tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.comments2024-02-21T19:57:00.859+01:003D printer improvementsJeremie Francoishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02984201174566394892noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-31859503685535044242021-01-28T09:51:41.856+01:002021-01-28T09:51:41.856+01:00Whoa thanks for the feedback! Especially as Englis...Whoa thanks for the feedback! Especially as English is not my mother tongue! This serie stays somehow popular indeed (~240 view/day 6+ years later!) :)Jeremie Francoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02984201174566394892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-11339261426906105862021-01-27T19:34:33.327+01:002021-01-27T19:34:33.327+01:00Your writing is awesome! Very well written and det...Your writing is awesome! Very well written and detailed articule, easy to learn this language for OpenSCAD, at beginning i was scary about doing all through code but its very easy, lets see what happend with compex projects. I know this article was written a century ago, but still very useful to all like me joining to printer 3d world.Alex Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12040435504815785840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-37556328265114027672020-11-28T19:35:42.911+01:002020-11-28T19:35:42.911+01:00Indeed... 60°C but Nylon would be ok up to about 1...Indeed... 60°C but Nylon would be ok up to about 100C I guess.<br />Minimum 1 hour if you want to see a noticeable effect unless you were able to unroll the spool (I'm joking -- that would be suicidal).<br />It is also why I prefer "natural" but longer term drying, like 40C for 4-5 hours in a clear plastic box under the sun with some dehumidifier.<br />Check this https://www.tridimake.com/2014/08/home-made-filament-drier-box.html for more on the subjet <br />Jeremie Francoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02984201174566394892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-36605837413719454722020-11-28T18:46:30.803+01:002020-11-28T18:46:30.803+01:00when you said bake it, did you mean imperial temp ...when you said bake it, did you mean imperial temp or Celsius? and for how long exactly<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07289368093284576649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-32732229126417999702020-11-25T13:43:15.464+01:002020-11-25T13:43:15.464+01:00Thanks for this! Great article, I'm adding a h...Thanks for this! Great article, I'm adding a heat bed to my Flash Forge Finder. Didn't even cross my mind to implement a µC.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05050080607604462616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-51609892030219421752020-11-15T22:48:25.608+01:002020-11-15T22:48:25.608+01:00This is cool... Seems to not work when model is le...This is cool... Seems to not work when model is less than 15mm... Been looking at where I can tweak that on the script... for now, I just add "G0 Z16" before the end of the gcode and it works...Sandrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06100726728705755752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-24746477597222777302020-06-09T19:54:22.798+02:002020-06-09T19:54:22.798+02:00I've only cut 2 projects on this 3040T CNC so ...I've only cut 2 projects on this 3040T CNC so far as it sat for a year before I could get F360 running in WINE. So I starting learning F360 and sliced the toolpaths with Kiri:Moto. Those were cut being fed the toolpaths with CNCjs on an rPi over USB to the Nano wired to a DB25. Worked reliably. <br /><br />I believe the ESP32/Grbl_Esp32 will work fine over USB too and probably better with a uSD card attached and with better step rates too. But I'm having 2nd thoughts on using this because I can't get my A axis working. And since the buffer board I'm using( $25 from Xylotex ) is made for the BeagleBoneBlack/BBB I too are having thoughts of doing Machinekit. I have 2 available BBBS and a 3rd on a Mini Kossel 3D printer.<br /><br />I'm new to GRBL and CNC but have experience with Machinekit on the 3D printer(using CRAMPS). Also do laser cutting so have a bit of background which gets me in trouble sometimes. LOL. I have my 3040T controller next to me now and opened up because I thought Grbl_Esp32 was setup for 4 axis only to find out last night that setting $113 changed the Y axis rate and not A axis. I can't get A working except by cheating and putting it on Y. If you'd like to vchat drop me an email and I can fire up Jitsi.doogliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10603345107912509055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-61848340475813983432020-06-09T10:32:56.193+02:002020-06-09T10:32:56.193+02:00Excellent! Thanks for the feedback
