Another newbie question

So I finally got my printer to work. Apparently i had a bad Z limit switch wire that wasn't connected and was epicly loose. Got that replace and did a calibration test print and all was groovy. Tried to do a print tonight with glue stick and it kept failing 3 time due to not sticking enough. Read in the manual that I need to raise the temp of the print bed in matter control. Not sure how to do so but after a quick read i might know where to look at that, but on to the main noob question. My print bed is kinda messy with all the glue stick over it and how do I properly clean the glass bed? I had a Micro 3D printer before and it had build tak sheets so it was an easy clean and wasn't a heated bed. First time working with a heated print bed so yeah, just need help figuring out how to clean it and maybe how to raise the bed temp in matter control.

 

For Z offset in MC - I recommend adding it to the start script with an M565 command. Yes - there is a Z offset field in MC that you can just enter, but I don't mess with that field. If you decide to just enter a value in that field anyway, remember that it is the opposite of how the z offset works with the M565 command. In other words, changing the z offset in MC, the more negative your number, the lower to the bed.

With the M565 code, the more negative the z offset you enter, the farther from the bed you go. Here is my start script just for grins. You can enter it in printer tab - custom gcode - start code. Just delete all and replace with this if you want.

G28 ; home all axes
G1 Z5 F5000 ; lift nozzle
M565 Z-.75 ; set the offset for auto-leveling mechanism
G29 ; probe the bed
M109 S[extruder0_temperature] ; set the extruder temp and wait
G28 X0 Y0 ; home again to start wipe
G1 X20 Z0 F4800 ; wipe

Change the -.75 based on how it's printing. If it is printing too close to the bed - go MORE negative (ie -.85). If it is prinitng too far and not sticking, lower that number (-.65 for example).

Also - glue stick sucks. It doesn't work well. Get a can of aquanet hairspray from walmart. It works perfectly. If you are using PLA - you don't really need to go above 55 degrees C on the bed. Just my .02.

Finally, here is a link to what the first layer should look like. It should be a little flat. That is the nozzle pushing the filament onto the bed to get it to stick. If it looks round when it goes on the bed, it is just being "laid" down and will ultimately not stick. That would tell you that you need to adjust the z offset to get the nozzle closer to the bed. You need that first layer to be the bedrock of your print. If your first layer looks bad, stop the print, adjust, and try again.

Welcome to the club and please don't hesitate to ask questions. There are a lot of smart people on here that really helped me out when I was just starting a couple of months ago.

https://printedsolid.com/blogs/news?page=2

 

I use Aquanet for most everything except ABS then it's Elmer's Extreme. It just works better than anything else I used.

 

For bed cleaning I use Windex glass cleaner for the hairspray I use. Never have used Glue stick or tape yet.

 

In Matter Control there are two places I know of to make changes to your Z offset.

Here's one:

Use this place for your "normal" setting for your default setting.

Here's the second:
For custom settings for situations that require a different setting like for different mateiral for example you might want to edit preset macros here:



Choose any exiting Macro to edit


Edit and save. Suggestion; if you change the offset be sure to change the Macro Name too to reflect your change.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone, It all really helped.

 

The Robo z offsets should be negative unless matter control is changing them being the scenes. Just something to consider when looking at the macros. For example: M565 Z-0.8

 

Danz - unless you use the M565 command - yes - MC does indeed switch them up. That's why my post above. Ironically that is much more intuitive than the M565 commands backwards way... just my .02

 

Concur Mark - I tilted the windmill when I just started and wondered why the M565 command was backwards, and now that's the only way I can think of it

 

Oh i just realized that there was a communication error with what i typed and what you guys think i ment with the Z offset. When i typed groovy i ment the print turned out ok. Was kinda lost for a lil bit there wondering what you all were talking about and then i re read what I typed and figured you guys might of taken that the wrong way. lol But yeah, my only issues was figuring out how to clean the bed of the glue stick which i did, and now im trying to mess around the matter control tablet trying to find the option to change the bed temp. I assume i have to change a preset temp, but how do i get it to do the preset?

Also I went out and bought some aquanet hair spray to try out that route. Do i just spray that on the glass bed and then start up a print? Should I use just a wash cloth afterward to wipe the bed clean?

 

Alrighty XD now that that is out of the way just one more thing on the hit list to figure out.

 

I hope that was what you were asking about where to set the temp

 

Yeah if that's where I need to go to raise the bed temperature, then that is what I am looking for. Thanks

 

I also got the T-10 tablet when I got my Robo.

MC is a little different on it but not much different.

If you need help on it give me a shout.

I have found it can be easily crashed by larger models or intricate models.
I've stopped using it but the wife loves it because of how easy it is to use.

 

Thanks Everyone for your help, I really appreciate it. Just got one more question before I try another print. When using the Aqua Net hair spray, do I need to raise the bed temp like with glue stick?