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Solved How to properly level the bed?

Discussion in 'Troubleshooting' started by Toro1966, Aug 5, 2016.

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  1. Toro1966

    Toro1966 Active Member

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    Amen to that brother!

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
     
    #21 Toro1966, Aug 28, 2016
  2. Toro1966

    Toro1966 Active Member

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    Have to run a couple of errands and then I am going to get cracking at this thing. I am bound and determined to get it working right. It prints great... when it's level.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
     
    #22 Toro1966, Aug 28, 2016
  3. Toro1966

    Toro1966 Active Member

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    Also, when you say the extruder should not be on the bed with the switches closed up, I assume you mean the height off the bed of the paper test - correct?
     
    #23 Toro1966, Aug 28, 2016
  4. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    If the extruder is "in the air" not touching the bed then the switches should both be closed. When the extruder touches the bed one or both of them will open to indicate HOME
     
    #24 mark tomlinson, Aug 28, 2016
  5. Toro1966

    Toro1966 Active Member

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    Ok - now I am even more confused. Right now for example - I haven't started leveling yet. But it is about 1/4 of the way up from the bed. So it is in the air. Both switches are closed and the z carriages are resting on the switches as they are supposed to based on what you said above. That said, when the extruder touches the bed after level, does it raise to open the switch because of the logic? I ask because simply moving downwards keeps the switch closed. I assume the physical act of the extruder touching the bed pushes it up off of the switches - correct?

    Finally - when I am leveling this with the paper, and I have it so I can move slightly the paper under the nozzle, the switches should be closed - correct? And I should be able to move the paper slightly (push it without it bunching).
     
    #25 Toro1966, Aug 28, 2016
  6. Toro1966

    Toro1966 Active Member

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    Also - how do you get the switch assembly to move? I loosened that screw - almost completely, and the switch does not want to seem to move much at all.
     
    #26 Toro1966, Aug 28, 2016
  7. Toro1966

    Toro1966 Active Member

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    The right one moves freely when loosened. The left one does not, however. Is it just tight on there you think? I don't want to break anything. Also - here are the results of the auto level after I adjusted the switches and shimmed it. I think the numbers are still a little far apart, but the resistance using the paper test at all nine points was fairly equal. Thoughts?
    READ: Bed x: 15.00 y: 20.00 z: -0.94
    READ: Bed x: 110.00 y: 20.00 z: -0.88
    READ: Bed x: 205.00 y: 20.00 z: -1.15
    READ: Bed x: 205.00 y: 125.00 z: -1.18
    READ: Bed x: 110.00 y: 125.00 z: -0.86
    READ: Bed x: 15.00 y: 125.00 z: -0.93
    READ: Bed x: 15.00 y: 230.00 z: -0.59
    READ: Bed x: 110.00 y: 230.00 z: -0.67
    READ: Bed x: 205.00 y: 230.00 z: -0.99
     
    #27 Toro1966, Aug 28, 2016
  8. Toro1966

    Toro1966 Active Member

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    Second run with auto level:
    READ: Bed x: 15.00 y: 20.00 z: -0.94
    READ: Bed x: 110.00 y: 20.00 z: -0.88
    READ: Bed x: 205.00 y: 20.00 z: -1.15
    READ: Bed x: 205.00 y: 125.00 z: -1.17
    READ: Bed x: 110.00 y: 125.00 z: -0.85
    READ: Bed x: 15.00 y: 125.00 z: -0.95
    READ: Bed x: 15.00 y: 230.00 z: -0.63
    READ: Bed x: 110.00 y: 230.00 z: -0.68
    READ: Bed x: 205.00 y: 230.00 z: -0.97
     
    #28 Toro1966, Aug 28, 2016
  9. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    The numbers don't mean much other than as a guide to how far it thinks they are from a mathematical flat plane. In mm.
    The screw is what holds the switch assembled to the nuts that ride on the thread rods. Loosening that will allow you to move the switch up and down on that nut.

    The auto leveling process will raise the extruder some amount and then position it across 9 points on the bed (10 if you count the center one touches twice). It then drives the extruder DOWN until a switch unseats to indicate that it is touching the bed, makes a note of that position and then raises it and moves on to the next point.
     
    #29 mark tomlinson, Aug 28, 2016
  10. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    When it has checked all 9 (10) points it then calculates a mathematically flat plane that intersects all of those points and notes the 'offset' it calculates. During printing that offset will be applied as the head is moving around from point to point.

    The MESH algorithm is actually superior to the ABL one, but that is not included in the version of the firmware that Robo supplies. There is a thread on how to update to it if you are interested. I would wait until it is in release mode, but you can always reload back to the original.

    Details on MESH here: https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/wiki/Mesh-Bed-Leveling
     
    #30 mark tomlinson, Aug 28, 2016
  11. Toro1966

    Toro1966 Active Member

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    Thanks Mark. One switch wouldn't move no matter how much I took the screw out. Not sure if it's stuck or what. The other one loosened and moved fairly easily.

    Am I correct in the assumption that Z offset is fairly non standard as well? Meaning - whether its -.5 or+.1 doesn't matter, it's based on the individual printer and what prints best?
     
    #31 Toro1966, Aug 28, 2016
  12. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Exactly correct. It is totally machine specific. It accounts for various differences in how the bits are assembled.
    I always say print a 1-layer model and play with it until your 1st layer looks like this:

    https://printedsolid.com/blogs/news/tagged/first-layer

    Can't improve on that :)
     
    #32 mark tomlinson, Aug 28, 2016
  13. Toro1966

    Toro1966 Active Member

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    Thanks. I'm using your 1 layer circle. Great print for this!

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
     
    #33 Toro1966, Aug 28, 2016
  14. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Once you have achieved leveling nirvana it will not change unless you have to touch the mechanical bits.
     
    #34 mark tomlinson, Aug 28, 2016
  15. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    For what it is worth one of my betas I still do not have perfect all the way to the edges, one edge is slightly off.
    However... I stopped because the chances of me needing to print all the way to that corner were NIL :)
     
    #35 mark tomlinson, Aug 28, 2016
  16. Toro1966

    Toro1966 Active Member

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    Think I made progress. Before I couldn't print evenly across the bed. Now - it's not perfect (and I am retentive) - but I actually can print across the bed. Dialing in z offset now.

    [​IMG]

    Better:
    [​IMG]
     
    #36 Toro1966, Aug 28, 2016
    Rigmarol and mark tomlinson like this.
  17. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    That looks good. You may not be able to get it absolutely perfect because in some cases the glass is actually bowed.
    This is where MESH leveling would shine, but you can get it really close since the bowing is normally quite small.

    Good luck!
     
    #37 mark tomlinson, Aug 28, 2016
  18. Toro1966

    Toro1966 Active Member

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    Thanks Mark. My bed is definitely warped some. I have another Robo sent me but I haven't gotten around to putting the magnets etc on it. They sent it to me to replace the heater part because I am still not positive mine heats as well as it should. Maybe it's more level.
     
    #38 Toro1966, Aug 28, 2016
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