Folger Tech 2020 i3 Printer Kit (Official Thread)

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jhitesma

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flatlander
Did you catch this at: [www.pololu.com]?

"Warning: This carrier board uses low-ESR ceramic capacitors, which makes it susceptible to destructive LC voltage spikes, especially when using power leads longer than a few inches. Under the right conditions, these spikes can exceed the 45 V maximum voltage rating for the DRV8825 and permanently damage the board, even when the motor supply voltage is as low as 12 V. One way to protect the driver from such spikes is to put a large (at least 47 µF) electrolytic capacitor across motor power (VMOT) and ground somewhere close to the
board."

They seem to be talking about the power supply to the steppers. With the way the RAMPS is laid out it would be fairly difficult to add any extra capacitance and the power leads are fairly short anyway since they're all on the PCB. So despite the warning I think the risk is low enough that the difficulty of adding such a large cap that close to the driver is more difficult than it's worth dealing with. A quick glance at the RAMPS schematic looks like there are some 100µF caps on there already (C3,C4,C7,C9,C10). The A4988 carries the same warning afterall: [www.pololu.com]

Not that the RAMPS is the greatest design. It's cheap and convenient...but I'm really not that happy or impressed with it. I've never been a fan of the power circuits on the arduino mega and the RAMPS just adds more issues on top of that. I'm kind of surprised there aren't more lower cost boards. Heck even the RAMPS 1.4.2 from 2013 seems like enough minor but important upgrades over the 1.4 that I'm shocked it hasn't become the variant of choice. It still has the under rated power connector, but adds blade fuses in place of the polyfuses, protection caps on the endstops, and some nicer labels on the board. Should be able to be cloned for about the same cost as a 1.4 and is still released under GPL...but there don't seem to be any available other than from the place that created it.

Even something like the printrboard shouldn't be as expensive as it is since it's basically just a RAMPS and Mega integrated (different processor but overall nothing radically different.) Yet even the clones sell for way more than RAMPS.

Something seems to be keeping the price of RAMPS setups artificially low...while better designed alternatives seem to be artificially high. I like the replicape - but the price is kind of high for what it is especially once you add in the cost of a beagle bone. An all in one solution based off that design with an integrated uC could likely be mass produced for close to the same price as just the current cape version if you could sell enough. The big problem is RAMPS is so entrenched with the super cheap clones it's tough to get the momentum on a new design - so we're stuck with dozens of overpriced designs or 1 poor design dirt cheap.

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I am still struggling with getting the x-axis VREF correct. I can't seem to get the VREF low enough to keep that one stepper cool. It's either too hot or skipping because of too low torque. That little Tugboat didn't stand a chance at low current. I went for the box-o-steppers, so that I can drive the x-axis stepper with a high enough current.

My X runs kind of hot, but not too hot. Technically I'm probably over driving the stepper based on the actual numbers...but it's been working since December so I'm not going to complain. I found on X/Y just going by the numbers to be pretty much useless. Going by feel and just adjusting it to just above where it jumps steps worked best for me, even if according to the numbers I'm potentially driving it slightly above the 0.4a rating of our steppers. I'm probably running closer to 0.7a IIRC and my stepper runs around 37c. My extruder stepper runs hotter even though it's driven at lower current (I assume due to heat from the hot end soaking into it through the aluminum block the hot end mounts to.)

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UltiFix
Is their anything wrong with the stock z axis lead screws?

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UltiFix
I am using autolevel as of saterday, do these look like a decen't upgrade set?
[www.banggood.com]

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GrouchoDuke
Is anyone running a Toranado extruder on their Folger Tech? I got my stock extruder working again, but I'm looking for what's great out there. This looks promising:

[www.thingiverse.com]

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therippa

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GrouchoDuke
[www.thingiverse.com]

Jeeeeesus Christ that thing looks like an over-engineered piece of hardware. With that said, I feel like I haven't done any upgrades in two months so I may print one. But I expect something that complicated to have problems.

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therippa

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GrouchoDuke
Is anyone running a Toranado extruder on their Folger Tech? I got my stock extruder working again, but I'm looking for what's great out there. This looks promising:

[www.thingiverse.com]

Jeeeeesus Christ that thing looks like an over-engineered piece of hardware. With that said, I feel like I haven't done any upgrades in two months so I may print one. But I expect something that complicated to have problems.

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UltiFix
Is their anything wrong with the stock z axis lead screws?

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jhitesma


If you're not using autolevel then threaded rod is acceptable but not ideal.

If you're using autolevel then I'd strongly suggest using lead screws since you have up and down motion within a layer so backlash and accuracy become a much bigger deal and wear is greatly increased without them.

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jhitesma
Tried printing with PETG again tonight for the first time since swapping to the metal extruder. Not going so well.

About 15 minutes into the print my extruder stepper starts clunking and it acts like it's clogged. But I think it's actually the stepper motor overheating. Checked it and it was over 60c. I've never seen it over 45 before and usually it's closer to 37-40. I'm thinking the higher temp of the PETG is heat soaking the extruder frame and into the stepper body. So looks like I'm not going to be able to do PETG again until I change something. Which is a bummer because I REALLY like PETG

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jhitesma
Does anyone know the size of Teflon/PTFE that's used for the liner in the threaded tube of the extruder?

