long time compared to my other prints. Recently I noticed that after a few hours of continuous printing the displayed temperature jumped by up to 10 °C, which is almost certainly not true. Since it is the temperature that jumps, it will probably be the thermistor that is broken, but what is broken that this only happens after several hours and not immediately?
I think it does not have to do something with the G-code, because the temperature makes jumps of up to 10 °C in one second and back again. I had 2 pretty big prints to do. It happend on both of them, but I forgot to take screenshots on the first print which was much worse that the second one. Here is how it looked in OctoPrint on second print:

For comparison I have entered the temparatures manually in OctoPrint and made a screenshot of the temparature

I searched the GCode for M104, M109, M140 and M190, but only found M190 one time at the beginning, which I think is normal.

Your temperature is not just bumping up 10 °C. Your hotend is fluctuating in temperature, it drops under and increases over the "set" temperature. The hotend temperature is a result of the amount heat you put into it and how much heat you pull from it (e.g. filament heats up and draws energy from the heater block), apart from a too large printing speed for the heater to follow the energy off-take, this can be the result of one of the following (or combined) issues:

Your print cooling fan position is too high/not low enough, it cools the heater block/nozzle
Your PID settings are not correct

Many hotend designs come with silicone "socks" insulating the heater block and to shield airflow from cooling the heater block.


Apply X-offset to gcode (re-slicing not possible) I am currently printing the QTrainer aircraft from 3DLabPrint on my Anet A8, via the supplied i3-compatible gcode files.

So far, everything has printed fine, but the main undercarriage part tries to print off the left hand side of the bed by about 5mm.

I have tried manually adding an M206 X-10 line to the gcode file, just after G28 ; home all, however this has not had any effect:

G90
M83
M106 S0
M140 S65
M190 S65
M104 S220 T0
M109 S220 T0
G28 ; home all
M206 X-10 ; added by me
G1 E-0.8000 F1800
G1 Z0.200 F1002
; layer 1, Z = 0.2
T0
; tool H0.200 W0.450
; skirt
G1 X9.382 Y10.533 F6000
G1 E0.8000 F540
G1 X10.536 Y10.537 E0.0388 F1440
...

However this does not work and I'm not clear on whether I am using this gcode command correctly, or whether my printer simply doesn't support that command.

Is there another way I can apply an X-offset to the gcode file (or printer) to move it a few cm to the right of the print area?

As I do not own Simplify3D and cannot currently afford it, re-slicing the STL files is unfortunately not an option.

Unfortunately there is no X-adjustment on the X limit switch (although I suppose I could temporarily tape something to the print head, so that it activates the switch sooner?).

My Anet A8 currently runs stock firmware, hooked up to OctoPrint and I have access to a Macintosh desktop computer.

You can use G92 to change the coordinates the machine "thinks" it's at. If just after homing, you apply

G92 X-10

the machine now thinks it's at X = -10, while in reality it's at X = 0. This results in everything thereafter behaving as if it is shifted in the positive X direction by 10 mm (since if you then commanded a move to X = 1 the machine would move to what is physically X = 11).


Alternative 3d molding techniques at home i have seen formbox http://golem13.fr/formbox/ and it uses heat and many materials like PVC. Is there any way to do this with paper or paper derivatives(like egg carton)? If the answer is yes, how can i do that?

Forming kinda blister out of paper is possible but not the way it's formed out of plastic. Paper is not elastic, it's bendable but not strechable. It's the issue of how cellulose fibers are formed and how are they entangled.

Anyway - you can create a form out of wet mixed paper pulp. Wrap it around your model and then wait until it's dry. It will form amazingly stiff form. You can do it also out of wet handkerchiefs.

You could build a vacuum machine as in the formbox to squeeze the paper pulp the get water out of the material but the cover should be done out of light silicone film so it would be treated by vacuum.


Are there any software packages that can open and edit 3MF? I am trying to find programs that can import and export 3MF file formats. I know that Cura 15.10 beta can open 3MF formats, but I am looking for a program that open, edit and save 3MF files. I am very interested in finding a more portable file format for my 3D designs.

