I vote for "Rasta" as it looks like a dreadlock ;-) The x bearing initially felt a bit stuck but I oiled it right at the start and now is (still) feels fine. Another problem was the PLA X-carriage. As the PLA deformed at higher temperatures the bearing would slip out. With ABS it is still rock solid.by victors - Ormerod
Ingeneo70 Where do you live? I am in Centurion and work in Midrand. I now only print in ABS BUT some parts must be reprinted with ABS to handle the temperatures. ABS is problematic in the beginning, while learning how to use it, but it is a lot stronger and more durable than PLA. You can buy over the counter at Micro Robotics, CAD House (renovating it seems for the next month) and from Hans Foby victors - Ormerod
DC This is luckily for a "cold" application. This Z axis basically holds a drill, and 2x lasers (UV and Blue). But trust me, that bed bends with difficulty. The drill runs at 37000rpm so it won't even feel the pressure and the lasers, well, light has no force effect. The only force will be from the PCB router bit, but I will have to see if that will be bad or not. If it looks like it is going toby victors - Ormerod
I reprinted yet another ABS extruder. Works great now. But below is my new Z axis for my PCB printing/drilling/laser machine (I keep on adding more functions as the feeling hits me). Currently I can hook a Dremel, UV and blue laser on the head. The base is 8mm thick (150mm x 100mm) and the table 10mm thick (100mm x 100mm). Combined those two took almost a whole 24 hours to setup and print. The beby victors - Ormerod
1) Make sure your table is as level as possible. Do this mechanically. Don't rely on any Z axis compensation. Put some adjustable nuts or screws on the bed so you can visually tune it. 2) Generate Slic3r code to make a few more skirts. 3) Manually zero the Z axis as close as you can before printing. 4) During printing watch the skirts and manually turn the Z axis thread. Anti clockwise goes dowby victors - Ormerod
I now only print with ABS BUT I had to reprint the X-carriage, gears, head mount and extruder...else the Ormerod turns to putty ;-( Always lift head up high when heating the bed. Also put something on the bed like a piece or carton (while heating up). The bed heats up faster but you also protect the stuff above it. When your X carriage, heat mount and extruder are still PLA then only print theby victors - Ormerod
Some of the other plastics might require extrusion temperatures of around 300C, which I would not recommend at present with the current hot end.by victors - Ormerod
The risk, directly on glass, is damaging the nozzle if the z starts too low. The glass is harder than stainless whereas the kapton is a lot softer. So a z mistake on kapton will be more forgiving, in the long run, than glass.by victors - Ormerod
I have tried it. Plastic sticks to it but the bottom, of print, deformed a bit. OK for quick prints where you don't really care about perfect quality.by victors - Ormerod
Dave My problem seems to be a combination of mishaps. I have printed new parts since and they are also within spec. The problem seems to be the fact that the PLA extruder was failing, laying down too little plastic in some cases and then I had to press it in by hand as it stopped. I actually took a black marker and kept on marking the filament as it it moved (used white)... And I sat there forby victors - Ormerod
ABS Extruder Last night my one print stopped extruding halfway. I have been using a filament that varried between 1.75mm downto as low as 1.2mm. The extruder could not feed this, so I took it out. I replaced it with another one that was more consistent. After about 30 minutes the extruder did not feed the filament anymore. The problem was that the ABS extruder (now much stronger) did not have tby victors - Ormerod
I got this a lot from many different fans. If it resonates you still have a chance. Take it out. The bush/bearing will normally be covered by a sticker. Gently pull it off and add a drop of oil, making sure you don't get any on the place where the sticker goes. Put sticker back and power up again. If this does not work then it just might be stuffed ;-(by victors - Ormerod
John Releasing a print is much easier when it cools down. Many suggest switching the bed off and then removing. That wastes too much time and energy for me, especially if I want to run another print. So here is what I do: 1) I got myself a few extra 3mm thick pieces of float glass, cut to the same size as the one supplied. Really cheap. You can probably go to any shop that sells window glass anby victors - Ormerod
The risk highlighted is that if this thread fails the entire thing can fall onto the bed and really break stuff. Suggestion. Add 2x nuts and a wide washer between them a cm or so below the working nut. This way, if the nut strips ...and things start to fall, then the 2x nuts and washer will catch everything. Dropping only a cm or so it better than maybe dropping 10cm.by victors - Ormerod
DC I always forget to put the cellphone in flight mode. I get reminded about that fact when the Duet crashes ;-) So I just leave it elsewhere. Oh, the Duet still crashes with the Xytron PSU, so it is not PSU related. Want to still print test job from SDcard only to see it it crashes. Generally it is one loom that will pick up the EMI. Will eventually find it. Erik Will look into that. I need tby victors - Ormerod
