Tech support got back to me, but somehow I missed the email. Monoprice tech support responded to my question on Cyber Monday, one of the biggest tech shopping days of the year. Not only that, they responded to a question about a printer I purchased over a year ago, and their response was a helpful snippet of g-code rather than a link to an FAQ. I was delighted.
I still had a lot of troubleshooting to do. First, I installed Cura 4.1.0 and ran it with the stock startup g-code. This did not include a homing routine, and it tried to print a couple of millimeters above the platen. Fail. The next try used the code from tech support. This code implemented the homing routine, but it was still too far from the build surface and would not adhere. The next thing was to run g-code I found on the printer's unofficial wiki page. This tried to put another hole in the buildsheet.
After this, I updated to Cura 4.4.0 and had the same trouble. There was no difference when I ran the model over USB or from the printer's card reader. After all this, I needed to walk away and let a solution surface. When I thought back to the problems, I decided to elevate the build-surface except where the hotend tapped during the homing process. This way, instead of printing in midair, the bed should meet filament.
Five layers of tape were thick enough to bridge the discrepancy between the homing surface and where the printer tried to lay filament. Maybe I can find something in the g-code that eliminates this miscalculation. The test did not adhere to the masking tape I put down, so I canceled the print, but it successfully generated a couple of layers.
The second was interrupted because my computer went to sleep. Rookie mistake. When I took the plastic off the bed, it was spongy and evident that the layers did not adhere well. Everything delaminated when I bent the piece.
I fixed the adhesion problem by putting down a sticky layer from a glue stick. I made three copies. Fortunately, these are such small prints that they run in approximately an hour so I can make tweaks and see what works as I dial in my settings for the printer. The first print on the left was the correct shape, but terribly spongy because of weak fusion between layers. The second one, where I halved the layer thickness, had significant warping at the bottom. In the third print, I added a sixth layer of tape, and it reduced the warping and increased the strength. These still need work, but I am getting closer.
The rest of the posts for this project have been arranged by date.
First time here?
Completed projects from year 1
Completed projects from year 2
Completed projects from year 3
Completed projects from year 4
Completed projects from year 5
Completed projects from year 6
Disclaimer for http://24hourengineer.blogspot.com and 24HourEngineer.com
This disclaimer must be intact and whole. This disclaimer must be included if a project is distributed.
All information in this blog, or linked by this blog, is not to be taken as advice or solicitation. Anyone attempting to replicate, in whole or in part, is responsible for the outcome and procedure. Any loss of functionality, money, property, or similar, is the responsibility of those involved in the replication.
All digital communication regarding the email address 24hourengineer@gmail.com becomes the intellectual property of Brian McEvoy. Any information contained within these messages may be distributed or retained at the discretion of Brian McEvoy. Any email sent to this address, or any email account owned by Brian McEvoy, cannot be used to claim property or assets.
Comments to the blog may be utilized or erased at the discretion of the owner. No one posting may claim property or assets based on their post.
This blog, including pictures and text, is copyright to Brian McEvoy.
2019-12-05
I still had a lot of troubleshooting to do. First, I installed Cura 4.1.0 and ran it with the stock startup g-code. This did not include a homing routine, and it tried to print a couple of millimeters above the platen. Fail. The next try used the code from tech support. This code implemented the homing routine, but it was still too far from the build surface and would not adhere. The next thing was to run g-code I found on the printer's unofficial wiki page. This tried to put another hole in the buildsheet.
After this, I updated to Cura 4.4.0 and had the same trouble. There was no difference when I ran the model over USB or from the printer's card reader. After all this, I needed to walk away and let a solution surface. When I thought back to the problems, I decided to elevate the build-surface except where the hotend tapped during the homing process. This way, instead of printing in midair, the bed should meet filament.
Five layers of tape were thick enough to bridge the discrepancy between the homing surface and where the printer tried to lay filament. Maybe I can find something in the g-code that eliminates this miscalculation. The test did not adhere to the masking tape I put down, so I canceled the print, but it successfully generated a couple of layers.
Poor adhesion on five layers of tape
The second was interrupted because my computer went to sleep. Rookie mistake. When I took the plastic off the bed, it was spongy and evident that the layers did not adhere well. Everything delaminated when I bent the piece.
Horrible delamination
I fixed the adhesion problem by putting down a sticky layer from a glue stick. I made three copies. Fortunately, these are such small prints that they run in approximately an hour so I can make tweaks and see what works as I dial in my settings for the printer. The first print on the left was the correct shape, but terribly spongy because of weak fusion between layers. The second one, where I halved the layer thickness, had significant warping at the bottom. In the third print, I added a sixth layer of tape, and it reduced the warping and increased the strength. These still need work, but I am getting closer.
Print lineup
The rest of the posts for this project have been arranged by date.
First time here?
Completed projects from year 1
Completed projects from year 2
Completed projects from year 3
Completed projects from year 4
Completed projects from year 5
Completed projects from year 6
Disclaimer for http://24hourengineer.blogspot.com and 24HourEngineer.com
This disclaimer must be intact and whole. This disclaimer must be included if a project is distributed.
All information in this blog, or linked by this blog, is not to be taken as advice or solicitation. Anyone attempting to replicate, in whole or in part, is responsible for the outcome and procedure. Any loss of functionality, money, property, or similar, is the responsibility of those involved in the replication.
All digital communication regarding the email address 24hourengineer@gmail.com becomes the intellectual property of Brian McEvoy. Any information contained within these messages may be distributed or retained at the discretion of Brian McEvoy. Any email sent to this address, or any email account owned by Brian McEvoy, cannot be used to claim property or assets.
Comments to the blog may be utilized or erased at the discretion of the owner. No one posting may claim property or assets based on their post.
This blog, including pictures and text, is copyright to Brian McEvoy.
2019-12-05
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