OK - we have solved our problem -we had to invert the logic on the endstops by setting them to false. So please note that although it mentions everywhere we looked to wire limit switches as normally closed (NC) -they are not set that way by default in the firmware. Jacqueline Our Blogby JLudlow - Firmware - mainstream and related support
Hi everbody, We have just finished our Prusa i3 and are currently trying to get the Marlin firmware to work with our printer on a RAMPS 1.4 board. Our problem right now is that after several hours of messing with the endstop settings our Y axis is moving in the forward direction but refuses to move back to the endstop. Other things are not working either, but we are going to solve this one stepby JLudlow - Firmware - mainstream and related support
Thanks for the information - I will have a look into these. We were thinking the same thing about the max temperature for the cutoff, that it should be the desired heated bed temperature (for example 150C) plus 20 - 40 degrees -as you say, it is a safety measure and we sure hope it won't be triggered every day! Jacqueline Our 3D Printer Blogby JLudlow - Controllers
Thanks for the input! I had a look around for the "resettable thermal fuses" that you mention and can't seem to find anything like that -what I keep finding seems to be more concerned with current and not temperature. Maybe I am just looking in the wrong places. Would you happen to have a link/part number for the type that you are using? The resettable aspect might be more practical than the onby JLudlow - Controllers
Hi everyone, We are looking into putting together a 12" x 12" heated bed for our new printer and are probably going to go with a nichrome wire heated version. We are concerned about safety issues with heated beds. With our setup (size and want to be able to print ABS and hopefully nylon) we will need three or four nichrome wire lengths or "elements" -we want to integrate thermal cutoff,s somethiby JLudlow - Controllers
Good to see another Canadian supplier! Will definitely have a look. Et bonne chance avec votre entreprise! Jacqueline www.singularitymachine.com/blogby JLudlow - For Sale
I would recommend Strata 3D CX (www.strata.com) as an inexpensive, fairly easy to learn 3D modeller for MAC. I use Cinema 4D mainly, but Strata was my first 3D modelling programme and it was not that hard to learn -it also renders beautifully. Jacqueline www.singularitymachine.com/blogby JLudlow - 3D Design tools
Thanks Deux-Vis -we are looking to get away from Repsnapper, but it is the only thing that works right now with our infamous Techzone LC Mendel! We are getting the parts together for a Prusa Mendel and will be using the RAMPS electronics and newest firmware/software that we can with it. We just are trying our best to get the Techzone kit to print all our parts for us! Thanks, Bob, for the info,by JLudlow - RepSnapper
I was also surprised when I saw their website, and there was only a CG rendering of the printer. It would be nice to see the real thing Jacqueline www.singularitymachine.com/blogby JLudlow - General
Wow, it looks like you are off to a good start with your project with it almost half supported already! I say good luck with your project, the printers look good and solid, and your dual-extuder option definitely puts you ahead of most. Jacqueline www.singularitymachine.com/blogby JLudlow - General
Hi Paul and everybody, We have actually got our LC Mendel working after a lot of fixing up errors in the laser cut pieces, replacing bolts, screws, returning the monotronics board, waiting three weeks for replacement and making our own oak blocks which we have had to replace twice -the list goes on and on! It is a constant one step forward, one step back with this machine, it seems for every twoby JLudlow - General
Thanks for the answers, I had the feeling it was something simple that I was missing. Nophead, the Github site sounds interesting and yes, complicated, but, heck, if we can figure out the 3d printer thing, Github should be nothing -thanks for the info. Jacqueline www.singularitymachine.com/blogby JLudlow - General
Hi everybody, Maybe I am totally clued out here, and it would not be the first time -but what is one supposed to do with a plain text file to get it to be a .stl file.? For example I found the Prusa Mendel files at Github and when I click on the link to the .stl part files it leads me to plain text, which would be, I imagine the content of an .stl file. So how do I get that text to be an .stl fby JLudlow - General
Bonjour DeuxVis, Here is one of the STL files that I tried converting into Gcode with both Repsnapper and Slic3r. I am not a Gcode expert, but when looking at the Gcode that came up in Repsnapper, it seemed that with all the X and Y movements that there was no mention of the Z axis... Thanks for having a look. Jacqueline www.singularitymachine.com/blogby JLudlow - RepSnapper
Nous utilisons un lit chauffant pour imprimer ABS, si, non le ABS ne colle pas assez, et il lève et c'est fini! Nous avons utiliser un pistolet de chaleur pour chauffer notre "print bed" quand nous n'avions pas de lit chauffant et il a bien fonctionné, mais qui veut rester là en train de tenir un pistolet de chaleur pour des heures! Jacqueline www.singularitymachine.comby JLudlow - RepRap Groupe d'Utilisateurs Francophone
Wow, richrap, that's cool! Congratulations. I've been wondering what was happening with the intriguing Fab@home (paste extruding) style printers which sort of seem to have disappeared. But now, thanks to your innovation it seems that we can have it all with our Reprap style printers! I enjoyed watching your videos as well -so did my 3 year old who is now demanding that we print chocolate bunnieby JLudlow - Paste Extrusion Working Group
