I thought it couldn’t be that hard to get a 3D printer up and running, but it seems that I was wrong.
After killing my first and second hot- end, I managed to successfully install the awesome #E3D hot end, only to find out, that my x- axis started skipping steps…
I then was hasty and forgot to turn on the hot end fan while trying to swap the drivers and hopelessly clogged the thing… Any ideas on what I could do to get it clean again?
As for the stepper thing, it seems to come from the motor itself, as both switching the drivers and the axes themselves (x for y) didn’t make any difference.
I’m unhappy guys… I may just toss the printer in the basement and call it a day. This thing is becoming frustrating and I’m mad at myself.
tl;dr version:
E3D clogged with PLA because no fan while in operation. HALP
The e3d is reasonably receptive to un clogging, though I HAVE found myself disassembling a hot extruder while holding on to it with two pair of pliers over a skillet. Up the voltage on the X axis slightly til it stops slipping. And know you’re FAR from the first of last guy pulling their hair out over this.
Best way I’ve heard to clear PLA clogged like that is to bring it up to just a little below the temp you usually use to print (I’d keep the fan off, since you’re trying to clear the upper portion), then CAREFULLY remove the nozzle. Keep the temp set, and push some nylon filament (or appropriate size lawn trimmer line) into the passage (either way).
The PLA will stick to the nylon, but the nylon won’t melt at PLA temps. Keep it up until the passage is clear from both ends (remember, upper part is larger diameter).
I’ve never had to do this (just got my E3D), but I remembered the procedure for when this happens to me.
Try to think of 3D printing as a journey, rather than a goal. We’re at the forefront of this technology as far as home use goes.
Detach the hotend from your printhead and remove the fan. Let it heat up all the way again, then the stuck filament in the upper part will soften, so you can use a spare piece of filament and repeatedly plug it in and out to catch the clog.
I managed to free the whole thing. The heatbreak is clogg-free, but the threads on the heat sink seem to hase a little bit of residue. I’ll re-cut the threads tomorrow to get the heatbreak to screw in easily again.
I got it free by putting it in the freezer, removing the headbreak, heating block and nozzle as one piece and heating the heat sink just enough to get the PLA loose and pulled it out with needle nose pliers.
the only thing left is to get my stepper to stop skipping…
The three things that usually get a stepper to skip are a) excessive current which has the driver overheating - if it is painful to press your fingertip onto the driver chip, it is probably too hot. And b) acceleration (or rarely, speed) values that are too high. Reduce acceleration by 50% and see if that helps. Then, c), mechanical issues, like a bearing or belt running rough. Slide the axis back and forth (with the PSU connected and powered on) and see if you feel anything other than perfect smoothness. Lubricate with grease if you do.
I know you are all going probably going to hate my advice: get an Up Plus 2 printer. Mine has been trouble free and prints perfectly every time. My prints are always top notch, I never spend any time screwing around with it. Check my photos to see.
I looked up the Up Plus 2. A$1950 + GST (10%) + postage. Software platforms don’t include Linux. 14x14x13.5cm build. Looks nice. Too expensive for hobby level IMHO.
@Ken_Wagnitz its only $1700 usd on Amazon. I was lucky and got it on special over xmas for just $1300 usd. It is well worth it for me to have the trouble-free prints, though I get why some like the idea of build-it-yourself.
yeah, I hear you, I only discovered that I love Linux when I found the Raspberry Pi, but I still have some beefy windows machines around so for me its easy I guess
the thing is that I actually had to switch out the pololu driver boards and i’ve set the bias voltage at the levels of the original ones. although the pinout was identical, there seems to be a difference in the board layouts. could it be that the offset value differs from board to board?