Going to Build using the Max Metal Frame...no kit

[Aflac]

My extruder is pretty much direct drive, and my tz is just about 2mm, so I probably want just enough retraction to not get stringy

[Aflac]

So I added some settings to my config file for smoothie, and it seems to have fixed the problem with the retraction. these were not in the example config i used, but they do seem to help a lot.

extruder.hotend.retract_length 3 # retract length in mm
extruder.hotend.retract_feedrate 45 # retract feedrate in mm/sec
extruder.hotend.retract_recover_length 0 # additional length for recover
extruder.hotend.retract_recover_feedrate 8 # recover feedrate in mm/sec (should be less than retract feedrate)
extruder.hotend.retract_zlift_length 0 # zlift on retract in mm, 0 disables
extruder.hotend.retract_zlift_feedrate 6000 # zlift feedrate in mm/min (Note mm/min NOT mm/sec)

[Eaglezsoar]

So I added some settings to my config file for smoothie, and it seems to have fixed the problem with the retraction. these were not in the example config i used, but they do seem to help a lot.

extruder.hotend.retract_length 3 # retract length in mm
extruder.hotend.retract_feedrate 45 # retract feedrate in mm/sec
extruder.hotend.retract_recover_length 0 # additional length for recover
extruder.hotend.retract_recover_feedrate 8 # recover feedrate in mm/sec (should be less than retract feedrate)
extruder.hotend.retract_zlift_length 0 # zlift on retract in mm, 0 disables
extruder.hotend.retract_zlift_feedrate 6000 # zlift feedrate in mm/min (Note mm/min NOT mm/sec)

No Zlift?

[Aflac]

I actually just copied and pasted from the smoothie documentation, their example had no a lift so i left it. I have no idea how much z lift is a good idea, and I wanted to get testing so I just went with it rather than spend the time researching.

[Aflac]

https://youtu.be/WfZyY7tRNko

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfZyY7tRNko[/youtube]

Well now I have a new problem...and this one comes with a time lapse video.

So any idea why that failure happened...it was working so good, right up until it went horribly wrong.

[bradjshannon]

Looks like it was trying to bridge the span, failed to do so, extruded a whole bunch into open air, stuck that ball of pasta to the object, ran into it, lost alignment, and made more pasta.

When this happens to me (every other day) I try slicing the file differently. Lots of possible things to tweak in the slicing that, for me at least, make/break a weird print. Maybe try printing infill before perimeters, etc.

edit: I love the way Z-lift looks in general, and especially on a delta. I have mine set to 3mm but that could be unnecessarily high.

[Aflac]

there is no bridges in that print at all. just all of a sudden the a layer failed to stick and or shifted or something. the same thing has happened on three of the last 4 things ive tried to print, however the fourth (which was the last one) worked fine. it started printing like it was up and slightly to the side...almost like my gamma tower was suddenly lower than the others....i wonder if it could be slipping or something? or if something else could cause it. I do have my belts super tight so i do not think thats the isssue.

[Aflac]

https://youtu.be/QMY7xxCYMtc

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMY7xxCYMtc[/youtube]

Here is another attempt at it, it seems to be the same kind of fail, but in a different direction. This time it jumped perfectly up in z height, but all the other directions where still perfectly lined up. If it was missed steps I would expect it to be off in all dimensions, not just one like that. I am suspecting something in the GCODE, or rather the transmission of the gcode to the printer.

I am using octoprint and was using the upload to SD function built into it. I noticed that it sent the gcode file one gcode line at a time. So if there was a problem in the transmission whichever line it was on when it messed up would be off. So i pulled the SD card out and copied the files onto it directly from the computer...lets see if this one works better.

[Aflac]

does anyone know how to get embeded video to work, i tried the youtube button and it does not seem to work.

[Nylocke]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMY7xxCYMtc[/youtube]

used http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMY7xxCYMtc

[Aflac]

Thanks, turns out i had to remove the &feature=youtu.be and the s from https, then it worked fine.

edit: i went back and fixed it for all the video posts

[Aflac]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAqe0xJhNkk[/youtube]

I am not sure if its coincidence or if I was right about the problem but the attempt with it copied onto the sd card worked. I will try putting more z lift in next time i do a print. I did however have one more failed print before the successful one and i noticed that it at one point the extruder was making a strange noise, like the gear was slipping on the filament, and nothing was extruding, i adjusted the tension on roller that presses the filament onto the gear...i can not remember what thats called, tighter didnt help so i loosened it and suddenly it started printing again. so I am suspicious that might have been part of my problem, at least with the one that was off in z height, if it printed a layer with no filimant it would look the exact same as what happened.

as for the other one that was off sideways and vertically a little I am going to guess the guys in the fail happens area are right about it hitting something, we will see if the adjusted tension and the z hop help or if i just got lucky today.

[Aflac]

So, do not run an onyx directly from smoothie board on 24v without bringing down the pwm.

I had it @ 64, but this morning I was trying a different firmware branch and when writing the config forgot to put that back in. Powered it up at 255, and let out the magic smoke. Now the connector the board is wired to seems hardwired on and as soon as I power the board it starts heating the bed...the exact same thing as was happening to the first place I had the bed connected, so I'm guessing I must have had the same thing happen.

So I guess I'm replacing my board and getting an ssr, should I get another smoothie our go duet?

[Aflac]

Well the good news is I got the printer running again using an SSR, however with the main mofsets out of commission it seems i can not get my hotend above 240C, which is fine for PLA but not for the nylon i was trying to print. Guess I still need to replace the board.

Also i have another strange issue, that i never noticed before because all my other prints were symetric, but my printer is printing a mirror image of what im trying to print, the file and the gcode are correct, it just prints backwards....anyone have any ideas on that?

[Aflac]

Well i figured out the mirrored print problem. And it stems from not using the kit. I went through the kits instructions and it seems that if you use the kit its easy to tell which tower is which. I ordered my towers clockwise, and it turns out the right way is counter clockwise. so my front two towers were backwards, swapped them and things are at least going the right direction now.