Questions and thoughts from a newbie

[SouthSideofdaSky]

My department at work recently purchased an M2 to evaluate potential applications for 3D printing within the department and company. Our M2 arrived a couple days ago and I've spent a few hours getting it set up and running. The documentation that came with the M2 was very helpful overall, as well as the information available online. However I have a couple of questions and thoughts (as a disclaimer, I am very new to this whole 3D printing thing. I knew almost nothing about it until I was asked to start researching it a month or so ago).

- I really like the labels on the bags and in the pictures included in the instructions. For instance I never would have guessed that what looks like a popsicle stick to me is actually the same thing as the "applicator stick" referred to in the documentation. Is there any place online where I can see a similar diagram with different parts of the actual printer labeled? Some of the instructions on the "M2 getting started" page on the Makergear wiki were confusing for me to follow because I was not sure where to locate a specific component. For example "Once you have confirmed that all axes respond correctly, it is time to check the endstops. First activate each endstop by hand, by pressing on the silver lever until it clicks." I am not sure what "silver levers" are being referred to. So...like any good engineer I just skipped that step . I did use the jog tools in Pronterface to make sure that everything seemed to be working correctly, and my first print (the sample bracelet piece) turned out great. However I would like to understand the setup steps for future reference...can anyone shed a little more light on the hand endstop checks for me or point me to a link where I could learn more?

- The tiny fan bracket piece on our device had snapped at one of the holes by the time I pulled the printer out of the box and set it on the work table. I am using vague language here because I am not sure if it broke during shipment or if I unknowingly broke it while unpacking the printer, etc. In any case I suppose I will be able to print a replacement once I get a little better idea of what I'm doing. In the meantime I was able to superglue it back together. I must say I am rather surprised that that particular part isn't sheet metal. I can definitely see myself accidentally snapping another one.

- General question: If the printer is not in use for a moderate period of time (e.g. overnight or over the weekend) should I remove the filament from the filament drive? What other kinds of "standard procedure" tips should I know?

I am very pleased with the printer so far other than the fan bracket piece. I spent several hours researching which 3D printer to buy and then several more specifically focusing on why we might NOT want an M2 (I was hoping to provide a "A OR B" recommendation to my manager). Needless to say I couldn't find any shortcomings on the M2 in comparison to other printers under $2000. I couldn't imagine spending almost as much money on some other printer with much smaller build volume or a wooden frame.

Thanks!

[benavery]

The endstop switches are microswitches that look very similar to this: http://reprapteile.de/media/catalog/pro ... ndstop.jpg
The metal sticky-out bit on the far side is the metal lever they are referring to. There are 3 limit switches on the M2, one for each axis. X is on the top of the machine, far left side. Y is right near the Y motor. Z is tucked up inside the frame, attached to the rear of the smooth rods.

Many people print more elaborate fan brackets: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:348480. I would guess you just got unlucky with it breaking. The printed part is more than sturdy enough once the printer is set up, as there is very little stress there. I could imagine that it would be fragile during shipping.

I know that PLA is succeptible to absorbing moisture. Many people store their spare PLA in a sealed tub with some silica gel to keep them moisture free. If you weren't going to use the machine for weeks/months, it could be worth removing the PLA to store similarly. I doubt there are any other reasons to remove the filament - and the hotend will still be filled up with hard plastic anyhow (as you can't remove that when retracting the filament)

[pandelume]

You will also want to keep your filament roll as dust-free as possible, since particulate contamination could potentially clog the extruder. To that end, you might want to either remove and store your filament it when not in use (probably only worth if if the machine will be idle for several days) or perhaps making some kind of dust cover for the entire M2.

[jsc]

I'd like to plug the "M2 tips" thread in the tips forum for a big list of stuff that anyone new to the M2 might find useful. It covers a lot of the stuff everyone ends up running into eventually.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12

If you have anything to contribute, now or in the future, all input is welcome.

[Tim]

The endstop check is mainly to make sure that (1) the switches are good (switches are some of the most breakable parts in consumer electronics; if it doesn't click, then it needs replacing), and (2) that the switches haven't been plugged into the wrong port (three switches, six ports, lots of wrong combinations). Since your printer didn't come as a kit, it would have been very unlikely to be not working. Your first print would not have come out so great if any of the endstops weren't working.

There's no real point in getting too aggressive with the measures for keeping your filament dust and moisture free. If you end up using it a lot, you can easily run through an entire spool of plastic before it ever has a chance to degrade in quality due to either factor. If you find that the usage is off and on, with it going for weeks without use, then it may be a good idea to take the filament out and store it in a dry container. I've done nothing about dust and moisture except for keeping unused spools in the bags that MakerGear shipped them in (they use zip-lock bags now, nice!) with a packet of silica gel dessicant.

Superglue is okay, but the printed parts that come with the M2 are printed in ABS and should work best with solvent glues, if you have some plastic model glue or equivalent lying around somewhere. I think there are a number of us M2 users (myself included) who have at some point held a part together with epoxy or super glue or rubber bands or whatever and crossed our fingers while the M2 prints the replacement part.

[SouthSideofdaSky]

Thanks for the links and explanation benavery! That really helps.

Thanks for the feedback regarding filament storage. I think I will put the spools back in the bag they came in if I won't be using the printer for a few days, as Tim and pande kind of suggested. That said, the environment I'm working in would probably be considered fairly dusty, so a dust cover for the entire device might not be a bad idea...

I read through the "M2 tips" forum that jsc linked to a couple weeks ago, but kind of forgot about it while setting the printer up...thanks for the reminder! It will definitely be helpful to go through that again now that I actually have the printer and software at my fingertips...

I will keep playing with it and I'm sure I'll be asking more questions. Thanks all!