Partially Solved First Print and Using ABS material

Hi Again,

Today I attempted to run my first print and this is a summary of my progression as a new guy it seems to me the factory heat settings are far to low this is only a guess?

Well first off when I did the bed leveling setup the controller thought the HOME position was, centered and 3.5 inches off the print bed. Calibrating the first position after five clicks it threw me the error 'you've reached the maximum adjustment travel.

I thought about what it was saying a bit then pulled the power cord an hand turned both z control rods so that the nozzle rested on the bed surface. Then squaring up the limit switch bodies were parallel with the sides of the cabinet housing (i.e. the solder contacts facing inboard) then I lifted the nozzle up an put the sheet of paper underneath and turned the control rods about a half turn 'up' until the paper had NO resistance.

From there on power up nothing exploded and I was able to complete leveling procedure with no further delay. (It was reported that the night manager two towns over called to say their new fangled 'flux capacitor' had blown and their grid consumption map pointed to our block. Lucky for me Margaret answered the phone an told the poor man we were already in bed.

Back to my routine I pulled out a new roll of eSun ABS 1.75 filament loaded it into the channel an pressed print. The machine heated up an in a few minutes started doing its thing. The only thing was nothing was coming out the tip, the filament was being forced out the side all mangled up and broken about 2.5 piece off. So I clipped the end off and started new again and this time it did something NEW! It did the very same thing only this time the broke whisker was lodged between the nozzle and the filament drive gear.

So I'm now spec-a-late'n if it isn't going through the nozzle then the nozzle temp isn't hot enough to let it melt an go thru the nozzle right? So I checked on the eSun website and they say it calls for 220~260C. there I changed my program settings to 250C and (lotta struggling going on here no favorable results) I finally figure the Max temp I can go to is 245C before the program drops the nozzle temp to 0C while the bed temp does its own merry thing.

At 245C if I try to print it will extrude filament BUT it's real real fine a little bigger than a hairs size, and with that it's not coming out straight it's curly cue like like ice cream but horizontal an not vertical like the dairy treat! I tried the hair spray trick and it was still the same.

Having met my quota of struggle I shutter down and jumped on the internet and I did some forum searches for MAKING the machine take my elevated temp settings I only came across one pertinent topic written by Brian and the title of the Google drive download was called Auto Level and Temp Adj to be used in arduino program. The only arduino I know is Jose Arduino! Jose cuts men's hair he like me knows nothin bout birthin baby's nor 2560's.

The only thing I know about programming is Raspberry Pie and the fella's tricked me on that one too. I thought it was the dessert they were talking about, I said I'm IN! Man there was letters an characters in there that wasn't even in the 'fine print' on my enlistment contract!

So what I'm thinking is it's not hot enough and it's starving my material supply? If someone can confirm this, that's my question today and to find a fix to my predicament here. The only other bit I have is that the Amazon Sale page stated it had the Full Metal Nozzle version, Software version is ROBO3DRV2 I think it said.

Thanks for the read and help! Sending Karma your way too!

Mook

 

Ummm... a few things - please, if I'm off base here someone calibrate me.
- The temperature for the ABS is not too far off - maybe a bit high. I get decent prints with the temp set to 235. You might want to try with PLA first, though. It is MUCH more forgiving. PLA temps should be around 190 to 210 or so. I get good results at 200.
- The problem with the filament coming out of the side may be - and this is my only 'complaint' with the Robo if you want to call it that - is it can be a bit difficult to get the filament into the hot end. It takes a bit of practice to get it to go in due to the natural curve of the filament. One thing that helps me is to cut the end of the filament at an angle. Makes it easier to find the hole on the hot end.
- The size of the extrusion sounds about right. It is being pushed through a .4 mm hole. Yes, it goes from 1.75 mm to .4 mm.
- The 'curly cue' you describe sounds like your Z offset is wrong. Depending on how you set that, the number in question may be too high or too low. In any case it means your nozzle is too high off the bed, so the filament does not come out straight. It also will not adhere to the glass plate no matter how much hair spray you put down. You need to set your Z height offset - however you do it - so the first layer is slightly 'squashed' onto the plate. So given the diameter of the extrusion we are talking *very* close to it. Best thing is probably set your Z offset, run a small part, say a calibration cube, and stop it during the first layer and check it. Repeat until you get good adhesion. The 'how you do it' part depends on the software you use.
- As far as the firmware is concerned you probably don't need to worry too much about it for now. I suggest - after you are more comfortable with your Robo - you look in to it. Even if all you do is change certain configuration settings you will find it gives you a much greater level of control. And if you have done very much at all with your Raspberry Pi you will have very little problem with it, I'm sure.

 

You don't need to do this in the software. The firmware and printer have their own auto-leveling feature. I don't use matter control but when I did there were two auto leveling options. One for "has hardware auto-leveling" and another that was something like "enable auto-level" Use the first one and not the second.

