Folger Prusa i3 Kit from ebay

Quote
widespreaddeadhead
First time poster. Little background: Familiar with Makerbot Replicator 2 and Solidoodle Workbench. I design 3d files in SketchUp, and use Repetier-Host to print on the Workbench.

I was going through the beginnings of this thread looking for a fix to my problem. I finished building the Folger Tech Prusa i3 kit this weekend. It was fairly simple and fun for someone who was practically a beginner. I can home the axis' fine, however I can't get the motors to move in the opposite direction. The z motors make a high pitched squeal and I don't quite remember what the others do, printer is at home and I'm at work. I have not adjusted the v-ref pots on the ramps yet, so would that most likely be my problem? I haven't tensioned the belts either, that was a problem on our Workbench when we first received it, our y-axis would bind trying to move one way. Thanks for any info/tips!

Well I got home today and all the axis' were working fine, weird. So I heat up the bed, then heat up the extruder. I have the test filament in there still so I tried to retract it and it retracted a few mm then stuck. I tried to extrude a few mm through the nozzle and nothing. When I try to push the filament in to catch and extrude, I just hear that clicking. And I can't retract it at all, it's just stuck in there...

I've had this happen once or twice, most recently yesterday. For me I retracted too much and the soft plastic got into the direct drive which couldn't grip it.

While the extruder is cool and the fan isn't running, take apart the extruder and remove the filament. If there's still some in the nozzle, cut off as much as you can and reassemble the extruder. Then heat the extruder back up completely, and feed the filament back in slowly and you should be good.

Quote
that1guy
I've had this happen once or twice, most recently yesterday. For me I retracted too much and the soft plastic got into the direct drive which couldn't grip it.

While the extruder is cool and the fan isn't running, take apart the extruder and remove the filament. If there's still some in the nozzle, cut off as much as you can and reassemble the extruder. Then heat the extruder back up completely, and feed the filament back in slowly and you should be good.

Thanks, I finally accepted that I would have to take apart the extruder last night and found that the filament had jammed in the gear(direct drive?) and was all chewed up. I couldn't figure out why this happened because this was only the second time I've heated it up. Well then I remembered when I turned the printer on when I got home I smelled that ever familiar electronics burning smell but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Well of course a few hours later I had that AH HA! moment when I remember that I didn't have any electrical tape to cover the wires extending from the extruder fan, and sure enough, the wires touched and the fan doesn't work. My question is, is the fan shorted out? Meaning could I just replaced the fan? or is the 12v from the ramps board shorted out?

Test the fan directly on the PSU. You'll know.

---

Collective intelligence emerges when a group of people work together effectively. Prusa i3 Folger (A lot of the parts are wrong, boring !)

Quote
Zavashier
Test the fan directly on the PSU. You'll know.

Sorry I'm kind of a beginner, would i test it on the two leads that I didn't use on the PSU?

Also I noticed that the folger manual I was using has you wire the extruder fan to the "print fan" spot and not to the extruder fan spot, what is the reasoning behind this? Or did I just look at an older manual?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2015 01:47PM by widespreaddeadhead.

Quote
widespreaddeadhead

Quote
Zavashier
Test the fan directly on the PSU. You'll know.

Sorry I'm kind of a beginner, would i test it on the two leads that I didn't use on the PSU?

Also I noticed that the folger manual I was using has you wire the extruder fan to the "print fan" spot and not to the extruder fan spot, what is the reasoning behind this? Or did I just look at an older manual?

You can wire the fan directly to the power supply or wire it to D9 and control it in the slicer to be on 100% during printing. It's really a matter of preference.

---

Making it better for Makers!
[makerfront.com]

Quote
MakerFront
You can wire the fan directly to the power supply or wire it to D9 and control it in the slicer to be on 100% during printing. It's really a matter of preference.

D9 is fried

However, thanks for the tip about connecting it to the power supply, got me printing again!

Quote
widespreaddeadhead

Quote
MakerFront
You can wire the fan directly to the power supply or wire it to D9 and control it in the slicer to be on 100% during printing. It's really a matter of preference.

D9 is fried

However, thanks for the tip about connecting it to the power supply, got me printing again!

Might be a cheap fix though, you could replace the MOSFET for D9, which is probably what blew out.

Or even easier, order a new RAMPS board:
[www.ebay.com]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2015 05:05PM by MakerFront.

