I did look at repsnapper momentarily but I'm still not sure how it all works. For now I'm having success figuring out the quirks to using the reprap host software. I think I'll modify the extruder profile or just download a fresh copy with the defaults. I did want to mention that my X axis grinding to a halt problems were more likely due to a belt that was too tight than not enough oil, althouby jkelso - Reprappers
Forgot to mention that the temp seems to stop ramping around 257C. Maybe it takes a long time but I tried waiting for more than a half hour and could never get anything much higher than this. Still, I think that 257C could work.by jkelso - Reprappers
This time I decided that the problem may have been that I needed to save the gcode with the right temp preferences. I used a simple cube shape and converted the stl file and this time it sort of worked. The cube shape was starting to take form except that it is printing out hollow. I found a blog through youtube by jlkeegan that explained this problem. I'm planning to add some more extruder pby jkelso - Reprappers
One more try, the heat was up to 260C, I started a print, it waited for several minutes then began going through the motions of a print but nothing coming out of the nozzle. I went back to the extruder tab and the temp is still showing 260C. Then I hit stop on the print, adjust the Z axis up, and go back to the extruder tab and suddenly the temp is showing at 190C again. 2nd time this happenedby jkelso - Reprappers
When I got the heat up to 260C I tried printing. I tested the extruder and was getting a good extrusion. However, when I went to print nothing came out again. I could see that something was wrong so I checked the temp again and it went back down to 170C. I went back to preferences and also changed the extrusion size to .5 instead of .7 and the speed to 1500mm/min. I'm going to ramp it againby jkelso - Reprappers
After many tries of testing I've found there is a system to getting the software to work. When I start it up I immediately go to the extruder tab to see if there is a temp reading. When I start getting problems with getting a reading after several software restarts I have to restart the computer. Then, I start the reprap software. It never works on the first try, always on the 2nd try after rby jkelso - Reprappers
I've been doing some last minute details. The extruder always moved the wrong way so I switched the wires and now it moves correctly. However, during several tries the extruder continued moving in the wrong direction. After restarting the computer and the software the problem goes away. Then suddenly the problem happens again. Trying to get this reprap working has been a constant struggle ofby jkelso - Reprappers
I got the opto switches in the mail today and I've installed them and they're working great. In trying to force the bolt with a nut spaced a certain gap over the plastic block I managed to break off a part of the plastic that holds the bolt in there. So I improvised a piece of metal and put 2 bolts through it and it holds on just as good. Now with all opto switches working and tested I've goby jkelso - Reprappers
Lambert Andrus states through email that he will send some out to me free of charge. Sounds pretty good to me.by jkelso - Reprappers
After removing the faulty end stops I plugged them each into the wiring for the known working switch. When the endstop goes through the good switch the green light goes out, but when it goes through the other 2 switches the green light stays on. So it's either a problem with the switches or the boards attached to the bottom of the switches. I guess I can try sending them back to techzone but Iby jkelso - Reprappers
I may be sending switches back to techzoneby jkelso - Reprappers
I am thinking that if I can get one working then I can check the other switches by testing them on the driver board that is working. From there I can isolate either the wires, the board, or the switch as the problem. My guess is that the wires need to be remade to switch the polarity. Hopefully I can fix it without replacing any hardware. I've been working all night on this so I think I'll piby jkelso - Reprappers
My machine is doing the dance! I think I may want to make another adjustment to the Y platform level and actually put some filament in there and see what happens. It's pretty cool seeing and hearing what it sounds like printing a part for the first time. SWEET. For a while it didn't seem like it was reading the G code I created from the STL file but I waited and suddenly the machine came to lby jkelso - Reprappers
I've reversed the stepper motor wires red/blue switched with blk/grn and this solved the problem of the axis going in the wrong direction. Right now I'm ramping up the heater and trying to get the machine to go through the motions of printing an .stl file I got off thingiverse of a web. So far I've been having problems with the connection going bad, which is usually solved by either restartingby jkelso - Reprappers
