MakerGear Forum

jimc, a question about the appropriate gap. I'm also pretty new at 3D printing and have been using the technique of measuring the actual gap and then entering a negative z-axis offset in the g-code to compensate. So I've got an actual nozzle to bed distance of 0.18mm and I see you say the preferred distance is .006-.005" which I take to mean 0.127mm. So in the g-code offsets config of S3D should I configure the full -0.18mm or should I configure it to be the difference of the actual minus the gap of 0.127mm you specified which would be -0.06mm (the setting only allows 2 decimal places)?

i dont do any of that offset stuff. all my offsets are zero and my first layer height is always at 100%. i home z until a .005" feeler gauge has a nice drag under the nozzle, lock up the bolt and start printing. its almost dead nuts every time. i have my z-axis bolt in from the bottom up, nut on the bottom then a nylock nut on the tip that contacts the switch. i home z like i said above, lock the nut then if i need to fine tune i can take my little 7mm wrench or even my fingers and just give the nylock nut a slight turn to fine tune. it makes it easy to dial everything in.

Many thanks for the wealth of knowledge shared. It's a big help to us new to 3D printing.
Can print in both ABS and PLA and learned the hard way about warping issues associated with ABS.

This board has moved me along a lot quicker that any trial and error done on my own.