GRBL on a nano ...Excellent! Thanks for the feedback<br />GRBL on a nano really struggles for more serious work, so the ESP32 is probably much better (and you get wifi CNC as a bonus -- probably nor a good idea for real-time machining though). On my side I went back using the user-hellish but powerful LinuxCNC.<br />I guess I would try an ESP32 if I had to try something else, or a Beaglebone black.<br />Last time I had a A-axis job it was trivial enough that I wrote the g-code myself and cowardly used the Y-axis instead (ie. still 3 axis: X,Z,A...)!Jeremie Francoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02984201174566394892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-89748327266537797862020-06-08T23:07:05.285+02:002020-06-08T23:07:05.285+02:00I just got around to putting Grbl-Esp32 on the 304...I just got around to putting Grbl-Esp32 on the 3040T and it works great. I'm trying to setup the 4th axis which lead me back here to see if you'd done any A-Axis setup. I used the 4-axis machine type, added E-Stop and it works.<br /><br />My mapping follows for the Barebones adapter board: http://xylotex.netfirms.com/OSCommerce/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=146<br /><br />From Vide CNC LPT Pinout<br />db25 Pin Description BBB_Pins GRBL_ESP32_Pins<br /> 1 A Enable 8.10 *GPIO_NUM_13<br /> 2 X Step 8.19 GPIO_NUM_0<br /> 3 X Direction 8.18 GPIO_NUM_2<br /> 4 Y Step 8.17 GPIO_NUM_26<br /> 5 Y Direction 8.16 GPIO_NUM_15<br /> 6 Z Step 8.15 GPIO_NUM_27<br /> 7 Z Direction 8.14 GPIO_NUM_33<br /> 8 A Step ** 8.13 GPIO_NUM_12<br /> 9 A Direction ** 8.12 GPIO_NUM_14<br />10 Reset / Abort / E-Stop 9.11(IN_1) GPIO_NUM_23(*added)<br />11 Z limit( Mach 3 video =X) 9.13(IN_2) GPIO_NUM_36(SP)<br />12 Y limit( Mach 3 video =Y) 9.23(IN_3) GPIO_NUM_35<br />13 X limit( Mach 3 video =Z) 9.41(IN_4) GPIO_NUM_34<br />14 X Enable 8.7(OUT_1) *GPIO_NUM_13 <br />15 Probe 8.9(IN_5) GPIO_NUM_32<br />16 Y Enable( Mach 3 vidoe =Output1) 9.14(OUT_2) *GPIO_NUM_13<br />17 Z Enable 9.15(OUT_3) *GPIO_NUM_13<br />18 - 25 Ground GND<br />SPINDLE PWM GPIO_NUM_25<br />SPINDLE ENABLE GPIO_NUM_22doogliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10603345107912509055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-62053366478103884812020-04-24T22:27:57.603+02:002020-04-24T22:27:57.603+02:00You are a genious! So creative. Good job and keep ...You are a genious! So creative. Good job and keep it up<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02163504169109796589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-58936201584578623012019-10-23T16:46:08.490+02:002019-10-23T16:46:08.490+02:00I eventually bought some tools twice. Now I have o...I eventually bought some tools twice. Now I have one set specifically for my 3D printer work. I realized more than once that I had left THE required tool/fix at home just when I needed it badly on a trip with my printer to a friend or to a client. <br /><br />Roman from <a href="https://www.fraser-ais.com/" rel="nofollow">Fraser</a>Romanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05039784139120203092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-45447905495936091152019-10-02T14:27:41.043+02:002019-10-02T14:27:41.043+02:00Update 20191002!
To be frank, I would probably no...Update 20191002!<br /><br />To be frank, I would probably no more recommend the burden to implement this solution unless you like to tinker of course.<br /><br />If you design a new printer from scratch, better go with a super sturdy frame that will not distort with time or stress, e.g. by using super thick smooth Z rods, and very long linear bearings for the bed. It is still possible to link 3 Z axes (e.g. by means of a belt underside, or 3 steppers). Modern software compensation with head-mounted sensors is pretty reliable nowadays. They do not produce visible artifacts, if (and only if) the sensor and printing surface are well matched (which is not always the case).<br /><br />E.g. modern 3D printers like the UM3 (I have one as well) are workhorses that "just work". After not trusting it fully, I admit I ended up leaving the "autolevel" on and I have yet to see a problem. It does this by detecting the sudden flattening of the capacitive sensor signal when the nozzle ends up hitting the bed and stays at a constant distance while the bed is kept moving up a bit further -- something that could easily be duplicated in another setup, and that probably was somehwere else (not worth a patent imho).<br /><br />The main advantages left with a 3-point bed leveling system IMO is to prevent any freeplay in the bed at all because it brings 2 additional Z axes by definition... It also helps to make ultra-light heads, while improving visibility/printable surface (by not having such sensors on the head).<br /><br />My main complaint about reliable printers like the UM3 (beyond the outrageous price!) is that it is incredibly slow. They have such a massive head to move around, with the additional burden that one just cannot see what it is printing (=it is impossible to fine tune the flow in real time). It also waste a really significant surface because of the dual head setup (nothing to do with the sensor actually here). In this respect, I would better buy an E3D tool-changer nowadays, or even a BCN3D: no need to drag an unused head everywhere, for the few jobs that require dual extrusions in my case. Both of them have very sturdy frames and rails, and once finely tuned, bed leveling is probably something to forget about.