Migbot Prusa i3 Unofficial Support Thread

If you can get parts printed in PETG, you might like them better because they will have no warp, and the layers should be bonded very well.

If it is a mk8 head you can search the internet for an all metal upgrade kit for mk8. I got mine for 11 dollars plus free shipping.

For those of you with a heat plate under the aluminum bed and added a glass bed to it, did you remove the aluminum one and place the glass right on top of the heat plate or did you put the glass on top of the aluminum?

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

Quote
Canadian Geek
For those of you with a heat plate under the aluminum bed and added a glass bed to it, did you remove the aluminum one and place the glass right on top of the heat plate or did you put the glass on top of the aluminum?

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

Yes, removed the aluminum. Figured it would take longer to heat with both. I have now added cork/aluminum foil combo below. Heats up much faster now. I mentioned my times in previous post heat bed times

Never mind, I got it figured out. Made my own from aluminum stock and spare parts.
Thanks anyway.

do you have an ebay link for the all metal extruder that fits?

Hi fellow migbot users,

My et0 stepper pinout of the mks base v1.2 stopped working.
Now my plan is to use the et1 stepper pinout for the extruder but I need to change the marlin firmware for this.
I already have the migbot marlin firmware ready in arduino but would like to know which lines I need to change to get this plan working.

Thanks in advance,
Marc

I have glass setting right on the pcb, with four 0.5 mm thermal pads for easy removal, and underneath the pcb is a 5 mm cotton sheet with alum foil on it.

Just wanted to share a bit.
One of many problems for me was the alu bed temp - took ages to get to even 80C (pla). Now I'm getting to 110C in like 15min with the same psu. I made a sandwich of alu plate, pcb, foil and cork and connected bed directly to psu via 5v relay controlled by mks via old bed connections and replaced the 'stock' wires with thicker ones.
I also used the same kind of relay for my sn04-n proximity sensor as most likely the mks board is faulty - won't work with probe directly but will work with probe driving the endstop.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2015 12:47PM by ansisl.

Anyone using a Wades extruder with an all metal j-head nozzle? If so, what mount are you using for the bearings and proximity sensor?

My Migbot started printing with a lot of bumps on the faces of the objects, in short, the objects had a bad case of acne. I noticed that the threaded shafts (Z axis) moved around in the holes in top of the Migbot frame. Some different sounds made me look at the left Z axis frame (the one with the stepper motor) and I noticed the clamp that holds the linear bearings was being forced open and then would close depending on the wobble of the Z axis threaded rod. In an earlier post I said the linear bearing came out of the holder and I made a bearing keeper to prevent them from coming out of the bearing holders, now I know why the Z axis bearing came out on both sides.
I made the attached caps and put on top of the Z axis threaded rods and the bumps on the faces of printed objects all but disappeared. If you want to try it print 2 of the attached STL.

Hi,

I'm interested by the pins.h of the MKS base's marlin.
Is there a smart guy to post it here ?

++JM

are you just wanting a copy of pins.h?

Hi again,

Yes, I want to compare with the genuine marlin file.
On the MKS there's 4 mosfet output.
Many thanks !

With a quick look the file counts a lot of differences.

++JM

Quick question. How do you make a part solid. In other words, I don't want any of the part to be hollow. Everything I print has a honeycomb center. I have some parts I would like to be stronger.

Jeff

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2015 06:04PM by Canadian Geek.

increase the infill setting on the slicer. Cura has a slider bar on the screen slir3r has a infill setting in configuration.

Long print time sadness.

26 Hrs into a 31 hr print it fails. Just stops.

error message is:
Unexpected error while writing serial port: SerialException: 'WriteFile failed ([Error 5] Access is denied.)' @ machineCom.py:_sendCommand:560
Changing monitoring state from 'Printing' to 'Error: SerialException: 'WriteFile failed ...'
Connection closed, closing down monitor

Why does this happen? It is always during long prints. How can I fix this?

Hooked into computer.

Print from the SD card. It is much more reliable than the computer connection.
Gerry

Yep, print from SD and you'll be good to go.

Will try the SD card. thanx

I know exactly which layer the print failed on, is there a possibility of making a model from the Gcode to be able to print the last 50-60 layers??

It's possible.

Quote
Reprapmarc
Hi fellow migbot users,

My et0 stepper pinout of the mks base v1.2 stopped working.
Now my plan is to use the et1 stepper pinout for the extruder but I need to change the marlin firmware for this.
I already have the migbot marlin firmware ready in arduino but would like to know which lines I need to change to get this plan working.

Thanks in advance,
Marc

Is there someone that can help me with this issue?