If you are not aware the 3MF format promises to provide a "replacement" for STL files that contains the complete model information, theoretically allowing us to slice and edit the same file.

http://3mf.io/

Microsoft 3D Builder should have support for this format.

Solidworks 2015 has support too. A software adoption list is placed on 3mf pages.


What infill settings and material type do I need? I’m trying to have this bracket printed, but I don’t know what settings I should use.

The project details say 50% for infill, but is there a reason why I wouldn’t get 100% for making it sturdier?  I imagine the developer used 50% because he used his own printer and wanted to preserve more material.  The 3D printer service I’m using doesn’t charge more for 100%.

But I’m more concerned about the material I should select.  Should I select PLA or ABS?  The developer didn’t specify this.

For such a small item and the small load it will carry, even 50 percent is substantial. Keep in mind that one hundred percent infill is not necessarily stronger. If you need to know why, consider a 'net search for "why not use 100% infill" for more detailed information. The primary foundation for not using 100% infill is that the stress is better distributed over the structure of a non-100% part, while the completely filled part has more intra-layer stress failure. Another link suggests that there's a possibility of increased warping with full infill.

Because the load is small, it matters very little if you select PLA over ABS. PLA is more brittle compared to ABS and will crack or fracture or break under loads that might otherwise cause the same part in ABS to bend.

If you need yet more strength, select PETG or nylon, although I suspect either one would be more expensive from a service.

If you select ABS, you can use acetone smoothing later to make a shiny surface, but that's cosmetic, not structural.


BL-Touch bed leveling seems to produce tilted bed level around Y-axis I have a Tevo Tornado that I've outfitted with an official BL-Touch auto level sensor. I can see the bed probing run, and I can see the Z axis slowly adjust during x/y moves, so it's doing something. However, you can see that there appears to be a systematic tilt:

Any ideas what could be causing this? The bed, gantry and print head is tight, no wobble. Here's my start code:

G28 ; home all axes
G29
G1 Z5 F5000 ; lift nozzle

I have mesh leveling enabled with a 5x5 grid and correct probe offsets. The bed itself is on PETG printed standoffs instead of springs to eliminate any jitter.

The problem with the Tevo Tornado design is that the design is as such that the Z-axis is powered by a single stepper (under the assumption that you have not added a second Z stepper).

This means that the level relies on the rigidity of the X-axis assembly, more specific the play on the guide wheels. Apparently the BL-Touch level determination suffers (the up and down movement while probing) from this design as can be seen from the tilt around the Y-axis direction. This effect causing the tilted level plane is called hysteresis. Now that the Z-axis moves up and down you experience much more problems than using a mechanical switch. The effect is more pronounced when the mass of the hot end carriage is furthest from the Z-axis lead screw.

Note that an extra stepper can also cause tilted level when the second stepper does not move in sync (e.g. missing steps). In such designs, a single stepper (geared) belt driven 2 lead screw has better performance in that respect.


Nozzle heats up past the setpoint and increases I made a few successful prints since I got my CR-10 two weeks ago and I didn't run into any major trouble. The printer is new.

Today I set it to "preheat" mode while I was preparing the SD card with the settings being 210°C for the nozzle and 60°C for the bed. When I wanted to start the print I noticed that the temperature showed as "actual temperature" on the printer's screen showed 233°C and it was going up steadily while the "requested" temperature was still 210°C.

Thiking it might be a mis-manipulation on my part I powered it down for a few minutes (I got scared by the high-temp) and then powered it back on. I then immediately requested the print to start. The CR-10 heated up to the proper value, started printing and kept heating the nozzle. I stopped it at 217°C.

I looked for an answer on the internet but all I could find is people having trouble with the nozzle not heating at all ...

This is not an easy one to solve, the firmware of the printer should be keeping the printer at a certain temperature depending on the temperature setting and the current value. If the firmware is not able to keep the temperature at the requested level, but goes beyond that level, that could be considered "strange". As it measures the temperature (and reports it on your display) it must know that it is over the limit and thus should not power the hotend.

