E3D V6 Hot End Thread

[heathenx]

So...I wired up my E3DV6 to my RMaxV2 today. F@#$ING WOW! What a great hotend! I'm printing my very first calibration cube as I write this. I have everything configured in the firmware but I do not yet have my slicer configured. Regardless of the latter I thought that I would just print something as is and see where things come out. I have gone from a SeeMeCNC .35mm nozzle to the stock .40mm nozzle on the E3D. I'm out of time today but tomorrow I'll tweak my slicer (maybe tomorrow post some pictures).

Overall, I'm very happy with this new hotend. It was fun to wire up. I added JST connecters to all fans and thermistor and soldered the heat cartridge directly. I designed my own hotend mount based off of McSlappy's E3DV6 mount on repables. I'm using lathe cut ABS standoffs in place of the original aluminum standoffs. Mine are 1.375" long. However, since my hot end sits higher up about 6mm than stock, my PLA fan does not work. That puts my fan shround 6mm lower...below the nozzle. I'll have to design a new shroud. Perhaps I can get to that tomorrow.

Thanks for all of the tips everyone.

[apostoly]

So...I wired up my E3DV6 to my RMaxV2 today. F@#$ING WOW! What a great hotend! I'm printing my very first calibration cube as I write this. I have everything configured in the firmware but I do not yet have my slicer configured. Regardless of the latter I thought that I would just print something as is and see where things come out. I have gone from a SeeMeCNC .35mm nozzle to the stock .40mm nozzle on the E3D. I'm out of time today but tomorrow I'll tweak my slicer (maybe tomorrow post some pictures).

Overall, I'm very happy with this new hotend. It was fun to wire up. I added JST connecters to all fans and thermistor and soldered the heat cartridge directly. I designed my own hotend mount based off of McSlappy's E3DV6 mount on repables. I'm using lathe cut ABS standoffs in place of the original aluminum standoffs. Mine are 1.375" long. However, since my hot end sits higher up about 6mm than stock, my PLA fan does not work. That puts my fan shround 6mm lower...below the nozzle. I'll have to design a new shroud. Perhaps I can get to that tomorrow.

Thanks for all of the tips everyone.

Yea its pretty awesome hey..

I printed a calibration cube before with the old hot end and with slicer and then last night with the v6 but sliced with KISSlicer and there was a massive difference.

I was using mcslappys slicing settings that was sent in Gcode so it was still not 100% configured for my machine, but it still came out heaps better.

I think configuring my E-Steps is the next step to getting it calibrated properly.

I was also printing way too hot which i figured out last night so all in all, this has been a great upgrade

Paul.

[heathenx]

UH OH! This morning I flipped on my printer and printed about 4 calibration cubes to get my slicer dialed in. After I finished printing the 4th I let the printer cool down automatically. When I went back after a few minutes I noticed that my LCD read for both Nozzle temp and Bed temp "def". Never seen that before. I turned the printer off and on again and then my nozzle temp started to climb but it actually wasn't heating up. I got a false LCD reading of 287C before I turned it off. Again, my nozzle wasn't actually 287C. It wasn't even warm. I connected the printer to Repetier and I saw the same reading of about 287C but the Heat Extruder button was in the off mode. Does that mean my thermistor could either be bad or I botched the wiring? I ordered a spare thermistor just in case. Looks like the software isn't in sync with the hardware.

Update: Screw it! I'm just going to double check all of my wiring.

Update: I think I've found the problem. My thermistor is bad. I took it apart and one of the legs just easily broke off. That was likely something I did during pre-assembly of the hot end. Not an E3D or SeeMeCNC issue. User error. I might actually order more of these themistors. They are quite delicate and I'd like to have some spares.

[apostoly]

UH OH! This morning I flipped on my printer and printed about 4 calibration cubes to get my slicer dialed in. After I finished printing the 4th I let the printer cool down automatically. When I went back after a few minutes I noticed that my LCD read for both Nozzle temp and Bed temp "def". Never seen that before. I turned the printer off and on again and then my nozzle temp started to climb but it actually wasn't heating up. I got a false LCD reading of 287C before I turned it off. Again, my nozzle wasn't actually 287C. It wasn't even warm. I connected the printer to Repetier and I saw the same reading of about 287C but the Heat Extruder button was in the off mode. Does that mean my thermistor could either be bad or I botched the wiring? I ordered a spare thermistor just in case. Looks like the software isn't in sync with the hardware.

Update: Screw it! I'm just going to double check all of my wiring.

Update: I think I've found the problem. My thermistor is bad. I took it apart and one of the legs just easily broke off. That was likely something I did during pre-assembly of the hot end. Not an E3D or SeeMeCNC issue. User error. I might actually order more of these themistors. They are quite delicate and I'd like to have some spares.

This happened to me with the stock hot end and it ended up being one of my thermistor pins not properly seated in the connector. i just had to push it in and all went back to normal.

Hope you get it sorted!!
Paul

[McSlappy]

Same LCD issue with me also, my thermistor had a loose connector pin and when I would push them together it would slide one of the pins out. My fault since I put the connectors on there

[heathenx]

I soldered a jst connector to my thermistor. I'm now wondering if that was a bad idea. Perhaps I should just use the supplied furrules and crimp it. Could I be damaging the thermistor by heating it with a soldering gun?

