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OriginalGriff26-Jul-20 20:11

OriginalGriff

26-Jul-20 20:11

It does take some work to get the base leveling done, but it's effort well rewarded.
I got it roughly right, then printed a dovetail to attach my dial test indicator to the head.
Then I could slot the DTI in and get actual measurements across the plate, which makes it a load easier than faffing with paper thickness.

And once you have it right you shouldn't need to do it again until you swap out the hotend or the nozzle.

"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
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#realJSOP26-Jul-20 23:29

26-Jul-20 23:29

I ordered a BLTouch setup for mine.

".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

OriginalGriff26-Jul-20 23:58

OriginalGriff

26-Jul-20 23:58

I already had a DTI, so it made sense to stick with that.

StarNamer@work27-Jul-20 4:23

27-Jul-20 4:23

Why is it that it's taken me 7 months to find mention of using a Dial Test Indicator to level the bed? D'Oh! | :doh:

I've been fiddling about with paper and even considered getting a BLTouch even though I don't think it's a true solution since it just compensates for a non-level bed rather than actually adjusting it.

And since I would still need to do basic bed levelling manually, I might as well do it properly so, since I have a glass bed which should be flat(1), I don't need a BLTouch!

Of course, as soon as I search for "3D printing dial test indicator" Google returns loads videos, mounts, etc.

I've ordered a cheap DTI off eBay and will be designing(2) an attachment shortly to see how well it works! Smile | :)

--
(1) The glass could be warped, in which case a BLTouch would help, but if it was noticeable, I'd just replace it.
(2) I have a custom mount for cooling fans round the hotend so standard fittings aren't going to work.

#realJSOP27-Jul-20 22:23

27-Jul-20 22:23

There are a bunch of youtube videos showing the use of a DTI. Do your search in youtube instead of google.

StarNamer@work28-Jul-20 3:27

28-Jul-20 3:27

Thanks, my Google search already found lots of YouTube videos.

My comment was really on the fact that I've probably seen several hundred videos/articles about 3D printing over the past year but I don't recall encountering the use of a DTI until I explicitly searched for "3D printing dial test indicator"!

#realJSOP26-Jul-20 23:42

26-Jul-20 23:42

Well, I'm a car guy, so working on something until it's right is kinda my thing. There are a lot of things to consider:

0) Initial construction - for me, that means making sure the gantry is trued up as it goes together.

1) Ensuring you have a level bed - while you are not absolved of manually levelling the bed the first time, there are several auto-leveling systems available that help out later on.

2) Make sure your filament is feeding correctly. The printer I chose has a problem with a cheap plastic extruder, and I've oredered an all-metal extruder to replace it.

3) If your printer uses a bowden tube to feed filament, make sure it's properly connected/seated to the hot end.

4) It appears that you need an enclosure to ensure that the printer's environment is as stable as possible. This is even more important when you try to use ABS, carbon fibre, or other more exotic filament material.

Making sure the hardware is right is key. If you know your hardware is good, all you have to worry about is the slicer configuration.

StarNamer@work27-Jul-20 4:25

27-Jul-20 4:25

Been there, done that (apart from building an enclosure Smile | :)

davecasdf27-Jul-20 5:29

davecasdf

27-Jul-20 5:29

( Your mileage WILL vary ) I spent years as a machinist, so parametric CAD is how I think, some will prefer the "push pull prod" methods. There are several free 3-D cad systems out there that will handle single parts OK. Pick to your way of thinking.
Yes, an enclosure seems important, but I still got warp problems ( as the upper layers cooled - shrunk I was making an angle bracket camera mount 1.25" sq. flat base - not what the thing loves ).

Lost all my first tries to separation from the plate. Even after using a glue stick / blue tape I had two pop free ( One at done enough to work ).

PVA glue stick and or good ( paper ) painters tape can help for grip and separation. ( At least with my print surface. )

Oh, I used a piece of thin stiff plastic, ( a feeler gauge would work well ) for leveling, much better feel than a sheet of paper.

Have fun, keep your powder - oops FILAMENT dry.

H.Brydon27-Jul-20 18:00

H.Brydon

27-Jul-20 18:00

If you have a plastic extruder, you have the Ender 3. The Ender 3 Pro has a metal extruder already.

You don't really need an enclosure unless you print ABS and even then it is somewhat optional.

Levelling the bed is the biggest PITA I've had to deal with. I don't know how it keeps getting out of alignment.

I'm retired. There's a nap for that...
- Harvey

#realJSOP27-Jul-20 22:39

27-Jul-20 22:39

I have a pro, and the extruder is definitely plastic.

I saw that a 3-point levelling plate is available for the ender 3, and that most "top-end" printers use that style of levelling. Seems to me that if it were that good, creality would have used it, because they wouldn't have had to spend money on a 4th adjustment wheel, spring, and screw. I've watched a number of youtube videos about it,but the jury appears to be still out on it.

I saw one guy had made a quick-swap tool holder and one of his tools is a DTI. Pretty clever...