Hi everybody, So, we got our Techzone LC Mendel up and sort of running... We are having problems with some stl. files not converting properly to G-code. What happens is that the Z-axis information seems to be missing, so that the Z-axis is not moving up and the printer just keeps printing layer upon layer without moving up and makes a big mess. It only seems to be happening with some stl filesby JLudlow - RepSnapper
DeuxVis -thanks, we are looking! Nophead -thanks for your input -that was pretty much what we were thinking. By the nature of being printers and pretty well constantly in motion, any cables really need to be flexible and made to flex a lot in these machines. We'll look out for "patch cables". JED -PM sent out, thanks for the offer! We have been trying to figure out how to secure the cable justby JLudlow - Controllers
We've checked things out and things seem to be ok all-around, although an email to Techzone suggests that it may, once again for us, be a "cold solder" problem. We are more inclined to think that it is the nature of the stiff pseudo-ethernet CAT 5 cable that pulls when the unit moves or is moved that is breaking the connection. I received some good advice on the IRC chat about securing the cableby JLudlow - Controllers
Encore, merci, DeuxVis -nous devrions commencer notre propre "forum" We are looking into maybe just putting in some simple mechanical endstops that would cut the power if the X carriage wanders too far. The idea would be that you wouldn't have to touch the firmware with an option like that, also they would only be used as an "emergency" measure. We're not sure if this is a good idea or doable,by JLudlow - General Mendel Topics
Yeah, I like that Techzone motto too Their kits are not for the faint-of-heart for sure We will go ahead with your good ideas for checking out all the connections. Thanks, Jacquelineby JLudlow - Controllers
Guten Tag Traumflug, Thanks for your response. We are using the Monotronics mainboard from Techzone. Does anyone know of any way to add endstops to that mainboard? There doesn't seem to be any way of plugging in any extra endstops. Maybe we will be stuck buying the non-Monotronics type mainboard with seperate stepper motor/endstop modules -but that would depend whether they could handle morby JLudlow - General Mendel Topics
Hi Everyone, I am sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere, but search does not readily show if it has been. Has anyone ever added opto (or other sorts of) endstops so that the X carriage does not accidentally collide with the top of the machine while ascending the Z axis or colliding with the other end of the machine while moving along its own axis away from the home position? Why I ask thiby JLudlow - General Mendel Topics
Hi Everyone, We have our Mendel (Techzone Laser Cut) all set up and connected to my PC with Repsnapper. We are moving axes and getting the extruder turning. However, our tip manager module is not staying reliably connected to the mainboard, we have swapped the RJ45 cable with one that we know is working and are still getting the same problem -sometimes it works and others, it does not. We are guby JLudlow - Controllers
Bonjour Deux Vis, Thanks for your reply. We are using the Techzone monotronics -with their firmware as well, which is supposedly the most up-to-date. I just figured it out!! You have to have the reverse button in the "on" position and then you have to click on "Run extruder" - I thought reverse would just reverse on its own... silly me I seem to be answering my questions these days! At leasby JLudlow - RepSnapper
Hi Everybody, We managed to get Repsnapper connecting with our Mendel, things are moving and heating up just fine so far! What I was wondering was if anyone is using the "Reverse" button beside the "Run extruder" button in the "Interactive control" area with any success. It doesn't seem to working here. I can get the extruder to run, but not reverse. Thanks for any feedback! Jacquelineby JLudlow - RepSnapper
I downloaded a different version, and it starts up just fine. Now, I guess the real fun begins, trying to get it to connect to the machine! Jacquelineby JLudlow - RepSnapper
Hi Everybody, Ughh -after messing around endlessly with host software options I decided to try Repsnapper on my PC, instead of my Mac, so now I have the file all expanded in it's own folder and all, and I am supposed to " double click the repsnapper.exe file within the repsnapper/src directory" to start the programme up, and well, there is no .EXE file in the src directory... Has anyone had thby JLudlow - RepSnapper
Hi Everyone, We had the same problem with our Z axis belt and had to move things around quite a bit too. Makes me wonder why they don't seem to include the belt tensioning assembly that you see on some photos of their kits anymore Our photos are here: photo 1 and here: photo 2 Jacqueline Our Mendel in progressby JLudlow - General Mendel Topics
Merci DeuxVis, mon anglais est beaucoup mieux que mon français, mais j'essaie! Thanks for your suggestion -I do indeed have a multimeter and will check out the current. I think the Mendel motors are slightly larger -"NEMA 14". For anyone else encountering a similar problem: I emailed Techzone and received the following response: "If the other axes are adjusting fine, but the X isn't then it isby JLudlow - Controllers