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I've got a major problem printing. Since I installed an E3DV6, I have hit or miss prints. Just yesterday I printed something smallish and it printed rather nicely (http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php ... =50#p42716). Today...total crap. I'm starting to wonder if I screwed up the firmware some how. Since installing my E3DV6 hotend, I've had this trouble. I downloaded the firmware (.091) from SeeMeCNC so I could make my changes to the termistor type. I also changed the motor current to the EZStruder from 200 to 230. I uploaded the firmware to the printer probably 3 times now. Could I have screwed a setting up that is causing my sidewalls to print terribly? Is the firmware the problem or do I have a mechanical problem? You can see from my image that the outside wall is very rough. It should be smooth.

It's much more likely to be mechanical than electrical or software, I'd start by checking how freely the UJoints move.

Polygonhell wrote:It's much more likely to be mechanical than electrical or software, I'd start by checking how freely the UJoints move.

Agree - that looks like a mechanical issue - I saw something similar when I didn't have my u-joints lubed sufficiently (before going to magnets)

I appreciate you guys looking at this for me. I don't have u-joints though. I have Trick Laser CF arms. I checked my cheapskates. They are tight. Nothing is loose or wobbles. Belts seem snug too.

Could this be a problem?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWutmqj ... e=youtu.be

I thought I would check my CF arms and I see that they shuck quite a bit. However, I use the elastic bands. Does that counter the problem?

Update: All of my joints shuck like this. I don't remember them being that loose when I got them but I guess I didn't really check.

FIXED!

This morning I replaced my CF arms with the original SeeMeCNC arms. I made sure I lubed my u-joints. Right then and there it made a difference on a print. I still had a little problem with my E3D. To fix it I bumped my slicer nozzle size all of the way down to .30mm (instead of .40mm), I bumped up my extrusion multiplier to .95 (from .90) and my extrusion width is now .40mm. I no longer get sparse extruding. Dimensionally, my parts are good. Not perfect but really close. A 20mm cube is measuring 20.1 and 20.05. I can live with that. I then went on and printed the garden hose thread part again and it came out perfectly. I sliced it .18mm layer height. My E3D is supposed to have a .40mm nozzle but I'm starting to wonder if it's actually a .35mm. I have rather odd slicer settings but it seems to work.

Regarding my CF arms. All of the joints are really loose. Perhaps that is normal, I don't know. In my case it wasn't a good thing. Regardless, I'm back to printing good parts again. Sigh of relief.

Below is a picture of my result. The bad part is on the left. The good part, on the right, has nice clean outer walls.

You did what I always do... Change more than 1 variable and not know which one fixed the glitch

It is normal for the Traxxas joints to have play, the lash straps eliminate the play so you have zero play.
Did you have all the straps on?
I am glad you are getting good prints now. I am surprised changing the arms fixed bad print, I suspect something else is going on.
If the Traxxas with lash straps are somehow a issue under rare instances I certainly want to know why/how and will be looking into it further.
Did you lube the Traxxas? if so with what?
(certain lubes could possibly attack the joints plastic part making them sticky)
I have always ran them dry without issues.
Thanks for posting, this is how we all learn and improve our printers.

Alright, after talking with bvandiepenbos at the MakerHive tonight I'm now convince that my problem couldn't be the CF arms. It must have been E3D related. As soon as I get a little free time at work I will reinstall my CF arms and see what happens. Before I do I will run the same gcode using both types of arms...changing no other parameters.