I keep having filament stick in mine so while cleaning the other day I gently pushed the teflon tube out so I could take a torch to the tube to clean PLA out of the threads without melting the PTFE. But when it came out it was obvious why I'm having some issues. There was a kink in the middle of the tube bad enough to create a small hole. The end of it near the nozzle was also slightly melted...which is odd since I haven't run temps high enough to melt PTFE.

I know I can get a new threaded tube for $4 from Folger, but shipping makes it not a great deal. And really all I need is the teflon tube. I'd rather buy a chunk of it and be able to replace the liner without replacing the hole non-damaged tube.

I reamed it out with a 1.5mm allen wrench and trimmed off the melted end with a razor. Other than the PETG issue I found this evening it's been working well but I'd like to replace that tube since the damage can't be helping anything.

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SteveRoy

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jhitesma


If you're not using autolevel then threaded rod is acceptable but not ideal.

If you're using autolevel then I'd strongly suggest using lead screws since you have up and down motion within a layer so backlash and accuracy become a much bigger deal and wear is greatly increased without them.

So lead screws would be better than M5 threaded without auto level?

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SteveRoy

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jhitesma


If you're not using autolevel then threaded rod is acceptable but not ideal.

If you're using autolevel then I'd strongly suggest using lead screws since you have up and down motion within a layer so backlash and accuracy become a much bigger deal and wear is greatly increased without them.

So lead screws would be better than M5 threaded without auto level?

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Keary123

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SteveRoy

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jhitesma


If you're not using autolevel then threaded rod is acceptable but not ideal.

If you're using autolevel then I'd strongly suggest using lead screws since you have up and down motion within a layer so backlash and accuracy become a much bigger deal and wear is greatly increased without them.

So lead screws would be better than M5 threaded without auto level?

I feel like overall lead screws would be better for both cases. Even more so if you are using autolevel, the autolevel feature cases your Z-Axis to always be moving to compensate for the uneven print plane which would put a lot of wear on the 5mm threaded rod. Threaded rod wasn't designed to turn rotational motion into linear motion like a lead screw is. If you go with a larger and higher quality lead screw it can reduce the wobble in the Z-Axis. I don't think that there being more threads per inch in the threaded rod would make it more accurate, as long as your steps/mm are calibrated correctly you should get the same results.

Just my two cents.

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msaeger

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jhitesma
Tried printing with PETG again tonight for the first time since swapping to the metal extruder. Not going so well.

About 15 minutes into the print my extruder stepper starts clunking and it acts like it's clogged. But I think it's actually the stepper motor overheating. Checked it and it was over 60c. I've never seen it over 45 before and usually it's closer to 37-40. I'm thinking the higher temp of the PETG is heat soaking the extruder frame and into the stepper body. So looks like I'm not going to be able to do PETG again until I change something. Which is a bummer because I REALLY like PETG

Maybe you need to raise the temp or could you not have enough cooling in the cool block and it's starting to melt in there. You should get a geared extruder. I recommend buying one like this [www.ebay.com] then you will have all the parts.

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marc2912

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jhitesma
Does anyone know the size of Teflon/PTFE that's used for the liner in the threaded tube of the extruder?

I keep having filament stick in mine so while cleaning the other day I gently pushed the teflon tube out so I could take a torch to the tube to clean PLA out of the threads without melting the PTFE. But when it came out it was obvious why I'm having some issues. There was a kink in the middle of the tube bad enough to create a small hole. The end of it near the nozzle was also slightly melted...which is odd since I haven't run temps high enough to melt PTFE.

I know I can get a new threaded tube for $4 from Folger, but shipping makes it not a great deal. And really all I need is the teflon tube. I'd rather buy a chunk of it and be able to replace the liner without replacing the hole non-damaged tube.

I reamed it out with a 1.5mm allen wrench and trimmed off the melted end with a razor. Other than the PETG issue I found this evening it's been working well but I'd like to replace that tube since the damage can't be helping anything.

I think you're talking about these:
CycleMore 5PCS Hotend Barrel M6*26MM Teflon Nozzle for MK8 Tube Makerbot 1.75mm 3D Printer Extruder Hot End Reprap Prusa I3 [www.amazon.com]

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jhitesma

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marc2912

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jhitesma
Does anyone know the size of Teflon/PTFE that's used for the liner in the threaded tube of the extruder?

I keep having filament stick in mine so while cleaning the other day I gently pushed the teflon tube out so I could take a torch to the tube to clean PLA out of the threads without melting the PTFE. But when it came out it was obvious why I'm having some issues. There was a kink in the middle of the tube bad enough to create a small hole. The end of it near the nozzle was also slightly melted...which is odd since I haven't run temps high enough to melt PTFE.

I know I can get a new threaded tube for $4 from Folger, but shipping makes it not a great deal. And really all I need is the teflon tube. I'd rather buy a chunk of it and be able to replace the liner without replacing the hole non-damaged tube.