That said manually squaring up the x-axis with the print bed using a piece of paper while the printer is off is absolutely a good thing to be doing.

Lastly, Virgil is spot on with cutting the filament at an angle. It makes it a lot easier to load. Another tip to make sure it is loaded right is to push the filament in by hand until it starts to come out the tip.

 

Hi, congrats on your printer! I've had most of these problems so I hope I can help! Also, Not quite sure I could place you on the experience continuum so sorry if I explain it all too much. (I may be reiterating on some other people's comments as well)

Loading Filament - Loading filament into the Robo3D is a bit of a pain. As you may know, Filament is pressed into the extruder through a hobbed bolt (has a groove cut into it, connected to the big gear) and a free spinning "idler wheel" that provides the friction necessary thanks to the springs it is mounted on. Once the filament passed through these wheels, it has to go through the "X-carriage" and through the aluminum hexagon extruder tube. if you don't get it lined up right/ in the tubed when you load it, extruding pushed the filament onto the x-carriage, forcing it out the back. It takes some practice, straightening your filament helps a lot, but you can also undo the long screws with springs on them, allowing you to see the holes. If you do this be careful to to lose any of the washers, bolts, etc... When you reattach it, you also want to tighten the screws very well, you need to have enough force to push the filament through the extruder.

Firmware Max Temps - An arduino is a small, simple computer, similar to a raspberry pi but just runs a single program that you write (No OS). Many 3D printers use a big one to interface with the computer and control another board (called RAMPS) that handles all the high power stuff (Turning on and off the heaters, motors). It runs a firmware called Marlin who's settings have been modified for the Robo3D including a max temp setting. To change it, you can follow http://help.robo3dprinter.com/Wiki/RoBo_3D_Firmware and modify the settings in configuration.h. I would give you my firmware, but it's really helpful to be able to do it yourself to solve other problems.

Leveling and z-Gap - Each part connected to the threaded and Z-axis rods has a nut that pushes it up and down. Each of these have a small switch that is held down unless the print head is touching the bed, allowing it to auto level and home the z-axis. The only way your printer could think that it was at 0 when it wasn't was if these weren't being pressed correctly. Try homing all axis (not auto level, that could have more problems) and make sure it goes down to the bed all the way.

Hopefully that addresses all your problems and you can get it figured out! If I made any mistakes, other people please correct them!

 

First and foremost thank you all for these helpful comments I'm kinda new with forums and don't realize how often you fellows check in here, I was getting a email when a reply was made. I just happened to login this morning to search the archives that thingiverse led me back here to.

I've been trying to generate some valid gcode to make to XXL Display case. The original thing I downloaded is accepted in Cura with no problem but force closes on export. I saw this once before on a much smaller part an had a brush with Meshmixer it fixed that part but I took notice that it isn't a program for the timid.

I knew there were other case models that were available so I went back to shop another one as the one I first selected when imported into meshmixer the top cover was vertical; half above the bed, half below the bed. Last night I stumbled across Mike's swivel base display case. The name rang a bell and I came to see if it was the same Mike? I quickly downloaded that model! You betcha!

Until I saw these responses I was pushing on with the display case which may be a little ambitious for a first print. I just need to make some progress this weekend since I have Saturday completely open. Maybe I should switch out the white ABS and try to print the Z rod supports and get better acquainted with the control.

Yes indeed I made the mistake of trimming the new end cut with a blunt edge (quick lesson learned THANKS for that all!). I am very familiar now with the way the Z limit switch bodies and positioning nuts operate. I will need to print these responses and have them in front of me to really grasp the concepts of what you guys are telling me. With a bit of luck hopefully the light (she) will turn on? I apologize for the poor punctuation but I did see your comments this morning.

I might have a little progress report later this evening or tomorrow sometime. And they make it look so easy on Youtube, like Girls Scouts are doing it!

Cheers

I was able to play with the Arduino Uno kit from Amazon last night the balance of the parts made it in yesterday. Thanks ALL!

 

If maybe someone has a chance over the weekend to take a look at their printer I am focused on the limit switch on the left hand side of the cabinet not the one under the nut it's the one on the side. I took the canopy off to clear out the ABS shavings inside the filament feeder and while I have it off.

I see the black and red wires have slipped out of their terminal pushers that slip onto the micro switch contacts there is one contact still on the terminal towards the rear side of the switch and the other terminal was still dangling from its wire. Either way I can't determine which wire goes where after I soldered them back onto the wires .

This not have any bearing but before I noticed the wires disconnected from the switch I started fresh and was able to do a bed leveling successfully but when it did its own pre print test the nozzle does the front three bed taps moves to center left and ratchets there a moment then stops again this don't mean anything but if I stop/clear the job and tell it to Home All. The nozzle moves to the front left position and rests there. So it still knows how to find home,

Even if the overall condition isn't favorable I still find this fascinating. Well that's about as far as I got this afternoon. Thanks for looking in.

