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Re: Two Questions... - 12 years ago
I think your problem is the layer thickness. When I had a 0.5mm nozzle and printed in PLA, I usually had layer thicknesses of around 0.30 to at most 0.40mm. You need to press the upper layer at least some into the one beneath it, and if you are using a layer thickness of 0.8mm then you are basically dropping it onto the layer below. That can lead to adhesion problems and is probably also the reasby Mkouri - Slic3r
Re: Newbie Question- Connecting RAMPS 1.4 to Mac via USB - 12 years ago
Oh boy. Where to start. There are mechanical endstops and optical endstops (there are other types such as magnetic, too, but unlikely you got those as part of a kit). Which do you have? Do they look like switches that make a distinct click when you depress the lever, or do they look like plastic legs that an opaque flag would slide between and obstruct the light beam? Yes, you need to inform Marby Mkouri - General
Re: Newbie Question- Connecting RAMPS 1.4 to Mac via USB - 12 years ago
Excellent!! You're now in the home stretch, where all the real fun begins - you will soon be CREATING THINGS! Since you have Pronterface and Slic3r, I suggest you immediately browse to - he has done a truly excellent job walking you thru the calibration and introduction to Slic3r, much better than I could do here. That's just part one of his series on Slic3r, be sure to read parts 2 and 3 as weby Mkouri - General
Re: Newbie Question- Connecting RAMPS 1.4 to Mac via USB - 12 years ago
This is progress. T0 is the correct set of pins for the thermistor. What other wires come out of your extruder? What kind of hot end do you have? Photos will help. You should have a thermistor and a heating element of some sort. I would have expected the heating element to be bare wires for plugging into D10, and usually the thermistor wires are much thinner because they don't carry nearly as muby Mkouri - General
Re: Newbie Question- Connecting RAMPS 1.4 to Mac via USB - 12 years ago
I don't know any way to disable the physical rest on the Arduino, it has always worked for me. You can always unplug and reconnect the USB cable, that too will reset it (the Arduino gets its power via US. It sounds like you are able to push code to it, and when you do an upload it will also reset the board and install new code, so an equally valid thing to do now is just push Marlin to it. Then,by Mkouri - General
Re: Newbie Question- Connecting RAMPS 1.4 to Mac via USB - 12 years ago
What version of Mac OSX and what version of Arduino are you using? Do not install an FTDI driver, it's not needed for the Macintosh. I am now able to use Arduino 1.0, but don't know what I did to make that work, previously I never was able to upload firmware until I installed version 0.23 of Arduino. My Mac Pro that I use to drive my printers is still on OSX 10.6.8, a Mac Air that I also occasioby Mkouri - General
Re: Newbie Question- Connecting RAMPS 1.4 to Mac via USB - 12 years ago
My guess is you need to set the baud rate within Repsnapper. /dev/tty.usbmodem1a21 (you may get different last four digits and letters) is the correct device to connect to a RAMPS board from a Macintosh. I used to use Repsnapper, but have found Pronterface (http://github.com/Kliment/Printrun for the latest and the pre-compiled version with Slic3r built in is at ) to be much more user-friendly.by Mkouri - General
Re: Cutting gold leaf - how close is possible? - 12 years ago
I cannot answer your question, but you might want to re-post it in a more active laser cutter oriented forum, I recommendby Mkouri - Laser Cutter Working Group
Re: Hacks I'm not Proud of... - 12 years ago
The printed Z axis opto endstop spring cracked on me, wedging an M3 nut and scraps of failed prints inside the S curves restored its rigidity enough that I could continue printing. It's working well enough that I still haven't gotten around to printing a replacement...by Mkouri - General
Re: Blobs forming on nozzle destroying print - 12 years ago
So this happens after your temperature starts dropping? Have you measured your filament? I have yet to get a spool which measures exactly 3mm, usually they are closer to 2.78 to 2.85, and I've gotten similar erratic results when they are not consistent along the length. The hobbed bolt ends up pushing different lengths out the nozzle when the system thinks it is pushing the same amount. Since yoby Mkouri - Printing
Re: Nichrome wire resistance has shot up? - 12 years ago
Ollie, If you have any extra pins or sockets for molex connectors, or even for RS-232 connectors, you can cut them down and use the "wings" for crimp connectors. That may even be easier to wrap the nichrome around, in between the wing that would normally hold the insulation on wire and the wing that would normally be crimped to the bare strands. Then lightly solder it and wrap the whole thing inby Mkouri - General
Re: Broken PTFE insulator - 12 years ago
Pierre, Congratulations! I'm glad to see you're finally successfully creating things! BTW, in the video it appeared like your Y axis belt is a little loose.by Mkouri - General
Re: Nichrome wire resistance has shot up? - 12 years ago
Ollie, did you solder the nichrome to your heater wires? I suspect you melted the solder. I now use bootlaces ferrules: run the nichrome thru and then wrap it back around, insert the heater wire, and crimp the heck out of it. You won't NEEd to solder the connection then, altho I still do, very lightly.by Mkouri - General
Re: Finalization. . . - 12 years ago
MrBlack Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Okay. Let me see if I've got it straight. > > 1.) Arduino: I need Arduino to be able to > reprogram the firmware on the printer. > 2.) Slic3r: to replace Skeinforge for generating > the GCode. > 3.) Pronterface: to replace Repsnapper for > controlling the printer. > 4.) Marlin: for making the prinby Mkouri - General Mendel Topics
