Re: [sudo-discuss] 3D printing - help???

That looks nice, Hol! How is the threading holding up? I've defaulted to just make holes too small then tap it with self-tapping plastic screws, but I needed much finer teeth. If it gives you trouble you could try just tapping the plastic with the final piece, if it seems too brittle, just heat up the threaded piece first! 200C should do ;) --- Marina: Documentation is probably worthy of a project, since it's not really a community resource unless the community can figure out how to use it. What I said to Hol could be enough for someone willing to do some research on their own, or familiar with the general concept. Here's a very brief expansion that could be pasted on the wiki to get the self-driven learners started (I really don't know if I have wiki access, it's been a while, just humor me here): Steps to using the 3D printer: 1. Convert your 3D model (.stl, ...) to machine-instructions, or '.gcode' using KisSlicer. Our KisSlicer is currently calibrated for our Type A Machines printer using 1.75mm PLA, its print bed size, and its nozzle diameter. Hang on to that .gcode file! 2. To control the printer itself, and send the gcode instructions to the printer, we use Pronterface. Once the printer is powered on and connected, Pronterface will give you the ability to heat up the nozzle, move any of the motors (don't push plastic through a cold nozzle or raise the bed past where it's touching the nozzle!), and even send a series of instructions to the printer straight off a .gcode file. And that's all that's involved software-wise! Hardware Troubleshooting: The nozzle can jam! That plastic is only being pushed through the hot tube of metal by a pretty small motor, so if there's a little resistance in the hot-end, it's easy for the extruder's motor to slip, gradually shredding up the plastic in that spot and certainly not printing. Before you start printing, it's a good idea to heat up the hot end (PLA melts at 185C, some people like to print a little hotter for smoother flow) and then extrude some plastic, to make sure it's coming out. We've had some jams with this hot-end before, and if you have trouble, you might want to clear it: To clear out the hot-end: Just heat up the hot end, reverse the extruder until you can pull out the plastic filament thread, and then push something like a pin through, as long as it is narrower than the hot end tip. Last I checked there was a very thin alan wrench on the desk, and it worked great once I angled it so it could go in there. Other problems can vary dramatically. A keen eye and a practical mind can figure out lots of them! They can include: -Small plastic bits interfering with the pulleys and the timing belts, making for weird lumps in the shape. -Stepper motors slip and will just click without moving if they are experiencing too much resistance for the current they're being supplied, something might be in the way! And more! Please contribute to this list as you encounter problems with our printer and solve them. Good luck! -Dan -Dan On Aug 7, 2013, at 9:35 PM, Marina Kukso <marina.kukso(a)gmail.com> wrote: