hi all I have a printrbot simple metal and when ever the z axis

3D Printing
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1

hi all
I have a printrbot simple metal and when ever the z axis and hotend gets within about a centimeter of the bed it just starts grinding and not moving any farther

anyone know why this is happening? any feedback helps
thanks
Garrett MacQuiddy

2

New problem, or has it always acted this way?
BTW: @Printrbot has really good customer service. You should probably open a ticket with them, if you don’t solve this easily.

3

its been there since i assembled it (kit)

4

i got it in feb and finally realized i could ask on google plus if anyone else had this issue

5

It could be binding. Easiest way to check is to remove or decouple the z leadscrew, then raise and lower the bed to the limits. Be careful and don’t let the nozzle bang into the bed, it damages easily.
If it goes up and down smoothly then it’s either your z motor or the screw. If not, it could be your rods, bearings, or the block that holds the rods, or the part that holds the bearings. They need to be perfectly aligned and equidistant.

6

I messed up assembling it, putting the z coupler onto the z motor I did not realise the z coupler has a flat part on the inside to align it with the motor, now I can’t get it off, any tips for getting the z coupler off

7

I can’t quite tell from the kit assembly images, but if that z coupler is a centimeter off the base where the z motor is mounted, it may be interfering with the nut driving the y axis assembly up and down, causing the failure. The only way I can think to fix it is to pull really hard and hope you don’t break the motor, coupler, or base unit in the process.

8

A gear puller would be the best way.

9

Agree with @Stephanie_A .
Of course, most of us don’t have gear pullers. I’ve managed to get things unstuck from stepper shafts by making sure all set screws are backed off, then wiggling the stuck part side-to-side while pulling. It’s usually stuck because it’s not straight on to stepper shaft, or there’s some manufacturing flash in the bore of the part.

10

Your z nut needs to be reversed. I have done that before, so don’t feel bad. It took me over a week to figure out.

11

which one is the z nut?

12

It is the black Delryn piece. It is at the bottom. It looks like a rectangle with a hole in it. It is the piece in step 21 in the assembly guide.

13

Thank you so much Chris, ITS FIXED!!!
i have spent 6 months trying to fix it and i never realized it was that ease
Thanks so much,
Garrett MacQuiddy

14

Yes. It took me a week to figure that out. I felt so dumb after I did figure that out. If you are looking for a screen to control your printer, go to my website http://tec-base.com It makes it so that you can control your printer without the computer.