---

Making it better for Makers!
[makerfront.com]

Quote
MakerFront
Might be a cheap fix though, you could replace the MOSFET for D9, which is probably what blew out.

Or even easier, order a new RAMPS board:
[www.ebay.com]

Wow, thanks! I had no idea the RAMPS board was so affordable!

Personally I like the extruder fan on the PSU, that way it's always on and there is no chance you can forget to turn it on in the software. Also, I think most people would want to add an actual print fan at some point too, so best to leave D9 open for that.

you can get ramps boards for like 10 bucks ive seen on ebay.. or you can order the part you need off digikey.com for a few bucks and solder it in...

id like to thank a few people for helping me recently.. in getting my lcd u p and running and auto bedleveling etc.. MindRealm for the auto bed leveling czmorris for the lcd help

louspinuso for help wiht my lcd as well..Waltermixx for helpling with the lcd as well..

thought id publicly thank them... great people..

ill contribute more to the community once i get going and understand this stuff

Am I able to use other building guides to create this printer?

Quote
MakerFront
Might be a cheap fix though, you could replace the MOSFET for D9, which is probably what blew out.

Or even easier, order a new RAMPS board:
[www.ebay.com]

What are the Specs for the mosfets? Id like to know in case one fails.

New problem, i sliced a calibration cube and starting printing it, however it went to the max points and just extruded in the same spot, while RH showed the model being printed. The extruder just pushed the plastic onto the same spot. Any ideas?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2015 12:10PM by widespreaddeadhead.

Quote
zarnold16
Am I able to use other building guides to create this printer?

I don't know of any other guides, however, there are plenty of videos on youtube of builds.

Quote
widespreaddeadhead
New problem, i sliced a calibration cube and starting printing it, however it went to the max points and just extruded in the same spot, while RH showed the model being printed. The extruder just pushed the plastic onto the same spot. Any ideas?

I've never been able to get rh to work. Always the same results as you're experiencing but I get good results from pronterface so I just stick to that.

Quote
louspinuso

I've never been able to get rh to work. Always the same results as you're experiencing but I get good results from pronterface so I just stick to that.

Another strange thing I noticed is when I open an STL it almost always adds some little circle to way outside the print bed. When I slice it asks if I want to cancel because of that... I open up the STL file, which i designed anyway, and there is no little circle. We use RH on Macs at my job and it works well with our Solidoodle, but it isn't working very well for me on my Windows home machine.

Quote
widespreaddeadhead

Quote
louspinuso

I've never been able to get rh to work. Always the same results as you're experiencing but I get good results from pronterface so I just stick to that.

Another strange thing I noticed is when I open an STL it almost always adds some little circle to way outside the print bed. When I slice it asks if I want to cancel because of that... I open up the STL file, which i designed anyway, and there is no little circle. We use RH on Macs at my job and it works well with our Solidoodle, but it isn't working very well for me on my Windows home machine.

STL problem is solved, everything I slice shows up correctly in preview. I got home and tried to print again so I could get some pics of what it's doing.

Check your printer's Front and Left settings in the printer config in RH. They may be set up the wrong way.

---

Making it better for Makers!
[makerfront.com]

You were right! Thank you. Giving it another go now.

Quote
widespreaddeadhead
You were right! Thank you. Giving it another go now.

I apologize, I gave FolgerTech the updated manual (with that part corrected) they never posted it but I keep updated manuals in my drive. (links in my signature)

---

Making it better for Makers!
[makerfront.com]

We're running! Thanks so much for the help. Just need to calibrate a little more, and dial in the settings to get great prints

check your thermosister, mine had a cold solder joint. ohm across you should get 100k- mine was open. I bought the lcd graphical display from them, they do not have firmware to support it, found a copy at maker farm. lcd works but the printer doesn't like it drive to limits. one thing is with folger firmware the sd card reader works but the display doesn't and it print from it. i'm working trying to merge both copys to get it to work with both, printer and lcd

I'm shopping for my first 3D printer and this one is mighty tempting. I've read through most of this thread today and I was wondering if adapting this kit into a "MilkRap" would be worthwhile. It seems like it would add some rigidity (especially if it needed to be moved). Does the printer need more space 12"x12" though?

