Migbot Prusa i3 Unofficial Support Thread

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Wes78
actually..... here is a picture of the prototype

[www.dropbox.com]

Hi Wes, Is that new X carrage up on Thingiverse yet? I'm always interested in upgrades to my unit.

Jeff

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Canadian Geek

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Ax
Have a super awesome, totally professional, messy bench, super shaky camera guide on tightening the Belts on a Migbot. xD

[youtu.be]

I have one of those x-axis belt tighteners from Thingiverse but I like how you tighten that axis better. I may revert and tighten the X-axis belt your way. What surprises me is, I haven't seen anyone invent a way to use a spring (other then those close line pin springs) or maybe a rubber/silicone grommet to keep constant tension on the belt without adding too much tension. Hmmm, thinking hat on time or time to scour Thingiverse.

Jeff

p.s. Yep, totally professional, messy bench, super shaky camera...sounds like my videos. Well for sure the messy bench

Hah, yeah most of the stuff was pushed to one side, I'd normally tidy the bench down before having a printer on it, but one of those days. Also, why scour Thingiverse, when you can design it yourself? As a note, you'd need a heavy spring to keep tension on it..

Also for anyone who's interested, I'll have a new Marlin firmware config up tomorrow at some point, I now have all 3 of my Migbots working on the latest Marlin, 1.1 RC3. Seems to be a hell of a lot smoother movements and auto-levelling is much improved. I'll need someone who has the small bed with the sensor to test the small bed auto level as I'm not set up to test that. The rest should just work out of the box as it's just transferring settings.

Hi guys,

I've got one of these printers and I'm having some issues getting it to extrude (after going back to a Zstop from the auto level because the brackets to far out of whack for it to trigger)

I'm not home to take some photos, but it seems to lay down the first half of a layer ok and the it just stops extruding. Or it'll leave a dribble of plastic on the bed. And it seems to be chewing out the filament after it stops printing. But it seems to extrude fine when I tell pronterface to extrude (and doesn't chew the filament). Attemped to print at 180/200/210 and results are always similar. I'm running Ax's firmware and have PID tuned the hotend.

I am using the "PLA" it came with that says print Temps 180-230 degrees C

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InsaneCheese
Hi guys,

I've got one of these printers and I'm having some issues getting it to extrude (after going back to a Zstop from the auto level because the brackets to far out of whack for it to trigger)

I'm not home to take some photos, but it seems to lay down the first half of a layer ok and the it just stops extruding. Or it'll leave a dribble of plastic on the bed. And it seems to be chewing out the filament after it stops printing. But it seems to extrude fine when I tell pronterface to extrude (and doesn't chew the filament). Attemped to print at 180/200/210 and results are always similar. I'm running Ax's firmware and have PID tuned the hotend.

I am using the "PLA" it came with that says print Temps 180-230 degrees C

Your bed's not level, first off try to get ot levelled out. Unfortunately, it's all done by feel which you need to learn what's wrong and right. I will say that getting the bed level on these things can be a challenge with the thin acrylic carriage and often the aluminium plate is warped. It is possible though, but it may take a while.

As for the auto level, it's worth it in the end, I originally spent 2-3 days trying to get it right but it comes with time. Basically get the nozzle on the bed so you can slide a piece of paper under it with aa bit of drag, and try to find something that's around 1.5mm, this is what I set to with feeler gauges if I got to.orint on the Ally bed instead of my glass plates witylh contact pads and work from there.

It's a very steep learning curve, keep at it though, it's well worth the effort.

I've relevelled the bed, and it's still doing more or less the same thing. Literally seems to stop feeding the filament after laying the perimeters.

This is the result of printing a 20mm cube.

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InsaneCheese
I've relevelled the bed, and it's still doing more or less the same thing. Literally seems to stop feeding the filament after laying the perimeters.

This is the result of printing a 20mm cube.

Ok, if it's not your bed, keep an eye on the temperature when it starts printing. I have a feeling that it's not holding temp when starting to print. What Slicer are you using?

Ok, Marlin 1.1 firmware is up at [github.com] (note URL change) with the exception of the Small Bed with auto level, this may take a while as I need to wait for someone to get their probe in. Caveats - The Large Bed Auto-Level (and potentially the Large Bed no Auto Level as it's derived from this) will not print centrally. I've Duct Taped it so it basically probes correctly for my glass plates, if you want it to print centrally use the offset in your slicing software. Set this to X=-10, Y=20.

The Standard Bed no Auto Level, should work out of the box, PID tune and calibrate the Extruder and you'll be away.

