<![CDATA[SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — Z Axis - Please help end three weeks of hell]]> 2014-12-22T22:37:32Z PunBB https://www.soliforum.com/topic/8837/z-axis-please-help-end-three-weeks-of-hell/ <![CDATA[Re: Z Axis - Please help end three weeks of hell]]> Since I have determined that the issue is not the z axis I am going to continue investigating and see if I can find out what my next problem is and put it in another thread.

Thanks for the help.

EDIT: Upgraded the RH software from that which was linked in the Solidoodle setup guide and it is working 1000% better.  Was on .8 something and am no on 1.06

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/8559/ 2014-12-22T22:37:32Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/76145/#p76145 <![CDATA[Re: Z Axis - Please help end three weeks of hell]]> I appreciate the help but it didn't work for my printer very well.  It would park the extruder assembly and then just stop while the extruder temperature dropped.

I don't have a heated bed so I took that line out but it still just stalled out on me.

Unless I was too impatient.  I did modify it to this to see if this would work:

G21; set mm units
G28; home all axis
G90; set absolute coordinates
G1 X75 Y75 F4000; move extruder above bed
G28 Z0; home Z axis
G92 E0; reset extrusion distance

This worked, but I ran into the same issue.

So I just put my hand down on the Z Axis screw drive and waited for it to move.  It did so apparently that is not my problem.

It is just so odd.  It prints the brim just fine but as soon as it moves to print anything inside it is completely ineffective,

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/8559/ 2014-12-22T03:35:51Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/76097/#p76097 <![CDATA[Re: Z Axis - Please help end three weeks of hell]]> If you want to try my code feel free. It has been working great for nearly a year now.

G21; set mm units
G28 ;home all axis
M190 S[first_layer_bed_temperature] ; set and wait for bed temp to be reached
M104 S[temperature] ; set extruder temp and start heating
G90; set absolute coordinates
G1 Z5 F300 ;move platform down 5mm
G1 X10 Y10 F3000 ;move to front left corner
M109 S[temperature]; wait for extruder temp to be reached
G1 Z[first_layer_height] F200 ;move platform close to nozzle
G92 E0; reset extrusion distance

I got rid of the anchor command months ago, but everything still works just fine.

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/4188/ 2014-12-21T22:27:45Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/76091/#p76091 <![CDATA[Re: Z Axis - Please help end three weeks of hell]]> My start code looks like this:

G21; set mm units
G90; set absolute coordinates
G28 X0 Y0; home x and y axis
G1 X75 Y75 F4000; move extruder above bed
G28 Z0; home Z axis
G92 E0; reset extrusion distance

Not sure where I got it from but I believe it was from a forum.  Is is possible that something in my RH settings could be conflicting with this or the other way around?

Thanks for the help BTW!

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/8559/ 2014-12-21T18:13:17Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/76074/#p76074 <![CDATA[Re: Z Axis - Please help end three weeks of hell]]> Does your start code look something like this:
G21; set mm units
G28 ;home all axis
G90; set absolute coordinates
G92 E0; reset extruder distance
M104 S230; set extruder temp and start heating
G1 Z5 F300 ;move platform down 5mm
G1 X145 Y145 F3000 ; move to back right corner
M109 S230; wait for extruder temp to be reached
G1 Z[first_layer_height] F200 ;move platform close to nozzle
G1 E7; extruder anchor
G1 F3000; Set Feed rate for first move
G92 E0; reset extrusion distance

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/574/ 2014-12-21T05:07:55Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/76045/#p76045 <![CDATA[Z Axis - Please help end three weeks of hell]]> Summary: I don't think the Z-axis is moving at all

I purchased a Solidoodle 2 from someone that claimed it was in working order.  When I first fired it up (of course first going through the setup portions that were applicable) it was grooving the painters tape so I recalibrated the z Axis.

I have discovered though that while the Z axis will move manually via the Repetier software it does not seem to drop during a print.  It just tried to print the same thing over and over again at the same level.

Since the steppers seem to be fine then it must mean that there is either something in the settings or something in the Gcode that is really screwing things up.  the other option I can think of is firmware but I don't know much about flashing these things.

I can take a video if that will help. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Solution at bottom post

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/8559/ 2014-12-21T04:12:36Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/76043/#p76043