Ok thanks. Now as I'm trying to do a test print I think I may have found a new problem. When I press Home for the Z axis it moves down until the opto stop reaches the inside of the end stop and then it stops and centers itself within that space. However, my other axis do not do this. When I press home on the X axis it goes all the way into the end stop and then the motor keeps trying to turn.by jkelso - Reprappers
I've now got the nozzle adjusted to just a small gap above the bed and it seems to be level all around, but when the X axis travels all the way to 150 I get a constriction because the wires aren't long enough. I just need to file a gap in the wood down to one of the holes and the wires should be just perfect with that extra length. After that I'm going to do a test print without filament.by jkelso - Reprappers
After many frustrating hours of toying with bolt tightening and loosening I finally went out and grabbed a quart of motor oil from my vehicle and just used my finger to drip it all over the bearings and rods. At first it didn't seem to work but I tried it again about 15 minutes later and now my carriage travels freely without grinding to any stops. I'm going to now work on adjusting the Y platfby jkelso - Reprappers
I went into the arduino extruder firmware and found the setting I needed to change the mosfet under the configuration h tab. From there I switched the heated bed and heater numbers around, one was 11 and one was 12. That worked to set the heater controls to the B +/- terminals and now I am able to ramp the heat and turn it off. From here I just need to play with my extruder carriage bolts andby jkelso - Reprappers
yes it is on permanently, I will try doing this thank you G. Frost. dunno why I didn't think of it myself.... any clue what the line of code looks like that assigns the pin number?by jkelso - Reprappers
I'm wondering if there is some problem with the electronics now, I haven't had this problem before of not being able to control the ramping of the heat. I'm thinking that the solution could be to implement a new system that would independently control heat to the extruder without using the extruder board to do this. I got this from danielgby jkelso - Reprappers
Those are LIN engineering Nema 17 steppers from ebay you were asking about. Great job getting yours to work. I am still thinking maybe I need new electronics I can't get the heat to stop ramping or turn off....by jkelso - Reprappers
Getting down to the last few details to complete this build and I've now discovered that the new problem is that when I plug in the power supply the heat starts coming on right away before I push the Ramp or Switch Heat On buttons. There seems to be no way to stop it from heating up and it continues to heat, I finally shut it off around 300C. I reloaded the extruder board software but I'm stumpby jkelso - General
Since bolting everything back on, I've been having a problem turning off the heat. It seems to want to keep ramping up, at times it seems to be going down and then I check it again and it's going up. I'd like to turn the heat completely off while making adjustments but it's not letting me. I've been toying with the extruder bolts for over an hour but I can't seem to get the Z axis to travel alby jkelso - Reprappers
It appears everything is working great this time, the nozzle is heating, the connections are are stable and I'm going to bolt it up.by jkelso - Reprappers
I cut a length of copper tube to fit the nozzle and I tried slipping it over the fire cement, shaving off part of the sides. Doing this exposed one of the wires to the tube which resulted in a measurement of less than 1 ohm so I taped over the cement with kapton tape before putting on the tube. I also filed grooves in the top to fit around the wires at the top and again taped over the tube andby jkelso - Reprappers
Since last night I've applied 4 or 5 coats of fire cement. First I wrapped the nichrome wire down to the bottom of the barrel, cemented it, let dry, then wrapped the wire back up to the top and cemented it again. The resistance is measuring in the 6 ohm range and I'm getting ready to cut some copper pipe to fit over this. I'd still like to tape the thermistor to the outside of the copper pipeby jkelso - Reprappers
I looked at the heater block design A. Smith, it looks pretty good, where can I get one of those? Does it work with Wade's extruder? So the whole thing heats up? Not sure how it works from a quick glance... I'm going to let this thin coat of cement dry until tomorrow or later tonight and I'll wrap the wire and apply more cement.by jkelso - Reprappers
I started coating the wire and I'm going to put a thin coat around the nozzle and allow to dry for a while before wrapping it together.by jkelso - Reprappers
After peeling off the tape I can see that the tape alone is never going to work. The wire needs to be encased in fire cement or done another way. I'm not sure I can get a picture of how you're doing it from the description alone. With the extruder removed I decided to go ahead and drill that 2nd hole to hold in the nozzle and I put the bolt in there. I'm going to try and use a method I saw onby jkelso - Reprappers