A good start

Need some assistance getting started...post here...
jsc
Posts: 1864
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 4:00 am

Re: A good start

Post by jsc » Sun Apr 13, 2014 2:19 am

Will, check out my tips thread in the tips section, and add your insights as a new user! It seems all us kit assemblers run into the same issues (a lot of what you wrote is familiar to me) but nobody writes them down for the next guy.

User avatar
willnewton
Posts: 479
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:32 pm

Re: A good start

Post by willnewton » Sun Apr 13, 2014 4:43 am

A link to the tips thread he is referring to and it's a good one. http://www.forum.makergear.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12

I have moved the printer next to the computer and have it hooked up to surge protector with a switch, as there is no off switch i am currently aware of.

I have just done a preliminary z-stop calibration and bed leveling (both unpowered) using info from these videos from Makergear YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBtJ0C ... YOIfQ/feed I just eyeballed it for now, but it is not bad. I will come back for a more exact leveling tomorrow morning.

I have downloaded the current release of Simplify3D 2.1 http://www.simplify3d.com/support/makergear/ and will be following their guide. This M2 model has the V3b hot end, which you can choose as your M2 machine profile right off the bat, so no more having to go in and switch the temps when you start up. I installed this on my PC and on my Mac. The Apple install required a click over to the system security preferences to allow the software to install with the admin password.

You may be using an open source piece of software or two, but I am not going to get into that aspect right now. I will definitely be looking over this wiki link for getting the first print ready. http://makergear.wikidot.com/m2-getting-started

I am going to stop for the night and hopefully get powered up tomorrow....and maybe I can start printing.
Attachments
setup.jpg
Ready to go..soon
setup.jpg (65.19 KiB) Viewed 18656 times
I'm finally back to where I started two days ago!

A thread with some stuff in it I update every once in a while. viewtopic.php?f=8&t=9
See some of my stuff http://www.thingiverse.com/willnewton/favorites

User avatar
willnewton
Posts: 479
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:32 pm

Re: A good start

Post by willnewton » Sun Apr 13, 2014 3:08 pm

So this morning, I plugged it in and flipped the power switch. Fans started spinning, lights are lit in the box. No magic smoke, no weird smells, or hot spots. So far so good.

I launched Simplify3d and opened the Machine Control Panel under teh TOOLS header and clicked on the Communications tab. Plugged in the USB and watched the show. Numbers and letters whiz by. OK, now does it jog? I had centered up the X and Y axes before powering up and pressed the 1mm jog buttons- they work!

I could lift the Z-axis table a bit and 1 mm jog, it works too, but backwards. If you go to Preferences (options), click the Machine tab, and check "Flip build table axis-Z" it will flip the jog control so when you press the top set of buttons it will go up and the bottom will go down. This setting may have to be changed later, once an actual program is run. I am not sure why this would need reversing, as the Machine profile is supposed to be preset for the M2.

I also checked the fans for proper rotation and the heater for the extruder and bed.

Then I tried jogging the Extruder. No go. I check the wiring connection at the stepper and board. Yep, all wired up. I clicked the Disconnect button to stopping the S3D activity logger and after scrolling back to the beginning, the communications log shows
RECEIVED: echo:Active Extruder: 0
Active Extruder: 0
Uh-oh!

It also showed "SD init fail" which I can understand, because I have the SD reader unplugged for now.

I am going to have to get this Extruder stepper moving. I'll do some more prodding/testing and update later

-updated-solutions found below!
Last edited by willnewton on Sun Apr 13, 2014 9:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'm finally back to where I started two days ago!

A thread with some stuff in it I update every once in a while. viewtopic.php?f=8&t=9
See some of my stuff http://www.thingiverse.com/willnewton/favorites

jsc
Posts: 1864
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 4:00 am

Re: A good start

Post by jsc » Sun Apr 13, 2014 4:22 pm

When you jog z+, the bed should move down (the nozzle is moving "up" in relation to the bed), and vice versa.

The firmware prevents cold extrusions to prevent damage to the gear, you must heat it up before it will let you extrude.

User avatar
willnewton
Posts: 479
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:32 pm

Re: A good start

Post by willnewton » Sun Apr 13, 2014 6:10 pm

Excellent. I was thinking in terms of the bed movement, not the printerhead. That does make sense, sorta. Thanks!

I will try the extruder with heat, but I have to step out for our local homebrewing club meeting, so I'll try when I get back.
I'm finally back to where I started two days ago!

