Problems with printer after "upgrading"

[v8tony]

I'm having 2 problems. They are not related, but it's frustrating... looking for any insight into either one of them...

I tried upgrading to the new nozzle in my hot end and my PLA keeps oozing out around the nozzle. I've tried adjusting the length of the 2mm PTFE insert and I'm not sure I'm doing this right. It extrudes plastic great and I think I like the nozzle, but after about 40 min of printing I start to get PLA coming out between the nozzle and the aluminum housing and have to take the whole thing apart and do a major cleaning... it's very frustrating... Maybe I'm printing too hot or something... I've been printing around 200 deg C. Any ideas?

The other problem I'm having is a "skipping" or "pausing" from the printer. The movement when printing from the SD card seems nice and smooth, but, when I try to send the print from the computer it is terrible... I'm thinking of trying another USB cable or something... Any ideas would be welcome, I have a dedicated computer hooked up to the printer and don't want to have to print things from SD all the time... This just started happening (my printer is almost a year old), so, I'm trying to figure out what changed...

Oh yea, I uploaded the latest firmware just to be sure that wasn't the problem. No change. My buffer always stays at 15 or 16 while printing, so, this one has my stumped...

Tony

[Nylocke]

Are you viewing the 3D visualization of the print in Repetier? I know that majorly slows down coms, and causes a lot of stuttering for me, or it did on my old computer... I just swap it to temp view so it isn't constantly updating the visualization. it does a line by line rendering of the print, and it does it real time so what the printer is doing its doing, and I guess since its a single threaded program I think, it doesn't work out well.

For the leaking, you probably aren't screwing the parts together tight enough (I had similar issues with the H-1.1 I worked on, I don't think I threaded it tight enough, jeu tdont get it too tight so you break the PEEK). I've noticed I can't get my E3D together tight enough to not leak without it being hot, so you may have to get your hot end hot to get it all snug together, or you could try some sealing tape, teflon or something. I've also heard of successes with people printing or at least extruding some ABS and then printing with PLA and it act as a "sealant" of sorts....

[Polygonhell]

On the stuttering did you by chance just upgrade Slicer or Repetier host.
I pulled the latest Repetier host yesterday, and tried Slicer for the first time in months and I noticed it cause pausing printing infill, it looks like it's not simplifying the tool paths for the diagonal infill, and the printer is starving.

[v8tony]

I've tried looking at the path on the screen and watching something else.. It doesn't seem to make a huge difference...

It says I'm running the latest version of Repetier V0.90c

I'll try screwing the parts together tighter, but, I'm worried that won't stop the plastic getting around the PTFE liner and freeze everything up...

Thanks for the thoughts..

Tony

[626Pilot]

The realtime view can mess you up but so can the area where you can move the effector by hand. It reads out the coordinate on all axes which means that the board has to send that data over serial, allowing it to compete with data that's actually important. Try switching to the G-code view.

You can also try some different baud rates. I run on 115200 and it doesn't pause, unless my computer is grinding on something. Others swear up and down it has to be 250000 because of the ATMega's clock speed. Try both of those speeds if you can. (If you run Linux 250000 can be challenging. I never figured it out.)

Another idea would be to get a USB cable with a ferrite bead, which is visible as a round plastic casing near the square end of the cable:

Your USB cable probably has one of these already, but make sure. There is a lot of EM activity from a functioning Rostock, especially the heated bed when it's maintaining temperature by rapidly switching on and off. If you put a neodymium magnet on the Onyx when it's up to temperature, it will dance around!

Regarding the PLA jam, make sure you are using the printable fan duct, not just a fan. Set the temp to 170. Once it stabilizes, set it to 220 and immediately start feeding PLA through by hand. You will notice that the resistance drops at some point and then starts climbing again. You can use this phenomenon to bracket the correct temperature. PLA comes in three different varieties, each with its own heat range that can be anywhere from 170-235 C. You want the temp to be at the point where the resistance is lowest. That protects your PTF connectors and makes ooze less likely.