<br />Jeremie Francoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02984201174566394892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-45025769519033675502019-09-10T08:31:56.332+02:002019-09-10T08:31:56.332+02:00Actually I did try non-flat (slightly rounded) tip...Actually I did try non-flat (slightly rounded) tip ends, and they have some merit: they tend to flatten every bit of deposited material when moving over existing parts (it depends on the material though).<br />E.g. it would probably benefit Cura's "ironing" option, where the tip is sled again on the outer layers but without any extrusion (in order to try and reduce defects, spikes etc). In this respect, a slightly rounded tips light be beneficial. <br />Printing itself would probably not be improved though, and possibly more problematic: slicers would have a harder life computing the appropriate volume (see the drawing above), but a slight change to flow rate might fix it.Jeremie Francoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02984201174566394892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-48940089607271912502019-09-10T07:58:54.568+02:002019-09-10T07:58:54.568+02:00About that last picture... When polishing that tip...About that last picture... When polishing that tip, it seems like it would be tricky to avoid rounding the surface and keep it flat, especially when polishing by hand. Possibly putting the tip in an electric drill and using the drill to spin the tip gently against a polishing stone or very fine sandpaper (like 5000 grit or more) might be the best approach to keep the tip flat.A. Matulichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07420461024051456048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-15902812698506116752019-07-08T08:54:43.092+02:002019-07-08T08:54:43.092+02:00I am really sorry for my late answer, and I am ver...I am really sorry for my late answer, and I am very pleased you posted the solution in the end. May I add it to the body of the post (with attribution as usual)?<br /><br />Also, did you end up trying Grbl-esp32? How well did it go?<br /><br />I found that grbl/nano is still a bit short on power, and switched back to LinuxCNC on a dedicated old laptop (well, the move was mostly because I had to use all 4 axis at some point and it was not possible with grbl).<br />Still I loved the combo, and I think an ESP32 is a better candidate than an Arduino nano.<br />Thanks & sorry again!Jeremie Francoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02984201174566394892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-2792807314367684552019-07-08T08:46:29.209+02:002019-07-08T08:46:29.209+02:00aaaaBessie R. Ponhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12560393482536340083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-34887029666054185672019-06-28T03:30:57.119+02:002019-06-28T03:30:57.119+02:00Figured it out. The signal definitions for the DB2...Figured it out. The signal definitions for the DB25 were incorrect. These worked: db25 Pin Description<br /> 1 A Enable<br /> 2 X Step<br /> 3 X Direction<br /> 4 Y Step<br /> 5 Y Direction<br /> 6 Z Step<br /> 7 Z Direction<br /> 8 A Step **<br /> 9 A Direction **<br />10 Reset / Abort / E-Stop<br />11 Z limit( Mach 3 video =X)<br />12 Y limit( Mach 3 video =Y)<br />13 X limit( Mach 3 video =Z)<br />14 X Enable<br />15 Probe<br />16 Y Enable( Mach 3 vidoe =Output1)<br />17 Z Enable<br />18 - 25 Ground <br />doogliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10603345107912509055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-71053615750401644832019-06-28T00:20:04.712+02:002019-06-28T00:20:04.712+02:00I would also like to see what your grbl customized...I would also like to see what your grbl customized settings were for the 3040(your pic looks like you have a 3040) since I too have a 3040 too.<br />doogliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10603345107912509055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-76569672167351096612019-06-27T23:36:14.545+02:002019-06-27T23:36:14.545+02:00cool blog post and it has me looking to first conn...cool blog post and it has me looking to first connect a Nano to get bCNC working with the 3040T and then work on getting Bart Dring's Grbl-esp32 working with it via level shifters. But I have a question, I've wired up the Nano with the DB25p but can't get movement with bCNC and default grbl 1.1.<br /><br />Any hints?<br /><br />Wiring per grbl site and these DB25 pins:<br />GRBL PWM Layout Common CNC LPT Pinout<br />Description Arduino/Pin db25 Pin Description<br />Reset/Abort A0/23 10 1 Output<br />Feed Hold A1/24 2 X Direction<br />Cycle Start A2/25 3 X Step<br />Coolant Enable A3/26 4 Y Direction<br />unused/reserved A4/27<br />Probe A5/28 15 5 Y Step<br />Step X D2/4 3 6 Z Direction<br />Step Y D3/5 5 7 Z Step<br />Step Z D4/6 7 8 A Direction **<br />Direction X D5/11 2 9 A Step **<br />Direction Y D6/12 4 10 Reset / Abort / E-Stop<br />Direction Z D7/13 6 11 X limit<br />Stepper Enable D8/14 16 12 Y limit<br />Limit X D9/15 11 13 Z limit<br />Limit Y D10/16 12 14 A limit **<br />Spindle PWM *D11/17 ? 