In this process there are a few possible candidates for you to look at:

Check for a faulty MOSFET (sort of an electronic switch) on your controller board (is it leaking current to the hotend?).
Check and or update the current settings for the PID values (settings for the control loop of the hotend). The PID values control the overshoot of the temperature. E.g. is this is very large overshoot? When incorrectly configured the temperature can get higher, but normally should never increase to infinity, are you sure it keeps rising? The determination of the new values is called PID tuning. Important commands (that need to be send over a USB connected printer with a 3D printer terminal application like Repetier Host, OctoPrint or Pronterface):

The M503 G-code command shows the current settings (somewhere in the heap of all settings).
The M303 G-code command can determine the values.

Reflash the firmware
Replace the printer controller board

You could replace the thermistor and the heater cartridge (just to be sure, most definitely not the problem, but they are really cheap to replace). The thermistor works as it reports the temperature, and the heater element doesn't get powered by itself.

As suggested below the most likely candidate for your problem is the MOSFET. These are pretty easy to replace (depending on your board) or replaceable by an external MOSFET module (if you happen to have one lying around).


Commercially available 3D printer fume and UFP extractor Is there a commercially available fume and nano particle extractor for a 3D printer, like the Ultimaker3 extended?  I'm looking for a safe solution, to use at home, for around $800.

Following on from Harvey Lim's answer, to give a concrete example of a DIY filter, which uses active carbon, see ABS 3d Printer Nanoparticle and Chemical Exhaust Air Filter:

###Description
Enclose your 3d printer and use this exhaust air filter along with a recirculating air filter to eliminate nanoparticles and chemical fumes. 95 to 99.5% of partilces up to 0.1 micron in size are filtered before air is exhausted into your 3d printing room. This is 3 times better than HEPA filtration. Chemical fumes such as phenols, hydrogen bromide, hydrogen cyanide, and styrene are also filtered out. The amount of chemicals filtered out depends on the amount of carbon filtration media you put into the unit and the strength of the fan you install on the unit. If you are using this for business purposes, you'll have to experiment a bit to have it pass inspection. If you are using it for personal purposes, know that the human nose is extremely sensitive. People who have the gene for hydrogen cyanide detection can smell it down to a concentration of 2 to 10 ppm. Suffice it to say, that if you can smell no evil, you are probably not experiencing evil. This has totally cleared my 3d printing room of nasty fumes. I invite you to try it out for yourself as the cost is very low since I've designed it to use surgical masks and aquarium activated carbon filtration media, which is very affordable. You should change the filtration media and surgical mask every month or 50 hours of printing, whichever comes first. I offer no warranty of any kind as this is an experimental device.

This filter is mentioned in tbm0115's answer to What are the best air filtration options for enclosures?


Z-offset issues with Slic3r and Da Vinci Nano I was attempting to use Slic3r 1.3.0 to print to my Da Vinci Nano, using MiniMover (a replacement for xyzprint) to load the G-code.
The print seemed to be a couple of millimeters off of the bed, but adding neither 2 or -2 offset in Slic3r worked.
Neither did adding the following to the g-code.
G92 Z2
G0 Z0

Anyone have a solution?
The start of my G-code is:
; generated by Slic3r 1.3.0-dev on 2020-06-28 at 10:37:50

; external perimeters extrusion width = 0.55mm (3.04mm^3/s)
; perimeters extrusion width = 0.70mm (7.88mm^3/s)
; infill extrusion width = 0.62mm (9.31mm^3/s)
; solid infill extrusion width = 0.70mm (2.63mm^3/s)
; top infill extrusion width = 0.70mm (1.97mm^3/s)

M107 ; disable fan
M104 S220 ; set temperature
G28 ; home all axes
G1 Z5 F5000 ; lift nozzle

; Filament gcode

M109 S220 ; set temperature and wait for it to be reached
G21 ; set units to millimeters
G90 ; use absolute coordinates
M82 ; use absolute distances for extrusion
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
G1 Z0.300 F7800.000 ; move to next layer (0)
G1 E-2.00000 F2400.00000 ; retract extruder 0
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
G1 X40.004 Y40.786 Z0.300 F7800.000 ; move to first skirt point
G1 E2.00000 F2400.00000 ; unretract extruder 0
G1 F1800
G1 X41.753 Y39.328 Z0.300 E2.46602 ; skirt
G1 X45.000 Y38.464 Z0.300 E3.15334 ; skirt
G1 X75.000 Y38.464 Z0.300 E9.29109 ; skirt
G1 X77.243 Y38.861 Z0.300 E9.75711 ; skirt