If you find you can't fix the oozing problem, consider ordering an E3D hot end from Filastruder. It's all-metal so it will never melt and can handle materials that require temps in excess of 260C, which the SeeMe hotend doesn't like. It also doesn't rely on PTFE liners (or any other kind) which removes one of the ways the SeeMe hot end can jam. It ships with a fan shroud and judging by the length of the E3D thread it's the most popular hot end to replace the stock one with.

[v8tony]

Great response, thanks...

I tried re-routing my USB cable away from anything else and trying a different one. I haven't tried the same program that was giving me trouble before, but I have been printing test parts for a couple of hours with no sign of trouble...

As for the hot end... I'm about ready to give up on this thing... It's oozing ABS now also (I switched back). I never had any trouble until I switched to the new design nozzle (the one that looks like it should be better for this)... I am about ready to convert over to a new hot end and I agree everyone seems to be crazy about the E3D part... My ultimate goal was to have 2 extruders, so, maybe I should just bite the bullet and do both at once...

Tony

[Nylocke]

If you're considering dual hotends, consider backing the Pico project, its like the E3D but much smaller. I'm getting 2 for my ultimaker so I can dualstrude. The only negative about it right now is it won't be delivered until March . I'm excited though, its going to have a 500C thermistor and it looks pretty fancy http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/b3i ... d-printers bit more pricey though

[Flateric]

The thermal math just doesn't add up for the PICO for me anyways. I can't see how they will get enough heat out where it counts.

LOL

But I'm in anyways.....

[626Pilot]

E3D is releasing a hot end called the "Kraken" that will support from 1 to 4 nozzles. If you want multiple nozzles in a compact package, I'd wait for that. They are going to ship starting in January.

http://e3d-online.com/The-Kraken

[dpmacri]

I got a second E3D for Christmas and have just got it set up to print. I've printed the bottom few layers of a calibration cube using ABS for perimeters and HIPS for infill. I only printed a few layers because I was extruding too much on tool changes.

I designed my own mount for it which seems to be working well so far. Here are a couple pictures:

Mount parts

Attached parts

I'll post the FreeCAD file and .stl files when I get to my computer if anyone's interested.

[krak]

E3D is releasing a hot end called the "Kraken" that will support from 1 to 4 nozzles. If you want multiple nozzles in a compact package, I'd wait for that. They are going to ship starting in January.

http://e3d-online.com/The-Kraken

This has my name all over it! I would be happy with two, but four, sure!

[JonAdkins]

I got a second E3D for Christmas and have just got it set up to print. I've printed the bottom few layers of a calibration cube using ABS for perimeters and HIPS for infill. I only printed a few layers because I was extruding too much on tool changes.

I'll post the FreeCAD file and .stl files when I get to my computer if anyone's interested.

Looks great, I've just ordered my second E3D hotend and would love to get a hold of the stl files whenver you're able.

-jon

[626Pilot]

I'll post the FreeCAD file and .stl files when I get to my computer if anyone's interested.

This is pretty good, but you should put the files on Thingiverse instead of putting them here. That way the whole community has access to them. That's what I do.

[dpmacri]

I'll post the FreeCAD file and .stl files when I get to my computer if anyone's interested.

This is pretty good, but you should put the files on Thingiverse instead of putting them here. That way the whole community has access to them. That's what I do.

Okay, I posted the files on Thingiverse here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:217662.

[dpmacri]

I also posted the files on Repables: http://repables.com/r/173/

[Eaglezsoar]

I got a second E3D for Christmas and have just got it set up to print. I've printed the bottom few layers of a calibration cube using ABS for perimeters and HIPS for infill. I only printed a few layers because I was extruding too much on tool changes.

I designed my own mount for it which seems to be working well so far. Here are a couple pictures:

I'll post the FreeCAD file and .stl files when I get to my computer if anyone's interested.

Could you post a picture of the front of your dual mount? I am really interested in it but would like to see the front while it is mounted.

