In case this helps someone in the future...

3D Printing
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In case this helps someone in the future…
I’ve spent a couple of days off and on banging my head against a wall trying to work out why my Kossel Mini wasn’t printing properly after it had sat idle for many months. The first layer wasn’t printing low enough to get good bed adhesion. I’d not changed the setup in any way. I’ve just found the problem. The probe pin is a thin length of metal bent into a 90 degree L shape. Or it should have been. Being soft metal under tension it had gone from 90 to 90+. With the microswitch it pushes down on being ~ 1cm away from the vertical the new shape impacted Z probe data. With it bent back into the correct shape things improved drastically. I think it needs a simple new probe made out of two lengths welded to a triangle so it can’t distort.

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Or replace it with an allen key?

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@Mark_Wheadon that’s a good idea. If I can find one thin and long enough.

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:+1: They are incredibly strong and they may even have rounded tip.

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FWIW I eventually gave up on the auto leveling on my Kossel Mini. I have found over the last couple of years or so that just adjusting by hand is more reliable. Watch the first later and if it’s not perfect adjust the end stops whilst the print is running. Next print will then be spot on again and it seems to go for weeks or more with no adjustment at all.