ThinTall M2 model 1st prints

[Quark]

Hi all,

First, MakerGear is awesome, I ordered my M2 on Monday, they shipped it the next day, got it today, and I'm on my way to first prints! I'm a complete noob, have been reading a lot, and had a few questions:

First, my setup:
MakerGear M2, I think this is the latest one, comes with V4 head, printing the PLA that came with. I have the M2 hooked up to Octoprint loaded on a win7 machine, works fine. I am using Slic3r on my main computer to slice prints, sending them to Octoprint to print.

1. I'm having a hard time with slicing the included tallthin.STL file through Slic3r. I'm loading Slic3r with the config.ini file that shipped on the SD card. When I print my sliced file, my print doesn't look nearly as good as when I printed the included tallthin.g file from MakerGear. Here is a picture of the included gcode, through Octoprint. Beautiful.


This is what it looks like when I try to print it after slicing it through Slic3r. The print looks horrible.


These are both printed with a HBP at 70C and Extruder at 220C like it says in the userguide. I'm thinking that the config.ini file is a bit old and doesn't match up with the new Slic3r program? I also noticed, when looking at the gcode of the sliced file, the head moves to a different starting position between layers, really funky compared to the included gcode. When it does this, it moves at max speed it seems. I thought the printer was skipping or shuddering. I don't see any settings except for one that randomizes the seams, but its unchecked.

2. Octoprint will home the xyz axis fine, and trigger the stops, but it also allows me to manually move the bed past the stops after I hit them. Makes an awful noise. Is this normal? or is it Octoprint?

Thanks in advanced!

[jimc]

well i dont use slic3r so i cant offer any info there but it looks like its way overextruding and or getting heat soaked. do you have the bed fan turned on when its printing. the layers are going to print too fast on a piece like this and the print will be soft and mushy white its printing which is no good.

[3dPrintingMD]

Maybe you did say this above but I didn't see it. But did you try to print directly from the SD card that MG sent ?

I would first start by doing a calibration block (no top or bottom) and see what my extrusion width and height are. I'm a new user as well, and I know the urge to just get printing. Many guys here joke about it, and its very very true, there is no such thing as plug and play 3d printing.

My steps to get started were to set the Z Axis Height (an adjustment can be determined by printing the calibration box noted above.) This will tell you if your nozzle is too close/too far from the bed. It will also tell you if you are over or under extruding.

[Quark]

The first print is straight from the SD card gcode file. printed beautifully.

I did the block calibration and made some adjustments, did another test print and still didn't look too good. It looked a little better, but it still didn't look as good. The seams are also in different places than it is with the gcode that makergear sent. I'm thinking that gcode was super customized to get that prints looking like it does, but I want to replicate that on my own with the STL file. Maybe someone from MakerGear can chime in on what settings are in that gcode? or is that something that can be extracted out?

Fan is on full blast. On my sliced one too, but I can definitely see the back side of the print gets squishy.

[jimc]

yeah its heat soaked. try printing 3 of them at the same time and i bet they will look way better. you can open up the gcode file with any text editor and the setting are in the very beginning. they probably however used s3d so unless you use that the settings wont mean anything. you also have to remember that a single group of settings dont work with every model or spool of filament. your settings will need to be changed every print, every spool. hence the 3d printing learning curve.

[Quark]

Hmm....learning curve.....still climbing it. I think I spent 12 hours so far just trying out things.

My train of thought was since I was able to print it perfectly using the gcode provided, I could replicate that slicing it up on my own. I guess its a little bit misleading when I see prints and they look awesome. Guess no one really shows how many they went through first before getting there.

[jimc]

Yeah, you didnt know the stuff posted here is everyones first shot.

[3dPrintingMD]

Great to know about the gcode.

Just for learning I opened up the tallthin that was sent to me from MG.

Here are the settings it shows. I assume that these are the only settings to be found in the gcode.

; Settings Summary
; Layer height: 0.2500 mm
; Top/bottom solid layers: 3
; Perimeter outlines: 3
; Infill percentage: 30%
; Raft layers: 0
; Skirt layers: 1
; Generate support: false
; Default printing speed: 5000.00 mm/min
; Outline underspeed: 70%
; Retraction speed: 1500.00 mm/min

[Tim]

My train of thought was since I was able to print it perfectly using the gcode provided, I could replicate that slicing it up on my own. I guess its a little bit misleading when I see prints and they look awesome. Guess no one really shows how many they went through first before getting there.

That's definitely the right approach, though, but yes, it takes a few tries before you really understand most of the important slicing options and the various gotchas that happen along the way.

If you post your slicer settings, we can check to see if there's anything there that sticks out as being obvious. Many of us use Simplify3D, but some of us, myself included, have used or still use slic3r.

