23 votes
Accepted

How does one use a heat tower?

When you slice an STL of a heat tower, you need to tell the slicer that you need a different temperature at a certain level and maintain that new temperature until another change is requested. The ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 34.1k
18 votes
Accepted

How do I determine the acceleration value for my printer?

As Tom pointed out, binary search is the best way. In case that term isn't familiar to all readers, here's a little more detail: Establish an acceleration value that you're sure is too low (call it $...
TextGeek's user avatar
  • 3,201
16 votes
Accepted

Specifying Z offset in Marlin firmware

Z-offset persitently stored in memory? Maybe the value of -2.97 for the Z_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER is retained in the EEPROM ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 34.1k
16 votes
Accepted

Why is a 3D Benchy considered a good test print for FDM printers?

the 3D Benchy isn't a specific calibration test With the Benchy you don't see if your printer is calibrated in any axis, but it is a general use-case test for a model that can show you many of the ...
Trish's user avatar
  • 21k
15 votes
Accepted

How to center my prints on the build platform? (Re-calibrate homing offset)

When centered in the slicer correctly, without offsets defined in the slicer, the printer is most probably incorrectly configured! Luckily you can do something about that! Basically, you will have to ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 34.1k
14 votes

What could be causing my y axis to slip?

(source: all3dp.com) Your printer is skipping steps in the y-direction. This can have several causes. Take a look into Shifted layer guide on RapRap.org which lists 29 possible problems that can cause ...
amra's user avatar
  • 1,911
12 votes
Accepted

How do I calibrate the extruder of my printer?

Basic process To calibrate the extruder you would need to verify that the requested amount of filament is actually what is being moved by the extruder. Structural or temporary problem A first thing ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 34.1k
11 votes

What could be causing my y axis to slip?

In my experience, the most common reason for positional offset during printing, is the motor skipping steps due to physical impact. Your stepper motors do not give positional feedback to your ...
Tormod Haugene's user avatar
10 votes
Accepted

How to configure Cura to run the Z probe before heating

In Cura (and Slic3r), you can 100% customize what the printer does before printing your actual model through custom start/end g-code. If you navigate to the ...
Tormod Haugene's user avatar
10 votes

Determining the temps and speeds for DIY printers?

The short answer is, you use the temps and speeds that give you good results. It's trial and error. The temperature number your printer reports really doesn't matter. That's just a process control ...
Ryan Carlyle's user avatar
  • 6,526
7 votes
Accepted

Is it necessary to have both hot ends on a dual extruder printer at the same height?

I have a dual extruder Replicator 1 and having the nozzles at the same height is a must and albeit a bit of a struggle otherwise. At one point, I had to disassemble my extruder head and the nozzles ...
tbm0115's user avatar
  • 6,284
7 votes

How do I determine the acceleration value for my printer?

A tool that you might find useful for experimenting with acceleration is RepRap Centrals Acceleration Calculator (at the bottom). By setting an acceleration, length of travel and target speed, you ...
Tormod Haugene's user avatar
7 votes
Accepted

How to re-program Prusa firmware to accept a taller Z axis?

A .hex file is of no use to you, because it consists of compiled firmware which is very difficult to edit. You need to go to Prusa's GitHub and download the source code. Then, find the header file for ...
Tom van der Zanden's user avatar
7 votes

Evidence of a warped build plate?

It looks like your first layer is way too close to the bed. The printer is trying to squash the plastic down very thinly, resulting in inconsistent extrusion. You will likely see better results if you ...
Tom van der Zanden's user avatar
7 votes

Z-offset: 0.2 mm, 0.1 mm or the thickness of paper?

They are all generic guidelines. Don't count on them too much. What you need is a reproducible offset to get the same value everywhere in the bed, then you can correct the overall offset via gcode at ...
FarO's user avatar
  • 4,053
6 votes

What could be causing my y axis to slip?