A thread with some stuff in it I update every once in a while. viewtopic.php?f=8&t=9
See some of my stuff http://www.thingiverse.com/willnewton/favorites

User avatar
willnewton
Posts: 479
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:32 pm

Re: A good start

Post by willnewton » Sun Apr 13, 2014 9:30 pm

@jsc- THANK YOU! Anyone can feel free to interject anytime. I am just doing my thing here, proceeding like only a true noob can. I hope this thread will become useful in the future.

SO, I just got in and fired the M2 up. I switched the z-axis BACK to the default setting and started wrapping my head around imagining that it is the extruder head that moves and the table stays still, not matter what my eyes say. I think I will just keep them closed while adjusting the Z. :lol:

I clicked the extruder to ON and the temp is already set to 190c for PLA and waiting for it to heat. I hit the extrude jog buttons and we have movement! The movement was reassuring and it is the kind of detail that should be in the manual. (which I hope I don't have to say a whole lot more). MGForum=Awesome. update-found this info later on the MGwiki

I fed the filament into the M2 head and jogged 10 mm to make sure it would catch. I also adjusted the black screw on the right of the filament so that it felt snug, but not tight. I crossed my fingers and jogged 100mm and 100mm more.

Result:
extruded.jpg
#winning
extruded.jpg (61.26 KiB) Viewed 18648 times
Last edited by willnewton on Mon Apr 14, 2014 4:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
I'm finally back to where I started two days ago!

A thread with some stuff in it I update every once in a while. viewtopic.php?f=8&t=9
See some of my stuff http://www.thingiverse.com/willnewton/favorites

Toby
Posts: 330
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:44 pm

Re: A good start

Post by Toby » Sun Apr 13, 2014 9:41 pm

I was constantly getting my head turned around in terms of X,Y, and Z directions until I started thinking of it like this: I know where "Home" is. Any movement out of Home is in the positive direction in each axis.

jsc
Posts: 1864
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 4:00 am

Re: A good start

Post by jsc » Sun Apr 13, 2014 10:09 pm

190 is too low for PLA on a v3b extruder. Start at 210. The profile presets should be (more or less) correct, but the default temps in the control panel may be different. They are only there for pre-heating and manually adjusting temperature during a print, anyway.

I find it useful to start the bed preheating, then when it reaches maybe 20C from target, start the extruder heating then start the print. If you start a print cold, it will wait for the bed to reach target before starting the nozzle heating; if you do it this way, you save yourself a few minutes. If you start them both at the same time, the extruder will sit around hot waiting for the bed, which is more time for oozing.

User avatar
willnewton
Posts: 479
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:32 pm

Re: A good start

Post by willnewton » Mon Apr 14, 2014 4:05 am

Thanks JSC- you're right, the temp is correct in the process view, but does need specific setting in the machine control.

I think I have worked out the SD card wiring issue. I looked at the RAMBo schematic from http://reprap.org/wiki/Rambo and the re-opened the SD holder to look at the SD reader pinouts, which were thankfully labeled.

So, the red wire should be installed on the same side as the USB plug. I checked the wiring out and still got the "SD init fail", but then I inserted the card and it fired up and I could read and execute files from the MCP window.

I mashed up this photo with the schematic diagram to show the plug, wire, and connections:
sdreader.jpg
Now you will know what wire goes where!
sdreader.jpg (46.11 KiB) Viewed 18639 times
I'm finally back to where I started two days ago!

A thread with some stuff in it I update every once in a while. viewtopic.php?f=8&t=9
See some of my stuff http://www.thingiverse.com/willnewton/favorites

User avatar
willnewton
Posts: 479
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 8:32 pm

Re: A good start

Post by willnewton » Mon Apr 14, 2014 5:05 am

@jsc- I checked the heatup time and it took the extruder 2 minutes to go from 23c to 210c. It took the bed just under 5 minutes to go from 23c to 70c.

OK, I have checked the endstops as suggested here http://makergear.wikidot.com/m2-getting-started

I have rechecked my bed level and extruded a bit.

Everything is tested and works.

About to hit print and run the bracelet off the SD card.
Fingers crossed.
:!:
I'm finally back to where I started two days ago!

A thread with some stuff in it I update every once in a while. viewtopic.php?f=8&t=9
See some of my stuff http://www.thingiverse.com/willnewton/favorites

Post Reply