Behavioral analysis
To find out what is actually wrong, let's do a simple series of test commands first: a G-code that homes the printhead, moves it up 100 mm (10 cm), then zeroes there, moves up 20 more and back to the new 0 at 100 mm above the bed. Make sure not a single offset is active anywhere when sending/loading the G-code as this is to test for the actual movement.
G28
G1 Z100
G92 Z0
G90
G1 Z20
G1 Z0

Measuring the distance to the bed should give us something hopefully close to 100 mm. If it is longer or shorter, we have a problem with the bed position to the endstop, even if the bed itself is level to the machine. A releveling is advised unless there is a reason to home to a position widely outside of the printing height or if leveling proves to be impossible.
Why is the error experienced?!
The culprit seems to be that the Z-offset parameter in slic3r is not updated properly when altering it. I just tested this with a ludicrous offset and it took several saving and slicing attempts to register that Z0 was supposed to be 200 mm over the endstop via the offset setting. Compare these two blocks:
G90 ; use absolute coordinates
M82 ; use absolute distances for extrusion
G92 E0
G1 Z0.350 F7800.000

And this one:
G90 ; use absolute coordinates
M82 ; use absolute distances for extrusion
G92 E0
G1 Z-199.650 F7800.000

The offset only appears factored in starting with the actual print's G1 commands. But how did I eventually manage to make it update?
Forcing the update
To force an update of all the settings, I did create a secondary printer profile (just saved the same one and in the new one set the offset back to 0) and then swapped between the two back and forth twice and then the correct offset one. This seems to be a very reliable way to force an update of this setting, as it did register every swap after the first one.
Workarounds
manual Offsetting via Filament parameter
But there is a way around that is always taken into account: we can add a custom Filament Start Code, which contains the needed offset under Filament Settings tab > Custom G-Code:
G1 Z<offset we need to be exactly at layer 0 height>
G92 Z0.3

But this is a rather clumsy way and should only be made if nothing else helps and not in conjunction with any offset in the machine setting!
Tackle the problem by the root
The problem isn't usually the offset but a bed leveled to the wrong height. To level the bed the printer should be brought to Z0 via G28 and then leveled again. If this proves futile, setting the offset and forcing an update in slic3r is needed.


3D printer test troubles (M999 error, motors do not move) I've been recently building a 3D printer and I'm having issues testing it.

This is my hardware:

RAMPS 1.4
Arduino Mega 2560
4x Pololu Motor shields A4988
1x Nema 17 extruder
2x floppy stepper motor
1x DVD stepper motor
Generic hotend with 0,4 mm nozzle

Then I assembled everything and I started testing... I tried the RAMPS test code and it didn't work (motors did not move, but I'm sure they are OK), then I tried using Marlin and Pronterface; it showed hotend temperature stuck at 150°C, but the hotend was not hot. Moreover the motors would not move.

I also tried Repetier host and it returned an M999 error without any further explanation.

I had no problem installing firmware on the Arduino and the fan of the hotend is working. I also tried changing baud rate but it seemed not to work.

Two immediate issues I can think of are:

Do the floppy drive and DVD drive stepper motors have sufficient torque to turn whatever you have connected them to? You don't say what sort of printer you have built, but a holding toque of 44 N·cm (62oz·in, 4.5kg·cm) or more, is desirable. Maybe you should consider upgrading your floppy ad DVD drive motors to Nema 17 motors... See RepRapWiki - Nema 17 for more details.
Do you have the correct thermistor selected in the firmware? Check your firmware configuration file.

To further check the thermistor, disconnect it from the RAMPS board, and using a multimeter, check its resistance at room temperature. Then compare it with the temperature characteristic graph of your thermistor type. A general 10K thermistor has the following response curve (source):

Does the reading that your multimeter gives, seem reasonable?

Also check the RAMPS thermistor input, by shorting the thermistor pins on the RAMPS board (using a jumper). What is the temperature reading now? It should be whatever MAX_TEMP is defined as, typically around 400°C. Again, check your firmware configuration file.

