printing

leslo

Hi I'm new here, just got my printer going for the first time, had the usual problems but info here on the site sorted it all out, now I'm new to this so keep your answer simple...lol...my printer has a hot bed, so not sure of temperature, it is set at 50'. The extruder is set at 200'...when it is printing the plastic is not sticking to the bed (glass) and what does stick doesn't stay their for long, it will get stuck to the head and move around the place. I'm thing it is my settings that's wrong....im using ABS filament.  thks

Repetier

ABS is hard to stick. Typical temperature is 110°C but it depends on your surface. Guess pure glass is not good for ABS. Try watersulubale glue stick or one of the special sprays to make it better. 50/200 is what you would use for PLA. ABS normally melts around 235-260°C and stinks from toxic gas (styrol). So maybe you have PLA after all since you can extruder. For PLA bed temperature 50-60°C is ok, too hot and it stops sticking. Again some adhesion help might do wonders. Or use special surfaces on your glass. BuildTak can hold most materials and is reusable. Can hold PLA even if cold, and even better if warm.

leslo

Thks for that, I'm using PLA now and I have come along better, just the finished print is soft, not air tight and very wirey looking. I was doing a lot of research and their is just so many different settings that could be the problem I'm just lost.....is their a utube tutorial that shows all the settings and what they do?

Repetier

Sounds like you haven't calibrated extruder steps per mm. Also you need to adjust flow multiplier in slicer according to filament type. PLA typical 0.85 to 0.9 as it dwells a bit. But first measure if you extrude 100mm slowly, if it also take 100mm or less. Then adjust extruder steps per mm until 100mm extrusion is 100mm filament movement.

leslo

Ok, so am I right in thinking that I mark 100mm on the pla and use manual control to check the measurement?

leslo

also do I need to edit the firmware?

Repetier

You mark more 120-140mm in case you make more steps. But yes thats the procedure.

With repetier firmware you can change this in eeprom using host/server eeprom editor. Changing in confihuration.h has no effect until you copy explicitly values from there to eeprom (M502 + M500).

leslo

Hi, This is all getting very complicated, I use to work on a C&c machine in a kitchen factory, when we would calibrate the machine I could go into a menu and make simple changes to the step motor counter. I have Arduino software that opens up code etc, I'm not to made on messing with this. the version I have seems to be a bit older, is their any way I can activate the link on the host programme (Firmware eeprom config) it wont let me click onto it. I was watching a utube video where they had your software and he could click onto the eeprom config and a small screen opened up with values that could be changed (ie step motor steps) when he was doing a calibration on the filament.

leslo

have you a video tutorial on changing setting on the host/sever? I downloaded it and the setting on the printer are all wrong now, printer not working the same way.

Repetier

eeprom editor only works after connection and detecting a known and supported firmware. If that does not happen your firmware may have changed identifyer string in M115 return or is just not supported for eeprom editor.

And no, we have no tutorial on this.

leslo

Ok, I'm going through the repetier firmware programme. I'm I write in thinking that by changing the resolution on the extruder will adjust the amount going into the extruder, ie doing the 100mm mark test?

everything else seems to be ok, would it be fair to say that it is the calibration of filament and filament issues is what goes wrong when people first get started with their 3d printer?

Les

Repetier

At least missing filament calibration is a common error for beginners.