Beginner's Guide - MakerGear M2 V4 Rev.E machines

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Jules
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Beginner's Guide - MakerGear M2 V4 Rev.E machines

Post by Jules » Fri Apr 01, 2016 2:28 am

Okay here it is....This Guide is for the Rev.E version of the machines. (These shipped out after 03/01/2016.)

Please keep in mind, this guide applies to your machine, most of the earlier information on the forum does not. Be careful when you are using settings created by someone else, and when the experts give you advice, remember that they are used to a different model and remind them that you have a Rev.E machine. You do not have to adjust Z-Offsets, set Z-Stops, and you are not going to have the gap related issues that earlier models had.

Enjoy! :D

TeDlonra
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Re: Beginner's Guide - MakerGear M2 V4 Rev.E machines

Post by TeDlonra » Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:25 am

Is there a way to Quick Start MakerGear M2 Rev. E with LCD Panel (without Quick Start App and connect to computer)?

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Jules
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Re: Beginner's Guide - MakerGear M2 V4 Rev.E machines

Post by Jules » Thu Dec 08, 2016 11:18 pm

No, i believe for that first step you need to connect to the computer with a USB cable to establish the link.

jobim330
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Re: Beginner's Guide - MakerGear M2 V4 Rev.E machines

Post by jobim330 » Thu Feb 09, 2017 5:26 pm

wow
this is so helpful! thank you so much!
i do have a question about bed leveling
so
if i use the MakerGear QuickStart Application to level (using the software not using the actual screws underneath )
does the printer remember that bed level setting when i use simplify3d to print?
because simplify3d has "Bed Leveling Wizard" and it says in their direction "loosen your spring".. does this mean i need to loosen the screws underneath the printer or just use the MakerGear QuickStart Application to level using the software not using the actual screws underneath)?
i hope this makes sense...
thank you!

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Jules
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Re: Beginner's Guide - MakerGear M2 V4 Rev.E machines

Post by Jules » Thu Feb 09, 2017 9:21 pm

Yes, the leveling has all been taken care of with the QuickStart app. You can (and should) ignore the S3D thing entirely. :D

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zemlin
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Re: Beginner's Guide - MakerGear M2 V4 Rev.E machines

Post by zemlin » Thu Feb 09, 2017 9:59 pm

jobim330 wrote:if i use the MakerGear QuickStart Application to level (using the software not using the actual screws underneath )
does the printer remember that bed level setting ...
There is nothing to remember. Bed leveling on the M2 is hardware adjustments on the bed itself and has nothing to do with anything software related.

vesteroid
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Re: Beginner's Guide - MakerGear M2 V4 Rev.E machines

Post by vesteroid » Tue Feb 28, 2017 8:38 pm

Wait a second, how about the bed gap from the hot end. If I set that as the last step in the ms quick start bed leveling, does that gap get "coded" into the machine somehow and used in S3D?

I am having a heck of a time getting my first layer to stick. the filament seems to curl up around the hot end and stick there vs dropping straight down when it extrudes off the side of the bed, and then of course when it comes over to print its a mess.

I am considering getting a wire brush to clean the head trying to get tiny particles off or something like that that may be getting in the way.

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zemlin
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Re: Beginner's Guide - MakerGear M2 V4 Rev.E machines

Post by zemlin » Tue Feb 28, 2017 8:46 pm

The starting height gets saved in the firmware, but nothing is communicated to S3D and S3D doesn't care about it. You can enter an offset on the GCODE tab of S3D if you want to tweak your first layer height.
.
Curling is often an indication of a partial clog. I have a #80 drill bit in a pin vise that I use to clean out the .35mm nozzle. I don't think a wire brush would accomplish much.

I scrape material off the cone of the nozzle with the tweezers when the nozzle is hot.

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Jules
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Re: Beginner's Guide - MakerGear M2 V4 Rev.E machines

Post by Jules » Wed Mar 01, 2017 12:02 am

vesteroid wrote:Wait a second, how about the bed gap from the hot end. If I set that as the last step in the ms quick start bed leveling, does that gap get "coded" into the machine somehow and used in S3D?

I am having a heck of a time getting my first layer to stick. the filament seems to curl up around the hot end and stick there vs dropping straight down when it extrudes off the side of the bed, and then of course when it comes over to print its a mess.

I am considering getting a wire brush to clean the head trying to get tiny particles off or something like that that may be getting in the way.
Okay you have three things going on:

1. Anytime you print something, unless you clean the nozzle off immediately after a print, there is usually a tiny fragment of hardened filament stuck to the outside of the nozzle that does not melt by the time you start purging filament out. So that can cause the filament to climb up the side of the nozzle and go out sideways until that bit eventually melts.

To deal with it, take your tweezers during the purge and just pull it down, or scrape it off. It will then fall in a straight line and get scraped off on the bed. It's why the tweezers are included with the machine, and it's perfectly normal.

2. If your filament isn't sticking to the plate, the gap is too large. You will need to either make an adjustment to the Starting Height using the code method here, or reset it using the Z-Adjust Application. Try to get a slightly tighter fit with that blue plastic gauge they give you.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3666

3. Third thing you want to try is using an adhesive of some sort - either hairspray or glue, if the print is pulling up later during the print. If you can't get it to lay down at all for the first layer, you definitely need to follow item 2. above.

econopotamus
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Re: Beginner's Guide - MakerGear M2 V4 Rev.E machines

Post by econopotamus » Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:20 pm

Thank you so much for this! I am wildly enthusiastic about my new MarkerGear M2, but have already started to get wary because of the start instruction are woefully unspecific. The manual that comes with the device, for example, says to attach the spools but doesn't indicate *where* if you have dual extruders. In my case at least the part provided didn't fit the spot without a lot of pressure so I always thought I had it in the wrong place until google image search finally showed me where someone else attached it.

Having said that, a couple questions: I HAVE FIGURED OUT THE ANSWERS AND AM LEAVING THEM BELOW FOR POSTERITY

1) Which side is left and which is right? Both guides give instructions in terms of left and right but don't say if they mean "machine right" or "user right". I figured it must obviously be "user right" but the vertical arrangement of the two extruders compared to the instructions suggests that may not be right. This is one of those things that will be totally obvious once someone knows, but appears impossible to determine with certainty ab initio.

LEFT AND RIGHT IN THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE "USER" LEFT AND RIGHT. THE LEFT NOZZLE IS THE ONE AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER ENCLOSURE

2) Do we put in the SD card before or after power up? The Quick start program mentions start up first and then "make sure the SD card is in" - does it mean that the card should have been in before power on or after? I'm trying to figure out why I can't see the printer from the computer and not knowing if I'm doing startup right doubles the search space.

LOOKS LIKE "BEFORE" WORKS. NOT SURE IT MATTERS.

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