Folger Tech 2020 i3 Printer Kit (Official Thread)

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markts
The configuration manual says 0,0 should be back left but I see many people have changed that.

I see back right in step 8 of the config guide. Where did you see back left?

Glad I saved a link to this post - it makes so much more sense now. Thanks @louspinuso

[forums.reprap.org]

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animoose
I'm going to start on the electronics soon, and have been unpacking the boards. The quality of the RAMPS board is really horrible..

We've switched vendors in the past week due to this issue bring brought to our attention. We order thousands at a time so even QC'ing them some slip through our fingers. Email me and I will get you a replacement, even if you just keep it as a spare.

>D

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UPDATE
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Make sure you downloaded the latest firmware on the Google Drive, we did update the mirror issue in the configuration.h

To those with a ?? about the wiring on the heated bed, I didn't realize I worded this wrong but there is techincally no polarity on the heated bed so this won't be an issue, I will adjust it in the guide on my next revision though so thanks for bringing it to my attention.

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animoose
I see back right in step 8 of the config guide. Where did you see back left?

I'm sorry! My bad - you're right - I'll edit my post for posterity.

As I thought about it, it finally dawned on me that the limit switches are at the home positions. Duh. But if the Y limit switch is in the back

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Clip the 3D Printed End Stop Mount to the rear of the printer on the right most Chromed Rod about an inch from the SK8.

won't the home position for Y be in the front? (bed moved all the way BACK) ??

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2015 10:22AM by markts.

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markts

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animoose
I see back right in step 8 of the config guide. Where did you see back left?

I'm sorry! My bad - you're right - I'll edit my post for posterity.

As I thought about it, it finally dawned on me that the limit switches are at the home positions. Duh. But if the Y limit switch is in the back

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Clip the 3D Printed End Stop Mount to the rear of the printer on the right most Chromed Rod about an inch from the SK8.

won't the home position for Y be in the front? (bed moved all the way BACK) ??

You can set the limit switches to be the "max" too. I wrote my changes previously in the thread but my X axis limit switch is max not low, but everything is printing "correct" for me. They are still facing me and I am not getting it backwards so I am happy there.

Anyways I've been out of town and just got back last night and did another print.

Two issues:
1. There are "gobbs" of plastic coming out from the top of the hot end. I'm not sure if I need to tighten it or something?
2. I can't seem to dial in the retraction setting. What have you guys changed so far to get it working better?

So I finished assembling the printer LATE last night. Tonight, I followed the config guide, and everything went fine till I got to step 8... homing the X and Y Axis.
The Y axis homed fine, but the X did not. Every time I click home X, it only moves about 10 mm (didn't measure). I can keep clicking home till it get to the limit switch. When it gets to the limit switch and triggers it, it won't move left anymore. It basically gets stuck at the limit switch (trying to move it away), but the X position display changes as if it's moving. I fiddled around with it, swapping the 5'th stepper controller and looking for solder bridges on the board as i read on the forums, it still does the same thing. I didn't really see any bridges on the RAMPS board, but I may have missed some, so I'm not ruling it out.
Playing with it some more, I discovered that I can get the X to move in both directions with no issues if I follow these steps:
1- Get the X stuck on the limit switch by pressing home repeatedly.
2- Click to move the X away from the limit switch until the X position shows 200.
3- Turn off current to motors in Repetier.
4- Move X physically to max, or a good distance from min.
5- Click to move X towards the limit switch (min).
Now I can move X back and forth as long as I don't home it. And the new max is where I physically moved it.

Checking limit switches with M119, max is always triggered for all axis except sometimes Z is open. Mins only trigger when the switches are triggered. I do not have any max switches, and nothing is plugged in the max limit switch ports. I manually triggered each limit switch and check it with M119, and all were fine.

Any ideas on what it could be or what else to try/look for?

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JoeH
So I finished assembling the printer LATE last night. Tonight, I followed the config guide, and everything went fine till I got to step 8... homing the X and Y Axis.
The Y axis homed fine, but the X did not. Every time I click home X, it only moves about 10 mm (didn't measure). I can keep clicking home till it get to the limit switch. When it gets to the limit switch and triggers it, it won't move left anymore. It basically gets stuck at the limit switch (trying to move it away), but the X position display changes as if it's moving.

I have the exact same issue. You and I either made the same mistake or there's a common factor. Your method of "fixing" the x axis works as well..

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2015 04:59AM by Agedashi.

I also had this problem but was able to solve it last night with the help of previous posts.

In my mind, the bed all the way back and the extruder to the left makes sense to me to be 0,0. I put the limit switch on the LEFT for the X axis accidentally, but it turns out that made sense for me.

I was having the same issue of clicking "-" for the X axis only to have the head move just a little to the left all the way to the limit switch. Y and Z seemed to be ok - they would move to what I thought was "home" and moved in the direction I expected.