EXTRA HUGE NOTE:You will need to use the Marlin folder from the 1.1 firmware, the 1.0 firmware Marlin will not work. Not saying you lot are dumb, just covering my arse and making sure that people know.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2016 06:10AM by Ax.

Ok, so just heating up the hot end and checking the log from Repetier-Host (seems to be the best for being able to see all of this stuff) and if I'm not extruding temps fluctuate about 0.5 of a degree. When I extrude the temperature varies by up to 5 degrees either way at least. I'll have to watch it when I get a chance to run a print, it's late and I get complaints from housemates about the noise.

I've been using Slic3r, but it had been doing the same thing using Cura. I setup Cura using the images provided on the SD card, but they all seemed to be the stock settings of the app.

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InsaneCheese
Ok, so just heating up the hot end and checking the log from Repetier-Host (seems to be the best for being able to see all of this stuff) and if I'm not extruding temps fluctuate about 0.5 of a degree. When I extrude the temperature varies by up to 5 degrees either way at least. I'll have to watch it when I get a chance to run a print, it's late and I get complaints from housemates about the noise.

I've been using Slic3r, but it had been doing the same thing using Cura. I setup Cura using the images provided on the SD card, but they all seemed to be the stock settings of the app.

Not a problem, if you've not PID tuned the extruder, it may be worth doing that and putting it into the firmware:

M303 S180 C10

Change S for the temp you're extruding at and put the output into the Firmware PID section. The only other thing I can think of is that the PSU isn't keeping up, stick a multimeter to one of the rails and check the voltages when it's running a print and when it's not moving.

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Canadian Geek

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Wes78
actually..... here is a picture of the prototype

[www.dropbox.com]

Hi Wes, Is that new X carrage up on Thingiverse yet? I'm always interested in upgrades to my unit.

Jeff

Hey Jeff

No not yet I haven't had a chance to reprint it to confirm the changes I made fix the issues I had.
I'll try to get something going in the next day or so and get it posted.

It's a 6-7 hour print

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Ax
Ok, Marlin 1.1 firmware is up at [github.com] (note URL change) with the exception of the Small Bed with auto level, this may take a while as I need to wait for someone to get their probe in. Caveats - The Large Bed Auto-Level (and potentially the Large Bed no Auto Level as it's derived from this) will not print centrally. I've Duct Taped it so it basically probes correctly for my glass plates, if you want it to print centrally use the offset in your slicing software. Set this to X=-10, Y=20.

The Standard Bed no Auto Level, should work out of the box, PID tune and calibrate the Extruder and you'll be away.

EXTRA HUGE NOTE:You will need to use the Marlin folder from the 1.1 firmware, the 1.0 firmware Marlin will not work. Not saying you lot are dumb, just covering my arse and making sure that people know.

I'll give her a test when I finally finish rewiring the unit. I'm replacing all the cheap Chinese wire, using 14gauge where needed etc. and added LEDs to the bed (because I like bling). I might move the LEDs to the top cross bar instead of having them on the far side of the heating bed where they are difficult to see (at least in my enclosure). This should be easy to do as I'll just run wires along side the heating wire through the dragchains. Really, they should have the heater leds running off the controller board, not directly off the hot plate. Poor design. I'd love to run another LED to show when the extruder is heating or not. I'm not "positive" how to do it but I think I have an inkling. Just need to do a little research to be sure I'm right (or wrong).

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Wes78
Hey Jeff

No not yet I haven't had a chance to reprint it to confirm the changes I made fix the issues I had.
I'll try to get something going in the next day or so and get it posted.

It's a 6-7 hour print

Yeah, I love those 6-7-33hr prints. Some of my friends will say, "Can you print such-and-such for me". To which I reply, sure, $1.50 per hour plus supplies. They go, that's cheap, until I reply, your print will take 30 hours. And, oh, by the way, have you designed the item, because I charge $30.00 hr design time (now that's cheap). Amazing how "friends" think your time is free.

Jeff

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/2016 06:47PM by Canadian Geek.

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Ax
Ok, Marlin 1.1 firmware is up at [github.com] (note URL change) with the exception of the Small Bed with auto level, this may take a while as I need to wait for someone to get their probe in. Caveats - The Large Bed Auto-Level (and potentially the Large Bed no Auto Level as it's derived from this) will not print centrally. I've Duct Taped it so it basically probes correctly for my glass plates, if you want it to print centrally use the offset in your slicing software. Set this to X=-10, Y=20.

The Standard Bed no Auto Level, should work out of the box, PID tune and calibrate the Extruder and you'll be away.