In pins.h, under MOTHERBOARD==YOUR MOTHERBOARD swap the 3 E0 pins with the E1 pins.
If your motherboard in config.h is defined as RAMPS_13_EFB then load pins_RAMPS_13.h and edit the E1_STEP_PIN and E1_DIR_PIN and E1_ENABLE_PIN to the values of the E0_STEP_PIN and E0_DIR_PIN and E0_ENABLE_PIN. Upload the new Marlin configuration to the Migbot MKS board and you are ready to go.
The top of the pins.h file tells you which pin file you need to edit.
discussion [forums.reprap.org]

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2015 08:35AM by gwc2795.

Hi everibody!... I just joined today.

My Migbot Prusa i3 is alive now for a few days. I didn't opt for any upgrades, since I found all of the items, that I would be interested in, for a fraction of the cost (the metal extruder and the auto bed leveling probe). I just ordered the metal extruder upgrade and the auto level probe, for 15eur for both (from Ebay.de).

I am a total newb regarding arduino ... My Prusa has the home position problem, which as far as I read untill now, is a result of the firmware. The printhead home is about 10mm in X direction and 40mm in Y direction off the build platform. I can get the printer to print on the platform itself, but it doesn't use the whole area (stops printing about 3cm short of the platform edge in X direction and 6cm in Y - both on the far side).

As far as i can tell, the firmware that was published by Yakuza here should resolve the problem (if I input the correct values as far as the position goes). I am a bit worried though:
- since I don't have autolevelling (yet) - which lines do I have to comment out (all of them in the part concerning autolevel function?? Or just the beginning and the end?)
- what else do I have to set in the firmware (i have read that some people have had problems with displays not working, ... after firmware upgrade). I see that many sections have multiple choices. Is the Firmware Yakuza posted already configured for the Migbot Prusa, or is this just a base on which to start)?
- the "Firmware + settings" package contains Arduino addons. What do I do with those. I imagine I have to add them to Arduino, but have no idea how (didn't find any option in Arduino to do that)
- what exactly do I have to set in Arduino to correctly flash my Migbot's board (MKS Base V1.2) - meaning Board, Processor, Programmer choices...
In short - I need a "Migbot firmware upgrade for dummies" type of manual.

I know, a lot of questions, but I just wouldnt like to change my partially working printer into a non working one =))

Appreciate the help!
Matej

I don't know about Yakuza firmware.
My Y axis was way off also. I taped a stack of cardboard to the Y stepper motor until I got it to zero correctly. I then found the config.h settings
// Travel limits after homing (units are in mm)
//#define X_MIN_POS 0
#define X_MAX_POS 213
#define X_MIN_POS -15
#define Y_MAX_POS 200
#define Y_MIN_POS -34
these are the ones I use.

do you have an ebay link for the metal extruder?

I prefer no ABL. Just put the glass sheet on, and print.

Success!
I sent an email to the support team, and they sent me the correct firmware. Works like a charm, now I can finaly use the whole platform size.

@rwijnhov: I ordered this extruder: [www.ebay.de]
The stock extruder (printed) works just great for now with the PLA, I ordered the metal one to have a little more control over tension for flexible materials - it has a tensioning screw on top.

It will be easier to use the following [www.aliexpress.com]. The Migbot extruder frame is not wide enough for the thumb depression to fit. I ordered the positive direction short and had to grind about 3/8" off for it to fit. It is very hard to depress because you have to press on the top of the tension screw - very fatiguing for the finger. Also this will not fit the holes in the bottom of the Migbot extruder frame. I drilled an extra hole in the extruder frame (right side of the aluminum frame) and put 2 washers and an M6 nut on the nozzle, then tighten the M6 nut. I have to retighten the nut sometimes. The threaded hole for the nozzle does not have a grub screw so it vibrates loose without the nut and washers. It works, not very elegant.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2015 06:55AM by gwc2795.

Quote
gwc2795
It will be easier to use the following [www.aliexpress.com]. The Migbot extruder frame is not wide enough for the thumb depression to fit. I ordered the positive direction short and had to grind about 3/8" off for it to fit. It is very hard to depress because you have to press on the top of the tension screw - very fatiguing for the finger. Also this will not fit the holes in the bottom of the Migbot extruder frame. I drilled an extra hole in the extruder frame (right side of the aluminum frame) and put 2 washers and an M6 nut on the nozzle, then tighten the M6 nut. I have to retighten the nut sometimes. The threaded hole for the nozzle does not have a grub screw so it vibrates loose without the nut and washers. It works, not very elegant.

Do you have any pictures of your setup? I've ordered the same aluminum kit but I also ordered the one you suggested. I'd like to see your setup.

Thanks,
Jeff