Month: June 2016

Wanhao Duplicator i3 v2 – Check your stepper motors

I have been having extrusion problems ever since I upgraded my stock mk10 extruder gear to the mk9 gear used in the Duplicator 4 as is suggested to combat filament slippage/grinding.The results were mixed. No longer was I experiencing slippage of filament, but I could also no longer extrude as quickly as I once was. For example, using Repetier Host Server I would extrude 100mm of filament after a filament change to clear the old filament from the extruder. Whereas the default speed is 2 mm/s I could never extrude that quickly with the mk9 gear. I would have to slow it down to the lowest speed of 1mm/s.During prints that used rafts I would often get a “thunk thunk thunk” indicating that the stepper was not able to extrude the needed volume.And I would experience random layers that exhibited under-extrusion.Generally I just needed to slow everything down to make sure as much as I could that I would not under-extrude. I finally got tired of it and did some research on the issue.Apparently the Di3 V2 steppers are different from the V1 and using lower voltages, but Wanhao factory didn’t adjust for the lower voltages. After figuring out what I needed to do I took apart my control box, unplugged the Melzi board and got to work testing the voltages. Sure enough the voltages were set too high: X 0.720, Y 0.697, Z 0.738, Ext 0.718. What they should be is X & Y 0.45, Z 0.6, Ext between 0.45 & 0.54.I adjusted the pots and put everything back together. I loaded in some filament and extruded at 2mm/s on Repetier Host Server with no thunking. Right now I’m printing my first print and I can already tell with the first layer that it is extruding more consistently.So, Di3 brothers, check your voltages. I’ve no idea if this affect successor versions of the Di3 v2.Here are the resources I used:http://ift.tt/1tyLHpJ it may make sense to go by my voltages, please, please, please verify. I neither claim to be knowledgeable of this stuff nor claim an IQ above 100.BTW, the printer is quieter as well. http://ift.tt/1XspjKe

I added a mod to safely turn my printer on and off through OctoPi without tinkering in main powers. I’d like to share it with you.

First things first. Here is where I got the idea, so most credit goes to ArduinoSverige.HardwareHere is a list of what you need:Any 3D printerRaspberry Pi running OctoPrint433Mhz transmitter/switch(Link to Swedish/Norwegian reseller)(Link to similar product on Ebay)433Mhz Learning Receiver (Has to learn how to listen to any transmitter.)(Swedish/Norwegian reseller.)(Link to similar product on Amazon (US version))Relay. I used a 5V relay as they are most common.(Swedish/Norwegian reseller)(Link to similar product on Ebay)Transistor. I used an NPN 2N5088 which is easy to find on both Ebay and probably your local electronics shop.Jumper cables for the GPIO pinsHere is how I wired it all up.This is a schematic of the circuit. I had to use a transistor in order to push 5V to the relay, as the GPIO pins only deliver 3.3V. The right part of the schematic is my 433Mhz remote.Here’s and image of what it currently looks like for me, meaning you’ll be able to hide it almost anywhere.SoftwareI connected my relay to the GPIO17 pin, and here is the code I use in order to turn it on. Link to PastebinHere is the script for turning it off. Link to pastebinAnd here is a second script for turning it off with a delay, as Octoprint seems to send out the finished command before the end Gcode is being sent. Link to pastebinIn order to add these commands to Octopi, you have to SSH into the pi. While inside the pi, change your directory to ‘.octoprint/’ and edit a file called ‘config.yaml’. If you aren’t familiar in the Linux terminal, here are the commands for that:cd .octoprint nano config.yaml While in the document you should find a lined called system, followed by actions. Add the end of this image, so that the result becomes similar to thisIf you only want to be able to remotely power it on or off, you’re done here. But if you want the printer to turn off after a finished print, you’d want to add the following to the end. The entire ‘events’ part isn’t included, so you’ll have to add it.I hope what I’ve written is coherent enough to understand. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me and I’ll try to answer them to the best of my knowledge.Happy printing! http://ift.tt/1URciXj

Any home use Form 2 or 1/1+ users out there?

I’m looking at getting a Form 2, but I don’t really have a compelling reason to do so other than wanting one. Right now I have a DIY/frankenbot FDM printer, and I’m working on /u/spaulda’s D-Bot. My printing is 99% functional printing. I’ll go days without printing because I don’t need anything. So I can’t decide if the Form 2 is a waste of money. Recently I’ve printed stuff like loc-line, motor mounts, spacers, and electronics cases. I can’t decide if that kind of stuff is inappropriate for the Form 2 (though their tough resin looks interesting.) So those of you who are home hobbyists, what do you use your printer for? http://ift.tt/1Q98bXY