The current to your motor driver could be set either too high or too low. If it's set too low then the torque might not be sufficient and the motor will skip steps. If it's set too high then the ...
Tom van der Zanden's user avatar
6 votes
Accepted

Recommend simple software to create calibration print for table leveling

You are probably looking for something like this: Note this is for large beds (300 x 300 mm), so you would have to X, Y scale this in your slicer. This is a simple part that is very easily generated ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 34.1k
6 votes
Accepted

How can you calibrate extrusion multiplier value in Slic3r WITHOUT changing printer settings in memory?

Divide the amount overextruded by the desired amount. If you wanted 100mm but got 101mm, that's 1mm extra, or 1% over. Use an extrusion multiplier of 0.99 (1% under) to compensate - AND THEN DO ...
Davo's user avatar
  • 2,392
6 votes

20x20x20 calibration cube size change after switching filament

Filament type should have nothing to do with the issues you are facing. This is a mechanical issue or a slicing/scaling issue. The hotend should, if instructed to go to 20 mm height actually go to 20 ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 34.1k
6 votes
Accepted

Calibration print shape

Your calibration shape depends on what you want to calibrate on. Among the most popular: Benchy as a general "overall" test. Lattice Cubes for retraction/stringing and overall quality. Two pillars to ...
Trish's user avatar
  • 21k
6 votes
Accepted

Evidence of a warped build plate?

First things first: Don't Panic Your heated bed is made from metal with some sort of Build-Tak-Clone surface. It is not broken from what I can see. Your print is not failed, however, the quality does ...
Trish's user avatar
  • 21k
6 votes
Accepted

Calibrated Esteps Causes Extruder Skipping

Consider that the extruder is skipping because it is unable to push filament at the rate you are requesting. By reducing the steps to ninety percent, you are reducing the rate by that much as well. ...
fred_dot_u's user avatar
  • 11.2k
6 votes
Accepted

Which K-Value would you choose here for linear advance?

As a general answer to evaluate the effectiveness of the K-factor, when the K-factor Calibration Pattern generator output print is inconclusive (probably not in this case), printing a tower at various ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 34.1k
5 votes
Accepted

Designing/Printing objects with sized holes

The reason holes come out undersized is generally the slicer, so calibrating the printer itself cannot solve the issue (without making other things worse). The output of the printer is exactly what it ...
Tom van der Zanden's user avatar
5 votes
Accepted

Do I need to recalibrate z-probe offset every time I switch to a different layer height?

All modern slicers adjust the nozzle position for the first layer in accordance with your chosen layer height. You can see this in your gcode if you slice files with different layer heights. Before ...
Ryan Carlyle's user avatar
  • 6,526
5 votes

Kossel accumulates error along Z axis

After some more testing I checked that the problem shows up only on Z tower and is not related with current. Examining the tower I found very dumb mistake. Pulley on the motor didn't have a setscrew! ...
Nikolay Zinov's user avatar
5 votes
Accepted

Marlin's bed leveling Mesh Validation Pattern ignoring home offset

A Marlin developer confirmed that bed-leveling and probing are now performed entirely in the machine coordinate space. To clarify further, if one has a non-zero home offset enabled, the following ...
Ian Mackinnon's user avatar
5 votes
Accepted

CoreXY Calibration Issue

Indeed, even belt tension is important, what helped me enormously to set the same tension in the belts on my self build CoreXY is a tool like this: Furthermore, be sure that you do not have any ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 34.1k
5 votes

CoreXY Calibration Issue

Oscar's answer is the correct solution to this issue. My printer was printing skewed and there is a built in correction for this in Marlin. Unfortunately the X5S does not have a boot loader and I don'...
Perplexed Dipole's user avatar
5 votes

Calibrating E steps for new filament

No that will not be necessary. However, you could use calipers to measure the diameter of the filaments (e.g. at 5 positions over a few meters) and calculate the mean diameter, if there is a ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 34.1k

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