Tutorial for Dummies

Hi There, are there good Tutorials on the internet that explained the setup + marlin firmware configuration from scratch?
So if you want to make your own 3D printer or like in my case my arduino board was broken and I replaced it but I don't have the original manufacture marlin file (I don't know who the manufacture is of my printer). So I need to start without any knowledge.

Any body who know good tutorial for Dummies?

//===========================================================================
//============================= Getting Started =============================
//===========================================================================

/**
* Here are some standard links for getting your machine calibrated:
*
* [reprap.org]
* [youtu.be]
* [calculator.josefprusa.cz]
* [reprap.org]
* [www.thingiverse.com]
* [sites.google.com]
* [www.thingiverse.com]
*/

But basiclly what you want is not possible

The physical movement stuff is easy, steps/mm bed sizes, endstops, direction of movement etc

If you don’t know the specs (or type) of your thermistors... you are screwed! (well almost)
You can try a few common types and use a thermocouple on the hotend or bed to verify readings. And hope you guess the right one
Or you can try and work it out, You need to do stuff like put it in ice, measure its resistance, put it in boiling water, measure its Resistance and go from there work out its graph (would need more research, no idea if its linear or logarithmic or what...)
Or replace it with known values

You also really need to know the extruder nozzle size

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2016 07:05AM by Dust.

Thanks for your information

I have an issue with my Z endstop and thats why I searching for information about the setup of a 3D printer
my problem: the extruder goes down and it stops at the endstop, so far so good but I need to reconfigure marlin because when I press Z+ in pronterface the extruder go down instead of up, so I need to reverse the motor by #define INVERT_Z_DIR from false to true
now the extruder is following the correct direction like in proterface but the endstop is only working when the extruder go up and it need to work when it lowers

leave your #define INVERT_Z_DIR set to true, so movement is correct
check your #define Z_HOME_DIR is set to -1 this is the direction to where the endstop is

@Dust thanks for your help

I try #define Z_HOME_DIR is set to -1 setting but same result.
Now maybe a stupid question but my Z endstop is located on -Z (in proterface) does that means that I need to connect the endstop cable on the RAMPS board to the Z-min connector?

yes, your Z min endstop needs to be connected to the min endstop Z plug.

Thanks again for your answer Dust, I found it, I forgot to enable const bool Z_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING = true;
Now it's working

but I have another question, now with the new marlin firmware it prints a test line on the left side of the printbed, can I adjust this to have it printing on the front of the bed?

I would doubt very much that this is the firmware

more likely a function of your controller program.

I uses Simplify3D to slice my files, with my other printer it doesn't draw this test line on the print-bed.
That's why I am thinking it's the firmware, but I can be wrong here.

another small question, when the printer is in the home position and it travel to the start point to print the object it doesn't raise the nozzle, can I adjust this so that the nozzle move up a little bit before it moves to the start position?

I appreciated all the help that I receive :-)

Most control applications have a start file

This start file is run before the rest of the gcode that is generated (normally its just prepended to the front of the file)

in here you should be able able to add a simple g1 z1 command to move the head up

Ive never used Simplify3D

I cant seen it in any of the gui pictures I see, bit I do see it in the eg zzz files

the example I have says th following.

What you need to do is find out how to edit your startingGcode, this also defines where the wipe is...
you will need to look up each gcode in [reprap.org] to work out what each line does.

This eg also has the line G1 Z1.0 F3000 ; move z downup little to prevent scratching of surface
wich is what your missing

NB. DO NOT just blindly copy this eg, its for a printer that the bed moves up and down amongst other differences


;Print-file for FELIX Pro 1,
;======================================================,
;Preheat heaters,
;======================================================,
M140 S[bed2_temperature] ; Heatup Bed and continue,
M104 T0 S[extruder0_temperature] ; Heatup hot-end and continue,
M104 T1 S[extruder1_temperature] ; Heatup hot-end and continue,
,
; Homing/bed leveling,
; ======================================================,
M117 Homing,
G91
; Relative positioning,
G1 Z5 F5000 ; Move Z another 5mm up,
G90 ; Absolute positioning,
G28 Z ; this homes x and y also,
,
;Uncomment/comment next two lines to activate/deactivate autobedleveling before each print.
,
;-------------------------------------,
;G32 S2 ; level the bed,
;G28 Z ; this homes x and y also,
;-------------------------------------,
,
M104 T0 S[extruder0_temperature] ; Heatup hot-end and continue,
;M104 T1 S[extruder1_temperature] ; Heatup hot-end and continue,
,
; Purge extruder 0 by drawing 2 lines,
; ==========================,
T0 ; select first extruder,
M109 S[extruder0_temperature],
M190 S[bed2_temperature] ; Heatup Bed and and wait,
,
M117 Purge extruder 0,
G92 E0 ; reset extruder,
G1 Z1.0 F3000 ; move z down little to prevent scratching of surface,
G1 X20.0 Y244 Z0.3 F3000.0 ; move to start-line position,
G1 X200.0 Y244 Z0.3 F1500.0 E15 ; draw 1st line,
G1 X200.0 Y243.7 Z0.3 F3000.0 ; move to side a little,
G1 X20.0 Y243.7 Z0.3 F1500.0 E30 ; draw 2nd line,
G1 E29.5 F3000 ; retract filament 1.5mm,
G92 E0 ; reset extruder,; done purging extruder 0,
,
; Purge extruder 1 by drawing 2 lines,
; =======================,
;T1,
;M109 S[extruder1_temperature],
;M117 Purge extruder 1,
;G92 E0,;G1 X20.0 Y243.4 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; reset extruder,
;G1 X200.0 Y243.4 Z0.3 F1500.0 E15 ; draw 1st line,
;G1 X200.0 Y243.1 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; move to side a little,
;G1 X20.0 Y243.1 Z0.3 F1500.0 E30 ; draw 2nd line,
;G1 E29.5 F3000 ; retract filament 1.5mm,
;G92 E0 ; reset extruder ,
,M117 FELIXprinting...
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2016 05:32AM by Dust.

I have another issue with the display, when I power up the printer, the XYZ on the display are blinking with a ? sign
what can be the problem here?

this means you have not homed that axis yet

is it that simple ;-) I need to run the G28 command and that"s it

yip

When the printer first turns on its got complete amnesia. It has no idea where any of its axis are.

Thus the firmware shows "?"

Once the axis has been homed it knows where it is again and can print it on the display.