While Jim says to "remember that a single group of settings don't work with every model or spool of filament" (which is true); generally speaking, a reasonable set of settings will give decent results most of the time. Your own sliced result suggests something fairly far out of whack. Was there anything obviously different about the way it printed---such as the speed at which it was printing, or the total amount of time to print the object? This model didn't come on the SD card back when I got my M2, so I haven't looked at it before, but does the version that comes on the card print with thinner walls? I'm wondering if that version was sliced with the spiral outline option.

[Quark]

Yeah, the biggest difference I see in the print path is between layers and no fan, I quickly added the fan on, but still, on the included gcode, the tool path stays in the same xy when going between layers, except for the first 40 layers or so, it moves around. My sliced settings, the tool path is erratic between layers, even between inside and outside wall, also, the piece came out heavier, which indicates that the there was more fill, or more extrusion for the part. Speed is also different, specially between inside wall and outside walls.

3dprintingMD posted the gcode included in the SD card. Here is the Slic3r ini file that came on the SD card:
I basically loaded it, turned it upright like the instructions says, put it on the sd card, and printed it. Then, printed again with fan. I've been messing with my settings all day, still cant get it the same.

Code: Select all

# generated by Slic3r 1.0.0RC3 on Mon Mar 17 21:20:24 2014
avoid_crossing_perimeters = 0
bed_size = 200,250
bed_temperature = 0
bottom_solid_layers = 3
bridge_acceleration = 0
bridge_fan_speed = 100
bridge_flow_ratio = 1
bridge_speed = 60
brim_width = 0
complete_objects = 0
cooling = 
default_acceleration = 0
disable_fan_first_layers = 1
duplicate = 1
duplicate_distance = 6
duplicate_grid = 1,1
end_gcode = M104 S0 ; turn off temperature\nM140 S0; turn off bed\nG28 X0  ; home X axis\nM84     ; disable motors
external_perimeter_speed = 70%
external_perimeters_first = 0
extra_perimeters = 1
extruder_clearance_height = 20
extruder_clearance_radius = 20
extruder_offset = 0x0
extrusion_axis = E
extrusion_multiplier = 1
extrusion_width = 0
fan_always_on = 
fan_below_layer_time = 60
filament_diameter = 1.75
fill_angle = 45
fill_density = 0.2
fill_pattern = rectilinear
first_layer_acceleration = 0
first_layer_bed_temperature = 0
first_layer_extrusion_width = 200%
first_layer_height = 0.3
first_layer_speed = 30%
first_layer_temperature = 0
g0 = 0
gap_fill_speed = 20
gcode_arcs = 0
gcode_comments = 0
gcode_flavor = reprap
infill_acceleration = 0
infill_every_layers = 1
infill_extruder = 1
infill_extrusion_width = 0
infill_first = 0
infill_only_where_needed = 0
infill_speed = 100
layer_gcode = 
layer_height = 0.25
max_fan_speed = 100
min_fan_speed = 35
min_print_speed = 10
min_skirt_length = 0
notes = 
nozzle_diameter = 0.35
only_retract_when_crossing_perimeters = 1
ooze_prevention = 0
output_filename_format = [input_filename_base]_[timestamp].gcode
overhangs = 1
perimeter_acceleration = 0
perimeter_extruder = 1
perimeter_extrusion_width = 0
perimeter_speed = 70
perimeters = 3
post_process = 
print_center = 100,125
raft_layers = 0
randomize_start = 0
resolution = 0
retract_before_travel = 2
retract_layer_change = 0
retract_length = .6
retract_length_toolchange = 10
retract_lift = 0
retract_restart_extra = 0
retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0
retract_speed = 24
rotate = 0
scale = 1
skirt_distance = 6
skirt_height = 1
skirts = 1
slowdown_below_layer_time = 30
small_perimeter_speed = 50
solid_fill_pattern = rectilinear
solid_infill_below_area = 70
solid_infill_every_layers = 0
solid_infill_extrusion_width = 0
solid_infill_speed = 70
spiral_vase = 0
standby_temperature_delta = -5
start_gcode = G28 ; home all axes\nG1 Z5 F5000 ; lift nozzle
start_perimeters_at_concave_points = 0
start_perimeters_at_non_overhang = 0
support_material = 0
support_material_angle = 0
support_material_enforce_layers = 0
support_material_extruder = 1
support_material_extrusion_width = 0
support_material_interface_extruder = 1
support_material_interface_layers = 3
support_material_interface_spacing = 0
support_material_pattern = honeycomb
support_material_spacing = 2.5
support_material_speed = 60
support_material_threshold = 0
temperature = 0
thin_walls = 1
threads = 5
toolchange_gcode = 
top_infill_extrusion_width = 0
top_solid_infill_speed = 50
top_solid_layers = 3
travel_speed = 300
use_firmware_retraction = 0
use_relative_e_distances = 0
vibration_limit = 0
wipe = 0
z_offset = 0