When X moved, I noticed in pronterface it was saying, "End stop reached" or something like that. That told me the code thought it couldn't move any more - not due to something mechanical.

Once I changed the X_HOME_DIR to -1, everything starting working correctly.

// Sets direction of endstops when homing; 1=MAX, -1=MIN
#define X_HOME_DIR -1
#define Y_HOME_DIR -1
#define Z_HOME_DIR -1

Note, this is because when I hit "-", the extruder moves to the left TOWARD HOME. I think once you guys get these fixed, it will work for you too - I was convinced I had something dreadfully wrong, but that was not the case.

On to levelling the bed!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2015 09:45AM by markts.

lol, good to see someone else is sharing my pain

I'm at work, so I can't do it now, but I'm going to try to disable max endstops in configuration.h with #define DISABLE_MAX_ENDSTOPS.
I'll also try playing with endstop direction settings. Currently they are set as follows:
#define X_HOME_DIR 1
#define Y_HOME_DIR -1
#define Z_HOME_DIR -1
I'll try it with #define X_HOME_DIR -1. Not sure if it will help, but its somehting I guess!

I'll report later tonight with my findings.

LOL - I think it'll work, Joe!

Man, I'm having all kinds of issues with this kit. One of my lower frame pieces is the wrong size and the bed bearing holders are just terrible. The bed doesn't move smoothly and bends the rods out of shape. Could someone please post the exact measurements for each of the components on the 2 375mm beams? The only thing that had an exact measurement was the upper frame.

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The7ank
Man, I'm having all kinds of issues with this kit. One of my lower frame pieces is the wrong size and the bed bearing holders are just terrible. The bed doesn't move smoothly and bends the rods out of shape. Could someone please post the exact measurements for each of the components on the 2 375mm beams? The only thing that had an exact measurement was the upper frame.

Loosen the bolts holding the bed and carriage together (I assume you're having issues with the Y carriage). Loosen them at least 4 turns each and see if your motion is smooth, then tighten from there. This doesn't need to be mega tight.

Also you can also tighten down only one of the smooth rods and keep the other loose so you can move it laterally. Then tighten once your motion is smooth along the length, in case they weren't parallel.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2015 10:37AM by Uncertainty.

What are you guys getting for the a axis print size? I've printed something tall last night and I am only getting 138mm of vertical space

Had similar issue where I was getting mirror image on the x axis. I switched the end stop position on the ramp board from min to max. Inverted the x axis in marlin and set the x home die to 1

Yup, changing #define X_HOME_DIR 1 fixed my problem... My x-endstop is on the right.Thanks joe/mark!

However, my prints are coming out mirrored now.

Follwed this to fix my problem. [www.thefrankes.com]

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2015 02:08PM by Agedashi.

Is it Ok to post issues/problems we're having to this thread?

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k.fernandes44
Is it Ok to post issues/problems we're having to this thread?

Of course, we're all here to help each other!

So can anyone definitively say what the values for INVERT_X_DIR and X_HOME_DIR in configuration.h and X_MIN_PIN and X_MAX_PIN in pins.h should be? I seem to be having the same sort of issues as others.

I have yet to figure out what the correct settings should be but I don't want to play with it too much because for some reason my x-axis motor gets rather warm under diff variations of those settings.

First, thank you Agedashi and markts for your help. My issue is fixed, and I'm able to successfully print

k.fernandes44, here is what I had to do to get it working...

X_axis end stop mounted on the right side, just like in the manual.

Configuration.H settings:
line 240 - #define INVERT_X_DIR true
line 249 - #define X_HOME_DIR 1

Pins.H settings:
line 327 - #define X_MIN_PIN 2
line 328 - #define X_MAX_PIN 3

Hope this helps.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2015 01:58AM by JoeH.

And for those that purchased the LCD display, don't bother trying to make it work with the version of Marlin on the Google drive. I fought with it for days then sucked it up and downloaded the latest version of Marlin. Had to go through all the pain of fixing the configuration.h file again, including direction/end stops, etc, but the display came right up.

Then the printer firmware immediately "rolled over" via kill(). I had to hunt down and disable the "kill" button in the code since my LCD panel doesn't have it populated and apparently it was triggering it. Now the display works.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2015 10:50AM by markts.

Hi guys.

I'm still having real trouble getting this 2020 i3 to work. I just downloaded and updated the Marlin software from Google Drive on 10 June, 10:00 Pacific Time. It now runs home in the opposite directions from the switches in X and Y. I put in the modification that JoeH suggested, and then additionally inverted the Y axis on line 241. (As per last week's firmware, thank you WinMerge! )

Now I've got an issue with the X axis now bouncing when it hits the limit switch. It hits the switch, goes back about 10 units, then returns.