In addition, M999 is not an error, but a command used to reset the firmware/printer, after an error has occurred.


101Hero 3D Printer - Printed object is tilted I am facing a problem with my 3D print. Whenever I am printing any object, the print from the top is shifting to the right hand side - it is symmetric at the bottom but not at the top.

Checkout the photo below:

You appear to have a couple of issues here,

First off your nozzle appears to be a bit hot for your filament (you can see this be the drooping and sagginess of the layers on the outer shell)

Second issue is it appears as though your belts are loose. You can tell if your belts are loose if your parts seem to be shifted in one way.

Third issue (maybe). You may want to try slowing down your nozzle speed slightly. The faster the extruder moves, the more inertia that is generated which in effect makes your belt act as a spring and will cause it to bounce along the axis while it's printing. Slowing it down will result in your belt acting more like a rigid member and help to clean up the outer layers of your print. Also, it's easier on your belts. The downside is that your parts will take a bit longer to print. In my experience, parts that look great but take a bit longer are well worth the wait.


Custom 3D printer printing dimensions has changed because of a .gcode file A couple weeks before, I bought a custom 3D printer that has an Ultimaker 2 motherboard in it. However, the dimensions of the printer is not same with Ultimaker 2 (X and Y same, a bit smaller on Z). The printer had tinkerfirmware installed in it. Today, I tried to print a premade .gcode file (Which was for another 3D printer I guess) and after pressing print, The machine told me the file will overwrite machine settings, and I pressed yes for it. After that, the dimensions of my 3D printer has changed in it's firmware. The bed is raising more than it should while starting calibrating, and not setting it's position precisely. (To make the 1mm gap, I had to move the bed down 4-5mm away from where it should be.) Now the question is, what can I do to fix this problem ? I also tried reinstalling original firmware which didn't really worked. (All the parts are orginal except the frame, which is a bit more smaller on height) How should I measure the height of printing area?

Your printer is an Ultimaker clone or something else?  All of the original firmwares located on TinkerGnome's Github are configured for Ultimaker printers so if you are using them on something different you will need to configure it before using it.  The easiest option would be editing this print file that changed your settings to your desired settings and then reloading it.

How to find your actual Z? Well that's a bit difficult without more information.  I'm guessing from your description that your printer homes at Z max?  If it's homing at Z max you need to home the machine, jog the Z axis to where you want 0 to be (usually using a piece of paper between the nozzle and bed), then record the Z axis position and enter that as your travel limit in the firmware.  If your printer homes at Z min this could be as simple as changing the homing offset.


Does acid dissolve PETG 3D prints? I want to print a lemon squeezer and I would prefer to use PET-G. I don't know if it is safe to use, because lemons contain lots of citric acid. Does it dissolve PETG? I haven't found an answer anywhere on the Internet. There are generally few things that dissolve PETG. These are aromatic compounds like toluene, phenol etc.

I know my model will be food safe, as PETG is food safe, I'm using one without a dye and my nozzle is made out of steel, not brass. I think bacteria growth inside little gaps/between layers is impossible, because the citric acid is quite strong and will kill nearly all of the germs.

According to kmac-plastics, PETG is stable at temperatures below 50°C specifically for citric acid (also acetic acid) and others on the linked list. It is also safe with diesel oil and many alcohols. The list is illuminating with respect to the variation of tested compounds.


Laser engraving software for Boxzy 3D printer I have a laser-engraving "head" for one of my 3D printers (a Boxzy, so it's designed for it, not just strapping a random laser onto something), and I'd like to try using it to, well, engrave something. So:

Can anyone point me to some control software for this?

The Boxzy came with a license to Fusion360, but I found that nearly impossible to use (or maybe understand), and it wasn't clear how to apply it to engraving anyway (as opposed to milling or regular FDM printing).

I suppose I could just sketch out a thin 3D extrusion of the text or design, and print it in the usual way, setting the layer-height and/or scaling so it only "prints" one or 2 layers. I guess turning the laser on and off counts as turning the extruder motor on and off... But that's clearly a hack. Any "real" software for this sort of thing?

