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SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → Help/Repair/Maintenance → Any tips on leveling the bed?
The back left corner of my bed seems low, any larger parts just don't stick there.
I wonder if their test part is small and in the middle so they didn't notice this at the factory, or if it adjusted itself out of adjustment during shipping.
Either way, it's not going to work well enough for me until I can get it fixed.
If anyone has done this and has tips on how to do it right that would be great.
Ian has a good list of maintenance items at this site: http://solidoodletips.wordpress.com/. You might be able to find your answer there. His dial indicator mount would be suited to help you solve the issue.
Here is a video I made checking the level with a piece of paper. Step the platform toward the nozzle in .1mm steps until you feel a little friction on the paper. You can turn the screw while sliding the paper under the nozzle under it just starts to grip it. You need a light touch with the hex driver to make sure you don't push down on the bed while turning.
After adjusting all three screws, go back and check them one more time in case adjusting one screw affected another.
Ian, from the video it seems as if the bed must be adjusted from the screws on top?
Does this not guarantee ripping the Kapton on the bed every time an adjustment is made?
My experiences with a Replicator prove that leveling is crucial and ongoing, but with that design their are knurled thumb screws underneath for height adjustment.
It's not ripping the Kapton, just poking holes above the screws, which exposes open space rather than bare metal.
The knobs would be an easier way to adjust the bed. To do it like the replicator, there would need to be an additional build surface on top of the aluminum so the screws can turn freely below it, or keep them from sticking to the kapton. And then the thumbwheel would need to lock on to the screw in some way so that it turns the screw rather then ride up and down the threads.
For the life of me I cannot get the bed level.
I can get any area near a screw to be correct to the extruder, but if I go to the far left corner, and adjust that, the far right no longer is correct. And so forth. Getting for corners and any spot in between seems like that's going to be perfect, but I can't even come close to that.
It's like the bed itself is not flat, which is going to be a major pain in the butt.
You would think the tripod leveling system would work, but that's only going to work of the bed surface itself is true.
They told me they level it at the factory with a level... that doesn't seem right.
I'm using Ian's method. I'm about to build a dial indicator for it to prove the bed itself is not true.
You can't use a level because it has to be level relative to the axis, not gravity. Are you leveling with the bed hot or cold? Try it both ways and see if it is different. I hate the paper method because it is a bit subjective. If you print a big square, how does the first layer look? If you dial in the z offset so it isn't too squished, you can watch the first layer and see if it changes across the bed.
If your bed is warped, I believe you can use a deep raft to help level it. Can someone confirm that?
It's not fixing your bed, but the raft is like printing a level bed upon your warped bed. Your raft will be warped but your print wont be.
Not ideal of course but a work around.
You can't use a level because it has to be level relative to the axis, not gravity. Are you leveling with the bed hot or cold? Try it both ways and see if it is different. I hate the paper method because it is a bit subjective. If you print a big square, how does the first layer look? If you dial in the z offset so it isn't too squished, you can watch the first layer and see if it changes across the bed.
That was cold. I'm going to try hot tonight.
What I've been seeing during printing is that the front left is squished badly. The right front is a little better... the right rear is nearly perfect, and the left rear doesn't even come close to touching the bed.
If I raise the rear so the rear left is correct, the rear right will be squished badly.
I've got some feeler gauges I'll try tonight.
Try getting just the front screws to the same level. If the font corners are equal, then the back corners should be equal as well, balanced on the screw on the center back. Then adjusting the back screw should only raise and lower the back edge without messing up any other adjustments.
If the back corners are still off, then maybe the bed is warped.
Try getting just the front screws to the same level. If the font corners are equal, then the back corners should be equal as well, balanced on the screw on the center back. Then adjusting the back screw should only raise and lower the back edge without messing up any other adjustments.
If the back corners are still off, then maybe the bed is warped.
Then my bed is warped. This is exactly what I tried first.
Definitely try the dial indicator so you can get a picture of where it is warped and how much. This was apparently a big problem for the first Replicators that shipped. I don't know what the cause was, but I was wondering if some Solidoodles would have the same issue.
I beleive I am printing too close to the bed. I tried adjusting the screw that I beleive was the Z offset screw to lower my bed. Is it the upside down screw to the far right of the extruder with the lock nut on it? If not, where is it located? I turned it a quarter of a turn and it didn't seem to have an effect on the print. I didn't want to mess with it too much because I wanted to keep it close to "factory" settings in case this is not the right one.
The z offset screw is not the one you described. It is in the back left of the z axis rails, when you turn it, it presses lighter or harder on the z axis limit switch. The idea is to make it trigger this switch when the bed is lower or higher
Thanks for the help! I am new to these printers and catch a majority of what people are discussing but obviously there are several people that are much more experienced. I will catch up, I just need a few tips.
SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → Help/Repair/Maintenance → Any tips on leveling the bed?
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