16 Enable **<br />Limit Z *D12/18 13 15 Probe<br />Spindle Dir D13/19 ? 17 Output<br />18 - 25 Ground <br />doogliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10603345107912509055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-48894931201469302632019-04-16T08:16:58.599+02:002019-04-16T08:16:58.599+02:00Yep these are super cheap 40x40 alu though good lo...Yep these are super cheap 40x40 alu though good looking, and they come in different length IIRC. I made positioned it so the fins are vertical for a better passive air flow (though it would not make a difference if you add a fan, not sure you really need it). Another way is to print the support in PET/PETG for example :)Jeremie Francoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02984201174566394892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-52915405704266052142019-04-16T01:44:48.649+02:002019-04-16T01:44:48.649+02:00this is a very good solution. i also encountered t...this is a very good solution. i also encountered this issue which i thought it was a nozzle clogged when it was in fact filament bucking due to heat transfer from the extuder (it only needed 50c to soften). will be getting these heatsinks fast. even already have plans to add in a fan to cool it further for very long prints. Grabejudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01026526833314606487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-554757704690667892019-02-13T08:47:31.309+01:002019-02-13T08:47:31.309+01:00aaaaJohney Lukehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05925620895517789651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-45497172554698858462013-04-18T22:48:09.152+02:002013-04-18T22:48:09.152+02:00I share the idea but sincerely, I do not think tha...I share the idea but sincerely, I do not think that any backlash is left out with tmy tensioners (especially on so short belts)... There is not much to be gained here, and there are other and much bigger sources of mechanical errors (most prominently due to the longer belts, bed shaking and so).<br /><br />A direct drive setup may enhance the print but it would surely not be in the top of my list once you fixed the short belt correctly. But to me, the cons are unrelated actually: the stepper motors protrude so much out of the ultimaker frame when direct-driven that I really would fear moving it around (and it takes much more room to pack). May not be a problem for some though.<br /><br />cheers<br />Jeremie<br /><br />Jeremie Francoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02984201174566394892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-4531500459963402822013-04-18T21:38:25.836+02:002013-04-18T21:38:25.836+02:00Thanks & true! Actually, I managed to use almo...Thanks & true! Actually, I managed to use almost exclusively Cura so far, while some other use Repetier and other netfabb, and so... None is far superior to the other, but users tend to focus on only one as they are all hard to master besides the "basic/newbie" option (which still fails often).<br /><br />And yes, there are serious differences (and sure, technical ones). The biggest come from the 3D slicers: skeinforge / kisslicer / slic3r... Really, what's nicely sliced with one may sometime be poorly done with another.<br /><br />E.g. the annoying "thin hollow double walls" appear when the inside is left unfilled because the outer walls are too close to each other for the slicer to add material (given the nozzle diameter). In theory you can detect it by looking at the head "path" in the slicer before sending the sliced files to the printer (kisslicer is great at showing this, while it fails at slicing things more than skeinforge/cura -- which in turn is very slow, oh...). But checking the path is often overlooked and not very readable. And anyway, it is usually quite difficult to get rid of such holes in the print. Using another slicer is a good solution here... or tweak the design slightly accordingly.<br /><br />Still a messy process indeed. I guess/hope this year will show huge improvements in this field.<br /><br /><br />Jeremie Francoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02984201174566394892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615478772815290200.post-27876252653125489962013-04-18T10:11:34.310+02:002013-04-18T10:11:34.310+02:00To add one more point: there is some free software...To add one more point: there is some free software, but not all is mature. You might do some things in one, and have to jump to another for some other things you want to do with your model, and then you first will have file format conversion problems, and then have to learn a completely different interface in the second program. And then you might find that the software in principle should be able to do what you want, but in practical life it does not ever seem to get ready with your specific problem.<br />Some knowledge in mahematics could be very handy, together with some basic understanding of 3D coordinate system transformations.Ingolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15413355318275180527noreply@blogger.com