Ian Pictures. Will do some soon. I usually take pictures with my cellphone, but the interference usually crashed the Duet, so I don't take it into the lab (yet). Progress: 1) The ABS X-carriage is still straight as can be. I now leave the bed on at 110C and this keeps the print from warping/coming off the bed. 2) New ABS extruder also still works like a charm. It is still an ugly print becausby victors - Ormerod
Quick feedback from tablet...hate typing on it! After 3 prints got x carriage printed in ABS. Old PLA one now dead. Sacrificed to make the new one. Result: Friggen awesome! Head now level, belt tighter than ever and prints look good. Then printer extruder. What a mission. Original battled to grip filament. It actually looked perfect but somehow the expansion probably added microns between gearby victors - Ormerod
Ian I also don't want to start an argument. But I cannot help smiling over here. RS made promises RRP apparently did not sign up for. I can understand that if I was part of the RepRap community that I would know $%^ everything about everything and the improvements from Model A to B to C can be seen as awesome by those involved. But until December I did not know anything about RepRap. I did not eby victors - Ormerod
Ian Sorry to say but you seem a bit defensive. I am just trying to sort out all the problems on a system that I bought from RS that stated, 2 hours build time, PLA and ABS and many more. Frankly I don't give a flying ^&%$% what the Mendel can do or not do. I responded to an advertisement and bought $100 worth of ABS (which is the material required for my project) and now I must learn withby victors - Ormerod
Ian Ambient 31C (door is open, no air con, typical Africa temperature) Extrusion motor temp.: 46C Even the Y motor, which I am forcing to 1000mA, is sitting at 46C Extruder cavity clear, no crap inside. Since my last mishaps I keep the Z elevated to at least 10 to 12cm and only preheat to 80-90C. But the deformity is now quite visible on the x carriage (with all my heat gunning and messing arby victors - Ormerod
As feared, just about everything PLA is deteriorating on the head and extruder. The PLA backwash part I printed is loose, the extruder gears are running at an angle and even the bracket holding it sits around 5 degrees+ to the perspex. Must reprint all a.s.a.p to ABS. I think the ABS is now slipping inside the extruder. I first picked it up when it battled to feed the black ABS filament. This fby victors - Ormerod
I am giving up on the PLA X-carriage. Now attempting print in ABS. The problem is that with a wide area print the table needs to stay 110C for much longer than e.g. the small parts I have done so far. Thus, after a while printing, the head sags again. Another thing that is now acting out is the extruder. First that little clip, that holds the bowden started popping out. Whatever held it in is nby victors - Ormerod
Dieter For now I am all about functionality and getting parts ready for the other machines. But I will definitely check to see if I can go 0.12mm or 0.06mm. Improvements every day. 3D-ES OK, will try the retraction. I think those little blobs are also messing with the layers. When one happens the next layer sometimes looks that it has to go around it. But for now I am happy and can continueby victors - Ormerod
The print on Monday went horribly wrong.The head mount sagged and I then had to reprint it in ABS (which was difficult seeing that I could not print ABS correctly in the first place. The second print was with the new head mount. The 3rd was with the "fixed" x carriage, after it started to sag, but still lots of play in the belts with the Y motor obviously slipping. The 4th was an almost perfectby victors - Ormerod
Another night, another print. I followed some more advice from the forum. Thanks to those geniuses. Will not name names, you know who you are. BTW, firmware still 57 (I believe there are newer versions??) 1) First I started with my protocol above. This is to insure the ABS bed temperature does not cook the PLA off the X bearing. Start at 110C and now dropped of to 70C during the print. 2) I iby victors - Ormerod
SlinBin Yes, it is usually better to observe the guy going:" One step for man..." before rocketing self into space. Someone needs to melt their printing head first ;-) And to steal the immortal words of Spider-man's uncle..."With great power comes great responsibility". I was so impressed that my big PSU could drive the whole thing so efficiently that I forgot what the effect was on the rest ofby victors - Ormerod
OK, "hand printed" the X carriage, re-tuned the runner and I have a fairly level head again. Now preheating the bed to 110C while the head is at about 50 to 60mm above the bed. The print starts at 110C for the 1st layer. Then I drop it to 105C for the 2nd. Then 90C for the rest. The print still sticks. So far the quality looks quite acceptable. The runner temp is 44C. Cooler block is 46C. Xby victors - Ormerod
Ray I have just reformed the carriage with my heatgun and my bare fingers. Not ABS! I have a level head again. Hopefully I can print the new carriage in ABS with no in fill. BTW Ray, where do you live?by victors - Ormerod
My temperatures now seem to be OK. Verified it with Fluke 62 IR meter. X carrier Next rather bad problem. The X carrier (sitting on the bearing) is slowly deforming. Initially it clipped on with difficulty.Now there are gaps and I can slip it on and off with one hand. I just tried to print another simple square rod holder. It is like it is slowly deforming. I realized this when after a few layeby victors - Ormerod