EXTRA HUGE NOTE:You will need to use the Marlin folder from the 1.1 firmware, the 1.0 firmware Marlin will not work. Not saying you lot are dumb, just covering my arse and making sure that people know.

Wow, quite a few changes. So far I haven't been able to get my printer working with the new firmware. I think I've figured it out but I'm too tired to try my theory. Bed time. I'll try again tomorrow.

Jeff

p.s. I'm using the small bed without auto leveling. I think the problem is where I've got the probing strips. As I said, I'll check tomorrow.

Also using standard bed, no level. Didn't have any trouble getting it working, but I did go through and make a couple settings changes before trying.
Seems as if I have a fuse issue now. Bed is having lots of trouble getting above 80 and will sometimes get around 100 and then start falling off. Won't be able to tinker for a couple days, so sad.

Thanks Ax!!

Hey Ax, I've got a couple of questions. Do you have the large bed? If so, what size it it? And one last question/favor, could you measure your unit from the front cross beam (the one with the y-axis stepper attached to it) to the back cross beam. I'm curious as to the length of your machine as I'm sure I could add a longer bed to mine without changing anything but the bed (and of course all the settings). Your units look like they have the same screw hole dimensions, just a longer bed.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

p.s. If I'm not mistaken, someone is printing a new probe holder for Aten. (Love the Egyptian god names. Not sure I'd have gone with Isis in today's world but a god non the less). If course, just because I typed Isis, the NSA will be monitoring me now. LOL.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2016 09:56AM by Canadian Geek.

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Canadian Geek
Hey Ax, I've got a couple of questions. Do you have the large bed? If so, what size it it? And one last question/favor, could you measure your unit from the front cross beam (the one with the y-axis stepper attached to it) to the back cross beam. I'm curious as to the length of your machine as I'm sure I could add a longer bed to mine without changing anything but the bed (and of course all the settings). Your units look like they have the same screw hole dimensions, just a longer bed.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

p.s. If I'm not mistaken, someone is printing a new probe holder for Aten. (Love the Egyptian god names. Not sure I'd have gone with Isis in today's world but a god non the less). If course, just because I typed Isis, the NSA will be monitoring me now. LOL.

Aye it snapped again.. need to re- jig the E3D mount a little so the probe mount is shorter but it works. The large bed is 220mm x 260mm and the bars are 400mm iirc. I've replaced them due to a slight bend.

As for the Egyptian God names, it extends further, The Controller Rasperry Pi (runs 3 Octoprint instances) is Bastet, the 2nd Pi for the Camera on Isis is Osiris, my work laptop is Anubis and my Dedicated Server is Ra. My desktop is a bit of a curve being Scarab, but still the Egyptian theme. The new CoreXY Printer is going to be Hathor...

WHAT!
Can I get a picture of all this?

Also, you got a best place to get the Pi? Thinking I want to try the octoprint out.

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gotswrv
WHAT!
Can I get a picture of all this?

Also, you got a best place to get the Pi? Thinking I want to try the octoprint out.

If you're in the US/Canada, no idea where the best place is to get a Pi, I've bought from RS over here in the UK as they're about the cheapest and an official distributor. As for the Cameras, they're at [www.sledz-uk.co.uk] Nothing's printing atm as they've done for the night and one plate just failed so I killed it remotely.

@Ax it might be stupid but gonna ask. copied start and end G code from Migbot Prusa i3 wiki and when my prints end my z axis goes to Z10 hight does not lift to go +10 mm above the current z axis position(if my print hight is IE 20 mm it will move z axis down to Z10 and will hit my printed part).
have found g code line and deleted it and all are fine now.

G0 Z+10 E-5 F5000; Lift Z Axis +10 - retract

am i doing something wrong?
i am using your old firmware, haven't flashed the v1.1 , with Repetier and slic3r(where i have put my start and end G code).

Ax
Ahh, didn't think of that, I'm in the US
Thanks

Insane get
As for the crashing for the go to Z10..
Same thing here, I put in a line to take the machine out of absolute, move the 10 up incrementally, then go back to absolute and move xy with a m28 x0y0
Followed with m28 z0

@gotswrv thanks for helping and forgive me for my ignorance. how should G code has to be?