It also does not encounter a soft switch at the other end of its travel, so it just grinds when it hits the far end. It also doesn't move correctly. When it's against the limit switch, I have to increase the X position to 200, then I can decrement it, allowing movement.

Y and Z axes are not showing the same problem.

All motor connectors are plugged in such that red is on the right, green is on the left. I've tuned the pots to approximately the listed voltages. (Slightly above) If I'm not mistaken, the build guide is pretty clear that home position should be with the bed all the way back and the extruder all the way towards the electronics. (i.e. touching the limit switches)

I've posted an unlisted video on Youtube showing the problem.

[youtu.be]

Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2015 02:20PM by Unshockable.

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Unshockable Engineering
www.unshockable.ca

Contrary to the pictures in Steps 9 and 14, the wire harness on the 4.8 motor (Y axis) should face the front of the printer, not the top. The wires would be uncomfortably close to the heated bed, and you would need to remount the motor. The builders corrected this by the picture in Step 20.

This is just a nit, I think the manual overall is great for this stage of the project!

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retiredcompguy
Contrary to the pictures in Steps 9 and 14, the wire harness on the 4.8 motor (Y axis) should face the front of the printer, not the top. The wires would be uncomfortably close to the heated bed, and you would need to remount the motor. The builders corrected this by the picture in Step 20.

This is just a nit, I think the manual overall is great for this stage of the project!

Thanks for mentioning this. I was doing some of the wiring yesterday, and had come to the same conclusion. It became really apparent when I put some cable wrap on the wires from the motor, which reduced their flexibility a bit.

One related remark: the instructions and inventory say the Y motor is 4.8, but mine is labelled 5.3 kg/cm. Does anyone know if this has implications for the current I set the stepper driver to (via the Vref setting)?

I'm making slow progress right now, not because of any major problems, but just due to lack of time.

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markts
And for those that purchased the LCD display, don't bother trying to make it work with the version of Marlin on the Google drive. I fought with it for days then sucked it up and downloaded the latest version of Marlin. Had to go through all the pain of fixing the configuration.h file again, including direction/end stops, etc, but the display came right up.

Then the printer firmware immediately "rolled over" via kill(). I had to hunt down and disable the "kill" button in the code since my LCD panel doesn't have it populated and apparently it was triggering it. Now the display works.

Can you share your Marlin code?

Thanks for the tips. I ended up moving the x endstop over to the left and adjusting the values accordingly. Up and running like a champ. Has anyone gotten far enough to lower the layer height to 0.2mm and would be willing to share the other settings to make this work properly. I messed with them all last night and after work today and just cant seem to get things right. I'm assuming a lot has to be changed in order to make this work right.

Unshockable, try switching the Home X end stop in Repetier to max instead of min... it's under Printer Settings --> Printer Shape. It was late last night when I got it working, and I forgot I did that. If I change it to min, which is default, the printer behaves exactly as in your video.

My next issue is the Y axis keeps "skipping" after about 10 minutes of printing. I think the driver is getting too hot and going into thermal shutdown for a split second.
What voltages do you guys have set on your drivers (adjusting pot to ground)?
Mine are set to:
X:0.517 V
Y:0.647 V
Z:0.677 V
E:0.667 V

X is set lower because it keeps getting very hot.But the rest of the motors don't.

I'm going to add a fan to blow across the drivers and see if that helps any.

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stanger2k

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markts
And for those that purchased the LCD display, don't bother trying to make it work with the version of Marlin on the Google drive. I fought with it for days then sucked it up and downloaded the latest version of Marlin. Had to go through all the pain of fixing the configuration.h file again, including direction/end stops, etc, but the display came right up.

Then the printer firmware immediately "rolled over" via kill(). I had to hunt down and disable the "kill" button in the code since my LCD panel doesn't have it populated and apparently it was triggering it. Now the display works.

Can you share your Marlin code?

Sure - what do you need?

I downloaded the latest Marlin code and made changes in configuration.h for the printer itself, then pins.h for the display. I made the change below:

#if defined(REPRAP_DISCOUNT_SMART_CONTROLLER) || defined(G3D_PANEL)
    #define KILL_PIN           -1  <---- I don't remember what this was set to, but I changed it to -1 to turn off the pin
  #else
    #define KILL_PIN           -1
  #endif

k.fernandes44, what happens when you set layer height to .2mm? what are you seeing?
I set mine to .2mm from the start and it worked fine!

I did get to spend some time printing things today. Some were quite successful, some were spectacular fails. Still have a lot to learn about printing complex objects, but the simple flat ones are going well with PLA so far. Have yet to try ABS too.

I was even able to print a mount for the LCD. Well, I found one that fits on the left side, but the right side didn't fit. Quite a learning experience.