 

Not sure what you are referring to by preprint test or ratcheting... Wire order shouldn't matter. Did you figure everything out? Your post is marked as solved...

 

Sorry I had meant to mark it as answered instead of solved.

The switch I'm having a problem with is the top switch on the left hand side. Neither wire was crimped correctly and the wires came loose. These are a set of red/black. White there is no polarity intended from the colors, I cannot determine which pins they attach too. COM - NC - NO

By ratcheting it means the print head moved to the far left and grinded there a couple of seconds and then stopped there.

This behavior only occurs on initial power up and seems to be consistent but only on the first time power up. Meaning that in Matter Control I can move the head 'Home' or in any direction relative to where it happens to be.

Thanks

 

From more testing I put the PLA spool back on the machine an fed it into the feed channel but still no joy om seeing any sort of molten supply coming out of the nozzle. I changed the temp settings in Matter Control back down to 235 and with a laser thermometer the nozzle is getting to temp but no extrusion of any kind.

 

Sorry, didn't know they were double throw, I'll have to check mine later. Sounds like something similar is happening with your x axis. Make sure its is being hit and the electrical is intact. Have you tried extruding by manually turning the big gear? Also open the printer terminal/ command like line in matter control, sometimes the printer will error there and tell you what it thinks is wrong.

 

Thanks for the reply David! I was just reading some other topics to see what problems the other new guys were running into. I found the answer to my question on topic 'Need Controller Board Photo with Connection' in the Pic it clearly shows the wires are attached to the two outside switch contacts of ALL three switches.

Now the only thing that would be helpful for beginners would be a picture the labels which motors are which i.e. X, Y, and Z only so that we newbies can comprehend exactly what the experienced people are saying but thats for another time. Thanks for the super quick reply Dave!

 

Oops. No unfortunately nothing has come out of the nozzle since the first time I tried to print and even then it wasn't like the nice thick extrusions I saw on youtubes. It was only a very fine hair like thickness like you see when the printer finishes a job and removes the head from the print area. That little stringy bit left hanging on the nozzle tip, But in my case thats what was left on the bed as the printed 1st layer before I stopped the print (to make that clearer) I had to stop the print because it started to ball up.

 

Really? On a new printer you can't turn the gear when the extruder is heated up? (Also, after extruding it might keep the motor powered, try unplugging the printer from power AND USB and trying again). Otherwise you have a clog which won't be fun to clean.

 

I spent most of tonight getting to know the print head to see how it works. I am able to walk filament thru the nozzle by hand. I will say that getting the filament started/threaded is truly one big PITA. It consistently wants to pop out on the right hand side from the rear view.

So I don't have a clogged nozzle after all that's a good thing. That would have been the final straw and a return to Amazon cause. I've spent three full evenings and a half day with this printer and to be over kind to it I'd just say it's been less than an ideal out-of-box-experience!

At this point I'm right back to where I was with the first print. It will do the bed calibration parade an then when it finishes that while it waits for the bed/nozzle to finish up. It moves to center bed and raises about three or four inches up in the air. Then when the print starts it moves the bed forward and starts printing in the air. And before it's said...

If I've walked the head to the bed 5 times, I've done it 15! Nothing I try seems to prevent it from doing this.

 

So far this is the best it's been able to print. It's supposed to be the calibration box object.

 

1. Preheat everything to the desired temperatures.

2. When the printer goes through the autolevel the nozzle should make contact with the bed in all 9 locations. I suspect that it is not.

There are a few questions asked every day by various people. Most questions have been answered,...

P.S. As for loading filament i find it helps greatly to cut the filament at a very sharp angle.

 

Seems like your extruder height is off. Could be caused by an auto leveling issue of just your z - offset

 

Whenever I power down the system that's what I get in the video clip. The photo shows what the print is like After running a bed leveling test and then trying to print.

As a last resort I downloaded the newest version of Matter Control but that didn't make any noticeable change,

I configured Cura with the settings Mike posted few days ago while the printer was off line I can switch to that when I figure out how to set the Z-offset correctly.

I do see on the Smart Display on the bottom line: Z Axis Hit or something to that effect. I'm working out of my shop and will try to get home earlier for better lighting. As far as height goes I can run the leveling routine with no problems but once it starts printing its difficult to see the gap between the nozzle and the bed.

I have been cutting the filament on a pretty sharp angle since it was mentioned previously. Yes Mark you very well might be right there could be other issues besides the weak crimp on the motor wires. While working with the print head I found that the springs on the filament tensioners at the ends closest to the head had slipped under the washers and were binding on the screw threads that prevented them from fully pressing on the filament.

This printer as best I can tell the box had never been opened before I received it. There was no sliver of filamet in the nozzle to remove nor was there a printed test piece in the box either. That may be something that only Lulzbot does though.

Exactly where and what value should the Z offset be? To get me in the ballpark.
[I see your link now Stephen Thanks!]

Thanks!