Lorenzo Bertolino26-Jul-20 20:32

Lorenzo Bertolino

26-Jul-20 20:32

I have an Ender 3, hooked up to a raspberry with OctoPrint on it, modeling with Fusion 360 and slicing with Cura, I love it

I didn't order any upgrade except for the glass panel, because I messed up the height on a print and bore a hole in the plastic one Cry | :((

But I printed a lot of upgrades Big Grin | :-D

#realJSOP26-Jul-20 23:54

26-Jul-20 23:54

I'm gonna do the same thing RE raspberry pi. I'm using a Pi4x2 because it's faster, more RAM, and faster networking.

Lorenzo Bertolino27-Jul-20 1:14

Lorenzo Bertolino

27-Jul-20 1:14

I found it's not really needed (I have both a 3B+ and a 4(4GB)), the 3 is more than enough, only thing to be careful about is power draw, the raspberry, the webcam for recording timelapses and the printer board (even when powered on by itself) make it very easy to go over the limit (it always was a warning and it never crashed but it might be a thing to keep an eye on), this considering a 5V3A micro usb power supply.
I don't know if things are better for the pi 4

#realJSOP27-Jul-20 1:47

27-Jul-20 1:47

I also have a Pi3b+, and if I decide to use that, I'm gonna draw power from the printer's psu with a purpose-made power converter from th3d:

Raspberry Pi - 3 Amp Direct Wire Power Adapter - TH3D Studio LLC[^]

StarNamer@work27-Jul-20 4:31

27-Jul-20 4:31

I have Fusion 360 set up so I can use 3D Print under Tools to send straight to CURA and then the OctoPrint plugin in CURA so it can send straight the Pi 3B+ and start printing.

The Pi is powered off the printer's PSU (via buck converter) and also controls relays to switch the 24V supply to printer on and off.

H.Brydon27-Jul-20 18:05

H.Brydon

27-Jul-20 18:05

Be careful with buck converters. I did the same thing you did and discovered that many buck converters (specifically the ones with over current detection) have a small ~0.1 ohm resistor between input negative and output negative terminals to detect the amount of current flowing (which IMHO should be on the positive line). If the Pi is connected to the printer via USB cable (which it will be), you will get strange current flow on the negative rail and some weird things happening.

I'm retired. There's a nap for that...
- Harvey

Lorenzo Bertolino27-Jul-20 20:28

Lorenzo Bertolino

27-Jul-20 20:28

Thanks for the info!
Do you know if removing the power wires from the usb cable would solve it or would it make it worse by throwing off the data lines?
How could I make it so that it won't do funky things?

StarNamer@work27-Jul-20 21:21

27-Jul-20 21:21

Thanks.

My Pi is actually powered via pins 2 & 6, not the USB. I am aware this bypasses the input fuse so has a slightly increased risk. I'll take a look at the buck converter circuit and see it it has low value resistor. I'm also looking at redesigning the case I printed so I can power the Pi via the USB and access the HDMI!

Member 1033461026-Jul-20 22:09

Member 10334610

26-Jul-20 22:09

I have an old Prusa, it's paid for itself many times over. Check out Tinkercad | From mind to design in minutes[^] for a very easy way to design stuff. You will have teething problems but stick with it and try to fix one problem at a time. Don't use super cheap filament it nearly always causes problems and level your bed before each print. Have fun!

Caslen27-Jul-20 0:35

Caslen

27-Jul-20 0:35

I have the same - as anyone else will tell you levelling is a real faff but extremely important, choice of filament can also be tricky, I've had cheap stuff that age hardens in no time flat making it unuseable, also different colours from the same manufacturer that require different settings to get a good print - strange but true! I'd start with PLA and get some smaller quantities from different manufacturers until you find something that works well. I have a couple of test objects that I print regularly to check everything is ok - a 30mm cube for checking dimensions and visually checking print quality, also a 150mm x 150mm square 1mm thick for checking levels after adjusting, thickness can be measured all around with a vernier and it doesn't take long to print. Printing larger objects always seems to be a problem for me, I'd suggest a test object (150mm topless cube?) with 5mm walls before tackling anything complex. FreeCad and Slice3r have been good to me, both free, reasonably easy to pick up (I've never used CAD before) and fairly flexible.

Dave Lessard27-Jul-20 7:42

Dave Lessard

27-Jul-20 7:42

I run a Creality CR-10S Pro. It's been exceptionally reliable. Rare to have print failures. As others have said, without CAD modeling you might be bored quickly. I also recommend Fusion 360, free version for the personal user and lots of resources to learn it.

I use KISSlicer and Cura for slicing, different types of parts behave differently. KS will take learning but I believe the toolpaths are higher quality than Cura and others. Cura has some great features, especially for generating better supports.

Material is all over the spectrum, spend a little more and you will get a little more. I prefer Paramount 3D filaments, good price and high quality.

Here's a make I did on Thingiverse with the CR-10s Pro.
Makes of 3D Printable Jet Engine by LayerShaper - Thingiverse[^]

Good luck!

H.Brydon27-Jul-20 17:58

H.Brydon

27-Jul-20 17:58

Yeah I have an Ender 3 Pro. Clever observers will note I haven't been doing much of anything else the last several months. I've been spending all my time printing things. Just emptied my second spool of filament.

I'm retired. There's a nap for that...
- Harvey

StarNamer@work28-Jul-20 4:14