SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2016-01-21T12:56:48Z

carl_m1968 wrote:

Your bet option for these printers aside from swapping the board to something more normal is to install Sailfish firmware. It makes a world of difference in performance and dependability. Google around, there are instructions and links to files for doing so.
I also have a CT'c motherboard, lcd, and keypad with cables for sale. The board has been flashed with Sailfish and is calibrated. If anyone is interested in it for spares PM me with and offer. The market price for such a package would be about $300 new but I will accept reasonable offers.

Not sure about your printer, but I have a Flash Forge Creator Pro clone and if I flash the firmware I lose my warranty so I'm waiting until after the warranty expires to go to Sailfish.

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2016-01-19T23:50:27Z

Found option to add dual extruders on menu but still right one not heating up !

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2016-01-19T21:49:33Z

Mmmm I didn't realise there was a reset button on the back so did a reset and did a preheat and it worked ! but then tried to load my filament and it stopped heating up did a preheat again and not working !

so I then did a restore default on the menu and now it doesn't show left and right extruder it just says Extruder and Platform !!!

Thanks

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2016-01-19T21:16:13Z

Many Thanks, I'll email them and see what they come back with. In the mean time is it possible to print off the left one or another work around ?.

Thanks

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2016-01-19T19:22:36Z

panda666uk wrote:

carl_m1968 wrote:
panda666uk wrote:
Hi, anyone know what would cause the right extruder to stop heating up ? Thanks.

Any error codes?
If you use a hair dryer to heat the nozzle does the thermocouple show a temp change on the LCD?
Have you checked to see if voltage is present when it should be heating? This would need to measure at the board where the heater plugs in at since you can't get to any point to measure it at on the head.
While looking at the board it the heating LED coming on for that heater?
Will it heat using the preheat setting from the menu?

Hi, Thanks for your reply. I've checked now with the printer on its side and get the following.
When I turn it on, I see the following red LED’s 5v, 24v and 3.3 and overheat led next to the R91
Hair dryer on the nozzle/s and the temp goes up on screen.
When I preheat on the Left extruder FET3 green LED comes on and when the temperature rises FET4 comes on.
When I preheat on the Right extruder FET1 green LED Comes on and that’s it and the temperature doesn’t go up and no other lights comes on. I would presume if it was working then FET2 would go green ?!.
No Error Codes.
What do you think ?
Thanks
Andy

Sounds like a bad board.. Some of them are known to have your issue. It was one of my reasons for swapping to a different controller. That and I wanted to be fully open source.

I am sure that's not what you want to hear. But you have options. You can try to RMA it with whom you purchased it. I also still have my controller from mine when I swapped. It was working when removed although it was flashed to Sailfish firmware which needs a special version of ReplicatorG. If you are interested in mine you can make me an offer. It will include the drivers, the keypad and LCD and cable to said keypad and LCD. Another option is to buy an new board from here..

http://unclechucks3dprinterstuff.com/index.htm

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2016-01-19T17:28:38Z

carl_m1968 wrote:

panda666uk wrote:
Hi, anyone know what would cause the right extruder to stop heating up ? Thanks.

Any error codes?
If you use a hair dryer to heat the nozzle does the thermocouple show a temp change on the LCD?
Have you checked to see if voltage is present when it should be heating? This would need to measure at the board where the heater plugs in at since you can't get to any point to measure it at on the head.
While looking at the board it the heating LED coming on for that heater?
Will it heat using the preheat setting from the menu?

Hi, Thanks for your reply. I've checked now with the printer on its side and get the following.

When I turn it on, I see the following red LED’s 5v, 24v and 3.3 and overheat led next to the R91

Hair dryer on the nozzle/s and the temp goes up on screen.

When I preheat on the Left extruder FET3 green LED comes on and when the temperature rises FET4 comes on.

When I preheat on the Right extruder FET1 green LED Comes on and that’s it and the temperature doesn’t go up and no other lights comes on. I would presume if it was working then FET2 would go green ?!.

No Error Codes.

What do you think ?

Thanks

Andy

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2016-01-18T22:19:09Z

panda666uk wrote:

Hi, anyone know what would cause the right extruder to stop heating up ? Thanks.

Any error codes?

If you use a hair dryer to heat the nozzle does the thermocouple show a temp change on the LCD?

Have you checked to see if voltage is present when it should be heating? This would need to measure at the board where the heater plugs in at since you can't get to any point to measure it at on the head.

While looking at the board it the heating LED coming on for that heater?

Will it heat using the preheat setting from the menu?

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2016-01-18T20:31:25Z

Hi, anyone know what would cause the right extruder to stop heating up ? Thanks.

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2015-12-29T21:43:11Z

I emailed the supplier but may just get another 40mm 24V fan like the below ones.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291554512720

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2015-12-29T21:36:44Z

I took the base off it and turned it on and put my finger on the fan to stop it and it was silent so its the fan which is always on and kicking out the noise.

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2015-12-29T21:34:17Z

panda666uk wrote:

Hi, My lad got his CTC 3D Printer and was a happy lad, All i did was set the levels and did the first test print through makerbot desktop software and came out pretty well. I will update the firmware to sailfish just to see if it speeds it up a little bit !
One question tho ! The motherboard 40mm 24v fan is like a jet engine and being obvisouly always on even if not printing it pretty annoying at the DB's noise its kicking out ? Are there any other fans which I can do a direct swap with to have lower DB's or any printable upgrades I can do to add a different size fan ?
Thanks

Are you sure it is the motherboard fan? The power supply also has a fan... Mine motherboard is very quite. my power supply fan only comes on once in a while after it has been printing some time. Seems to be thermally controlled. The issue you will have is 24 volt fans are very rare and unless you buy a second supply or step down converter there is no 12 volts on this machine. So you are kind of stuck.

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2015-12-29T21:27:18Z

Hi, My lad got his CTC 3D Printer and was a happy lad, All i did was set the levels and did the first test print through makerbot desktop software and came out pretty well. I will update the firmware to sailfish just to see if it speeds it up a little bit !

One question tho ! The motherboard 40mm 24v fan is like a jet engine and being obvisouly always on even if not printing it pretty annoying at the DB's noise its kicking out ? Are there any other fans which I can do a direct swap with to have lower DB's or any printable upgrades I can do to add a different size fan ?

Thanks

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2015-12-22T20:22:46Z

Your bet option for these printers aside from swapping the board to something more normal is to install Sailfish firmware. It makes a world of difference in performance and dependability. Google around, there are instructions and links to files for doing so.

I also have a CT'c motherboard, lcd, and keypad with cables for sale. The board has been flashed with Sailfish and is calibrated. If anyone is interested in it for spares PM me with and offer. The market price for such a package would be about $300 new but I will accept reasonable offers.

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2015-12-22T19:41:12Z

I had the same problem with my CTC then I updated my firmware and downloaded makerware and it was cool sailing from there... go to YouTube and watch the CTC Firmware update it's a long process .... then after that you need to just play around with makerware it works really good people say it's hard to work with but this is my first 3D printer and never used any of these softwares before now I'm printing very good prints for a noob... hit me up if u need help email me pete2@aol.com

Re: CTC 3D Printer noob questions :)

2015-12-19T20:55:07Z

I have just run mine again. I tried resetting it to manufacture default settings. It still has a problem. I did notice the print speeds I set in the makerware file were working (I had slowed it down to see if it would help). I should say though that I am impressed with the build quality of the machine and am hopeful of getting a fix to my problem from the supplier.