Any other hints are also welcome.

I'm thinking of writing my own software to generate G-code for this, though rasterizing fonts sounds painful in something like OpenScad... Must be a better way...

Autodesk must have been reading your mind.

A brand new video just got posted today from Autodesk on how to do this in F360.


Hollow wing for rc plane I am trying to print a wing for a rc plane with my 3D printer. In order to make the wing as light as possible I need to hollow it (and afterwards put some stable structure there). I've tried the Blender Solidify modifier to do this but without success. The material on the sharp edge on the rear part of the wing gets thinner and thinner although the "Even Thickness" option is checked (see picture). When preparing this for printing, the slicer puts only one line of filament there instead of two. What I need is a brim on the inner side of the stl file with a constant spacing.

I've also tried the Meshmixer Hollow and Extrude modifiers. They both had problems with those sharp edges (see picture).

The third program I've tested was FreeCAD. But it crashed at all :-(

Can someone please help me? I would appreciate any suggestion or other programs which can handle this problem. Remodeling is no option for me as I have even more complex objects to hollow for example the fuselage.

The stl file of the wing can be found here: https://files.fm/u/5futezwj

Thanks so much for your help!

I am sorry to inform you, that the answer to "How do I fix the thickness" is "Remodel them" - especially in this case as the whole design is... awkward.

But you don't necessarily need to resign them from scratch, if you can fix it... But beware, fixing does only work sometimes...

First of all, Blender is NOT a good modeling software for designing parts that shall be printed, Blender is a 3D Artist program, not a CAD program. It can serve its course, but it can and will ruin your day. I suggest grabbing Autodesk Fusion 360, since it is mighty and free for small makers.

Step 1: Transfer into CAD software

For our first step, we want to take the surface of the Wing and export it as an STL. To do this, remove all interior vertices. ALL. Save as a work-project. Look for "BAD" areas - try to have as little vertices as possible. If several are in the same flat area feel free to remove some. The simpler, the better - compare these two pictures - left the bad side, right the good.

Export via File > Export > .stl.

Open Fusion 360 and import via the process outlined here: Insert > Mesh.

Now we need to turn our Mesh into a BRep like described here:

Deactivate the pickup of model history by right-clicking the project in the left, then "Don't capture design history"
Modify > Mesh > Mesh tp BRep
choose your object and OK
reactivate the model history by right-clicking the project in the left, then "Don't capture design history"

Step 2: assigning Thickness

We got a surface now... or rather several that are stitched together. We want to give them thickness...

create > thicken
click on one area, choose the thickness as a negative value. For example -1 mm
click on the body's lightbulb to make it visible again
rinse and repeat for each area not yet thickened

Hint: rightclick opens a context menu that offers repeat ..., where ... is the last used operation, in this case: thicken. This considerably can speed it up.

Step 3: Combining thickened parts

Now, we have several thickened parts, all of them intersecting or touching. like, what usually looks like this...

actually is these different parts (which I colored for showing only - it is totally unnecessary!)

It's easy to see these all intersect. And luckily, intersecting parts can be easily merged!

Modify > Combine
click one, then another. OK.
rinse and repeat as much as you can - some pieces will throw an "inconsistent edge-face-relationship" error. If these crop up, you need to start over, fixing the Mesh.

To state it clear after wasting 2 hours on this:

Your files needs to be done again from scratch.

In a proper CAD modeling software. Because what you have there is not fixable easily.


Managing LEDs with NanoDLP I'm building my own DLP printer with UV LEDs. I use a 20A relay to power them on, since they require high power and can't be directly driven by arduino or Raspberry.

I'm planning to use them with NanoDLP on Raspberry + GRBL on Arduino.

Is it possible to make NanoDLP tell GRBL to power on (send digital 1/+5V) the relay when the print starts and power it off (send digital 0/GND) when the print ends?

The other way would be to just install an on/off switch and do it manually,  but I feel this step should be automated somehow.

Is there a way to do it?

I have no experience with either GRBL or DLP printers, but the

M7
M8
M9

coolant control codes should be able to be sent by NanoDLP to GRBL. Those seem to allow for direct digital output.
Apparently you can set the pin you want them to use in the cpu_map.h file, with the standard being Analog Pins 3 and 4 for the M8 and M7 commands respectively.