[Polygonhell]

Doubtful the heat-gun would damage the thermistor they are rated to 300C.

The reason ferrules are supplied is that if the solder joint is close to the heater block, the solder evaporates over time and eventually (usually at the least convenient moment) the wire comes loose. If the solder joint is sufficiently far from the heater block it's probably fine, but I personally would use the ferules.

[apostoly]

I have noticed that the little screw holding in might need to be re tightened every now and again. The average temp graph seems to alter every now and again so tightening that little screw wont hurt

[McSlappy]

I've had JST connectors on my thermistor for months without issue. 10/10 would recommend

I used different connectors on my V2 and i don't like them as much :/

[apostoly]

I've had JST connectors on my thermistor for months without issue. 10/10 would recommend

I used different connectors on my V2 and i don't like them as much :/

yea im using JST's now too. Wouldn't have it any other way

[jesse]

I installed the E3D V6. It was purchased from the Filastruder website.

The nozzles are about half the size of the stock nozzles.

Heating and cooling is much faster since the heat block is very small.

I used the SeeMeCNC J-Head mount with stock aluminum spacers and screws. Right now, I'm using a 1" fan that's wedged and hot glued in the space between the effector and the J-Head mount. A fan and decent speed is necessary for this hot end. I had the fan turned pretty low and the PLA jammed inside the steel liner.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/eqdLkit.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/OWXv0TQ.jpg[/img]

The space between the effector and j-head mount is about half an inch too small to fit the blue fan holder + fan. I might order some spacers 3/8" OD, 3/16" ID, 1/2" aluminum spacers and 6-32 2.5" machine screws. If anyone wants to try to get a bulk discount on ordering those parts PM me.

[heathenx]

YAY! \o/ My thermistors arrived today. I'm back in business...printing something as I write this. Everything seems to work great again.

[JohnStack]

I've received mine but haven't hooked it up. Now I'm wondering if you hook up an LED somewhere on the plastic fan mount, whether or not it will glow...

Which setting did you end up using for the Semitec?

[apostoly]

I've received mine but haven't hooked it up. Now I'm wondering if you hook up an LED somewhere on the plastic fan mount, whether or not it will glow...

Which setting did you end up using for the Semitec?

I used setting 5

[heathenx]

I was thinking Semitec was number 8 instead of 5 but I don't recall. I have a Trick Laser LED and I hooked it up to my hotend fan. Works great.

[apostoly]

I was thinking Semitec was number 8 instead of 5 but I don't recall. I have a Trick Laser LED and I hooked it up to my hotend fan. Works great.

My bad it is 8 on the repitier firmware.

I also hooked up a trick laser led to the hotend fan. Does your light stay solid or flicker? I just cable tied the light and its held in nicely

[McSlappy]

YAY! \o/ My thermistors arrived today. I'm back in business...printing something as I write this. Everything seems to work great again.

Oh nice, this is what you were modding the mount for, so what have you done here?

[heathenx]

Yes, my led flickers a little. It doesn't bother me. I tried running my wires up and back down the openbeams but those suckers were packed with wires.

Regarding my mount, I basically modeled it from scratch. I referenced your model. I cut the standoffs off. I also designed the top mount with a counterbore so my e3d fits in snuggly and then gets sandwiched upon fastening down. Tough to explain. Basically it prevents any kind of movement. Thanks for your models, by the way. Quite helpful.

[McSlappy]

Interesting, is a counterbore something that I should add to the mount?

[heathenx]

Perhaps. I thought it was a good idea. I can send you my models tomorrow if you are interested.

[heathenx]

...Oh, by the way. I had to design a different cooling fan shroud too. It's based on the original that came on my bot. I didn't spend much time on it though. It's a bit "geometric" in shape but perfectly functional. I hope anyway.

[McSlappy]

Yeah send over the mount I'm still using a v5 so I don't have any real world experience with the v6 and I'm relying on the input of others to improve it

If you feel like it add the layer fan to Repables too - I like blocky geometry... Perhaps it's my 80's roots

[heathenx]

Alright. I just posted a bunch of stuff on repables. I also posted my main hotend assembly. It's not nearly complete but perhaps some will find it useful. I used PartDaddy's newer effector model because I don't have the one for the Rostock Max V2.

[Eaglezsoar]

Alright. I just posted a bunch of stuff on repables. I also posted my main hotend assembly. It's not nearly complete but perhaps some will find it useful. I used PartDaddy's newer effector model because I don't have the one for the Rostock Max V2.

I appreciate the new files for the version 6 mount. The fan is cool but only the design files were posted, and I can't open those files. Is there a way you
could post the stl for the fan? Thanks for sharing the mount!

[heathenx]

@Eaglesoar

Sorry. I must have forgotten to upload the stl for that. Unfortunately, I added the file to repables and the whole thing went poof! It's not letting me re-upload so give me a few and I'll try again. In the meantime you can grab all of the files here.