I won't be able to share that until late tonight. If you want to fill in the blanks with some googling in your end it will look like this.
[reprap.org]
You should make sure that the zero zero in XY is okay. I have mine set to 110 and 110 or center bed so that I clear any clamps that hold the glass bed.
Here is something like what I am using (going off memory at a Buffalo Wild Wings)

M104 S165 ; sets extuder temp does not wait
M140 S70 ; sets bed temp does not wait
G91 ; incremental
G1 Z10 F800 ; feeds up from current position slowly
G90 ; absolute
M28 X0 Y0 ; homes X then Y
M28 Z0 ; homes Z
G1 Z20 F1200 ; raise up in Z
G1 X0Y0 F3000 ; move to XY zero
M190 S70 ;sets bed temp and waits
M109 S180 ;sets extruded temp and waits
G1 Z1 F800 ;moves Z down to 1mm slowly

OK, I've got a strange one. I can't print from the printer using USB (but I know why, wait for it), but I can print from an SD card. This part had me baffled at first until I looked at the temperatures being reported via the LCD and what is being told to the computer. There is a 10° difference between what is on the LCD and what the computer thinks the temperature is. For example, I set the bed to 60° and on the LCD it will display 60°. But the computer will only report it as 50° and thus won't continue with the code. I'm not stuck because I can always print from the SD card but this really has me scratching my head. I can jog from the computer etc, it just won't print. I'm a Technical Support Specialist (tier 3 or in other words, last line before throwing the computer out, LOL) I've changed computers, USB cables, unplugged and replugged everything back in, rebooted till the cows come home but always the same. What would cause the computer to see a lower temperature than the LCD screen?


Jeff

At the end of the print
You can do it 2 ways.

G92 Z0.0
G01 Z10 F???

or


G91 Z10 F???
If you use G91
Be sure and add G90 in the next line if you want to make another move in a different axis.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2016 09:38PM by Wes78.

Ahh crap, sorry was thinking you wanted the starting code.
What Wes78 said is how I'd do the end code. FYI the G92 he used is the command to reset the machines known position as whatever you tell it. In this case G92 Z0 means the current Z position will now be Z0. This is generally most useful if you wanted to run a subprogram, move to a new place and run another or the same subprogram. Like many other G codes you can combine it with some simple steps and create powerful commands.
Along with the link I included you can find lots of other sources that further explain g-code, a good list specific to your printer happens to be inside the firmware source too (marlin_main.ccp)

G91 Z2 F800 ; incremental raise 2mm slowly
G90 ; absolute
M104 S0 ; turn off temperature
M140 S0 ;turn off bed
G28 X0 ; home X axis
M84 ; disable motors

thanks both for helping.have to read and learn more about G code.
going to try the commands you provided.
i am new in 3d printing and and still learning from you guys

Sorry, seemed to have derped on the GCode scripts.. They're fixed with a G92 Z0 which will set Z to 0 then lift 10.

Quick update, I've updated the E3D Mount to allow use with machines with no sensor, it was too low, the z endstop couldn't reach it and you lost Z height, the new mount should allow or use of the stock sensor mount as well. [www.thingiverse.com]

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Canadian Geek
OK, I've got a strange one. I can't print from the printer using USB (but I know why, wait for it), but I can print from an SD card. This part had me baffled at first until I looked at the temperatures being reported via the LCD and what is being told to the computer. There is a 10° difference between what is on the LCD and what the computer thinks the temperature is. For example, I set the bed to 60° and on the LCD it will display 60°. But the computer will only report it as 50° and thus won't continue with the code. I'm not stuck because I can always print from the SD card but this really has me scratching my head. I can jog from the computer etc, it just won't print. I'm a Technical Support Specialist (tier 3 or in other words, last line before throwing the computer out, LOL) I've changed computers, USB cables, unplugged and replugged everything back in, rebooted till the cows come home but always the same. What would cause the computer to see a lower temperature than the LCD screen?


Jeff

Quoting myself so people remember what my problem was. Anyway, it turns out, the problem was the power supply. I was pulling my hair out on this one because I'd put the multi-meter on the power supply and everything seemed OK. Finally, out of frustration, curiosity, and because I had changed everything else (I even have a spare board for this thing and tried it), I decided to change out the power supply. Just to see what would happen. I really didn't think it would solve the problem but low and behold, everything is now working fine. Oh, and my report of everything working OK from the SD card...wrong. Prints would really screw up. Now I need to be like Ax and have more than one printer because you really get behind when the only printer you have is down for over a week. What I need to do later is test the old power supply while under load. (Should have known better and tried that earlier. Live and learn).

Jeff

Glad you got it fixed. The 4th printer is on the way now and it ain't a Migbot. Hop over to the CoreXY section and look for the Fusebox thread

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Ax
Glad you got it fixed. The 4th printer is on the way now and it ain't a Migbot. Hop over to the CoreXY section and look for the Fusebox thread

Interesting. I've got quite a few of the parts already so I'll be keeping an eye on this project. Now to just source 1515 or 2020 here in Canada.

Jeff