Re: Finalization. . . - 12 years ago
MrBlack, I found you a link for Marlin - This has been highly recommended as a nice front end that builds Marlin for you after you fill out the web form, I started with the beta from github (google for Marlin and Erik Zalm) and therefore compile my own so I cannot walk you thru using this, sorry. As far as changing the firmware on the printer, use the search function here on the wiki to find gby Mkouri - General Mendel Topics
Re: Tips for micro layer height - 12 years ago
Nophead, Any time I see you contradict something I've said or believe, I have to go back and rethink my position. Like Josh, I don't have a lot of choice with my Makergear hot-ends, but on the J-head hot ends where the nozzle and heater block are one, I've worried about the disparity in size between my thermistors and the cavities they're supposed to be inserted into. Would you recommend a therby Mkouri - Printing
Re: Finalization. . . - 12 years ago
MrBlack Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It's good to have someone to sympathize with. Oh, there's lots of us here who were burned by Botmill, so we have tons of company. Luckily for you, a lot of us have already blazed a trail to success you can follow. Please do read richrap's blog entry, getting the extruder tuned (ie accurate e steps) is critical to qualiby Mkouri - General Mendel Topics
Re: How to prevent bridging on separate objects - 12 years ago
You didn't say what software you are using, the parameter you are looking for is usually called retraction. If you're using Slic3r, definitely check out richraps excellent write-up on tuning and using it on his blog - the first article is atby Mkouri - Printing
Re: Tips for micro layer height - 12 years ago
Seems like we think a lot alike and have been traveling the same paths! I'm printing another printer right now so I will have one to experiment with now that I'm happy with my old Sells Mendel. Yes, I get good adhesion at that low of a temperature, but I have my thermistor taped to the nozzle instead of the heater block like a lot of people do. I want to know what temperature it's coming out atby Mkouri - Printing
Re: Finalization. . . - 12 years ago
MrBlack, I know your pain, I bought a Botmill lesson in frustration about a year before you. My plastic parts were so bad that eventually I bought a set from nophead and have been using that printer ever since. I see others have already given you excellent advice about the temperature, initial Z height, and ensuring your bed is flat. You didn't say what software you are using so its difficultby Mkouri - General Mendel Topics
Re: Finalization. . . - 12 years ago
I'm guessing your temperature is too hot and you need something on the bed for the PLA to stick to. Get some basic 3M blue painters tape, I've been it using for PLA with an unheated bed for almost 2 years with good results. The PLA sticks great assuming your first layer sort of squishes down lower than the nozzle diameter, and it pops off pretty when the print job is done. Occasionally it adheresby Mkouri - General Mendel Topics
Re: First reprap Mendel build - got questions obviously - 12 years ago
Bearings? It seems like most people have moved away from PLA bushings to LM8UU bearings. Belts for the X and Y axes. Depending on whether you intend to print PLA, ABS, or both you may or may not want a heated bed. I print PLA on an unseated bed using blue painters tape as the surface, it sticks great. ABS on the other hand pretty much requires a heated bed, Kapton tape or glass seems to be theby Mkouri - Reprappers
Re: Tips for micro layer height - 12 years ago
Richrap's blog, I think it was his 3rd installment on Slic3r, talks a lot about very fine layers. Check it out. In general, SLOW DOWN, reduce temperature (a lot), and add lots more solid layers. If you can, get a smaller nozzle. I think you've already come those same conclusions, tho. I too played around with ultra fine layers, but decided I was too impatient to wait for even tiny objects to prinby Mkouri - Printing
Re: MendelMax oversize - 12 years ago
In the US, try McMaster-Carr, p/n 2900A381. Misumi also is a good source, but I have a harder time searching their site from an iPad...by Mkouri - General
Re: Printing on acrylic - 12 years ago
Please do post some pictures. How much more difficult is it to remove than blue painters tape? I find that I not infrequently tear the tape lifting my parts off the bed. Do you need to use a spatula or would a pocketknife still work?by Mkouri - Printing
Re: Introducing the Prism Mendel - 12 years ago
Speaking of post-assembly nuts, whosawhatsis just posted the following the other day. I haven't tried printing them yet, but I intend to.by Mkouri - General Mendel Topics
Re: Ready to get my first printer - have a couple questions - 12 years ago
GITRDUN Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Ok. So whats the difference between the Mendel and > the Mendel Prusa? I see some used Mendels out > there for a reasonable price. This may help you understand the genealogy --by Mkouri - General
Re: First prints..too hot? - 12 years ago
I agree with your analysis. Wish I had been as quick on the uptake when I was first starting out!by Mkouri - Printing
Re: Mendel Max build and ideas - Quick-Fit Extruders - 12 years ago
This is awesome. Printing your X-carriage as I type. Next up will be the extruder.by Mkouri - General Mendel Topics
Re: Part Dimensions not jiving - 12 years ago
foshon Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My parts came out the > correct size but they shifted to the far corner of > the bed and it was supposed to be in the middle. I > understand why it did it, but how does one fix > this? It's not terribly intuitive. Go into the Multiply section of your slicer and select a 1x1 grid centered at 100x and 100y, assby Mkouri - Printing