[dpmacri]

I got a second E3D for Christmas and have just got it set up to print. I've printed the bottom few layers of a calibration cube using ABS for perimeters and HIPS for infill. I only printed a few layers because I was extruding too much on tool changes.

I designed my own mount for it which seems to be working well so far. Here are a couple pictures:

I'll post the FreeCAD file and .stl files when I get to my computer if anyone's interested.

Could you post a picture of the front of your dual mount? I am really interested in it but would like to see the front while it is mounted.

I added it to the Thingiverse page. Here it is as well:

Front view of installed mount

[Eaglezsoar]

dpmacri, you haven't experienced any cooling problems with replacing the E3D coolers with that one fan in the rear?

[dpmacri]

dpmacri, you haven't experienced any cooling problems with replacing the E3D coolers with that one fan in the rear?

No, I haven't -- but I haven't used the printer much since the modification. I took some thermocouple measurements with both hot-ends heated to about 240C and the temperature on the lower fin of the E3D was only like 70C I think. I'll take another measurement as soon as the print I'm doing finishes.

[Eaglezsoar]

dpmacri, you haven't experienced any cooling problems with replacing the E3D coolers with that one fan in the rear?

No, I haven't -- but I haven't used the printer much since the modification. I took some thermocouple measurements with both hot-ends heated to about 240C and the temperature on the lower fin of the E3D was only like 70C I think. I'll take another measurement as soon as the print I'm doing finishes.

Thank you, that was my major concern with eliminating the separate cooling fans on the E3D. You indicate that lower fin was 70C and I am not sure what the temperature runs with
the normal E3d fan is in place. (mine is not working at this time or I would measure it). Perhaps someone running an E3D with the supplied shroud and fan could take a temperature
of the lower fin while it is printing something in the 240C range.

[bubbasnow]

this box does look big enough to be modified for a bigger fan also.. no reason to have all that wasted space fan side!

[dpmacri]

this box does look big enough to be modified for a bigger fan also.. no reason to have all that wasted space fan side!

Yeah, you're right. When I designed this, I was thinking it could sit on top of the platform which is why I squeezed the 30mm fan where I did. After I built it I realized that the print heads are so close to the cooling fins that there's no room from them to fit inside the platform . It could easily be modified to have a 40mm fan or just two 30mm.

[Eaglezsoar]

this box does look big enough to be modified for a bigger fan also.. no reason to have all that wasted space fan side!

Yeah, you're right. When I designed this, I was thinking it could sit on top of the platform which is why I squeezed the 30mm fan where I did. After I built it I realized that the print heads are so close to the cooling fins that there's no room from them to fit inside the platform . It could easily be modified to have a 40mm fan or just two 30mm.

I think a modification to use two 30mm fans (or 40mm if they would fit) would be great and would definitely help with the cooling of the E3Ds. Do you have any plans on redesigning this?

[dpmacri]

this box does look big enough to be modified for a bigger fan also.. no reason to have all that wasted space fan side!

Yeah, you're right. When I designed this, I was thinking it could sit on top of the platform which is why I squeezed the 30mm fan where I did. After I built it I realized that the print heads are so close to the cooling fins that there's no room from them to fit inside the platform . It could easily be modified to have a 40mm fan or just two 30mm.

I think a modification to use two 30mm fans (or 40mm if they would fit) would be great and would definitely help with the cooling of the E3Ds. Do you have any plans on redesigning this?

I just did some measurements with both hot-ends set to 250c. The hottest I was able to get my thermocouple was 40c on the underside of one of the cooling fins. So I have no plans to redesign this. However, since you've given me so much support on these forums, if there's a specific modification you'd like, Eaglezsoar, I'll happily do it for you.

[Eaglezsoar]

If that's all the temperature is on the lower fins then it doesn't need redesigned but I appreciate your willingness to do so and your kind words. I'm going to print it out and keep it until I am ready to use it on one of my RMAXs.
Thanks for sharing it with us.