// Define flood and mist coolant enable output pins.
#define COOLANT_FLOOD_DDR   DDRC
#define COOLANT_FLOOD_PORT  PORTC
#define COOLANT_FLOOD_BIT   3  // Uno Analog Pin 3
#define COOLANT_MIST_DDR   DDRC
#define COOLANT_MIST_PORT  PORTC
#define COOLANT_MIST_BIT   4  // Uno Analog Pin 4

Hope this helps!
Source: https://github.com/gnea/grbl


Progressively worse relative size error at smaller absolute sizes I'm having a problem where the relative dimensional error of cylinders is rapidly increasing as the absolute size decreases. Printing a calibration stack of cylinders of diameters 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3 mm, they come out undersized by 5%, 5.3%, 7%, 8%, 10%, and 13%, respectively, as measured by a digital caliper. Cubes exhibit a less severe version of the same pattern: 2.5%, 3%, 5%, 4%, 5%, 7%. The cylinders are generated with OpenSCAD using $fn=180, i.e. they're actually extrusions of 180-gons, so the error should not be caused by poor chord approximation; indeed, measuring projections of the model, or reading the gcode and accounting for nozzle width, everything looks right.

Printer is Ender 3, using PLA at 210. Slicing with CuraEngine.

Could this be caused by underextrusion or print speed issues - or some effect where the material pulls itself together under tight curvature? What techniques might be able to compensate for it, short of fudging the model?

Some additional information: As noted by Trish in the comments, the consistency of the absolute error, which is 0.4 for cylinders and 0.2 for cubes, is likely important. I've also subsequently tested with 110% extrusion rate and the errors for the cylinders dropped to consistently 0.2 mm (still a significant increasing relative error), but the skin layers at the top of the 3 mm cylinder bulged, suggesting the increased extrusion is wrong - an excessive total volume of material.

You should not look at the relative dimensional differences, you should be looking at the absolute differences. Multiplying the undersized dimensions in percentage with the cylinder diameter gives you a value of 0.4  mm for each cylinder give or take a few hundreds. So, basically your printer works very consistent it is just suffering from a systematic offset.

Basically, the printing process needs to
adjust the X-Y dimensions to compensate for plastic flow effects. An option or setting in Ultimaker Cura to counteract this is called Horizontal Expansion. Slic3r and Simplify3d have similar settings. In Slic3r it is called XY size compensation.


Can I use a multimeter to test the outgoing voltage of this power supply? I don't want to blow out my multimeter or my electronics, so is it safe to test the DC output voltage with a multimeter on my OEM power supply?

If your multimeter can handle the voltage, it should be safe. 12 V should be in the capability range of common multimeters, so I would tend to say yes, - but make sure that your multimeter can handle the voltage and be sure it is set to voltage mode in the appropriate range (if set to current measurement mode for example, it will not survive).

Also take the typical precautions when measuring with a multimeter, as described in, for example, Safety equipment and precautions for DC circuit experimentation and development.


Tevo Tarantula I3 filament clogging up I have just finished assembling a TT I3, with a large heated bed 220x280, a couple of weeks ago and my first print went well.

After a few initial experiments I noticed that the filament will not stick. I have manually leveled the bed over and over again, added a glass sheet over the bed, applied masking-tape and what-not.

The filament still will not stick, it will curl up on the nozzle, clog the nozzle and all sorts of other issues...

Everything functions properly but it seems like the extruder is trying to push more then the nozzle is actually putting out. My filament is 1.75 mm.

Can anyone help with all this so I can get something printed decently?

I am printing with PLA, I started off with 50 °C, raised it to 60 °C, and last time I tried to print a filament spool holder with 70 °C (twice), still if layer is thin it will not stick.

After cleaning the bed with alcohol 70%, you can see the issue in these videos:

Tevo Tarantula i3 filament sticking then coming off
Tevo Tarantula i3 filament not sticking

Getting that first layer to stick is sometimes pretty hard, you just need to find a good combination of settings. Clearly your filament does not stick too well as the brim comes off after been laid down after a while.