I reamed it out with a 1.5mm allen wrench and trimmed off the melted end with a razor. Other than the PETG issue I found this evening it's been working well but I'd like to replace that tube since the damage can't be helping anything.

I think you're talking about these:
CycleMore 5PCS Hotend Barrel M6*26MM Teflon Nozzle for MK8 Tube Makerbot 1.75mm 3D Printer Extruder Hot End Reprap Prusa I3 [www.amazon.com]

That's the part, but I'm looking for the dimensions of the PTFE liner so I can just replace the liner that's damaged without having to replace the whole metal throat which is still in fine shape. Yeah, $10 with prime delivery is a good deal for 5 of them....but I hate to replace that much when 90% of the part is fine it's just the plastic liner that needs replacement. Would rather spend the $10 on a couple feet of properly sized PTFE which would let me replace the liner dozens of times than spend it on 5 replacement heat breaks and treat them as disposable.

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jhitesma

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marc2912

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jhitesma
Does anyone know the size of Teflon/PTFE that's used for the liner in the threaded tube of the extruder?

I keep having filament stick in mine so while cleaning the other day I gently pushed the teflon tube out so I could take a torch to the tube to clean PLA out of the threads without melting the PTFE. But when it came out it was obvious why I'm having some issues. There was a kink in the middle of the tube bad enough to create a small hole. The end of it near the nozzle was also slightly melted...which is odd since I haven't run temps high enough to melt PTFE.

I know I can get a new threaded tube for $4 from Folger, but shipping makes it not a great deal. And really all I need is the teflon tube. I'd rather buy a chunk of it and be able to replace the liner without replacing the hole non-damaged tube.

I reamed it out with a 1.5mm allen wrench and trimmed off the melted end with a razor. Other than the PETG issue I found this evening it's been working well but I'd like to replace that tube since the damage can't be helping anything.

I think you're talking about these:
CycleMore 5PCS Hotend Barrel M6*26MM Teflon Nozzle for MK8 Tube Makerbot 1.75mm 3D Printer Extruder Hot End Reprap Prusa I3 [www.amazon.com]

That's the part, but I'm looking for the dimensions of the PTFE liner so I can just replace the liner that's damaged without having to replace the whole metal throat which is still in fine shape. Yeah, $10 with prime delivery is a good deal for 5 of them....but I hate to replace that much when 90% of the part is fine it's just the plastic liner that needs replacement. Would rather spend the $10 on a couple feet of properly sized PTFE which would let me replace the liner dozens of times than spend it on 5 replacement heat breaks and treat them as disposable.

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UltiFix
I am using autolevel as of saterday, do these look like a decen't upgrade set?
[www.banggood.com]

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UltiFix
I am using autolevel as of saterday, do these look like a decen't upgrade set?
[www.banggood.com]

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Toxic0n
Did anyone else get a bag of jelly beans in their package?
A happy accident or a little reward for when I finish putting it together? My kit was missing all the M3x8mm screws, I guess this almost makes up for it.

Any advice on aligning the Z axis? I don't think mine are perfectly align as the movement on the Z axis is not as smooth and it feels like it is binding at the bottom part a bit.

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Keary123
Quick question for anyone using S3D and an auto leveling probe.

I have my probe working perfectly with Cura/Slicer but since switching over to S3D my prints are off centered. Lets say I place an item in the middle of my bed and slice it, it appears to be in the center on S3D but when the print actually starts it is around 40mm to the right of the center mark. I was wondering if it has something to do with the extruder/probe offsets in the Marlin configuration.h code. I haven't had time to mess with offset settings in the software yet so I figured I would see if anyone has had a similar problem.

Also TheRippa, I finally scrapped my bowden extruder and switched over to your TinyFlex Extruder, it is working amazing to say the least. I also remixed your design to fit a 18mm OD capacitance sensor. If anyone wants the files let me know, the sensor is working great with my glass/pei print bed, it is linked below.

Thanks for the help.

[www.amazon.com]

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iamquestar

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Keary123
Quick question for anyone using S3D and an auto leveling probe.

I have my probe working perfectly with Cura/Slicer but since switching over to S3D my prints are off centered. Lets say I place an item in the middle of my bed and slice it, it appears to be in the center on S3D but when the print actually starts it is around 40mm to the right of the center mark. I was wondering if it has something to do with the extruder/probe offsets in the Marlin configuration.h code. I haven't had time to mess with offset settings in the software yet so I figured I would see if anyone has had a similar problem.

Also TheRippa, I finally scrapped my bowden extruder and switched over to your TinyFlex Extruder, it is working amazing to say the least. I also remixed your design to fit a 18mm OD capacitance sensor. If anyone wants the files let me know, the sensor is working great with my glass/pei print bed, it is linked below.

Thanks for the help.

[www.amazon.com]

I'd love to get those files. I've been very frustrated with the bowden (I just can't get the right retraction settings). I'm ready to go back to direct, and have a 18mm sensor.