Cannot for the life of me get my ROBO3D (PLA) to print the first layer. Help me Obi Wan

I got the painters tape, cleaned it with a little alcohol, leveled the z-axis to the best of my abilities, yet I still can't get it to print that first layer. I've been trying for days.

It's either too deep or too shallow. It either drags or floats. I need help.

 

Did you level the bed with a feeler gauge?
Did you do the paper height trick? After your print starts, manually adjust the z axis a bit lower to make see your first layer is a bit flattened and not round.
Try using hair gel or vinyl sticker instead of tape.

These are some of the tips I see repeated constantly to get a successful print. Mind you also make sure you have no other issues such as loose bolts, screws or UN-tensioned belts.


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it's strange - no matter how how level or perfect I set the z level, once the print starts, the software moves the z level from 0.00 to 0.35. Maybe it's something going on in the settings?

 

It will do that because your first layer is probably set to be 0.35mm. You can see this by going into Slic3r (configure under Repetier) and looking at "Print Settings" first section which is "Layers and Perimeters". I'm betting your First layer height is 0.35.

It does this with the first layer so that it gets a nice fat extrusion out for adhesion.

How I level the Z axis, using the paper method, is on the side closest to the Z axis switch, I home the Z, go up +10, and home again. Check the gap with paper. It should just barely slide underneath. I then move the hot-end to the other side of X and do this again. The gaps should be pretty much identical. IF THEY ARE NOT, I move the threaded rod with one hand while holding the other threaded rod so it doesn't move while I'm adjusting. I then home, go up +10 and home again and check the gap.

Once this is all done I then adjust the Z axis stop screw so that the Z moves *closer* to the bed. It should be nearly touching the bed when it homes but it should not throw the nuts (i.e. try to go beyond the bed).

 

I used vinyl and some double sided tape, almost a hour trying to level the bed and failed prints, some failed from the start, some got a few levels in and then the job came off. Double sided tape works without fail.

 

Set first layer height to .3, anything else has been sketchy for me.

 

Hey. Thanks for your responses. I got the thing printing and cranked out a nice spool design I found, but now I'm having filament extrusion problems - something I did wonky, no doubt