I have two printing problems and the budget to fix one. Where do you think I will get the best value?
This is all on a prusa i3 makerfarm kit (rod, not v-slot) with a 0.4mm jhead. I have added aluminum couplers on the z axis, but it is otherwise stock. 2.85mm PLA @ 215. Slic3r 1.1.7. Marlin HEAD. Fan on the hotend butmMomentarily running without cooling on the nozzle while waiting on replacement blowers.
The first problem is that my z endstop and bed need frequent adjustment. It has adjustable bolts with springs on 3 corners and I think this may be a source of error and audible noise. I am considering mounting an inductive z endstop on the x carriage which would also involve swapping out my glass bed for an aluminum. I could remove the spring screws but would have to learn how to make things stick all over again. A microswitch on a servo might be more fiddly, but maybe that is not the case?
The second problem is that I get uneven extrusion. Straight external lines can have a little blobby wavyness in them, even when aligned with one of the axis. I have only tried this with PLA recently. The PTFE was malformed some time ago when the nozzle ran dry for an extended period of time. I don’t really like the design, so this is a good time to switch to an E3D. I don’t think the x-carriage will descend far enough for a shorter hotend so I will have to figure that out. It also seems a shame to switch without also going to a dual extruder nozzle which would involve reworking the whole extruder setup.
So, what do you think I should hit up first? The bed adjustments are frustrating and the blobbyness is ugly but does not prevent the creation of functional pieces.
If funds are really limited get an E3D lite6. Works great for the materials it can handle, as advertised. Inductive probe/ servo with micro switch are cheap.
You should be able to handle everything for under $50. Yes, my servo jitters. There’s an option in Marlin to disable it a certain time (ie 300ms) after a movement command is given
@raykholo , the sensor is cheap but the machines aluminum bed not so much, and I hear it is harder to clean. Do you have a good source for this? The reputable sources I know want most of that $50 and I don’t want to gamble on a cheap one that might not be flat.
My printers have an aluminum bed, silicone heater taped underneath with 3M adhesive and a piece of sheet glass from Home Depot on top.
The metal is 1/8" thick 12x12 from http://onlinemetals.com, they had a good deal once where the shipping was negligible. I use it because it’s flat and a heat spreader, not because of an inductive probe.
@raykholo , oh you have an inductive sensor working through the glass? I didn’t think that was possible. The sensor is cheap, I suppose I could just order one and see how it works.
While a 4mm sensing distance did trigger when right on top of the glass, so an 8mm sensing distance should yield better results, the printers with metal beds are not auto-leveling at this time.
@ThantiK , can you recommend an alternative? I really didn’t like the tube and zip tie setup that I could not stop slipping. I also have cork disks on each stepper to quiet some noise if it is relevant.
If things aren’t perfectly straight with the spiral couplers, they can allow your X stage to bounce up and down; also causing the same “I have to bed level every time” side effect.
The e3d showed up today and it was totally worth it. It is still on the first print but I already love it. It wobbles in the mount and the thermistor doesn’t fit but I can deal with that later.
The inductive sensor arrived today and I can confirm it senses aluminum foil tape through glass at the range I think I need. Might be able to mount and wire it up tomorrow night.