no extrusion during print

i have an orca 3, ardunio, pronterface.
i can extrude when its just sitting there by pressing the extrude button
but as soon as i try to print something it just dribbles out a little then nothing.
it allways says: "2.0 mm of filament used for this print" i can't see how this could
possibly be right.
also, the temp of my nozzle goes down right after i start a print.

i know many people seem to have the same problem, but i dont understand
how changing the steps per mm will do anything if its not extruding at all.

should i post my config h settings?

Activate Dimension in Skeinforge/SFACT.
The E_STEPS_PER_MM must be such that a G1 E100 F10 pulls 100 mm of filament into the extruder.

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Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

still nothing
also i dont even know what GE 100 f10 is
should i just switch to rensnapper? some people say it actually works

Did you create a new gcode file AFTER checking the Dimension checkbox?
Is your E_STEPS_PER_MM calibrated properly?

---

Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

yes, and i tried different test stl files
my e steps are preset to 67
right under that it says 67 for the v9

is there software for sale somewhere that normal ppl can use?
or am i stuck with this open source crap?

No but there is more than one slicing program, I personally still use an older version of Skeinforge (41) as I still get better results on an original Mendel, but there is also Slic3r which a friend uses and is even easier as it has only a couple of buttons Slic3r link

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__________________________________________________________________________
Experimenting in 3D in New Zealand

glrra19 Wrote:
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> still nothing
> also i dont even know what GE 100 f10 is


Its called g-code. You should probably learn some of it.

G1 is a move command. E100 tells it that its moving 100mm on E axis. F10 tells us its moving to 10 on the feedrate axis. The string G1 E100 F10 therefore tells to the machine to extrude 100mm of filament while acccelerating from the default feedrate of 1mm/s to 10mm/s. The important point is that this command should consume exactly 100mm of filament. If it doesn't, your machine isn't doing as the gcode tells it. You can compensate for that in software if you really want to.

Anyway, if you post the first part of the gcode we can have a look and see if the problem is in this 'open source crap' or not.

glrra19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i have an orca 3, ardunio, pronterface.
> i can extrude when its just sitting there by
> pressing the extrude button
> but as soon as i try to print something it just
> dribbles out a little then nothing.
> it allways says: "2.0 mm of filament used for this
> print" i can't see how this could
> possibly be right.

> also, the temp of my nozzle goes down right after i start a print.
Are you using PLA or ABS? What temp do you have in the pronterface window? And when you go to Settings > SFact Settings > Temperature tab what are the settings?

> but i dont understand how changing the steps per mm will do anything if its not extruding at all.
The steps per mm controls how fast the gear moves the filament through the extruder. Since there isn't something measuring the filament as it passes through, you need to observe how much goes through when it is told how much it should push. There are variations between machines so not all will be exactly the same and need the same estep setting.
It is possible it is extruding a very small amount. Think when a lightbulb is only putting out 1W instead of 100w. It is actually putting out light, just not enough to see in a room that isn't completely dark. During printing, does the extruder gear turn at all?

> should i post my config h settings?
Wouldn't hurt.
Also, what are the first several lines of gcode generated when you load an STL file.

Is the extruder motor a DC motor or a stepper motor?

There are so many machines out there using a variety of SW it is hard for the defaults to cover them all.

ok, first let me apologize for my opensource comment.
i did get 2 files to print. the 100mm square with the X inside it and an orca3 extruder set.
i belive these work because my skienforge can determine how much filament is used in these prints
but most of the time this is what i get in pronterface:

Oops, can not read floatRetraction Distance (millimeters): False
Dimension procedure took 2 seconds.
The exported file is saved as C:\Documents and Settings\john\Desktop\thingiverse\printer parts\orcafeet.gcode
It took 32 seconds to export the file.
2.0 mm of filament used in this print

obviously, 2mm wont build anything.

No matter what object I have Pronterface/SFact skein, it tells me it used 0mm filament. But then it prints fine. It also claims something is going to take ~57hrs but really only takes ~20min.

I don't get the Oops, can not read floatRetraction Distance (millimeters): False error though.
Is there a value for Retraction Distance on the Dimension tab for SF? Mine happens to be 1.0, but I'm not claiming that is optimal.

I get the print time from SF's analyse-statistic. Time to print is always off but I have set some figures for cost etc so I can use it for quoting prices and for time I usually add 15% which is close enough

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__________________________________________________________________________
Experimenting in 3D in New Zealand

I have a version 3 Orca which I am debugging too. I bought it from MakeMendel (in India) who have just been fantastic to work with. I had the same problem with pronterface and my Orca until I changed the e steps per mm in my firmware. I am using a value of 260 with the 1.75 mm filament. Until I changed that value, I got no plastic onto the print bed except by manually pushing he filament through, or pressing the EXTRUDE button a bunch. Good luck, and post whatever you find out!