Parameters that affect adhesion are:

Bed temperature; a temperature close to the glass temperature is favorable as the filament is soft at that temperature, the stresses are low due to this softness and the smaller temperature difference. You already tried to increase bed temperature: 50 - 60 °C should be fine for PLA, there is no need to go higher than 60 °C,
Hotend temperature; the temperature of the filament deposition could be increased for the initial layer, usually a 5 °C increase over the standard temperature should be enough,
Overextrusion; a small over-extrusion on the first layer (filament flow scale factor larger than 100 %) could sometimes help to better adhere the first layer, but usually this means that the nozzle to bed distance is too large,
Correct leveling and correct nozzle to bed distance; level the bed as good as possible or scan the bed and use mesh leveling if the build platform does not have a uniform (flat) shape, also make sure the distance between the nozzle is correct: too small or too big cause the filament not to stick very well.
Debris in nozzle; debris in nozzle can cause non-uniform extrusion, cleaning the nozzle with the atomic method (heating up the nozzle, inserting filament, cooling down the nozzle and finally yanking out the filament cleaning all the cooked stuff inside),
Cleanness of the bed; make sure the bed is not greasy,
Tack of the bed; the use of a PVA based substance on the bed like e.g. gluestick, hairspray or specific printer sprays like 3DLAC increase the bed adhesion considerably,
Bed preparation; sanding the bed to roughen the platform, using tape, etc. are all tricks to get the filament to stick better.

Either one of the suggested parameters or a selection of these are the answer to your question, just figure out what works best for your printer.


Safely Hooking a Switch up to an OEM Power Supply? I ordered an OEM Power Supply and I intend to hook up with this rocker switch I believe it's like the one specified in the Power Supply Documentation which reads:

  In the US, IEC320 C14 plug connections are common, but use your
  preferred standard.

I've also seen where this was attached in this thingiverse project.

Inside the switch I've also added an F4AL250V fuse.

Now what's confusing me is, that the this rocker switch on the back reads 10A 250V~ so I'm wondering if it's safe to use.

The switch will be connected to the house mains via a plug and wired just like in the this thingiverse project, so it can be the input into my OEM Power Supply via the black (hot - L), white (Common - N) and Green (Ground) wires.

For the connecting wires I stripped a black PC Tower wire to get at the black, white, and ground wires inside it.

http://reprap.org/wiki/Power_Supply#OEM_type_PSU

At 250V a rating for 10A means 2500 Watts, which is fairly enough to use with a typical 3D printer. Make sure that the wire you use to connect the switch to the power supply can also take the current you need. Easiest way to get a cable that is safe to use is salvaging a mains cable from other devices. I would not use wires that were made for low power use and with unsolid connections.

*edit: I'm still not sure which cable you intended to use from this tower PC. If it is a mains cable like this
https://www.google.com/search?q=mains+power+cable&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjL6Y23l9zLAhUCrRoKHXvsArsQ_AUIBygB&biw=1421&bih=922
you should be on the safe side.


Looking for CAD files of basic crystal structures I'm looking for basic models of crystal chemical structures. The most basic example would be a cube, it gets harder though as I next need polyhedrons with one of three angles < 90°, then two, etc.
Is there a database of these out there somewhere? Or is the fastest way to make them myself?

You may find that OpenSCAD regular polyhedron library may serve your requirements.

From the linked site:
All polyhedra are centered at the origin and have an edge length of 1.
From the linked site:
Included polyhedra:
tetrahedron
octahedron
hexahedron
icosahedron
dodecahedron
cubeoctahedron
truncated_tetrahedron
snub_cube
rhombicuboctahedron
truncated_hexahedron
truncated_octahedron
icosidodecahedron
snub_dodecahedron
rhombicosidodecahedron
truncated_cuboctahedron
truncated_icosahedron
truncated_dodecahedron
truncated_icosidodecahedron

OpenSCAD is a reasonably easy "description coding" program at the base level. I suspect that for something such as this, it might not qualify for the easy reference.
My search also linked up a few Thingiverse entries, but they weren't as sophisticated as the above and may be a subset of the library link.