What caused this 'shifting' when printing?

[metrons]

thanks for the info ed. i just looked at that website...beyond my capabilities i believe.

so it sounds like...the only way i can avoid theses shifts is to have a properly secure extruder...which mine definitely is not. . . i've tried printing about 4 more from the links you guys provided and every single time it prints with a shift. . . i'm losing. . . my. . . mind.

[jimc]

If the nozzle is moving from hitting the model as it prints be sure you add some zlift or in s3d its retraction vertical lift. 2mm or so. Do something though to the groovmount to firm it up in the filament drive. Maybe a couple wraps of blue or kapton tape around it. Just to get the play out so you can print a new drive. Turn all your speeds down as well.

[Tim]

Or just email MakerGear for a new one. . . That's always an option. . .

[ednisley]

the only way i can avoid theses shifts is to have a properly secure extruder...which mine definitely is not

Yup, until you correct the problem, the effects won't go away.

To put things in perspective: one extruded thread is 0.20 mm thick and 0.40 mm wide. A human head hair is 0.04 mm in diameter, which is 20% of the thickness and 10% of the width. The printer must keep all the mechanical parts in the proper relationship within hair-fine tolerances to have a successful print.

If you see anything move in a way it shouldn't, that motion will misplace the extruded thread.

Getting the mechanical precision / accuracy / repeatability required for a good print is why I bought an M2 in the first place. As with any mechanical device, an M2 requires correct setup, periodic lubrication, and occasional maintenance. After you get it running, though, it'll stay that way for a long, long time.

[Edit: fix the thickness percentage. It's still big!]