David

I have the same problem in my ORCA 0.3. When the extruder is heated, filament will flow from lower and upper of nozzle. But when I start to print, It will not extrude from nozzle. I think maybe my setting of Pronterface was not correct. Here is my parameter
filament : PLA 3.0mm
Extruder Temperature: 210 degrees (PLA)
Z feedrate: 200 mm/min
xy feedrate: 20 mm/min
e_feedrate : 20 mm/min
preview_grid_step1: 10
preview_grid_step2:50

Is there any one can give me working parameter?

Another question is how to calibration level of heatbed. In my ORCA, I found distance between nozzle and heatbed is different when nozzle move in xy plane, and I don't kown
how to fix ths prolem. Any one can help me?

Morris Wu

mw120026 Wrote:
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> When the extruder is heated, filament will flow from lower and upper of nozzle
Do you mean the melted filament oozes out the top or do you mean when you click the reverse button in pronterface that the filament will reverse as expected?

> filament : PLA 3.0mm
measure your filament to make sure it is 3.0. Mine is 2.8 or 2.9. Measure in a couple spots.

> Z feedrate: 200 mm/min
Are you sure the Z is 200 mm/min? That is really fast for the z axis.

>
> Another question is how to calibration level of
> heatbed. In my ORCA, I found distance between
> nozzle and heatbed is different when nozzle move
> in xy plane, and I don't know
> how to fix this problem. Any one can help me?
I assume you made sure the x rods are parallel to the upper and lower part of the frame.
It depends on how you have the bed mounted. If it is on springs you need to adjust each corner so the print head is the same distance from the bed no matter where it is located. I prefer to adjust the bed rather than try to adjust the frame or x axis.

i think an orca is pretty tricky to calibrate
alot of time while tighting a bearing it will move slightly in its slotted hole.
one of the best things i did to mine was to upgrade the Z axis to linear.
now my Y axis is solid.
there 28 624 bearngs that can be reduced to 10 linear.

of course, it helps to have a working machine to make this stuff.

but i think if your Y assembly is square you wound never need an adjustable bed.
ive read that this is the case much of the time with the Mendelmax.

Grog write
> Do you mean the melted filament oozes out the top or do you mean when you click the reverse button in pronterface that the filament will reverse as expected?

I mean filament oozes out to top, I think maybe the nozzle is lose. I will try to reassemble extruder again. Hopt this situation will not happen again.
It's my first time to assembly orca (Reprap) and I think I need more time to learning and study,.

>measure your filament to make sure it is 3.0. Mine is 2.8 or 2.9. Measure in a couple spots.

It's 2.8~2.9 mm, I measue with caliper.

>Are you sure the Z is 200 mm/min? That is really fast for the z axis.
I don't know how fast is better in ORCA, I am looking for parameters for ORCA 0.3, Is any one can provide for me to test. Will be very appericate.

> I assume you made sure the x rods are parallel to the upper and lower part of the frame.
It's hard to make sure the x rods are parallel for me. I use a Sprit levels to examine horizonte level..

>It depends on how you have the bed mounted. If it is on springs you need to adjust each corner so the print head is the same distance from the bed no >matter where it is located. I prefer to adjust the bed rather than try to adjust the frame or x axis.
I use a dial indicator (precision in 0.01mm) to measure Z offset in 4 corner of print-bed.and tring to adjust springs to let them in same distance.
But I found whem I tight spring in 1 corner and distance of other 3 coner are changed too.
another problem is the bed is swing when move in X axis, Maybe I have to reassemble z axis again.

thank Grog, I will keep trying and hopt can make it work soon.

Morris Wu

mw120026 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Grog write
> > Do you mean the melted filament oozes out the
> top or do you mean when you click the reverse
> button in pronterface that the filament will
> reverse as expected?
>
> I mean filament oozes out to top, I think maybe
> the nozzle is lose. I will try to reassemble
> extruder again. Hopt this situation will not
> happen again.
> It's my first time to assembly orca (Reprap) and I
> think I need more time to learning and study,.
If it is oozing out the top, reassembling it would be recommended. The filament is pushed out the nozzle by the force of the filament coming in behind it. The diameter of the path should be close enough to the diameter of the filament that backflow shouldn't happen. If some filament is coming out the nozzle, it shouldn't be that the nozzle is blocked.


> > I assume you made sure the x rods are parallel
> to the upper and lower part of the frame.
> It's hard to make sure the x rods are parallel for
> me. I use a Sprit levels to examine horizonte
> level..
You should be able to measure with a ruler to make sure they are parallel and use a square for perpendicular.


> >It depends on how you have the bed mounted. If it
> is on springs you need to adjust each corner so
> the print head is the same distance from the bed
> no >matter where it is located. I prefer to adjust
> the bed rather than try to adjust the frame or x
> axis.
> I use a dial indicator (precision in 0.01mm) to
> measure Z offset in 4 corner of print-bed.and
> tring to adjust springs to let them in same
> distance.
> But I found whem I tight spring in 1 corner and
> distance of other 3 coner are changed too.
> another problem is the bed is swing when move in X
> axis, Maybe I have to reassemble z axis again.
Checking that the frame parts are square and parallel should fix this.



> thank Grog, I will keep trying and hopt can make
> it work soon.
>
> Morris Wu


Good luck.