Some first noob questions!

#1
1. Can I get the 30mm fan to start only when the nozzle passes 50 degrees or so? I'm sitting next to the printer, and I can take the noise while printing, but it would be nice if it was quiet in between the prints.

1.2 Has anyone switched the small 30mm fan to for example a 40mm Noctua fan? I've not looked closer, it might be some clearance issues with the endstop? I've done that mod to my both Prusa I3 MK2 and that fan are dead quiet but still effective enough to cool the heatsink. What voltage is the fan running at? 12V?

2. I want to print my first layer at 0.2mm, after the Auto Home it sits at 1.9mm as the instructions say that it should.
I'm using the S3D Profiles from gCreate but when my first layer starts printing it drags the nozzle in the bed. I need to Babystep a lot clockwise before I get a decent extrusion. I know that by default the first layer height it set to like 250%, but I don't want that. Should I re position my probe or how should I tackle this?

3. Are there any way to see how much Im adjusting with the Baby Z Step? It would be nice to have some kind of value there? For example on my Prusa i3 MK2 I know that I print PLA at -0.36mm and PETG at -0.12mm

Best Regards Patrik
 
#2
Hi
oneaday said:
I believe the fans are both by default on the 5V rail. I've powered the cooling fan for the main board to 12V and it is noticeably louder. The 12V rail is located right beneath the stepper drivers on the right side.

I reduced my my first layer HEIGHT percentage from 250% down to 125% and am using 115% for the WIDTH. This has given me the ability to quickly make minor adjustments using the babystep-Z (which I usually turn in a ballpark clockwise motion) on my skirt before the actual model layer begins. I am using an acrylic bed which is very inconsistent, so depending on where my model is located on the bed I adjust accordingly.

Any chance you can share your printing speeds from S3D's "other" section? I'm having some prints that come out great while reprinting with the same settings on the same model will have failures (ringing and extruder clogs).
 
#3
Alright so it would be possible to run the 12V noctua, I have a 5V noctua as well! I've printed a fan duct adapter for the e3D hotend and 40mm fan.. I'm sitting next to the printer so removing the sound from the heatsink fan would be great for me.

My speeds are: (from top down)

60,45,70,80,130,50
 
#4
I'll continue my troubleshooting here instead of in PianoPrints thread.

Things I'm looking at now..

I've printed some more with different filaments, doing strength tests, lately Colorfabb XT-CF has been tested, man it prints fine! Although my vertical Zebra patterns are pretty clear here, se attached image, any ideas what to look at ? X carriage?



Also I'm printing a wing profile atm, and I had alot of extruder skipping issues when I started to print it.. at that time I had a 0.8mm nozzle and was printing layers at 0.4-0.6, so I though it was because of this. I had to lower the speed to like 20mm/s and the layers down to 0.2-0.3mm, but still I had skipping. At the end I switched back to a 0.4mm nozzle again, and i STILL have the same extrusion skipping...even at low speeds and 0.28 mm layers. Now Im printing a large cube, and I can print at 0.28mm layers, 60mm/s with minimal skipping, still some skipping.. and I print it hot.
I've tested with PLA, NGEN, XT-CF, same behaviour. Wondering if its something with s3D slicing or the model itself. The cube should print at 60mm/s and 0.28mm layers with a 0.4mm nozzle IMHO though

It's sliced with 2 outlines and 15% triangular infill. The skipping happens on the outer outline as well as on the infill, the inner outline prints without skipping though.

Model can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B21eOS ... sp=sharing

attaching speed Settings as well...



Best Regards Patrik
 
#5
Bumping my own thread!
I've managed to get rid of most of the surface quality issues, but I still have some diagonal banding left, its bad when printing a long part along the X axis, its better when I print it along Y axis, but its still there. I'm thinking some un-even tension to the wheels and binding issues, but Im not sure.

I also suspect that my threaded Z rods are bent, since the top of them move around alot when I raise and lower the Z axis.
Could that be the cause to this?