Quote
widespreaddeadhead

Quote
that1guy
I've had this happen once or twice, most recently yesterday. For me I retracted too much and the soft plastic got into the direct drive which couldn't grip it.

While the extruder is cool and the fan isn't running, take apart the extruder and remove the filament. If there's still some in the nozzle, cut off as much as you can and reassemble the extruder. Then heat the extruder back up completely, and feed the filament back in slowly and you should be good.

Thanks, I finally accepted that I would have to take apart the extruder last night and found that the filament had jammed in the gear(direct drive?) and was all chewed up. I couldn't figure out why this happened because this was only the second time I've heated it up. Well then I remembered when I turned the printer on when I got home I smelled that ever familiar electronics burning smell but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Well of course a few hours later I had that AH HA! moment when I remember that I didn't have any electrical tape to cover the wires extending from the extruder fan, and sure enough, the wires touched and the fan doesn't work. My question is, is the fan shorted out? Meaning could I just replaced the fan? or is the 12v from the ramps board shorted out?

I have that problem a lot with the filament clogging. So much that its causing me to look at other extruders and hotends It's extremely frustrating when it happens in the middle of a 3 hour print.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2015 11:54AM by KeyserSoze3d.

Quote
KeyserSoze3d
I have that problem a lot with the filament clogging. So much that its causing me to look at other extruders and hotends It's extremely frustrating when it happens in the middle of a 3 hour print.

Wow, that would be frustrating. My only clogs when I retract it, not sure if you're having the same problem.

Even without doing a lot of calibration my Prusa i3 kit from Folgertech is printing very well

Printed a few calibration cubes to try the stock settings and they came out almsot spot on! Printed a several hour spool holder, and other than a little warping from not being enclosed it came out great, and am currently using it. Using a roll of Hatchlbox Transparent Blue ABS, currently under $20 on Amazon, and printing the ocarina of time from n64 Zelda right now.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2015 09:34PM by widespreaddeadhead.

This is my best print to date. It was a pretty complicated single print, and I am happy with it for the most part. I did have a problem in two spots unfortunately. One is on the arm sticking out. One of the layers on the arm popped off during the print. Lucky, I was right and was able to salvage the print and just glue it back on once the print finished. One of the wing tips did the same thing, but I was unable to glue it back on due to it looking like a pile of spaghetti. Other than those two minor flaws, I am incredibly impressed with this print so far. My four year old bugs me relentlessly to print her new toys. I have hardly had a chance to print anything out for myself yet.






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2015 09:53PM by dbrewski.

Turned out really well

Nice!

I've been lurking in the background here for about a month and a half now; ever since I order this kit. You people have been a valuable resource for me, and I want to thank you all .....and yes, I've read all 39 pages

I've completed about 90% of this kit so far, and have encountered many frustrations with this kit....more to come I'm sure, due to the kit maker's/salers' lack of 'any' quality control, and piss poor documentation. But over all, I do enjoy the challenge in making/getting it right....in spite of. Hopefully, I wont run into anything nonfunctional when I finally power it up.

Anyway, I would like to contribute something to this forum that you Guys may not be aware of yet. I haven't seen anything posted here concerning this product. It is called: polyetherimide (PEI) ....don't ask me how to pronounce that! According to many, who have used it, it is one of the best things to ever hit the 3D printing world. Near hassle free printing, as far as failed printing goes, due to your project warping up off print bed (not sticking), and having to deal with all the other mess in trying to get it to stay put. No more: hairspray, glue stick, blue tap, or anything else needed. It's a material with the uncanny ability, to hold on to whatever material you're printing with, while the bed is heated, and then letting it go as the bed cools down. There are certain parameters that you need to control, and procedures you need to follow, in order to have a 'completely' hassle free experience, but from what I have so far gleaned....no big deal!

Without further ado...

The long way home -- which I do recommend, do to valuable information missed otherwise...
[forum.seemecnc.com]

And...

The short cut: filtered, sifted, consolidated and tested (proven)...
[forum.seemecnc.com]

One source for the product...
[www.amazon.com]

And for those of you who don't want to wait a couple of months to receive the most popular .03" PEI, you can go for the .06", which is just under 1/16". Which I plan on doing, due to: it still works, and not having to what near as long to receive it...
[www.amazon.com]


Again... Thanks Guys!

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2015 07:16PM by 55rebel.